Chapter 241: Chapter 241: It’s Time! (Vote for Monthly Tickets)

“Yesterday, the highly anticipated movie ‘The Genius Gamblers’ directed by the Hollywood luminous director Wang Yang finally had its grand premiere throughout Hong Kong, sparking a citywide moviegoing frenzy.”

The TV was tuned to the TVB channel, broadcasting the entertainment news show ‘Entertainment Grand Search.’ Host Song Zhiling sat behind the desk, smiling as she said, “Although Young Master Yang didn’t come to Hong Kong for the promotions personally, he asked us to extend his regards to all the viewers. Since we can’t see him, why not watch the movie instead? He even makes a cameo appearance in it! Let’s hear what people have to say, shall we?”

The screen instantly cut to a lively movie theater exit scene, with chattering crowds leaving after watching the film, the noise bustling. Interviewer Zhang Meini, wearing a big smile, spoke into the TVB microphone, “What a lively atmosphere! We just asked about ticket sales, tonight is completely sold out, the owner said it’s like going back to the days when ‘God of Gamblers’ was released!” The camera then turned to her as she asked a young couple with a laugh, “What do you think?”

“It’s great!” said the tall young man in a white T-shirt and jeans, nodding with a smile, and the short plump girl also nodded, saying, “Worth the price of admission, Yang directs so well! Zhou Run and Natalie Portman are so cool.” The tall young man laughed, “Cool to the max!” Then a middle-aged housewife appeared on camera, her daughter standing next to her with a smile. The housewife said, “I just came to accompany my daughter, I didn’t quite understand all that card counting, my head is spinning!”

“It’s a Wang Yang movie, after all!” a sparsely-haired old man said to the camera, his wrinkled face beaming with joy, “He won that award…” Zhang Meini prompted, “The Oscar.” The old man said disgruntledly, “I remember, I remember, the Oscar, indeed, indeed! Don’t treat me like an uneducated old man! Just because I pick up scrap paper doesn’t mean I don’t know Wang Yang, I’ve been overseas before…”

Of course, not too many of the audience members walking out of the theater were elderly, but they were not just a handful either; the number of middle-aged spectators was countless, the male-female-elderly-young audience ratio in North America seemed to be replicated elsewhere too.

However, Hong Kong has always been a place that loves gambling movies, leading the trend of gambling films, starting with Shaw Brothers’ film ‘The King of Gambles’ in 1976, the legacy further cultivated by the father-son duo of Wang Tianlin and Wong Jing, the 1980 TVB series ‘The King of Thousand Kings’, and in 1981 the series ‘All the Kings’ Men’ starring Zhou Run; the same year Wong Jing released his screenwriting debut ‘Challenger,’ which, after many ups and downs, finally exploded in 1989 with Zhou Run and Andy Lau starring in ‘God of Gamblers,’ creating a new box office record with over 36.29 million Hong Kong dollars.

1990’s ‘Gambling Heroes’ got 40.14 million, ‘God of Gamblers’ Part II in 1994 hit 52.54 million taking the box office crown; there’s also Jeff Lau’s ‘God of Gamblers,’ starring Stephen Chow in 1990 with 41.32 million, among the countless other gambling films…

This new gambling film features a Chinese-American lead, the very familiar Daniel Wu to Hong Kong audiences, but more importantly, it’s directed by the miraculous Yang, and even before its release, it already became the talk of the town. Is it any good? How does it compare to local films? Could it stimulate Hong Kong’s lifeless movie market?

“It’s incredibly good, so awesome! Truly awesome!” After interviewing several ordinary citizens, Zhang Meini on the screen went on to interview a few moviegoers who were stars. Ronald Cheng, giving a big thumbs-up, kept exclaiming and mentioned that his film ‘Dragon Loaded’ is set to release on August 21. Zhang Meini, laughing, asked, “Are you worried about getting hurt? Or do you want to challenge the miraculous Yang?” Ronald Cheng widened his eyes in surprise and said, “Are you crazy? Do you think I’m really ‘Dragon Loaded’?”

