Inside the black Mercedes-Benz, feeling the car slow down, Director Zhang Yimou looked up from a speech draft he had been reviewing repeatedly. He realized they had arrived at the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television (SARFT) building near Fuxingmen in Beijing.
After the driver communicated with the security guard, the Mercedes entered the compound and soon parked in the lot.
Director Zhang tucked the speech draft into his bag. The driver assigned to him by Jin Shu had already courteously opened the car door. After stepping out and exchanging a few polite words with the driver, someone approached him.
"Director Zhang, it must have been quite a journey to call you back from Gansu. Thank you for your hard work."
Director Zhang recognized the man as the secretary of a high-ranking SARFT official. They had met before. He smiled and shook hands with the man. "It's no trouble at all. I happened to have some business to attend to in Beijing anyway."
After some polite small talk, Director Zhang followed the secretary into one of the office buildings.
Today was September 3rd, a Wednesday.
In recent days, aside from the now somewhat numbing Southeast Asian financial crisis, the most talked-about news in China was the fact that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon had surpassed $100 million at the North American box office.
To be more precise, during the weekend of August 29th to August 31st, in its sixth week of release, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon earned an additional $6.65 million over the three-day period, pushing its cumulative North American box office to $100.31 million.
After years of opening up to the world, it was no longer rare for Chinese films to win awards in the West. However, for a pure Chinese martial arts film to gross $100 million in the world's largest film market, North America, was unprecedented.
A source of national pride.
Coincidentally, as the domestic release date for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon approached, the news of its North American success reignited the already intense domestic interest in the film. This time, the excitement reached a nationwide level, from top to bottom.
If not for the unique circumstances surrounding Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, it might have even received the kind of celebratory treatment South Korea's Parasite received after winning an Oscar, including a special reception at the Blue House. After all, in the context of China's ongoing opening-up, cultural export was just as important as economic progress.
Without delving into the deeper changes this might trigger, SARFT had promptly responded by organizing a seminar today. The event had a long, formal title: "Promoting Chinese Culture, Revitalizing Chinese Cinema, and the Phenomenon of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Symposium."
Those with sharp instincts could detect subtle clues in the seminar's title.
Overall, some of Simon's earlier ideas were gradually coming to fruition.
Through the global box office success of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which grossed a staggering $1.938 billion worldwide, China had realized just how lucrative the film industry could be. Now, with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, a Chinese-language film, breaking the $100 million mark in North America, it became clear that Chinese films could also achieve significant commercial success.
This would indirectly accelerate the transformation of China's film industry.
After all, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's projected $130 million North American box office was roughly equivalent to China's total box office revenue for 1997. Moreover, the film's success also carried significant cultural export implications.
In the past, the revitalization of Chinese cinema had several key turning points: the domestic release of Titanic in 1998, the North American success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2000, and China's accession to the WTO. These events, whether driven by internal or external forces, ultimately led to the flourishing of Chinese cinema in the new century.
This time, thanks to Simon's influence as a "butterfly," these changes were happening slightly earlier.
At the SARFT building, Director Zhang followed the secretary to a lounge. After greeting everyone, more people began to arrive. In addition to high-ranking SARFT officials, prominent figures from the domestic film industry were also invited, including directors Chen Kaige, Jiang Wen, and Xie Jin. The three main creators of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon—director Ang Lee, Chow Yun-fat, and Li Youhu—were also present, as they were currently in China promoting the film.
The lead actress was absent due to scheduling conflicts.
Once everyone had arrived, the first item on the agenda wasn't the meeting itself but a screening.
Since the film hadn't been publicly released yet, most people in the room hadn't seen it.
The group moved to a screening room within the building. Whether by design or coincidence, Director Zhang found himself seated next to Chen Kaige. Today, they weren't the focus; the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon team was, and thus they sat closer to the leadership.
The two exchanged polite greetings, but beneath the surface, there was tension.
Just one month before Hero began filming in July, Chen Kaige's The Emperor and the Assassin had started production at the Jin Shu Studios in Suzhou.
