The Birth of the Best Director

Chapter 272 Surpassing Forrest Gump! Breaking the all-time box office record for art-house films!

……

This is because Far East Technology signed a $10 billion order with a Middle Eastern consortium, which specifically involves a very advanced robotic dog.

For netizens in 2013, this was like discovering alien technology!
Quietly and unexpectedly, a domestic company has created a groundbreaking technological product?

Robot dog?
Is this a science fiction movie that has become reality?
This news quickly climbed to the top of the trending lists on major websites.

The people discussing this below are exceptionally enthusiastic.

The enthusiasm is much higher than when discussing celebrity gossip!
Almost the entire population participated!
However, one of the most discussed issues is how Lu Zhiyuan and Gao Yuanyuan ended up among the founders of Yuan Technology.
Especially Gao Yuanyuan, this professional mistress is actually a major shareholder of the company?

This is incredible!
This is so different from Gao Yuanyuan's public image!
"Can anyone tell me what exactly happened? Wasn't Gao Yuanyuan always a mistress? How did she become a major shareholder of a tech company?"

"Was she replaced by someone else?"

“I checked the time, it was around 2009! She went to the celebration party for ‘The Coffin in the Mountain’, and after she came back, her whole demeanor changed!”

"Not only has she become more attractive, but she's also become smarter! She's got more endorsements and more movie opportunities! She's even made it into Hollywood!"

"Also, Yuan Ge is a really strange person... His high school classmates have posted information online saying that Yuan Ge was just an ordinary person in high school, except that he was good at drawing and won a second prize in some provincial youth painting competition! But it was only a second prize. Compared to now, he's like a completely different person!"

"I now strongly suspect that these two have definitely been switched... Otherwise, it's hard to explain why they would change so drastically?"

"There's only one truth... These two have another, hidden identity! They are most likely international fugitives! They fled from Italy to China!"

Some people were implying that Lu Zhiyuan and Gao Yuanyuan might have been switched at birth, that they were international fugitives who had changed their identities and infiltrated the country.

They understand very well the principle of "the darkest place is under the lamp".

So, after changing their appearance, they went straight into the entertainment industry and were exposed to the public every day.

That way, no one will suspect that these two are international fugitives!
"The person upstairs has insightful views!"

"I think so!"

Those who watched the movie "Art Students" last night instantly understood the subtext, as if they had found a secret code, and they all smiled knowingly.

Everyone showed their support!

But most normal netizens haven't had a chance to see this movie yet, and right now their minds are full of questions.

"You guys upstairs, aren't you overthinking this? What are you even talking about?"

"You guys have such wild imaginations! Yuan Ge and Gao Yuanyuan just started a tech company together that specializes in robots. Although it is a bit strange, when you think about it, it's not a big deal, is it?"

"As the news said, Gao Yuanyuan's older brother graduated from Tsinghua University. He is the technical director and leads the entire company in research and development. Gao Yuanyuan only contributed money, while Brother Yuan collaborated with them because he needed technical support when filming the 'Real Steel' series."

After the news broke, many people dug up the background of Far East High Technology.

The company was not founded to develop any cutting-edge technology; it was simply because Lu Zhiyuan wanted to make a Hollywood movie about mecha hunters battling monsters.

To make this movie, he spent $2000 million to customize five Jaeger robots.

In addition, he also studied a lot of robot-related technologies... but after all, he was an art student; although he had a rich imagination, he couldn't handle the technology.

Coincidentally, Gao Yuanyuan's older brother is a talent in this field.

Thus, the two sides quickly reached an agreement!
As for why Gao Yuanyuan became a major shareholder... it's because in the early stages of the business, others didn't have much money, while Gao Yuanyuan was already quite wealthy.

Whether she was deceived by these two men or had exceptional foresight... in any case, Gao Yuanyuan invested 3000 million yuan as the initial research and development fund, and at the same time became the company's major shareholder!
Now, Gao Yuanyuan has become the female lead in the movie "Art Students," marking her entry into Hollywood.

It might seem strange that Gao Yuanyuan would be the lead actress in a Hollywood art film, but there's really only one reason for it.

Because of the existence of Yuan Technology... Lu Zhiyuan wanted to forcefully promote Gao Yuanyuan as his partner and bring her into Hollywood as well.

All of this seems unrelated on the surface, but once you understand the inner relationship between the two of them, you can clearly find clues.

The relationship between Lu Zhiyuan and Gao Yuanyuan far surpasses his relationship with Liu Yifei.

After all, he and Gao Yuanyuan had a real and tangible relationship of interest.

"Upstairs, you're overthinking it!"

"I strongly recommend you watch the movie 'Art Students.' You'll see that your understanding is wrong... These two are wanted criminals who came to China from Italy, changed their identities, and started a new business!"

"I even know that Brother Yuan's real name is Li Wen, and Gao Yuanyuan's real name is Wu Xiuqing. Yesterday, the Italian police's arrest warrant was sent back to China!"

There were a few people who hadn't seen the movie, and they were having a normal discussion.

However, some people deliberately made fun of the movie, treating it as the truth and spreading it wildly to other normal netizens, claiming that Lu Zhiyuan and Gao Yuanyuan were internationally wanted criminals!
"real or fake?"

