In a seaside mansion in East Hampton.
The date is August 9th, a Saturday.
Having tossed and turned the night before, Professor Yu woke up and glanced at the clock, realizing it was already past 8 AM. Sleeping in until 8 AM during the summer was a bit excessive, so she decided to stay in bed a little longer.
Lying there, she thought about last night.
After attending the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon party, the man had naturally taken her and Li Youhu with him. She had assumed they would stay in Manhattan, but instead, they had taken a helicopter to this place. Upon arrival, she found that Wei Cancha and a group of other girls from the Guofeng Art Troupe were already waiting here.
Clearly, it had been prearranged.
What followed was predictable.
When the man and the girls changed into swimsuits and started playing in the outdoor pool, Professor Yu declined, saying she was tired and needed to rest.
Her first time had been a bit of a blur, and she didn't want to seem too easygoing.
Especially not in front of a group of girls much younger than her.
It was all too chaotic.
The man didn't push her, letting her leave. But as a result, she couldn't fall asleep until late at night, tossing and turning, even harboring a thought she didn't want to admit: if he had insisted a bit more, she might have given in.
What a frustrating man.
By 9 AM, she finally got up, dressed, washed up, and left the bedroom on the second floor of the villa.
Walking down the hallway, the surroundings were quiet.
She knew the master bedroom was on the other side but didn't dare to go snooping. Besides, they were probably already up.
As she descended the stairs, she ran into the tall, ponytailed maid who always seemed to be by the man's side. Her name was Carmen Kass. Standing in front of this girl, who outshone her in both looks and figure, Professor Yu felt a bit self-conscious. She greeted Carmen politely and couldn't help but ask, "Carmen, is Simon still here?"
Carmen gestured toward one side of the living room, "The boss is in the study. Miss Yu, would you like to have breakfast first, or go see him?"
Professor Yu instinctively replied, "I'll have breakfast first."
Carmen happened to be heading to the dining area as well and personally led Professor Yu down another hallway.
Following behind, Professor Yu hesitated for a moment before asking, "Have they… left yet?"
"You mean Miss Li and the others?"
"Yes."
Carmen replied, "They're still in bed."
Professor Yu raised an eyebrow.
How wild had last night been that they were still asleep?
The two arrived at the dining room. After Professor Yu sat down, Carmen gave some instructions to the maid and then went about her own business.
Professor Yu absentmindedly finished her breakfast. There was still no sign of the girls outside, clearly still asleep. When the maid asked again, she said she wanted to say goodbye to the man and was led to a study door.
After knocking, the maid left. Professor Yu heard a voice inside and pushed the door open. In the bright morning light, she saw the man sitting behind a large white desk.
However, as her eyes adjusted to the light, she widened them slightly.
Because there was a little girl sitting in the man's lap.
At first glance, she was a classic beauty in the making. When the girl noticed her, she looked up with big, dark eyes, seemingly sizing her up with a hint of… hostility?
"Have a seat," the man behind the desk said casually, closing one file and opening another. Noticing her gaze, he smiled and added, "This is Miaomiao. You might have met her mother, Shirley."
Shirley was the English name Liu had chosen after coming to America.
Professor Yu, who often interacted with the girls from the Guofeng Art Troupe while accompanying Li Youhu, had met Shirley once last year. She had also heard Li Youhu gossip about the mother and daughter. This was her first time seeing the little girl, though.
But…
As she walked over to the sofa opposite the desk and sat down, Professor Yu couldn't help but glance at the girl again. The way she was nestled in the man's lap seemed… too intimate.
After she sat down, Simon let go of the little girl and casually instructed, "Pour this sister a cup of coffee." Then he looked over and asked, "How's the preparation for the Jin Shu Performing Arts School going?"
"It's going well. If everything goes smoothly, we can start the first round of admissions soon and begin classes after the summer break," Professor Yu replied. As the little girl politely handed her a cup of coffee, she took it and said softly, "Thank you."
While taking the cup, she noticed the girl was wearing a cropped sleeveless T-shirt and tiny denim shorts, her small feet bare.
It was oddly… sexy.