Moreover, Director Zhang had recently heard rumors that, perhaps inspired by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's overseas success—or possibly influenced by Hero's $30 million budget—Chen Kaige, who had already secured 70 million RMB in funding, was seeking additional funds to expand the scale of his project.
Director Zhang had privately read Chen Kaige's script.
He felt that, even if Hero couldn't match Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, it would at least hold its own against The Emperor and the Assassin.
For one, Chen Kaige couldn't compete with Jin Shu's backing. Jin Shu was supported by Daenerys Entertainment, the company behind Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. In a way, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero were like siblings.
Director Zhang wasn't sure if Chen Kaige had seen the final cut of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. As for himself, after the film's North American success, he had merely mentioned it, and Jin Shu had sent him a copy for reference. Director Zhang had indeed made some adjustments to Hero's shooting plan based on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
After all, $30 million was no small sum.
Director Zhang had his own ideas but was also pragmatic and adaptable.
The screening started at 9:30 AM and ended at 11:30 AM. The group then had a decent working lunch at the SARFT building before the official meeting began at 1:00 PM.
During the opening remarks before the free discussion, Director Zhang once again pulled out his speech draft.
The draft had been provided by Jin Shu, which was why he had made the trip back to Beijing. Essentially, it was a set of recommendations.
Director Zhang didn't mind speaking on behalf of Jin Shu, but he certainly didn't want to be used as a pawn. He had reviewed the draft multiple times to ensure there were no issues and had been told he could make changes if necessary. Since he found nothing objectionable, he read it verbatim when his turn came.
The main points were simple.
To revitalize Chinese cinema, it was essential to ensure the healthy development of the film market. The two key recommendations were to accelerate the implementation of the theater chain system and to crack down on piracy.
Simon's visit to China the previous year had prompted some changes in the film industry, primarily allowing foreign investment in domestic theaters, though with a cap of 50% ownership.
Additionally, China had begun pushing for theater chain reforms.
The former was manageable, but the latter, due to various vested interests, had been progressing sluggishly over the past year.
As for piracy, while it couldn't be eradicated—even decades later—strict measures could mitigate its impact.
The draft Director Zhang received proposed specific measures to address these two issues.
For example, requiring domestic theaters to form or join theater chains within a set timeframe.
Regarding piracy, deploying personnel to monitor film prints during their release period to ensure no pirated copies surfaced, at least for a certain period, to give legitimate films room to perform.
These were measures China's film industry had implemented in the past.
Simon had instructed Chen Qing to draft these recommendations for Director Zhang to present, partly to pave the way for Hero's domestic release the following year.
The suggestions avoided sensitive topics like loosening restrictions on filmmakers or increasing foreign investment. Instead, they focused on strengthening existing policies. Given the momentum created by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, there was a good chance they would be accepted and implemented by China's top leadership.
The seminar lasted until 4:00 PM.
As everyone left the meeting room, Director Zhang made sure to catch Li Youhu to discuss when she would join the Hero production.
Since she had replaced Zhang Ziyi in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the role of Moon, the servant of Broken Sword in Hero, naturally fell to Li Youhu.
This wasn't due to Simon's interference. Aside from initially arranging her role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Simon had largely left Li Youhu to her own devices, unlike how Director Zhang had advised Zhang Ziyi to avoid television roles.
Unless one was aiming for the lofty status of an international star, diversifying one's career was the way to go in China's film and television industry over the next decade or two. For instance, while Zhang Ziyi might have had a more prestigious image, she certainly didn't earn as much as Fan Bingbing.
And in the end, even Zhang Ziyi had to turn to television.
After their conversation, Director Zhang still had some time in the afternoon. He took a car to the Jin Shu headquarters near Beijing Normal University in the Xinjiekou area.
Chen Qing was there.
After arriving, he waited briefly in a lounge before Chen Qing, Wu Shanlin, and two middle-aged women he didn't recognize finished a meeting and came over to greet him.
