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

Chapter 411, Wang Lei: How much potential does he still have that hasn't been unleashed?!
Three-legged race earns 50 million yuan on its opening day.
"What do you think, Lao Zhang? These three people all achieved this result. You could say it's the first time they've ever had such an explosive achievement." Ma Xiaogang paused, then joked, "They've all surpassed their own limits."

"Even you haven't achieved such outstanding opening day box office results."

“That’s true,” Zhang Yimou frankly admitted. “Looking back at our past box office results, it seems like we’ve never had such good box office results. Even considering inflation, none of them have had such an excellent opening day as these three. They’ve broken a new barrier.”

"Just like you broke box office records with 'Hero' back then, this time, these young men have also broken records with their box office performance."

Ma Xiaogang smiled with his eyes narrowed.

"It's true that new talents emerge in every generation. I have a feeling that my skills are about to be surpassed by them."

"Yes, that's good."

Zhang Mouzi squinted.

I also think this is actually a good thing—

"Only with rivals can we unleash our creativity and our fighting spirit."

"Ah."

"You seem disdainful?"

"It's not that I'm disdainful, it's just that I understand you," Ma Xiaogang said. "You can only be so at ease when you know you still have an advantage."

Zhang Mouzi paused for a moment, but did not deny Ma Xiaogang's words.
He was able to handle things so skillfully because he genuinely believed he had an advantage.

Whether it's "The Last Supper," "Let the Bullets Fly," or even Li Xuan, whose advancement speed is the most exaggerated, Jiang Wen believes he has an advantage.

Ma Xiaogang said.

"I wonder if you'll still be so calm and collected when you can no longer handle things with ease."

"Let's talk about that when I'm no longer in control, shall we? Nobody knows what their future holds, but at least for now, I find it very interesting," Zhang Mouzi said noncommittally, then added, "I wonder if the Beijing entertainment circle is panicking this time."

Are you panicking?
It's about Li Xuan, right?

Ma Xiaogang felt the same way. He didn't know if Zhang Mouzi was panicking, but Wang Shuo and his team were definitely starting to panic.

Private club in Beijing.

Wang Su held a glass of wine, looking quite smug.

"The Last Supper" grossed 4213 million yuan on its opening day and received an 8.8 rating on Douban.

This result is sufficient.

That's enough to shut up all the doubters, including some who have lost faith in the Beijing entertainment circle.

“I told you, the audience’s eyes are discerning.” Wang Shu swirled his wine glass, his voice carrying a relaxed air of complete control: “What is high-class? This is high-class. Lu Chuan, that kid, didn’t let us down.”

Zheng Long, standing beside him, chuckled and chimed in, "That's right, just look who brought it up. Our style is the true essence of Chinese-language cinema."

Everyone in the room was laughing, and the atmosphere was warm and harmonious.

Did Jiang Wen's "Let the Bullets Fly" have a higher box office?
so what?
Isn't it only natural for the master to win against the apprentice?

The expectation for Lu Chuan is that he will become a seventh-generation director.

Jiang Wen is like that.

A powerful figure who directly attacks Zhang Mouzi's level.

It has to be admitted that it is truly terrifying.

At least, that's what Wang Shuo thought after watching Let the Bullets Fly.

I really don't think Lu Chuan has any hope of winning.

This is something that takes ten years of hard work to perfect.

It's best to avoid his sharp edge.

Moreover, it's not necessarily a bad thing; there's a clustering effect that makes the box office potential very high this time.

The person who continuously raises the first-day ceiling and breaks through the barrier.

It will also be remembered by history.

For example, Avatar, for example, Heroes
Only Lu Chuan, sitting in the corner, remained unusually quiet throughout. He didn't touch the wine, but simply sat quietly, his gaze fixed on a point in the void. No one knew what he was thinking.

Wang Su noticed it, but didn't pay it any mind.

"Have Li Xuan's results come out yet?" Wang Su asked casually, his tone light and unassuming, as if he were asking about the weather.

In his mind, this was not a problem at all.

How much box office can a realistic, tearful film like this possibly generate? Twenty million at most.

An assistant-like person was looking down at their phone when they heard this, their body stiffened abruptly, and their face turned deathly pale.

“Teacher Wang…” His voice was trembling.

Wang Su frowned, somewhat displeased: "What's wrong? Why are you stammering?"

"It's out..." The assistant swallowed hard and handed over the phone.

Wang Su took it impatiently and glanced at it.

The next second, the smile on his face froze.

The light from the phone screen illuminated his face, which had instantly lost all color.

