Chapter 272: Midnight, Premiere
Sister Shang this time is “coincidentally” traveling, just happening to arrive when the Cannes Film Festival starts, coming to applaud Chi Ye, which counts as “proximity is an advantage”.
Sister Qianzi didn’t come… she’s been waiting for Chi Ye to invite her, but Chi Ye is indeed a bit of a dog, never mentioning this matter to Sister Qianzi at all.
So, Shi Jinwei is outside the Cannes hotel, watching Cannes begin with her own eyes, watching numerous big stars participate in this grand event, and she should also watch with her own eyes waiting for Influenza premiere, then smell the taste outside.
Ah… this feeling is too wonderful.
“Sis, if it’s really not possible, let’s do it like before, just tell Professor Chi that I forced you to come… we can’t have arrived and still keep waiting outside, we have to go applaud at least.”
The assistant couldn’t hold back a bit when seeing the red carpet about to end, proactively suggesting to Sister Shi.
Shi Jinwei felt it was unreliable upon hearing it, what does it mean you “forced” me to come?
You can force me? Even a fool wouldn’t believe that.
“……Since he doesn’t say anything, I won’t go, I’ll just stay here.”
“Then how long are we waiting?”
“Don’t know.”
“Ah?”
The assistant is dumbfounded.
Don’t know?
What kind of ridiculous answer is this.
Shi Jinwei glanced at her: “Depends on my mood.”
The assistant instantly understood.
Depends on my mood = depends on when Chi Ye talks to me.
“……Sis, not that I’m saying you, but what’s the point, he knows what you’re like, Professor Chi, if I say…”
“Have you gotten bolder lately, now you’re lecturing me?”
The assistant: “……Fine then, I won’t say anything Sister Shi, we’ll just wait like this, waiting for the ’emperor’ to favor you.”
“Hey…”
Sister Qianzi raised her eyebrow, couldn’t help but go to pinch the assistant’s ear, but the assistant nimbly dodged: “Sis, aren’t you just like I said right now… don’t deny it, others may not understand you, but I don’t…”
“Professor Chi’s premiere this time is very important, you really not planning to go see it? It’s starting in just a few hours.”
Sister Qianzi’s action paused, her sapphire blue eyes looked toward the “lively” inner field, silently in her heart.
……
《Influenza》 this Cannes premiere’s importance goes without saying, at 7 PM, this session’s globally watched Cannes red carpet officially ends, the main creators of various competing films and all sorts of guest big stars have all finished in the inner field big stars, entering the red carpet main hall and secondary movie theaters to prepare for movie viewing.
Today Cannes opening day, the absolute best golden time slot （19:00-22:30） is undoubtedly reserved for the competing films of the main competition unit.
The midday slot before the main competition unit is an attention unit. （Starting tomorrow）.
After these two units, it’s the midnight screening unit.
And the Cannes Film Festival’s duration is generally 12 days, with each unit screening 1-2 competing films daily.
Among them, the main competition unit occupies the absolute best golden slots of the first week, which is Cannes’ dense scheduling time point.
——Chi Ye and 《Influenza》 main creators don’t need to worry about these.
Because they are midnight screening unit, not belonging to competition units, plus this time 《Influenza》 got the absolute best opening day scheduling for midnight screening, so this day is 《Influenza》’s life-and-death moment.
11:30 PM, Debussy Cinema Hall, Cannes midnight screening unit exclusive movie viewing hall.
This cinema hall is located on the west side of the Cannes Film Palace, a standalone building, facing the main competition Lumiere Grand Hall.
The entire cinema hall has 1068 seats, steeply sloped tiered seating distribution, 30° tilt angle, ensuring bloody shots are unobstructed.
The environment is very “commercialized”, equipped with Dolby Atmos immersive sound system, enhancing genre films’ sound impact.
So special, just to fit the midnight screening unit’s theme, creating a more intimate terror/thriller atmosphere.
At this moment, the cinema hall is surging with people, as this year’s Cannes first midnight screening unit film to screen, even if the lead actor and main creators’ fame isn’t that big, it still can’t block global movie fans’ enthusiasm.
The front row red carpet area, cleaners have started cleaning, in ten minutes 《Influenza》’s main creators will come forward to speak.
At a certain spot, Ling Bingbing and Ling Han sit together, sizing up the surrounding crowd.
“Didn’t expect there to be quite a lot of people.”
“Of course, Gege is Asian Top Streamer, how could no one pay attention.”
