Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 486 Just do it
With the arrival of Zhao Benshan and others, the scenes depicting Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei's love life were temporarily put to an end. The crew members were disappointed that they couldn't watch them fall in love in the 70s with big smiles.

But you can watch them interact and act with veteran actors.

With the participation of several veteran actors, the film's sense of the times, destiny, and simple, rustic atmosphere are further highlighted.

On the morning of the 4th, the opening scene of the film was to be shot. Jingqiu, a high school girl from a poor family, dropped out of school due to her mother's multiple illnesses and her family's poverty, and worked as a temporary worker at the school.

Because of her excellent writing skills, she won the opportunity to go to Xicunping, a rural area, with the school's textbook writing team to experience life there.

On the way to Xicunping, the village chief introduced Jingqiu and her group to a local hawthorn tree with red flowers, which later became a symbol throughout the film.

Then Jingqiu was arranged to stay at Captain Zhang's house in Xicunping, where she met Lao San for the first time, picking up where the scene they filmed last week had left off.

The crew first went to the old-fashioned bus station in the county to film the scene of Zhao Benshan picking up the passengers, followed by the classic hawthorn tree scene.

Xicunping was shrouded in a thin layer of mist, the air carrying the crisp scent of earth and vegetation. The film crew had already made all the necessary preparations along the winding dirt road at the village entrance.

With a shout of "Start!", on the monitor, Captain Zhang, played by Zhao Benshan, led a group of students and teachers from the No. 8 Middle School of the city from a distance to a closer view.

He pushed an old wooden cart, the axle of which made a rhythmic "creak-creak" sound as it bumped along the dirt road.

The cart was piled with several worn canvas travel bags and some household items such as washbasins and enamel mugs in net bags.

Liu Yifei, who plays Jingqiu, walks at the back, wearing her signature slightly oversized, faded blue and white checkered polyester jacket with a lapel collar. She wears slightly worn dark blue khaki trousers with short hems, revealing a small section of her ankles clad in ordinary cotton socks, and black cloth shoes with rubber soles.

Before Boss Lu's scenes were even filmed, he put on makeup and stood behind the monitor watching the performance.

This scene was not difficult for Xiao Liu. She only needed to portray the timidity and curiosity of a young woman who had just entered the village, as well as her awe and gaze at the hawthorn tree later.

This tree represents the glorious achievements and dedication of countless revolutionary martyrs.

He was mainly observing Zhao Benshan, because the conversation that followed contained an important metaphor reflecting the oppression of the times.

The group of students stopped in front of the hawthorn tree. Zhao Benshan suddenly turned to face the tree and improvised a gesture that wasn't in the script.

He tapped the tree trunk with his pipe, and a few dry, cracked pieces of bark fell off in a flurry: "During the War of Resistance, Japanese artillery shells shaved off half of the tree's crown. Look at these scars..."

Teacher Luo interrupted him, saying, "Yes, this tree was from our War of Resistance against Japan..."

Xin Baiqing plays Teacher Luo, and his delivery of lines is quite impressive. Zhao Benshan, who plays the village chief, tries to introduce the hawthorn tree several times, but is always interrupted by this teacher and revolutionary cadre from the No. 8 Middle School.

Zhang Yimou and Lu Kuan kept a close eye on Zhao Benshan, as his subtle reactions were crucial.

In the surveillance footage, when Zhao Benshan's pipe was suddenly broken, he gripped it tightly, his arm, which had been pointing at the tree scar, froze in mid-air, and then his shoulder slumped.

After being interrupted by Teacher Luo, he unconsciously tapped the top of his shoe with his pipe, the brass pipe hitting the rubber sole with a dull thud.

"Cut! Passed."

Zhang Yimou turned his head and sighed, "I was worried that Xue Jian wouldn't be able to come, which would diminish the quality of the role. But Lao Zhao is just as good."

"It's not bad. When it comes to period films, you need older actors, otherwise it just doesn't feel right."

In the scene just now, Captain Zhang, as a local villager, attempted to tell the legend of the hawthorn tree from a simple, rural perspective.

However, as a representative of intellectuals, Professor Luo immediately covered up his statement with a more "orthodox" narrative of patriarchal education.

What Zhao Benshan is trying to portray is the co-optation and transformation of folk discourse by ideology during a special period. The individual memories of the villagers are replaced by the grand narrative of the brotherhood, implying that the complexity of historical truth is simplified in the political context.

Why film it this way? Isn't Zhang Yimou's theme pure love?
Just like the metaphors and allegories in poetry, the pure love stories in movies also need the backdrop of the times.

However, there are two issues: firstly, censorship, and secondly, the director's own stance and inclination. Just like his later film "Coming Home," Zhang Yimou only wanted to explore the historical background and did not want to delve too much into his own political expression.

