Shangri-La Hotel.
The celebration banquet.
Zhou You was a major shareholder in this film, along with other investors, all of whom attended the banquet.
Since the box office revenue share hadn't been settled yet, the on-site red envelopes were only given to some crew members. The main actors and the director received larger amounts, with the rest to be paid after the revenue share came through.
Based on different roles and responsibilities, the crew got at least 5,000 yuan, capped at 20,000 yuan, totaling nearly a million yuan in scattered sums.
The remaining lead actors would be paid according to their original market rates later, a suggestion Zhou You made. If the film had lost money, there would have been nothing. Since it turned a profit, he figured he might as well be generous.
This way, it would also provide a basis for the actors to negotiate higher fees in the future.
This was the celebration banquet, and Zhou You naturally sat at the head of the table. To his right were representatives from other entertainment companies, along with lead actors like Xu Zheng, Wang Baoqiang, and Huang Bo.
Sun Li and Shi Wenxiu sat on Zhou You's left.
As the banquet began, Xu Zheng stood up first to speak: "Let me say a few words. This success absolutely wouldn't have been possible without everyone's strong support, especially the keen eyes of our investors."
"There were hardships, exhaustion, and laughter during filming, but the end result was good. As the year draws to a close, it's fate that we can all gather here. Mr. Zhou and the investors have prepared a New Year's red envelope for everyone, which will be handed out shortly. It's not much, just a token of appreciation."
...
"Enough talk. Finally, let's invite Mr. Zhou to say a few words."
Everyone started clapping, not just because the film was a hit and they could add it to their resumes, but more importantly, because they were actually getting paid.
Zhou You stood up with his wine glass, seeing everyone looking at him. "I'll only say three things, so I won't hold up your meal. First, I hope you all eat and drink well. Second, I wish you an early Happy New Year! Third, I hope we can meet again in the future and create more brilliance together."
With that, Zhou You raised his glass, and everyone stood up to drink together.
This time, the applause was more heartfelt.
Everyone dreaded those who said "just a few words" and then rambled for half an hour.
Then it was time to eat and mingle freely.
Human nature is complicated.
People laugh at those who have nothing and resent those who have something.
Some can share hardship but not prosperity.
At the table, Zhou You briefly mentioned that once the revenue share came in, he would compensate everyone with market-rate pay for their roles.
But greed knows no bounds.
Seeing Zhou You rake in a fortune, everyone silently envied him, though they said nothing. His unexpected generosity softened their resentment, and they even thought he handled things and people with class.
Zhou You didn't care much. After all, the total box office was 1.2 billion yuan. After taxes, theater cuts, and various distribution fees, they'd get about 500 to 600 million yuan.
And Zhou You alone took a third, nearly 200 million yuan. After taxes, giving away a few million was nothing to him.
Just pocket change!
Having dealt with such occasions often, Zhou You grew more adept.
After all, he was no longer a nobody, nor a teenager standing in the background like a small fry.
Sun Li watched the man at the center of the table, handling everything with ease, constantly raising his glass, taking a sip, setting it down, then raising it again.
She never dreamed she'd be in such a position. It wasn't that she craved wealth and status, but sometimes life felt like a dream. Such events should have been far from her world, since she was just an ordinary person.
Seeing Sun Li lost in thought, Shi Wenxiu tugged her hand under the table and whispered:
"Sister Li, keep an eye on him. Don't let some vixen steal Brother You away!"
"How? Is there anyone in the entertainment industry who can be kept in check?" Sun Li shot back.
Shi Wenxiu fell silent.
Sun Li continued, "It's normal to fool around. What cat doesn't steal fish? As long as he knows to come home when he's tired. Besides, a man as outstanding as Brother You can't be tied down by just one or two people."
Ordinary people live ordinary lives; wealthy people live wealthy lives.
Expecting the rich to follow ordinary rules is unrealistic.
People only stay faithful because they're poor.
Technically, Shi Wenxiu shouldn't have been at that table, being just a supporting actress, but her special connection changed that.
Recently, Shi Wenxiu's life had undergone a dramatic transformation. "Finding Mr. Right in Seattle" was about to wrap up, and as both actress and producer, she'd smoothly gotten her roommate a small role.
She knew exactly who had given her all this. So when she spoke to Sun Li, it was both a well-meaning warning and a subtle test.
Now that she understood the gist, she could relax. If anything happened, she could mediate.
To be honest, based on what she knew, few men at Zhou You's level handled things this way. Others might not be "new grooms every night," but they still fooled around frequently.
Wine doesn't intoxicate, people intoxicate themselves. 2012, dubbed the apocalypse, had passed smoothly.
Almost everyone at the event was drunk. Joy lifts the spirit, and success calls for celebration.
The lively event ended amid shouts of "Congratulations and get rich!"
After the banquet, Shi Wenxiu walked over to Zhou You and said quietly, "Brother You, Director Xue asked me to tell you that the crew is wrapping up soon and invites you to the wrap party."
"Sure, tell Director Xue that everyone from the crew should come. I'll treat!" Zhou You said, slightly tipsy.
Afterward, Sun Li drove Zhou You home.
Back in her rented apartment, Shi Wenxiu felt a sense of disconnect. She'd just been mingling at a five-star hotel, and now reality hit her in this humble place.
At least she had her best friend for company. Chen Baizhen saw Shi Wenxiu's flushed cheeks and slight tipsiness: "Did you drink too much? Did you see Brother You? Is he coming the day after tomorrow?"
She fired off three questions.
Shi Wenxiu sobered up a bit at her barrage: "What do you mean? Got ideas?"
Chen Baizhen feigned innocence: "There are so many vixens around. I'm worried. I'll keep an eye on him for you. Can't let anyone else snatch him, right?"
Shi Wenxiu looked her up and down: "What's your advantage? No curves, flat as a board—laughable!"
"Ah, that's too much!" Chen Baizhen lunged at her like a hungry tiger.
"I'll deal with you first!"
Youth—where are all the worries?
Even if there are, they pass in a flash.
Xue Xiaolu also called Zhou You personally to inform him about the wrap and invite him to the party.
The film was shot in Vancouver. She'd wanted to invite Zhou You earlier, maybe for a trip, but he wasn't interested in cold places. He was busy in the summer, so they agreed to talk after he returned.
Now, with the success of "Lost in Thailand" and Zhou You's track record, it was hard not to envy him. She wanted to bask in some of his luck.
Some crew members were also eager to get involved.