Ling Bingbing glanced at her sister: “I think your head is muddled, keep calling gege gege nonstop, who is your brother?”
“……Sis, I really like Chi Ye, he’s so handsome… don’t you think he’s handsome?”
“He is handsome.”
Ling Bingbing first nodded, then sighed: “But he is our ‘opponent’.”
“What opponent, clearly it’s you all who are jealous he’s making money and not sharing with you… Sis, honestly, I think what we’re doing is very wrong, can’t just because he doesn’t want to give you money, you think he’s losing money for you?”
Ling Bingbing looked at her sister in surprise, this time didn’t refute her.
Because she is the backbone of the Beijing Circle, naturally knows her sister is telling the truth.
But… there’s a saying how does it go… butt decides head, she in the circle has actually always been “conservative faction”.
On the attitude toward Chi Ye issue, she never advocated targeting the opponent, but didn’t oppose either… because it doesn’t fit her interests, at most she can only avoid sarcasm in public, keeping maximum “respect and distance” from the opponent.
But her own sister is different, recently she seems really star-chasing too hard.
“Don’t you like Yu Yan anymore?”
Ling Han’s expression froze, guilty: “Ah… I like him, I like them all… but I think Yan Ge’s mental resilience is indeed a bit weak… just this little setback, feels like he can’t hold on, whereas Gege…”
“He went through so much in Yue Na, came out and has always been solo, along this path faced us… yet never seen him despairing… Sis, don’t you think such a man is more charming?”
Ling Bingbing listened speechless.
To be fair, indeed.
She skipped this topic, looked around: “Quite a few operators have come.”
Cannes Film Festival, glamorous in front, stars shining, behind the scenes also big shots gathered, here big shots refer to film distributors, operators with decision power from around the world, and various distribution tycoons.
Divided by region, for example the three giants of the France French region always controlling the highest value main competition unit, plus Central Europe operators, Northern Europe, Mediterranean region etc…
The several film distributors they’ve been in contact with before Cannes actually belong to representatives of this kind of tycoons.
Like the well-known global genre film three oligarchs NEON（United States）XYZ Films（United States）High Octane（Germany） etc groups.
And Asia’s Big Three…
《Influenza》 this time participating in Cannes targets genre film operators and film distributors, Asia side no need to talk, all have preliminary cooperation intentions, but Europe America side effects not ideal.
And Asia’s Big Three also just preliminary intentions, like 《Girl》 and 《Big Shot》 this kind of make quick money idea, as for truly treating 《Influenza》 as honored guest, obviously, Chi Ye previously hasn’t shown that box office ability.
So…
“Those coming here are giving face to Cannes, look at those few aren’t even representatives, just here to make up numbers.”
Behind, Uncle Li Qian turned his head, smiling.
Ling Bingbing and Ling Han paused, didn’t speak.
Today’s premiere, quite a few people came, Internal Entertainment Circle several circles this time at Cannes although haven’t really interacted with Chi Ye, but when 《Influenza》 screens, naturally have to come see.
Beijing Circle only her and Ling Han, Northwest Circle a bit more people, Teacher Zhang now at a spot on the other side.
Further front, various top oligarch film distributors, movie market certified buyers, Europe America Asia film critics writers （mostly genre films, because it’s midnight screening）.
Further back, then the many lucky ones who grabbed admission tickets, all sorts of ordinary movie fan audiences.
Most are Asian faces, but being in Cannes, many Europe America faces audiences also came in with curious mindset.
——Singapore Fu Jie is one of the “lucky audiences”.
She is that rich fan who wanted to steal her dad’s collected antique to give to Chi Ye, Singapore international, also with Hong Kong and Taiwan background.
Ever since Chi Ye performed 《Blue and White Porcelain》 at the Spring Festival Gala, she has been completely unable to extricate herself, fallen into fanatical star-chasing frenzy.
But due to usually not in Mainland, rarely comes back, so chances to meet Chi Ye in person are few.
Just happens, this time she and family are vacationing in Europe, after hearing of 《Influenza》 incident outbreak, she found an opportunity, secretly brought her girlfriend to Cannes, used money power to get admission tickets.
At this moment, two girls sitting in back row audience seats, feeling the movie theater’s various “strange setups” around, and dim environment, inexplicably a bit scared.
“Won’t be too scary right… I heard midnight screenings are all bloody violent movies, and this chair… sees too clearly… later might not even have place to run?”
The girlfriend asked shivering.
“Look at your tiny courage.”
