According to the latest approval rating poll, Chen's approval rating surpasses that of the US president.
In a poll of movie fans' charisma, Chen ranked first, with more than twice the number of supporters as Brad Pitt, who came in second.
I lay in bed, idly flipping through these newspapers... Although the feeling of being in the spotlight was very enjoyable... it still got a bit boring after a while.
In particular, I've been staying in this hospital for over a month now. This feeling of being confined is really unpleasant.
During this month, some things happened that left me both amused and exasperated.
Two crazed fans disguised themselves as nurses and sneaked into the hospital. Although they didn't manage to get into my ward (just kidding, my men and Yang Wei's people guard my ward all day long), I still granted their request in the end... After all, I was a little excited; it was the first time in my life I'd had such crazy fans.
I complied with their request by signing my name on their bras.
Anyway, I've gotten used to these things lately. And what's even more outrageous... like all sorts of weird and wonderful rankings, I'm always at the top...
Awards like "Most Charming Man" or "Sexiest Man" are relatively common.
And in those polls like "Male celebrities I most want to see naked," "Best sexual fantasy object," and "Most desired one-night stand," I actually ranked first.
These are just some surveys targeting female audiences. What makes me even more ironic is that in a survey of gay men, I was actually ranked in the top three for "best fantasy object"...
I stood by the window, lost in thought… Just a week ago, I changed rooms because I discovered a reporter had frantically climbed a large tree opposite my current room, attempting to film me with high-resolution equipment. My bodyguard politely asked him to leave, and I immediately changed rooms. Now, my room faces an open area. No one can spy on me from across the street.
Yang Wei walked into the room. She was holding a newspaper from today, with the entertainment section's headline on it.
Britney Spears says her idol is Chan!
Britney Spears? I just smiled wryly... I would have been surprised by this kind of hype the first time I saw it, but now I'm used to it.
In the entertainment industry, this is nothing more than a so-called "hitchhiking" act. Just two days ago, I saw a report titled "Bieons says her most desired sexual fantasy object is Chen."
This is all just hype. Even if the person involved really said something similar to the media, it was just a pre-arranged publicity stunt.
I casually tossed the newspaper aside. Yang Wei teased me, "What's wrong? Sweetie has publicly declared her love for you. Don't you feel anything?"
I gave a wry smile: "Please... if it were a few years ago, I might have been a little interested in Little Sweetie... but now? She's a mother of several children, her private life is dissolute, her reputation is declining, she's just taking advantage of my situation to create some hype... Besides, who would be interested in a woman like that? Pshaw..."
After the jokes, Yang Wei sat down beside me and gently took my hand. She whispered, "Chen Yang, you're absolutely famous now! To be honest… when you were in the hospital, and even now, almost every media outlet—newspapers, magazines, television—is talking about you! According to my investigation, your media exposure is six times that of the President of the United States! Your level of attention is more than four times higher! Every night, there are huge crowds of fans outside praying for your health… Honestly, even before Elvis passed away, he didn't reach this level! It's absolutely insane!" She paused, then smiled and continued, "Did you see the news from Columbia Pictures? The one that invited you to play Spider-Man? They actually contacted me! This isn't a joke! It's true!"
I yelled, "What the hell! I'm playing Spider-Man? Please, have you ever seen a Spider-Man with yellow skin, black eyes, and black hair? That's ridiculous!"
“Not at all outrageous!” Yang Wei said seriously, “You’re incredibly popular right now… and you’re at the peak of your popularity! I can’t even think of anyone else who’s more popular than you right now! You’ve practically become a hero to all Americans! Because you saved their idol! According to surveys, people want to see you on the big screen! You could say that as long as you appear on the movie screen, even if you don’t act at all, audiences would be willing to pay a $15 ticket to see you brush your teeth on screen!! If you were willing, you could immediately create a blockbuster movie! This is absolutely not crazy! This is money! Real money! Dollars, huge profits! That’s how business people are, they can joke about anything, they can be outrageous about anything! But money is real! That’s absolutely not outrageous!”
"You're not really going to make me play Spider-Man, are you...?" I looked at Yang Wei suspiciously.
Yang smiled and shook his head.
It's fair to say that Yang Wei has now returned to her role as a shrewd and capable businesswoman. During my hospitalization, she arranged and coordinated almost everything that happened outside the hospital! My current fame is partly due to the events themselves, but also partly due to Yang Wei's various methods of stirring things up from the outside!
That afternoon, I was finally discharged from the hospital! When the news of my recovery and discharge spread, it immediately caused a media frenzy! After I walked out of the hospital under the protection of my bodyguards and subordinates, countless cameras and microphones were thrust at me from both sides. If someone hadn't cleared a path for me, I could hardly have moved an inch!
Meanwhile, the fans outside who had been praying for me cheered and saw me off...
That evening, the evening news, which aired on the hour, surprisingly combined the news of my discharge from the hospital with various national events.
After I stayed in the hospital, my room received countless flowers and gifts every day... These weren't just from fans, but mostly from the Hollywood celebrities I had rescued! You could say that the hospital nurses who cleaned my room every day were in a state of extreme excitement for almost the entire month!