Therefore, in order to depict the tragic love story between Jingqiu and Lao San, an interpretation of the gray and gloomy atmosphere of the era was essential in this film.

How do you shoot when you can't express your feelings directly?
In "Coming Home," he indirectly presents the psychological trauma and behavioral patterns of Chen Daoming's character, transforming historical events into a footnote to a love story by focusing on Feng Wanyu's waiting and Lu Yanshi's companionship.

In "Under the Hawthorn Tree," besides the constraints of the male and female protagonists' fates, he also devoted some of his attention to the character Zhao Benshan.

For example, Lao Zhao's various detailed expressions, and the very vivid segment at the end—

His Adam's apple bobbed violently but he couldn't make a sound, only a swallowing sound mixed with phlegm. The microphone captured the "gurgling" sound of his throat sticking together, and the suffocating feeling of something stuck in his throat penetrated the screen.

This suffocating feeling might not be noticeable to first-time viewers.

But as the story unfolds, and Jingqiu and Lao San's relationship ends tragically in the end, looking back, the memories will be vivid.

Liu Yifei and Zhao Benshan both came over to read this. As usual, Zhang Yimou encouraged Xin Baiqing and chatted with Lao Zhao for a few more minutes.

"Teacher Zhao, that's fantastic, no doubt about it."

Zhao Benshan chuckled and said, "I remember those days very well. It's not hard to find that feeling. I added a few movements on the spot. If it doesn't work, we can do another take."

Zhang Yimou waved his hand: "That's enough, that's enough. This one is already great. Any more wouldn't be good, since it's not our theme."

"Enough is enough, enough is enough."

Xiao Liu nudged the man next to him, puzzled, and whispered, "I haven't paid much attention to Captain Zhang's character details. Could you analyze him for me?"

Lu Kuan briefly explained the essence of what he had just said to his wife.

"The hawthorn tree has white flowers, but Teacher Luo insists on saying: because the hero was buried at the tree's roots, this hawthorn tree has red flowers."

"Given this historical context, Captain Zhang could not and dared not refute it."

"The character played by Zhao Benshan is actually a symbol of an era. He is an interrupted rural narrator, carrying the silent historical trauma."

“Essentially, Teacher Luo’s suppression of his discourse power and the detailed expression of his series of actions and expressions are the trembling of a disciplined rural soul in front of a political narrative. You can make connections with this understanding.”

After a few seconds of thought, the little girl's gaze towards Grandpa Benshan changed.

However, she is looking forward to her upcoming scenes with both Captain Zhang (Zhao Benshan) and her mother, Xi Meijuan.

Art, after all, requires communication.

An actor's own life experience limits their expression, but by observing how veteran artists portray the historical depth of a character, it can compensate for the lack of understanding of the era's context by younger actors.

The performance tension generated through this interaction can also break through the emotional threshold set by the script, and achieve the organic growth of the relationship between the characters.

For Xiao Liu, who is persistently exploring her acting career, this film will be of great benefit.

The crew finished filming the last scene at 12:40 pm and then took a break for lunch.

Even the most harmonious film crew is still a small society, and differences become apparent during mealtimes and rest periods.

The production assistant pushed a stainless steel food cart across the set, where the extras had already formed a long line like sardines.

Plastic lunchboxes filled with oil-soaked shredded potatoes and stir-fried cabbage with fatty pork were quickly distributed. The rice was pressed down hard, and most people ate while squatting in the shade of telephone poles or on prop boxes.

However, no one had much of an opinion. The extras were mostly local villagers and migrant workers from the county. They were provided with meals and wages, which was already a very good treatment in a poor and remote area.

Several veteran actors sat with Zhang Yimou at a simple plastic table and stools. Those who had the means had their own assistants to bring them food, while those who didn't mind just ate whatever was offered.

It's not about being a diva or showing off; some actors genuinely have health reasons or need to maintain their figure, making it impossible for them to dine with the crew.

Just like Tom Hanks in "The Sky of History," during the later stages of filming in Nanjing, a dedicated nutritionist planned his diet to ensure he lost weight while maintaining good health.

Extras and grassroots actors are said to be surviving, mid-level actors can maintain a limited level of dignity, and top stars are in a state of exquisite isolation.

For example, Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei.

They were having dinner in a converted RV they had rented from Jiangcheng. This RV was only for temporary use, and they would replace it when the luxury RV that Harvey sent arrived in the middle of the month.

However, the entire crew is now quite understanding. Ever since Zhang Yimou strictly prohibited smoking within the filming, dining, and accommodation areas, everyone knows the rules even if they don't say it.

This top-tier actress in the Chinese entertainment industry is probably pregnant.

In addition, Liu Xiaoli often bought fruit and extra meals for the crew as a form of welfare, so almost no one was jealous or gossiped about her.

