620: Side Story 4: Paradise

It was another year for the awards ceremony.

Inside the venue.

Before the event officially began, the artists were chatting in small groups.

Director Qi Kai was currently surrounded by quite a few people.

Since *the dragon lantern chronicle*, he had been releasing works much faster over the past few years, not only maintaining their quality but also making each one more popular than the last.

Outsiders endlessly praised his ability to experience a second spring in his later years, and the status of the great Director Qi as a "titan of the film industry" had become increasingly solid.

But only he himself knew how much of an impact Lin Chuyan's *three-region film set notes* had on him back then.

Yes, at his age, to be able to learn so much from it... he really didn't know what to say.

Of course, he naturally wouldn't admit it to outsiders—there are some things that people care about more the older they get.

He could also reconcile this with himself: Lin Chuyan didn't need his recognition now.

*three-region film set notes* had long since been adapted into a textbook for directing departments, entering major film academies and becoming one of the required courses for every director in the country.

If he was a titan in the eyes of others, then Lin Chuyan was a high mountain that could only be looked up to.

His status nowadays... Director Qi shook his head, no longer thinking about this question.

Let's not compare with Lin Chuyan; that's an inhuman existence.

"Director Qi, would you consider me for your next film?"

The middle-aged actress Yuan Zhixin beside him smiled and asked him for an opportunity.

"Hahaha, I'd like to, but... Xiao Yuan, do you have the availability?"

"I do! As long as Director Qi needs me, I can clear my schedule no matter what."

"Alright, the next film should be next year, and I haven't started looking for actors yet. Let's chat later and see if it's a good fit."

"Thank you, Director Qi!"

Director Qi Kai waved his hand without speaking, looking calm and composed.

However, the corner of his eye caught someone else.

He raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and ignoring Yuan Zhixin beside him, took the initiative to greet the person: "Director Zhang!"

A middle-aged man in the distance heard the voice, turned his head, looking somewhat flattered, and without hesitation, walked over quickly: "Director Qi, congratulations, congratulations on the box office success."

This person was Director Zhang Qian, and he was none other than the director of the first web movie Lin Chuyan filmed after his comeback.

Director Zhang Qian later intended to enter the film industry, and after pondering a script, he found Lin Chuyan.

Lin Chuyan hadn't forgotten how he had added scenes for him back then, and plus, after reading the script, he felt it was indeed quite good, and they knew each other well, so he simply took Director Zhang Qian under his wing, recruited him into Starfire, and provided money and resources to make movies.

The following year, Director Zhang Qian successfully entered the big screen with a low-budget film.

The box office wasn't a massive hit, it was a bit of a case of critical acclaim but poor commercial performance, but from then on, he was noticed by many fans of suspense and thriller films.

Such achievements were not enough to break out of the circle; at least Yuan Zhixin, who was standing nearby, didn't know him.

Seeing Director Qi Kai take the initiative to greet him, Yuan Zhixin's eyelid twitched a bit.

She rolled her eyes, simply stood by Director Qi Kai's side and didn't leave, listening quietly to their conversation.

"Director Zhang, do you have another movie coming out soon?"

"Yes, it's another suspense thriller, scheduled for the Qingming Festival slot."

"Alright, I'll book a few screenings then."

Director Zhang Qian was truly a bit panicked: "No, no, no, that's too much trouble, too much expense, how could I be so embarrassed..."

Director Qi Kai waved his hand again: "Alright, let's not talk about anything else; just considering my relationship with Director Lin Chuyan, why are you being so polite? It's settled!"

Director Zhang Qian actually hadn't heard that Director Qi Kai and Lin Chuyan had such a good relationship, but since the other party had said so, he could only agree.

"Then thank you, Director Qi!"

Yuan Zhixin, standing by, finally understood.

It was because of Lin Chuyan.

That Lin Chuyan who had created countless box office miracles, led the entire Chinese entertainment industry forward, and built an entire mythology universe, now revered by countless fans as the godfather of the Chinese entertainment industry.

It was understandable that the great Director Qi Kai dared not be negligent.

So he's one of Director Lin's people... judging by this, is he an up-and-coming director under Starfire?

