Chapter 285: Chen And Lu Consecutively Lose It, Audience: There’s Off-field Competition Too!
“Hmm? Why is everyone looking at me?”
Jin Zhao was slightly stunned and pretended to be puzzled: “Everyone discuss normally, I have no opinion.”
He said he had no opinion, but after the previous Influenza review got stuck, not long after, Jin Zhao kept coming over to “visit,” making everyone feel quite awkward.
The few people who had been the most vocal with Zhang Hai before had all become much quieter.
However, Jin Zhao really had no opinion, because as far as he himself was concerned, he felt that the theme of Influenza was indeed very sensitive—so sensitive that if it were him, he might not have approved Chi Ye in the first round.
“I’m an outsider in this area. I came mainly to talk with Old Wang about the overseas promotion in those few small countries in Europe yesterday. He insisted on dragging me along… My personal view is, if it’s really not suitable, then it’s not suitable. Um… mainly it’s still your relevant department’s work.”
After Jin Zhao finished speaking, he said no more.
The crowd exchanged glances. The Big Brother at the head of the table pointed at him, said nothing more, and turned to the others: “Then it’s settled. Since it’s not suitable, don’t force it to be a model case, otherwise if it’s promoted later and seen by the higher-ups, it’ll be trouble…”
“But quality works can be supported. I think this kid Chi Ye is pretty good… Zhang Hai, keep an eye on Influenza’s box office progress and reputation. Is this kind of movie qualified for the Huabiao Awards?”
“……Yes.”
“Mm, I’ve always said, the edge line isn’t a one-size-fits-all cut, but something to look at with the naked eye, to observe, like this Influenza…”
The usual long-winded speech and habitual phrases made the few young people under the table drowsy.
Jin Zhao watched this scene, inexplicably smiled, and shook his head.
An hour later, the meeting ended.
Jin Zhao walked out of the building with his secretary, who handed him the mobile phone: “……Sister Zeng’s phone call.”
Jin Zhao was stunned, took the mobile phone, but didn’t answer the call. Instead, he opened WeChat and saw the WeChat message Sister Zeng had sent him an hour ago:
【Control your daughter. She’s really been spoiled by you. Do you really agree to her marrying Chi Ye in the future?】
Jin Zhao’s fingers paused, and he replied simply: 【I handle outside matters, you handle home matters.】
After sending, he tossed the mobile phone to the secretary, thought for a moment, and asked: “What’s Influenza’s box office now?”
The secretary knew he was asking about overseas data and had prepared in advance, saying busily: “Cumulative 1.3 billion USD.”
“That’s 9 billion RMB…”
Jin Zhao was slightly surprised: “Selling this well?”
Secretary: “The distributor has strong local strength.”
Jin Zhao nodded: “Broken records, right?”
“Keeps breaking them. It’s now the all-time champion for mainland movies’ overseas box office, with a really fast increase.”
“……Pretty good.”
“Ah?”
Jin Zhao didn’t say more to the secretary, waved his hand: “Let’s go. There’s a meeting tonight.”
“Okay.”
The secretary nodded busily, stepped forward to open the car door, but silently noted down the name Chi Ye in his mind.
From the start as a Singer, he had taken the initiative to remember him. How long had it been since then?
Chi Ye… Chi Ye…
This artist is a bit different.
The boss’s attention to him was obviously several times more than to other artists.
……
“Teacher Chi, are you happy?”
Inside the villa courtyard.
The Empress Dowager happily held a rose and handed it to Chi Ye: “I just picked it from outside. Fresh, smells good.”
Chi Ye took it in surprise: “Roses outdoors in this season, and with such good quality?”
“First, this is ‘Queen of Sweden,’ cold-resistant in winter. Second…”
Jin Xia raised her white tender little hand and secretly poked toward next door: “I sneaked in to pick it. The old lady next door likes flowers and has lots and lots of little flowers at home.”
Chi Ye: “……”
“Teacher Chi, for you, I’m even willing to be a thief. Aren’t you happy?”
Jin Xia was a bit unhappy: “From childhood to now, this is my first time being a thief.”
“……Then you really are Jin Xia now.”
Chi Ye put away the flower, his mouth corners unconsciously curving up. Staring at her, he suddenly sighed: “But if you could come live with me outside, I’d be even happier.”
Originally, he had just mentioned it casually in daily talk, not expecting Jin Xia to respond.