Just like Boss Lu said, acting like a big shot means demanding treatment that exceeds one's status.

To be fair, their entourage was already quite small. If Liu Yifei hadn't been pregnant, they might not have received such special treatment, just like they did on the set of "Sky".

Xiao Liu was eating while watching the afternoon's scenes and pondering the lines and action details.

The nutrition team in Beiping selected the ingredients, which were then purchased in Jiangcheng and locally with the help of Liu Yifei's aunt, Zhou Wenqiong. Finally, a local chef was hired to cook the dishes, which were delivered to the film set on time every day.

Today's meal consisted of steamed mandarin fish, stir-fried spinach, and a chicken soup in a thermos with the oil skimmed off—not even meeting the standard of three dishes and one soup.

Xiao Liu ate slowly and deliberately: "Hmm, this mixed grain rice is pretty good too."

“You said you wanted to control your weight, so the nutritionist team that Xiaolu found told you to eat whole grains a few times a week, saying that they would lower your blood sugar.”

Liu Yifei laughed and said, "I haven't lost any weight. Lu Kuan has lost several pounds even though he eats with me."

"You still want to lose weight? It would be good if you could maintain a slight increase in weight over the next two months. You're two people now, my dear." Liu Xiaoli looked like she was about to slam her hand on the table.

What's going on now? You're still thinking about losing weight?
She put on her glasses and took out a brown-covered notebook: "Let me tell you, I just spoke with Dr. Tang, the chief physician of the nutrition department, on the phone yesterday. He said that he needs to monitor your pregnancy metabolic indicators every month, such as blood sugar and ferritin, and dynamically adjust the protein and carbohydrate ratio."

"The sports nutrition consultant, traditional Chinese medicine diet chef, and postpartum nutrition rehabilitation specialist that Xiaolu found haven't been put to use yet. Once these two months are over and we return to Beiping, we'll have to take care of them all for you."

Liu Yifei was somewhat speechless: "No, when you were pregnant with me, were there so many rules?"

"I don't think it's necessary to eat such a perfectly balanced diet every day. Wouldn't it be better to eat a little bit of whole grains, lean meat, eggs, and vegetables?"

The elderly mother ignored her and continued recording data while wearing her glasses.

On October 4th, I ate 150 grams of mixed grain rice and 200 grams of mandarin fish (I ate half of it).

After a long pause, she belatedly looked up and said, "You get whatever treatment you're entitled to under the conditions. If you marry a poor guy, I won't care about any of this."

"Now that we have these conditions, what trouble are you afraid of? It's your mother who will be the one causing trouble. You can just wait to eat every day, stop being so dramatic!"

Liu Yifei didn't dare to refute, she could only roll her eyes. Boss Lu, who had just finished making the call and was in the car, happened to hear the last sentence.

So scolding!

The wicked woman still needed the Empress Dowager to deal with her.

Liu Yifei refilled her half-finished chicken soup, then picked up a few more pieces of meat and handed them to her husband: "What did Han Shanping say?"

"No."

The aroma of chicken soup filled the air. He lowered his head and took a sip. The warm soup slid down his throat, carrying a faint sweetness of goji berries and a refreshing taste after skimming off the oil.

"It's not just Damai.cn; the Film Bureau hasn't received any compatibility applications for national platform encryption protocols this year, nor has it filed any applications for the development of ticketing software."

They were well-intentioned but caught off guard. This surprise attack was specifically aimed at Wen Jie. Knowing his connections with the China Film Group and the Film Bureau, they naturally wouldn't expose this weakness.

Damai.cn's underhanded tactic was to poach engineers from the Phoenix software they were currently using. (Chapter 465)
While the latter cannot be fully aware of all the interface data updated every year, the basic framework can be built first, and then it can be patched up later.

Liu Xiaoli couldn't understand what the two were talking about, but she kept feeding her son-in-law, taking some fish from Liu Yifei's chopsticks and putting it in his bowl: "Xiaolu, don't just drink soup, eat some vegetables."

"Okay, sure." Lu Kuan lowered his head and shoveled a couple of mouthfuls of rice into his mouth. The spinach was stir-fried until tender and smooth, with a hint of garlic flavor—very appetizing.

Liu Xiaoli has a small appetite; she ate a few bites and then got out of the car to go for a walk, leaving the young couple alone.

Xiao Liu wiped her mouth clean, propped her chin on her hand, and watched him eat heartily: "So, is this considered safe? Can we be sure that Lian Xiang won't make any moves for the time being?"

"Of course not!" Boss Lu frowned: "It's no exaggeration to think of this old turtle as extremely cunning, especially since the opponents in the world of questioning are not just one or two."

"The most awkward thing right now is that even if we can predict that online ticketing will be a major trend in the future, we don't have the time or money to operate it now. Once we enter this field, we won't be able to stop burning money for one or two years."

