Chapter 593: Influence and Sensation: Ten Thousand Miles in a Day

On the night the awards ceremony ended, the news of the Venice Film Festival swept through the domestic and international film and television industries, the entertainment circle, major portals, and Weibo like a hurricane. "Around 4 a. m. today, the 70th Venice Film Festival successfully concluded. Our country's famous director Wei Jin, with *Nomadland*, powerfully captured the Golden Lion for Best Film!"

"After an 18-year hiatus, the Volpi Cup for Best Actor has once again fallen to a Chinese actor. Chen Daoming has become the second Chinese Venice Best Actor following Xia Yu!"

"Following *Search*, Director Tian Zhuangzhuang has once again captured the Venice Jury Special Award with the Wei Jin-scripted *The Distinguished Citizen*. Master and apprentice shining together is truly a fine tale."

"A ten-year journey: two Berlins, one Cannes, two Venices. Director Wei Jin has officially been crowned, becoming the fourth person in film history to achieve the European Three Major Film Festivals Grand Slam. In local media reports, Director Wei Jin is called a living legend."

"At the awards ceremony, Director Wei Jin couldn't help but passionately kiss Liu Yifei, making a public declaration of love."

"Chinese director Cai Mingliang, with *Stray Dogs*, captured the Venice Jury Grand Prize!"

"."

Shanhe Media, Starry Sky Culture, Jiahe Film, Shanhe Cinema Line, Shanhe Technology, Kaixin Mahua, and other film and television-related companies directly or indirectly controlled by Wei Jin.

As well as allied companies like China Film Group, Shanghai Film Group, Wanda, Enlight Media, and Emperor Group, all forwarded the news of the Venice Film Festival award results.

The entire film and television circle learned of this matter, whether actively or passively.

As the film and television circle expected, Beijing Film Academy continued to exercise its old traditions.

Almost the moment the report came out, they replaced the banner at the Academy entrance that read 【Welcome 2013 Freshmen】 with two newer, larger, and more conspicuous ones: 【Warmly congratulate our school's 2002 Director Department distinguished graduate, Director Wei Jin, for winning the 70th Venice International Film Festival Golden Lion for Best Film and becoming a European Three Major Film Festivals Grand Slam winner.】

【Warmly congratulate our school's Director Department outstanding alumnus and current Graduate Student tutor, Director Tian Zhuangzhuang, for capturing the Jury Special Silver Lion at this Venice International Film Festival.】

This time, the neighboring Central Academy of Drama was not to be outdone; almost at the same time Beijing Film Academy made their change, they also put on new clothes:

【Warmly congratulate our school's 1978 Acting Department advanced class outstanding alumnus Chen Daoming for winning the 70th Venice International Film Festival Silver Lion for Best Actor.】

"Golden Lion, Silver Lion, Golden Bear, Silver Bear, Palme d'Or, Oscar Best Director, Best Foreign Language Film, Oscar Best Screenplay, Golden Globe Best Director, Best Foreign Language Film—what else is there to say? Wei Jin is awesome!"

"Among Chinese-language directors, Wei Jin has already achieved what no one has before, one could even say no one will after; awesome!"

"Achieving a Grand Slam in the field of art films and a cumulative box office of over 30 billion in commercial films—besides 'awesome,' I really can't find another adjective!"

"Grand Slam achieved; the next goal should be the Oscar for Best Film, right?"

"Seconded!"

"+1"

"+10086"

"."

The entire internet became completely lively; countless netizens, and even celebrity artists, all joined the ranks of the praise.

Beyond shock, it was just shock! Especially Wei Jin's illustrious battle record—it could no longer be described as monstrous!

Beijing, Yanjiao Villa.

"Yuanyuan, wake up, stop sleeping."

Ceng Li pulled open the curtains, letting the warm sunlight shine in, then shook her good friend who was still in a deep, beautiful slumber.

"Mmm~~~ Li Jie, don't bother me~~"

Da Meiyuan muttered softly, then turned over and buried her head in the quilt.

September in Beijing was still sweltering; the thin pajamas and cool summer quilt could not hide Da Meiyuan's plump hip line.

Ceng Li sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to pat the exposed snow-white skin, "Yuanyuan, Xiao Jin won an award."

"Ah?"

Da Meiyuan "whooshed" and sprang up from the bed; her slightly dazed yet pleasantly surprised expression made Ceng Li cover her mouth and smile.

"Li Jie, really?"

"Why would I lie to you?"

Ceng Li gave Gao Yuanyuan a sideways glance, somewhat speechless, "Don't even mention it, I was waiting for you to share the good news, but you were sleeping soundly."

"Ah, that..."

Da Meiyuan smoothed her scattered dark hair, feeling a bit embarrassed, "It's all because the awards ceremony was too boring, and you couldn't fast-forward. I fell asleep while watching."