From the beginning of the year's Keep Cool to the summer's Super Girl and Kangxi Microblog, two top-rated TV dramas, Jin Shu was currently riding high. However, Director Zhang had also heard some rumors, such as the company being reported for various issues. He wasn't worried, though. Such things were common in the industry, and with Jin Shu's backing, nothing serious would come of it.
After some small talk, Chen Qing introduced the two women to Director Zhang, and they exchanged business cards.
Both women were surnamed Li and had founded a television production company called Rong Xin Da. They were here to discuss an investment deal.
Director Zhang didn't inquire further. After some more conversation, the two women politely excused themselves. Director Zhang then discussed the day's seminar and the progress of Hero's filming in Gansu with Chen Qing and Wu Shanlin.
The discussions continued until the end of the workday.
There was a dinner appointment that evening.
An official from Sichuan, taking advantage of a meeting in Beijing, was hosting a dinner on behalf of the provincial government. The guests included Wu Shanlin and other Jin Shu executives. Since Director Zhang happened to be in town, he was also invited.
The dinner was related to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Following the film's release and subsequent surge in popularity in North America, coinciding with the summer travel season, there had been a significant increase in North American tourists visiting China to see the film's stunning locations. According to a recent official report, the number of North American tourists this summer had at least doubled compared to previous years.
The Bamboo Sea in southern Sichuan, a key filming location for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, had gained international fame, bringing not just prestige but also tangible economic benefits.
The influx of foreign tourists eager to visit these sites meant a boost in foreign currency.
While the general public might not be aware, those in the know could easily trace the connection between Jin Shu and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The Sichuan official was hoping to collaborate with Jin Shu again to promote the province's many scenic spots. Jin Shu, of course, couldn't make any immediate promises, but the opportunity to build relationships with local governments wasn't something to pass up.
Chen Qing never missed a chance to expand her network and also attended.
The dinner lasted well into the night. Chen Qing didn't return to her residence in Mao'er Hutong but instead headed to a large estate near the Forbidden City on Beichizi Street. A group of young women who had recently toured West Lake in Hangzhou had flown to Beijing on a private Boeing 767 registered under a certain someone's name. As their host, Chen Qing felt obliged to make an appearance.
She wasn't particularly invested in them, though.
After all, plenty of others were eager to cater to these "young VIPs."
However, it was clear from these young women just how impactful Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon had become.
This explained why certain people in China were paying such close attention to the film.
Director Zhang would be flying back to Gansu the next day to continue filming Hero. However, due to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's success, many people had been inquiring about the project. The China Film Group had even helped secure a subsidy of 5 million RMB. While this was a small amount compared to Hero's budget, it demonstrated the high-level support for the project.
If Hero succeeded, locations like the Ejina Poplar Forest, the Yulong River in Guilin, and the Arrow Bamboo Sea in Jiuzhaigou would likely become popular tourist destinations for international visitors.
For a moment, Chen Qing even considered organizing a Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero themed tour.
But it was just a passing thought.
Too much hassle for too little gain.
After checking in on Elizabeth Jagger and the other girls, Chen Qing left around 11:00 PM.
She still didn't return to Mao'er Hutong but instead went to another courtyard near Houhai.
This was where another group of young women had recently moved in.
There weren't many.
After careful selection through various channels, only nine had been chosen.
They were all strikingly beautiful, but that wasn't the most important factor. The key was one word: busty.
This had been Simon's specific request.
Chen Qing had combed through the Super Girl contestant profiles but found no suitable candidates. She had to use other channels to find these nine women. She wasn't sure what Simon's exact standards were, but based on his preferences, they were all well-endowed.
They had recently been gathered here for training before being sent to Simon.
Their profiles had already been sent to North America, and Chen Qing had even called Simon to boast about her efforts. His response had been a cryptic, "Why isn't there anyone surnamed Liu?"
She didn't get the joke but assumed Simon was pleased.
Chen Qing planned to stay the night.
She would pick two of the women to keep her company, a little indulgence under the guise of training.
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