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

Chapter 357 Ikeno Appears, a True Sci-Fi Shock

"Have you heard? Pre-orders for 'The Surface of the Moon' have already exceeded 250 million, and it's estimated that it will reach 400 million or even 500 million on the first day... the highest record in recent years. The overall economic climate has really returned."

Meanwhile, Sister Pliers and Li Qian were still arguing about Chi Ye's situation.

On the other hand, the main cast and crew of "The Martian" in the front row were more concerned about news from their competitors, and of course, they were also filled with anxiety and tension, especially Guo Feng's team.

The fruits of their hard work over the past few years are about to be launched. For Chi Ye, this launch may just be a slightly more important trial.

If they fail, given Ikeno's current size and status, it won't be the devastating blow that's causing such a stir outside. But for them, tonight and the next few days will be nothing short of a "life-or-death battle."

"The Surface of the Moon" is currently the top-grossing film in terms of both word-of-mouth and pre-sales during the Spring Festival season. Due to the influence of various marketing accounts and the collaboration between Shen Bin and Ma Li, the outside world now regards "The Surface of the Moon" as the "pioneering work" of Chinese science fiction films.

As for why it was given such a great "honor", firstly, "The Martian", which was also touted by marketing accounts as a "representative work of Chinese science fiction films", still only had small-scale test screenings.

Unlike "The Moon" and "Dream Lover," which started large-scale preview screenings well in advance, this film was essentially on par with a theatrical release, except for the different names, and its content was more widely circulated.

Secondly, and most importantly... the food Chinese sci-fi audiences have been eating has been absolutely terrible before!
With "The Fortress of Shanghai" preceding it and "Bureau 749" following, everyone really seems to be living in Bengbu.

As the saying goes, the Chinese entertainment industry has been suffering from thesis defenses for too long, which has led to "The Surface of the Moon" naturally reaping this hidden benefit despite its decent comedic quality.

Guo Feng's team was actually being quite conservative, because after "As You Wish" ended and the climax of the Spring Festival Gala passed, "The Martian" saw a box office increase of tens of millions due to "As You Wish," but Shen Bin and Ma Li's "The Surface of the Moon" also saw an increase.

In addition, top-tier productions such as "Dream Lover", "Nanjing Affairs", and "Volunteer Army 2" are all seeing their box office numbers rise as their release dates approach.

As for the imported films "Star Trek" and "Lizard Man," they have already been released overseas and are now performing strongly at the box office.

时间11∶50分，目前春节档的票房战场排名基本如下：《月球表面》3.1亿、《星途3》2.8亿、《梦中人》2亿、《超级蜥蜴侠》1.7亿、《金陵事务》1.6亿、《火星救援》1.4亿、《志愿军2》1.2亿。

In addition, several classic family-friendly animated films released during the Spring Festival.

Of the seven top-tier productions, "The Martian" is currently second to last, only ahead of its good friend Arthur.

Jiang Kaige didn't watch the Spring Festival Gala this year because he felt it was bad luck. He has been busy with the box office and promotion of "Volunteer Army 2" lately, but... the results have not been very good.

This time, the publicity strategy seems to have gone wrong.

He couldn't understand whether the audience's tastes had changed, or if there was really a problem with his film this time.

The success of "The Battle at Lake Changjin" is still fresh in our minds. To this day, it remains the No. 1 highest-grossing Chinese film in history, and is considered the next generation of "Wolf Warrior 2". When Jiang Kaige saw this achievement, he was extremely emotional, triumphant, and in tears.

Spring has arrived, and since "Farewell My Concubine," Jiang has finally regained his "rule" over the Chinese film industry.

His status as the No. 1 box office director in Chinese film history made his already arrogant personality even more out of control. Therefore, after Ikeno missed several opportunities to work with him, he was very dissatisfied and stopped paying attention to him.

"The Battle at Lake Changjin 2" was also a success, and he seemed to have mastered the "secret to wealth".

He and his team put in a lot of effort and finally released "The Volunteer Army 2", a top-tier film that is in the same vein as "The Battle at Lake Changjin" and has a larger investment.

The lead actor was Zhu Yaolin, a rising star and one of the hottest new actors at the time.

He had assumed it would be a massacre with no suspense whatsoever.

As it turned out… he seemed to be the one who got slaughtered.

Zhu Yaolin doesn't seem to be able to carry the box office... at least not as much as his previous films. "Volunteer Army 2," despite its huge investment, is ranked last in this year's Spring Festival film season.

