I'm just trying to ride the wave of popularity!

Chapter 313 The Horn of Counterattack!
In early 2004, Anji Department Store purchased a plot of land in the suburbs of Yanjing and announced its new Anji Department Store mall plan.

Initially, An Xiaoshi's parents and the operating team behind them had a simple and traditional idea: to expand the floor space of [Anji Department Store], diversify its product range, attract more brands to move in, and create a super department store similar to those on Hong Kong Island...

For the next year or so, Anji Department Store continued to work in this direction and vaguely came up with the idea of ​​bundling the mall with real estate.

However, in early 2005, due to the gradual opening of department stores in various places, this model was not considered advanced. In addition, there was a shortage of funds, and the surrounding completed housing developments were too remote, so the enthusiasm of homebuyers was not high. Furthermore, the small real estate company suddenly experienced a break in its capital chain, and the project was temporarily shelved, among other reasons.

The project, which was halfway completed, was suddenly put on hold, and the nearly completed Anji Department Store project has been left abandoned ever since...

An Xiaoshi's parents worried a lot about this during that period...

but……

Nobody could have predicted this!
Things took a turn for the better at the end of April!
……

5 month 11 day.

The sky over Yanjing was clear and cloudless.

Six months ago, this desolate development zone was jokingly referred to by locals as a "ghost town".

The unfinished residential buildings resembled gnawed skeletons, and the overgrown commercial plaza was only frequented by stray dogs rummaging through the trash.

Every time An Xiaoshi passed by in her car, she would see her father sighing at the planning map. He was so full of pride when he spent a huge sum of money to buy this piece of land, and how regretful he was after the drastic changes. He was so regretful that he couldn't even sell the land. He could only hope that the higher-ups' future plans would include this area, so that they could turn their lives around...

At that moment, the scene in front of the main entrance of the complex made her feel dazed.

The once deserted Anji Department Store was now completely swallowed up by the crowds. Outside the cordon, the huge crowds stretched from the subway entrance all the way to the parking lot, and the security guards' whistles were drowned out by the clamor.

Countless media outlets flocked to the scene, scrambling to carry their cameras and excitedly snapping away at the makeshift stage erected in front of what was once Anji Department Store, now Xuanshi Shopping Mall…

In just half a month, Anji Department Store broke ground for renovation.

In fact, rather than a complete renovation, it was more like a simple adjustment to the internal layout of [Anji Department Store] to make room for [Feihe Cinema]. After that, [Xuanshi Mall] quickly introduced many local brands and changed their signs.

Since the main construction of the [Anji Department Store] building had been basically completed beforehand, the interior renovation was completed in a very short time.

With such efficient preparations underway, [XuanShi Mall] suddenly announced its opening.

Although An Xiaoshi still felt a little uneasy, she immediately dispelled that thought when she saw the grand opening.

……

The opening ceremony of [Xuanshi Mall] was a massive event, with crowds surging like a tsunami.

On the makeshift stage, the moment Zhou Yang took off his sunglasses, the entire audience erupted in screams, countless flashes went off, and blinding beams of light were all aimed at his face.

This spectacle stemmed from a mysterious phone call Zhou Yang made to media outlets that had long collaborated with him last night. The news spread like wildfire, and reporters from various media outlets sprang into action, gathering at the scene overnight.

However, when these "core" media outlets arrived, they were astonished to find that their competitors had already seized the initiative and somehow obtained the news earlier.

If it weren't for their VIP media access privileges, they wouldn't even have been able to find a decent filming location!
Later, they realized that these competing media outlets had actually been keeping an eye on Zhou Yang all along, and they would follow up as soon as Zhou Yang made the slightest move...

The recent frenzied hype surrounding Tianyu Media stands in stark contrast to Zhou Yang's unusual silence.

The more Tianyu caused a stir in the market, the more strangely quiet Zhou Yang remained.

This unusual calm made the media, with their keen sense of smell, increasingly restless. Through the analysis of subtle clues and Zhou Yang's consistent style of doing things, they predicted that this unconventional business genius was brewing a shocking counterattack.

As it turns out, the media's prediction was completely correct!

"Welcome to witness the birth of China's first movie-themed commercial complex!"

"First, I'd like to introduce a movie, 'The Moon Wars II'!"

Zhou Yang's voice boomed through the surround sound system, and a poster for "Moon Wars 2" suddenly lit up on the giant screen behind him!

That is……

In the ruins of a lunar base, a man stands on the edge of a crater, dressed in rags.

He stared into the distance in despair, and then, the Earth exploded!
When the gold-embossed title "China's First Hardcore Sci-Fi Masterpiece" appeared on the giant screen, the reporters in the front row instantly erupted in excitement!
They had long anticipated that Zhou Yang would not sit idly by in the face of the massive hype surrounding Star Wars.

This business genius, who is well-versed in marketing, is indeed brewing another big move. He actually released this "knock-off" film just before the release of "Star Wars"!
The media stared at the crude yet gimmicky poster for "War of the Moon II" on the giant screen, momentarily at a loss for words.