"Li Wen, Wu Xiuqing?"

"You even know my name? Am I really that ignorant?"

The commenter upstairs spoke with absolute certainty.

This left ordinary netizens bewildered, and they began frantically searching for the two names... It turns out that this is a movie starring Lu Zhiyuan and Gao Yuanyuan called "Art Students"!
Although the process was somewhat absurd, the high-tech aspect of the film "Art Students" quickly gained traction, sparking intense curiosity among many viewers.

The power of tap water is terrifying!

When tens of millions of people voluntarily become your advocates and help you spread the word... then you can become the king of the world!

……

On August 16th, the first day of its release, the film "Art Students" grossed around 50 million yuan at the domestic box office!
After all, this is just a regular 2D movie!

Although there is an IMAX theater, not many people buy tickets.

Overall, the average ticket price for this movie is around 40 yuan, which is much lower than the average ticket price of 50 yuan for "Real Steel 3".

In addition, the audience for drama films is far smaller than that for blockbuster films with super special effects.

Moreover, Real Steel 3 is the third sequel to a super movie, so its box office performance was naturally phenomenal.

The 5000 million yuan box office for "Art Students" is quite impressive in this day and age.

Not to mention, the movie was only shown for half a day, starting at 6 p.m. instead of midnight.

It's perfectly normal for box office revenue to drop.

In 2013, the maximum box office revenue for Chinese films was only 1.5 million yuan.

Iron Man 3, which was released on May 1st, grossed over 130 million RMB on its opening day, making it the highest-grossing film on a single day this year, apart from Iron Man 3!

However, as public opinion fermented...

The enthusiasm of netizens for watching the movie was immediately ignited!

On Saturday, August 17th, the movie "Art Students" doubled its box office, reaching 8 million yuan.

On Sunday, August 18th, box office revenue rose again, increasing by 20% to around 120 million!
If we're talking about audience numbers, "Art Students" has already surpassed "Iron Man 3".

After all, the average ticket price for "Art Students" is only 40 yuan, while the average ticket price for "Iron Man 3" is 48 yuan!
……

"Guys, this is the coolest crime drama I've ever seen!"

"I heard that the screenwriter wrote 'Infernal Affairs' before. He's really amazing."

"In the movie, I could see some plot elements typical of Hong Kong crime films. But the atmosphere was completely different. It was so unique, a unique atmosphere that belonged only to Brother Yuan!"

"Sacred light and shadow, a protagonist who's like a madman!"

"I've watched hundreds of movies, and I've never seen such a crazy male lead."

"At the same time, he was incredibly mad, yet his intelligence was at its peak... He fooled the whole world!"

"I only realized at the end that the protagonist, Li Wen, went to prison not because he was arrested by the police, but because he did it on purpose, facing death to live!"

"In order to investigate the cause of his beloved [Haibuna]'s death and catch the mastermind behind it all... he chose to go into the police station himself and, with the help of the information the police had, uncover the final truth!"

"I won't go into the plot details... After watching it, all I want to say is that the character of Brother Yuan is absolutely amazing! He's definitely on par with the world's most wanted criminal!"

"I've watched so many crime movies over the years, and I've never seen a villainous protagonist more badass than this!"

"Besides that... Yuan Ge's action of throwing money down from the rooftop was so cool, I would call it the best scene of the year!"

Whether it's the best shot or not, netizens' opinions don't count.

However, after only two days of the movie's release, Lu Zhiyuan earned a nickname: "Money-Sprinkling Bro".

……

"Are there any art students who can help analyze the value of the painting 'Waterfall'?"

“In the movie, Brother Yuan painted a lot of oil paintings on canvas. I think ‘Sunrise in the Clouds’ is very beautiful, and ‘Past’ and ‘Present’ are also very good.”

"However, Brother Yuan regards 'Waterfall' as his masterpiece."

"The character Dilraba earned $100 million for this painting, to welcome Yuan Ge into his family!"

"For Brother Yuan, this is not simply about money, but about appreciation, and the belief that a scholar would die for one who understands him!"

"Dilraba spent $100 million to buy Yuan Ge's 'Waterfall.' Yuan Ge then spent tens of millions of dollars to perform a real 'Dollar Waterfall' for Dilraba as a tribute to her departed soul!"

“In the movie, I counted, and Dilraba’s total screen time was less than 5 minutes… According to the amount of screen time, she wasn’t even a third female lead, she could only be considered an important supporting character! But, a painting of ‘Waterfall’ broke my heart.”

"In the movie, Dilraba and Yuan Ge never even held hands, but I believe they are truly in love!"

"At this moment, I feel like I understand Plato."

"Perfect love, love at first sight, and unwavering devotion until death, that's probably what it is."

Some people are analyzing the painting "Waterfall," suggesting it represents the core conflict of the film.

This is what is commonly known as the "key moment" in a play.

The English term is "key point of play".

To put it simply, this is the most exciting scene!
……

Initially, the painting "Waterfall" symbolized Lu Zhiyuan's pursuit of art.

