Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 452 The Last Move of the Lunar New Year Film Season! An Ordinary Person's Apology!
2004 is almost over.

And the end of this year seems to be particularly favored by movie fans.

Two excellent films, going toe-to-toe in the Lunar New Year film season.

Regardless of how these two films and the capital behind them far perform, this is truly a good thing for movie fans.

Watching movies is truly a great form of entertainment these days, whether you're dating or not.

In fact, there is another need that is often overlooked.

That is, 'what to talk about'.

The "what to talk about" here, of course, means what to talk about, well, to be precise, it means "socializing".

With the advent of the internet, people have started online social interactions.

In reality, interpersonal relationships are, of course, also social interactions.

So, what can colleagues talk about in a company these days?
It's obvious that they'll talk about whatever topics are trendy.

Okay, right now these two movies are the most trendy because they are both new releases and are currently generating a lot of buzz.

Talking about this is definitely trendy; you can even follow online topics and engage in various interactive activities.

If you have some unique insights, you might just become a shining star in the company.

This is a real need.

Therefore, films like "A World Without Thieves" and "Crazy Stone" are destined to become trendy topics of conversation.

Well, if we're going to talk about it, we should at least take a look, right?
Even if you haven't seen it in theaters, you should still check out what people are saying online, right?

As a result, the popularity of these two films continued to rise!
"The cast of 'A World Without Thieves' is clearly more luxurious! I love Andy Lau to death!"

"Although the cast of 'Crazy Stone' isn't as strong as that one, I think the actors' performances were still very good!"

"Honestly, I think 'Crazy Stone' is more down-to-earth!"

"A World Without Thieves clearly has more of a blockbuster feel!"

This exchange naturally leads to some strange changes. For example, many netizens will naturally compare the two movies.

The point is to compete!

Moreover, taking sides is human nature. Not to mention, there are countless online promoters on the internet. Who knows which company they are paid by, which company they are promoting, or whether they are simply stirring up controversy online to boost popularity?

But that's fine too; with both films generating so much buzz, it's hard to say which one is better right now.

As for box office performance, they are currently neck and neck, with the competition very close.

In the last two days of 2004, one film was facing the challenge of breaking 4000 million and another film was facing the challenge of breaking 3000 million.

Both were crucial moments, and both saw outstanding performances.

But it seems that neither side can be sure of winning!
Now, this is where things get interesting.

I don't know who posted it online.

"How will Huayi Brothers and Enlight Media compete next?"

This post is amazing! The netizen who posted it is incredibly insightful!
Yes, the two films are currently neck and neck. What other tricks will the two companies behind them pull?
Clearly, this is definitely a trendy topic.

Netizens followed suit enthusiastically, even offering suggestions and advice.

"Let's ask for external help, like the 'News Broadcast'."

"Don't be ridiculous, that's impossible!"

"Yes, these two films are not good enough."

"That movie 'Warriors of Heaven and Earth' was a real blockbuster! It was worth it!"

"Both of these are comedies, so it's unlikely."

Sure enough, the eyes of the masses are discerning; it will be very difficult to get outside help this time.

Forget about continuous news broadcasts.

However, if it weren't for programs like the news broadcast, other so-called "help" would actually be of little use.

These two movies are already generating a lot of buzz.

So what else can we do?
"Box office fraud!"

Wow, this move has actually garnered a lot of praise and approval from netizens.

After all, this is a very direct approach.

But that's not the right approach.

However, someone has brought it up.

"Perhaps the Wang brothers have already started!"

"Why can't it be about lighting?"

"That's what word-of-mouth is all about!"

Wow, that's a really sharp comment.

That's the reputation of the Wang brothers.

So, will they actually do it?

It's really unclear. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't... Never mind, these are all just speculations from netizens.

Anyway, there's strength in numbers, and there's a lot to say in a crowd.

The ideas coming out online these days are endless.

What will Huayi Brothers and Enlight Media do next?
……

Huayi Company.

"Both of you, we've already secured our victory!"

Chen Guofu originally thought that acting as strategist would be an easy task.

After all, he had been a prominent figure in Taiwan's entertainment industry for many years and had seen a lot of things.

Unexpectedly, this time it will be so difficult.

The opponent is really not easy to deal with.

But why is Chen Guofu so confident now?
"Teacher Chen, your statement... this, this..."

The Wang brothers didn't distrust Chen Guofu; they even called him their teacher.

But is he saying this to reassure us brothers?

Chen Guofu laughed and said, "Please listen to my analysis, bosses. I have done some research on the Lunar New Year film season in mainland China. Our film 'A World Without Thieves' can be said to have the perfect combination of timing, location, and people."

To put it simply, as of now, after the New Year's Day holiday, there isn't really any special rest period in January next year.

"This... The Wang brothers slapped their thighs in surprise!"
understood!

what is going on actually?
Simply put, "Crazy Stone" will continue to be shown for a period of time after "A World Without Thieves" finishes its run.

In other words, this movie originally had a chance to beat "A World Without Thieves".

But upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that this is almost impossible!

Since the Spring Festival next year is on February 9th, we all know that during the period before the Spring Festival, companies will be more relaxed, meaning there will be some hidden holidays.