But wasn't she a bit too young for that?
And then there was the fact that the man and the girl's mother… Professor Yu decided not to dwell on that thought.
Maybe her mind was just too dirty.
She needed to reflect on that.
As she watched the girl return to the man's lap and whisper something in his ear, Professor Yu felt increasingly uncomfortable, as if she had stumbled upon something she shouldn't have. She had the urge to flee.
Simon listened to Miaomiao's whisper, chuckled, and gently pushed the girl away, "Go play outside. I'll take you to watch the dance performance this afternoon."
The girl pouted, clearly unhappy about being dismissed, and clung to Simon's neck for a moment before finally obeying and leaving the study.
Professor Yu relaxed a bit after Miaomiao left but couldn't help wondering what the girl had whispered to the man. She glanced at him and noticed he was also looking at her, which made her realize something.
Oh no.
Did she have dark circles under her eyes?
She suddenly felt guilty.
After all, she was supposed to have gone to bed early last night. If she had dark circles, wouldn't that imply something?
Miaomiao had indeed mentioned that Professor Yu had dark circles.
Very faint.
If you weren't paying attention, you wouldn't notice. Simon didn't stare or tease her about it. Instead, he got back to business, "China certainly isn't lacking in performing arts schools. Besides the big names like the Central Academy of Drama and the Beijing Film Academy, many universities also have acting programs. The problem is the lack of practical opportunities. My expectation for the Jin Shu Performing Arts School is to become the TVB Artists Training Program of mainland China. You know about that, right?"
Professor Yu, trying to push aside her earlier thoughts, nodded, "Yes, many of Hong Kong's biggest stars came from TVB's training program."
"If everything goes well, the Jin Shu Film Studio in Suzhou will become China's largest film and television production base. This will provide ample opportunities for the Jin Shu Performing Arts School to thrive. Your job is to make full use of these resources. Of course, if you feel it's too much or you can't handle it, just do what you can and delegate the rest to others. You'll be responsible for overseeing the execution. In any case, I have high expectations for the Jin Shu Performing Arts School. Don't let me down."
Professor Yu wasn't sure she could handle it. She was only 26 this year. Why was she being burdened with such a responsibility?
However, hearing the man say that if she couldn't handle it, she could pass it on to others, she felt a stubborn determination to prove herself.
After discussing some details, Simon was about to send Professor Yu on her way when he noticed her listless demeanor. He suddenly added, "By the way, go wake up Youhu and the others. It's already noon. They can't keep lazing around in bed."
Professor Yu stiffened, "Me… wake them up?"
"Is there anyone else here?"
He was doing this on purpose.
Definitely on purpose.
Muttering this in her mind, Professor Yu stood still for a moment before reluctantly agreeing and leaving the study.
Inside the study.
Simon didn't bother imagining the scene of Professor Yu waking up Li Youhu and the others. Instead, he focused on the latest document he had opened.
It was about the media feedback and opening day box office numbers for The Full Monty, which had premiered in the UK the day before.
Unlike Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which, despite being a Chinese-language film, had premiered in North America first, The Full Monty was more suited to the UK market. Therefore, it had premiered there first to build up word-of-mouth before coming to North America. This approach was likely to yield better results than a simultaneous UK-US release, as had been done in the past.
This was a case of adapting to local conditions.
In addition to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Full Monty, Giuseppe Tornatore's The Legend of 1900 would premiere in Italy next week. Both films' North American releases would be delayed until September, a month apart, to allow overseas buzz to fully develop.
The original The Full Monty had been made on a shoestring budget of £2 million (approximately $3 million) and had gone on to earn nearly $260 million worldwide. It had also set a UK box office record for 15+ rated films, a record that stood for over two decades until Joaquin Phoenix's Joker broke it.
This time, Simon was confident they could at least replicate that success.
They had already done more to prepare.
Winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes in May, thanks to Daenerys Entertainment's efforts, had already generated significant buzz in the UK. While the UK was a major film-producing country in Europe, British films had rarely won the Palme d'Or in Cannes' history.