Both of them laughed heartily, then he continued, “Definitely no thoughts of challenging miraculous Yang, the film is so spectacular, the box office will be outrageous, we’re even considering postponing our release.” He feigned a chuckle and added, “Let’s see if the audience is gracious to us, hopefully, we won’t lose too miserably!”

“Hollywood’s miraculous director Wang Yang’s new movie ‘The Ghostbusters’ officially premiered yesterday in Taiwan, drawing a large crowd to the theaters. Starring Daniel Wu, Natalie Portman, and others, the film narrates the legendary story of the Chinese-American God of Gamblers, Kevin Spacey. Upon its release in North America, it became an instant hit, topping the box office for two consecutive weeks and grossing over one hundred million. ETTV news report.”

“Las Vegas was released in mainland cinemas yesterday, and tonight, ‘Entertainment Scene’ is taking you to see some of the happenings at the premiere a few days ago!”

…

In a sleek, elegant hotel suite, bright sunshine streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Wang Yang sat on the couch, unwrapping a large package with a serious expression. One layer of cardboard, two layers of cardboard… He opened a box, then took out a red, heart-shaped ring box. He chuckled to himself, snapped open the ring box, and was briefly dazzled by something sparkling before his eyes.

There lay a ring, nestled quietly within the box—a streamlined silver band with a diamond that glittered brilliantly at the top. Wang Yang slowly lifted the ring out, examining it closely before his eyes. His heartbeat quickened, a joyful smile spread across his face, and he muttered, “It truly lives up to being a masterpiece I participated in designing. Buddy, you’re mesmerizing haha…”

One of life’s most important moments was fast approaching! This beautiful diamond ring was the witness!

“Hello, Mimi!” Wang Yang picked up the phone from the coffee table and dialed a number. It was to Mimi-So, the Chinese-American jewelry designer who had designed and crafted the ring. He admired the ring in his right hand and, smiling into the phone, said, “I’ve received the ring. Yes, I’m looking at it right now, oh, it’s beautiful, I’m very satisfied! I really appreciate your rush work on this.”

Mimi-So’s family had been in the jewelry business for generations, and she was the third generation. Her parents were immigrants from Hong Kong, and she was born and raised in New York. She always had a special fondness and taste for jewelry; with the help of her parents’ friends, she established her own brand named after herself, Mimiso, at the center of Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue Diamond District at the age of 24. After years of hard work, branches had also opened in Beverly Hills and Tokyo. Her designs frequently graced various ceremonies and dinners, making her the rapidly rising “Chinese Jewelry Queen.”

Nevertheless, compared to long-established brands like Cartier, Harry Winston, and Boucheron, Mimiso was still a fledgling. But what did that matter? Wang Yang was never one to blindly chase brands when it came to jewelry or clothing. Could Cartier’s diamonds possibly be mined from the planet Pandora? Even if they were, a diamond was still just a diamond.

During the filming of The Devil Wears Prada, naturally, some fashionable jewelry was needed in addition to the name brands. With the idea of supporting the Chinese community, Wang Yang also gave Mimiso the opportunity to sponsor and gain exposure. Now, with the proposal on the horizon, and considering the current situation, Jessica would surely be subject to estimations of value and brand by the gossip media wearing the engagement ring. So he simply decided to give this exposure opportunity to Mimiso, as smaller stores pay more attention to their customers and are willing to accommodate rush orders.

To keep it a secret, Wang Yang did not meet with Mimi-So or anyone from Mimiso throughout the whole customization process, only communicating directly via phone with assistants; otherwise, if a paparazzo caught a “Wang Yang meeting with a jewelry designer” and the news leaked, even with The Devil Wears Prada as a pretext, there was a chance she could guess.

“Hehe, it’s nothing, Yang. We’re the ones who are grateful that you entrusted such an important ring to Mimiso to create,” Mimi-So’s voice was joyful. This last week, from design to completion, had poured her heart into it. Aside from her affinity for fellow Chinese, she naturally knew this was an exceptional opportunity—the ring for Yang’s proposal came from Mimiso Jewelry! It would do as advertising, even without any payment.