This is clearly a blatant case of knock-offs and imitations, but considering the box office miracles created by Zhou Yang's past "rustic marketing" tactics, they can't help but feel a sense of anticipation—this man who never plays by the rules might actually be able to deliver a blow to Star Wars with this "Chinese science fiction."

The flashes of light grew increasingly intense, and reporters were already brainstorming headlines like "Star Wars VS. Moon Wars II"!
After all, Zhou Yang had done plenty of these kinds of despicable things!
Zhou Yang stood on the stage, smiling as he adjusted his glasses. Under the spotlight, his figure appeared exceptionally upright.

"Today, I am honored to introduce to you the director of *Lunar Wars 2*—Mr. Shen Long!" He turned and raised his hand, the camera panning to the side of the stage. Shen Long, wearing his signature black leather jacket, walked onto the stage and nodded to the audience. A burst of enthusiastic applause immediately erupted from the audience—this up-and-coming director, who previously directed the *Black Robe Alliance* series, is now the most anticipated director at [Xuan Shi Entertainment] after Zhou Yang…

"And our leading man!" Zhou Yang continued, his voice brimming with pride, "is Mr. Chen Jianfeng, whom you all know!" As his words fell, Chen Jianfeng strode in from the other side of the stage, his resolute face and upright posture immediately eliciting screams. This action actor, who rose to fame with the "Martial Soul" series, is undoubtedly the top star of [Xuan Shi Entertainment]!

After Zhou Yang introduced director Shen Long and male lead Chen Jianfeng, the media present held their breath, waiting for the subsequent cast announcement.

However, Zhou Yang suddenly took off his glasses in silence, wiped them, and a mysterious smile appeared on his lips: "That concludes the cast list for 'Lunar Wars 2'."

The audience erupted in a commotion, and the reporters exchanged bewildered glances!

How can this be?

The poster clearly shows a grand scene of the Earth exploding, so how could there only be two main creators?

Why is the rest of the cast so mysterious?

A reporter in the front row suddenly widened his eyes and asked, half-jokingly, "Mr. Zhou, you're not going to tell me that Chen Jianfeng is the only actor in the entire 'Moon Wars 2'?"

Zhou Yang laughed heartily, but instead of answering the question directly, he quietly adjusted his glasses after laughing and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, in addition to the premiere of 'Moon Wars II' today, I also want to announce that—starting today, all 23 cinemas under [Xuanshi Mall] will fully implement a 'movie ticket + shopping voucher' linkage model! All viewers who purchase tickets for 'Moon Wars II' will receive a 100 RMB no-minimum-spend voucher provided by participating brands!"

He adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold light: "At the same time, we've partnered with 3000 convenience stores nationwide to launch a 'Buy a bottle of [Ice Cream Coke] and get a free movie ticket' promotion, effective immediately. More importantly..." He paused deliberately, then, under the tense gaze of the entire audience, declared emphatically: "The ticket price for *Lunar Wars 2* will be the lowest online—12 yuan!"

As soon as the words fell, the scene exploded.

This price not only broke the record for Hollywood blockbusters' ticket prices in China, but also directly rivaled the pre-sale tickets for "Star Wars," which were close to the IMAX ticket price of 80 yuan!

Reporters in the front row frantically documented this price war that was poised to disrupt the industry, while brand representatives on either side of the stage exchanged knowing smiles and glances.
And it is quite obvious...

Zhou Yang's story did not end there!
Instead, he pushed up his glasses again and revealed a strange smile!

"Everyone!"

"I know that many of you are Star Wars fans, and I also know that you are very interested in the Star Wars movies..."

"However, the regular ticket price for Star Wars movies in other theaters is 45 yuan, while the IMAX ticket price is close to 80 yuan, and the most outrageous one is 100 yuan!"

"it's here!"

"I, as the representative of the [Theater Alliance]!"

I have something to announce!

"That means, from now on, all friends who come to our [Cinema Alliance] 12 cinemas to buy tickets for 'Star Wars' movies!"

"Regular screenings are priced at 20 yuan! IMAX tickets are priced at 40 yuan! All are 50% off! Yes, you heard right, for the first week of Star Wars' premiere, all cinemas under the [Cinema Alliance] are offering a 50% discount! Midnight screenings are as cheap as 18 yuan a ticket, yes, 18 yuan a ticket!"

"However, for some reason, we cannot offer direct discounts through the ticketing system!"

"So, we came up with a plan overnight!"

"During this week!"

"For every ticket purchased at any of the cinemas in the [Cinema Alliance], you can redeem a voucher worth 20-40 yuan!"

"The vouchers can be used throughout the newly opened [Xuanshi Mall], covering all purchases including dining, apparel, and entertainment!"

"Friends from other places, don't worry, as long as it's one of our [Xuanshi Entertainment]'s partner brands..."

"It can be used all over the country!"

Yes, all over the country!

"Both can be used!"

"..."

........................

[Huaying International]

The door to the chairman's office was suddenly pushed open.

Li Minghao, who was preparing for the premiere of "Star Wars", saw his secretary rushing over.

"Mr. Li, something terrible has happened! There has been a sudden surge in ticket refunds for the premiere of Star Wars at our cinemas!"

"what!"

Li Minghao suddenly stood up!
(End of this chapter)