Chapter 1295: The big wedding (Beginning)
Translator: Legge Editor: Legge
On the day of the wedding.
In the morning, in the Beijing suburbs.
At the hot spring resort.
Today was Zhang Ye's wedding day, and all the big local media outlets had sent their representatives here. It still wasn't time to enter yet, as over 100 reporters stood in a long snaking line outside the resort. They were all waiting to be admitted so that they could get a good spot the moment they got in. The reporters' vehicles were parked together, and there were sightings of the media everywhere. Several television stations were even doing a live coverage of the event from outside the resort.
Before long, it was almost time.
The reporters were going to get admitted into the venue with the invitations in their hands.
"Hey, don't squeeze!"
"Aiyo, slow down a little!"
"Who stepped on me?"
"Motherfucker, are you rushing to reincarnate?!"
"Aren't you rushing as well!"
"It's my business that I'm rushing, what does it have anything to do with you!"
When the doors were opened, a large number of reporters flocked into the venue. None of them were walking, as everyone ran straight for the open-air garden of the hot spring resort where the reception area was situated! The invitation that Zhang Ye's Studio had sent out to the media was different from other guests'. It included some details like requests for the media outlets' representatives to arrive before a certain time, the location of their activity area, and a list of barred items. It was written very clearly on the invitation that the reporters could freely take photographs from their activity area during the reception. But for the official Chinese-style wedding ceremony that would be taking place afterwards, none of the reporters would be allowed in the venue. This meant that the reception during the first part of the wedding was just for show to let the public know about it and to account to the media. The actual wedding ceremony would not be witnessed by any media and only the bride and groom's close friends and relatives would be allowed to attend.
In the open-air garden.
Many of the reporters were dumbfounded by what they saw the moment they arrived!
"Ah?"
"What the heck!"
"W-Why are there so many advertisements out here?"
"Is this a trade fair!"
"How are we supposed to avoid framing all of that in our pictures!"
"Pfft!"
"Zhang Ye, that joker!"
"Only he can come up with so many surprises!"
"That's right! That fellow is always able to come up with things that nobody expects!"
"How maddening! Isn't this as good as telling us that if we want to get firsthand news of his wedding to report about, we have to advertise the brands that he is endorsing as well? There are so many advertisements around that we won't be able to avoid capturing them when we take photos or videos of the wedding, yet he is not allowing us to join in for the actual ceremony. He just wants to make us do all the hard work and not be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor? Your sister! This is the first time I've seen such an immoral celebrity! He's really making full use of the media this way! Zhang Ye hardly ever gave interviews in the past, so I was wondering why he was so generous this time!"
"Did you think that this fellow's behavior was only like this recently?"
"You're still inexperienced and don't yet understand Zhang Ye well enough, hur hur. When you get to know him better, you'll learn that there are only things that you wouldn't expect, and nothing that he wouldn't be capable of doing. This fellow is the most unique oddity of the entertainment circle. Everything that he does will surely be different from others' actions. If you even start to measure him with common sense, you'll have already lost the game!"
"Enough talking, let's hurry and get a good spot. Even if his intentions are to plaster all our photos and videos with those advertisements, we still have to do our job. If we don't, how will we answer to our bosses when we get back?"
"That's right, the guests should be arriving soon!"
From this moment on, the wedding officially began.
The reporters on the inside were guided by staffers from Zhang Ye's Studio, while Wu Zeqing's secretary, Bai Li, was in charge of overseeing the outside entrance where the guests were welcomed. The entrance was very important, and a lot of candidates had been considered to take charge of it. In the end, none of them got chosen. No matter how they considered it, Secretary Bai was still the most suitable candidate of all. She was familiar with those from the entertainment industry since she had dealt with them before, while she also knew those from the SARFT. As such, whether it was Zhang Ye or Wu Zeqing's friends and relatives, she basically knew them all.
Outside.
At the entrance.
Secretary Bai was holding the fort.
Chen Guang arrived together with his wife, Fan Wenli.
Fan Wenli smiled and said, "Secretary Bai?"
They had heard of Secretary Bai's name long before today. It was not only because she was Wu Zeqing's secretary at the SARFT, but also because she came from a rather important background. Her father was the head of one of the provincial television stations.
Secretary Bai smiled and welcomed them. "Teacher Chen, Teacher Fan, you've arrived? Please head inside. There will be someone to receive you in there."
After passing her, Chen Guang whispered, "We'd better not try anything funny today."
Fan Wenli laughed and said, "I know."
Chen Guang said in regret, "Back then, I thought that we would be able to enjoy ourselves and have a lot of fun when Zhang Ye got married. But now that it turns out that he's marrying Chief Wu, there's no chance of that anymore!"
Fan Wenli giggled, "Pfft."
A large group made up of over a dozen people arrived and walked over.
Peking University's Dean Pan Yang of the School of Mathematical Sciences was leading the way.
Peking University's Dean Chang Kaige of the Chinese Department was beside him, along with Su Na and the rest of the Chinese Department following them.
Secretary Bai smiled and went up to them in greeting. "You all must be friends from Peking University, right? Welcome, welcome. Quick, please go inside."
Pan Yang said in surprise, "Oh, Secretary Bai knows us?"
