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

Chapter 317 No Surrender Allowed!

In the afternoon, sunlight streamed into the office through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Li Minghao held his phone, but then silently put it down.

His gaze fell on the financial statements of Huaying International on his desk.

Along with the stock price crash, the flight of capital, and the start of this subsidy war within the cinema system, the financial situation of [Huaying International] has actually become extremely dire...

Emotionally, he was unwilling to bow down to Zhou Yang and his group of emerging capitalists, and he wanted to fight them to the end...

But rationally, he knew very well that after this battle, regardless of victory or defeat, they would be severely weakened, and Zhou Yang's theaters would very likely rise to power and crush them.

Despite his anger, he managed to suppress his emotions...

The moment the call connected, he took a deep breath, his voice hoarse and weary: "Mr. Zhou, we admit defeat."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Zhou Yang's calm, almost icy voice: "President Li, isn't it too late to say all this now?"

Li Minghao adopted an extremely humble posture, his voice carrying a hint of pleading: "Zhou Yang, the market is so big, there's no need to drive us to ruin. We're willing to give up 10% of the market share, or even more... As long as you stop, we can all go our separate ways from now on, without interfering with each other. We can even cooperate within a fair market for film and television. What do you think? Even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse; you can't devour us all in a short time, and we have the ability to fight back... I just don't want everyone to lose money, so that consumers can get the discounts..."

"Go your separate ways?" Zhou Yang suddenly laughed, his laughter carrying a chilling coldness. "Back when you three major cinema chains joined forces with five major film companies to blacklist my movies, cut off my screenings, and poach my team, did you never think of leaving me a way out?"

Li Minghao trembled slightly, but gritted his teeth: "Back then it was business competition, but now..."

“It’s business competition now.” Zhou Yang interrupted him, his voice suddenly sharp: “However, the roles have changed. You blocked all my paths back then, and now, I will repay you in your own way…”

After speaking, Zhou Yang paused, then said, word by word, "President Li, this battle cannot be stopped just because you say so. What I want has never been compromise; I want you all dead!"

Li Minghao suddenly stood up, knocking over his teacup and spilling tea all over the table: "Zhou Yang! Are you trying to force us into a fight to the death?!"

The soft rustling of papers came from the other end of the phone, and Zhou Yang's tone returned to calm: "The fish will die, but the net won't break. Mr. Li, before the stock price hits rock bottom, save yourself some face."

On the other end of the phone...

Zhou Yang hung up the phone immediately!

In his office, Li Minghao smashed things wildly, his entire being erupting in fury like a bull that had lost its mind.

But after he had vented his anger, he picked up the phone again and dialed the number.

This time, he adopted an even more humble stance.

"Mr. Zhou, we are all businessmen, and businessmen prioritize profit. There's no need for us to fight to the death. Therefore, I'm willing to lead [Huaying International] into your [Cinema Alliance] and sign long-term cooperation agreements with your partner brands. From now on, we'll be in this together. If you're willing, I can personally apologize to you right now. I know you're angry, but if you need to save face, I can offer you a formal apology in public!"

On the other end of the phone, Zhou Yang remained silent for a long time.

Then it got cold...

"Sorry, but I've always been vengeful and don't accept any form of surrender. I won't give you a chance to catch your breath and come back!"

"Mr. Li, we both understand that the business world is like a battlefield. Rather than groveling for peace, we should stand tall and continue the fight! Use all the means at your disposal!"

"And I will show no mercy. Before [Huaying International], [Tianxing Film and Television], and [Fengyu International] are completely destroyed, I will use every means to crush you!"

"..."

The call ended abruptly right after Zhou Yang finished speaking.

Li Minghao stood frozen in place, his phone slipped to the ground, and then he plopped down in a chair!
"beat!"

"beat!"

"Okay, keep hitting! Keep hitting, you son of a bitch!"

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

May 16th, just two days before the release of Star Wars.

Not only Huaying International, but the other two major cinema chains also contacted Zhou Yang privately, attempting to seek a settlement.

However, Zhou Yang remained firm and refused any form of compromise.

Faced with this situation, the three major cinema chains had no choice but to gamble everything and continue to invest in this fierce business war in hopes of a glimmer of hope...

however……

Business warfare is fierce and brutal!

In the conference room of the three major cinema chains, all the executives were staring at the latest report, their fingernails almost digging into their flesh!

Every round of subsidies they gritted their teeth and followed was like throwing money into a bottomless pit.

Zhou Yang launched an "early bird 6 yuan ticket," and they adjusted the price overnight; Zhou Yang distributed a 200 yuan gift package, and they reluctantly increased the price to 220 yuan.

But when the CFO trembled as he reported that the daily loss had exceeded 3000 million, the data on the projector showed that the popularity of the "Cinema Alliance" was rising, and they looked more like pitiful creatures chasing after others, barely managing to keep up with ticket refunds...

Even more terrifying was the undercurrent of trouble brewing in the backyard! At six o'clock in the morning, an email from the general manager of Huaying International's East China region, along with the entire team's collective resignation, woke everyone up like a bomb.

Li Minghao frantically dialed the phone, but only heard mechanical busy signals—his old subordinate of fifteen years was currently sitting at the signing ceremony of multiple cinema chains in the [Cinema Alliance].