"Dying to Survive" grossed 4982 million yuan on its opening day!
Initial rating on Douban: 9.0!

"impossible!"

Wang Su's voice suddenly rose in pitch, becoming sharp and somewhat shrill.

The wine glass in his hand crashed to the ground with a loud bang.

"This is absolutely impossible!" He snatched the phone as if he wanted to stare through the string of numbers, his fingers swiping wildly across the screen, trying to find evidence that it was fake news.

However, all the major portal websites, ticketing platforms, and data sources all point to the same result.

That cold, seemingly mocking number: 4982 million.

Zheng Long also came over, and when he saw the number clearly, he gasped and felt the hairs on the back of his head stand on end.

The noise inside the room had stopped sometime ago.

Everyone stared at Wang Shuo, at his ashen face.

The air seemed to freeze, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe. The aroma of the liquor, which had been so fragrant just moments before, now smelled incredibly pungent.

Impossible, absolutely impossible.

Such an amazing result.

"Why panic!"

Wang Su suddenly raised his head, forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart, but his voice trembled uncontrollably.

"It's just the opening day box office, what's so great about that!" He looked around and said loudly, "These kinds of movies rely on emotional manipulation to make the first wave of tears, they definitely won't last long! Our 'The Last Supper' is made through word of mouth, we'll look at the total box office, we'll look at the final results!"

"This world shouldn't be like this."

That's what he said, but he himself knew how weak those words were.

With a Douban rating of 9.0 and a flood of audience comments saying they "cried until they were dehydrated," how could it not have lasting impact?
He was really panicked.

Zheng Long panicked as well.

It was a chill that seeped into your very bones.

Their proud "aristocratic narratives," their meticulously crafted artistic barriers, seem to crumble before Li Xuan's almost barbaric, heart-wrenching "commoner's narratives"...

It's not that useful.

They could accept Jiang Wen's 5123 million; it was a celebration of genius, the king of another mountain. After all, he was Jiang Wen, someone who could potentially challenge Zhang Yimou.

But Li Xuan's 4982 million was like a resounding slap in the face, striking each and every one of them hard.
It hurts like fire. Now it seems that, in terms of both box office and word-of-mouth, Jiang Wen and Li Xuan have firmly surpassed Lu Chuan.

Their highly anticipated seventh-generation leader was defeated on the very first day of this clash of titans.

Wang Shuo's gaze unconsciously drifted to Lu Chuan in the corner, hoping he could say something to calm the troops.

However, Lu Chuan did not react at all from beginning to end.

He sat there quietly, his face showing no surprise, no panic, not even a ripple of emotion.

"This is just the box office performance on the first day; a movie season isn't that short."

At this point, Lu Chuan, as the person involved, responded to Wang Su.
A fairly calm response
The opening day box office reflects the appeal and level of interest.

At least in terms of production and marketing at the same level.

Li Xuan
His popularity among the audience
It's better than Lu Chuan.

"Do you think Wang Lei is panicking? He must be under immense pressure."

At this moment, Wei Ming chuckled.

It felt exhilarating, like never before.

As far as the current results are concerned.

Wang Lei, who participated in the betting.

You must be sweating profusely right now.

"Those high and mighty people have always used all sorts of bizarre reasons to oppress us; it's been like this for a long time."

Wei Ming breathed a sigh of relief this time.

From the moment Li Xuan officially entered the entertainment industry, the old clique, led by the Beijing circle, began to exert systematic oppression on him.

A systematic approach targeting Li Xuan.

The reason is very simple and straightforward: it's a matter of stance. A very simple matter of stance—an irreconcilable matter of stance.

But knowing doesn't mean accepting one's fate. Wei Ming saw Li Xuan climb up step by step, eventually reaching his current position and the place he had finally arrived at.

"Yes, that's true. It's not easy to find a place to survive among these 'first to get rich' and get to where you are now."

Li Xuan murmured, "But I still ended up here."

Looking back.

It's really not easy.
However, this is only the first day's box office; the screening period hasn't ended yet. We'll have to see how many tickets remain on the first day.

Given this result, Wang Lei of Huayi should be under immense pressure. What are his chances of winning this bet?
Of course, the release of "Dying to Survive" did not mean that everything was over. Li Xuan understood that in addition to the box office not being fully realized, there was still a card to play in the upcoming awards.

"The Age of Awakening" hasn't been released yet.

Li Xuan knew that his advantage lay in having "both sides".

They make television programs and movies.

He can be a director and an actor.