Fu Jie disdainfully pursed lips, but finger joints also a bit pale… because she has small courage since childhood, if not for Chi Ye, she absolutely wouldn’t specially come see some “bloody violent” movie.
Um… does 《Influenza》 count?
“From the name seems not.”
“Can’t judge by name, Mainland won’t even let it screen, yet selected for Cannes, scheduled this slot, think about it, the pictures must be very stimulating.”
“Ah… I’m so scared, can I still back out now? Can we come in after the movie ends…”
“Since we’re here, might as well settle in, understand?”
“Eh, how do you know this saying?”
“I specially learned it… words left by ancestors, very reasonable…”
The two girls were talking, the live performance had not-loud applause, time arrived, 《Influenza》 main creators on stage, simply said a few words, then silently exited, preparing to wait for the film’s start.
Um… live audience reaction and feedback not big.
Because not home field, except when Chi Ye spoke, domestic and Asia region fans howled a couple times, others basically perfunctory applause.
Fu Jie scanned surroundings, especially front row many film distributors distribution, media reporters, found everyone listless, this time, this environment, indeed has sleepy feeling.
Buzz.
Suddenly, with a low sound rising, top stereo instantly exploded in the cinema hall, making the drowsy many audiences and media perk up, look up to the front big screen——
《Influenza》, began.
……
Night enveloping Taipei station, the last train heading to Kaohsiung slowly pulls into the platform.
Platform lights dim, air filled with faint disinfectant smell.
With mechanical door opening sound, train slowly stops, doors open, passengers disembark one after another.
Platform empty, only the train conductor standing at cockpit doorway, gazing at platform lights gradually receding outside the window.
He stands at cockpit doorway, right hand touches walkie-talkie at waist, knuckles pale from tension.
“Today is the last day on duty…”
He murmurs lowly, brows slightly furrowed, seems to sense a trace of unease.
Ling Han looks up at this scene, feels this composition filming technique indeed a bit oppressive, plus short several shots, one line, seems to foreshadow the entire film’s tone… something is about to happen.
Shot turns.
In car 2, a pregnant young woman is telling her daughter a bedtime story.
Little girl curled on seat, small hand tightly grabbing mother’s clothing corner, moonlight through window sprinkles on her innocent face.
“Mommy, I’m scared.”
“It’s okay, we’ll arrive in Kaohsiung soon.”
Pregnant woman tries to cover her unease with smile, but she always feels today’s atmosphere abnormal, even air becoming viscous.
……
Train conductor returns to cockpit, gaze falls on jumping numbers on dashboard.
Suddenly, piercing alarm sound rings.
He abruptly stands, cold sweat on forehead slides down cheeks.
Walkie-talkie transmits urgent shout: “Report anomaly! Suspicious item found in car 2!”
Words fall, train suddenly shakes violently, train conductor stumbles, back heavily hits cockpit wall.
He endures pain, quickly heads to car 2.
In car 2, a man in white protective suit stands in aisle, holding a black box.
Box surface covered in fine sweat beads, emitting nauseating rotten stench, man’s eyes vacant, corners of mouth with eerie smile.
“This… what is this?”
Security personnel shouts with Taiwanese accent.
“Inspection quarantine sample, must deliver to Kaohsiung lab.”
Train conductor’s forehead seeps cold sweat, he notices train constantly accelerating, but dashboard shows completely opposite data.
His sight starts blurring, body uncontrollably trembling.
“Something’s wrong… this train… it has its own consciousness…”
……
In the car.
Pregnant woman tightly holds daughter, latter already has high fever, little girl’s face pale, forehead covered in fine sweat beads.
Little girl cutely murmurs: “Mommy… so cold…”
“Don’t be afraid, mommy is here.”
Rumble!
Next moment, picture suddenly darkens, terrifying sound wave breaks through big screen, directly into every ear in cinema hall——train roaring out of tunnel, under moonlight, distant sky countless black shadows circling.
Train conductor sees those black shadows open blood basins big mouths, emit hair-raising shrieks.
He terrifiedly closes eyes, next second, train suddenly crashes into abandoned building, glass shards fly everywhere.
Buzz buzz…
Ear-ringing sound piercing and fuzzy, picture restores light, train conductor’s consciousness blurred, ear hears faint cry for help: “Save my daughter…”
He finally opens eyes, sees a passenger in strange pose, head rotated 180 degrees, one eyeball dangling at mouth side, opens blood basin big mouth, swallows his “head”.
Nearby, that eerie black box seeping viscous black liquid, like bleeding.
A nightmare, thus begins.