This was just the beginning. In the following two days, a total of 23 middle-level managers and 47 core technical staff from the three major cinema chains were poached with high salaries. Some even took a complete set of customer data with them before leaving.

Cinema managers' inboxes are overflowing with SOS messages: projectors are malfunctioning and no one is repairing them, franchisees are threatening to terminate their contracts, and even cleaning companies are taking the opportunity to raise prices.

Countless small cinemas and small businesses that they once looked down upon are now baring their fangs like wolves smelling blood, frantically tearing at the flesh and blood of the three major cinema chains.

The more fiercely the competition intensifies, the clearer the capital behind it becomes in recognizing the enormous opportunities hidden within this business war!
Large sums of money began to flow into these emerging forces, including some of the former "big spenders" of the three major cinema chains.

At this moment, the entire industry is watching with predatory eyes, everyone waiting for the huge market space that will be vacated after the three major cinema chains collapse...

This business war has entered its most brutal and intense phase!
..............................

[Tianyu] Headquarters.

4:00 AM on May 18th.

Deng Baichuan leaned back in his office chair, his eyes bloodshot.

The gradually brightening sky outside the window reminded him that another sleepless night was about to end, and the premiere of Star Wars would officially begin in five hours.

But now, the Chinese film market in May has undergone a complete transformation.

He had been closely following this business war, in which Zhou Yang's camp's crazy discount strategy for "Star Wars" caused Tianyu's stock price to rise against the trend in a bizarre way!

But Deng Baichuan knew better than anyone that this was nothing more than the last hurrah for capital.

Behind those numbers, there are no real investors returning; only bloodthirsty vultures waiting to devour the remains.

The three major cinema chains are already teetering on the brink of collapse, while Zhou Yang's rise is reshaping the industry landscape with overwhelming force.

At this moment, the five major film and television companies are like wild beasts trapped in an arena, in a very awkward situation.

Cooperation? The word "compromise" does not exist in Zhou Yang's dictionary.

Moreover, what kind of cooperation does Zhou Yang need to cooperate with them at this moment? What are the areas where they can cooperate?
Continue the fight? Even their last bargaining chip has become a joke!
The hefty bets on the Star Wars release schedules, crushed by Zhou Yang's 20-yuan ticket price and 100-yuan vouchers, seem like an absurd black comedy.

Deng Baichuan's fingertips tapped the table unconsciously.

A business empire built over nearly a decade was pushed to the brink of collapse by a young man who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

The only thing to be relieved about is that no matter how powerful Zhou Yang's cinema chain is, it must abide by the market rules set by the relevant departments and cannot arbitrarily restrict film screenings in violation of market principles.

This regulatory policy, which once protected Zhou Yang's films, has now become their lifeline!
Deng Baichuan looked down at the screening schedule for "Star Wars". Now, the five major cinema chains could only pin their hopes on the box office performance of this movie, as well as the two movies "Chrysanthemum Terrace" and "The Last Supper" that were about to be released during the "Domestic Film Protection Month".

This business war has returned to the most basic and fundamental product-based commercial competition...

As long as these movies become huge hits, they will still have a chance to survive!

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

5 month 18 day.

8:30 am.

30 minutes before the Star Wars premiere...

Tianyu Media has poured everything into the preparations for the premiere of "Star Wars"!
Outside the most luxurious flagship cinema in Yanjing, Huaying International, a scarlet carpet stretched from the road to the entrance of the IMAX theater. Three-meter-high lightsaber pillars stood on both sides, and laser projections projected the "STAR WARS" logo onto the glass curtain wall of an office building a hundred meters away!
With Deng Baichuan personally overseeing the event and all of his stars present, the screams of fans and the flashing lights of the media on both sides of the red carpet made the premiere resemble a Hollywood awards ceremony!
Inside the theater, limited-edition lightsaber souvenirs and holographic commemorative ticket stubs piled up at the registration desk, and even the popcorn buckets were printed with Jedi symbols...

This multi-million dollar publicity stunt is Tianyu's final gamble to prove its strength to the capital market.

however……

Wait until 11:20!
As the premiere ended, the smiles on the faces of Tianyu Media's management gradually froze.

After the premiere, public opinion in the Chinese market was clearly polarized.

Despite attracting a large audience with its stunning visual effects and the influence of its huge IP, the film's critical reception seems to have fallen short of expectations.

Many longtime fans commented on social media that while the lightsaber duels and space battle scenes were still stunning, the main storyline lacked originality and the character development was somewhat thin. Overall, they said the special effects were "perfect, but the plot was passable."

Meanwhile, new viewers who are new to the series generally feel that the viewing threshold is too high.

The film's complex political drama surrounding the Galactic Council and the historical background of the Jedi Council left many viewers confused. One viewer lamented, "I couldn't tell who was who among those aliens in robes. I only managed to figure out which side was which in the second half of the film."

Some young viewers bluntly stated: "The cultural gap is too obvious. I couldn't get many of the metaphors at all. It was like watching an expensive space acrobatic show."

……

Just as the controversy surrounding Star Wars was escalating, the premiere of Moon Wars II officially began in the afternoon…

(End of this chapter)