Chapter 1080: Young Master Mecarile Causes Trouble, Adding a Little Annoyance

Xiao He had to admit that this young master was indeed very skilled.

Both questions touched on the production team's sensitive points.

This is especially true for Zhuang Hongyi.

Why did he create the play "Mang" in a fit of anger back then, a play full of Chinese feng shui metaphysics?

That's because of that South Korean film that successfully rose to prominence by stepping on China and won numerous international awards.

That work also stole most of their metaphysical culture, even almost completely stealing the foundation of the I Ching and the Celestial Masters, and then promoting it as their own culture. This infuriated people at the time. Unfortunately, that period was also the time when their management was the strictest. Let alone producing new works to go abroad, even making online movies that skirted the edge of legality was risky.

Ghost movies are about dreaming, tomb raiding is about protecting cultural relics, and the protagonists and villains are schizophrenic.

There was really no other way.

So Zhuang Hongyi put aside even the lucrative project "The Phantom Thieves Alliance" for the time being, and took Xiao He and the others to Hong Kong to film "Long", determined to bring it to the international stage.

It's fair to say that Willyon's words hit Zhuang Hongyi squarely on the head.

What do you mean by saying that they, the Chinese, are latecomers?

You old man, your successor! Chinese culture spans over five thousand years. You call me ancestor and I won't even acknowledge you. You're giving me too much face.

Moreover, their Chinese ghost films did go abroad in the early years; otherwise, the concept of zombies would not have become a horror element, a symbol of other cultures.

They just haven't come for a long time, they're not dead.

Wilnien's last question was even more pointed, almost directly implying that their book "The Dragon" was at risk of copyright infringement.

However, since Zhuang Hongyi chose to locate the production team in Hong Kong and had the Hong Kong team handle all the filming and investment, he must have already considered the risks involved and made preparations and explanations in advance.

So when faced with Wilnion's questioning, Zhuang Hongyi was genuinely furious and laughed.

"Hehe, let's thank this gentleman for raising the question, and let's also make things clear here."

Zhuang Hongyi stopped Xiao He, who was about to speak, and indicated that he would handle this part himself.

"First of all, whether it is Feng Shui or the I Ching, they are both rooted in traditional Chinese culture. They are the cultural roots that have been passed down in our country for thousands of years. Culture will not be possessed just because someone makes a film of the same type. Therefore, there is no such thing as whoever seizes the market first and then owns it."

"Our advantages are also obvious. Our core culture, our written records, and our generational understanding are things that only those who are rooted in their homeland can deeply feel, record with their cameras, and tell the story to the world..."

Faced with this situation, Zhuang Hongyi responded very calmly.

Despite his dissatisfaction, there were other publishers in the audience, so he didn't feel the need to launch a direct attack at that moment.

After listening to Zhuang Hongyi's words, Willion simply smiled and nodded, then continued to ask, "So, does the fact that 'Long' cannot be released in mainland China indicate that 'Long' itself is at risk of being released?"

Zhuang Hongyi said with a forced smile, "Of course, it fully complies with the official film regulations of Hong Kong and is subject to the guidance and review of the relevant units of the Hong Kong Film Bureau. We are grateful for the support and assistance from the Hong Kong government to be here. At the same time, we would also like to promote Hong Kong and Hong Kong films to everyone. Hong Kong has produced many excellent works and has also helped Hong Kong films go international, allowing more people to see the potential of Chinese people..."

They follow the standard Hong Kong film export process, which is different from the normal mainland export process. They take advantage of the special nature of the Hong Kong market, so if they don't enter the mainland market, the review issues won't apply to them for the time being.

Even if there is controversy, it is not a big problem for Zhuang Hongyi, because he never intended to enter the mainland market from the beginning. Not everyone is as confident as him in giving up such a huge Chinese box office market.

Willyon is unlikely to gain anything by trying to find fault with him.

However, it is clear that Wilnion only wanted to annoy people and did not intend to make "Long" lose its value with just a few words.

"Alright, then I have nothing more to say."

Willyon shrugged, as if he had just asked casually. After getting his answer, he casually tossed the microphone to the person next to him and stood up.

"Then I wish you great box office success."

He waved with a grin, but he didn't say it through a microphone, so the people on stage didn't know what he was saying and just watched him leave the theater.

Was he just cursing at us?

Zhuang Hongyi narrowed his eyes. He didn't have such a good lip-reading ability, but he had a gut feeling that this guy wasn't saying anything nice.

"Oh, he's wishing us a box office hit."

Xiao He said calmly.

"Heh, humph, what a show-off."

Zhuang Hongyi sneered.

“Those people aren’t just pretending to be crazy; those who can control online public opinion are not so easy to deal with.”

Xiao He raised his eyelids slightly. "Director Zhuang, I guarantee that once this event is over and you go back online, you'll find that the entire internet is only talking about their Mecariler, and our 'Long' has become nothing more than a supporting character."

The internet should now be filled with trending topics and audience feedback following the first screening of their film "Long".

But now, because of this guy's interference, the Mecaril family has stolen the spotlight.

It's no surprise that the controversy surrounding "The Dragon" will spread across the internet along with Willyon's.

"I never expected him to be so stingy."

Xiao He shook his head speechlessly, "I'm afraid that ever since the opening ceremony was overshadowed by 'Long,' that resentment has been building up until now."

They really hold grudges.

If you seize an opportunity, you must return it.

Zhuang Hongyi had clearly figured it out: "When we showed the trailer at the Cannes opening ceremony, we didn't expect them to come. They are in the business of media and marketing. Their team couldn't compete with the hype of our trailer. Now they want to get back at us. I wonder how long they've been preparing."

"It's alright, we were prepared a long time ago, weren't we?"

Xiao He said with a smile.

-

At the same time, Liu Rulan was also calling Boss Ban.

"I'll have to ask Mr. Ban for help this time."

Liu Rulan said with a smile.

Ban Heng, the head of the largest overseas short video platform, also smiled and said, "Oh, there's no need to thank us. Xiao He is an important benefactor to us. Moreover, the Mecariler family itself is one of the representatives who support banning our software products. Even without Xiao He, we would have had to face them sooner or later."

The Mecariler family also has its own video platform and influence in public opinion. As these Chinese short video platforms have invaded the US market, these people regard them as a thorn in their side.

They've targeted their platform countless times, both openly and covertly.

So when Liu Rulan asked for help, Ban Heng immediately agreed.

He did whatever he could to annoy the Mecariler family.