The Best Director

The Great Wall at Badaling, verdant and unending mountain ranges adorned with towering walls, stretches and undulates until it meets the azure sky, picturesque and imposing.

This is truly unbelievable!” While walking atop the Great Wall, Wang Yang continuously took photos with his long-focus camera, admiring the magnificent scenery around him, “It’s an incredible miracle!” Jessica, holding a parasol, was equally stunned, “It feels like I’ve entered another world. How did they manage this?”

Following behind the two, Susan McCarthy also looked around with a face full of emotions, as if only upon arriving here could one truly appreciate the depth of this ancient oriental nation, a stark difference from the dazzling modernity of Hong Kong.

After happily touring Hong Kong for two days, the two of them flew to the second destination of their trip, Beijing, with their assistant. As a capital for several hundred years, Beijing boasts countless scenic spots; it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that even a month wouldn’t be enough to see and taste everything. So where to go with just one day’s time? Both of them conventionally chose the famous Great Wall.

How on earth did they do this?” As Jessica walked, she gazed at the far reaches of the Great Wall and exclaimed, “This terrain is all mountains, yet they managed to build these walls across 4,000 miles! More than 2000 years ago, oh my God!” Wang Yang adjusted his sun hat, looked back at her with a smile, “I don’t know. But I can imagine the workers must have suffered greatly, many died. It’s a construction wonder! Pyramids, Taj Mahal, Potala Palace… we owe them thanks.”

Neither of them wore sunglasses or any other items to disguise their identities, and although there were groups of tourists in front of and behind them on the Great Wall, no one took notice of them. Perhaps they’re less known on the mainland; after leaving Hong Kong for Beijing, they haven’t been recognized, which undoubtedly made them even more comfortable. Without fans or paparazzi, they could thoroughly enjoy their trip.

Yang, are there any historical stories in here?” Curious, Jessica twirled her umbrella and asked, “Like the Trojan Horse, Helen and those?”

Wang Yang shrugged, as he wasn’t very clear about Chinese history himself, after all, it spanned thousands of years. He chuckled, “Speaking of historical stories, that dates back many, many years ago. At that time, in order to fend off foreign invaders, then an emperor ordered the linking of walls built in various places, and it became what it is now, not very romantic.” He coughed, and then shared the information he looked up beforehand, “But there’s a legend about a worker’s wife named Mrs. Meng Jiang who died building the wall. She cried so bitterly in front of the Great Wall that, like dominos, the wall collapsed.”

Cried?” Jessica frowned in confusion, unable to comprehend how one could cry down the Great Wall? It must be a love story. After pondering its deeper meaning, she smiled, “Mrs. Meng Jiang must have loved her husband very much.”

That foreign woman is quite beautiful!” A group of about a dozen tourists passed by, consisting of middle-aged and young, both men and women, with mostly young people wearing caps and carrying bags. They muttered while looking at the foreign woman with the umbrella, “She’s got a great figure!” “I heard foreigners have body odor; maybe she’s stinking right now…” The round-faced young tour guide approached Wang Yang with a flag, and with a learning smile said, “Buddy, what travel agency are you with? Where did you pick up this kind of gig? My English is pretty good too.”

The young man looked at the puzzled Jessica, pointed at Wang Yang, and laughed in English, “His pronunciation isn’t quite standard, that ‘Meng Jiang’ is not a surname, but meant to refer to a beautiful woman at that time.” Jessica nodded, then the young man inquired Wang Yang, “How does one become this kind of tour guide? Do you make good money?”

Hey, buddy, I’m not a tour guide.” Wang Yang took Jessica’s hand with a smile, “We’re together.” Jessica smiled unwittingly at the unwarranted assumption. The tour guide looked blank for a moment, then after sizing them up, he said with envy and laughter, “You bastard, you’re awesome! You’ve even hooked up with a foreigner!” Thumbs up, he hurried to catch up with his tour group. Wang Yang shouted after him, “Tell those guys, she smells great!”

The loud voice caused the previously whispering tourists to look back. Wang Yang glared fiercely at them. Jessica, curious, asked with a laugh, “What were you saying? It was too fast; I couldn’t catch it.” Wang Yang smiled at her and said, “They were complimenting you on being beautiful; I was also saying I’m not a tour guide.” Seeing the magnificent Great Wall and mountains in front of him, he couldn’t help thinking about directors and movies, and chuckled, “This is such a great scene! Why does it seem like not many movies are shot at the Great Wall?”