Later, Reba bought the painting, and Lu Zhiyuan left Ruanwen and joined Reba's counterfeit money team along with the painting.

He wasn't attracted by the painter, but by Reba herself. When Reba bought "Waterfall," it was as if she had bought his artistic life!

He wanted to repay Reba for recognizing and helping him!

Later, at the moment when Dilraba jumped to her death, this was the dark night in the soul of Lu Zhiyuan's character, when he was completely lost and lost the meaning of living!
From that moment on, the entire style of the film changed drastically.

From the previous elegance and composure, it turned into bloodshed, violence, and a frenzied revenge!

It's like a spring being compressed to its limit and then springing back, a kind of swift and violent revenge that makes people hysterical while also being filled with a cathartic pleasure!

It was absolutely amazing!

Watching the last 20 minutes of this movie on an IMAX screen is absolutely exhilarating!
In the final 20 minutes, Lu Zhiyuan and his team, with the help of the robot dog and drones, achieved a crushing victory and racked up a killing spree.

It was absolutely ferocious!

Some netizens did a quick calculation and concluded that Lu Zhiyuan's team killed more than 1000 people!
This was absolutely amazing!
Lu Zhiyuan's destructive power is even more impressive than the legendary human weapon, Sylvester Stallone!
……

"I looked up the name 'Haibuna,' and it's the name of the painter Modigliani's wife. Two days after the painter died of tuberculosis, Haibuna jumped to her death in a suicide pact!"

"This story reminds me of a song... JJ Lin's 'Jiangnan'."

"Believe that loving for one day is better than loving forever. Time freezes in this instant. We, who don't know how to express tenderness, still think that dying for love is just an ancient legend... How painful can separation be? How intense can the pain be?"

"How intense is the pain... When JJ Lin sang this song, I couldn't empathize with him, but I saw Brother Yuan on the rooftop, frantically scattering US dollars to mourn Haibuna. Even though dozens of police cars and hundreds of police officers had surrounded him below, he didn't care at all."

"At that moment, I felt like I was experiencing it myself!"

"Losing a loved one is truly heartbreaking!"

……

"My goodness... this movie is so interesting! Dilraba has the name Haibuna in the movie."

"And Hybna's husband is a painter."

"In the movie, Yuan Ge and Dilraba didn't get married... but he subtly wanted to tell the world that Dilraba was his wife!"

"I hope they'll get married right after they finish filming the movie!"

……

"Brothers, regarding how good this movie is, I'll just say one sentence, and I believe you'll understand!"

"Jing Tian appears in this movie, but her contribution is only one ten-thousandth."

"Yes, I didn't make a mistake, it's one in ten thousand!"

"The entire movie is about 7500 seconds long, and Jing Tian only appeared for one second!"

"This movie is so good, I don't need to say more, right?"

This netizen's perspective is truly unique!

Almost instantly, it was pushed to the top by countless netizens and became a trending topic!
Most netizens' logic is basically linear.

Analyzing the plot of the movie with them, the visual elements, and how much foreshadowing Lu Zhiyuan had laid out—the netizens simply couldn't be bothered to look.

Because those who want to watch these things have already gone to the cinema to enjoy the movie.

The remaining netizens were mostly just there to watch the excitement and enjoy the drama.

The phrase "one ten-thousandth of the total" became a meme, and the remaining netizens instantly understood.

"With such a low sugar content, this movie's classic status must be even purer than pure water!"

"Absolutely a classic, without a doubt!"

"Attention everyone, look me in the eye... I have an announcement to make: today, I bought two IMAX tickets, and I'm taking my girlfriend to see 'Art Students' later. I want her to know what love is like for us art students!"

"Thanks, Brother Yuan, for speaking up for us art students... I'm just an ordinary art student, and I've fallen for a senior from the music academy next door. She said I'm just a terrible artist who doesn't understand romance at all. Yesterday, she suddenly apologized to me and asked me a lot of questions about art students' views on relationships. I feel like I'm going to win her over!"

……

Only art students truly understand the value of the film "Art Students"!
There are approximately 1000 million students enrolled in art schools worldwide.

Visual arts students make up about 25%, which is around 250 million!
These people are replaced every four years.

The main audience for the film is primarily between the ages of 15 and 40.

In other words, there are approximately 1500 million art students worldwide who are the main audience for Lu Zhiyuan's films!
For art students, if they also have a partner or family, the number would be close to 4000 million, or even reach 5000 million.

People who can afford to study art generally come from middle-class or higher families. Watching a movie isn't a huge financial burden for them.

Based on the global average movie ticket price of $8, these people, under extreme circumstances, could contribute approximately $4 million in box office revenue to Lu Zhiyuan!

Of course, there won't actually be that many.

But this base of support is enough to give Lu Zhiyuan's films a huge public impact!

Lu Zhiyuan believes that most art students around the world, given the right conditions, will come to see his film.

Again……

Only art students truly understand art students!

No one but themselves would make such an outrageously crazy movie!

Besides... when countless art students on the internet are discussing this movie, the remaining casual viewers will naturally become curious and go to the cinema to take a look.

As an art film, "Art Students" may not have such profound ideas.