Secretary Bai gave a congenial smile and said, "Of course. You're all Teacher Zhang's colleagues and friends, as well as Chief Wu's family."
This was rather true. Wu Zeqing used to be a vice president at Peking University, so to claim that they were her family was not wrong at all.
The group of them entered the building.
Pan Yang smiled and said, "This is quite a spectacle."
Chang Kaige said happily, "But of course! The bride has a rather special status after all."
Su Na marveled, "Professor Zhang has really done it this time!"
Professor Zeng said, "More than that! He's gone to Heaven this time!"
Out of nowhere, two people arrived at the entrance.
Secretary Bai's eyes narrowed as she put out her hand to stop them. "Please produce your invitations."
Those two people had wanted to sneak their way in but ended up utterly embarrassed.
The man gave a sheepish smile as he said, "Secretary Bai, I'm Old Sun."
Secretary Bai looked at him. "Oh, it's President Sun."
The two were from one of the companies that had called for the industry-wide boycott, Xiangtian Records, and were the vice president and his wife. They even brought along a gift, though no one knew what it contained.
President Sun hurriedly said, "We came specially to offer our congratulations to Chief Wu and Teacher Zhang on their wedding. This is a gift that we prepared; it's just something small to show our sincerity. We—"
"Please take it back," interrupted Secretary Bai. "We are not accepting any gifts."
President Sun's outreached hand froze in midair. "Alright, we'll take back the gift. So can we…"
They were just about to shamelessly make their way in when Secretary Bai blocked them off with her arm. "You can go back as well."
The two of them could do nothing and had to leave dejectedly.
Then another entertainment company's representative arrived.
"Secretary Bai."
"Please leave."
"About Chief Wu…"
"Please leave."
Secretary Bai stopped another person from entering. She did not allow anyone who had no invitation to take a step in.
They all knew Secretary Bai and the background that she came from, so no one dared to flip out against her and could only walk away with a wry smile. They had wanted to use the wedding day to ease the relationship tension and express their companies' attitudes, but they never expected they would meet with such a setback even before they could get in. However, they were not frustrated by this nor the least bit angry. There was no choice, after all, since they were the ones who came out calling for Zhang Ye's head just two days ago with that industry-wide boycott order of theirs. The main issue was that they were being totally unreasonable about that matter in the first place. They had been having things their way for too long and were too arrogant, so when they learned that an artist actually dared to be defiant against they funders, they immediately responded to Zhao Chipeng's call for an industry-wide boycott of Zhang Ye. But to their complete surprise, they met with someone who was even more powerful than them and tripped all over themselves!
Therefore, how could they dare to still be angry?
It was already a very nice gesture that they didn't get kicked out by the bride's people!
Around them, quite a few reporters and people in show business spotted this. Every one of them could only give each other a look and then pretend they didn't notice it. But in their hearts, they were already drawing in a cold breath.
President Sun?
Boss Qi?
President Chi?
President Jia?
Which of them were not big shots of the entertainment industry?
Which of them could not summon the wind and the rain in the entertainment industry?
But as it stood? These people couldn't even get past the door?
If something like this had happened at any other celebrity's wedding, it would simply be unimaginable. By coming to attend your wedding, it meant that they were giving you face. Even if they didn't have a wedding invitation, they wouldn't have been chased away like this. However, anyone could understand that Zhang Ye's wedding was different, because this wasn't any ordinary celebrity wedding!
It wasn't the groom that was extraordinary!
But that the bride was someone too important!
If a person were observant, they would notice that the entrance was starting to fill up with an increasing number of flower baskets. For some of the guests who just arrived, they would be stunned by the sight of these flower baskets. This was because the two rows of flower baskets stretched for more than 300 meters. Later on, they even ran out of space and could only stack them up behind the entrance. This was as good as a sea of flowers, and anyone who saw it would surely jump back in fright!
There were more than 3,000 flower baskets!
Who had ever seen something like that before?
No one would have ever fucking seen something like that!
And if you were to check the names of those who sent them, they would all be quite recognizable!
Tang Dazhang!
Li Yu!
Jiang Hanwei!
Zhang Yuanqi!
Dong Shanshan!
Zhang Xia!
Tianfang Entertainment!
Purple Light Entertainment!
XX Entertainment!
XX Media!
XX Records!
Honestly, the guests who were invited to Zhang Ye's wedding did not number that many. Any B- or C-list celebrity's wedding could easily have guests that outnumbered those who were here today. This was because at the level of a B-list celebrity, one's social network would already be very broad. Celebrity friends they were familiar with or had worked with before would number at least fifty, if not a hundred. But it was slightly different for Zhang Ye and Wu Zeqing. Due to Old Wu's status, she did not have that many friends or colleagues. Meanwhile, Zhang Ye's temper had led him to offend many, many people. As such, he had even fewer friends than Wu Zeqing. So the number of guests invited to their wedding was not that many either.
And yet, the flower baskets that had been sent over numbered so many more than any celebrity wedding had received!
About eight or nine years ago, an A-list celebrity invited over a quarter of the entertainment circle's people to their wedding, and that was a spectacular sight to see. At that time, it had shocked the media and citizens!
But today!
For Zhang Ye's big wedding!
They received flower baskets from almost the entire entertainment industry!
This spectacle was never before seen, nor would it be seen again in the future!