After speaking, Da Meiyuan picked up the phone on the bedside table to check, and sure enough, she saw the photo Wei Jin had sent.

It was a selfie taken after the awards ceremony ended and before accepting interviews, holding the Golden Lion trophy and certificate.

"Li Jie, have you called him yet?"

Ceng Li shook her head: "Not yet, he's probably still sleeping at this hour."

Upon hearing this, Da Meiyuan pouted, "Hmph, even if he's sleeping, he's sleeping while hugging some young girl. I have to call and wake him up."

Watching Gao Yuanyuan's dialing motion, Ceng Li hurriedly stopped her.

"Hey, don't, he's probably only just fallen asleep."

"Li Jie, you just spoil him too much."

Da Meiyuan rolled her eyes beautifully, "When we go to the island, don't blame me for not helping you when you get bullied."

"You dead girl, who knows who will be bullying whom by then."

Seeing Ceng Li still being stubborn, Da Meiyuan pounced on her on the bed.

"Alright, then I'll bully you right now."

After saying that, Da Meiyuan extended her "sinister hands" toward Ceng Li.

In an instant, the room became a scene of chaos, *Happy Together*. "Ding~ Ding~"

The WeChat notification sound rang out, and the phone screen lit up. Jing Tian picked up the phone and tapped out a reply.

Looking at the undisguised smile on her face, Yan Ni, who was beside her, unscrewed the lid of her thermos and asked with a smile: "Tian Tian, when is Director Wei coming back?"

Previously, on *Bottom-Tier Girl*, Yan Ni hadn't managed to collaborate with Jing Tian, but this time on the *Coming Home* crew, she finally got her wish.

The two had many scenes together in the film, and since they were also from the same hometown, their relationship had become very good after spending this time together.

"He probably won't stay too long; *Operation Mekong* is still waiting for him."

"Director Wei is truly amazing; he's even achieved a Grand Slam."

Another actor, Xin Boqing, also laughed from the side: "Now, he is already the signboard of the Chinese-language film circle and a legend to the whole world."

Xin Boqing is a graduate of the Central Academy of Drama and once worked with Liu Yifei on "The Noble Family"; among middle-generation actors, his acting skills are quite good, and in this film, he plays the school leader.

"Congratulations, Tian Tian."

The crew members surrounded Jing Tian like stars around the moon, and while waiting for work to start, they were all talking about Venice.

Everyone knew about the relationship between Jing Tian and Wei Jin, and with this status, the entire crew took great care of her.

Even the director, Zhang Yimou, would speak softly and explain the scenes to Jing Tian whenever he encountered something he was not satisfied with.

Of course, the young lady also knew how to conduct herself well.

She had a sweet mouth, her conduct was impeccable, and she often treated the crew to meals, so when everyone flattered her, there was a bit more sincerity in it.

"By the way, Tian Tian, will 'Nomadland' be released domestically? Has the specific date been set?" The one asking this was Gong Li, as art-house films had always been her favorite.

"I'm not too sure either; this film is likely aiming for the Oscar, so if it's to be released domestically, I guess it won't be until after December, right?"

"I see. When it is released, I must go and appreciate it properly. I wonder how much the copyright will sell for this time?"

"It shouldn't be low, right? This is the Golden Lion Award plus a Grand Slam."

"Exactly, exactly, it might just break records again."

"Mhm, I think so too."

Once Gong Li said this, everyone on set began to discuss it all at once.

And listening to the crew's sycophantic praise for Wei Jin, Jing Tian was even happier than if they were praising her; her exquisite, peerless face was full of smiles.

The sensation caused by the Grand Slam was far from just that simple.

The morning news flash only played a 15-second brief, but by the evening broadcast, they used over a minute to introduce the achievements Wei Jin had attained.

In the words of the official media, this was a monumental achievement that would be recorded in global film history! Many major directors in the country also received interviews from media reporters.

Not to mention Zhang Yimou; ever since signing with Shanhe Media, he had completely become a fan of Wei Jin.

Especially after "Hidden in the Dust" won the Cannes Film Festival Jury Grand Prize, Zhang Yimou had always blindly praised him on various public occasions.

"I am not at all surprised that Director Wei Jin could achieve such success; only he could reach this level. He himself is a miracle!"

Feng Dapao was in much the same situation, and facing the reporter's camera, he directly stated: "Whether it is commercial performance or achievements in the art-house field, Director Wei is unique both domestically and globally. I can only say I am convinced."

Li An, who was in Taiwan, also accepted a media interview, and he directly stated:

"Director Wei's achievement is groundbreaking and has created history for Huaxia film. I sincerely express my congratulations. I also wish him continued success at next year's Oscar and hope he adds a few more trophies for Huaxia."

Even the usually unruly Chen Shiren rarely accepted an interview and directly expressed his congratulations to Wei Jin.