However, as a commercial blockbuster, it is full of elegant style and high-end enjoyment that is completely different from ordinary commercial blockbusters!

The robot dog that went on a rampage in the movie can actually be bought!
And in reality, the movie protagonist actually owns a high-tech company that sells robot dogs!

At this moment, the audience's sense of immersion reached its absolute peak!
……

If a film can break out of its niche and generate buzz, its box office will sweep the world beyond most people's imagination!
Lu Zhiyuan doesn't understand other things.

However, having traveled from another time and space, he is absolutely more knowledgeable about media hype than anyone else!
The low-quality hype surrounding "Hot and Spicy" is nothing compared to his "Art Student," it's just a small fry and not worth mentioning.

As for quality, "Art Students" is several levels above!

He didn't believe that, under such circumstances, "Art Students" wouldn't be a box office hit.

Moreover, he has another trick up his sleeve!
……

After all, it's a movie he starred in, so Lu Zhiyuan can't escape the promotional activities.

Previously, when he worked behind the scenes, he would generally try to avoid these kinds of promotional activities.

But now, the core of the entire movie revolves around him.

Faced with numerous invitations from television stations, especially those for talk shows, Lu Zhiyuan simply couldn't refuse.

"Today, we have invited the hottest director of the year, a superstar, and the most unique art student in history... Lu Zhiyuan!"

It was clearly a pre-recorded program.

The people sitting in the audience below were mostly shills hired by the TV station.

However, the moment Lu Zhiyuan appeared, thunderous applause erupted from the audience, and cheers continuously rang out.

Someone even shouted: "Honey, shower me with money!"

Lu Zhiyuan swore to God that although he was not a social butterfly, he was not socially awkward either, but at this moment, he was really embarrassed.

The iconic scene went viral, it's truly amazing!
However, the negative effects are too much for most people to bear.

Even in the scene where he throws US dollars off the rooftop, Lu Zhiyuan himself thinks he filmed it incredibly cool, domineering, and arrogant... He has truly brought the character of Li Wen to its peak!
He is very likely one of the most charismatic villains in film history!

His long shot of scattering US dollars on the rooftop is at least 100 times more handsome than Andy Lau and Tony Leung meeting on the rooftop!
However, he couldn't resist someone shouting to him: "Honey, shower me with money!"

It really made him lose his composure!
……

"Thank you."

But since he was already there, Lu Zhiyuan had no choice but to sit down.

Taking the microphone, he first explained himself: "I'm not the most unique art student in history, I'm still far from it."

Many people flashed through the host's mind in an instant.

Van Gogh cut off his own ear and was sent to a mental hospital.

Salvador Dalí, a man who described himself as being on the verge of paranoia.

Edward Monk was a complete psychopath.

These people are more or less mentally ill.

Comparatively speaking, Lu Zhiyuan's situation is relatively normal.

Aside from being a bit neurotic when making movies, he's a very normal person in real life.

"Did you feel a lot of pressure coming on this show?"

The host skipped over this topic and wanted to make a lighter joke.

"Maybe not."

Lu Zhiyuan didn't feel any pressure. He shook his head and said, "The movie's box office performance is currently quite good."

It grossed 2.7 million yuan in China in just three days.

This trend is far worse than that of "Real Steel 3", but still better than that of other domestic films.

For example, "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons," a major film during the Spring Festival, grossed around 7500 million yuan on its opening day, 2.2 million yuan in three days, and approximately 12 billion yuan over the entire period.

Based on this calculation, the box office of the film "Art Students" in China is expected to reach around 15 billion yuan.

But this is just normal.

Now, with the public outcry, the film and reality have created a dreamlike connection.

If this public opinion continues to ferment, the box office revenue in the second week will likely be very stable, unlike a typical movie which might experience a sharp drop of 50%.

20 billion in box office revenue should be no problem!
As domestic public opinion spreads overseas like a tsunami, a global discussion about the robot dog's combat mode will begin to take shape.

The robotic dogs developed by Far East Technology are currently among the most advanced in the world.

Because of its low cost and its world-leading research on motor drive paths, it has now completely surpassed Boston Dynamics in related research in the commercial field.

Within the industry, Far East High Technology's fourth-generation robot dog has already overwhelmed Boston Dynamics, leaving them with no chance to fight back.

After all, the price difference is 10 times.

Aren't the 10 robotic dogs from Far East High Technology more valuable than the one robotic dog from Boston Dynamics?

Products that are inexpensive and of good quality.

In business terms, that's a killer move!

……

However, at this moment, the host was clearly not talking about box office issues.

She looked at Lu Zhiyuan with a smile: "Really not?"

As soon as the host finished speaking, countless young girls in the audience started screaming again: "Honey, shower me with cash!"

Lu Zhiyuan couldn't help but hold his forehead; he simply couldn't bear to look at the scene.

He waved to the audience.

The cheers immediately grew louder.

Lu Zhiyuan took the microphone and could only say helplessly, "Thank you everyone. However, please remain calm, watch the movie rationally, and don't take the movie as reality."

Upon hearing this, the entire audience burst into laughter.

You're the craziest person in the entire entertainment industry.

