Chapter 406: Reluctantly Doing It

Han Zong had an important meeting today.

It was a relevant meeting convened by the Film Bureau.

The main focus was to discuss and accelerate the investment and construction efforts of domestic cinema chains, aiming to actively expand into second-tier and even third-tier cities while maintaining their advantages in first-tier cities.

Furthermore, the relevant departments also discussed how to accelerate the layout of rural digital cinema construction.

They discussed domestic cinema expansion in the morning and rural digital cinema construction in the afternoon.

However, because the acceleration of domestic cinema expansion and the approval process involved too many interested parties, the meeting lasted until 12:30 PM.

Han Zong came out of the meeting room and considered that with an hour and a half until the afternoon session, he should have enough time to go back for a meal and take a short rest.

By the time he got into his car and left the Film Bureau, it was already past 12:40 PM.

Having reviewed too much data and engaged in intense discussions all morning, Han Zong felt a bit exhausted; he closed his eyes in the car, yet he felt as if he had forgotten something.

What was it? He couldn't recall it for the moment.

Just like that, about five minutes after the driver had driven out of the Film Bureau, Han Zong's phone suddenly rang.

He subconsciously frowned, pulled out his phone with some fatigue, and took a look; it was his secretary calling.

For the secretary to call at this time, something must have happened; otherwise, it would be impossible for them to call now.

"Hmm... hmm?"

Han Zong only listened for two sentences before immediately sitting up straight, and the fatigue on his face miraculously vanished.

"Is it accurate? Is it confirmed?"

Han Zong slapped his thigh and couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth.

"Good, good, very good!"

Only then did he remember what he had forgotten: today was the Oscar awards ceremony. He had been thinking about it before the meeting this morning, but after discussing things at the Film Bureau all morning, he had forgotten such an important event.

Han Zong checked the time: 12:49 PM. Converting the time difference between Jingcheng and Los Angeles, it should be 8:49 PM over there.

The Oscar awards ceremony was almost over; what followed would be interviews and the Oscar banquet.

Hanging up the phone, Han Zong took a deep breath and said softly to the driver in front: "Little Li, make a U-turn ahead, back to the Film Bureau. I'll eat at the bureau's cafeteria today; I'm not going back."

He knew very well that for the sake of the afternoon meeting, the bureau's leaders would likely not go home for lunch and would probably eat at the cafeteria—if they were going out to eat, they would certainly have invited him.

It wasn't Han Zong bragging, but he was the head of China Film Group, holding significant power, and was an old subordinate and partner of Director Tong; it was impossible for them to go out to eat without inviting him.

The cafeteria was great; Han Zong loved the cafeteria the most.

Returning to the Film Bureau, Han Zong walked with a vigorous, spirited stride.

"Eh, Old Han, didn't you go back?"

"What? You know too? I just went out and made a call to find out; I didn't expect you to know even earlier than me."

"Ah?"

"Sigh, isn't it just that China Film Group invested in a Hollywood movie? I didn't expect it to cause such a stir. This whole thing... it's all thanks to Director Cao Yang being righteous. If it weren't for Director Cao, how would I have had the chance to serve as the producer for this film?"

"A Hollywood movie?"

"Sigh, it's just winning an Oscar for Best Picture, nothing to make a fuss about. My role as producer was just to fill the numbers; I'm ashamed, truly ashamed!"

Han Zong had unknowingly raised his voice in the cafeteria, causing more and more people to look over.

Of course, while Han Zong's mouth was shouting "ashamed," the corners of his mouth were curled up to his ears.

"What Oscar? What's up with the Oscars?"

Another leader who hadn't heard the whole thing asked in confusion.

At this moment, Han Zong wished he could slap his thigh; he feared a solo performance the most and loved such "straight men" to set him up.

If this world were without "straight men," the fun would surely be more than halved.

Han Zong straightened his body, cleared his throat specifically, looked around, and then said with a smile:

"Last year, Director Cao Yang led the production of a low-budget film based on a novel he wrote himself. He gave China Film Group a chance, letting us participate and co-produce it with Columbia.