"We're not doing it for now, and we don't want anyone else to do it either, so what's the reason for Damai.cn's recent prominence?"

Liu Yifei suddenly had a bright idea: "Why don't you take a look at the situation of our other competitors? Maybe it's related to them too?"

"Wenjie has never been defeated before, so these people probably won't underestimate their opponents like Huayi, right?"

"Wait a minute!" Xiao Liu took his laptop out of his bag and plugged in the wireless network card.

"The dumbest way is to check them one by one. I want to see Ali's new Taobao Mall." The surfing girl skillfully operated the mouse, and after a while, she said "Oh" and turned the screen around.

"On Taobao, you can buy tickets online using Alipay. There are three companies: Yongle, Yiyang, and Damai. The latter has the highest sales volume and also ranks higher in search results."

These three companies are currently the top three online ticketing providers in China.

"Hmm?" Lu Kuan paused in his rice-scooping motion. His wife's idea was quite interesting.

By examining potential competitors with whom business overlap may occur, even if the outcome cannot be directly determined, it is still a way to gain insight from small clues.

But Taobao alone doesn't tell the whole story. Buying traffic and rankings is common practice in e-commerce. Liu Yifei herself promoted and endorsed Wenjie Mall in its early days, so she's no stranger to this model.

But speaking of rankings?

"Open Baidu and search for things like online ticketing, and see the results."

"Whiteness?"

"Yes, Baidu is a member company of the Taishan Club, and the underwriter Goldman Sachs was contacted by Liu Chuanzhi. They have a close relationship."

Boss Lu sipped his soup slowly and deliberately, and Xiao Liu did the same, with the same result.

"Pretty much. The first page of search results is either Taobao Mall's ticketing link or Damai's official website. The other two are at least on the second page."

Without needing Lu Kuan's reminder, Liu Yifei directly opened Alispace and Weibo, and searched Damai.cn to compare the results.

"The road is wide! It's still the same, with a lot of topics and posts."

Liu Yifei, with a growing sense of horror and excitement as she unraveled the mystery, asked, "Ali, Baidu, Lianxiang... could they be...?"

"No, that's not enough." Boss Lu finally lost his appetite for soup and gently put down the scalding hot porcelain bowl.

"Assuming they are really after movie tickets, with Taobao, Baidu, and Alispace as three traffic entrances and payment channels, Damai as a mature team as a foundation, and Lianxiang and Taishan Club as financial backing, what else do they lack?"

After a moment's thought, Xiao Liu said, "The cinema chain, right? Doesn't Huayi have a cinema chain?"

Liu Xiaolv slammed his hand on the table excitedly: "I'm a shareholder! Shareholders have the right to check the company's accounts. Should I have someone submit an application?"

Mr. Lu smiled at her, but she realized what he meant in an instant and quickly extinguished the speculation.

If the other party was truly scheming, and didn't even reveal their weakness in the software registration process, would they have exposed themselves on Huayi?
Indeed, the group excluded Huayi from the outset, partly for the sake of secrecy.

Without a first-mover advantage, how can we shake the position of Wenjie in the film industry?

Lu Kuan had already taken out his phone and dialed: "It would be great if it really was Huayi, but I'm afraid it might be..."

“Mr. Lu.” The call connected, and on the other end was Zhu Jinling, the legal director of Wenjie.

Wanda...

Liu Yifei silently recited in her heart that what her husband hadn't finished talking about was this cinema chain company.

Besides Wenjie, he is the only private cinema chain in China that Taishan Club might consider a heavyweight ally.

"I want to legally and compliantly check the business registration documents of a non-listed company, especially to see the shareholder list and capital contribution ratio. What are some ways to do this?"

Liu Yifei instantly understood his intention—

The internal companies of Taishan Club, such as Ali, Baidu, and Lianxiang, are not important to Wenjie at present. Whether it is a normal traffic-driving cooperation between Damai.cn and the first two companies, or an alliance has been formed, it is irrelevant to Wenjie.

Because Wenjie has an online store, Weibo, and video website, its ability to attract traffic and promote itself is even better than that of the other side.

But the addition of Wanda was too fatal.

If it weren't for the fierce battle between Wenjie and it in this life, Wanda in the previous life would have dominated the domestic film box office share for 13 consecutive years starting next year.

Lu Kuan consulted a lawyer about this issue after anticipating this possibility, and decided to directly explore the final answer to the question.

However, considering the powerful forces behind Lianxiang and the brutal nature of the struggles, they can only operate through legal and compliant means.

The professional lawyer quickly offered a solution: "The internal files of the business registration authorities are highly confidential and difficult for ordinary citizens to access. Even if relevant departments retrieve and review them, it will leave a record."

"The best solution right now is to sue Damai.cn." "Sue them?"

