I'm not a drama freak, I can really see through the script

Chapter 389, Wang Su: Li Xuan is really doomed this time!

The premiere begins.

Wang Shuo was also invited as a 'celebrity' to attend the premiere of 'Avatar'.

Wang Lei and Liu Meizhen from Lionsgate were also present this time.
Wang Shuo was thinking to himself that the Avatar crew really did treat everyone the same.

They showed no respect whatsoever to Lionsgate, a second-tier Hollywood company, yet they were treated as equals. Only now could they finally see a premiere.

It was a fucking ridiculous thing. Wang Shuo actually felt a little gratified, but this gratification was accompanied by a sense of shame.

A fucking, lingering sense of shame.
It's only at times like these that I can find this strange sense of comfort.

Upon seeing Wang Lei, Wang Su immediately put aside his thoughts and took the initiative to ask...

"Mr. Wang, you're still as impressive as ever. How's the IPO going lately?"

After a moment of silence, Wang Lei smiled and said.

"It's still in progress."

The process of pushing forward has been underway for a long time.

Wang Suo wasn't stupid; he could figure things out by thinking about them. The IPO was postponed, and the original listing and financing plan was ruined.

Actually, this matter is also related to a certain person.
It's said that the film "The Long Season" caused a minor wound for Huayi Brothers, which was related to a certain man. Although Huayi Brothers gained a reputation for "having a discerning eye" in the public eye, the financial statements couldn't fool those financial institutions.

"The Forbidden Kingdom" truly delivered a deep and piercing blow to the very core of the problem. Although it successfully participated in a Hollywood project, the results were rather poor.

This was the final straw that broke the camel's back for the IPO.
This can be considered the last straw that broke Huayi's back.

Wang Su thought for a moment: if Li Xuan hadn't been there, would Huayi Brothers have been different?
If Wang Lei hadn't tried to recruit Li Xuan, and if that butterfly effect hadn't occurred, perhaps the IPO would have gone ahead, allowing them to pave the way for resource integration, go public, and gather those super resources.

But now,
One wrong step, and the whole game is lost. Now the throne is in jeopardy.

Guangying Media's faster IPO than Huayi has given it a head start in finding a way to integrate funding resources, and it's only a step away from surpassing Huayi.

Can we still hold onto first place?

Perhaps they're just relying on their remaining influence.

When the remaining influence fades.

What's left? There probably isn't anything left.

Huayi today is far inferior to what it used to be.
Or perhaps, only a lingering force remained.
Is it a 'route' error?
At the time, Huayi was thinking about going public, integrating resources, increasing influence, and eventually gaining the qualifications to participate in blockbusters like 'Avatar'. This approach was correct, as long as the resources could be integrated.

Everything will be alright.

But if the IPO fails, the whole thing is lost.

Therefore, in Wang Su's view, Wang Lei should be filled with resentment towards Li Xuan, which is the correct statement.

Therein lies an irreconcilable conflict.

It was precisely because of Li Xuan's power and talent that the listing of the Huayi Brothers Group was blocked.

It's something truly amazing.

This is the round.

It has blocked so many people's path to wealth and honor.

But when you look at Wang Lei now, you only feel a sense of calmness about him; he seems even more serene than before.
There was no painful feeling of 'loss'
This actually made Wang Su think more highly of him.

I have a bit of admiration for this chairman of China Film Group.

The sect leader.

He is a man who achieved his current success not by luck.

Wang Lei said softly.

"Actually, I'm quite confused too. We've persisted on the path of capital integration until now, only to be dealt a heavy blow by our talent. But if you think about it carefully, weren't we the ones who used our talent to severely damage others before we became successful?"

“It’s understandable that you feel this way. I’ve been through that myself. I’ve also found that if I met my past self now, I’d definitely punch the other in the head.” Wang Su paused, then said, “Even beliefs can change at different times—a kind of change that’s impossible to convince the other person to change.”

"You're right, this is a change that can't be persuaded."

At this moment, Wang Lei spoke softly.

"Just like I never would have believed before that after becoming a major capitalist, I could still be manipulated to this extent by an individual. But he relied on something called talent to manipulate himself to this extent."

