Who are you calling "little fresh meat"? I'm the king.

Chapter 380 Doubt (24)

5120 million on the first day!
This achievement greatly boosted the morale of both Dilraba and Zhu Yilong…

Before he could speak, director Wen Muye interrupted, "...5120 million? That's incredible?"

"It's alright," Shen Yan said calmly. "It's about what I predicted. You see, there were 22,000 shows on the first day. Let's say there were an average of 55 people per show, and then multiply that by the ticket price... that's roughly how we got this number!"

"55 people per show...that's a really high attendance rate!"

"What's so surprising? In the early stages of 'Painted Skin 2,' each screening averaged over 65 people, and on the first day, the average attendance was 77 people!"

"But 'Painted Skin 2' stars Zhao Yanzi, Zhou Xun, and Chen Kun..."

Shen Yan laughed: "I'm here, I can even the score with the three of them all by myself!"

He was obviously bragging...

Qi Yukun asked curiously, "Then why are our attendance numbers lower than those of 'Painted Skin 2'?"

Shen Yan replied without hesitation: "Tian Tian's role... her appeal to the audience is negative, so the sum of the two of us is like this."

"... "

Several people were trying not to laugh...

But you know what, Shen Yan actually makes a lot of sense!
After all, the record for the highest-grossing opening day for a domestic film before "Painted Skin 2" was set by "Our Times".

"Let me eat some lamb skewers first... I'll post a Weibo to thank my viewers..."

Shen Yan took out his phone and posted a Weibo message: "The opening day box office of 'The Criminal' was 5120 million yuan. Although it didn't break the record of 'Painted Skin 2', I'm already very satisfied. Thank you all for your support..."

After posting on Weibo, he put his phone back in his pocket, picked up a skewer of meat, and started eating it, adding casually, "...Tomorrow, we're going to eight cinemas...no, I mean today's roadshow. I'll try my best to generate buzz for both of you..."

What topic?

"There are too many topics to discuss. For example, Dilraba's character, Grace, has a very high EQ. She is very good at using her advantages and can immediately think of a second solution when a problem arises. She asked Xiaolin for tutoring and offered to pay her, but Xiaolin refused. Grace immediately changed her approach and said, 'Then I'll call you Teacher Xiaolin,' thus successfully achieving her goal."
When Bank started demanding exorbitant prices, Little Ba had already lost his temper. At this crucial moment, it was Grace who decisively transferred some money to Bank to calm him down…

Zhu Yilong suddenly interjected: "It has a Douban rating of 8.4, and many people are praising how daring the filming was!"

"Really? Let me see..."

Shen Yan also opened Douban and read the comments.

Most of the reviews were positive.

The most upvoted comment: "Sorry, but having money means you can do whatever you want!"

"Cheating only changes grades; in this world, birth and status determine everything."

"The final subtitle felt like it had to be added out of necessity... The rich dad's child, even if exposed and reported, will still pursue a bright future in another field. The poor dad's child, however, may be forever ruined..."

"Shen Yan is still awesome. His movies are clearly a cut above other domestic films. Even if you made Zhang Yimou, Xiaodaren, and Whisper think their heads off, they still wouldn't have come up with such a subject!"

Seeing this, Shen Yan put down his phone: "Alright, everyone, eat something and get some rest!"

Qi Yukun interjected, "Brother Yan, they say our criticism is directed at exam-oriented education!"

Shen Yan waved his hand: "...This is pure nonsense...We're just filming a transnational cheating case. Even if it has a critical tone, it's criticizing the lax proctoring of the SAT...Besides, the background of our film is Thailand, not China...Don't respond to related questions..."

"Oh…"

"I'm telling the truth. You don't understand. The proctoring for the SAT exam is really lax. It's completely different from our college entrance exam!"

……

After a day of discussion, the entire online entertainment sector was abuzz with talk of "The Prisoner"...

From different perspectives, some say the film's subject matter is innovative—"Youth isn't just about romance, it's also about cheating!"

Some praised the film itself, saying it brought the feel of a spy thriller to a campus setting.

Some analyses of the film reveal a harsh reality: 'It's difficult for children from poor families to achieve success—life is a marathon, a marathon that starts with our ancestors and, through the efforts of several generations, now passes the baton to us. It's a slow, cumulative process; some people are born at the finish line that many others strive for their entire lives!'

The protagonist, Bank, is a heartbreaking character. He lost his father at a young age and lived a life of struggle with his mother, barely scraping by at the bottom of society. He understands the unfairness of the world, the disparity between rich and poor, and that others are born with things he could never have in his entire life. He accepts this reality and helps support his family. However, he needs to protect his own hard-earned fairness within the limited scope of his control; this is almost his only source of meaning.

However, a simple trick by his rich classmate made his future, and everything else, impossible.

He had the opportunity to secure a full scholarship to study in Singapore, he could have escaped his dire financial situation, and he could have had the power to choose his own path in life…

Bank himself seems to be a microcosm of the increasingly rigid class system, making it harder for children from poor families to succeed.

A host of independent media outlets and film critics also shared their opinions on the film…

Mostly positive reviews, but of course, there are also some negative reviews…

Similar to, "Why is it Jing Tian again?"

'Shen Yan has fallen from grace and joined the army that's fervently supporting Jing Tian…'

Okay, the main criticisms are focused on Da Tian Tian.

After all, the Warring States period was indeed too brutal!
However, it was quickly overwhelmed by the overall trend.

Shen Yan's fans... are quite reliable; they didn't join the吐槽 (tu cao, meaning to criticize or complain) army...

……

On the 27th, at night…

After finishing their roadshow in Shanghai, the group boarded a bus, ready to head to Hangzhou…

Hangzhou is a three-hour drive from Shanghai.

Once in the car, Dilraba immediately lay down on the seat…

Close your eyes and get ready to rest...

I'm still very tired!

Another long and tiring day...

I even went to one more theater than yesterday—yesterday there wasn't such a strong competitor as "Ice Age 4"!
Oh, Ice Age 4 has been released, and they gave it 15,000 screenings on its opening day…

"The Model Criminal" continues to have 22,000 screenings...

The screenings of films such as "The Four Great Constables", "Painted Skin 2", and "Caught in the Web" were directly cut in half.

According to predictions, "The Prisoner" should gross around 4500 million yuan on its second day...

—It will definitely decline; Ice Age 4 has diverted viewers!

Dilraba didn't really understand these things; she was very curious about them all…

During this promotional tour, her manager, Ji Xiang, only gave her one instruction: "Just stick with Shen Yan."

So, it really was a matter of following step by step...

Then... I feel like the relationship between Brother Yan and Sister Jing Tian is a bit abnormal.

—Too intimate!
Jing Tian's gaze at him was practically dripping with longing...

No, Reba opened her eyes; she needed to find out the truth!

Looking at Shen Yan's seat... no, Jing Tian actually sat down too, and naturally leaned on his shoulder!

unacceptable!

They're not boyfriend and girlfriend...

Could it be?

No way?
(End of this chapter)