Chapter 281: 281: You Really Know How to Play!

“Merry Christmas to everyone.”

In the bright, spacious study, a shimmering little Christmas tree stood in the corner. Wang Yang looked at the screen, tapping away at the keyboard, and quickly wrote a brief Christmas greeting, attaching a cute picture of Danny dressed in paparazzi Christmas gear; after uploading it, he fell into contemplation. This war of words was becoming more and more tedious, with some film critics stooping to pettiness, and he really didn’t want to bother with these things during the holidays, but he wasn’t about to “admit defeat.”

Perhaps one day, he would lose his courage, be bombarded by film critics, and end up utterly defeated, but not today.

“The Lord of the Rings 3, The Devil Wears Prada, box office is meaningless? Superficial, superficial…” After reading articles by Jeffrey Westhoff and others, and thinking for a while to organize his thoughts, Wang Yang’s fingers flew, typing out a retaliatory blog post: “I want to become a ‘profound & superficial’ filmmaker.”

“Jack and Rose are an ordinary couple (not that couple), Tom and Amy are also an ordinary couple. The weekend has arrived, and both couples are planning a date night with a movie + dinner; of course, whether there’s any overtime after we do not know, they arrive at the cinema, faced with the same wall of posters. Jack and Rose decide to watch a romance movie called ‘LOVE-IT,’ a film that’s profound, human, delicate, thoughtful, shocking, with a tragic ending… We usually call it an art-house film, an independent film. Jack and Rose cry watching it, they’re very satisfied, they leave the cinema feeling heavy-hearted but had a pleasant date.”

“Tom and Amy watched a romance movie named ‘OH, MY!’ which was light-hearted, entertaining, funny, warm, with a happy ending… We usually call it a commercial movie, a Hollywood film. Tom and Amy laughed watching it, they’re very satisfied, they leave the cinema in a happy mood and had a pleasant date.”

“A week later, the two couples come back to the cinema for a date, Jack and Rose watched ‘OH, MY!’ and left laughing, very satisfied; Tom and Amy watched ‘LOVE-IT’ and left with heavy hearts, also very satisfied. Is there a problem here?”

Line by line, text gradually appeared on the document on the computer screen. Wang Yang occasionally smiled because he had also clarified some of his attitudes that had always been there, about films and about his work philosophy.

Tap tap tap… Wang Yang continued writing: “There’s no problem, these two movies are not conflicting! But Jack and Rose need ‘LOVE-IT’ and ‘OH, MY!’ Tom and Amy need them too, one this week, the other the next. It’s easy to understand, do you wear the same clothes all the time? All the time? Are you sure? It seems we’ve figured out why ‘TDWP’ was so popular.”

“A cheerful weekend evening can be brought about by a good movie, which can either be an art film or a commercial film. I dislike those who look down on art-house, independent films, thinking they’re all valueless, meaningless affectation and moaning, not even worth watching several UN conference videos; I also despise those who look down on commercial films, considering them superficial, cliché, without value or meaning, even though they often laugh heartily while watching, very joyfully, then turn around and say ‘that’s mental junk,’ the director is trash, the actors are trash.”

“How utterly superficial! I have a question, what really is value?”

Just then, Danny, clad in a red Christmas outfit, came bounding in with a ball in his mouth, circling excitedly around the office desk. Wang Yang turned his head to look at him and asked with a smile, “Do you know?”

“‘OH, MY!’ brought joy, beauty, and satisfaction, isn’t that value? ‘LOVE-IT’ brought thought, shock, and satisfaction, isn’t that value? These dreams, woven by filmmakers, create an astonishing energy, changing the concepts of people worldwide. I don’t know much, but I do know they all have value, they all have the charm of cinema! If we really have to rank them, that’s what’s superficial! They all should be praised; they will also be remembered.”

“`

“Maybe someone will say, ‘Yes, but that’s the treatment only excellent works receive,'” they then say, ‘High box office doesn’t mean it’s excellent.’ OK, so what is the most representative then? I’m sure it’s not your mouths. Since Mr. Jeffrey Westhoff is so concerned about me, guys, I have to clarify my stance: Wang Yang, as a filmmaker, will not be singular in his pursuits, nor limited. I enjoy making art films, I like making commercial films, and I love doing both! Why does it have to be either A or B? But dude, my blood type is even AB.”

