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

Chapter 326 What wicked schemes are these people plotting?

7 month 23 day.

8:15 am.

After the rain, the sun shone brightly.

In the director's office of [Huashang Brothers].

Liang Xiaogang sat in a chair, smoking one cigarette after another, with cigarette butts scattered all over the floor.

He didn't sleep a wink last night, but stubbornly refused to check any box office data or online comments. He simply locked himself in his office, letting the smoke from his cigarettes blur his vision.

As dawn broke, the secretary cautiously pushed open the door and gently placed the glaring report on the table—

"The Last Supper" has grossed 1.6 million RMB in 23 days, with daily box office revenue falling below one million RMB.

The once ubiquitous "Eastern epic" promotional slogans have now been described by film critics as an "aesthetic disaster"; the golden palace built at a cost of 2.3 million yuan is nothing more than "the aesthetic ruins of a nouveau riche" in the eyes of the audience.

He suddenly chuckled softly, shook his head self-deprecatingly, stubbed out the last cigarette, and sighed.

Over the past twenty-odd days, he had been angry, resentful, and even scolded fans for not recognizing his talent. But now, all those emotions have vanished, leaving only a bottomless sense of despair.

The phone rang incessantly, and all that came through the receiver were angry curses from investors.

This work, which he staked his career and dignity on, ultimately turned into a complete disaster.

The office door opened again.

"Director Liang, President Zhou is calling you..." The secretary cautiously pushed the door open and came in.

"Which Mr. Zhou?" Liang Xiaogang asked without looking up, his voice hoarse.

"It's President Zhou Yang."

Liang Xiaogang suddenly looked up, a hint of mockery flashing in his bloodshot eyes: "Ha, here to laugh at me?"

"No, Director Liang..." the secretary quickly explained, "President Zhou said he'd like to invite you to a movie."

"What?" Liang Xiaogang was stunned, dropping his cigarette butt to the ground. "What movie are we watching?"

"It's about the movie 'Kung Fu Basketball,' which just premiered today. Mr. Zhou said he'd like to ask you, as a senior, for some advice."

Liang Xiaogang's expression froze. He slowly leaned back in his chair, and after a long while, he let out a cold laugh: "Ha, guidance? This guy—" He clenched his fist, which trembled slightly: "I think he's just trying to humiliate me! You tell him, I'm not going!"

The secretary hesitated, about to turn and leave, when she heard a heavy sigh behind her.

Liang Xiaogang slumped down, his fist clenching in frustration, looking as if he had aged ten years in an instant: "Forget it. I'll just go."

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

9:50 a.m.

The premiere of "Kung Fu Basketball" took place in the suburbs of Yanjing.

The area outside the [Xuanshi Mall] was already packed with people. Despite the lack of any promotion for "Kung Fu Basketball," the premiere venue was teeming with fans who held up posters and excitedly discussed Zhou Yang's company's new work.

Liang Xiaogang stood on the periphery of the crowd, looking at the sea of ​​people, his face somewhat gloomy.

Q&A: The disastrous failure of "The Last Supper" was a huge blow to him.

In the past, he would have resolutely refused Zhou Yang's invitation or even cursed him out.

But now, perhaps due to market pressure and after recognizing reality, they are starting to want to see what kind of movies young audiences actually like.
Perhaps he was worried that refusing would lead Zhou Yang to portray him as "narrow-minded" in the media, and then use the opportunity to ridicule him extensively;

Or perhaps he realized that the landscape of the film and television industry had changed, and that Zhou Yang's almost absolute power forced him to bow down.
In the end, he still chose to keep the appointment.

Of course, he had already made all the preparations for this meeting.

He knew Zhou Yang's character all too well, so he naturally regarded this invitation as a trap.

Before coming, he thought Zhou Yang would take this opportunity to humiliate him, and he was even mentally prepared to be ignored and trampled on in public. He even thought that Zhou Yang might take the opportunity to elevate the status of his own directors and exaggerate the end of the old era and the arrival of the new era...

He had mentally rehearsed how he should retaliate without losing face should he actually be treated this way.
In fact, he wasn't the only one who thought this way...

Even the media reporters shared the same thought. When Liang Xiaogang appeared on the red carpet, they immediately swarmed around him. The bodyguards tried their best to stop them, but to no avail. The reporters rushed to ask pointed questions, all revolving around the box office failure and critical acclaim of "The Last Supper," with obvious sarcasm in their words.

The moment Zhou Yang appeared, the clamor of the media interviews reached its climax, and flashes of light poured down like a storm, instantly propelling the two into the spotlight.

However, just as Liang Xiaogang was about to step onto the edge of the red carpet, he saw Zhou Yang's face suddenly light up with a humble smile—this once sharp and arrogant young man was now quickly stepping forward and warmly extending his hands.
"It is an honor for our entire team that Director Liang would grace us with his presence!" Zhou Yang extended his hand respectfully, his tone sincere and earnest as he shook hands, even giving a slight bow.

Liang Xiaogang was stunned!

Under the flashing lights, Zhou Yang stepped aside to make way, gesturing with his arm for Liang Xiaogang to go first.

