Chapter 59 Dinner Party

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio | Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

While Wang Yang and Jessica’s relationship was exposed and known all over the world, the sixth week of the showing and the third week of the wide release of “High School Musical” also came to an end. From May 28 to June 3, it earned a box office of 32.4162 million US dollars, continuing to rank second on the weekly chart. The total box office had reached 161.5 million US dollars, just breaking Wang Yang’s personal record for the highest box office for a single film in North America, which was previously “Paranormal Activity” at 160 million.

Naturally, taking the top spot on the weekly chart was “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace,” which continued its furious momentum, sweeping up 81.614 million US dollars that week, and the new release “Notting Hill” also performed well, earning 24.406 million and ranking third. Julia Roberts’s charm was unstoppable, and as her devoted fan, Zachary, invited Wang Yang repeatedly to watch it together.

Wang Yang found this very odd; why would two grown men go to the cinema to watch a romance like “Notting Hill” together? It wasn’t “Brokeback Mountain”! Upon inquiring, it turned out that Zachary hoped to go along with him, Jessica, and her good friend Eileen Iris. Zachary was actively pursuing Eileen, but she didn’t show much interest and merely saw him as a “good friend,” also refusing his movie invitation.

That was quite a plan! Wang Yang did not accept Zachary’s request, but he came up with an even craftier idea, suggesting that Jessica make plans to see the movie with Eileen and then cancel last minute, leaving Zachary to appear and take it from there.

Meanwhile, the original soundtrack of “High School Musical” continued to experience frenzied purchasing. Wang Yang and Jessica’s relationship did not affect the enthusiasm of most movie fans. Within one week of the soundtrack’s release, over 300,000 copies had been sold, and the number might have doubled if not for the shortage of supply. Even more astonishing was that in the latest week’s Billboard Top 100 singles chart, there were nine songs from the “High School Musical” soundtrack!

Nine songs entering the Top 100 simultaneously, with five even breaking into the Top 40, instantly set a Guinness World Record. This made many major record labels, like “Warner” and “Capitol,” start inquiring about Flame Film’s interest in overseas distribution collaborations, which was precisely what Flame Film had in mind.

This was different from overseas movie distribution. Flame Film had no experience or connections in the record industry, so in North America, they could work with a small company; overseas, it was best to let a major company take full control, though they would take a share of the profits, of course.

Regarding the latest achievements of “High School Musical,” many media outlets published comments again. The Chicago Sun-Times headline read, “Magical Yang X2!” The article stated, “In August 1998, the ‘Paranormal’ craze began; in May 1999, the ‘Musical’ craze began. The short interval between them is incredible! So, with the new century beginning in 2000, will we see the third work by this youngest director? A brand new piece, or ‘High School Musical 2’? Will we witness ‘Magical Yang X3’?”

The New York Times focused on the influence of “High School Musical,” saying, “This is a victory for the youth. Whether you like it or not, whether you think it’s youthful and sunny or childish and boring… either way, you have to admit, its influence is tremendous.”

How big was its influence? On a smaller scale, such as the high school used for filming in Salt Lake City, recently announced its rebranding to “East High School”; on a larger scale, teenagers across Europe are eagerly awaiting the July release. The movie hasn’t even premiered there yet, and it’s already sparked a musical craze.

As the creator of this craze, Wang Yang became the brightest supernova not only in Hollywood but in all of America. In business terms, his Flame Film company rose with him to stardom, going from a small, nearly bankrupt company to a premium company potentially earning as much as two hundred million dollars a year. And in the latest issue of Empire magazine’s survey “Who’s Your Favorite Male New Idol?” Wang Yang was at the forefront, his popularity even surpassing that of “High School Musical’s” male lead, Tom Willing.

Why was this? Empire magazine commented, “This situation is unique. Most directors are nearly 30 at the youngest, but Yang is only 19; he’s handsome, has a great figure, and a confident, mature air. More than that, he’s not just a director, but the creator of two commercial miracles, thus becoming the youngest billionaire. So, it’s no surprise he’s become an idol for the youth.” The editors at Empire had an unspoken thought – if that kid was white, he might very well get a good number of votes if he announced a presidential run.