Former lawyer Zhu Jinling came up with a series of clever schemes: "Find a company that has a civil and commercial dispute with Damai.cn, preferably related to shareholders or investment, and then hire a lawyer to file a case in court."

"According to Chinese law, a lawyer can apply for disclosure to the industry and commerce department by bringing his or her credentials, a letter from her firm, a letter of introduction, and the court's acceptance notice."

“But there’s a problem.” Zhu Jinling guessed something: “But these are all for ordinary companies. If the other company has notified the industry and commerce bureau in advance, it may still be rejected.”

Lu Kuan laughed and said, "Being rejected? That's enough to prove the point."

Just like refusing a premarital medical examination, that is also a form of premarital medical examination.

"Here's what we'll do: you find a capable lawyer to handle this, and I'll provide you with a company that can cooperate; you can provide off-site guidance."

“No problem.” Zhu Jinling reminded, “President Lu, the company you’ve found should also have some backing, so that the business registration authorities won’t dare to budge.”

"Who's the person?" Boss Lu chuckled. "Don't worry, the people I found are known throughout the country."

The King of Comedy Sketches, the Governor-General North of Shanhaiguan, a fixture on the Spring Festival Gala, and the Grandmaster of Conmanship—

Zhao Benshan.

Surely they're powerful enough?
. . .

To be honest, Grandpa Benshan, who had just finished eating and was about to take a nap in his nanny van, was quite bewildered when he heard the news.

What kind of trick is the richest man up to now?
"Teacher Zhao, there's something I need to tell you beforehand. Damai.cn is a subsidiary of Lianxiang. You should also be very familiar with Taishan Club and Liu Chuanzhi."

“If I’m worried about offending them, I’ll just ask Zhang Heping from the Beijing People’s Art Theatre to do it, it’s no big deal.”

Mr. Lu added, "I'm speaking from the heart. Friends shouldn't make things difficult for each other, or it would be bad if it caused a rift between them."

Zhao Benshan looked displeased: "Mr. Lu, what are you saying..."

Old Zhao was interrupted before he could finish his statement. The richest man returned the favor, saying, "Teacher Zhao, please stop calling me General Manager Lu. You're exactly two cycles older than me, just call me Xiao Lu."

"Isn't this a bit inappropriate?" Zhao Benshan said with a smile.

A title may not seem like a big deal, but it can fully reflect the closeness or distance between people.

What is the relationship between Zhang Yimou and him?
He is the mentor and examiner of the fourth round of auditions at the Beijing Film Academy, a close classmate and fellow student, the director of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics, and a fellow artist and close friend who has been there for me through thick and thin in the entertainment and film industries over the past seven or eight years.

With a relationship like that, he could call out "Little Road, Little Road" without any worries in normal times.

This means that my relationship with him is almost as close as Zhang Yimou's, right?

“What’s inappropriate about it? Director Zhang was born in 50, and you were born in 57. You are both seniors. This way, we can be closer.”

Zhao Benshan laughed loudly: "That's great, then I won't be coy anymore—"

"Brother Xiaolu, I absolutely support Wenjie's idea to get into this online ticketing business."

“I’ll talk to Hailong about this later. I’ll stay out of it for now. You can just have your lawyer give you advice. We can talk again if things really get out of hand, okay?”

Boss Lu nodded: "Alright, then I'll borrow your name to stir up trouble."

"Don't worry, if Chairman Liu talks to you about something, just play along for a while and it will pass. He won't ask you to confront him directly."

Zhao Benshan was worried, but he couldn't help but wave his hand magnanimously: "It's okay, go ahead and do it. It's all legal and compliant. We'll just find an excuse to give them a piece of our mind."

One act ends and another begins; business competition is always ruthless.

The Axis of Evil is determined to take over the world's headquarters. They have been trying their best to control the operation of Damai.cn and have kept it completely separate from the film industry in order to avoid alerting the enemy.

But the team still needs training, right? And other business operations still need to be carried out, right?

We can't just let Damai.cn hide away like a turtle and then expect it to soar to new heights during the Lunar New Year season, can we?

The only fault is that the time traveler's associative abilities were too strong. If he hadn't had any idea of ​​the future of online ticketing, he would never have become suspicious because of these clues.

The so-called battlefield without gunpowder is vividly displayed in this undercurrent of power struggle—

Even if the enemy has gone to great lengths, chance often becomes the key to breaking information asymmetry, not to mention that Boss Lu has "information asymmetry" that exists with the whole world.

Let's see what kind of cards Old Zhao, acting as Boss Lu's "vanguard," has revealed about the evil axis.
. . .

Filming and resting in a place like a "Shangri-La" was a very pleasant experience.

Liu Yifei, who was collaborating for the first time, and Lu Kuan and Zhang Yimou, who were already very familiar with each other's working habits, worked together seamlessly during the filming of "Under the Hawthorn Tree".

