Chapter 129: This Can’t Be Said Outside!
Stunned everyone!
A 19-year-old young man, standing in that position!?
Unbelievable…
The media, fans, and passersby were all caught off guard by this result.
Who would have thought that a young person under 20 would receive an invitation from the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony department?
Moreover, they even issued him an appointment letter.
Surprise aside, this was big news. The media was incredibly fast, with articles appearing everywhere within half an hour of the news leaking.
And they even brought Zhang Liangying into it.
Because any news linked to Zhang Liangying now garners exceptionally high attention; this is the treatment of a top-tier star.
When Zhang Liangying attended an event, she was also asked about this matter by the media.
She was overjoyed and excitedly told reporters, “Shen Qing is very capable. I believe he can handle this difficult task. Everyone should trust him!”
Alright then~
There was no answer to be found from Liangying.
The media then turned their attention to the General Director, Zhang Yimou.
Finally, at the press conference for Curse of the Golden Flower, Zhang Yimou provided the answer everyone wanted to hear.
“Appointing Shen Qing as the pop music consultant was based on three considerations, not just my personal preference.”
“Firstly, Shen Qing’s strength in the pop music scene has been recognized by the vast audience. In just two years since his debut, he has written popular songs like Chinese Language, It’s Blowing, When You Are Old, Myriad Lands, Wish, and Dream It Possible, which can even be considered classics.”
“On the day of the interview, Shen Qing gave a 30-minute impromptu speech. Many of his viewpoints were unexpected even to our directing team, providing us with a great deal of inspiration. In terms of ability, he completely passed the assessment.”
“Secondly, the youthful energy and boundless vitality he exhibits align with our original intention for hosting the Olympic Games.”
“Lastly, allowing young people to participate more in the construction of major national projects and undertakings is beneficial for cultivating a generation of successors who are cultured, educated, and talented. This is what we most wish to see.”
“Over 70% of the staff in our Opening Ceremony department are young core members under 35 years old.”
“Thank you all. I also hope everyone will give young people a little more understanding; they are fully capable of handling important positions.”
“Speaking of which, today is the press conference for my Curse of the Golden Flower. Haha, please support the movie. Now, Jaylen, please say a few words…”
Zhang Yimou’s remarks not only established his noble demeanor as a senior figure but also greatly praised Shen Qing.
A win-win!
The media was full of praise.
Furthermore, Shen Qing’s name could be seen on major forums, portal websites, Weibo, and the most important public opinion platform of this era – Baidu Tieba.
For a time.
Shen Qing’s popularity was almost surpassing that of many celebrities.
Even Detective Dee 2 and The Prince of Han Dynasty III, which were being relentlessly promoted, couldn’t snatch the headlines from Shen Qing.
…
November 2nd.
My People, My Country was in post-production, while Feng Xiaogang’s The Banquet arrived late.
On the premiere day, Director Feng, along with Zhang Ziyi, Ge You, Daniel Wu, Zhou Xun, and Huang Xiaoming, visited six movie theaters in Beijing.
At each location, they brought up Zhang Liangying’s name, saying her theme song was excellent.
Of course, the effect was significant.
The discussions at the scene were noticeably louder than before.
But this made Zhang Ziyi quite unhappy~
What did he mean?
I’m an international star, and I’m not as good as a young singer? Why are they using their names for promotion?
Seeing Zhang Ziyi’s displeasure, Feng Xiaogang patiently explained, “Ziyi, I’m not comparing you to her. It’s just that I’ve been collaborating with Shen Qing and Zhang Liangying recently, so mentioning them more will generate higher buzz.”
What else could Zhang Ziyi say~
No matter how much she looked down on Feng Xiaogang, she wouldn’t dare show it to him. She could only say, “I think they have some fame in the music industry, but in the film industry, they probably can’t even compare to Daniel Wu!”
Feng Xiaogang: “Yan Zu? Not as handsome as Shen Qing, can’t sing like Liangying, and their popularity is incomparable. Yan Zu is slightly inferior…”
Daniel Wu: You guys talk amongst yourselves, why drag me into this!?