As his fame grew, Wang Yang’s life underwent many changes, especially due to the paparazzi. Despite the public exposure of his relationship with Jessica, the paparazzi did not let up, and when Cole changed his car, he followed even more doggedly. Thus, the news of his move to a house near Jessica’s quickly spread; everyone also became aware of their daily routine of walking the dog together in the morning and evening.

However, after several days, the paparazzi only captured ordinary moments of the couple walking the dog, biking, strolling, and playing basketball in the community courts. These mundane life shots were enough for one newspaper appearance, so as time went by, the number of paparazzi slowly dwindled, and those who remained did not follow around the clock anymore, mostly just showing up occasionally to try their luck.

In addition to the paparazzi, another change was the increase in activities in Wang Yang’s life that he could attend, such as another party invitation he just received.

Looking at the unfamiliar phone number, Wang Yang answered with some confusion, “Hi, hello, who is this?”

“Hi, hello, is this Wang Yang? I’m Paris Hilton.” A female voice came through the phone, laughing as she said, “Jon Fertilemel gave me this number. Yang, I’ve seen ‘High School Musical’, and it’s really well done. I have some questions about movies I’d like to ask you, may I?”

Wang Yang “oh”-ed, wondering who Paris Hilton was? He felt somewhat annoyed inside, wondering how Jon could just give his number out to anyone!

At that moment, over the phone, Paris Hilton continued with a laugh, “In a few days I’m planning to come to Los Angeles for a really fun party at the Hilton Hotel, you know, that’s my territory, and no one interferes.” Wang Yang was starting to understand, the Hilton Hotel, Paris Hilton? She must be some kind of heiress. Paris then said, “Will you come?”

“A party?” Wang Yang curled his lip and rejected the offer without hesitation, “No, thanks, I won’t be attending.” Paris cheerfully invited, “Come on, you can bring your girlfriend with you!” Wang Yang was still straightforward in his refusal, “Really, no, we both don’t really like parties, have fun though.” It seemed Paris didn’t expect his rejection to be so unequivocal, and sounded slightly displeased as she asked, “Why? Don’t young people like parties?” Wang Yang smiled, a party with no supervision? He replied, “I think there are quite a few.”

“OK! Bye then!” Paris sounded quite annoyed, and with that, she hung up the phone.

Putting his phone down, Wang Yang shook his head with a smile, muttering, “Do young people have to enjoy parties?” He mimicked in a thick voice, “Oh yes, they do!” Shrugging, he returned to his normal voice, “Do they? Then I’m not Wang Yang, I’m ‘Wang Oh’, Old-wang.”

However, he wouldn’t reject all events; there were some he was quite happy to attend, like the charity dinner hosted by the Children’s Protection Fund where he had received an invitation and was planning to attend. Firstly, it was a good deed; and secondly, he could meet someone there, with the likes of Robert Zemeckis and Spielberg attending—his idols—naturally, he was eager for the opportunity to meet these long-admired directors.

Since the dinner allowed for a plus-one, Wang Yang naturally planned to go with Jessica. When Jessica heard the news, she frowned slightly, “Yang, I’ve never been to that kind of event before.” Wang Yang nodded, “I haven’t either. But there’s always a first time for everything, and I think we won’t be attending fewer of these events in the future.” He started to smile, “Like the Golden Globe, the Oscars…” Jessica smiled too, “Okay!” Wang Yang grinned, “We need to contact the makeup artist then.”

The charity dinner took place at a luxurious hotel in Beverly Hills. On the day of the dinner, both dressed neatly, they drove to the destination. Wang Yang in a black suit, and Jessica in a youthful and radiant evening gown, clutching a white handbag. They had both been meticulously groomed by a makeup artist to fit the dinner occasion; also, as there would inevitably be photographers, they needed to maintain their image.

Outside the bar, a long, red carpet lay at the entrance, with barriers set up on both sides, crowded with journalists from all over, their cameras aimed at the invited guests, constantly clicking the shutter, with blinding flashes lighting up everywhere.