With the other veteran actors also being very experienced, the crew operated smoothly without Zhang Weiping's interference, and the filming progressed very quickly.

On October 20th, Zhao Benshan, having finished filming all his scenes, left the crew to prepare for his performance at the Spring Festival Gala in Beiping and to prepare for the opening of the Liu Laogen Grand Stage flagship store in Beiping at the end of the year.

Director Zhang Yimou once again organized a small gathering to bid farewell to this outstanding comedian.

The first meal after arriving at the film crew last time was a bit unpleasant, but this time, without the clown Zhang Weiping, everyone drank and chatted happily, and the atmosphere was lively.

That evening, under the pretext of taking a walk to clear their heads from the alcohol, Boss Lu and Zhao Benshan walked around the hotel courtyard several times and exchanged many ideas.

For example, the civil lawsuits already initiated between DaWuTai and Damai.cn;

For example, before the grand opening at the end of the year, various promotions and marketing campaigns for the stage had already begun on Weibo.

Sensing something was amiss in early October, and after two weeks of preparation, finally exposing the true nature of the evil axis, such a reaction speed is undeniably fast.

As for the final outcome, we can only deal with it as it comes.

On Wednesday, October 22, 2008, news circulated online:
Previously, a lawyer hired by Benshan Media filed a lawsuit against Beiping Hongma Media Culture Development Co., Ltd.

Benshan Media alleged that its subsidiary, Damai.cn, misused the name of "Zhao Benshan's exclusive strategic partner" in its promotional activities, violating the due diligence obligations agreed upon by both parties in the "Online Ticketing Agency Agreement".

They demanded an immediate cessation of the infringement and compensation for the losses.

Meanwhile, after the Beiping Chaoyang District Court formally accepted the case on the 22nd, the plaintiff's lawyer went to the local industrial and commercial department with the relevant documents to legally and compliantly obtain the company's internal business files and view relevant information.

As expected, information that is usually readily available on-site in civil and commercial cases is delayed by relevant departments on the grounds that they need to locate archived files, and a response is required within three working days at most, according to regulations.

The 22nd is a Wednesday, and with this interruption, the legal access to the documents will have to wait until Monday the 27th.

Boss Lu didn't bother Manager Liu with this matter again.

Sometimes, no result is also a result.

If such a flawless request for information is evaded and delayed with various excuses, then even if the shareholder information found by the lawyer on Monday does not indeed include Ali, Wanda, and other companies, he would rather treat the other party as his imaginary enemy.

Don’t worry about winning, think about defeat first.

For an industry like this, which is destined to engage in a subsidy war, every day of delay means burning through many times more money to attract customers.

Boss Lu didn't wait any longer, and Xiao Liu had to miss her first prenatal checkup. On the afternoon of the 22nd, he left the film crew and temporarily returned to Beiping to deal with the matter.

At 6 p.m., the president's office in the Wenjie Building was filled with relevant personnel, all with different expressions, waiting for the big boss who had rushed back to give orders.

Dong Shuangqiang, Zhuang Xu, Gao Jun, Liu Qiangdong, Chen Zhixi, and Xu Wen, the technical director of Zhijie who was specially summoned, sat upright.

The latter is responsible for answering questions regarding the development of online ticketing software.

Indeed, the time traveler was unwilling to wait any longer and decided to take this step first to see how his opponent would react.

"Everyone, I have an update, this is just speculation for now."

“There is some evidence that several potential competitors are preparing to shake our dominance in the domestic film industry through a completely new track.”

He nodded to Dongzi again, indicating that Alipay would be one of the biggest beneficiaries. If the other side really manages to steal their base in this battle, Alipay might even be able to turn the tide.

This is not an exaggeration.

Movie tickets are a high-frequency, low-priced consumer purchase. Users buy tickets much more frequently than for high-value purchases such as air tickets and hotels, which can quickly cultivate users' habit of using payment tools.

Moreover, moviegoers are mainly young people aged 18-35, who are the core user group of mobile payment.

If the "axis of evil" can be successfully established, Alipay can quickly penetrate this group through its movie ticket business.

Dongzi looked slightly nervous when he heard him make it sound so serious: "Mr. Lu, what track?"

Online movie ticketing.

Gao Jun briefly introduced the business model, and everyone present fell into deep thought, considering the impact of such a competitor on their own company and the part of the business they were responsible for.

Dongzi, the leader, had been involved with Wenjie Mall and PaymentTong for several years and was naturally well aware of these consequences. He said with deep concern:
"Movie tickets are an O2O business. Users buy tickets online and redeem them offline. Payment tools can easily be linked to the cinema's POS system. The movie ticket business can also drive other local life services, such as catering and ride-hailing. These will be high-frequency, low-value consumption ecosystems in the future."

