nucmednet Chapter 141 Han's Film Company Listing Ceremony
Chapter 141 Han's Film Company Listing Ceremony
Chapter 141 Han's Film Company Listing Ceremony
The Los Angeles sun casts long, golden rays down Sunset Boulevard, a bustling street that has witnessed too much of Hollywood's decadence and power shifts.
Sunset Tower—this is the final office location chosen by Qin and Han.
Built in 1929, this tower is a famous example of Ardeck architecture. It was once a private club frequented by countless veteran movie stars. After experiencing the Great Depression and World War II, it exudes a sense of historical weight.
Soon, hundreds of invitations were delivered to the desks of executives at major Hollywood film studios.
Qin Han personally went to Burbank and Universal Studios to deliver the invitations to Ted Ashley and Sidney Sinberg, respectively.
In addition to the formal invitation, he left a request: that the two industry giants distribute some of the invitations to top directors and A-list actors with whom they usually have a good working relationship.
Both of them knew that Hans was about to ride the wave of "saving the Oscars" and make his official debut!
The executives of the seven major film studios felt the storm almost simultaneously.
Disneyland, film set office.
The current CEO, Calder Walker, sat in his office, where classic original illustrations of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck hung on the walls, a stark contrast to his serious expression.
He repeatedly examined the black invitation in his hand.
Not long ago, Ronald had a brief encounter with this newly rich Chinese man at a governor's dinner and was quite impressed with the young man named Qin Han.
Constrained by the "family-friendly" tone, and facing a director as eccentric as Martin Scorsese, Cald Walker also had a splitting headache.
Qin Han's "white glove" plan solved his immediate problem.
"Get the schedule arranged for this weekend." Card Walker handed the invitation to his assistant. "This company knows its stuff; Disney needs allies like this. Tell them I'll be there on time."
On the edge of Beverly Hills, the MGM headquarters building.
"It's the most ridiculous joke in Hollywood history." A gray-haired, pot-bellied MGM vice president leaned back in a leather sofa, casually tossing the invitation in his hand into the trash can.
"A Chinese person, having only imported two kung fu movies that are all about yelling and shouting, really thinks he's the savior of Hollywood?"
He let out a disdainful snort: "Are those tabloid reporters' brains filled with excrement? What? A Chinese security company secretly defused Oscar's bomb?" Ted and Sidney were even adding fuel to the fire!
The production manager, standing to the side, echoed him with a broad smile.
MGM, the once-roaring lion of the world, has been burdened with debt and stumbling in recent years, but its arrogance as a traditional film studio remains deeply ingrained.
In their eyes, Hollywood games will always belong only to pure white elites, and the rise of Chinese people is nothing more than a short-lived farce.
"Sir, then this invitation—"
"MGM isn't so low as to support an Asian hoodlum; they should focus on real movies."
He turned his head, his gaze landing on a round metal box in the corner of the coffee table: "What kind of junk is that?"
The production manager glanced at the box, his expression turning somewhat awkward: "That's a sample film sent by Francis Coppolato. He's been looking for funding for this new project and hopes MGM will invest."
"Coppola? These independent directors who made their name through the New Wave, do they really think they can climb over the studios just because they won an Oscar? What did he send us?"
"It's a 16mm film that's only twenty minutes long, with very rough picture quality and poor sound recording. It's called 'American Graffiti'," the production manager said cautiously.
"A 16mm piece of junk?" the vice president cursed, pointing at the metal box. "If it weren't for The Godfather just winning an award—throw that thing in the trash! It's a complete waste of my time!"
On Saturday evening, the sunset over Sunset Boulevard was replaced by countless flashing neon signs.
The listing ceremony of Han's Film Industry was held as scheduled.
The Los Angeles Police Department deployed hundreds of officers, setting up yellow and black striped police tape to completely block off a section of Sunset Boulevard.
A red welcome carpet stretched from the steps of the Sun Tower all the way to the center of the street.
The scale of the event and the tight security were so impressive that it resembled a mini version of the Oscars ceremony.