What shocked Liang Xiaogang even more was that Li Zhengtao was already standing at the entrance of the screening room, nodding to him to indicate that it was no problem for him to come in. He subconsciously took a step forward, and then, amidst the incessant clicking of the media's camera shutters, Zhou Yang always lagged half a step behind, respectfully escorting the two directors into the screening room.

Throughout the entire process, Zhou Yang did not show the slightest hint of sarcasm; on the contrary, he demonstrated respect for his industry seniors at every turn.

This unusual behavior stunned Liang Xiaogang for a moment!

Did this guy take the wrong medicine?
When Liang Xiaogang walked into the screening room, the entire directing team of [Xuan Shi Entertainment] stood up in unison.

Shen Long and Che Xiao, the two troublemakers who used to slam their fists on the table at meetings and point their fingers at them to their faces, calling them "old," "who they are," and "their era is over!" were now smiling warmly and taking the initiative to shake hands with them: "We are truly flattered that Director Liang can come and give us guidance!"

Shen Long even poured him a glass of water himself, speaking sincerely as if he were seeing a teacher: "I've watched your film 'The Age of Heroes' more than twenty times, and I'm still studying your camerawork techniques. I'll also refer to your film for my new movie..."

Che Xiao then handed over a carefully prepared notebook: "I've specially compiled these movie-watching notes. Please give me your feedback later."

The entire creative team revered Liang Xiaogang, their words brimming with the respect of younger generations for an industry giant.

Liang Xiaogang was made very uncomfortable by this sudden show of courtesy. Seeing these once unruly young people suddenly becoming so respectful to him, he felt not gratified, but rather his hair stood on end, goosebumps rose all over his body, and he felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.

What exactly are these bastards up to?
Looking at those smiling faces, he was filled with doubt and uncertainty!
Fuck!
What kind of evil scheme are these bastards plotting?
Only after the lights in the theater dimmed and the opening credits of "Kung Fu Basketball" lit up the screen, and the directors gradually returned to their seats, did Liang Xiaogang's eerie feeling ease slightly...

The movie has started...

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

In the world of basketball, there is a legendary streetball team called the "Fireballs," renowned for their dazzling playing style and superhuman jumping ability.

However, a gambling scandal five years ago led to the team's disbandment, and captain Murong Xiang (played by Zhang Mingsi) was falsely accused of match-fixing, forcing him to retire from basketball.

Now, he works as a referee at a street basketball court under an assumed name, until his former teammate Zhou Daying (played by a newcomer under Liu Jinghua's management) comes to him with shocking news.

Lei Zhen (a specialist in villainous roles), the mastermind behind the scenes, is about to take control of the national professional league. The only thing that can stop him is to rebuild the "Blazing Fire Team"!

【…】

This is a plot point from the movie...

The main actors in this movie are almost all young, up-and-coming artists...

Zhang Mingsi, who plays Captain Murong Xiang, was once a popular young actor under the management of [Huashang Brothers], and starred in many idol dramas that drove countless girls crazy during the millennium.

After a few years of silence, coinciding with a period of upheaval at the top of [Huashang Brothers], he followed his agent Liu Jinghua to a new company.

The actor who plays Zhou Daying is a newly signed popular artist under Liu Jinghua. He originally debuted as a singer and has accumulated a certain popularity with several hit singles. This is his first time crossing over to act in a movie.

The rest of the basketball team members were mostly newcomers with little fame; Liang Xiaogang had never even heard of some of them.

……

Movies like this...

In the past, Liang Xiaogang wouldn't have even given it a second glance!
In his eyes, this kind of film is worse than shit...

But now, he suppressed his emotions, bracing himself for being horribly embarrassed by these fresh faces with absolutely no acting skills...

However, reality was even more outrageous than he had imagined!

He stared intently at Zhang Mingsi, who played Captain Murong Xiang on the screen—he vaguely remembered this actor; he had seen him in the youth idol drama "Whirlwind Boys".

Although his acting skills were somewhat immature at the time, it was still clear that he was putting in a lot of effort.

But in this movie, this guy doesn't even bother to pretend anymore!

As Liang Xiaogang watched the scenes unfold on the screen, he felt his worldview shattered!

This is hardly a performance.
This is clearly performance art!
The scene where he was framed and ended up on the streets should have been a highlight of his acting skills, but instead, he just had a blank expression, mechanically licked his lips, and that was it...

Even when he's so poor he's eating dirt and being humiliated, he still has that unchanging poker face, only now he's changing the angle of his coolness, displaying a kind of "depression" that makes your butt tighten. He's looking up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, looking like he's about to be hit by bird droppings falling from the sky...

The most amazing part is the scene where he gets angry after being beaten up. This guy lies on the ground, not even bothering to change his expression. His dead fish eyes stare straight at his opponent, his whole body twitching as if he's been electrocuted. In the end, he even takes a deep breath and continues to maintain his signature poker face, watching those people leave...

……

"boom!"

The movie has only been playing for less than ten minutes!

Liang Xiaogang felt like his head was about to explode!
At this moment, he regretted it!

Fuck!
He shouldn't have come!
What the hell is this!

(End of this chapter)