"We are currently communicating with Mr. Zhang from the Internet Business Unit about user profiling. This movie ticket consumption data is the best source of information and an important basis for our push notifications in the online store."

Just as the price of rice and pork was used to measure the value of currency in different eras, the frequency and total amount of movie ticket purchases are also a useful reference indicator for the current consumer group of Wenjie Mall.

In 2008, an era without ticket subsidies, the frequency of a customer's movie-going sessions—whether weekly, monthly, or yearly—was consistently between 40 and 100 yuan.

There is a prototype big data system being tested within Wenjie, which is derived from Netflix's "Cinematch".

This C algorithm has been used by all internet companies since then. It provides operational references by obtaining users' real-time viewing behavior and is also an important legacy left by Hastings.

Through exchanges between China and the United States, the prototype of this big data system was introduced to the mainland.

Zhijie Video is in use, and Wenjie Mall and other fields are conducting research and adaptation.

Zhuang Xu said with a solemn expression, "According to the industry white paper released by the Film Bureau this year, the number of screens in China is expected to exceed 6000 by the end of the year, and the total box office may reach 60 to 65 billion yuan."

"Mr. Lu has previously predicted on various occasions that the domestic box office will exceed 10 billion yuan within the foreseeable future."

"If online ticketing truly becomes the mainstream way to buy movie tickets in the future, even if it only accounts for 50% of the market share, you can imagine the significance of this billions of dollars in capital accumulation for payment tools."

"Even if we assume that a movie ticket costs 100 yuan, with a box office of 3000 billion yuan, there will be 30 million consumption behaviors. This is really important for cultivating users' usage habits."

In the previous life that Zhuang Xu could not see, around 2014, Wang Xing's Meituan quickly seized the market by subsidizing movie tickets with low prices, thereby promoting the popularization of Meituan Pay and ultimately leaving its competitors behind in the local life services sector.

As both are core strategies of the payment platform, the significance of online ticketing for PaymentTong is already fully recognized by everyone.

But the most serious consequences are actually in the film industry, which involves the shift of the power to schedule screenings, the struggle for pricing power over tickets, and the monopoly of distribution channels.

Lu Kuan tapped the table, waking the contemplative crowd: "Everyone, there's no point in thinking or talking too much."

"Our position in the industry is something we've earned through eight years of hard work and struggle. Haven't we seen this kind of challenge countless times?"

"Right now, I don't care about the final outcome, whether Wanda joins this online ticketing alliance, or whether Damai has any plans to offer online movie ticketing—"

“No matter how difficult it is, we have to do it ourselves now, and I hope everyone understands this decision.”

While it's true that Wenjie was essentially his personal fiefdom, he was ultimately a hands-off manager, providing the general policies while the middle and upper management were responsible for their implementation.

The purpose of this "alarmist talk" was to make the subsidiary managers realize the seriousness of the problem. Otherwise, given the current tight situation across all sectors, everyone will be reluctant to launch any more large projects.

First, unify our thinking, then behead the dog.

Dong Shuangqiang was the first to respond: "Occupying the track first doesn't necessarily mean burning money first. If the enemy doesn't move, I won't move."

Gao Jun nodded: "Online ticketing is like a castle in the air. Ultimately, it has to be implemented in each specific movie theater and each theater chain. If we want to do it, we must first target the theater chains."

Boss Lu said in a deep voice, "Gao Jun, could you give me a rundown of the current situation of cinemas in China?"

"Among the top-ranked cinema chains nationwide, we and Wanda are the only private enterprises that need further introduction. As for the rest, those ranked in the top few by market share—"

"With the relationship between President Lu and President Han, I don't think there will be any problems with China Film Stellar Media."

“Beiping New Film Union, this is my former employer. I have a close relationship with Mr. Zhang, the former general manager of Forbidden City Film Industry, who is now the director of Beijing People’s Art Theatre. We will work together to do this.”

“China Film South New Line and Yangcheng Jinyi Pearl River are not easy to deal with. Although China Film has a stake in the former, the local faction has a lot of say. Payment Tong has strong connections in Guangdong Province, and Huayi is also the other side’s own territory.”

"The Shanghai United team is still among the top-ranked teams, we should be able to—"

"Not necessarily!" Boss Lu waved his hand: "We can't let our guard down in Shanghai, even though our cooperation with Shanghai Film Group is ongoing."

"Chairman Liu is essentially a Shanghai native. In 98, he wanted to establish a company in Shanghai, creating a bridgehead for R&D and sales. He and Guo Guangchang of Fuxing often echoed each other, and Guo was also a member of the Taishan Club."

"The last time PaymentTong was launched, we took advantage of the negotiations with Disney. You can't simply assume that Shanghai Film Group will definitely favor us. If local factions get involved, it's hard to say."