Look at your own crazy antics in the movie, throwing money around like crazy on the roof of the InterContinental Hotel.

After filming the movie, you actually went back on your word?

Now they're telling everyone to watch movies rationally, and even saying not to treat movies as reality?
That's hilarious!
The host couldn't stand it any longer and asked, "Director Lu, I saw on the news that you and Gao Yuanyuan have partnered to open a company called Yuan Gao Technology, which specializes in robot research, and that you've also signed a $10 billion order with a Middle Eastern consortium. Is that true?"

You just said not to take movies as reality... Now, what do you say?
In the audience, many people looked at Lu Zhiyuan and couldn't help but start laughing.

"it is true."

Lu Zhiyuan nodded, realizing the flaw in his words: "However, it's not a collaboration with Gao Yuanyuan, but with her older brother. Her older brother is a PhD from Tsinghua University." "When the project started, we were all short of money, and it was Ms. Gao Yuanyuan who generously contributed her own savings to support the project."

"I told her that this project would definitely not disappoint her."

"However, the company has been losing money for the past few years. Last year it finally turned a profit, but we can't see much of a future."

"Today, I have finally fulfilled my promise to her. I can now confidently tell her at the company's shareholders' meeting that our company is now number one in the world in the robotics field!"

World number one!

What beautiful words!
Regardless of whether the audience in the studio wanted to hear gossip about Lu Zhiyuan's love life or to hear him share some interesting anecdotes from the filming process.

At that moment, they didn't care about anything!
The four words "Number One in the World" began to echo in their minds.

Shocking and enlightening!

They began to re-evaluate this young, accomplished director.

He is handsome and talented. In movies, he plays characters who are both eccentric and devoted. In real life, he is rational and full of dreams.

He actually became number one in the world in the field of robotics, which is full of cutting-edge technology, and even defeated Boston Dynamics, which once caused a sensation around the world!

In 2009, when Boston Dynamics released its robot video, the buzz surrounding it was immense; only those who experienced it firsthand can truly understand.

At that moment, Boston Dynamics was hailed as a god of the new era on the internet, both at home and abroad!
That year, the movie "Upgrade" was released on Christmas.

At the same time, Lu Zhiyuan invested a large portion of the money earned from this film into the robotics research at Yuan Technology.

For the next three years, he made one movie a year, creating the Real Steel series.

He even earned a resounding nickname in the entertainment industry: "Robot Director".

Because his personality is like a robot's; he is meticulous in everything he does and appears extremely cold.

No one knows what he has been through these past few years.

And now...

In front of a national audience, he casually uttered the four words "Number One in the World"!

What a tremendous honor this is!
At that moment, thunderous applause filled the hall, and many audience members were even filled with excitement!
Unlike when Lu Zhiyuan first appeared on stage, the audience no longer viewed him with a mocking or spectator-like attitude... but instead with deep respect.

A heartfelt respect and admiration!

……

This episode of the interview program is called "This Art Student Is Different".

Because the content is just too amazing.

The television station also realized that Lu Zhiyuan said these things for the sake of the movie's box office.

They may not be able to offer help in times of need, but they are willing to do things that add to the existing good fortune.

Everyone knows that Lu Zhiyuan is aiming for the title of best director in history, and the box office performance of each of his films is extremely important to him.

One ticket costs 40 yuan!

In recent years, China's economy has developed rapidly. I believe that after this interview program airs, countless viewers will sincerely give Lu Zhiyuan a movie ticket!

Moreover, as a commercial film, "Art Students" is also very well made.

Lighting and shadow effects.

The realism of making counterfeit money.

Robotic dogs and drones slaughtering gangsters and storming into an Italian castle estate... those scenes were all incredibly thrilling.

Besides, the scene of Lu Zhiyuan scattering money on the rooftop of the InterContinental Hotel was incredibly cool and captivating!

If Daniel Wu, who played a character who was both righteous and villainous, handsome and noble, in "New Police Story" captured the hearts of countless viewers, then...

So, with the release of the movie "Art Students", Lu Zhiyuan, who is elegant, handsome, calm and composed, with an IQ of 200, and who transforms into a devil to avenge his beloved, has completely dominated the idol competition!

After all, Lu Zhiyuan wasn't acting!

Everyone knows that he is like this in real life too!

Although he only made one movie, and the movie was only released for three days, Lu Zhiyuan has already become an undisputed traffic star in China!
His idol is just too good!
Let alone the entertainment industry... even looking at the whole country and the world, there are probably only a handful of men more outstanding than him!
He could even be placed in the annals of history and compared with those great talents who have left their mark on history.

……

"Number one in the world!"

"Brothers, do you know how excited I was when Brother Yuan casually uttered those four words?"

"I have to admit, at that moment, he was probably the most handsome man in the world!"

"Just now, I bought another ticket and went to the cinema to watch 'Art Student' again. Based on my years of experience as a womanizer, Gao Yuanyuan has definitely fallen in love with Yuan Ge!"

"Now I understand why Gao Yuanyuan changed so much after meeting Brother Yuan, and she stopped being a mistress. Because she's playing the long game!"