But unexpectedly, this time the Empress Dowager actually thought seriously for a few seconds before mysteriously leaning in to say: “Teacher Chi, how about we just have a child first.”
“Ah?”
Chi Ye was instantly stunned again.
“Grandpa likes kids. Let’s have a child first. Boy or girl doesn’t matter. Then you take the child to see my grandpa, and he’d be so thrilled.”
“……His blood pressure would be even more thrilled.”
“Teacher Chi, how do you talk like that.”
Chi Ye stopped talking nonsense with her and asked seriously: “Then let’s do it now. I’m a bit impatient.”
Seeing him really about to pounce, Jin Xia hurriedly dodged back, blinked her eyes, and said weakly: “This is my home. What do you want to do… You you… Don’t be too arrogant, or I’ll shout.”
“……Just keep teasing me. You’ll get backlash sooner or later.”
Chi Ye spoke a prophecy, then prepared his backpack: “Then that’s it. Whenever you want to have a child, come find me then.”
“Teacher Chi, don’t think of me like that. Everything I said earlier was sincere.”
After Jin Xia finished, she muttered reluctantly: “Going back so soon? I still wanted to take you to see grandpa.”
“……Influenza side still has quite a lot to handle. I’ll come find you after I’m done.”
“Okay.”
Jin Xia was actually very satisfied with Chi Ye’s performance this time, because it was at the peak of Influenza, also the highlight of his career, yet he dropped everything to spend the New Year with her and came to meet her parents.
But as the saying goes, always hating that time isn’t enough.
“Sent you the movie notebook. Take a look when you can. Next year, we’ll try to stay together longer.”
Chi Ye made his final farewell. After Jin Xia saw him to the doorway, she kept watching until the car picking him up disappeared before withdrawing her gaze and returning home.
“Yo, isn’t this the wife-gazing stone.”
Sister Mi, who had been secretly watching, held back again and again but still couldn’t: “Anyway, your home has few people now. Why not just do it live on site…”
She didn’t finish the rest, because Jin Xia had puffed her cheeks: “I’m not too happy right now, Sister Mi. Don’t provoke me.”
“……Remember to tell me when you’re happy.”
“Okay.”
“……”
……
This Jin Family Home trip overall left Chi Ye quite happy. The only regret was not meeting the grandpa the Empress Dowager often mentioned.
But no matter. There would be opportunities later.
He took the car to Pudong Airport. On the way, Keke, who came to pick him up, routinely reported work as usual.
“Our box office has completed sustained topping the charts. Second place isn’t Detective Chinatown 3 anymore, nor Iron Fist.”
“Flying Speed is that strong?”
Chi Ye was surprised.
“Mm.”
Keke nodded and explained: “Douban scores are out. Flying Speed has a little 8 points.”
“Really? Already scored.”
Chi Ye was a bit dazed.
This New Year was, to be precise, the most “lively” one since his rebirth, so he had really somewhat ignored the market changes.
In fact, ever since Influenza’s overseas box office exploded, he had temporarily “isolated himself from the world,” because he knew this signal meant Influenza was stable, all the work that needed doing was done, and next it was all about how far it could develop.
“What’s our score? And 749 Bureau?”
“749 Bureau 5 points, Iron Fist 7 points… Ours opened at 8.5.”
“Higher than Magic City Fortress.”
Chi Ye heard this and felt slightly regretful. How could 749 Bureau be higher than Magic City Fortress? Not scientific, not reasonable.
“Iron Fist’s score is pretty good too, and both movies star Shen Bin. Shen Bin is the biggest winner of this Spring Festival slot.”
Hearing Chi Ye say this, Keke lowered her head and said nothing.
Shen Bin had indeed gone wild in this Spring Festival slot: one Iron Fist, one Flying Speed, their box office firmly holding second and third in the Spring Festival slot. If not for Influenza popping up midway, Shen Bin would probably have been completely mythologized this year.
Of course, even with Influenza, Shen Bin’s personal reputation had still reached a peak.
—Influenza’s box office now firmly holds the Spring Festival slot throne, but the gap with the two movies starring Shen Bin isn’t big. The impact of 1+1 on the audience and market brainwashing is terrifying.
Of course, Shen Bin himself is probably feeling pain and pleasure mixed.
Because this kind of short-term screen flooding is bound to cause aesthetic fatigue among audience and movie fans. But from another angle, he always thought of himself as a comedy actor, so… maybe he doesn’t mind these.
“Right, why no mention of Detective Chinatown 3?”