Yuan Zhixin blinked, and the unremarkable Director Zhang Qian in front of her seemed to become more pleasing to the eye: Perhaps in a while, she could find an opportunity to chat with Director Zhang?

It wasn't her fault for being proactive; it was really because the industry was getting more and more competitive these days.

Like her, although she had the looks, good acting skills, and high popularity, there were too many actresses of the same type... She and her team still had to work hard to fight for audition opportunities.

What did good acting skills count for? Did they think it was the old entertainment industry? Anyone and everyone could come to get a slice of the pie.

Don't know when it started, but having at least acting skills that "don't take people out of the immersion" had become the basic requirement for entering this circle.

Traffic actors who only knew how to make money and had no strength? Not to mention that today's audiences already knew how to vote with their feet, there were even rumors in the industry that Yanyu Film used its industry discourse power and had an unwritten rule with other major capital, reportedly always adopting a zero-tolerance attitude towards such actors and creators...

While she was thinking, Director Qi Kai at her side began to steer the conversation towards Lin Chuyan, and she refocused her attention on the conversation.

"By the way, does Director Lin have any plans to make movies recently? Or is it..."

Director Zhang Qian nodded with a smile: "Still tinkering with the theme park; for Director Lin, there is nothing bigger than this."

"It's a pity, so many people are looking forward to Director Lin filming another one..."

"Director Lin said that in today's film and television market, it seems he doesn't really need to make a move, haha."

Director Qi Kai nodded, feeling somewhat emotional: "That's true. Over the years, your Starfire has cultivated too much talent..."

Director Zhang Qian didn't dare to take credit: "It's all Director Lin's credit."

The talent Starfire had absorbed and cultivated was long since not just the "Two Kings and One Queen"; the actors and directors among them were already the backbone of this circle.

Over the years, some chose to part on good terms, leaving Starfire to set up their own portals and continue to grow bigger and stronger; some didn't want to leave out of gratitude for Lin Chuyan's appreciation; and others thought those who left were fools, believing that leaning on the big tree of Lin Chuyan was the truth.

Lin Chuyan expressed understanding and support for the different choices of the people under him.

Even if some people went out to venture for a few years and didn't do well and wanted to come back, he accepted them all.

To put it bluntly, this matter had nothing to do with right or wrong; his vision wasn't that shallow—as long as one could shine and generate heat for this circle, it was the same everywhere.

And that was just Starfire.

The topic turned to Yanyu Animation again.

"Speaking of which, *nezha 2* is coming out soon, right? Is *Red Boy: Battle of the Flaming Mountains* being directed by Director Yang Xiaozhou? What about *New Three Realms*?"

This was purely Director Qi Kai's personal curiosity, and Director Zhang Qian tried his best to answer with what he knew and what he could say.

"As far as I know, *nezha 2* should be in post-production, otherwise Director Lin wouldn't be able to rest assured and invest himself in the theme park work. *Red Boy* should have been given to Director Xu Qing. *New Three Realms* is probably not that fast; the script is still being polished."

Yanyu Animation was long past the situation where only Lin Chuyan and Director Yang Xiaozhou were the two head directors holding down the fort.

In the past few years, more animation directors known to the outside world had emerged.

Director Xu Qing was one of the best among them, and deeply trusted by Lin Chuyan.

It was precisely with the help of these top-tier directors that the mythology universe could become a cultural export that the Chinese people felt deeply proud of and took pride in within just seven or eight years, successfully making audiences all over the world fascinated by it.

As for *New Three Realms*, that was the most important work that the mythology universe would launch later; the worldview would be incomparably huge, and the content would involve countless immortals and demons... If one had to compare it to Marvel, it would probably be *Avengers 4*.

Director Qi Kai sighed with emotion again: "A few years ago, when *ne zha* was first released, Director Lin said he wanted to create a mythology universe. Although the industry didn't say anything and didn't pour cold water on him, in fact, most people were pessimistic; I know that. I didn't expect that Director Lin would really pull it off..."

Director Zhang Qian replied with a smile: "Director Lin's way of doing things has always been quite unexpected, hasn't it?"

"Hahaha, indeed. It's just that everyone always thinks they will get used to it, but when things happen, they are still 'startled' by him."