Who says last place isn't first?!
Waaaaah, I really want to cry.

Jiang Kaige felt utterly humiliated. He sat in a movie theater, his face hidden deep within the walls, with only the faint sound of coughing proving that he was a seasoned gourmand.

Beside him, Arthur sat listlessly, coughed up phlegm, looked around, and asked boredly, "Dad..."

"Arthur."

The mother on the other side frowned and reminded her, "You should use polite language when you're out in public."

Arthur: “…”

Director Kaige coughed up phlegm again and waved his hand gently: "It's alright, Arthur, please go ahead."

Jiang Cheng remained silent for a while before asking, "Dad, why are we hiding here watching Chi Ye's movie during the New Year? I don't understand."

Director Kaige glanced at his simple-minded son and offered a hint: "Do you know that you have an advantage over others?"

Arthur: “?”

“After all, Ikeno and you had a past relationship.”

"Dad, you don't also think he can surpass you this time, do you?"

Jiang Kaige objected: "What you're saying is ridiculous. We've already been overtaken."

"Cough cough."

Chen Hong couldn't stand it anymore and frowned, saying, "Speak more politely."

Jiang Kaige was taken aback: "What's so uncivilized about this?"

Jiang Cheng also looked at his mother: "Mom, something's wrong with you."

"..."

The happy family of three had a long chat, and then Jiang Kaige gritted his teeth without changing his expression: "Now only Chi Ye can help me get revenge. I'm not reconciled."

Jiang Cheng was taken aback, then vaguely understood.

Yes.

Jiang Kaige failed this time. He underestimated the intensity of competition during this year's Spring Festival film season and overestimated his control over the market... Audiences are tired of his old tricks, which are no longer the money-making formula they once were.

The current secret to wealth is—science fiction movies.

Mahua Pictures only used the sci-fi label and didn't do much special effects, yet they still managed to achieve this result. It's expected to surpass at least 99% of their previous works, making it another "The Battle at Lake Changjin".

Jiang Kaige was unwilling to accept this. He had poured a lot of effort into this movie, and his son was the second male lead... It seemed that his silly son was truly beyond making a name for himself. What he found even more unacceptable was the constant criticism he received from those old, sarcastic people in the industry.

—As everyone knows, poets are the most concerned about their image and the least able to stand being looked down upon.

So he wanted to see what changes would occur in this year's Spring Festival film season, and given the current environment of the Spring Festival film season... apart from "The Martian", all the other films have already revealed their hand.

If there really is an accident, then "The Martian" is that accident.

He wanted to see if poets could have tempers too, and if poets could now be science fiction fans.

"I hope it won't disappoint."

Jiang Kaige took a sip of water, and he could already hear the familiar dragon logo appearing on the big screen.

The brightly lit theater went dark, and the surrounding chatter and buzzing disappeared—"The Martian" began.

……

2040年太阳日6月（SD6）、地球2040年4月。

The China National Space Administration's "Zhurong 3" manned mission successfully landed on Mars, and the crew of six astronauts is currently conducting a month-long scientific expedition.

On the 18th day of the mission, a sudden and much more powerful sandstorm struck the base.

For the safety of the astronauts, mission commander Liu Lan was forced to decide to abort the mission and urgently evacuate Mars.

The story begins here.

The MAX giant screen turned bright red, casting a crimson glow throughout the entire cinema. The camera panned, revealing a vast, rust-red Martian landscape to all who saw it.

The silver habitat became an insignificant dot on the vast, rugged Martian surface.

The camera zooms out further, revealing Mars as a massive, rust-red planet suspended in the dark vacuum of space, with distant stars in the background. There is no sound, only a breathtaking silence of vastness.

"...Holy shit!"

“How spectacular!”

"This filming is awesome!"

With just this one shot, almost everyone in the theater couldn't help but exclaim "Wow!"

—Because almost 80% to 90% of the scenes in The Martian were created using full CG scene effects, in order to make the audience believe that potatoes can really be grown on Mars, one-third of the huge investment in the film was spent on "Mars".

Therefore, the impact of this scene is extremely amazing, and it has a quality and shock that Chinese science fiction films have never had before.

That's the charm of science fiction movies.

Jiang Kaige's eyes lit up at the sight, his old face twitched slightly, and his cloudy pupils followed the changing camera angles on the big screen, reflecting the upcoming scenes and plot.

The sky was a hazy, pinkish-orange, and the terrain was undulating and covered with gravel.