Chi Ye thought of this and suddenly noticed Keke had “omitted” one of their previous biggest opponents—Detective Chinatown 3.
“Uh… you don’t know?”
Keke was also surprised. Chi Ye not paying attention to the other movies was one thing, but Detective Chinatown 3 had been making such a big fuss since yesterday, and Chi Ge hadn’t heard a thing.
Looks like… Chi Ge was really “seriously” celebrating the New Year this time.
“Causing trouble again?”
“Oh, not them causing trouble… it’s the audience.”
Keke came back to herself and smiled: “Detective Chinatown 3 opened at 6 points, dropped to 5.8 in one day, still dropping. Many audience are cursing them for fraud, and box office has started declining sharply recently.”
“Isn’t that normal?”
“Yes, very normal, but Chen Sicheng went crazy online last night, saying the audience doesn’t understand his intentions, borrowed Director Feng’s words, so it triggered massive boycott and mockery…”
Chi Ye was surprised: “Chen Sicheng doesn’t seem like someone without a brain…”
“Right? Maybe he has a new marketing idea.”
Chen Sicheng’s impression really wasn’t of someone impulsive and hot-tempered, especially spraying the audience this time, so everyone thought he might have some follow-up move.
But in fact, Chen Zong this time really just saw the great situation destroyed by Influenza and reputation, and in annoyed rage, got a bit carried away.
And Chen Sicheng’s outburst was just the start of the Spring Festival slot drama.
One day after Chi Ye returned to normal life, Director Lu Chuan of 749 Bureau, who had been even more trashed than Detective Chinatown 3, also went mad on Weibo.
—He had no choice but to go mad, because 749 Bureau lost big money!
Combined with the recent flop Kunlun Mountains, Director Lu’s wife causing divorce, and various incidents, Director Lu was in extreme despair both in career and life.
So, on Weibo, he first posted raging against the previous investors’ inaction, actually seeing the movie performance poor and demanding compensation per contract…
Second, he expressed dissatisfaction with the two big winners of this Spring Festival slot.
On Weibo, he said bluntly: 【A movie at Iron Fist’s production level actually getting over 2 billion box office in six or seven days is a disgrace to Chinese movies. Can’t understand the audience for Mahua Pictures’ low-quality copy-paste assembly line movies!】
For Influenza, he said bluntly: 【China should ban movies of this theme. It’ll teach bad to kids!】
The two Weibo posts sent, the incident rapidly fermented.
Chi Ye’s fans hadn’t reacted much yet, but Mahua Pictures and Shen Bin’s bystander audience weren’t happy, rushing to Director Lu’s posts to question him: 「Sour and lame!」
「Jealous of Shen Bin’s box office?」
「Chuanzi, you can’t handle movies. Listen to uncle, go home be a househusband. Directing isn’t for you.」
「@Lu Chuan come out and speak, sour chicken’s own garbage qualified to criticize others?」
Perhaps not expecting non-traffic Shen Bin to have such “fan circle fans,” or realizing after posting that he’d offended someone—Shen Bin isn’t Chi Ye, one of the few super big stars in internal entertainment circle in recent years who brings his own box office.
Indeed not easy to offend.
So, the second day he posted again: 【Black fans don’t stir things up. @Shen Bin and I are old friends for years, no jealousy at all. Yesterday was hacked.】
【And I suspect the hacker is that unspeakable two-character unrivaled top streamer, since he often does hacked account tricks. @Weibo official wearing the same pants, server really trash.】
This low-level “shifting blame” and topic diversion instantly reignited netizens’ and Chi Ye fans’ dissatisfaction.
Bro, seen dodging fan circles, how you sticking up yourself?
Shen Bin’s bystanders are scary, is Chi Ye’s fan circle, called internal entertainment’s most iron-blooded and fan-circle, not scary?
You’re this.
In a moment, Director Lu’s originally normally functioning Weibo account was forcibly comment-section closed by Chi Ye fans.
At the same time, Jia Zong urgently came out to refute rumors: “@User49845 logged in from Capital City IP at X day X hour X minute, same as previous Weibo post login IP. Please netizens don’t believe or spread rumors. Please @User49845 stop your malicious rumor-mongering.”
Jia Zong stepping out directly stripped Director Lu bare on the spot.
Director Lu was dumbfounded.
Because no matter what before, he was a Beijing Circle great director, Jia Zong still “very respectful” to him. But this time, what’s going on? Stripping his pants in public?!
Is he Lu Chuan the kind without face?!
