As if he had heard everyone's cheers, Xiao Yunhai's gaze became as sharp as a sword. His aura surged as he said, "Since I'm the one who proposed the twenty billion bet, I won't go back on my word. I'll take the bet. "
"Okay."
Overwhelming applause and cheers filled the entire theater. The atmosphere was much more enthusiastic than when a Best Actor or Actress won an award.
The 20 billion USD bet was simply too exciting. Everyone's face was filled with indescribable excitement.
Hanks revealed a victorious smile and gestured for the audience to stop. It was as if his hands had magical powers. The theater miraculously quieted down.
Hanks said, "Mr. Xiao, since you've agreed to the bet, we'll have to set the rules in front of everyone so that the loser won't go back on his word."
Xiao Yunhai sneered, "It's only twenty billion USD. Mr. Hanks, do you have to be so careful?"
Hanks said, "I've always been careful when doing business. You said that your movie will be released in the second half of the year. Can you give me a specific time? "
Xiao Yunhai asked, "When do you think is a good time?"
Hanks glanced at Weaver. Weaver said, "With the current progress, my Resident Evil will be completed by the end of August."
Hanks said, "Then let's release it globally on October 10th. Does Mr. Xiao agree?"
Xiao Yunhai frowned and said, "I'm a little tight on time. Let's set it on November 1st."
Hanks heard Xiao Yunhai's recording and knew his difficulties. Not only was he not surprised that Xiao Yunhai pushed back the time, he was even more relieved.
"Okay. We'll decide the winner based on the box office for the entire month of November. If 2012 wins, twenty billion USD will be yours. If Resident Evil wins, twenty billion USD will be mine. "
Xiao Yunhai nodded and said, "Okay. Tomorrow, I'll go to the Swiss bank to borrow twenty billion USD. I'll ask them to be the middleman and seal the two checks. Whoever wins will have to transfer forty billion USD to the winner. "
Hanks said, "Very good. There are also some clauses that I will read out for everyone. If you have any objections, you can raise them. "
Next, Hanks read out more than 20 restrictions. Each of them was set up to deal with the problems that Xiao Yunhai had mentioned in the recording. They were very detailed, and there were no loopholes in them.
In order to win Xiao Yunhai's 20 billion USD, Hanks had put in a lot of effort.
Xiao Yunhai was secretly delighted, but his expression was very solemn.
After the other party finished reading, Xiao Yunhai did not find any gaps, so he nodded and said, "Okay."
Hanks took out two agreements that he had prepared beforehand. Just as he was about to sign, Xiao Yunhai hurriedly stopped him and said, "Mister Hanks, I'm very sorry. If you want to sign an agreement, it should be signed by Steer's side, not you."
This was definitely not something that could be randomly signed. Otherwise, when Parramon lost the bet, Steer wouldn't admit it and push Hanks out to settle the matter.
Steer's finance minister, James, walked forward and took out a seal. He smiled and said, "Mr. Xiao is really careful. This is Steyr Networks' special seal. There shouldn't be any problems, right? "
Xiao Yunhai nodded and said, "Of course."
Both parties signed their names and stamped their seals. The 20 billion USD bet was officially effective.
There was a warm applause from the audience. Everyone was extremely excited.
"That's great. The battle of the worlds has finally begun. "
"The battle between the number one and number two in the box office rankings. 20 billion USD bet. Just listening to it makes my blood boil."
Ivan let out a long breath and said, "Bikven, you should be very familiar with Mr. Xiao. Who do you think will win? "
Bikven frowned and said, "It's hard to say. The key is how good Xiao's 3D effects are. If the technology is not mature and can't make us feel immersive, or if it's far from our expectations, then the whole movie will probably be finished. On the other hand, if the effects of '2012' can be perfect, then no matter how good 'Resident Evil' is, it won't be able to win. "
Ivan smiled and said, "I forgot that you're a technology addict. However, I completely agree with you. "
With the contract in hand, Xiao Yunhai's face was gloomy. He did not even attend the banquet and left the Dupont Theater with the crew.