Almost all the prominent media outlets turned out, their cameras and microphones crowding the barriers on both sides of the red carpet, creating a cacophony of shouts and camera shutters.
Lorna Barrett, as a partner of Hans, naturally secured the best spot with the widest view at the start of the red carpet.
She was dressed in a smart red trench coat, directing the cameraman to adjust the focus, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
The deep rumble of an engine tore through the noise of the street as a black, extended Lincoln slowly drove into the police cordon and stopped at the starting point of the red carpet.
The moment the car door opened, the spotlights on the scene flashed blindingly, illuminating Ted Ashley's face.
The group of reporters in the front row immediately erupted like boiling water, with countless microphones desperately thrusting forward, almost touching his chin.
"Mr. Ashley! Did Warner Bros. executives all attend the opening ceremony of a new company because this company really saved your lives on Oscar night?!"
"President Ted! Rumor has it that the heads of all seven major Hollywood studios will be present tonight. Just who is this Chinese company?! Do they really possess armed forces capable of fighting terrorists?"
Faced with these highly provocative and potentially dangerous questions, Ted showed no sign of panic.
Having spent half his life navigating the world of fame and fortune, composure in front of the camera is ingrained in his very being.
His gaze swept calmly over the reporters: "Warner Bros. will always respect great talent. As long as you can produce something truly inspiring, you will earn respect."
"Han's Pictures is our strongest ally, and we look forward to future cooperation."
"As for the speculations that everyone is concerned about—why don't you all go buy a ticket for 'Fist of Fury'? I think the answer might just be on the screen."
After saying that, Ted Ashley, escorted by his bodyguards, turned around and strode down the red carpet toward the brightly lit building.
The president of Warner Bros. calls Universal's films a no-go? That statement alone is newsworthy!
Inside the brass double doors, Qin Han, dressed in a black suit, was warmly welcoming each guest who entered the hall as the host.
The interior of the hall has been transformed into a top-tier social space by Michael Ovitz.
The champagne tower shimmered under the glow of vintage crystal chandeliers. Of the seven major film studios, only MGM was absent; the heads or core executives of the other six were all present.
They each occupied a comfortable velvet sofa, holding wine glasses, and talking in hushed tones about the future of Hollywood.
Just then, another gasp erupted from the red carpet outside: "My God! That's Calder Walker! The CEO of Disney!"
"This conservative children's playground actually came to the opening ceremony of a talent agency for a gory kung fu movie?"
Amidst the incredulous chatter of the media, Card Walker walked steadily into the hall with a kind smile.
Qin Han immediately went to greet him: "Mr. Walker, your arrival is a great honor for Han's company. Thank you, Disney, for your support of a young company."
"Qin, there's no need to be so polite." Card Walker gripped Qin Han's hand tightly, his eyes full of admiration: "Your vision and courage are almost legendary in Hollywood these days."
"Regarding what we discussed at the governor's dinner," Qin Han said, handing one of the two glasses of champagne to the other person, "I've already started contacting that troublesome director, Martin Scorsese."
"He is indeed stubborn, but I am confident that I can help Disney completely resolve this problem as soon as possible."
A look of satisfaction flashed in Kad Walker's eyes as he raised his glass and gently touched it to Qin Han's.
"I knew entrusting this to you was the right choice. Disney doesn't like scandals." He smiled, raised his hand, and pointed out the window: "This is a little surprise I'm giving you personally."
"Recently, Disney has been in talks with a very important figure about future collaborations on theme parks. This gentleman happened to be visiting Disneyland today with his young nephew."
Kad Walker's smile held a hint of elder's kindness, but his eyes gleamed with the shrewdness unique to businessmen: "When I was with him at the park, I told him there was a big show to see on Sunset Boulevard today. The boy insisted on coming, and he was more than happy to come along."
A Ford sedan stopped at the starting point of the red carpet, and the bodyguard opened the car door again.
The moment that man with a thick beard and a slightly overweight build stepped onto the red carpet, the atmosphere on Sunset Boulevard seemed to reach its peak for the night.
"Francis Coppola!"