“My ambition is to become a filmmaker who is both ‘profound & superficial.’ I won’t say this should be the pursuit of everyone—girls, boys, all people—but it is mine.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Wang Yang smiled, feeling a surge of passion within, so let “Firefly” demonstrate his resolve! Taking a deep breath, he continued writing: “I won’t respond to this matter any further. Let’s end it here! As a film meant to bring joy, I really don’t know what else, besides box office, better proves the audience’s love for it, its success, and value… Maybe DVD sales! But there’s still more.”

“Hmm.” He suddenly stopped, pulled up the current global box office for “TDWP” and earnestly compared it with the 2006 version of “TDWP” in his mind, quietly calculating its box office potential. After a while, the conservative result he arrived at was: “TDWP” has a 90% chance of exceeding $530 million in global box office, and a 99% chance for $500 million, almost without any accidents, unless it suddenly becomes banned… He nodded: “OK!”

“LOL! Do you think ‘TDWP’ will exceed $500 million in global box office? I think it will.”

Soon, this new blog post got its first click, first reply, first repost, and online movie fans swarmed in—the counterstrike from Magical Yang had arrived!

“Haha!” Clair in front of the screen laughed as she read, entertained by his humorous and engaging language, feeling a thrill in striking back at the enemies. When it came to blogging, how could those film critics possibly be a match for the pioneering Magical Yang? She thought Wang Yang was being quite gentle. If he let loose like Juno, he would surely ridicule them into utter humiliation! As she was thinking, she suddenly inhaled sharply…

OH, MY! Evelyn, who had spent a pleasant Christmas Eve with her family, widened her eyes in shock as she browsed Wang Yang’s blog before going to bed… Had Magical Yang gone too far this time?

Meryl Streep, upon receiving a text from her agent, was stunned for a moment, one billion more! But the difficulty would skyrocket, she frowned slightly, feeling somewhat dragged down with him. Was Wang Yang truly that confident, or was he being a bit too arrogant? However, she also didn’t want to be ridiculed along with her fiancé. What she didn’t know was that Jessica, after hearing the news, was also surprised: “Yang, are you serious? Oh my God! Wow—!”

“Interesting, interesting.” Natalie, learning of this news through a text message on her phone, snorted with laughter: “I knew this guy was not one to stay quiet; he likes to stir and play with people’s emotions… Asshole.”

AB type, profound & superficial, Jeffrey Westhoff’s face was a storm of changing expressions as he watched his computer screen, breathing rapidly at times. What! $500 million?! Westhoff suddenly froze, then burst into excited laughter: “I was right! He has completely lost his mind, this arrogant, ignorant kid!” On the other side, the blogger and film critic Alan Dale, seeing the latest situation, also clenched his fist with joy: “YES! The idiot has cornered himself!” Many critics of Yang were also boiling with excitement…

$500 million?! How could he have said that? Drunk? Just back from a party, high on marijuana, or drugged out of his mind? What kind of fool is this!

According to industry analysis, “TDWP” had a very good chance of taking in $400 million at the box office. If achieved, this would already be a very dark horse, and considering the situation with “The Lord of the Rings 3,” it could be called a commercial miracle. And that bold statement would have been enough for Magical Yang to swagger. Now, adding another $100 million to reach $500 million? Who knows if it’s possible? Even professional analysts shook their heads silently.

“`

400 million became 500 million, and bold words turned into wild claims. As soon as the Praise Faction heard the news, they couldn’t help but laugh, believing that Wang Yang had truly gone mad; even those who supported Wang Yang couldn’t help but feel some doubts and anxiety. Sometimes, they simply couldn’t handle Wang Yang’s surprises, or perhaps, shocks.

After spending a joyous and warm Christmas Eve together, the 25th of December arrived as scheduled. As basketball fans living in Los Angeles, Wang Yang and Jessica had a fixed Christmas Day tradition: they would go to the Staples Center to watch the NBA Christmas Day game, especially since this year’s matchup was Rockets VS Lakers.