“Hey, Yang, Jessica!” A Caucasian male journalist suddenly spotted Wang Yang and Jessica walking hand in hand and quickly stepped forward, his long lens snapping photos of them as he asked, “Yang, Jessica, how does it feel to be in love?” The other journalists also turned their attention to the couple.

Wang Yang and Jessica, hand in hand and with smiles on their faces, walked towards the hotel, nodding to the throng of media journalists.

The journalists though seemed not content with just taking pictures. They kept asking questions, “When did you two start dating? Can you share a bit of your story?1’As Wang Yang was about to say a few words, a blonde female reporter asked, “Yang, I heard you are quite fond of Natalie and even wrote her love letters, do you still have feelings for her now? And Jessica, do you mind?” Wang Yang’s brow twitched, and he then heard a black female reporter ask, “Everyone says you two will break up within a year, what do you think?” “That question is boring!” Wang Yang interrupted the reporter, “Our relationship is very strong.” He glanced at Jessica and she looked back at him, the two of them exchanging a smile. Since he had moved, they spent every day in happiness, and their romance had become more solid, the idea of splitting up within a year was ridiculous! Wang Yang continued, “Thanks for your concern, but it’s really not necessary, I won’t answer these kinds of questions anymore.” Seeing Wang Yang’s firm stance, the reporters turned to Jessica. With a serious expression, she said, “I don’t want to talk about personal matters. Being in love is a matter for two people, not for everyone to get involved with.”

“Come on, share a bit about your love?” The reporters were persistent, but the two didn’t wish to engage further and walked directly into the hotel. The journalists behind them continued asking various other questions, “Yang, do you have plans for your next movie?” “I heard Flame Films is preparing to shoot a sequel for High School Musical, will you be directing it again?” The hall where the dinner was being held was absolutely star-studded; the guests invited to this dinner were all well-known names in Hollywood’, famous producers, directors, actors, the men in suits and the women elegant and beautiful. The dinner hadn’t yet started, but everyone was already engaged in light-hearted conversations. Waiters moved through the crowd, and some invited journalists took pictures all around the hall.

The youngest in the room were Wang Yang and Jessica. They entered the hall, and though they themselves were celebrities, looking around at all the famous faces made them a bit nervous as they took in a deep breath to calm themselves. A waiter pushing a cart of drinks came by and asked with a smile, “Sir, madam, would you like some drinks?” Wang Yang and Jessica both smiled and shook their heads, “No, thank you.” They were underage for legal drinking, and if they were caught drinking by reporters, it would be another trouble. The waiter said “OK” and left.

“Hey!” Just then, a couple passing by them greeted with a smile, Wang Yang and Jessica politely responded, “Hi!” The charming couple smiled at them and then walked off to another place.

Once the couple walked away, Wang Yang turned his gaze back and suddenly looked at Jessica beside him and asked, “Was that Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston just now?” Jessica nodded and whispered, “I think so.” Wang Yang laughed and shrugged, “He looks as handsome in person as he does in the movies. Jessica, did you know, I’ve watched ‘Interview with the Vampire’ five times, it’s one of the few horror films I like.”

Jessica laughed, “I like Rachel, Rachel from ‘Friends’.” She looked at the distant Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, then glanced at Wang Yang and sweetly smiled, “They seem so happy, and we will be too.”

Wang Yang was momentarily stunned because he had read about a movie called ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ in his mind, and there was a follow-up report that said, in nicer terms, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie “sparked a romance,” but in plain words, “had an affair.” Anyway, Brad and Jennifer Aniston divorced, and then he got together with Angelina.

Looking at Jessica, who seemed a bit wistful, Wang Yang squeezed her hand and said with a smile, “We will be even happier.” Jessica gave him a sweet smile in return.

“Yang, are they smiling at me?” Jessica’s gaze shifted to a group of ladies, also dressed beautifully, who were laughing and chatting about some topics of their own, indeed glancing over in their direction from time to time. Wang Yang took a look and then nodded, “Yeah, maybe you should go over and say hi, make some new friends.” Jessica smiled at him, “OK, then I’ll go over.” After saying that, she took her purse and walked over.