Just then, the noisy venue suddenly quieted down.

Director Qi Kai, Director Zhang Qian, Yuan Zhixin, and others turned their heads to look—

Sure enough, it was Lin Chuyan who had appeared.

Beside him was Ruan Xingyu, who had won the Best Actress award again for *A World Without Thieves*, and behind him were Wu Yue, Director Yang Xiaozhou, Xu Qing, Director Li Hao, Wang Bo, Wang Yongqiang, and other actors and directors whose status and aura were growing increasingly larger.

Wow, quite a few people from Yanyu Group had come.

Director Zhang Qian was a bit anxious: "Director Qi, let's stop chatting for now, I need to go over."

"Together, together, I'll go over and say hello too."

"Okay."

Director Qi Kai had been chatting for so long, wasn't it just for this moment?

Thinking back to the Hong Kong Film Awards back then, he wanted to greet Lin Chuyan, but he didn't expect that the big shots around Lin Chuyan were one after another, and it was simply not his turn.

...

"Director Lin, how many more years until the theme park is finished? I really want to play there."

"Director Lin, long time no see."

"Director Lin, I have a bad feeling that you are going to write Yang Jian to death in *New Three Realms*, paying tribute to *lotus lantern*."

"Director Lin, when will you make another sci-fi movie? I'm craving one."

Lin Chuyan greeted everyone with a smile along the way, ran over to chat with Li Mujian for a few words, and then returned to his seat.

With him seated, the awards ceremony finally began.

However, these awards had nothing to do with him; he wasn't here to receive an award today—years ago, he had already announced that he would no longer participate in domestic awards.

It was meaningless. First, he had already won everything he should have won; second, his achievements no longer needed any awards to bolster them; third, he was too young, and if he didn't yield a little, then others would really have no day to win an award.

In short, the reason Lin Chuyan came today was just because he happened to need a place to announce something.

The organizers were also happy about this: Lin Chuyan hadn't participated in such events for years, right? The livestream tonight was going to explode.

The netizens watching the livestream were also very curious: Did Director Lin have some new film project again?

Just at this moment when everyone was watching, Lin Chuyan went on stage.

"Everyone knows that I have always had an idea to build a theme park, and coming here today to take up a few minutes of time is just to talk about this."

"Yes, the location of the park is in Guangdong Province, my hometown. The opening time has also been confirmed, which is this year's National Day; currently, the park facilities are in the debugging stage."

The people off stage and the netizens in the livestream room immediately exploded.

Everyone was incredulous: So fast? Didn't everyone say there was another year or two to go?! It seems that tourism in Guangdong Province is going to explode this National Day...

It could only be said that Lin Chuyan hadn't forgotten his status as the "Provincial Cultural and Tourism Image Ambassador," and he knew what to do at critical moments.

And, this was also a great thing for the provincial government. The two sides hit it off immediately; from acquiring the land to discussing joint funding and then building the park, the whole process was extremely smooth. The project, originally planned for five years, was completed a year ahead of schedule, costing a total of 41.9 billion, jointly invested and built by the provincial government and Yanyu Group.

Moreover, what was currently open was only the first phase; as the mythology universe continued to unfold, follow-up investments and construction would be added.

Lin Chuyan continued.

"You might think the park was built very quickly; in fact, as early as when the box office of *nezha 2* broke 15 billion, I had already been pushing this matter forward. So, this is a matter of course."

Was it arranged so early? Tens of billions... although the provincial government paid at least half, it was enough to show how daring and aggressive Lin Chuyan was...

The people off stage looked at each other.

Next, Lin Chuyan began to talk about the general construction and gameplay of the park.

For example, tourists are not bystanders; everyone who enters the park will receive a "Spirit Energy Bracelet," which can be used to collect important props of the mythology universe, "Spirit Stone Fragments," during exploration, thereby triggering interactions. The collected Spirit Stone Fragments can also be exchanged for different discounts in various stores in the park...

For example, the facilities of the entire park are divided into the main universe's Celestial Court, Human Realm, Netherworld, Mountains and Seas Otherworld, and Parallel Universes. The visual style, play projects, and atmosphere of each facility are completely different.

