Who said this top flow is crazy! This top flow is awesome!

Chapter 280 Ikeno's Awakening of Conscience

Since being severely "tricked" by Chi Ye last time, Yue Na's losses can no longer be described as devastating; it has gone from a well-known large group in the industry to a dangerous company on the verge of being "seized".

The losses incurred during this period, when added up, are probably more than ten times the total losses they incurred in the past.

And this is only the loss so far. Mr. Liu has been using all his connections and resources to try to get through this crisis. If the situation and investigation are allowed to continue, Yuena may have no choice but to "cut off an arm to survive" and undergo bankruptcy reorganization.

—The cinema business was an area that Yue Na was actively developing before the incident. To this end, they tried their best to build good relationships with a series of companies and groups such as Jingquan and Huayi.

The results are remarkable. After all, Yuena is one of the dominant forces in the Chinese entertainment industry. Although they were not involved in the film industry before, they were very successful in the mainstream drama and variety show sectors.

And behind it all is the behemoth that is Tencent.

But the more effective it was back then, the more painful it is to be targeted now.

—The cinema chain is one of the most important directions for Yue Na to save the company from its current predicament. Yue Na is currently in a semi-shutdown state, and its various artists have been affected by the previous tax issues, with some losing their jobs and others cutting ties with the company.

Even the attitude of its big brother, the penguin, has become ambiguous.

At times like these, the cinema chains they had initially established became their last "lifeline."

The drama and variety show industries have now come to a standstill, but they can take advantage of the clearly hot market and use this hot trend as a starting point to overtake others and successfully weather this "national disaster" and get through this crisis.

But now... before they've even started, Ikeno has already blatantly brandished his butcher's knife.

"Flu" refused to be shown in any theaters related to Yuena.

Although they lost "Flu," thanks to Liu Cixin's connections, Yue Na has already acquired the rights to other big-budget films for this year's Spring Festival. However, "Flu" is currently attracting a lot of attention, partly because countless movie fans in China are eagerly anticipating it, but more importantly because—it's disgusting!
If Ikeno doesn't use the few small theater chains that Yuena recently acquired, both sides will earn less money. The only difference is that Ikeno has the global market and all the domestic theaters except Yuena's, so it doesn't lack this.

However, Yue Na suffered the most critical loss as a result—the loss of its confident preparations to regroup, only to suffer a setback in its very first battle.

Imagine this: many moviegoers are eagerly anticipating seeing the blockbuster "Flu" during the Spring Festival, only to discover that the nearest cinema chain, Yue Na Cinemas, doesn't have "Flu" showing...

In terms of brand operation, no matter how Yuena explains it, it has already lost the first round.

It's already lost before it even begins.

"Ikeno... this guy is truly insidious to the extreme. He's trying to use this opportunity to continue his schemes against us..."

"Mr. Liu, he also said... he also said that if anyone in the drama industry collaborates with Yuena, he will not accept their roles or investments in the future... the same goes for platforms."

Mr. Liu: "?!"

"what."

Mr. Liu chuckled: "Who does he think he is? He's just a celebrity... Does anyone listen to him? This blatant 'either/or' game, threatening others, do you think anyone will listen to him?"

"..." The person on the other end of the phone was silent for a long time before saying, "Some listened, and some ignored it."

Mr. Liu's expression froze for a moment, and after a few seconds of silence, he sighed heavily: "Sigh... he is indeed more than just an artist now."

"...The main reason is that Kiwi is very proactive. We already lost several popular actors, and for the time being, we only have Xiao Zhan to promote. But now they are obviously more optimistic about Chi Ye... By the way, they got the exclusive broadcasting rights for 'Goblin'."

The person on the other end of the phone reassured me, "But neither Tencent Video nor Kuaishou cares about this..."

Mr. Liu asked directly, "What about the music department? What about variety shows and TV stations?"

These, apart from music, are all former home venues of Yue Na.

The person on the other end paused, hesitantly saying, "...It seems that the music and Hunan TV have... cancelled their previous cooperation...but...I feel it's only temporary."

Mr. Liu: "..."

He stared at the ceiling, his graying temples contrasting with his once handsome face, and his eyes, now showing signs of presbyopia, suddenly ached.

"It doesn't matter who listened... it doesn't matter how many people actually chose it... what matters is that this choice shouldn't have happened in the first place. When did Yuena fall to this level?"

"Those people in the group ruined the Verna."

……

The important thing is not the targeting itself, but that it should never have happened in the first place—its occurrence makes it seem justified, leading some to make choices while others hesitate…

Hesitation is itself a form of "failure".