If not for the risk of being overshadowed by the summer blockbusters released simultaneously in the UK and the US, The Full Monty's UK release would have been better timed after the Cannes win.
But it wasn't too late.
With the Palme d'Or, the quality of the film and its relevance to British society, the British media reacted with enthusiasm after its premiere the previous day. Even the newly elected Prime Minister Tony Blair, who had attended the UK premiere, had publicly stated that his government would pay more attention to the welfare of the working class and reform the Conservative Party's long-standing flawed economic policies.
This was, of course, the result of Daenerys Entertainment's efforts, but it was a win-win situation.
After all, The Full Monty's comedic story touched on the unemployment issues caused by the Conservative Party's decades-long privatization policies.
The film's UK opening day box office was £1.76 million, with an expected first-week total of around £8 million. Its opening on 503 screens was significantly smaller than Independence Day's 832 screens in July, but its opening day numbers were comparable. Given The Full Monty's long-term potential, it was clear that the film's UK box office would not only surpass Independence Day's estimated £38 million but also break the original 15+ rating box office record. It might even exceed the original version's £52 million box office.
Americans, despite having long surpassed the UK economically, had always held British culture in high regard.
Now, with The Full Monty setting a UK box office record and the added allure of the Palme d'Or, its North American release on September 12th was poised for success.
After a hectic month dealing with his children, Simon had planned this weekend for relaxation.
He spent the morning handling some work and then headed to the training center next to the Guofeng Art Troupe's residence in the afternoon.
The choreography for another Chinese-style song he had provided had been completed, and he wanted to see it that afternoon.
Inside the small theater at the center.
The performance team was preparing. Simon, surrounded by a group of girls, sat on a large sofa in the audience. Several girls from the Guofeng Art Troupe brought over five or six sword cases of varying sizes. When opened, they revealed ancient-style swords of different lengths—replicas, of course, modeled after Qin and Han dynasty designs, with both long and short swords.
Shirley, Miaomiao's mother, stood nearby and explained, "Since this is a fast-paced song, we tried many designs and ultimately decided that Cancha should use a short sword. Something like this."
She picked out a short sword about a foot long from one of the cases.
Simon took it. It had a good weight to it.
The ancient-style design, with a black leather hilt and subtle patterns on the blade, gave off a sharp, cold aura, even though the blade wasn't sharpened.
Noticing Miaomiao's expectant look beside him, Simon handed the short sword to the girl and took another one Shirley offered, continuing to examine it as he said, "A short sword does suit Yu Ji better."
As he spoke, he glanced at the girl beside him.
She had once played Yu Ji, delivering one of the most stunning portrayals of the character, though the film itself was less than impressive.
As they chatted, a maid entered from outside and approached Simon, "Boss, Miss Chen is here."
Simon was slightly puzzled.
Chen Qing usually just walked in without announcing herself. This wasn't like her.
Then another figure entered.
The girls, seeing 'Chen Qing,' all instinctively straightened up.
However, the woman, who had entered with a commanding presence, seemed to lose her confidence as she approached Simon. By the time she reached him, she didn't throw herself into his arms as she might have intended but instead meekly settled into the spot Ouyang Shuli had vacated beside him, stammering, "Boss, I… I miss…"
At this point, even a fool would have noticed something was off.
Simon reached out and cupped the woman's face, studying her for a moment before smiling, "You really do look alike."
Then another voice came from the doorway, also 'Chen Qing's' voice, "Useless. I trained you for so long, and this is all you can do?"
Everyone turned to look and was shocked to see another Chen Qing, identical in appearance and attire to the one beside Simon.
What… was going on?
Chen Qing walked over, gently pushed the woman at Simon's feet aside and took her place, leaning on Simon and saying, "Boss, I wanted to surprise you," he said, pushing the woman on the ground with his knee. , " Useless."
"Alright, stop teasing her."
Simon said, amused, using the short sword to lift the woman's chin, "With this special makeup, you really do look alike. I can't tell who's who."
The woman, hearing Simon's words, felt a surge of gratitude. Though the cold blade against her skin made her nervous, she obediently tilted her head up, letting him examine her, her smile submissive and weak.
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