"It's director Coppola! My God, the director of 'The Godfather' is here too!"
The uncrowned king who just propelled Paramount Pictures to its zenith is now holding a little boy's hand, exposed to countless flashes of light.
This was an absolutely huge and unexpected surprise for the Qin and Han dynasties.
Unexpectedly, Disney's CEO unwittingly became a guide, leading Coppola directly to his own opening ceremony.
The little boy following Coppola also caught Qin Han's attention.
The child, dressed in a scaled-down black suit, faced hundreds of enthusiastic reporters and blinding flashes of light. Instead of being intimidated, he excitedly widened his eyes and looked around.
Those bright eyes were filled with curiosity and longing for the scene, and they even tried to catch the colorful confetti falling from the air.
Qin Han couldn't help but smile.
At the age of 9, and being Coppola's nephew, the boy's identity is already obvious: a future Oscar-winning actor, Hollywood's "King of Bad Movies," Nicolas Cage.
Coppola led Nicholas Jr. into the hall, and upon seeing Qin Han, immediately broke into a hearty smile.
"Qin! If you don't mind an uninvited fat guy bringing a troublemaker to mooch champagne, congratulations on your grand opening!" Coppola's booming voice echoed through the hall.
"Mr. Coppola, it is a great honor for Han's Film Studio to have you here." Qin Han quickly stepped forward and warmly shook hands with the great director. "However, please wait a moment, one of your fans is about to arrive."
A bright red sports car stopped in front of the red car, and the door opened.
Another wave of wild noise erupted, mixed with countless women screaming themselves hoarse, and some even tried to break through the police cordon.
A man wearing a white turtleneck jacket and with his hair slicked back stepped out of the carriage, and the crowd completely lost control.
"Elvis! Elvis!"
Elvis Presley, with his wife and daughter, stepped out of the car into the Los Angeles evening breeze.
Although he hasn't fully recovered to his peak physique, he's much better than when we met him in Hawaii a few months ago, looking bloated and disheveled.
He is full of energy and has regained the domineering aura of the King of Music.
Elvis put his arm around his wife's waist, and with his other hand he led a little girl who looked like a porcelain doll, and strode onto the red carpet.
He waved to the fans who were about to faint along the way, and every move he made triggered a tsunami of cheers.
Upon entering the hall and seeing Qin Han, he released his wife, strode across the crowd, opened his arms, and gave Qin Han a tight hug.
"Dude! Look at this place! It's gorgeous! I swear, this is the coolest party I've been to in the last six months!"
Qin Han smiled and patted the rock star on the shoulder.
He turned to Coppola and introduced him: "This is your die-hard fan. I can't even remember how many times he's told me how amazing 'The Godfather' is."
Coppola burst into laughter: "Elvis! Good heavens, to see you here! Nicholas, come here!"
The 9-year-old boy couldn't contain himself the moment he saw Elvis enter the room.
As a super fanatic of Elvis, he didn't care what the adults around him were doing and rushed straight to Elvis like a little cannonball.
"Mr. Elvis! I'm your biggest fan! Can I take a picture with you?!" The little boy looked up, his cheeks flushed with excitement.
Elvis looked down at the little guy who had suddenly appeared, laughed heartily, and reached out to ruffle the boy's hair.
Just then, Lisa Marie, who had been following her mother, peeked out half of her head.
The little girl in the pink princess dress curiously looked at the older boy in front of her, who was a head taller than her and had a flushed face.
Nicholas was excitedly asking for a photo, but when he saw this beautiful little girl, his attention was drawn to her, the only girl of her age in the room.
Lisa Marie blinked, showing no fear of the young man who had approached her, and instead gave him a sweet smile.
The future Oscar-winning actor naturally reached out his hand, grabbed the rock princess's hand, and skipped and hopped towards the dessert table in the corner of the hall.
Qin Han glanced at Coppola, who looked completely bewildered, then at the Elvis couple, who were equally confused, before turning to look at the two children sharing a strawberry cake at the dessert table.
Nicolas Cage, holding hands with Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie?
He tried hard to control his facial muscles and not laugh too loudly.