Ikeno is indeed not what he used to be. President Liu realized this deeply at this moment, but by the time he realized it, it was probably too late.

The fact that "Flu" is not showing in Yue Na's theaters may not be a fatal blow to Yue Na, but when this trend appears, it means that Yue Na is no longer the Yue Na it used to be.

In the fields of TV dramas and variety shows, which they were once most familiar with, they will all face "suppression" from various competitors.

Chino didn't care about these things. To be precise, he had too many things to do right now. Targeting Yuena was just a routine matter he had to do. Killing Yuena was only a matter of time.

After "Flu" was officially rescheduled for the Spring Festival, he and part of the "Flu" creative team became extremely busy.

Because of the short timeframe, there wasn't enough time for pre-release promotion and marketing... But it seems that "Flu" doesn't need to do that now either. From its withdrawal to its rescheduling, all the events that happened during that period are the biggest marketing campaign for "Flu".

He simply selected a top-tier cinema in the capital, and then briefly began working on the final premiere and "market research."

"The pre-sales for the Spring Festival films are very hot right now. Currently, 'Detective Chinatown 3' is still ranked first. Its pre-sale box office has already exceeded 3 million yuan, and it is currently at 3 million yuan. The growth rate is very strong."

Inside the backstage area of ​​an event.

Coco, holding a tablet, said, "The second one is Shen Bin and Ma Li's 'Invincible Iron Fist,' which has nearly 3 million in pre-sales."

"Finally, there are Han Han's 'Pegasus' and '749 Bureau,' which have roughly the same weight. 'Pegasus' currently has 2 million yuan in pre-sale tickets, while '749 Bureau' has just over 2 million yuan. And then..."

This year's Spring Festival film competition is indeed more intense than ever before. After "Flu" was withdrawn from the release schedule, the competition for screenings became even more intense. By the time "Flu" was rescheduled, the current Spring Festival film season covers almost all the teams and circles of the biggest names in the Chinese entertainment film market over the past decade.

There is Chen Sicheng, a money-making monster who rose to fame with the "Detective Chinatown" series.

There's also the evergreen duo of Shen and Ma in the Chinese film industry.

There's also the "Pegasus" series, which had several box office hits.

In addition, there's "749 Bureau," the biggest investment in the Beijing film circle, and the newly scheduled release of the Ikeno team...

"A hundred schools of thought contend."

"What about our current pre-sale box office?"

Chi Ye looked up and asked. Sheng Ning was sitting next to him, staring blankly at the Maoyan box office data on her phone.

Coco smiled and said, "We already have nearly 200 million."

"so much?"

Ikeno was surprised because the release date of "Flu" was very tight, only five days before the start of the Spring Festival season. Moreover, it is worth noting that because they needed to "compete" with various parties for screenings, the actual time for them to start pre-sales was even shorter.

From yesterday until now, only one night and one morning have passed, and the pre-sale box office has already reached 2 million yuan?
In the days that followed, before the official start of the Spring Festival film season, wouldn't "Flu" have a chance to surpass Shen Ma and compete with the number one "Detective Chinatown"?
Good luck.

"This is because we set the release date too late, and we've been competing with other companies for screen share. Otherwise, it should have been even higher."

Coco explained: "After all, there is a lot of attention on 'Flu' right now... We are currently getting around 80% of screenings in Taiwan and Hong Kong, which is far ahead of other local films and those few domestic entertainment films that have been released."

"I'm not too sure about overseas figures, as I haven't provided accurate data yet, but all things considered, the global pre-sales for 'Flu' should already be 3 million, surpassing the Mahua FunAge team... and should also surpass 'Detective Chinatown'."

Ikeno's daze—is this what a valid "world premiere" is?

"I love it!" Sheng Ning looked up after hearing these words, her phoenix eyes filled with an indescribable complexity and excitement.

Pre-sales in mainland China exceeded 2 million yuan in less than 24 hours, and are highly likely to reach 2 million yuan on the first day, sweeping through Hong Kong and Taiwan. In addition, pre-sales are also underway overseas…

"Flu" will most likely surpass the pre-sale box office of top Chinese entertainment stars like "Detective Chinatown," "Pegasus," and "Iron Fist" within just five days of its release date announcement, a feat that typically lasts for half a month or even a month...

Is this my work?

Sister Ning was a little dazed. She, Sheng Ning, in the film industry, could never have such a day!

I really want to see the true colors of Xu Yingying and that group of people in the Beijing elite circle right now...