There was even a fight between people over cleaning my room!
It's easy to imagine that those gifts and flowers all had the autographs of those Hollywood A-list stars!
I had just been discharged from the hospital when I received more than a dozen phone calls inviting me to dinner or parties hosted by Hollywood celebrities.
Yang Wei politely declined each offer on my behalf, explaining that I had not yet fully recovered.
Back at my place... This is a mansion that Yang Wei just bought in Beverly Hills!
Since that incident, Yang Wei and I have both strengthened our security. Hansen brought a group of bodyguards to stay by Yang Wei's side, and I also transferred more than a dozen of my men from Canada.
By the way, Yan Di, I let her stay in Canada. Even though I call her every day…
But I always felt a little guilty.
This guilt wasn't just towards Yan Di, but also towards Yang Wei... towards everyone.
Perhaps, men really are just born fickle.
However, most men are just ordinary people and don't have the means to be unfaithful.
"What is this?" I had rested well for a night, and without the unbearable smell of the hospital, I slept especially soundly. The next morning, I did some light exercises under the guidance of the rehabilitation therapist I had hired. After taking a shower, I had just sat down and picked up a glass of milk to have breakfast when Yang Wei threw a stack of printed documents in front of me.
You'll see when you see it.
I turned to the first page and was stunned!
This is a script! A movie script!!
The Shocking Heist (tentative title)
Subsequently, the script almost completely recreated the entire hostage situation caused by the terrorists! The male protagonist, of course, was based on me, and he accomplished a Hollywood-style feat, defeating the terrorists and rescuing all the hostages...
The most classic one, of course, is my "Spider-Man" act outside the building.
It's almost a 90% copy!
"Six top Hollywood screenwriters wrote it in fifteen days." Yang smiled naturally. "I had professionals estimate that the total budget for this film, including production, post-production, and distribution, will be around 140 million US dollars, and it will be fully funded by our Billy Hill Film Company!"
I took a deep breath and looked at Yang Wei.
"This is an excellent opportunity to make money!" Yang Wei said seriously, "Chen Yang, to be honest, this matter has far exceeded my plans... This is a completely unexpected surprise! Originally, we planned to rely on those few film contracts to make connections with some top Hollywood stars... and then slowly start investing in film production. But now... all of that is unnecessary! With a miraculous action, you have saved the lives of almost half of Hollywood's celebrities! What an enormous favor! It can be said that, whether in the past, present, or future, I don't think anyone else can have such a vast network of connections as you!!"
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter 160: Yang Wei's Plan
Even in Hollywood, it's rare for a single film company to fully fund a movie production. Instead, funding from various sources is essential, and there are investment companies in Hollywood that specialize in investing in films. This arrangement is primarily for risk diversification.
If a film is entirely funded by a single film company, then if it loses money, that company will be solely responsible for the losses. Therefore, risk mitigation is arguably the most crucial factor. Of course… there are also instances where there are compromises and adjustments made regarding profit distribution.
Generally speaking, it's rare for a film company to have 30% of the investment in a movie! Keep in mind that even a global blockbuster like Spider-Man, a film widely considered to have a high chance of making a fortune, wasn't entirely funded by Columbia Pictures; it had several investors!
This time, Yang Wei proposed that we make a movie about this big heist ourselves, and that we invest all the funds and handle the entire production from start to finish... This is almost unimaginable in Hollywood!
For example, everyone knew that the sequel to the hugely successful "Pirates of the Caribbean" of the previous year would be a money-maker. However, the film company didn't invest all its funds in the production... and instead adopted a diversified investment approach.
This isn't because the film company lacks confidence in the film itself and is worried about losing money, so they want to diversify their risk... At that point, even an idiot would know that the film would definitely make a fortune after it came out! It's like a hen that lays golden eggs!
At this point, everyone around will be watching this movie closely, and many people want a piece of the pie! Investment companies want a share, production companies of all sizes want a share, and all sorts of people holding funds want a share...
This situation is similar to when I single-handedly consolidated the smuggling trade along the west coast of Canada. Everyone knew this business was incredibly profitable… but both Yang Wei's uncle and Sorin insisted on getting involved as “investors”—basically, they wanted a share!
The same applies to the fragmentation of film production investments! It's not that film companies are willing to selflessly share their profit-making opportunities with others.
Therefore, there is a strange phenomenon in Hollywood... the more a movie is favored by many people, the more likely it is to make a lot of money, the more investors it will attract!
For movies that actually risk losing money, the investors are often quite simple-minded—after all, nobody is a fool, and very few people are willing to do high-risk businesses.
“But our situation is different.” After giving me a brief explanation of Hollywood film investment, Yang Wei went to the liquor cabinet in the living room, opened it, and took out a bottle of Rémy Martin. She gently unscrewed the cap, poured herself a glass, and then walked over to me. Seeing my envious expression, a childlike smile appeared on her charming face. She gently breathed into my ear and softly said, “Darling, I’m sorry, but the doctor ordered that for your health, you can’t touch tobacco or alcohol for the time being.”