In previous years, the Spring Festival was always in January.

This is also a little secret behind the excellent box office performance of the Lunar New Year film season in previous years.

The Lunar New Year film season starts in December of last year and lasts until the Spring Festival of the following year. Since the Spring Festival is in January, there are many holidays during this period.

Simply put, the Lunar New Year film season is characterized by more holidays or rest days, which is why movie box office revenue is high.

Of course, it is also closely related to the fact that students are on winter vacation.

But no matter what, this year is different.

The Spring Festival in February, while not late, will definitely have an impact on box office revenue.

Chen Guofu meant that "A World Without Thieves" dominated the entire Lunar New Year holiday season, while "Crazy Stone" didn't achieve the same level of success.

Therefore, the outcome is already decided!

Is that enough?
"Don't worry, Teacher Chen, we have also taken action."

"That's right! Many theater chains will support me."

Wow, it turns out the Wang brothers haven't been idle either; they've done quite a bit of work.

It's obvious that they've already spoken with many cinema chains.

So, what about Ma Xun's side?

……

Beijing, Enlight Media.

It's normal that Ma Xun didn't choose to spend New Year's Eve in Sanya this year.

The competition in the 2004 Lunar New Year film season was unexpectedly fierce.

How could he possibly enjoy himself at a tourist resort?

Well, it's also possible that Bingbing and Xiaoran were fighting quite fiercely, and Ma Xun only had one... cough cough, which was a bit too much for him.

Fortunately, everything that needed to be arranged was arranged.

In particular, Xiao Ran used a unique skill that Bing Bing couldn't imitate, which weakened the fight somewhat.

In addition, the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival had also ended, and many awards had already been claimed.

They should be back by now.

Naturally, Xiaoran still had to travel with the "Crazy Stone" crew for promotional activities.

However, it was very difficult to part ways.

She also said that she would definitely try her best to give Brother Ma a child.

Listen to these words. Li Dabai may not have many tricks up his sleeve when it comes to fighting, but he does know how to work hard.

As for Bingbing, Ma Xun also gave her a good place to go.

"Young Justice Bao 2" is about to be released, she should focus on this show.

As for other resources, don't worry.

But Bingbing actually had another major enemy in her heart, and that was Yuanyuan.

She doesn't have many options right now.

Yuanyuan was planning to join the cast of a movie that Ma Xun had specifically given her, the romance film "Yesterday Tomorrow".

There's no rush right now, as we still need to wait for the schedule to change.

Okay, right now the most important thing is still this Lunar New Year film battle!

At this moment, Ma Xun is waiting for someone in his office.

"boss."

"You're here, please have a seat here."

Ning Hao entered with an extremely cautious demeanor.

This guy presents himself as a big director in public, but in front of Ma Xun, he always bows his head and looks down.

Fortunately, he can distinguish between the king and queen.

Ma Xun summoned him here for something important, and Ning Hao certainly understood that as well.

Moreover, this meeting was somewhat special.

Ma Xun's office is very simple, consisting of a desk and chair, a sofa, and a coffee table in front of the sofa.

The layout is far too simple for the size of this office.

In general, if a subordinate comes to discuss official business, they usually sit at the desk and talk to Mr. Ma across the desk. Being able to speak like that already indicates a high level of professionalism.

But now, Ma Xun is sitting on the sofa, gesturing for Ning Hao to sit next to him.

Has your status been elevated?
Ning Hao was somewhat pleased, but he was a smart man after all and knew that this conversation might be very important!
Ma Xun waited until Ning Hao sat down before speaking, "We've reached this point, it's a matter of life and death."

This opening statement made Ning Hao very nervous. "Boss, I'll do whatever you say."

Ma Xun smiled and said, "Don't rush to give your opinion. Let me tell you the details first. Several cinema chains have already talked to me about this. We shouldn't be at a disadvantage in terms of scheduling."

This statement is very profound.

Ning Hao couldn't help but think of the online reputation of the Wang brothers.

"Are they really up to something?"

Ma Xun nodded and continued, "It would be strange if they didn't cause trouble. But the problem now isn't actually that they're causing trouble. The most crucial thing is that there aren't as many holidays in January as before. To put it bluntly, we're at a disadvantage now because we were released later."

Ning Hao was naturally aware of this situation, but he was truly helpless.

"Boss! Just tell me, I'll do whatever you say!"

Ma Xun was very satisfied with this statement, and naturally, he followed up with his own.

But what he said made Ning Hao's eyes widen in surprise.

"I demand that you apologize to Feng Xiaogang!"

Huh? This...

Ning Hao was completely stunned. The key point was that this was not like Ma Xun's style at all!

……

The last day of 2004 felt rather long.

Ma Xun sat in his office chair; he did not choose to go home.

I guess I'll just spend today at the company.

But this is normal.

"Boss, I'm here."

"Great, the company has arranged a hotel for you. You can let us know if you don't like it."

"There's nothing I don't like."

"That's good."

"that……"

"what happened?"

"I'm planning to stay at the company a little longer, is that alright?"

"why?"

"Let's get familiar with it."