Like the Lingxiao Palace, tourists can ride the "Auspicious Cloud Carriage," shuttle through the magnificent Lingxiao Palace, witness the gods discussing matters and the rebellion of the traitors, and participate in it.

Like the South Heaven Gate Roller Coaster, the coaster shuttles between the huge South Heaven Gate pillars, auspicious clouds, and heavenly palace buildings, simulating the flight of immortals, feeling the thrill of breaking through constraints.

There is also the Investiture of the Gods battlefield in the Human Realm. Tourists become a part of the Great Zhou army, riding large dynamic chariots, in the battle between immortals like Jiang Ziya, Shen Gongbao, and the Three Xiao Fairies, feeling the shock of spells clashing, the earth shaking, and giant beasts trampling.

There is also the Yellow Springs Ferry, where tourists ride a "Ghost Ship" across the River of Oblivion. In the Eighteen Levels of Hell, tourists follow Di Ting to shuttle through various scenes...

In addition, there is Shen Gongbao's trickery—tourists accidentally enter the Soul-Snatching Maze, entering it, there are various interactive mazes and illusion special effects.

There is also the Mountains and Seas Otherworld—this is a primitive, wild, strange, and magnificent world, with unique landforms, full of exotic beasts from the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*.

There are things in the sky and on the ground, and he didn't let go of the things in the sea—Lin Chuyan hadn't forgotten the Dragon Palace deep-sea exploration ride he mentioned before.

In addition, there is a night show. Unlike Disney, Lin Chuyan wants to use China's advanced technology to organize drone formations; by then, all kinds of giant dragons, phoenixes, exotic beasts, and immortals will be on display, which is also a check-in spot that is no less than a fireworks show.

Finally, there must be large-scale themed parades. Things like ne zha's Wind Fire Wheel chariot, Yang Jian carrying the Howling Celestial Dog, Jiang Ziya's Investiture Platform, the Three Xiao Fairies' Hunyuan Golden Container and Golden Dragon Scissors, Mohist mechanical giant beasts, *Classic of Mountains and Seas* exotic beast phalanxes, Netherworld judges and ghost servant queues, and so on... these will run through the main park area, forming a super-long parade route.

Everyone was excited.

Just a few very simple introductions had already made everyone extremely excited.

These treasures belonging to our own culture, the various famous scenes created by Yanyu Animation over the years... are they finally going to be realized? Can we all experience them in person?

The barrage was already going crazy.

[Director Lin is awesome!]

[Lin Chuyan, you are my god!]

[Feel the gold content of the godfather of the Chinese entertainment industry!]

[Holy crap, holy crap!]

Lin Chuyan himself was also a little excited.

This was the last piece of the business empire of his dreams, and now it was finally going to be completed.

He restrained his emotions and said the last sentence steadily: "Everyone, this year's National Day, we will see you there!"

...

The awards ceremony ended, and reporters surrounded Lin and Ruan, asking a question.

"Director Lin, can you tell us why you wanted to build such a super-large theme park? What was your original intention?"

In fact, the reporters already knew the answer.

After all, Lin Chuyan had said many times to the outside world that the Chinese people deserved a theme park that could showcase their country's unique culture.

The reporters asking him this question now was just because they wanted to hear him say it again, so that tonight's official announcement could have a perfect ending.

However.

Lin Chuyan: "Oh, the original intention is, of course, because my daughter wants to play there. As a little girl, she really needs a theme park."

Reporter: "..."

...

Little Lin Zhaotang specially wore her favorite clothes today.

Looking at the theme park in front of her, she was full of joy.

Lin Chuyan squatted down and touched her head: "Do you like it?"

"I like it!"

"As long as you like it, this is a birthday present for you."

But after saying this, what came to Lin Chuyan's mind was the pair of hands he and his wife held tightly in the delivery room when she gave birth to their daughter.

He looked up at Ruan Xingyu.

Ruan Xingyu didn't speak, just smiled and reached out her hand to him.

The two hands held each other again.

Well, this is what is called a meeting of minds.

He stood up and took Lin Zhaotang's hand with his other hand.

"Let's go!"