The sound of firecrackers crackled outside, and fireworks streaked across the sky.
The New Year's Eve wind, carrying the scent of the festive season, swept towards them. Beautiful fireworks glittered and burst in the sky...
People on the streets cheered and leaped. The Year of the Dragon arrived in this joyful and peaceful atmosphere.
Zhang Tianxing's phone never stopped ringing. Fortunately, he had foresight and had made all his necessary calls in advance, contacting his business partners and influential figures in the government.
Everyone had to be contacted. That's how business works – one good turn deserves another, and everyone got by this way. m..oΓg
Seeing Zhang Tianxing constantly taking and making calls, Zhang Qiang frowned and grumbled, "Can't even have a peaceful new year. He's busier than a government official with all these calls."
Liang Juan shot Zhang Qiang a displeased look, and the grumbling he was about to voice got stuck in his throat. Liang Juan pointed at the television and said,
"Watch TV, the programs are so good."
As the clock struck midnight for the new millennium, Zhang Tianxing's phone rang again. He picked it up and saw Wen Qing's name flashing on the screen. This call had to be answered.
Under Zhang Qiang's huffing gaze, he directly said, "Beautiful Wen, Happy Year of the Dragon, may you have great luck in the Year of the Dragon!"
Hearing Zhang Tianxing's voice, Wen Qing's eyes curved into crescent moons. "You, Zhang Tianxing, are getting more and more glib."
Zhang Tianxing feigned surprise. "Really? It must be because life is too good during the new year, and I've eaten too much meat, so my mouth is a bit oily!"
They chatted for a while. Wen Qing looked at the fireworks in the sky. "Zhang Tianxing, Happy Year of the Dragon,"
Hearing Wen Qing's soft voice, Zhang Tianxing felt a warmth in his heart. "The New Year's bell is about to ring. Happy Year of the Dragon!"
As the New Year's bell chimed, they spoke of their hopes for the coming year.
...
Across China.
The year's blockbuster films, the New Year's releases, were showing. "The King of Tragedy" had also begun its run.
Thanks to Guo Jiajia's effective promotion and the relentless marketing efforts of Tianxing Investment Company, "The King of Tragedy" received excellent screening slots in all cinemas. In many of the major theaters, there were queues of people waiting for tickets. Many moviegoers came specifically for the reputation of Zhou Dexing, the "box office poison," wanting to see if Ji Shengsheng, also dubbed a "box office poison," would live up to his reputation.
"Hey, Old Wang next door."
"Old Zhang across the street? You're here too?"
"Yeah, are you also here to watch 'The King of Tragedy'?"
"Right, we've been waiting for over a month, and it's finally out. I just want to see if this movie explains why Ji Shengsheng is a box office poison! I've been curious about this for a long time."
"I saw online film critics have already started reviewing it, and the reviews seem quite high, looking good. I came to join in the fun. I heard Tianxing Investment Company has a unique vision, they discovered 'A Chinese Odyssey,' so let's see if Ji Shengsheng will surprise us this time."
"The reviews say his performance this time seems pretty good."
"Really? Impossible! Can a box office poison also have a spring?"
"I don't know, that's why I came to see."
"Let's go, it's time to go in."
...
One screening after another.
One screening after another ended.
On the opening day, the online buzz around "The King of Tragedy" was constantly growing. Although most of the discussion centered on Ji Shengsheng, the "box office poison," and the newcomer to the film industry, Hao Fangfang, the early promotion had paid off.
"Wow, Ji Shengsheng is really something!"
"Hao Fangfang's long legs are so long and straight, I haven't seen such straight long legs in a while."
"The movie is good, it didn't disappoint me!"
"Congratulations! Ji Shengsheng has shed his 'box office poison' identity!"
"Ji Shengsheng, you're so handsome! I'll always support you!"
"We have to credit Tianxing Investment Company, they're amazing. This is probably going to be another low-budget, high-grossing film. I heard the money spent on making the movie was less than what was spent on promotion!"
"No way, the movie looked pretty good, not like those five-cent special effects."
"What do you mean 'looked like,' it's clearly not five-cent special effects."
A few scattered news reports also specifically highlighted the praise for Ji Shengsheng's acting in "The King of Tragedy." Many film critics were full of praise as well. This was a rare gem of a film in Hong Kong cinema in recent years.
Only a handful of critics were more stringent, pointing out various problems in the filming. This situation was a stark contrast to the skepticism surrounding the film before its release. Just a few days prior, everyone was questioning "The King of Tragedy's" box office potential. But after the movie was released, people's opinions had done a complete 180-degree turn, and almost everyone had high expectations for its box office performance.
No wonder, every showing was packed, and the box office was soaring.
Moreover, "The King of Tragedy" had excellent screening arrangements. It might just be the dark horse of this New Year's film season!
Guo Jiajia was currently watching "The King of Tragedy" alone in a cinema, her heart filled with excitement.
Today, she had witnessed another miracle. She didn't know about other places, but in this cinema, all showings of "The King of Tragedy" were completely sold out.
This was beyond her expectations. It seemed like the box office prospects were good this time.
And while watching the movie, the emotions of the people around her fluctuated with the plot, sometimes bursting into laughter, sometimes filled with tears, sometimes indignant...
It immersed the audience, making them unable to extricate themselves...
"I didn't expect Ji Shengsheng to return. It seems he's no longer a 'box office poison' with this film."
"This time, it looks like Ji Shengsheng can clear his name."
"I admit I was wrong before. Ji Shengsheng is not a box office poison. The movie 'The King of Tragedy' he made is very good. I recommend everyone to watch it."
At this moment, Guo Jiajia could confidently say that "The King of Tragedy" was a hit, and Ji Shengsheng was popular. Their efforts had not been in vain.
All their hard work had paid off. As the ancients said, you reap what you sow.
Now, Guo Jiajia wanted to share this news with her boss, Mr. Zhang.
Would Boss Zhang be asleep at this hour? Guo Jiajia thought. He was probably also paying attention to the movie's box office performance at this time. So, she directly dialed Zhang Tianxing's number.
Zhang Tianxing was quite surprised to see Guo Jiajia's call. "Sister Jiajia, Happy Year of the Dragon. Today is the first day of the new year. I hope Sister Jiajia will become more beautiful in the new year, achieve all your wishes, and find your happiness soon."
Hearing Zhang Tianxing's exaggerated words, Guo Jiajia smiled. "Boss, I have good news for you. 'The King of Tragedy' is a hit!"
"The box office results aren't out yet. It's too early to say. Just rest well during the new year. We can talk about work after the holiday." Zhang Tianxing was somewhat exasperated by Guo Jiajia, a true workaholic.
Of course, Guo Jiajia was an excellent hand at her job. If you entrusted work to her, there would be no problem at all. She was undoubtedly a queen in the workplace.
"Boss, I'm at the cinema right now. In this cinema, all showings of 'The King of Tragedy' are completely sold out. You've succeeded!" Guo Jiajia couldn't contain her excitement and wanted to quickly convey this good news to Zhang Tianxing.