Susan McCarthy in the back did know a bit and said, “To get a filming permit, the review is very strict.” This reminded Wang Yang immediately, was it that State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television again? He shrugged helplessly and said, “Then they definitely won’t approve my idea.” Jessica asked, “What idea?” The three of them continued walking forward, and Wang Yang said with a laugh, “Just a random thought, imagine Mrs. Meng Jiang or a robot blowing up a long stretch of the Great Wall, turning these mountains into flat land, with the Great Wall soaring into the sky…”

Hmm, that’d be terrifying!” Jessica frowned as she imagined it, then asked, “Why destroy it?”

It’s not about destruction, it’s about creating a shocking effect.” Wang Yang picked up his camera to continue filming the beautiful surroundings, and as he laughed he said, “It’s so spectacular and beautiful here, but when you destroy it with absolute power, it becomes even more magnificent. I don’t know why, but humans have this desire to destroy, or maybe it stimulates your nerves, seeing those big explosions is exhilarating; structures like the Great Wall and the pyramids are the best choices for destruction.”

Jessica nodded in understanding and smiled, “But Yang, such a beautiful Great Wall should never really be destroyed!” Wang Yang unstrapped the camera from his neck and swung his fists a few times: “If anyone really does come to destroy it, then I’ll… uh, is my Kung Fu good enough for them?”

The two had climbed the Great Wall and returned to the heart of Beijing, feeling satisfied. They went shopping and tried out the cuisine on Wangfujing Street, still not needing to wear sunglasses, and only getting recognized and asked for an autograph by one girl. After spending a night in Beijing, the next morning the three of them took a flight to Gwangju in Korea, ready to watch the China vs Costa Rica World Cup match at 14:30 in the afternoon.

The Korea-Japan World Cup had already kicked off five days ago, and the whole world was in the grip of soccer fever. Every bar was packed with patrons, erupting with cheers, and beer was almost in short supply; the host cities were even livelier, with fans dressed in various national team’s colors or in quirky costumes everywhere, some heading excitedly into the stadiums in groups, others holding signs begging to buy tickets.

With white clouds drifting across the sky, the Gwangju World Cup Stadium, capable of holding 4.4,000 spectators, had just started the match. Although the stadium wasn’t completely full, the fans had already created waves of heat with their chanting, filling the skies. Wang Yang and Jessica were seated to the right of the center circle, watching the 22 people running and striving on the green field, with the Chinese team wearing white jerseys and Costa Rica in red shirts and blue shorts.

Team China, come on, come on!” Chinese fans in the stands all shouted in unison; although there were fewer fans wrapped in the Costa Rican flag, they were not outdone, singing their songs just as loud.

Influenced by the atmosphere around him, Wang Yang, who always got really into watching matches, couldn’t help but stand up, clapping his hands, and shouted loudly, “Team China, kick their asses! Come on!” Jessica also made a megaphone gesture with her hands, her eyes filled with tension, and she shouted in Chinese, “Team China, come on!”

The first half had reached the 14th minute, after a high ball struggle, China won the ball back just outside their box. As Yang Chen got the ball in the left midfield, he charged forward with great speed, but was tripped by Costa Rica’s Luis Marin! The referee, Greek Vassilios Skountis, ran over quickly and pulled out a yellow card from his pocket, raising it high— the first yellow card of the game.

Costa Rica is playing tough and determined,” Wang Yang frowned as he watched the situation on the field. Although he didn’t understand soccer very well, he could see the fighting spirit, and it seemed like most Chinese players were not excited, and not running actively. He turned his head to look at Jessica, who had shouted a few cheers, and yelled to the field, “We should be tougher than them! Guys, show your spirit! RUN, RUN! RUN!”

But a sudden change occurred on the field at the 17th minute, after China cleared the ball out of the box, it fell to midfield. After a pass, Sun Jihai took the ball and broke through from the right, leaving a gaping hole in the opponent’s backline! The fans immediately started screaming excitedly, and at that moment, Costa Rica’s Mauricio Solis slid in with a fierce tackle on the left, sending Sun Jihai sprawling to the ground, and the referee immediately blew his whistle — another yellow card!