After Jessica left, Wang Yang casually walked around the area. The attendees of the banquet were celebrities, lots of top movie stars and well-known directors. He suddenly spotted a familiar face ahead and got a bit nervous-it was Robert Zemeckis! The Best Director was wearing a blue-gray suit with black-framed glasses, holding a glass of red wine and wearing a kind smile on his face.

Oh my God! Wang Yang took a deep breath. Robert Zemeckis was one of his favorite directors. ‘The Emerald’ was the first movie that introduced him to the world of cinema, ‘Back to the Future’ taught him the meaning of science fiction, ‘Forrest Gump’ made him ponder deeply… it was no exaggeration to say that Robert Zemeckis was his guide. The main reason he chose to go to the University of Southern California was because Robert Zemeckis had graduated from there.

Wang Yang really wanted to go up and talk to him and was organizing his words in his mind. When he was at USC, just a few days before he got expelled, Robert Zemeckis came to give a lecture, and they did indeed talk briefly in private because Wang Yang rushed up to him after the lecture. At that time, he asked what seemed to be a silly question: “Mr. Zemeckis, what do you think makes a good director?” Robert Zemeckis didn’t even hesitate and replied with a smile, “A good director is one who manages to make the films they want to make.” “Hey, Man!” Suddenly, a voice rang out beside him, Wang Yang turned to see Will Smith in a black suit wearing his signature smile. He extended a hand and said with a laugh, “Pleased to meet you, Will Smith.” Wang Yang shook his hand and said with a big smile, “Wang Yang. Will, it’s great to meet you.” Will Smith chuckled, “Me too. Magic Yang, you seemed a bit nervous just now?” Wang Yang laughed and said, “I saw Mr. Robert Zemeckis, he’s my favorite director.” Will Smith patted his shoulder warmly, “I understand, it can be a bit overwhelming to meet someone you’ve looked up to for so long. But you just need to go up and say hello, everything will be OK.”

“Thanks, Will, I got it,” Wang Yang nodded. Will gave his shoulder another pat and said with a smile, “Hope we can work together someday.” After saying that, he walked away; as Wang Yang watched him go, he muttered softly, “Sure thing.”

Wang Yang glanced over to Robert Zemeckis again and saw he was still standing alone with his wine, so he walked over. Approaching the distinguished director, Wang Yang extended his hand, smiling, “Mr. Zemeckis, hello.” Robert Zemeckis saw him, laughed out loud, and shaking Wang Yang’s hand, he said, “Magic Yang, hello, your movies are great.”

“Thank you,” Wang Yang said with a smile, speaking sincerely, “Mr. Zemeckis, you might not know this, but the first movie I ever saw was your ‘The Emerald. ‘ You re like a mentor to me, so I’m very happy to meet you today.”

Robert Zemeckis laughed heartily, took a sip of his wine, and while looking at Wang Yang, he said, “You’re a good kid. If I had two movies with over 200 million at the box office by the age of 19,1 might have looked down on those old guys.” Wang Yang felt a little embarrassed and said, “Don’t say that, the box office is only…” Robert Zemeckis cut him off with a laugh, “Kid, I know what you’re trying to say, indeed the box office isn’t everything; but any movie with a high box office is a good movie. Both of your films are excellent, I’ve seen them.”

Wang Yang again said “Thank you,” and Robert Zemeckis suddenly laughed again, “But haven’t we already met? I remember your question, it was a good one.” Wang Yang replied with a bit of surprise, “You remember?” Zemeckis smiled and tapped his head, “Yang, let me tell you something else a good director needs, a good memory. You need to remember a lot of things.” “Yes, I totally agree,” Wang Yang couldn’t help but laugh. If a director doesn’t have a good memory, things can get chaotic on set because the entire crew operates according to the director’s command. He chuckled again and said, “I didn’t understand it before; after making a movie, now I do.”

Robert Zemeckis raised his glass to Wang Yang and took a sip, smiling, “Yang, I must say, well done!” He gave a thumbs up and continued, “You made us at University of Southern California ‘lose face’; but at the same time, you brought us honor.” What he referred to as losing face was naturally the significant error of Southern California in wronging a good man; gaining honor because, after all, Wang Yang was a director from the “USC faction.”