…
On its opening day, the box office was 5 million.
On the second day, the box office was 7 million.
Feng Xiaogang panicked and could only console himself, “No rush, no rush. Today isn’t the weekend yet. It will get better on the weekend.”
Huayi.
As the investors of The Banquet, the Wang brothers were in a panic. They publicly claimed that The Banquet had an investment of 120 million…
Although there was some exaggeration~
They had genuinely put in 50 million. If The Banquet didn’t gross 150 million, they wouldn’t even break even.
But based on the current situation, even 100 million might be in jeopardy.
Wang Zhonglei: “Damn it, is it going to flop?”
Wang Zhongjun: “Let’s wait and see. If the first week can reach 50 million, there’s hope of not losing money.”
Wang Zhonglei: “Damn, I said long ago that Feng Xiaogang is only suited for low-budget comedies. What capability does he have to direct such a big production? We really shouldn’t have invested in him.”
Wang Zhongjun: “If this fails, we won’t invest in him anymore. Let him go hang out with that kid.”
Wang Zhonglei: “Speaking of which, it makes me angry. Instead of doing publicity, he’s taking on a singer’s MV. Is Feng Pants out of his mind?”
This was exactly what Feng Xiaogang was worried about…
At this moment.
Seeing the box office data, he broke out in a cold sweat.
This time, he had truly offended Huayi to the core.
Feng Xiaogang drove back to his apartment building but hesitated to go up, sitting in his car and constantly inquiring about Saturday’s box office.
It wasn’t until 1 AM that he received a text message: The Banquet, Saturday, 10 million.
A very good figure!
But after three days of release, it was only 22 million. At most, it would reach a little over 40 million for the week, far from the target of 60 million for the first week.
Keep in mind that box office data declines slowly. The data for a month is usually a little over twice that of the first week.
Based on this ratio, The Banquet would gross at most 90 million after a month of release.
A complete loss!
“It’s over, it’s over!”
“Completely over.”
“We won’t even recoup the costs.”
“…”
Feng Xiaogang felt as if all his strength had been drained away. He slumped in the driver’s seat, staring blankly at the dark night sky.
“Sigh, I really shouldn’t have tried to transition so casually. If I had continued making my Cell Phone series or The Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber 2, I definitely wouldn’t have lost money.”
“The Wang brothers must hate me now. I’ve made them lose at least 20 million.”
“But China has entered the era of blockbusters. If I don’t transition, I’ll be eliminated. This dilemma must be faced…”
“Fortunately…”
“Fortunately, I kept a backup plan and accepted Shen Qing’s My People, My Country. Otherwise, I would have no way out.”
Thinking this, Feng Xiaogang’s panicked emotions slowly stabilized. He clasped his hands together and prayed, “Shen Qing, your script must be good!!!”
Meanwhile.
A call came in. It was Wang Zhonglei.
As soon as he answered, Little Wang yelled at him:
“Feng Xiaogang, look at the current box office! Where are your priorities? Are your thoughts really on The Banquet?”
“Quickly find a solution for me. If the loss exceeds 20 million, don’t expect a single cent from me in the future…”
Director Feng felt bitter~
He knew very well that the movie wasn’t good to begin with. What solution could he come up with? Would more publicity help?
…
On the other side.
Shen Qing had just finished his interview with Beijing Daily. The most frequently asked questions were still about the Olympics and the upcoming movie My People, My Country.
Beautiful reporter: “Hello Shen Qing. Feng Xiaogang’s The Banquet has had a dismal box office, falling short of expectations. Are you worried that the first chapter he directed, The Eve, will have problems?”
A trap…
But Shen Qing wouldn’t fall for it.
He said calmly, “I don’t know about other movies, but if the director I hired shoots according to my script, it won’t flop!”
Beautiful reporter: “Ah, I understand! So, it’s because some directors have too many ideas and shoot haphazardly without following the script, and some screenwriters write terrible scripts that lead to flops, right?”
Shen Qing: “…”
Little beauty, do you have a grudge against me? I can’t just say that stuff outside…