“Shaquille O’Neal powers through Yao Ming, heading straight for the basket. Yao can’t stop him! O’Neal goes up for the layup, oh—Yao Ming! He blocks the ball from behind! What a beautiful block!” “Jim Jackson shoots, it’s no good… but there’s Yao! He grabs the offensive rebound, whoa! A dunk, he’s on fire today!” “O’Neal responds with a dunk of his own, Yao can’t hold him back!” “Block! O’Neal blocks Yao’s jump shot, did you see that? He looks fierce! Yao’s in trouble!” “Kobe Bryant, jump shot, he scores!” “Francis breaks through! He finds a path!”…

Having gone through the ups and downs of his rookie season, Yao Ming had gradually grown into a first-rate center, averaging 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. Add to that the formidable Steve Francis, and the Rockets’ strength was not to be underestimated; on the other hand, the traditional powerhouse Lakers boasted the “Four Kings”, with Shaquille O’Neal being the current No. 1 center in active play, and the NBA had arranged this center matchup for several Christmas Day games.

With Karl Malone sitting out today, the first half was a back-and-forth affair, ending 57:44 with the Rockets leading by 13 points. Both Yao Ming and Shaquille O’Neal had scored 16 points and blocked each other once, making their head-to-head battle extremely captivating.

The Staples Center, which could accommodate 18,997 spectators, was packed to capacity, dimmed in light with all the focus on the court. Above in the big screen were scenes of Mariah Carey passionately singing on stage, her enchanting voice echoing in the ears. As her song ended, the surrounding stands immediately erupted with thunderous applause and joyful cheers and whistles, the celebrities and stars seated courtside also stood to applaud.

Wang Yang wasn’t wearing any team’s jersey or cap, just a shirt, jacket, and casual trousers. He was essentially rooting for the Rockets to win because of Yao Ming and the Rockets’ back-end season ranking, but there was no need to be ostentatious about it, especially since he was living in this city for the time being. Jessica, as usual, sat beside him with her brown hair cascading over her shoulders, dressed fashionably and looking stunningly sweet and sexy, but compared to last year, there was now a ring on her left ring finger.

After the singing performance ended, there was still quite some time left during the half-time break. Many spectators stood up to visit the restroom or buy refreshments. Meanwhile, the court staff brought in trampolines and mats, and the trampoline dunking team performed a series of high-difficulty fancy dunks for the viewers’ delight. Joining them was the Rockets’ mascot dressed in Christmas attire, walking around and keeping the atmosphere buzzing.

“Jessica, want to see me dunk?” While looking at the performance team near the basket, Wang Yang suddenly became excited, stretching his arms and chest. Jessica asked in doubt, “How?” She glanced at the cheerleaders bouncing higher than the basket and laughed in surprise, “You mean? Ha ha!” Just when she thought it was a joke, Wang Yang took off his black jacket, handed it to her, and got up with a smile, “Watch closely.” Jessica couldn’t help but shout, “HEY…”

He walked over and talked to the performance team staff for a few words, then faced this direction with a wide smile and gave a thumbs-up before casually stepping into the center of the court. Jessica found it both amusing and funny but also couldn’t help feeling nervous. What if it failed? Please, don’t get hurt!

Like many who were paying attention to the situation on the court, neighboring celebrities like Jack Nicholson, Nicole Kidman, Nicolas Cage… and many others were puzzled by what Wang Yang was doing on the court. Right next to them was the entire Smith family, with Terry Smith curiously asking, “Jessica, what’s Yang going to do?” Clutching the black jacket, Jessica explained with a laugh, “Oh, yes, he’s going to…”

“Next up in the dunk performance is YOUNG-WANG!!” The arena’s DJ suddenly roared, and everyone’s gaze instantly focused on the center of the court and the large screen above, where Wang Yang was lightly bouncing on the trampoline in front of the basket, seemingly testing his power. Yang to dunk!?

“That’s what I was saying.” Jessica made a playful “it’s out of my hands” gesture, then immediately began clapping and smiling, looking over at Wang Yang and silently cheering, “Come on! I believe you can do it!”