Wang Su squinted.

"That only shows that we are not strong enough. It is normal to feel confused after failure. This time is also an example to show you the ultimate pinnacle of resource integration and what it can achieve."

"Yes, the ultimate pinnacle of resource integration."

I'm talking about Avatar right in front of us.

I've heard it's a massive collection of industrial resources, so I'm a little curious about what kind of things it can produce.
A woman's voice interrupted Wang Lei and Wang Su's conversation; the voice wasn't particularly gentle, but it was polite enough.

"Mr. Wang, Mr. Wang, it's been a long time."

Lionsgate's Yoo Mi-jin walked over with a standard American smile, but the fine lines around her eyes betrayed her fatigue.
This time, they came to China again to discuss cooperation. Among the foreign capital, only Lionsgate is relatively enthusiastic. After all, from the perspective of the investment circle, they are the only ones who are willing to cooperate with Chinese entertainment capital. But it is also because they are a second-tier Hollywood company that they need to unite with a first-tier Chinese company.
Wang Su glanced at her, then at Wang Lei, and suddenly felt speechless.

Huayi Brothers tried to curry favor with Cameron but failed miserably.

Lionsgate, despite being a second-tier Hollywood studio, doesn't seem to offer much better treatment than these domestic nobodies.

Everyone came to see the premiere; no one got to see the film a minute earlier than anyone else.

"Mr. Liu, a rare guest." Wang Lei nodded slightly as a greeting.

Wang Shuo looked at Liu Meizhen in front of him, and then at himself.

Three people: a veteran of Beijing's elite circles, a down-on-his-luck domestic tycoon, and a second-tier Hollywood representative.

Standing together at this moment, the scene was somewhat subtly comical.

The feeling of 'equality' actually emerged at this moment.

Behind them stand different factions and interests, yet at this moment they all have to look up at the same insurmountable mountain.

Now, we are witnessing this mountain peak!

The lights in the theater slowly went out.

The moment the giant screen lit up, the whole world seemed to consist only of light and shadow.

Wang Shuo leaned back in his chair, pondering how to use his most discerning eye to see what kind of mess the five hundred million US dollars had actually made.

Wang Lei sat upright, wanting to see from this film just how vast the gap was between himself and the world's truly top-level capabilities, or rather, to see what the ultimate path of resource integration would lead to.
Liu Meizhen was the calmest of the three. She was most familiar with the Hollywood industrial process. What she wanted to see was how Cameron would push the integration of technology to the ultimate art, while also observing Wang Lei and Wang Su's reactions to decide what to do next.

The movie begins.

When the first shot cuts to the magnificent yet eerie jungle of Pandora, Wang Shuo's lazy demeanor disappears.

He instinctively sat up straight.

Ten minutes later, when the Hallelujah Mountains appeared suspended in the air, Wang Shu felt his breath catch in his throat. It completely defied the laws of physics, yet the texture of every rock and the hanging vines on the mountains were so real that they sent chills down his spine.

Wang Lei, sitting next to him, gripped the armrests of his seat tightly, his knuckles turning bluish-white from the force. Liu Meizhen took off her 3D glasses, rubbed her eyes vigorously, then quickly put them back on, muttering in a low voice in English, "Jesus Christ..."

This is not movie special effects.

This is fucking creating a real world.

Those plants that glowed eerily at night, those flying beasts with wingspans that blotted out the sky, that alien with the graceful figure of a feline, its entire body blue...

Every detail is so realistic that it makes the real world seem somewhat fake and rough.

When the protagonist, Jake Sully, first connects to his "Avatar" and runs wildly through that alien jungle, the overwhelming sense of speed and the feeling of freedom as the wind brushes against his skin creates an illusion for everyone in the theater.

It felt as if I had grown that blue tail myself, and was feeling the moist and warm land of Pandora with my toes.

The concept of time has become blurred.

The two-plus hours felt like a short but exquisitely beautiful dream.

When the end credits rolled and the theater lights came back on, Wang Su, Wang Lei, and Liu Meizhen remained motionless, as if nailed to their chairs.

All around were gasps of amazement and gasps of astonishment.

