Chapter 134: Returning with Glory

Chapter 134: Returning in Glory

Although the influence of the Cannes Film Festival is not what it once was, one must admit that among the many international film festivals, few can compare to it. In terms of reach and attention, only the Oscars can truly contend with it.

Zhang Le’s *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* swept two awards at Cannes, causing a sensation. When the news reached home, it stunned a vast number of people. Clearly, no one had expected Zhang Le to be so formidable.

Previously, the only film awards Zhang Le had won in China were for Best Original Song. To put it bluntly, he relied not on his cinematic talent, but on his musical prowess. It would be more accurate to call those music awards rather than film awards.

Zhang Le had been nominated for several film awards before, only to return empty-handed, for which he was ridiculed by countless people. Who would have thought his new film would be so ferocious? He didn't just win; he went straight to an international film festival to claim his prize.

He had remained silent until he finally erupted with a stunning success.

It was said that after returning empty-handed from the Golden Dragon Awards, Zhang Le had been holding his breath, aiming his new film at all the major awards. People had merely laughed when they heard that, paying no mind, or at most, adding another mocking remark.

Winning an award at *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon*—and a Jury Prize at that, which carries significant weight—was a slap in the face to countless people. However, with the typical hypocrisy of the media, they acted as if their previous mockery had never happened. They proceeded to praise him with great fervor.

Those on the internet who had waited to see Zhang Le humiliated were ecstatic at the news. They jumped about, acting like self-appointed censors, digging up old accounts, using facts to retort, and heaping on sarcasm. There was a sense of vindication in "avenging" Zhang Le.

The win at Cannes was beyond everyone’s expectations. The public was in an uproar, filled with excitement. While the industry circles were not quite as rowdy, many still took to Weibo to offer their congratulations.

As for the film itself, moviegoers were now even more expectant.

Zhang Le, Yang Xin'er, and their team returned in glory. The moment they stepped off the plane, they were surrounded by a sea of reporters. Fortunately, the company had anticipated this and arranged for plenty of security; otherwise, leaving the airport would have been difficult.

"These reporters are insane!" Yang Xin'er said once they were in the car, still feeling the lingering tension. She had been in the industry for many years and had been swarmed by reporters before, but this time, she could clearly feel that they were even more desperate—desperate to the point of madness.

"Your buddy has hit the big time!" Zhang Le said with a smile.

Winning at *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* naturally brought the greatest glory to Zhang Le, the director.

"Hit the big time!" Yang Xin'er knew this was Zhang Le teasing himself. The phrase came from *Nightclub*, a film for which Zhang Le had written the screenplay. When that film was released, many of its monologues were dubbed "Zhang Le’s Quotes" by netizens, and the most popular line was, "Buddy is going to hit the big time, he's going to hit the big time!"

Zhang Le had actually hit the big time long ago, but after this award, he was undoubtedly even bigger. So big, in fact, that he was no longer overshadowed by Yang Xin'er’s stardom.

This film and this award had truly allowed Zhang Le to step out of Yang Xin'er's shadow. He would no longer be defined in the entertainment industry merely as Yang Xin'er’s boyfriend. When people mentioned him, the first title they would use would be: Director.

"Just keep gloating!" Yang Xin'er laughed. Her smile was happy, sincere, and carried a hint of pride. She was genuinely happy for Zhang Le and proud of him.

"Take us home first; we’ll deal with company business tomorrow," Zhang Le said to the driver.

"I’m exhausted!" Once they reached home, Yang Xin'er collapsed onto the sofa.

"Tired already? The truly tiring part is yet to come," Zhang Le said, shaking his head. "What about *The Voice*? Do you want to pull out?"

"Why would I pull out?" Yang Xin'er shook her head. "Everyone in the country knows about *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* now. We can just appropriately reduce my promotional schedule."

"We don't need to spend much effort promoting *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* domestically. Winning two awards at Cannes is more effective than any promotion; the media will do the work for us," Zhang Le nodded, then added, "I’m talking about North America."

"North America?" Yang Xin'er looked at him, puzzled. "Neither of us has any fame in North America. People there don't even know who we are. What’s the point of us going there to promote? If I’m not mistaken, the promotional posters Paramount is using for *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* probably only feature Jet Li."

"Promotion isn't just people promoting a film; it’s also the film promoting the people," Zhang Le said with a smile. "Promoting the film in North America is actually a way to leverage the film and Jet Li’s influence there to promote ourselves. Through this, we can at least make ourselves familiar faces to the North American audience. That will at least help you when you move toward the international stage later."

People promoting a film is a standard trick in the industry—relying on the celebrity's popularity to boost the film's profile and using their box-office appeal to drive ticket sales.

But a film promoting a person is a tactic used by production companies. In other words, using a film to build up a star. Speaking of this, many people might think of the film *The Warring States*.

Large investment, big production, and many stars joining in—all just to promote a newcomer. The results may have been less than satisfactory, but at least countless fans learned that such a person existed.

The effect of building up the star might have been mediocre, but the strategy of using a film to promote a person was highly successful.

However, when using a film to promote a person, a good film earns a good reputation, while a bad film earns a bad one. *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* is clearly an excellent film, destined to hold a place among the century's classics. Zhang Le was using this film to promote Yang Xin'er, which could only do her reputation good.

"You handle the arrangements; I trust you to take care of me," Yang Xin'er said with a smile.

The next day, in Zhang Le's office, Tang Xiao and Feng Lei were holding the trophy, making sarcastic remarks.

"Have you two had enough? As my best friends, you don't congratulate me, and instead, you're here..." Zhang Le said, feeling a mix of amusement and frustration. Before he could finish, Feng Lei interrupted him.

"We just want you to keep up the good work and not let the glory and achievements in front of you cloud your eyes and cause you to lose your drive. The revolution is not yet successful; comrades still need to work hard!"

"Is the film finished?" Zhang Le asked, looking at the two to change the subject.

"What do you think?" Feng Lei rolled his eyes.

"*Charlotte's Goodbye* doesn't have any large-scale scenes, so filming went naturally fast. The film is already in post-production. I heard you brought glory to Chinese filmmakers at Cannes and brought back a little golden man, so I came to take a look," Tang Xiao said with a smile.

"And you? Did you just come to take a look too?" Zhang Le asked, looking at Feng Lei.