You can 'control' all the progress yourself
Compared to "Dying to Survive", "The Age of Awakening" is, in some ways, more difficult to handle – it deals with a more sensitive subject matter and a larger scale that is more challenging to manage.

At this moment, Li Xuan closed his eyes.

"Winning the championship. The next one, 'The Age of Awakening,' is the last battle before this wave of awards. Let's see if our works over the years can leave a mark on the awards."

Leave your mark.

Huayi Brothers headquarters, top floor.

Countless phone calls flooded Wang Lei's office—including some from shareholders who were doing uncouth oral exercises.

Wang Lei sat in that large leather chair. On the monitor in front of him, there were no dense financial statements, only three movie posters side by side, and three sets of shocking data below them.

"Let the Bullets Fly" grossed 5123 million.

"Dying to Survive" grossed 4982 million.

The Last Supper, 4213 million.

After a long while, he picked up his phone and dialed a number.

The call was answered quickly, and the voice on the other end was as calm as ever, even a little distant.

"Hey."

"It's me." Wang Lei's voice was devoid of any emotion. "The data, you saw it?"

Lu Chuan on the other end of the phone hummed in response.

"What are your thoughts?" Wang Lei asked.

"Thoughts?" Lu Chuan said indifferently, "President Wang, are my thoughts still important now? The audience has already voted with their feet."

“No, it’s very important.” Wang Lei’s tone was firm and left no room for doubt. “I want to know, after watching his movie and seeing this result, what are you thinking now? Do you feel it’s unfair, or do you feel that your skills are inferior?”

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment.

“None of those.” Lu Chuan’s voice rang out again, eerily calm. “I was just thinking that what I’ve insisted on for so many years, that narrative system I’ve believed in about ‘sophistication’ and ‘integrity,’ seems to be of no use in front of Li Xuan.”

Wang Lei laughed, a low laugh that sounded somewhat out of place in the quiet office.

"Vulnerable? No." He said slowly, "Lu Chuan, your film is a finely crafted jade piece, requiring discerning individuals to appreciate its beauty in a quiet setting. Jiang Wen's film is a strong liquor, spicy, potent, and with an unforgettable aftertaste—a celebration for those who consider themselves 'smart.' As for Li Xuan..."

Wang Lei paused for a moment, his gaze falling on the poster for "Dying to Survive". Cheng Yong's smiling yet tearful face, illuminated by the dim light of the screen, possessed a heart-wrenching power.

"What he served was neither jade nor strong liquor."

"He brought out a bowl of rice, a very ordinary bowl of even somewhat coarse white rice."

"But everyone needs to eat rice. When you're hungry, no matter how delicious the delicacies are, nothing beats a bowl of hot white rice. It's so satisfying, so... essential."

Lu Chuan remained silent on the other end of the line.
"You didn't lose to Li Xuan's talent; you just lost to 'hunger,'" Wang Mian summarized calmly. "The audience's hunger for genuine emotions and for resonance with reality."

"Mr. Wang... actually, when I talk to you, you're in a much better mood than I thought. You're carrying that bet on your shoulders..."

"A bet?" Wang Lei laughed again, as if he had heard something amusing.

Wang Lei stood up, walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, and looked down at the steel forest illuminated by neon lights.
This is the human world, a world where people who possess resources and everything can 'control' it as they please.

I won't lose.

A smile, incomprehensible to others, curved the corners of Wang Lei's mouth.
Lu Chuan on the other end of the phone was completely speechless.

Is this Mr. Wang serious right now?
Very confident.
Perhaps he set a trap for Li Xuan in the bet?

Lu Chuan thought about it and it made sense. After all, what capital lacks most is 'dignity'.

"Get some rest." Wang Lei's tone returned to calm. "The first day's box office is just the beginning. This battle is far from over. Let me see how many true fans your 'jade' can retain."

After saying that, he hung up the phone.

Silence returned to the office.

Wang Lei picked up another phone on the table and looked at a message that his assistant had just sent.

"Mr. Wang, the public opinion analysis report on 'Dying to Survive' is out. In addition to the usual 'tearjerker' and 'good-looking,' a very frequently mentioned related word appeared—'medical insurance' and 'pharmaceuticals.'"

Wang Lei's pupils contracted slightly as he looked at the words "medical insurance".

"Li Xuan, oh Li Xuan..."

Wang Lei muttered to himself as he picked up the half-smoked cigar and threw it into the trash can.

"You're capable of changing a lot of things."

How much potential is still untapped?

(End of this chapter)