Chapter 210

Jiang Heng

Earning a hundred‑million salary, self‑directing and self‑starring in a special‑effects blockbuster that isn't highly regarded, and having such a beautiful female lead—no matter how you figure it, it's not a loss.

Yan Zu

However, judging from Jing Tian's performance in *Journey to the West: Flat Top Mountain*, she still has a bit of talent.

Actually, in another timeline Jing Tian had such good resources yet didn't become popular; largely it's due to a misguided direction, plus the heavy promotion of those resources causing a collapse in public appeal.

By the time the later self‑media era arrived, audiences discovered her many personality strengths, and when they saw her acting, even the older sisters were past their blooming period—one can only say it was a matter of timing and fate!

Liu Yifei

Director Jiang

Haolaiwu

Neidi

The young lady smiled sweetly, then, like a curious child, asked about the Oscar award.

However, considering that domestic directors now value Western awards highly, Jiang Heng swallowed the words that had reached his lips, lest he unwittingly make a bunch of enemies.

In the conference room, the executives could barely contain their joy, their faces beaming.

Jiang Heng originally wanted to say, 'If we pander to the West, aren't we just kneeling for food?' and then quote a line from 'Let the Bullets Fly'.

The host was the beautiful reporter Tu Jingwei from CCTV Channel 6: "Director Jiang, hello, congratulations on winning five Oscars: Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Effects, Best Sound Editing, and Best Visual Effects. At this moment, everyone has come to the scene with great excitement; could you say a few words?"

In front of the building's plaza, a large crowd had already gathered, with many more reporters around.

The media reporters present were all excited, vying to ask many questions.

Jiang Heng responded half-heartedly, then took a car to the foot of Outstanding Rising Film Company.

There was a makeshift stage, a huge poster display of 'Inception', plus a red carpet and banners.

Jiang Heng took the microphone and slowly said, "Thank you, media friends and audience members, for coming despite your busy schedules; I am truly moved, because it is your continued support that has brought me to where I am today."

He merely gave an uplifting, pride‑evoking speech, then proceeded to accept interviews from reporters.

Jiang Heng went along with the suggestion, arranging the interview site at the plaza below the company; as a result, the place was packed with people.

A few years ago, when I first came to the Neidi market and wanted to make a big film, someone once advised me to cater as much as possible to Western tastes, because the market lies there! The total annual box office of Neidi doesn't even exceed that of a single Haolaiwu blockbuster…

Security personnel separated the media reporters from the audience, barely maintaining order.

And when Jiang Heng stepped out of his luxury car and walked onto the red carpet, the atmosphere on site reached its peak.

Jiang Heng's triumphant return naturally attracted a lot of media attention.

Quietly getting out of the car, Jing Tian blended into the audience crowd and even posed as a spectator to ask a question, though the microphone never reached her.

Considering his tremendous influence, the industry department proactively contacted him, hoping Jiang Heng would change the interview location instead of blocking the airport.

Amid the sound of saluting guns, Jiang Heng approached the huge poster display.

Jiang Heng answered for nearly half an hour before leaving the event site, accompanied by a group of executives, and entered Outstanding Rising Film Company.

Jiang Heng, meanwhile, was in the office chatting with Du Huan and Li Xiaoping about recent major developments at the company.

The most important matter, naturally, is the preparation for 'Pacific Rim 2'.

"Director Jiang, China Film Company has already transferred twelve million US dollars into the production account. Columbia Company has also transferred twenty million, and the remaining thirty million will be transferred once filming is over halfway!" Du Huan reported.

Jiang Heng nodded. This time, 'Pacific Rim 2' is a joint production of three parties: China Film invested ten million US dollars, Columbia five million, and the remaining six million is the responsibility of Outstanding Rising Film Company.

With so many lines, it's naturally not possible to have them all arrive at the set at once, so there's naturally no objection.

"How is the progress on the props and models?"

Du Huan hurriedly said, "We've already made them according to the drawings you gave before your departure; they are now eighty percent complete and will definitely not affect the start of filming."

"And the male lead?"

"Following your previous request, we have contacted those actors; they are all willing to participate and have kept their schedules open, awaiting your return for the final audition."

Jiang Heng nodded; there didn't seem to be any oversight.

'Pacific Rim 2' is, after all, a film about mechs fighting monsters; compared to that, the towering, formidable mechs and the huge, ferocious monsters are the true protagonists, while the importance of the human male and female leads has greatly diminished.

Considering cost‑saving, Jiang Heng naturally won't use Wu Yanzu again, whose popularity keeps growing; instead, he plans to find a low‑paid, popular young actor in the Neidi market.

As for the female lead, Jiang Heng's consideration narrowed to Liu Yifei and Tang Yan, and he decided without much deliberation.

"Then let them come to the company for an audition tomorrow!"

"Okay!"

Jiang Heng turned his head to look at Li Xiaoping and asked, "Do you have any problems on your end?"

"Everything's fine on my end. Tangren Company's financial strength is a bit weaker, but filming is still going well. The progress of Chinese Paladin 3 is rapid, and Good Times has also assigned a Visual Effects Supervisor to help design the action from a special‑effects perspective."

"Then that's good; so there are no problems, right?"

"Um, I have an immature suggestion; I don't know whether I should say it!" Li Xiaoping hesitated.

"Then don't say it!" Jiang Heng said firmly.

"Ah!"

Li Xiaoping was stunned; Director Jiang really doesn't play by the rules!

"Go ahead, so I won't be accused of ruling by decree!" Jiang Heng laughed.

Li Xiaoping glanced at Du Huan, then said, "I looked at the storyboard for Pacific Rim 2; the mechs are still the old mechanical type. The story takes place twenty years after the first film—technology should have advanced, right?"

Jiang Heng listened and laughed.

Currently, the leadership division of Outstanding Rising Film Company is relatively simple: Du Huan, the company president, oversees film, animation, and related development; Li Xiaoping oversees TV drama production, talent management, and variety shows.

However, Li Xiaoping is overly career‑driven; after TV drama production got on track, she even started to think about getting into film.

This isn't all that abrupt, after all—when she first joined the company, she served as the production manager for the two sequels of The Matrix, so inquiring about Pacific Rim 2 isn't without justification.

The problem is that her ideas are still rather superficial.

There were several reasons for the box‑office failure of the previous Pacific Rim 2; the most important was that, in pursuit of innovation, it lost the mechs' weighty feel.

In Pacific Rim 1, the cockpit employed the most direct mechanical linkage control, with the pilot's body parts tightly linked to the mecha, every movement conveying a huge sense of resistance, making the mecha look extremely heavy.

In Pacific Rim 2, the mechs all used magnetic levitation cockpits, allowing pilots to perform high‑difficulty moves at will, completely lacking the sense of resistance and oppression felt when humans pilot steel giants; it's altogether like Ultraman battling monsters, resembling a tokusatsu show—if it didn't flop, that would be strange!

(End of chapter)