The surrounding crowd was utterly astonished. Was he voluntarily setting himself up for embarrassment? Even the NBA All-Star game’s 3v3 event, featuring current players, legends, and celebrity stars, wouldn’t have high-profile stars participating, let alone… trampoline dunks? He is not Yao Ming! Of course, Yao Ming wouldn’t dare either. If he were to fall embarrassingly, just look at the flashes going off all around—their image would be completely ruined! A fail would turn into a laughing stock; only success would bring cheers! But the performance team is professionally trained, so why bother?

“Yang really is…” Will Smith exclaimed in surprise, “Crazy!” Jaden Smith, excited, tugged at him, shouting, “Dad, dad! You go dunk too!” Jack Nicholson, wearing sunglasses, couldn’t stop laughing, apparently already envisioning Wang Yang sprawled on the mat; Nicolas Cage and others also wore varying smirks on their faces—they wouldn’t dare!

“Magic Yang is attempting a trampoline dunk!” On the national live broadcast by the TNT channel, the camera focused on Wang Yang, who had retreated to mid-court, bouncing a basketball. Host Kenny Smith gasped, “He’s warming up! The cheerleaders have stepped back, and the Oscar Best Director, Wang Yang, is going for a dunk!” Barkley let out a loud “woo woo woo” laugh, his tone mocking, “What kind of fancy stuff is he going to try?”

Kenny Smith smiled and said, “This really is an unprecedented crazy feat! Last Christmas showdown, he did knock Shaquille O’Neal down, he has incredible strength.” Barkley continued to laugh heartily, quite skeptical, “Trampoline dunking isn’t all about strength, basketball isn’t making movies! I hope he just does a regular dunk and doesn’t end up dunking himself into the basket!” Kenny Smith added with a lift, “Yang’s physique is quite standard… Oh, it’s starting!”

On the other side of the ocean, CCTV-5, broadcasting the game, also switched to the scene, showing a close-up of Wang Yang’s focused face. Zhang Weiping, who was already familiar with who Wang Yang was, chuckled, “Wang Yang, ah…” Sun Zhengping was puzzled, “Wang Yang stands on the court, bouncing the ball… oh, he’s going to perform!”

Lets-GO! Looking at the high basket and the audience in the stands at the back, all within sight, Wang Yang slowly exhaled. Luckily, it was customary to wear sneakers to watch the games. He slapped the basketball a few times and then, with both hands, started running, catching glimpses of the people around him in the corner of his eye.

When he had suggested going on the court to dunk, he hadn’t faced any objections, because there was a large purple mat below the hoop. Everyone knew he practiced Kung Fu and wasn’t afraid of getting hurt; as for whether he would make a fool of himself, that was his business. Wang Yang didn’t believe he would fail at dunking. In fact, he didn’t need a trampoline—just a run-up and an explosive jump would do, albeit without the fancy moves. As for trampoline dunks, he often played with them in high school and usually played basketball—otherwise, he wouldn’t have rashly run onto the court.

So what if he fails? He had never thought about being a star; it was just a game.

But this feeling of dribbling on the NBA court floor, with the full attention of the crowd, was incredibly interesting!

“Woah—!” The entire Staples Center audience watched Wang Yang, who had started running with the ball. Jessica, with her hands tightly clasped, watched without blinking, so nervous her heart almost stopped. Wang Yang ran up to the front of the free throw line, swiftly jumped onto the trampoline, and suddenly soared towards the hoop! For a moment, the flashes throughout the arena went off, as if it was the All-Star Dunk Contest finals!

Wang Yang didn’t exert too much force in his jump, tracing a smooth and elegant upward flight arc in mid-air; his right hand, holding the ball, swung around in a circle, ruthlessly slamming it into the near hoop! Boom! A resounding impact!

“Whoa! Magic Yang! He pulled off a big windmill dunk!” On the TNT channel, Kenny Smith shouted excitedly, “Such a graceful pose! The windmill dunk—oh my, Magic Yang!” Accompanied by Wang Yang’s steady landing, the venue suddenly erupted with a thunderous wave of applause and cheers. Barkley laughed, saying, “He did it… It looks pretty good, he must have practiced, huh?”

“Ho!” On the CCTV-5 channel, upon witnessing this scene, Zhang Weiping joyfully said, “He’s really up for the play!” (