Wang Yang smiled, not knowing quite what to say. He had heard before that Robert Zemeckis liked to joke, and it proved true.

“Robert.” At this moment, Steven Spielberg, dressed in a black suit and wearing a black bow tie, came over. He greeted Robert Zemeckis first, who with a smile said, “Look who’s here!” Spielberg then turned to Wang Yang. Wang Yang extended his hand with a smile, “Mr. Spielberg, I’m Wang Yang, nice to meet you.” Spielberg smiled faintly, shook hands with him, and said, “Young man, I owe you an apology, for the USC incident, I’m sorry.”

He said this because he too was a graduate of USC and was one of the university’s board members.

“It’s nothing, Mr. Spielberg,” Wang Yang said with an unconcerned smile. Although Spielberg was a board member, he generally didn’t deal with the school’s affairs, and his expulsion had nothing to do with the famed director. His face bore a faint but sincere smile as he said, “That’s in the past, I don’t blame USC, it will always be my alma mater.”

Robert Zemeckis laughed heartily and said, “Let’s not talk about those things, let’s discuss something interesting.” He looked at Spielberg and laughed, “I ’ still remember last year, when ‘Saving Private Ryan’ was in its third week of showing, I looked at the weekly box office rankings and exclaimed, ‘What the heck is ‘Paranormal Activity’?” He let out a laugh and continued, “Then I thought, Steven’s in trouble this time, he lost to a horror film.”

The relationship between him and Spielberg couldn’t be any stronger. His first screenplay to make it to the screen, “1941,” was directed by Spielberg; and “Back to the Future” was one of their classic collaborations. The friendship between the two was extraordinary, so casual joking between them was no big deal.  5

Spielberg smiled gracefully and praised Wang Yang, ‘”Paranormal Activity’ is fantastic, the most terrifying horror film I’ve seen, and the techniques used were astonishing, especially the ending.” Wang Yang nodded with a smile and said, “Thankyou.”

“Oh, guys, I just realized something’s not good!” Robert Zemeckis tapped his forehead and grimaced, ‘”Paranormal Activity’ beat ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ Steven’s in trouble; ‘High School Musical’ beat ‘Star Wars Episode I,’ George is in trouble… next time it might be my turn, huh?” He looked at Wang Yang and jokingly said, “Kid, when is your next film coming out? My new movie is slated for release next year; seems I’ll have to avoid you.”

“I don’t know, Mr. Zemeckis, there aren’t any plans at the moment,” Wang Yang couldn’t help but laugh as well, jokingly adding, “I’ll let you know once it’s settled.” Robert Zemeckis burst into laughter, “Haha, great! Steven, are you going to avoid him too?” Spielberg smiled and shook his head, “I don’t have any movie plans next year.”

Jessica had been keeping an eye on Wang Yang and seeing him far away, engaging in lively conversation with the great directors, the comers of her mouth lifted happily, feeling both proud and sweet.

During the fundraiser at the banquet, Wang Yang was generous, pledging to donate 5 million US dollars to support the cause of child protection. His donation ranked near the top, far exceeding many A-list stars, causing some people to feel a bit grumpy in private. However, Wang Yang had no intention of showing off; it was for charity, without distinction of levels. With the proceeds from “High School Musical” arriving, he had no shortage of money to spend, but many underprivileged groups needed help, needed his hand to reach out. His generosity here would change the destiny of many children for the better in the future; wasn’t that a good thing?

After the banquet ended, Wang Yang and Jessica drove home. He was very happy tonight; he had done a good deed and met several of his favorite directors—a truly joyful experience!

As they were about to return to the neighborhood, a thought suddenly struck Wang Yang, and as he glanced at the charming Jessica beside him, he turned the steering wheel towards his place and grinned, “Jessie, how about you head home a bit later?” Jessica, understanding his implication, blushed slightly and laughingly whispered, “Why?”

Wang Yang gave a chuckle, looking at the road ahead while taking her hand and kissing it, saying, “The last time for us was a long while ago…” Jessica rotated her eyes, nodded her head with a shy smile, “Mhm, up to you…” (To be continued, if you want to know what happens next, please visit