"Ok."

Wen Yongshan has arrived.

The TV series "Lotus Lantern" will be broadcast before the Spring Festival, and Wen Yongshan will be here to attend many events.

Of course, she will also take the art exam after the Spring Festival.

This month or so is just the right amount of time to do final reinforcement for the college entrance examination.

Actually, Wen Yongshan is indeed very young, but these days there are quite a few 'kids' taking the art exam.

It was probably influenced by someone.

Ma Xun remembered that there was a student named Zhang Jianing in next year's art exam. She was very young, but she wasn't the youngest one.

Zhang Jianing's family is quite capable, and she also has her uncle tutoring her.

Well, Ma Xun is also planning to ask Physician Wen to tutor Wen Yongshan.

With this arrangement, the little girl is very fortunate.

She must have sensed that too, so when she said she was familiar with the company, the subtext was that her future would be tied to Enlight Media.

That's good; Ma Xun even appreciates this kind of thoughtful comment.

Although, this makes Wen Yongshan feel like a little adult.

Not long after, Wen Yongshan went to familiarize herself with the company.

And in Ma Xun's office, there was another guest.

"Ma Xun, you're really riding high right now."

"Oh, does that mean you're past your prime, Ms. Actress?"

That's pretty aggressive; it directly hit Gong Li's lungs.

That's right, this guest is Gong Li.

Her opening remarks were clearly tinged with resentment, and Ma Xun was well aware of the reason for that resentment.

"You really know how to talk!"

"You shouldn't have taken on a film like '2046' in the first place."

Ma Xun is indeed sharp.

Upon hearing this, Gong Li could only let out a cold snort.

"I want you to manage."

"That's good."

Ma Xun's words made Gong Li even more speechless.

There's nothing we can do; Ma Xun basically ruined "2046" this time, so Gong Li can just let it be.

But she didn't come here just to vent her frustrations.

"Can you win this time?"

"Probably not."

Ma Xun's answer surprised Gong Li.

"I never expected you to..."

Yes, we probably can't win this battle between "A World Without Thieves" and "Crazy Stone".

However, Ma Xun then added, "But actually, we won!"

"This..." Gong Li was puzzled.

Ma Xun laughed and said, "If it weren't for this, how could a director of Ning Hao's caliber possibly be worthy of Feng Xiaogang?"

Upon hearing this, Gong Li's mouth gaped slightly in surprise.

"You're really amazing."

Although she didn't want to admit it, the man in front of her was more capable than Gong Li had imagined.

"I have even more amazing skills to offer."

Gong Li frowned slightly.

Ma Xun smiled, then turned on his computer and called Gong Li over.

Actually, Gong Li was already extremely curious even without Ma Xun's invitation.

When she came over and looked at the computer with Ma Xun, then...

"what?"

Gong Li never expected that Ning Hao's face would appear on the computer monitor.

Ning Hao was doing something that surprised Gong Li greatly.

Apologize!

"Here, I would like to offer my sincere apologies to the vast number of netizens and to Director Feng Xiaogang, whom I deeply respect..."

To put it simply, I, Ning Hao, really went too far before! I'm not a big director or a teacher; I actually just graduated from the Beijing Film Academy.

The reason I did that was to increase box office revenue; yes, that was my goal.

Our film, "Crazy Stone," is a low-budget film, and we originally didn't have the opportunity to compete with Mr. Feng's new film.

But later... I sincerely apologize here..."

At this scene, Gong Li was simply...

"why?"

"Shouldn't it be?"

"But this, this..." Gong Li thought for a long time before finally coming to a conclusion, "Acting?!"

Ma Xun laughed after hearing this.

But he didn't say anything.

Gong Li was even more surprised, and she came to a further conclusion.

"It's been an act from the very beginning?"

Yes! Very likely!

Actually, Ning Hao already said it in his apology: wasn't he just playing the role of a big director before?
Where is Ma Xun?
He laughed and said, "If he's the actor, then who's the director?"

Gong Li felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow, and exclaimed, "You're the director! You directed this Lunar New Year film battle!"

That's right, that's the truth!

At this point, Ning Hao apologized on the last day of the year. Judging from his words, this was not an apology at all.

It's the helplessness of an ordinary person.

Yes, he made it very clear.

He was originally no match for Feng Xiaogang.

He's just an ordinary person, an ordinary director, an ordinary person!

This will surely resonate with even more people!

This is the climax of director Ma Xun's play!

But what will the result be...?

"We'll see how much box office revenue these two films make on New Year's Day. That's the real key to their competition!"

Gong Li was completely stunned when she heard this.

Moreover, she finally revealed her purpose for coming.

"There's a movie about Japan, what do you think..."

Don't answer.

Ma Xun said just that, and then he pressed Gong Li down onto his desk.

He then lifted up the legs of the international film queen.

Those bamboo shoots... cough cough.

Little did they know that a little girl was lingering outside the door.

This young girl is Wen Yongshan, and she... does she even know how to read?
Or, wouldn't the voice of an international film queen be more appealing?
I don’t know, I really don’t know.

Anyway, the little girl was already prying open the door.

(End of this chapter)