They slowly removed their 3D glasses, and the magnificent planet Pandora before their eyes instantly transformed back into an ordinary movie theater. A profound sense of emptiness washed over them, like being plummeted from a great height, crashing heavily into their hearts.

"Hold……"

After a long while, Wang Su squinted and looked at Wang Lei next to him.

"This is not a movie."

Wang Su's expression at this moment was absolutely serious.

"This is a world, a world called Avatar Planet."

Wang Lei didn't speak; he only felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head. His mind went blank, filled with the headlines praising "Source Code" that had been circulating online recently.

They all started from the perspective of special effects.

Go and brag about this epic showdown.

An epic showdown?
Wang Lei squinted, trying hard to calm himself down, but he couldn't.

Is this what you call a duel?
This is an ant waving its antennae at a starship.

He now fully understands just how vicious Zheng Long's gang's schemes were.

Praise and kill.

After watching Avatar, the power of this move was magnified countless times.

The audience's expectations have been raised to the sky, and they are full of hope that they will see a close match between the Chinese challenger and the Hollywood giant.

But the result?

When they walk into the theater and discover that "Source Code" is just a low-budget film with a simple setting and meager investment, the anger of being fooled and deceived will instantly tear Li Xuan to shreds—especially after the media has made pronouncements that it is comparable to "Avatar".

"Li Xuan... he's really finished this time." Wang Su muttered to himself, almost able to foresee the bloodbath that would ensue after the release of "Source Code".

Zheng Long's move was damn ruthless.

This was both flattery and a deadly blow, directly placing Li Xuan on the guillotine.
Originally, I thought the effect would be very good, otherwise I wouldn't have praised Li Xuan to the point of ruining him from the perspective of special effects and visuals.

But judging from the quality that Avatar has shown so far, Wang Shuo knows that the effect is by no means 'very good' but rather 'absolutely excellent'.

An extreme visual advantage.

Wang Su subconsciously looked at Wang Lei, expecting to see at least a hint of vengeful pleasure or a gloating sneer on Wang Lei's face.

After all, it was Li Xuan who single-handedly ruined Huayi's IPO and dragged Wang Lei off his throne as the industry leader.

However, there was nothing on Wang Lei's face.

There was no sense of satisfaction from avenging a great grudge, no sense of liberation, only a weariness and bewilderment as if all strength had been drained away.

Wang Lei's gaze fell on the now-off screen in front of him, and his voice was very soft, as if he were talking to himself.

"We're still here, fighting tooth and nail over how to divide a piece of cake..."

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, his tone carrying an indescribable absurdity.

"But they've stopped playing the game of dividing the cake with us. They've created a new world for themselves."

After saying that, he suddenly turned his head and looked at Wang Su, who was stunned, with a complicated expression.

"So what? We're going to turn around now and join forces to crush that one... the only person who wants to build a little cabin on these ruins?"

Wang Suo was completely stunned.

Think carefully
Wang Lei stood up and fell silent.

"I suddenly realized that I'm not so happy anymore."

Indeed it is.

Avatar's strength is evident from every angle.

This technology is groundbreaking. Cameron has truly proven one thing: the path of resource integration has reached its limit, meaning that even the most clichéd plot can be made into something extraordinary.

It's clear to the naked eye that the future of Hollywood films, since Avatar, has seen the convergence of industrial power, producing wave after wave of special effects movies that earn foreign exchange worldwide.
It sucks up all the money in the world.

There wasn't a trace of joy in it, no hint that Li Xuan was about to suffer misfortune.

Under such cross-generational special effects.

Works from the Beijing art circle will only ever be suppressed.

Don't even think about going down the commercial film path anymore; you can't win, you simply can't win.

At this moment, Wang Su's gaze fell on Liu Meizhen, the Lionsgate representative in charge of China affairs, who was standing next to him.

The expression on her face was also one of surprise.

There was also a sense of shock in it.

Even people in Hollywood.

I was also shocked by these absurd special effects techniques.

Suddenly, I had a feeling that the three of us here today were actually...

Each of them has a subtle difference in their positions.

But their current situations are surprisingly similar.