Oh, damn it!” Wang Yang held his head in his hands, cursing amid a chorus of boos, “Why not a red card? What a rubbish referee, red card!” Jessica also stood up, her face full of anger as she cursed, “Red card! This isn’t rugby!”

Sun Jihai, who was tackled, appeared to be in great pain and needed to be treated by the team doctor off the field, but as time reached the 25th minute, he couldn’t continue the match due to his injury. Coach Milu substituted him with Qu Bo. Wang Yang scratched his head in vexation, Sun Jihai was off just like that, and the media had all said he was an absolutely key player. Losing a major player from the start, and with the team’s morale not high, the match…

We’re going to win!” Jessica shouted with determination; Wang Yang smiled, nodding his head and casting aside those stray thoughts, he focused and cheered, “Go for it!”

The first half of the match soon ended with both sides tied at 0:0. The players from both teams returned to the locker rooms. Taking advantage of the halftime break, many of the fans laughed and chatted as they left their seats to go to the stadium’s restrooms or the food and beverage kiosks.

The spacious and clean men’s restroom was currently being used by several fans wearing Chinese jerseys and others with the Costa Rican flag painted on their faces, addressing their needs. As soon as Wang Yang entered, he immediately saw the numerous urinals lined up against the wall, each with a poster featuring a red cross symbol, and he couldn’t help but laugh as he made his way to one of the urinals.

Such restroom advertising isn’t popular in the market right now, but both he and the distribution department agreed on this emerging marketing approach. Everyone needs to use the restroom, and it’s a quiet and boring place with no distractions, where a person who is taking care of business will naturally notice the advertisement, especially when their attention is drifting, making them curious about any kind of advertisement.

Psychologists have also pointed out that when people are in a state of boredom, their minds are at their weakest and most susceptible to temptation. An ad in a restroom would leave a profound impression on them and be conducive to forming the final decision to purchase.

An even more important point is that this excellent advertising method is very cheap! So, at large events or exhibitions in North America and around the world, their restrooms and elevators were plastered with posters for “District 9.” The North American and international distribution departments were in constant contact, not wanting to miss out on any celebration. “District 9” could now be said to be ubiquitous. The official release posters for “District 9″ had also begun to be posted, with images of an alien spaceship hovering in the skies of Los Angeles freshly plastered in movie theaters worldwide.

First and foremost, this approach resulted in a continuous increase in promotional costs, with the total budget already reaching 50 million US dollars, and the number was still climbing.

For human use only!” Wang Yang personally experienced the advertising effect as he stood in front of the urinal and naturally focused on the red poster nearby, reading the information: a toll-free number, the official website, the MNU organization…

At that moment, a tall white man in his thirties with “I love Costa Rica” on his face came to the adjacent urinal. As he began to unzip his pants, he also noticed the poster on the wall and questioned, “What’s this? For human use only, aliens can’t watch the World Cup?” He glanced around, puzzled, and asked Wang Yang, “Do you know what this means? It’s so strange.”

I happen to know.” Wang Yang couldn’t help but laugh a few times. After finishing his business and flushing, amid the whooshing sound, he chuckled, “It’s an advertisement for an upcoming movie, ‘District 9-‘” The white man still looked confused and asked, “A movie poster? But there are no actors or directors listed?” He smiled, amused, and added, “District 9? What kind of movie is it?”

Wang Yang shrugged and replied, “Check out that D-9 website, and you’ll understand.” After saying that, he turned around to wash his hands at the sink, splashed some water on his face, and felt instantly refreshed. He looked back at the row of posters, then walked out of the restroom with a smile, heading back towards the stadium.

“??????????????” But as he was about to reach the stadium corridor, he was suddenly surrounded by a group of excited young girls, all dressed in casual clothing. It was unclear if they were spectators or staff.

Wang Yang couldn’t understand what they were jabbering about in Korean, but by their monolid appearance, it was clear they were of Korean descent. He spread his hands in confusion and said in English, “Sorry, I don’t understand what you’re saying?”