But last week, when she heard him say that “the ring is for a proposal,” it really took her by surprise! Mimi-So laughed again and said, “It’s quite a shock that someone as young as you is thinking about getting married.”

“I’m 23 now. WELL, I’m still young; but not too young for my romance with Jessica—it’s time!” Wang Yang laughed, his calm voice filled with certainty. They had been in love for nearly 5 years, living together for almost 3, and now he was just about to do something that seemed completely natural. It would have been early to get married at 19; thinking back, he had rather foolishly proposed once at that age…

That proposal should have counted, but now it’s time for another! With these thoughts, Wang Yang said to his phone with a smile: “I haven’t proposed yet, and I don’t know if it will be successful.” Su Meimei said: “It definitely will be.” Wang Yang laughed: “Thank you, I think so too, but I’m just a bit nervous.” He frowned and added: “Also, I’m afraid I won’t be able to wait and will propose ahead of schedule. It’s unbearable! I really want to see her surprised face! Oh my God. Wish me luck!”

Su Meimei said with a smile: “Good luck, Yang!”

After a brief chat, the call ended, and Wang Yang lifted the diamond ring he held, looked up with a deep chuckle, and said: “Will you marry me? Ding ding ding ding—” He hummed the wedding march, about to try putting the ring on his own left ring finger, but suddenly stopped: “No no no! Its first time should be on Jessica’s ring finger.” He looked at the ring and his finger; it wouldn’t fit anyway…

After fiddling with the ring with full engagement, his phone suddenly rang. Wang Yang picked it up and saw it was his agent, Paul Emery. He answered: “Hi, Paul. … No no, I just got back! Start next month, I need to take a break from work first, everything!” Paul Emery then asked: “The Hugo Awards at the end of the month in Toronto, have you decided to attend?” Wang Yang thought for a moment and said: “Yeah, I’ll attend.”

The Hugo Awards, along with the Nebula Awards, are considered the most prestigious and influential awards in the world of science fiction, granted by the World Science Fiction Society, and are known as the Nobel Prize of the science fiction world. “District 9” has been nominated for this year’s Best Dramatic Presentation.

On his first day back in Los Angeles, Wang Yang spent the whole day in the hotel playing on his computer, occasionally taking the ring out of its box to admire it. It was only in the evening that he drove back to his own place.

As soon as he parked and walked down, looking at the familiar lawn, bushes, and the big house, and the radiant smiling figure at the door who had come out to greet him, Wang Yang waved at her with a warm and agitated heart, and a bit of excitement. Fortunately, he hadn’t brought the ring back, or he might have already blundered! Although he hadn’t proposed or gotten married yet, as he watched her approaching, he felt a special sense of “wife” about her.

But first to come running was Danny, who wagged his tail frantically and jumped around. Wang Yang managed him with exclamations, his messenger bag swinging: “There’s no food in here, Danny, no food!”

“Welcome home.” Jessica came forward with open arms, and Wang Yang wrapped his hands around her waist, instinctively leaning in to kiss her lips. But Jessica dodged and pouted, shaking her head: “Don’t, I haven’t fully recovered from my cold yet.” Wang Yang laughed heartily, gazing into her fervent eyes, and teased: “What are you talking about? Since when could a beauty like you pass a cold to me?” Jessica then broke into a smile: “Hmm! Seems like…”

With a sound of “mwah,” Wang Yang planted a deep kiss on her, exclaiming: “OH! I’ve missed this taste for a week, and finally I can have a good night’s sleep tonight.” Jessica shrugged slightly, tilting her head with a sly giggle: “The taste of snot? I just had some drip down.” Wang Yang leaned back: “No way, why do you have to make it sound so gross! That’s horrific…”

Laughing and talking, the two walked into the house, Danny joyfully sprinting ahead.

