Hao Fangfang, wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, walked into the Shengjing Cinema.
His assistant was almost fuming. Hao Fangfang, usually easygoing, seemed to have taken leave of his senses today, insisting on going to the cinema.
This was an outrageous request. It wasn't even his own film. Why would a popular young star like him go to a public cinema? It was like looking for trouble.
The assistant couldn't even imagine the backlash if they were photographed and posted online.
Fame brought trouble, especially on the internet where keyboard warriors ran rampant, capable of surpassing even the goddess Nuwa with their venom.
No artist, once targeted, could escape unscathed.
It would be like mud in the trousers, a sure sign of trouble.
A Journey to the West, my dear girl, if I had known you wanted to watch this, I could have played it at home!
A five-year-old film, and a notoriously bad one at that.
What was so good about it? It had only recently become a hot topic online.
However, based on his years of experience in the entertainment industry, this was a typical marketing stunt.
He hadn't expected the protagonist to be so bold as to rehash a five-year-old dud.
It was either sheer madness or a calculated risk.
To see how far a bad film could be pushed through hype.
He had to admit he admired the person behind this.
At first, he thought it was the work of Xi Ying, and that they had brought in a master strategist.
But when he inquired, he found out that Xi Ying had actually sold the rights to A Journey to the West half a month ago.
Good heavens, it wasn't a daring move if you weren't prepared for it. So, they had planned to market it heavily from the moment they bought the rights.
Xu Wancang of Xi Ying simply smiled. The films being released this season were all masterpieces.
Each one individually could contend for the Best Picture award of the year.
Could A Journey to the West be hyped to the heavens? A five-year-old flop. Still, Xi Ying had pocketed a million in cash, which was a fact.
Moreover, A Journey to the West was notoriously known as the king of bad movies. Xu Wancang believed in his judgment. It had failed five years ago, and it would face the same fate five years later.
After buying the ticket, Hao Fangfang pulled his assistant into the cinema.
"There are so many people here."
"My dear girl, be careful. Don't reveal yourself. If you do, it's all over." The assistant felt like dying.
He had thought there wouldn't be many people watching this film. He was wrong. Who would have guessed that the place would be packed?
Fortunately, Hao Fangfang's seat was at the back, greatly reducing the chance of being exposed.
"Zhang Tianxing, I'll see if your judgment is sound. The internet has hyped this film to the skies. I'll see if it's true. If it is, why did this film fail so spectacularly five years ago?" Hao Fangfang's mind was preoccupied with A Journey to the West.
Speaking of marketing, he had to hand it to Zhang Tianxing. He hadn't expected him to make A Journey to the West a nationwide topic.
If such a person entered the entertainment industry, there would be no room for anyone else.
To be able to rehash a five-year-old stale dish to this extent, such a person was a once-in-a-century talent.
The next day, the box office data was released, shocking everyone.
A Journey to the West, which everyone expected to be a flop, had surpassed director Lao Mouzi's film in box office revenue on the second day.
Lao Mouzi was so frustrated he couldn't speak upon seeing the box office performance of A Journey to the West.
His meticulously crafted film, with so many big stars, had been defeated by a five-year-old leftovers.
If the box office had been lower than concurrent releases like Star Wars: Episode I or Entrapment, he might have felt better.
After all, the investment and production standards of foreign films were undeniable. But he had never expected...
To be surpassed by a five-year-old A Journey to the West. This feeling left Lao Mouzi speechless. All he wanted now was to be left alone.
The team behind The Lotus Lantern was also monitoring the box office.
Good news. Lao Mouzi's film was not doing well, and A Journey to the West was not a threat. It was just a hyped-up rehash.
Once the buzz of the past couple of days died down, people would realize it wasn't as good as the reviews claimed, and they would stop watching.
Their work, on the other hand, was of quality that could withstand scrutiny. Five years of refinement.
Their goal was to be the highest-grossing film of the year.
Their competitors were Star Wars: Episode I and Entrapment.
They had never considered A Journey to the West a threat, believing it to be merely a final flicker of life.
It seemed they had learned from the lesson of five years ago. Five years ago, the box office had plummeted to zero on the second day.
But true gold fears no fire. A five-year-old piece of garbage, even if praised to the heavens, was still garbage and not to be feared.
Guo Jiajia was all smiles, unable to contain her joy.
"Didn't I tell you? With my participation, Guo Jiajia, I can make even water interesting. A controversial film has the most buzz. But when people have the same opinion about something, that's the doom of that thing."
Guo Jiajia was in high spirits. This would show Zhang Tianxing her capability, making the matter of a salary raise easier to discuss.
When the boss has money, her work would be smoother.
"Jiajia, tell me, did Zhang Tianxing make money or lose money by buying this film?" Yan Ruyu was very curious about this. She had worked herself to the bone at the crayfish hot pot restaurant. Surrounded by fierce competitors, she had only managed to cover costs this past month and was unsure how to pay salaries.
If Zhang Tianxing made money, then Zhang Tianxing could pay the salaries as he had promised a high wage.
Combined with the initial promotional expenses, the crayfish hot pot restaurant was going through its most difficult period.
It seemed she would have to invest more money herself. But she was out of funds and could only pin her hopes on Zhang Tianxing, the wealthy benefactor.
Guo Jiajia chuckled, "This is just the box office revenue for two days. Based on these two days, it's estimated to be over 800,000 yuan, as the biggest share goes to the cinemas."
This was good news. Hearing this, Yan Ruyu smiled. It seemed she didn't have to worry about employee salaries anymore.
Just then, Zhang Tianxing walked over.
"Zhang Tianxing, it's time to pay salaries. The crayfish hot pot restaurant just broke even this month. What about salaries? You promised a high wage, where will the money come from?"
"That's easily handled. Distribute the money. We'll pay as we discussed."
"In that case, the restaurant will have no working capital."
"Don't worry, I've got it all. I'll be responsible for ordering raw materials. You pay the workers' salaries. We must pay on time and monthly, unless there are special circumstances. Everyone is waiting for their income, we cannot delay their livelihoods."
Zhang Tianxing made the decision. Employee salaries could not be delayed. They were all working to support their families. They couldn't disappoint the employees, especially since they were relying on them to do their jobs well and earn money.
"Can our salaries be paid on time? When we joined, it was said that salaries would be paid on the 15th of the following month for the previous month's work. Tomorrow is the 15th, and I'm a little expectant about our salaries."
"Yes, the requirements are so high. If the salary were the same as elsewhere, I would just go and work somewhere else."
"We'll see how much we get when the money is in hand. If the money is more, I can do what the boss says. If the money is less, I can't do what the boss says!"