It's that film that caused a sensation in the U.S., *The Fault in Our Stars*. The total investment..."

Han Zong had wanted to say the total investment was about 100 million RMB, but the words reached his lips and he felt 100 million was a bit "too big," which might lessen the shock, so he didn't mention RMB.

"The total investment was just a little over 10 million USD. Everyone here is a professional, so you surely know that in Hollywood, that's the smallest of small investments."

Speaking to this point, he could no longer suppress the joy in his heart and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Haha, but no matter how small the investment, it was still a film written and produced by Director Cao. It was released in North America last August, and the box office had a small explosion—not a huge one, certainly incomparable to *Pirates of the Caribbean* directed by Director Cao."

"How much of a small explosion?"

Someone couldn't help but ask.

Han Zong waved his hand and shook his head, "Not much, not much, just 200 million in North America. Oh, that's USD."

At this moment, some of the state-owned cinema chain heads attending the meeting, as well as some private cinema owners with deep pockets and potential for development, couldn't help but smile bitterly.

A budget of just over 10 million USD and a North American box office of 200 million USD—that's a damn huge profit!

It's estimated that Hollywood might not even produce one film with such a high return rate in a year.

Furthermore, didn't you hear Han Zong? That was just the North American box office, not even counting the global box office.

"You mentioned the Oscars just now..."

The leader who had asked the question earlier couldn't help but ask again.

Old Han was rambling on and hadn't mentioned anything about the Oscars.

Han Zong almost couldn't help but slap his thigh again.

He coughed specifically to stop his itching arm.

"Under the circumstances where this film hasn't even been released in most countries, including China, it has already achieved a box office of 260 million USD."

Han Zong smiled and looked at the leader of the same rank from the SARFT before continuing: "The box office isn't the point; I just received news that at the Oscar ceremony that just concluded, this film won Best Picture!"

He grinned widely and sighed: "This film that China Film Group invested in—I actually didn't put in much effort. I just helped recommend some staff, found a few location sites, supervised the accounts, and handled some minor issues.

Sigh, I didn't expect Columbia and Director Cao Yang to insist on giving me a producer credit. I'm ashamed, truly ashamed. If I had known the film would win an Oscar for Best Picture, I would never have agreed to be credited as a producer."

Han Zong said he was ashamed, but his mouth stretched wider and wider, especially when he said the words "Oscar Best Picture," which were resonant, rhythmic, and articulated with crystal clarity.

Instantly, the leader who had asked the question turned his head away; he hated himself for being so talkative.

An Oscar for Best Picture.

Every year, they talk about "chasing the Oscars," and after twenty years of chasing, these mainland directors haven't even touched a hair of a Best Foreign Language Film. Even for that, they argue endlessly every year over "Oscar-chasing" films, sometimes even "coming to blows."

And this guy? He did nothing, and the highest Oscar award, Best Picture, just fell into his lap. Where the hell is the justice in that?

He had previously mocked this guy for following behind Cao Yang, acting as his "vanguard."

And now?

Sigh...

Originally, at Han Zong's age, he had reached the ceiling of his current position, and everyone at this age basically gave up thoughts of rising further, only hoping for a smooth landing until retirement.

Now it seems, since Old Han "hitched a ride" on an Oscar Best Picture, that might not be the case anymore.

For a moment, everyone's view of Old Han changed. Regardless of what they thought inside, at least on the surface, they were all happy that Old Han had achieved an Oscar Best Picture.

Laughter and congratulations echoed through the cafeteria.

While there was constant laughter here, over at the Beijing Film Academy, Hou Ke and Xie Xiaojing were "worried" sick.

The problem causing the worry was simple: there was no place to hang the banner.

*Pirates of the Caribbean* had won several Oscar technical awards; if it were any other director at the Beijing Film Academy, they would definitely celebrate by hanging banners.

But Cao Yang was different. Honestly, if they hung a banner for these "small" Oscar technical awards, he would probably feel it was "embarrassing."

Hou Ke and Xie Xiaojing weren't worried about that, though.