Chapter 34: Returning Home

The third distribution company was Columbia Pictures, a major player in the American film market with abundant film resources and an extensive distribution network.

They sell, distribute, and promote film products in the United States and 67 other countries and regions globally.

The company has produced and distributed classics such as *It Happened One Night*, *The Bridge on the River Kwai*, *Lawrence of Arabia*, the *Spider-Man* series, and *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon*.

Cheng Sheng sold the rights for $10 million.

Originally, Columbia had offered $6 million, which was lower than the bids from other companies.

However, Cheng Sheng produced a cassette tape and let the Columbia distributor listen to a piece of music. The distributor immediately made the decision on the spot, purchasing the American distribution rights for $10 million.

As for what piece it was.

It was, of course, "The Music of Qin Wang Breaking the Array."

Cheng Sheng hadn't had time to include this piece in the film, nor had it been played in Venice.

It wasn't that he didn't want to, but the piece was finished too late; it was still in production when he attended the Venice Film Festival.

By the time it was completed, the festival awards ceremony had just begun.

Fortunately, there was no award for Best Original Score, otherwise Cheng Sheng would have suffered a great loss.

He brought out the music this time specifically to increase the price of the overseas distribution rights.

The "killing power" of "The Music of Qin Wang Breaking the Array" was truly immense.

Cheng Sheng still remembered how the Columbia distributor, after listening to it, grabbed his arm in excitement, looking as if he wanted to snatch the cassette tape away.

Left with no choice, Cheng Sheng had to have another copy recorded and handed it over to the Columbia distributor.

As for the remaining rights, aside from Japan and China, Cheng Sheng handed the Southeast Asian distribution rights to Media Asia.

Founded in 1994 by seven Hong Kong film industry professionals, Media Asia is known for producing high-quality films. The company has not only achieved excellent box office results but has also won numerous awards at international film festivals.

In Southeast Asia, Media Asia holds a massive distribution advantage, and many Hong Kong films are distributed through them.

Thus, Cheng Sheng decided to set a final price of $3 million to hand the Southeast Asian distribution rights (excluding China and Japan) to Media Asia.

In total, Cheng Sheng sold his foreign copyrights for $26.5 million.

At the time, the exchange rate against the US dollar was around 8.2, which meant he had sold them for over 217 million yuan.

And that wasn't even counting the domestic box office!

This was cold, hard cash in hand, instantly recouping his entire investment and yielding a profit exceeding a "small goal" (100 million).

He had made a killing.

No wonder so many people in China wanted to participate in the "Big Three" European film festivals.

According to Cheng Sheng's understanding, the overseas distribution rights for the movie *Hero* had only sold for $21 million.

Cheng Sheng had surpassed that easily, selling for an additional $5 million.

If news of this reached China, it would undoubtedly cause a shockwave in the entertainment industry.

Cheng Sheng could be said to have achieved a total victory in Venice.

A Golden Lion, two Best Actor awards, one Best Newcomer, and a very satisfying price for overseas copyrights—Cheng Sheng felt that his first shot in the entertainment industry was a massive success.

Now, he only had to wait to return home to arrange the domestic premiere. There was no rush, as he had already reached an agreement with Third Master Han: the domestic distribution would be handled by China Film Group.

The trip to Venice had concluded successfully, and it was time for Cheng Sheng to return home.

Before leaving, Cheng Sheng invited Scarlett to dinner to thank her for her help.

After dinner, Cheng Sheng gave Scarlett a gift.

"Cheng, you're too kind."

As Scarlett accepted the gift, her hand instinctively brushed the packaging, and her face lit up with excitement.

The gift wasn't extremely expensive, but it was something Scarlett loved most.

A book on *Tang Dynasty History* and a cassette tape of "The Music of Qin Wang Breaking the Array."

It wasn't easy to find Chinese history books in Venice; Cheng Sheng had specifically asked someone from China to bring them to him.

Scarlett gave Cheng Sheng a hug before letting go.

It was merely a polite, ceremonial hug without any romantic undertones, and Cheng Sheng understood this perfectly.

Although he had been with Scarlett for several days, they were strictly friends.

"I'm glad you like it. I'm flying home tomorrow. What about you?" Cheng Sheng asked.

"I have two more hours. Cheng, you must remember what you promised me," Scarlett said with a smile.

"No problem. Working with you is something I look forward to as well," Cheng Sheng replied with a generous smile.

"Then I'll be going. I'll wait for your good news," Scarlett said, waving goodbye.

"OK."

Scarlett returned to her country.

The next day, Cheng Sheng also boarded his flight home.

Before coming to Venice, Cheng Sheng had some fame in China, but it wasn't a good kind; most people were critical of him, believing his films were unreliable.

But things were different now. He was now a Golden Lion-winning director, and the media had been eager to interview him for a long time.

It was just a pity he had stayed in Venice instead of returning sooner.

This time, Cheng Sheng did not hide his itinerary.

The domestic media would certainly have found out.

Upon landing, he would undoubtedly be surrounded by the press.

Although Cheng Sheng had anticipated this, he was still momentarily stunned when he stepped off the plane and saw circles of reporters closing in on him.

Was there too many people?

Then he realized.

Although the internet was rising, most media was still print-based. These were professional journalists, many of whom were officially employed by state institutions!

They weren't like the unscrupulous paparazzi from his other memories; these people were more restrained.

Furthermore, Cheng Sheng even saw reporters from CCTV.

Was this the prestige of the Golden Lion?

The last person in the entertainment industry to receive such a reception seemed to be Director Zhang.

Cheng Sheng hadn't expected to receive the same treatment as Director Zhang.

"Hello, Director Cheng. I am Li Hong, a reporter from CCTV. Congratulations on winning the Lion in Venice. Could you share your current feelings with the national audience?"

Cheng Sheng's expression faltered slightly. Having absorbed the memories of another person, his perspective had broadened, and he found this beautiful reporter Li Hong's interview prompt a bit awkward!

It was too formal; he wasn't a high-ranking official, so what "feelings" was he supposed to share?

However, one had to show respect to a CCTV reporter. Facing the microphone, Cheng Sheng said, "As a young person, I lack the composure of the older generation. As for my feelings, I am certainly very excited. From the moment filming began, I have been very anxious, wondering if the audience would like this type of film..."

"To many people, history is something very heavy and incredibly dry. Few directors venture into this genre, but I have loved history since I was a child..."

"Based on my personal interests, I should have chosen a major related to archaeology or history. But I ultimately chose the profession of directing because I wanted to film my views on history and let everyone understand and love Chinese history."