She then naturally sat on my lap. She hooked one arm around my neck and kissed me on the cheek.
In fact, ever since that day when we went through a life-or-death ordeal together, my relationship with Yang Wei has almost completely changed!
Before this, although I knew Yang Wei had feelings for me, and I also had my own feelings for her... we all hid our true feelings... or rather, we all knew, but pretended to be indifferent on the surface. Even when our true feelings occasionally surfaced, we immediately concealed them.
Especially Yang Wei! This woman is a master at controlling her emotional fluctuations; if she occasionally lets them slip, she immediately covers them up and pretends nothing's wrong.
But that day, I hid in the ceiling ventilation duct and heard her dying words, how deeply she loved me. And then, in the end, I decided not to leave, to stay and die with her… The thin veil between us was instantly pierced!
That kiss that followed practically sealed the fate of our relationship!
From the time I was admitted to the hospital to my discharge, Yang Wei stayed by my side almost the entire time. Even when she was busy with other commitments, she would always return to the hospital to be with me every day. She even stayed in my room…
Uh, don't get the wrong idea. He's just sleeping on the other bed in my room.
Things had progressed to this point, and we both tacitly abandoned our previous pretense and deliberate airs. Our everyday kissing and hugging became commonplace.
Yang Wei was sitting in my lap at that moment, and I naturally put one arm around her slender waist.
I was hospitalized for a month and abstained from sex for a month. Yet, Yang Wei, such a charming woman, was right next to me. Before, I was in poor health, so it was impossible for us to take our relationship "further." Now that I've been discharged and returned to my place, holding her in my arms, I can't help but have some impure thoughts.
These distracting thoughts immediately shifted to my hands. My palms, which were originally just around her waist, couldn't help but slide up and down a little.
Yang Wei was an incredibly clever woman. Seeing the strange look in my eyes, she guessed what I was thinking. She chuckled and first nestled gently into my arms, cuddling with me for a while. Then, when I was overcome with emotion, she gently bit my ear and whispered with a smile, "Alright, let's get down to business."
When that thought truly arises in a man's mind, it's more painful and intense than anything else! If the passion is thwarted at this moment, it brings an indescribable frustration and anger. At this point, I became somewhat uneasy, my hand unconsciously tightening, and I whispered, "It's okay... the doctor didn't say it's forbidden..."
Yang Wei shifted her body slightly, her face flushed, but she gently but firmly pressed down on my hand and said softly, "Okay, but not yet."
I looked up and saw that Yang Wei's eyes held a pleading look, but her resolute gaze was also very clear.
I know that Yang Wei is an extremely rational woman; if she says no, then it really means no.
With a sigh, I released her. Yang Wei felt a pang of guilt, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Well... things between us are still unresolved... Chen Yang, you know my feelings. I'd die for you, so of course I wouldn't refuse to give myself to you. It's just... I always feel uneasy. Besides, our statuses are different..."
I immediately felt like I'd been doused with cold water. My desire vanished instantly.
Although Yang Wei's last words were spoken softly, they felt like needles piercing my heart... and they were a problem that I had never been able to solve!
Different identities!
Indeed, their statuses are different!
Who is Yang Wei? She's the young lady of the Clover family. Although not the family heir, she's still a noblewoman from a powerful clan! Given the Yang family's power, would they really allow one of their girls to follow me without any status or title?
Besides, I still have Qiaoqiao to deal with!
Yan Di is someone I promised I would marry! But Qiao Qiao and Yang Wei, neither of these girls could possibly be my mistresses without any status or identity! Even if they were willing, their families would absolutely not tolerate it!
And in this matter, we should also thank one person... Phil, the CNN star reporter.
When Yang Wei was strapped to the poison gas bomb that day, her last words were nothing short of a heartfelt confession to me! That conversation was recorded on video!!
After Phil parachuted to safety, he surprisingly didn't release the video!
Yang Wei later told me that she had found Phil in time and asked him to do it!
Because Yang Wei is Yang Wei after all. In the heat of the moment, after her true feelings were revealed, once she calmed down, she immediately realized that our relationship was very inappropriate! Once it's exposed, I'm afraid there will be a lot of trouble!
First and foremost, there's Yan Di! This matter has blown up so much; Yan Di definitely knows about it. And if she sees Yang Wei and my heartfelt confession on TV… I'm afraid it will break her heart immediately.
Secondly, there's Mr. Yang the Second! A large family is a large family because it naturally has its own rules and traditions! This is especially true for Eastern families! If Mr. Yang the Second finds out about our relationship, he'll probably do what Qiaoqiao's father did and come to our door to force us into marriage! Even if he fails to force us into marriage, he'll probably take Yang Wei away by force!
Although I felt bad about it, I understood that Yang Wei's actions were correct.
Yang Wei could tell from my expression that I was upset. She comforted me with a few words, deliberately being gentle, and then immediately changed the subject, continuing the conversation about movies: "Although every popular movie is a money-making machine, and many people are eager to get involved, even those giant film companies have to compromise on all sides. But this situation is different for us."