The weekend of August 15-17, marking the third weekend of the month, came to an end. On the latest North American weekend box office chart, the new release “Freddy vs. Jason” snatched the crown with $36.42 million, toppling “MIT-21-TEAM”‘s two-week reign. As a horror movie with a production cost of $30 million, this achievement was a pleasant surprise for New Line Cinema. It looks like the opening weekend might reach $50 million, and the global total is likely to break $100 million, especially considering that horror films usually earn more on the back end. The film was a success!

After all, Yu Rentai isn’t the miraculous Wang Yang. Having such a performance has once again boosted the stock of “Asian directors.” However, the downside is that “Freddy vs. Jason” wasn’t highly rated, with a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of just 41% and an audience likeness of 60%, which greatly limited its success index.

Take Brian Thomas’ review in “Chicago Reader” for example, many critics said, “Yu Rentai has lost his touch.” “Freddy vs. Jason” is that typical Hollywood commercial flick, full of clichés, lacking personality, and devoid of unforgettable scenes. Essentially, after watching the entire movie, a professional would be unable to deduce who the director was. That’s just a standard popcorn movie.

Yet, its opening gross of $13.6 million firmly broke the debut records of classic franchises like “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Friday the 13th,” and “Halloween”; and then it went on to win the weekend with $36.42 million.

The well-received “MIT-21-TEAM” took this weekend’s runner-up spot with $21.43 million, a 37% drop from the previous weekend, bringing the total North American box office to $147 million. “Anti-Terrorism Special Forces” landed in third place with $15.12 million; Kevin Costner’s new film “Open Range” ranked fourth with $12.04 million. A freshness of 79% and a likeability of 80% indicated that this was a good movie: “Costner returns to the familiar and clear western, flawed but entertaining, and satisfying.”…

This weekend, aside from selling tickets in North American theaters, “21” was also released on screens around the world, collecting various currencies and praise from fans and moviegoers. In Australia, it grossed $3.66 million for the weekend; in the United Kingdom $6.86 million, in Germany $4.22 million, in Mexico $3.05 million… The combined international opening weekend from dozens of countries amounted to a total box office of $40.96 million.

This number was below the North American opening weekend, and Fire Flame movie predictions estimated “21”‘s international box office to be around $60 million for the week, with final box office results depending on the drop-off rate.

In that $40.96 million, there were HK$4.62 million (about $600,000 US Dollar) from just two days of release in Hong Kong. In a weak market where last year’s “Infernal Affairs” only had a $2.5 million opening day, “The God of Gamblers” grossed $2.35 million on its first day, causing cinema owners all over Hong Kong to beam with joy. The Taiwanese version, “The Ghostbusters,” earned NT$32.53 million (about $1 million US Dollar), also a significant victory; while in mainland China, it took in 28 million RMB (about $3.43 million US Dollar) in two days.

“Hero” broke 100 million in its first week, but the media didn’t get the exact figure. Now, “Las Vegas” also has only a vague range; however, it is certain that this “campus battle of wits” movie is setting off a blockbuster wave.

Next week, as CCTV6 rolls out a special program featuring Wang Yang for several days, “Qian Qian San Ren Xing: Why Go to the Cinema” will also be aired… The surge in public viewing sentiment and the popularity of online discussions are bound to reach a new peak.

“Differing from the magical elements of Hong Kong’s gambling movies, this film reveals professional and real card counting in blackjack. The story is thrilling and the performances are superb, using cool to the extreme. Wang Yang never disappoints with his great films!” — Shi Qi, Hong Kong’s Ming Pao; “The film brings refreshing content, and although it’s not perfect, it’s highly entertaining.” — Nick Matthews, The Guardian; “Wang Yang’s novel attempt, the movie is full of cleverness and delight.” — David Stratton, The Australian…

As the weekend ends and Monday continues, it’s not a working day for Wang Yang and Jessica, as they’re aboard a plane headed for the Bahamas, ready to enjoy a happy vacation on sunny beaches. (To be continued, for more follow-up, please log onto www.qidian.com, more chapters are available, support the author, support genuine reading!)