1990My Entertainment System

Chapter 160 The Top Bidder, A Fugitive on the Run

Speaking of the movie "A Chinese Odyssey", it is the movie that is most similar to Stephen Chow's life.

In the play, he is entangled in love and relationships, and amidst lies and career setbacks, he ultimately betrays those he loves and those who love him.

The same applies off-screen!
……

Summer wouldn't concern herself with his affairs; after returning to Yanjing, she devoted herself to serving Empress Dowager Milan, fearing that the pregnant woman might be unwell.

In addition to the triangular pregnancy pillow that Milan made earlier, which supports her belly and allows her to lie on her side, in the summer she invented a series of other things, such as a "bed-up aid," a "bath chair," and a "lower limb massager," all to make Milan's life more convenient.

Besides, the family will definitely need it in the future.

About a week after returning home, on October 15th, the 12th Golden Eagle Awards for Television were held in Yanjing, and Xia Tian was invited to attend and sat in the first row.

At this year's Golden Eagle Awards, "Yanjing People in New York" won the Outstanding Long-Form TV Series Award, while lead actors Ma Wen and Wang Ji won the Best Actor and Best Actress Awards, respectively.

It can be said to be a great harvest!

"Tides Rise and Fall" and "Love Fills the Pearl River" also won the Outstanding Long-Form TV Series Award.

The first part features Li Yunlong, a handsome young man from the surrounding villages, while the second part features Wei Zi, who is Yue Buqun in Li Erpeng's version of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer".

Moreover, Xia Tianxiaoxu's old friends, Xiren from "Dream of the Red Chamber" and Commander Yuan Mei, also appear in "Love in the Pearl River".

Unfortunately, she was a supporting actress and didn't attend the awards ceremony, so I didn't get to see her.

As you can tell from the title "Love Fills the Pearl River," this is a production from the Pearl River Film Studio. Commander Yuan worked there, and it was difficult for old friends to meet again, even though they were scattered all over the country.

In addition, Liu Xiao Ling Tong won Best Supporting Actor at this year's Golden Eagle Awards, and Liu Bei from the Beijing entertainment circle won Best Supporting Actress.

……

The Advertising Law was promulgated on October 27.

Xiaoxu's company even hired a legal advisor, as they plan to establish a legal department in the future.

Summer wondered if the enactment of this law was due to the popularity of health supplements!
This thing is really rampant right now!

Whatever Sanzhu, Sun God, Qigong belt, spectrum instrument, Five Elements needle, Chinese turtle essence... just drink it all, and you'll be completely silent after one sip.

Even years later, the number of victims is countless, but I still can't write more; the ditch in Shenhe won't allow it.
It's almost November, and the year is coming to an end.

CCTV's advertising department came up with a brilliant idea—to bid for advertising during prime time slots next year.

He was actually the top bidder!

The term "top bidder" was spread by Xiaotian Advertising Company in the summer—a top-tier company that sets the rules, including the naming and interpretation rights of these unique terms.

This kind of operation may not show great results in the short term, but over a ten-year period, it is the most powerful business strategy!
CCTV has launched an auction for prime-time advertising slots, with a nationwide bidding process scheduled for the 8th of next month.

Currently, the two strongest contenders for this top bid have both approached Xiaotian Advertising: one is Shandong Kongfu Banquet Wine, and the other is Guangdong Taiyangshen. One sells wine, and the other sells medicine, so they are fiercely competing. It seems like they're fighting against each other!
Xiao Xu didn't care about anything else and directly divided the group into two teams, each responsible for their own clients. Whoever won would naturally become the team leader!
The key is to raise a treacherous spirit!
In early November, a few days before the bidding for the top spot, Ah Ying's scenes in "A Chinese Odyssey" were finally completed.

Before returning to Hong Kong, I called Beijing.

On the one hand, it was to express my condolences to Sister Lan, who had worked so hard, and on the other hand, it was to chat with Xia Tian.

On the phone, she seemed quite worried about "A Chinese Odyssey".

Ah Ying: "Ah Tian, ​​what do you think of this movie? I don't have much confidence in it."

Even Ah Ying, who played an important role, didn't quite understand the film; it was only slightly better than Wong Kar-wai's art films.

The plot is fairly clear, but it still feels a bit confusing.

The style is also quite unconventional, not as thoroughly comedic as "The Eagle Shooting Heroes"...