Looking at his back, Hanks, who was being interviewed, showed a victorious smile.
As soon as they walked out of the theater, Xiao Yunhai and the others were surrounded by countless reporters who had been waiting outside. At the same time, quite a number of reporters rushed out from behind and surrounded them.
"Mr. Xiao, do you think you can win the 20 billion USD bet?"
Xiao Yunhai said, "If I didn't have confidence, why would I agree to bet with them?"
"But to us, it seems like you reluctantly agreed to it for the sake of your reputation. Isn't that so? "
Xiao Yunhai shook his head and said, "Definitely not. I have 100% confidence in '2012'. Its degree of brilliance combined with the 3D technology will far exceed your imagination. Forget about 'Resident Evil', even if there were ten or twenty of them, I wouldn't care about them. "
"Mr. Xiao, you don't seem to have won any awards tonight. How do you feel about this? "
Xiao Yunhai's face darkened and said coldly, "Other than disappointment, what else should I feel? My 'Infernal Affairs' sold billions of USD during the economic crisis, and 'Inception' was ranked second in the global box office rankings. Two movies that were recognized by fans all over the world didn't win a single award. Dear reporters, do you think this is fair? "
"Mr. Xiao, are you questioning the fairness of the Oscar committee?"
Xiao Yunhai said, "That's right. On the way here, I heard a lot of rumors that some companies were contacting the Oscar committee. At first, I didn't think much of it. I thought that such a big movie festival wouldn't have any problems that shouldn't have happened. But now, it seems that my thinking was too naive. "
Xiao Yunhai's words were actually a challenge to the Oscar committee. He was criticizing them for manipulating things behind the scenes.
This kind of news was simply too valuable for the reporters.
Ye Yongren, who was next to him, gently tugged at Xiao Yunhai's clothes and said softly, "Yunhai, you have to know your limits when you speak. If you offend the Oscar committee, it won't be good for your future. "
Xiao Yunhai said, "I don't care. I was almost suffocated to death tonight. If I don't vent, I'll feel terrible. At most, I won't participate in the Oscars in the future. Is that okay? "
A reporter asked, "Mr. Xiao, do you have any evidence for your words?"
Xiao Yunhai said, "No. I'm just guessing based on the situation of the Oscars. Our Hua Xia film was nominated for 'Xiao Cui', 'Infernal Affairs', and 'Inception'. The total global box office was more than 15 billion US dollars, but in the end, it was a total loss. Would you believe it if I said there were no problems? I think the Oscars are biased against our Hua Xia film. "
"Mr. Xiao, please be careful with your words. The Oscars have been held for so many years, and there has never been a problem of manipulation behind the scenes."
A loud voice came from outside the crowd.
Everyone turned their heads and saw a white-haired but hale and hearty old man standing at the entrance of the theater.
Kree whispered in Xiao Yunhai's ear. "This is the chairman of the Oscar committee, George Michael. Don't be fooled by his righteous appearance. In fact, he's a thief and a prostitute. "
When the reporters saw George Michael, they consciously made way for him.
Michael walked in front of Xiao Yunhai and said, "Mr. Xiao, I understand that you don't have the mood to win an Oscar, but every award was seriously voted by the judges. You can't insult the Oscar committee like this."
"Insult?" Xiao Yunhai sneered and said, "I never wanted to insult the Oscars. I just raised my own objection. Are my 'Infernal Affairs' and 'Inception' really so bad that I can't even win an award? Mr. Michael, don't try to fool me with the same trick you used on movie fans. Do you dare to swear on the Bible that there are no problems with this year's Oscars? "
George Michael was the most famous Christian in America. He would never dare to swear on the Bible. Once he told a lie, it was equivalent to betraying his own faith. He would be despised by all Americans, and the consequences would be worse than breaking the law.
"Every award ceremony can't guarantee absolute fairness, we …"
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