"Since I'm going to be someone else's mistress anyway, and some shady characters at that, I might as well be Yuan-ge's mistress... I completely understand Gao Yuanyuan on this point!"

This movie is so interesting, the more you watch it, the more interesting it becomes!
As public opinion continued to ferment, especially after Lu Zhiyuan proclaimed "Number One in the World".

Netizens checked and found that the fourth-generation robot dog from Far East Technology is indeed comparable to Boston Dynamics in terms of various data.

And in terms of cost, it's only 10%!

After learning about the situation in China, some students studying abroad also sent back a lot of information.

Many hardcore gamers are placing orders with Far East Technology in an effort to snag a 4th generation robot dog for testing.

Many overseas hardcore gamers have a deep understanding of the robot dog product.

They were absolutely certain that Lu Zhiyuan was not exaggerating; Yuan Technology's fourth-generation mechanical dog was very likely the world's best!

"Don't stop me, I'm going to charge!"

"Number one in the world!"

"An art student became the world's number one in robotics! What kind of magical story is this? I can't understand it, but I'm absolutely amazed!"

"I'm willing to support Brother Yuan's dream!"

"Can't our 13 billion Chinese people produce a director who is the greatest in film history?"

The media offensive is truly terrifying!
Especially in China, simply proclaiming something as the first in history or the first in the world can easily stir up the enthusiasm of netizens.

Of course, it also depends on who shouts the slogan.

If Feng Xiaogang had shouted this slogan, he would most likely have been relentlessly criticized by netizens until he was forced to leave the entertainment industry.

If Zhang Yimou were to shout this slogan, netizens would most likely advise him, "You're so old, stop dreaming, okay?"

If Chen Kaige were to shout this slogan, netizens would most likely silently type a few words: "[A bloodbath caused by a steamed bun] I haven't even finished my steamed bun yet, and now you want to feed me a pancake?"
Not everyone who shouts slogans will be willing to follow suit!

The reputation that Lu Zhiyuan has built up over the years is a golden brand!

Furthermore, although the plot of "Art Students" seems a bit strange, the female protagonist, Gao Yuanyuan, is completely relegated to a corner.

Taking pictures is pointless.

In just a few shots, Gao Yuanyuan is portrayed as having a very beautiful, strong, and tragic aura.

But the remaining dozens of shots were a waste of effort.

Because the most exciting scene in the entire movie is Lu Zhiyuan scattering money on the InterContinental Hotel... and this scattering of money is to commemorate Dilraba!
Therefore, even though Dilraba only appeared for less than 5 minutes and could only be considered a guest role, no one could take away her identity as the leading lady!
The character of [Haibu Na] perfectly embodies Lu Zhiyuan's various requirements for tragic aesthetics!
It left a deep impression on the audience!
Everyone who has seen the movie knows that the protagonist, Li Wen, feels deeply indebted to Haibuna. And once they empathize with the protagonist's behavior, how could they not like Haibuna?
The movie is in its fourth day of release.

Under normal circumstances, on weekdays, box office revenue will likely be halved, returning to around 5000 million, and for movies with poor reviews, it might even drop to 3000 million!

However, once the slogan "Number One in the World" was uttered...

Netizens went crazy.

In particular, college and high school students who are still on summer vacation rushed to IMAX, forcibly raising the average ticket price for this movie!

August 16th, 90 million.

August 17th, 8 million.

On August 18th, 120 million.

August 19th, 90 million.

On August 20th, the figure was 85 million, a slight decrease, but not much.

……

The box office reached 2.7 million yuan in its opening weekend.

Under normal circumstances, the box office for the following week (7 days) would likely be around 300 million yuan. However, "Art Students" encountered an unexpected situation.

In the following seven days, this movie raked in a whopping 7 million!

In just 10 days since its release, it has grossed nearly 10 billion yuan at the domestic box office!

……

The news reached Europe and America.

Western audiences were greatly puzzled.

"The Chinese have gone mad!"

"I admit, the movie is not bad. But in my opinion, it's only on par with Mission: Impossible."

"This new actor, well, he's quite good as a director. But I can't admit he's a good actor just because he's good at directing."

"Although his action of scattering money on the rooftop of the InterContinental Hotel was very cool, I would call it one of the coolest shots in film history."

"But I still can't understand why anyone would throw money off the rooftop? It makes absolutely no sense!"

Westerners simply cannot understand why Lu Zhiyuan would throw money off the rooftop.

Although some film reviews in Europe and America have told audiences that the action of throwing money from the rooftop is related to the famous painting "Waterfall" that appears throughout the film.

However, viewers in Europe and America still felt it was too far-fetched!

Until they saw a Chinese person posting a science popularization article on a European and American forum.

"In China, if a relative dies suddenly in the street, then it is necessary to hold a memorial service for that relative at the spot where they died!"

“In the movie, Brother Yuan throws US dollars... but in fact, in China, we usually burn paper money and scatter yellow paper.”

"In that case, when our loved ones die, they go to the underworld... well, maybe even heaven, anyway, those are the places people go after they die. In any case, our loved ones will need a lot of money when they get there, so we burn incense for them from the mortal world, and they will have endless money to spend and live a happy life."

"As for what the paper money looks like? Let me find some pictures..."