Therefore, Ah Ying had little confidence in this film, her "comeback" after many years. Xia Tian could only comfort her: "A genius is half a step ahead, a madman is a full step ahead..."

"You don't think this movie is good either?" Ah Ying asked.

"No, I'm optimistic about it, very optimistic. But it's no use, the box office will definitely be bad. The film is a bit ahead of its time, and it didn't come at the right time. It will have to wait a few years, until people catch up with it, before they can appreciate the film's merits..."

This film involved hundreds of people from Hong Kong and mainland China, took over a hundred days to shoot, and was made into two parts.

As the inaugural production of Star Cinemas, it had an investment of 4500 million RMB, but the box office revenue barely covered the costs, leading to the company's bankruptcy.

Stephen Chow's first business venture has failed!
Liu Zhenwei, 39, was also deeply affected and immigrated to Canada, retiring early.
……

On November 8th, Xia Tian went to watch the exciting bidding for the title of "King of Bids".

One sold wine and the other sold medicine. They raised the price in a cool way, and in the end, Kongfu Banquet Wine won the bid with a price of 3080 million!

These days, these two industries are the most profitable!
That evening, Mr. Mi generously invited Xia Tian and Xiao Xu to try it...

Milan: "I tried it myself! It tastes alright~"

Self-produced and self-sold?!

The next summer, I took her to the hospital for another prenatal checkup.

Everything went smoothly, and all indicators were surprisingly normal.

If it weren't for the fact that one of them was the most famous female entrepreneur in Yanjing, and the other was the most famous female entrepreneur in the country, the female doctor would have called those interns over to see what the most normal indicators looked like!
It's perfectly normal, like a specimen!

Before leaving, Xia Tian and Mi Zong watched a commotion in the corridor.

The nurse gave the doctor's instructions: "Sir, you can't drink alcohol when you get home!"

The old man protested: "If I can't drink alcohol, what am I supposed to do when I'm thirsty?"

The nurse said impatiently, "Drink water if you're thirsty!"

The old man asked, "Is the water fifty degrees?"

The nurse retorted, "The water boils to a hundred degrees!"

"Pfft~" Xia Tian and Milan laughed all the way.
……

On November 12, "The Fugitive," the first Hollywood blockbuster imported to mainland China using a box office revenue-sharing model, began its first week-long run in six major cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Chongqing, and Chengdu.

However, in the summer, I heard Han Sange complain that as the "first film to try something new," the distribution of "The Fugitive" was not going smoothly.

The reason for choosing these six cities for the first round of screenings is that the distribution managers in these six regions all happen to be song revampists, so there is relatively less resistance.

It is worth mentioning that the powerful Yanjing Film Company strongly opposed the film's release and even refused to take on the distribution work.

Left with no other option, China Film Group had to find a roundabout way to collaborate with the Haiding District Film Company.
It's clear that even the slightest change can affect those who have already benefited from the system, which is quite remarkable.
The importation of Hollywood blockbusters has sparked a huge debate within the industry, with some industry insiders believing that this "inviting the tiger down the mountain" move will destroy the already fragile national film industry.

Amidst a united boycott, "The Fugitive" was forced to be taken offline early in the Yanjing area.
Ultimately, "The Fugitive" grossed 1127 million yuan in its opening week in mainland China, attracting 139 million viewers, and eventually earned 2500 million yuan at the box office.

The average ticket price for a movie in mainland China is around 6 yuan, but the highest ticket price for "The Fugitive" can reach 15 yuan, which shows how popular the movie is!
For audiences in inland China today, this Hollywood blockbuster is incredibly impactful!

Despite widespread boycotts from industry professionals, many previously deserted cinemas saw a resurgence of queues during the release of "The Fugitive," and even the earliest "scalpers" emerged, reselling tickets originally priced at 15 yuan for 50 to 60 yuan each!
The average monthly salary is only five or six hundred yuan!
Chinese audiences, accustomed to watching domestic films, were stunned by this sudden opening up and everything on the screen, and were immersed in a sense of surprise.

This fact has sparked widespread controversy and discussion throughout society. Some critics in newspapers have argued that "American films are taking over our market and using Chinese ticket revenue to fatten up foreign film companies," and have made extremely pessimistic predictions about the future of Chinese films.

They slack off and lack ambition, and are extremely resistant to all external competitors...

It turns out that you can't trust what those who have vested interests say!
(End of this chapter)