I still remember when Xu Yingying and the Beijing circle tried to force her to "trick" Chi Ye into coming over to make money. She refused and eventually "broke up" in the lounge.

This also marked the beginning of her conflict with the Beijing film circle and her subsequent soft blacklisting by the film industry.

But I didn’t expect…

Sheng Ning's gaze fell on Chi Ye, who was continuing his serious discussion with Coco, her phoenix eyes flickering uncertainly.

—Brother, you've not just become a stranger to me, you're like a completely different person.

Adversity and desperate situations can indeed change a person... Ikeno is a living example.

"Okay, let's leave it at that for now... Now let's just wait for the release. On the day of the release, we'll assign tasks... Please give me a break from the announcements after the premiere. I promised to spend time with someone."

"what?"

Coco was taken aback and subconsciously asked, "Accompanying someone?"

"Yes, we've developed a new business."

Chi Ye nodded modestly: "I'm going to keep my older sister company and earn some living expenses."

Sheng Ning snapped out of her daze and sneered, "Take care of yourself, don't work yourself to death in bed."

Chiye: "?"

He glanced at Sheng Ning: "Thank you, I am indeed a bit tired."

Sheng Ning: "..."

"Alright, that's all for now."

Chi Ye didn't say anything more to Sheng Ning. He waved his hand, dealt with the aftermath of the event, and then left to return to his studio.

—Because I've been busy with "Flu" lately, I didn't get to spend much time with Karl Lagerfeld in Cannes last time... To be honest, Ikeno feels like he's become a bit of a workaholic and has neglected the young lady.

Thinking about how the Empress Dowager always opened her heart to her, Chi Ye felt that she still needed to act like a human being.

"Teacher Chi, what brings you back?"

Inside the studio.

She didn't participate in any events or the Spring Festival Gala this summer—she turned them all down because she was afraid that Chino wouldn't be able to handle the problems with "Flu" on her own. She was always waiting and ready to be called upon at any time.

It was nearing evening, and Karl Lagerfeld was holed up in his studio, tinkering with something with Stevie Wonder.

Upon seeing Ikeno's sudden appearance, she was surprised: "Did you get stuck in the censorship again? Why aren't you busy with the movie?"

"I want to see breasts... I miss you."

This summer, she glanced at him sideways, then stole a look at Teacher Shi who seemed not to have heard anything, and lowered her voice to "scold": "Watch out for the resin."

"...What are you doing?"

Ikeno curiously leaned closer, only to discover that the two were actually cooking…

To be precise, it was the Empress Dowager who was causing trouble, while Teacher Shi was cooking.

"Oh, Sister Shishi is teaching me how to cook."

Mentioning this, Jin Xia immediately perked up, proudly raising her chin: "I did a very good job."

"Several people were poisoned."

Chino asked curiously, "Who's stronger, you or Teacher Huang?"

"Teacher Chi, if you keep teasing me like this, I'll get angry."

Chi Ye remained silent, only looking at Teacher Shi.

After a long silence, Teacher Shi said, "I'm teaching Xiaxia how to cook... a recipe you like."

"what."

Chi Ye suddenly realized, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two of them before settling on Jin Xia: "Have you changed your personality?"

"Humph."

The old lady snorted unhappily before carefully wiping the eggs clean and finding the perfect angle to place them: "Sister Shi said I have the potential to be a culinary master, just you wait and see."

"Do you want me to spray some perfume on the eggshells for you?"

As Chi Ye spoke, he turned around with displeasure and said, "Teacher Shi, how could you swear at someone?"

"Ok?"

Shi Daifu was taken aback. She stared at Chi Ye for a few seconds, puzzled, before realizing what she meant and hurriedly explained, "No... I didn't mean Xiaxia is..."

This summer, she happily said, "I've already sprayed it all... there's still some left."

She turned to stare at Chi Ye: "Teacher Chi, you're really something."

Chiye: "???"

"Why are you here instead of rushing to the premiere?"

"I can spend time with you at the premiere."

"...Okay, it seems you're not that desperate after all."

Ikeno: "...You should learn something, okay? If you keep saying that, I'll get angry."

This summer, she pretended not to hear him and turned back to studying her "beauty eggs".

Looking at this scene, Chi Ye suddenly felt that he shouldn't have come this time. He felt that all his sincerity had been "misplaced".

……

2 month 12 number.

On the eve of the Spring Festival film season, all the major players in this year's box office are ready.

A day later, at night, a storm struck.

(End of this chapter)