But no one knew that that night, Chen Shiren tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Walking to the bed in his villa, he stood with his hands behind his back, watching the bright moon outside the window, and Chen Shiren sighed inexplicably.

"If the spring breeze has pity for the flowers, may it grant me my youth once more."

Wei Jin did not know about the turmoil back home.

Since the awards ceremony, he had begun accepting interviews from media all over the world, becoming a darling of the media.

As for Liu Yifei, she was busy handling brand activities and also appeared very occupied.

As for David, Frances McDormand, as well as his teacher Tian Zhuangzhuang and Chen Daoming and others, they returned directly to Beijing the next day.

After two consecutive days of media interviews ended and the copyright transaction prices for several films were settled, Wei Jin summoned Chen Zhiming and Hunter to understand the detailed situation.

Unsurprisingly, with the blessing of the Golden Lion Award and the gimmick of helping Wei Jin achieve a Grand Slam, "Nomadland" was fought over by numerous film distributors.

"Boss, a total of 34 distributors provided regional quotes for 'Nomadland', and in the end, we screened 18."

"At first, they wanted to use the excuse that it was too much of an art-house film and that the box office trend wouldn't be good to drive the price down, but I blocked them all back."

Hunter, who seemed to have gained a bit of weight, looked proud as he claimed credit for himself, and Wei Jin did not expose him.

In art-house film copyright transactions, one could not consider theater profitability at all. Discs, videotapes, and online pay-per-view were the main sources of long-term revenue.

However, Wei Jin's two previous big-selling art-house films, "Room" and "The Hunt", had extremely impressive box office results, which gave the distributors an excuse.

"Alright, I know your contribution; just tell me the specific number?"

"84.8 million, USD!"

Hearing this number, a satisfied smile appeared on Wei Jin's face; this had far exceeded his expectations.

After all, the previous highest copyright price was less than 40 million USD.

This number directly more than doubled the copyright record; it could be called an astronomical price!

The production cost of this film was less than 15 million USD; calculating it, the copyright price alone realized a profit of 70 million USD.

Even after deducting the Oscar public relations expenses, the profit of this film was definitely over 50 million USD, an absolute killing.

"Very good, Hunter, for your year-end bonus this year, add another three-point dividend."

"Boss, for real?" Hunter became excited all of a sudden.

"Of course, when have I ever lied to you?"

After Wei Jin calmly waved his hand, he looked at Chen Zhiming, "Lao Chen, how is the situation on your side?"

"President Wei, the situation is very good."

Chen Zhiming narrated the situation with a smile on his face, and Wei Jin raised an eyebrow as he listened.

"The Distinguished Citizen" did not exceed his expectations.

With the blessing of two Silver Lion trophies, the name of Wei Jin as screenwriter, and various rave reviews from the four major festival journals.

Even though the international influence of Tian Zhuangzhuang and Chen Daoming was a little lacking, the copyright price of "The Distinguished Citizen" still sold for an astonishing 25.8 million USD.

This number had already refreshed the records of Zhang Yimou and Chen Shiren, ranking only behind Wei Jin and Li An in Huaxia.

Converted, compared to the 20 million production cost, "The Distinguished Citizen" realized a net profit of over 120 million from copyright transactions alone.

Once it is released domestically, it can make another big profit.

"Big Shot", however, was somewhat beyond Wei Jin's expectations; the copyright price actually reached 14.6 million USD.

"Hehe, President Wei, you achieved a Grand Slam; for a film directed by you personally, shouldn't it add a few million USD, haha."

Chen Zhiming smiled and offered a compliment, but the look in his eyes as he gazed at Wei Jin was full of admiration; was this not his true inner sentiment?

"Right, President Wei, China Film Group's intention is that since the film is about to be released, we should make this figure public as soon as we return to the country."

"Mm, good."

The copyright transaction concluded, and Wei Jin's trip to Venice came to an end; that same day, he boarded a plane back to the country with Liu Yifei.

Hunter and Chen Zhiming, however, still needed to stay in Venice for a while to handle the relevant procedures for the copyright transaction.

Over these past few days, Wei Jin could be said to have attracted the world's attention, and he was the media's well-deserved darling.

He finally understood why Chen Shiren would get carried away.

Because when you are lifted to an extremely high position, only voices of praise remain around you, and nothing else.

Under such circumstances, even those who could originally keep their composure would gradually become conceited.

Fortunately, however, ever since Wei Jin debuted, he had already received much adulation, and as his awards, honors, and box office results grew, the voices praising him became louder and louder; thus, Wei Jin was basically immune to the experiences of these past two days.

After all, he still had more clear plans and goals for the future.

Of course, it was also because he had a unique way of relieving stress and resolving emotions, which was to indulge in the lap of luxury and divert his attention.

At this moment, he was enjoying the pleasure of "returning to Beijing in a single day across ten thousand miles" on his private jet.

(End of this chapter)