A short-haired girl of small stature looked at him excitedly, repeating, “Young? Young?” Wang Yang immediately understood that they were indeed film fans, much to his surprise. He hadn’t expected to be recognized in Korea. Nodding with a smile, he said, “Yes, Young, that’s me.”

“?????!!!” The girls suddenly cheered in excitement, babbling a long string of words. Wang Yang shook his head with a smile and said, “I really can’t understand.” He made a sign for an autograph and asked, “Want my signature?” The girls all nodded incessantly, and a tall-faced girl with a pink headband swallowed hard and said in English, “We, are, your, fans.” Another delicate girl shouted, “JUNO, JUNO!”

Thank you.” Wang Yang took out a pen prepared for the occasion of being recognized by Chinese fans. He quickly signed for them, then said, “I’m going back to watch the game, bye!” and hurried off toward the corridor. The Korean girls, holding their autographs, excitedly chattered amongst themselves.

Back in the stands, Wang Yang accepted a drink passed to him by Jessica and took a sip. Looking down at the green field below, he smiled at her and said, “Just now, I was recognized by some Korean fans on the way here, and I completed a few autographs. Sweetheart, my popularity might be higher than yours!” Jessica’s pretty face was filled with smiles as she said, “Wow, I’m so proud of you!”

The second half of the game was about to start, and the players of both teams slowly walked on the pitch; meanwhile, the broadcast camera swept over the fans in the stands, showing Chinese fans holding banners, waving the national flag, and female fans shaking tambourines… At that moment, the camera focused on the pair and lingered.

CCTV5, watched by over a hundred million viewers in China, featured commentator Han Qiaosheng saying, “The camera has found a very sweet brunette, with clear eyebrows and bright eyes, like a blooming beautiful flower. She must be a relative or girlfriend of one of the Costa Rican players.” On the television screen, the brunette with a ponytail smiled broadly when, suddenly, she leaned in to chat intimately with a black-haired man standing beside her.

Huh.” Han Qiaosheng was a bit surprised and said, “She’s chatting energetically with a handsome Chinese fan.” But before he could finish, he saw the black-haired man wrap his arm around her shoulder and say something with a laugh, making the woman’s smile even brighter. Han Qiaosheng didn’t know what to say next, but the camera still focused on them, so he added, “They might be local celebrities in Korea.”

Realizing he was getting it wrong, Huang Jianxiang, who was commentating alongside him, cleared his throat and corrected, “That man is Wang Yang, a Chinese-American film director; the brunette is his girlfriend.” Han Qiaosheng replied, “Oh, even an American director has come to watch the World Cup, showing that soccer indeed has a great allure.”

At the same time, on Guangdong Sports Channel, upon seeing the camera focus on the pair, guest commentator He Hui laughed and said, “Wang Yang! Hollywood’s miraculous director, Magic Yang, and his celebrity girlfriend Jessica Alba. We often see them at NBA games, not so much at soccer matches. The host Chen Weicong chuckled and asked guest Zeng Zhiwei with a smile, “Zhiwei, do you know him?”

I know him, but he doesn’t know me,” Zeng Zhiwei said with a raspy laugh, adding, “The other day he was in Hong Kong, and it drove the whole place crazy, though we didn’t meet.” He Hui joked, “Have you ever thought about asking him to take you to Hollywood to further your career?” Zeng Zhiwei laughed heartily and replied, “Sure, to star in a lead role and enjoy it, but that’s just a wishful thought.”

This Wang Yang is incredible!” Zeng Zhiwei exclaimed with admiration, laughing, “He makes hundreds of millions of US dollars for every movie and he’s only in his twenties, so astonishing! Now everyone in Hollywood wants to work with him; when will it ever be my turn?” He Hui laughed and said, “You stay in Hong Kong, Hong Kong needs you.”

Another host Luo Haiwen suddenly interjected, “Well, getting back to the game, the second half has started, and Yang Chen is on the ball making a breakthrough pass…”

On ESPN, commentator Zhan Jun said with a chuckle, “The camera has zoomed in on Young Master Yang watching from the sidelines…” On Korean SBS TV, Jiang Xinyou stated, “He is the well-known Hollywood director Wang Yang- On Japan’s NTV, Nonoyoshimura announced, “Wang Yang-san is the most successful Asian director in Hollywood…”