A solitary cluster of habitats—the "Zhurong 3" mission camp—stands like a few silver cans, becoming a beacon of light in this desolate landscape.

This is the only trace of humankind on this planet to date.

Six astronauts are working diligently, the Mars rover is moving, and the astronauts, dressed in white spacesuits, stand out against the red background.

"That Mars rover is so cool!"

Some viewers exclaimed in surprise when they saw the Mars rover on the big screen.

Suddenly, Ikeno's voice-over rang out. It sounded familiar, yet it also carried a touch of unfamiliar optimism and humor—as pleasant as ever.

“They say that once you plant crops somewhere, you’ve officially colonized it, so honestly, I should be the first person to colonize Mars.”

Audiences with a low threshold for laughter were already laughing out loud.

Does this protagonist look like a goofball?
comedy?

Is it following the same path as "The Surface of the Moon"?

The scene shifts to the astronauts finishing their work, chatting casually as they walk towards their habitat, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

Commander Liu Lan, wearing a microphone, said, "Alright, that's a wrap. Everyone come in, the storm is coming."

Boom!

Just then, a deafening roar, like an earthquake, came from afar. The top-notch sound effects, combined with the top-notch visuals and equipment, instantly jolted everyone in the theater, their ears ringing.

"I rely on."

"You scared me..."

"what is that?!"

—A rolling, suffocating wall of brown dust appeared on the distant horizon, advancing toward the camp at an alarming speed, the wind gradually intensifying from a low growl to a roar.

The audience was stunned by the spectacle, because it was not just ordinary, perfunctory special effects, but extremely complex fluid dynamics and particle effects. On the big screen, it was hundreds of millions of sand grains moving, colliding, and interacting with other objects in a way that conformed to the laws of physics.

Where have domestic sci-fi fans tried this?
A visual feast!

indoor.

"The astronauts took off their helmets."

Liu Lan: "Ma Mo, analyze the soil sample. Wen Bin, check the air pressure. Zhang Qiang, check the communications."

The male protagonist, Ma Mo, yawned: "Okay, boss, I'll go fertilize my potatoes right away."

Suddenly, the pod shook violently, and a sharp alarm sounded.

Liu Lan was stunned, her expression changing drastically: "Something's wrong. This is much stronger than we predicted!"

outdoor.

A massive sandstorm engulfed the entire camp, reducing visibility to zero.

The gale whipped up sharp pebbles that pounded against the outer walls of the habitat and the solar panels like bullets, tearing a huge solar panel apart and sending fragments flying everywhere.

The intercom system's audio was intermittent due to static electricity and wind noise: "All personnel! Emergency! We need to evacuate immediately! Repeat, emergency evacuation!"

On the other side, the astronauts braved the storm, struggling towards the Mars vehicle ascender in almost complete darkness and chaos. The gale nearly blew them away, and they could only move forward by pulling each other along safety ropes.

"Click, click."

“Whoosh! Boom!”

A communication dish antenna, torn apart by the gale, twisted and broken like a piece of waste paper, its sharp metal support spinning and flying out in the storm.

"I rely on!"

When Mamo scrambled to the ascender hatch, he glanced back, uttered a very colloquial Chinese curse, and then tried to hide.

But the fragment of the antenna struck him instantly, like a cannonball.

His biosensor instantly turned bright red, his body was thrown away by the enormous impact, and his safety rope snapped.

In a mere instant, a living person vanished into the raging sandstorm and darkness.

His companion tried to grab him, but missed: "Mamer! No!!"

Liu Lan searched desperately through the storm, repeatedly calling out, "Mamo! Report your location! Mamo!"

Sensor data showed: "Vitality signs have disappeared."

The ascender was about to be blown over. Liu Lan struggled painfully for a moment, then said without hesitation, "We have to go...we have to go."

"Boom."

With a deafening roar, the ascender struggled to lift off amidst a raging storm, leaving behind the abandoned camp on the Martian surface, gradually being buried by dust.

The screen gradually darkens.

A broken piece of antenna is half-buried in the sand, with large Chinese characters, full of the charm of ancient Chinese mythology, faintly visible on it: "Zhurong No. 3".

Mamo lay face down in the red sand, motionless.

The piece of the deadly antenna lodged in the abdomen of his spacesuit was the very one that had caused the injury.

His vital signs monitor emitted a monotonous, cold red light, displaying "NO LIFE SIGNS!".

The wind howled, and all was silent.

Along with the silence came cinemas, audiences, colleagues, and leaders across the country who hadn't had the chance to watch the sample film.

(End of this chapter)