In fact, Shanghai Capital has always had a close relationship with Chairman Liu. The investment by Oceanwide Holdings in 09 was a capital integration promoted through the Shanghai platform.

Gao Jun nodded: "Then, excluding the Shanghai alliance, if we're going to compete for theater rights, let's consider Wanda as a hypothetical enemy, and prepare for the worst-case scenario—"

“对方有万哒（13.9%）、南方新干线（9%）、金逸珠江（7.9%）、华艺（4.5%）这几个基本盘，大概占据全国市场35.3%的份额。”

"Our own (11%), China Film Stellar Media (14.2%), and Beiping New Film Union (10.2%) are basically also 35.5%, so the difference is not significant."

Of course, this is only based on the premise that the subsidies and supporting measures from both sides are almost equal, and the final outcome will depend on the level of subsidies.

Even Han Shanping wouldn't dare to forgo the 9.9 yuan from the axis of evil to do business with the 40 yuan from the realm of inquiry.

The more one's constitution is affected, the more taboo it becomes. Ma Yun and Chairman Liu are keeping a close eye on him, wishing they could bring this sworn brother of Lu Kuan down from his horse.

Lu Kuan did not correct his statement about the "Huayi" faction division, and chuckled: "It means that the Shanghai Alliance is now the top priority, and the remaining local cinemas such as Pacific, Dadi, and Hengdian are considered secondary markets in the lower-tier cities."

In 2008, the combined market share of Shanghai cinemas was approximately 12%. All the top-ranked cinema chains mentioned above were mainly based in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, and together they accounted for nearly 85% of the national market share.

The remaining cinemas are mostly local chains, including those jointly invested in by Bona Film Group and Fiber Optics, accounting for about 2%, and Chengtian Cinema, which don't have much impact on the overall market trend.

"Okay, let's take it one step at a time. Next, we'll talk about the actual application scenarios of online ticketing, and the first thing is software development."

Lu Kuan Steering Technology Director: "XCMG, could you talk about the shortest production cycle?"

Zhijie's CTO, Xu Wen, adjusted his glasses: "Based on the software requirements that Director Lu gave me this morning."

"We are not considering advanced features such as real-time seat selection, integration with multiple cinema and venue systems, and distribution channel integration for the time being. We will only meet the basic functions of user registration, ticket display, online payment, and order management."

"According to our general software development process, requirements analysis can be skipped. The remaining steps, such as architecture building, database design, front-end and back-end development, third-party interface integration, stress testing, and canary release, will take at least 4 months at the fastest speed."

Everyone's expression turned serious. Lu Kuan remained expressionless: "Currently, 'Mei Lanfang' and 'If You Are the One' are both scheduled for release in early December. If we calculate it that way, the Lunar New Year release is simply too late."

"Let's figure something out. I'll give you three months! At least you need to catch up with our own 'Under the Hawthorn Tree,' right?"

"Mr. Lu, this..."

Boss Lu said in a deep voice, "I'll have the technical team in North America assist you, including Mike Solomon, the former architect of Mytube, and a big data C software engineer from Netflix. You can also poach a few maintenance personnel from currently used ticketing software."

"Just three months, is that okay?"

Zhuang Xu glared at Xu Wen with displeasure, but the latter smiled wryly and then nodded firmly: "Okay!"

Boss Lu added more pressure: "Since it's feasible, give me a demo version within two weeks, otherwise how can I negotiate with the various theater chains in advance?"

He looked around: "Where have we gotten to the point where we've created our own imaginary enemies? I don't know, and even the internal business records don't give me any clues."

"It's simple to find out where the enemy is going. We can either contact the theater chain or just make a move to alert them and observe their actions."

"I expect the situation to be far from ideal. Everyone should be prepared. This time, it may be another tough battle for Wenjie Mall to catch up with Taobao and for Wenjie Jiahe to catch up with Wanda."

The atmosphere in the office was oppressive. Although it wasn't quite gloomy yet, the fact that even the big boss had made such a big fuss to fly back from the film set showed how fierce the enemy they were facing this time was.

This is the response that has been made in the shortest possible time, mobilizing all available resources.

Ring ring ring!
"Put it off first." Lu Kuan's phone, which was on the table, suddenly rang. He told Chen Zhixi, who was standing by the table, to hang up first, so he could break down the task.

Chen Zhixi was about to do as instructed, but upon seeing the caller ID, she couldn't help but whisper a reminder.

"Mr. Lu, it belongs to Aunt Liu."

Mr. Lu thought of his wife, who was having a prenatal checkup in Jiangcheng today, and his eyelids started twitching for no reason. He went over and answered the phone.

Liu Xiaoli's excited voice rang out: "Xiao Lu! Qianqian, she..."

(End of this chapter)