This person's original intention was to educate Western audiences about Chinese sacrificial customs.

And Lu Zhiyuan scattering US dollars on the rooftop is not without logic, but rather full of ritualistic significance.

He loves Haibuna to the very core of his being!
Their love, though separated by death, is unforgettable.

……

Who knew that Europeans and Americans are so superstitious!

After being educated about this custom, they suddenly realized that the Chinese custom of scattering paper money is simply amazing!

People need to spend money every day to live in this world.

After a person dies, they arrive at some mysterious place, and of course, they need to spend money there!
In order to prevent loved ones from suffering, it is necessary to burn paper money for them so that they can have endless money in the next world.

In the mortal world, money cannot be obtained out of thin air.

But now that I have the ability to make my deceased loved ones receive countless amounts of money out of thin air, why not do it?
In this way, after you die, your relatives will burn a lot of paper money for you, so that you will have endless money to spend in the afterlife and live a life of luxury!
This is great!
Once the logic was clear, those foreigners suddenly started asking around about how the ritual of burning paper money was actually performed.

For example, where can we get these paper money?
Because there are many versions of paper money available online.

Some of these paper moneys look as real as US dollars, while others look like Zimbabwean dollars. They are so unusable that people dare not use them; they are just like toilet paper.

Besides, are there any special considerations when burning it?

Should we hold some special ceremony?

For example, when Chinese people burn paper money, do they silently recite the names of their relatives, or do they chant religious mantras such as "Amitabha Buddha" or "Infinite Heavenly Venerable"?
In short, it's like foreigners have discovered a whole new world!

Suddenly, the ritual of burning paper money to commemorate relatives became widely circulated on the internet in Europe and America...

These foreigners seem to have discovered a new mystery!

Meanwhile, the YouTuber who popularized the ritual of burning paper money to commemorate relatives has seen a surge in followers recently.

……

And this ceremony began to become incredibly popular.

The film "Art Students," as the origin of this ritual, was naturally subject to a huge wave of public opinion.

In North America, the film's box office performance was mediocre.

On its opening day, it grossed only $1000 million, but over its opening weekend, it grossed $3500 million.

Under normal circumstances, this movie's box office will most likely be just over 1 million.

Who knew that the ritual of burning paper money would suddenly become so popular?

With the addition of robots from Far East High Technology, news of a $10 billion order signed with a Middle Eastern consortium has finally reached Europe and the United States.

Thus, the film "Art Students" was revived and showed amazing vitality!
Starting from the second week, box office revenue not only didn't decrease but actually increased... the "Avatar effect" emerged, and word-of-mouth spread, sparking a phenomenal cultural phenomenon!
Countless people began to follow Lu Zhiyuan's example, burning paper money and paying respects to their relatives!

Some people even became imitators of "Li Wen," going to InterContinental hotels around the world to scatter paper money.

The "money-throwing guy" has appeared all over the world.

These "money-throwing guys" have repeatedly made it to the top of trending searches... This has also brought huge traffic and popularity to the movie "Art Students"!

……

Lu Zhiyuan originally only wanted to use the robot dog of "Yuange Technology" and the gimmick of "world's number one" to attract the audience.

Who would have thought that the ritual of scattering paper money to commemorate ancestors would suddenly become wildly popular in Europe and America!

This is truly unexpected!

However, sometimes, this is exactly the case when God seems to be chasing after you to feed you!
For a movie, luck is also very important!
……

At Lu Zhiyuan's home.

Zhuang Wenqiang visits every day.

He came to apologize with a bundle of thorns on his back.

“Brother Yuan, I’m ashamed. After the movie was edited, I had some resentment towards you.”

"After all, you turned my 'Project Gutenberg' into a weird commercial blockbuster, and even turned my two carefully designed female leads into insignificant extras."

Dilraba made a cameo appearance for a few days, and Zhuang Wenqiang initially didn't take it seriously.

The character Reba was originally called "Hua Nu," and was just an insignificant supporting role.

Zhuang Wenqiang simply didn't have the patience to develop a story for such minor characters.

However, Lu Zhiyuan didn't let Dilraba suffer at all. Although Dilraba only had a cameo role for a few days, Lu Zhiyuan, through skillful editing, directly turned her into the leading lady!
The female lead only appears for 5 minutes!

When Zhuang Wenqiang saw the finished product, he felt a wave of dizziness.

He swore to God that he would never again be an assistant director for anyone else. He was determined to be a director and to get the editing rights.

I write my own script, direct it myself, and edit it myself. I absolutely cannot let anyone touch a single plot point in my film!
Who knew that just a few days after he made the vow, public opinion completely reversed!

The ritual of scattering paper money on the rooftop was popularized by Lu Zhiyuan!
Why did Lu Zhiyuan go to the rooftop of the InterContinental Hotel to scatter paper money?

It's all because the female lead, Dilraba, died... According to Zhuang Wenqiang's version, such a famous scene would never have happened!

Now, because the ritual of scattering paper money has become popular, it has boosted the box office of "Art Students" to an explosive level!
Zhuang Wenqiang was dumbfounded!

Now, the movie has been in theaters for 10 days and has grossed 10 billion yuan at the domestic box office, which is close to 1.5 million US dollars.

In Japan, they really enjoy watching love stories that fade like cherry blossoms, and they also like Lu Zhiyuan's eccentric personality.

"Art Student" performed very well at the Japanese box office.

In 10 days, they secured $3000 million.

If all goes well, we should be able to raise around $5000 million in Japan over the entire period.

South Korea has always had a great fondness for blockbuster movies.

Especially this kind of exciting crime film.

The film *Art Students* depicts Lu Zhiyuan's rebellion against American financial hegemony, his annihilation of the Italian Mafia and its behind-the-scenes aristocracy, and his brutal massacre of a Colombian drug lord!

This is something Koreans want to do, but can never accomplish in their lifetime.

As fellow people of Asian descent, they could deeply relate to the earth-shattering things Lu Zhiyuan did.

Therefore, South Korea's box office performance was also very good, only slightly worse than Japan's.

In 10 days, "Art Students" grossed $2000 million. Under normal circumstances, it should have grossed $4000 million during its entire run.

In North America, the film only grossed $3500 million in its opening weekend, and it looked like it was going to flop. But then, the media coverage took off in North America.

This gave the film "Art Students" a second spring, and in just 10 days, it grossed nearly $1.5 million at the box office.

Next, although the box office will continue to decline, under normal circumstances, it should be able to reach around 2.5 million US dollars.

As a drama film, this is already very impressive.

It's comparable to "Fast & Furious 6." The latter's production cost reached a staggering $160 million, more than five times that of "Art Students"!
In Europe, Germany and Italy, after "Real Steel 3", have come to regard Lu Zhiyuan as one of their own.

Especially in Italy, most of the plot of "The Art Student" was filmed in Rome and Florence.

Equivalent to Italian domestic films.

How could the box office be bad?

In 10 days, the film grossed $150 million in four countries: the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. Including other European countries, it grossed a total of around $200 million.

……

$1.5 million in China, $1.5 million in North America, $5000 million in Japan and South Korea, and $2 million in Europe!
In just two weeks since its release, the movie "Art Students" has swept the world box office with a staggering $5.5 million!
Other companies in the industry around the world exclaimed in disbelief!

Based on this trend, the film "Art Students" is very likely to become the highest-grossing crime art film in history.

The box office could potentially surpass $10 billion!
European media outlets have already adopted a new headline: "[Another art student has conquered Europe!]"

……

Only Lu Zhiyuan knew very well that the success of this movie was entirely due to its promotional efforts that broke through the traditional boundaries of public opinion!

The impact of public opinion on a film can be even more important than the quality of the film itself!
Was the movie "Joker" really that good when it was released in 2019?

Lu Zhiyuan has watched this movie several times, but he doesn't think it's particularly exciting.

However, in 2019, global economic frictions intensified, social conflicts became exceptionally acute, and ordinary people experienced unprecedented difficulties.

The Joker in the movie encountered workplace bullying, social indifference, and being neglected by the mentally ill... which resonated with many ordinary people.

Therefore, even before the movie was released, the public opinion surrounding it exploded!

It's incredible that a drama film grossed $9500 million in North America in its opening weekend!

A box office of $3000 million a day is basically only achievable by superhero movies and 3D blockbusters!
However, such a public opinion effect generally requires the right timing, location, and people.

You can only play once.

Lu Zhiyuan revealed all his cards at once, achieving a perfect flush, which enabled him to dominate the public opinion arena!
Similarly, the same applies to "Joker".

By the time of "Joker 2," nobody paid any attention!

……

However, Zhuang Wenqiang was unaware of this!

He felt that Lu Zhiyuan was simply a god.

God of cinema!

Before the film's release, Zhuang Wenqiang prayed to the gods and Buddhas, hoping that "Art Students" would not flop and that the box office would exceed 3 million US dollars.

3000 million in investment, 5000 million in promotion.

A box office of $1.5 million is enough to break even.

In addition to DVD rights and television streaming rights, they can earn quite a bit more.

If the box office can reach 3 million US dollars!
That's something to brag about!

Lu Zhiyuan promised a sequel, and he can finally direct it himself without any constraints, allowing him to fully unleash his potential!
By next year, he will be a rising master of crime films in Hollywood, returning to Hong Kong in glory, where his brothers will absolutely rave about him!

Zhuang Wenqiang has even written the script for his own "Return of the King"!

but now……

The movie "Art Students" is about to reach $10 billion at the box office!
The pressure was on Zhuang Wenqiang!

Lately, he's been thinking about making a sequel.

Then, the sequel flopped, and all the investors surrounded him, yelling: "Give us our money back! Or we'll throw you off the roof of the InterContinental Hotel!"

He was immediately startled awake!

……

Lu Zhiyuan created a miracle.

An unparalleled miracle!

At most a week!
When the students return to school in September, they will soon receive some painful news.

The textbooks will need to be revised in the future.

Because "Art Students" will break the record of $6.78 million held by "Forrest Gump" for the highest-grossing art film in history!
From that moment on, the box office record for art films in film history belonged to the Chinese!
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(End of this chapter)