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

Chapter 398 Epilogue (The End)

The whole year of 2008...

Perhaps due to the constant busyness, time seems to have been accelerated, so fast that every scene that happened last year is as clear and tangible as yesterday.

An Xiaoshi has faded from the screen.

Or rather, since "My Girlfriend is a Robot," she has poured out all the pent-up emotions she had been holding back, bringing her dream about movies to its ultimate perfection.

Throughout the year, she was constantly on the go, shuttling between the management affairs of [XuanShi Mall] across the country...

Since the integration of cinemas and department stores, a multitude of tasks have come flooding in.

When I open my eyes in the morning, I see mountains of branded product listings; when I fall asleep at night, a newly built cinema complex stands outside my window.

Sometimes, she couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions, looking at this rapidly developing era as if it were a different world.

Since the Olympics, seemingly overnight, the entire real estate industry in China has suddenly fallen into a kind of frenzied agitation.
From major cities to small towns, new housing developments sprang up one after another, and countless people flocked to the real estate market like madmen. Prices soared, with the price of housing in Yanjing City changing almost daily.
On the morning of December 3, 2009.

The snow was still falling, accompanied by gusts of cold wind.

An Xiaoshi rarely had free time, so she stepped out of the office and strolled quietly down the street.

The streets were covered in snow, and snowplows were busy at work.

The advertisements for "Robot Baby" are plastered all over the streets and alleys; you can see the movie's promotional posters with just a glance.

An Xiaoshi looked down at the movie ticket in her hand, her thoughts drifting away.

In fact, she didn't know much about the film's content. She only knew that the company had prepared it and that Zhou Yang had vaguely heard that he had assembled an animation film team and recruited many talents from various places, including abroad...

Just as she was quietly preparing to enter the movie theater, the phone rang...

On the phone, Zhang Jingya's voice trembled slightly with excitement: "President An! 'God of Monsters' has broken 9000 million in box office revenue in a single day! The gap between us and 'The Alda' is only 112 million! We're going to win! At this rate, we'll overtake them by today at the latest! This is not only a box office victory, but also a milestone for the Chinese film industry, a brand new milestone..."

Upon hearing this voice, An Xiaoshi's hand holding the phone trembled slightly.

She had been calm, but at this moment a strange, indescribable emotion suddenly welled up inside her.

She looked up at the huge poster for "God of Monsters" outside the theater, where the Taotie tearing through the clouds seemed to be roaring at Hollywood.

On the other end of the phone, Zhang Jingya was still excitedly reporting data when she suddenly saw a familiar figure walking towards her through the wind and snow...

Zhou Yang, dressed in a black trench coat and with some simple attire, did not stand out in the crowd. He did not bring any bodyguards and walked slowly alone.

The snow stopped, and sunlight streamed down, illuminating his familiar face.

When he saw An Xiaoshi, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He then quickened his pace and approached, waving the movie ticket for "Robot Baby" in his hand, a familiar smile appearing on his lips.

At this moment, time seemed to flow backward to the scene of their first meeting in 2003.

The sun was shining brightly that day...

Standing upstairs, she glanced down casually and spotted a young figure leaning against an Audi A6.
"Shall we go see a movie together?" he asked softly.

"President Zhou?" An Xiaoshi responded in surprise, her voice slightly dazed.

In the wind and snow, the two quietly walked into the movie theater.

For the past year or two, Zhou Yang has been in seclusion.

Their interactions became very limited, and even regarding work matters, she mostly communicated with Zhang Jingya.

Whenever Zhang Jingya was asked what Zhou Yang was busy with, she would always respond with a wry smile...

In the past two years, Zhou Yang's whereabouts have seemed to be kept extremely secret, and even she didn't know what he was busy with.

A gust of wind blew by, and the two walked silently side by side toward the movie theater.

At this moment, An Xiaoshi was filled with complex emotions. She wanted to say something, but she didn't know where to begin.

She glanced at Zhou Yang, who looked somewhat weathered, out of the corner of her eye...

The scene of our first encounter flashed before my eyes...

She was standing atop a tall building, looking down at the young figure leaning against an Audi below...

Now, it seems their positions have been reversed.

She stood below, looking up at Zhou Yang, who had already reached the pinnacle of the industry.

This distance left her momentarily at a loss for words...

They were like friends, but more like business partners. They rarely talked about anything outside of work, and their most frequent topic of conversation seemed to be their dreams...

They were familiar with each other, yet seemed like complete strangers.

At this moment, even a simple greeting felt strangely awkward; I didn't know how to break the brief silence...

Fortunately, he remained the same as I remembered, seemingly unchanged...

When they sat down to talk, she didn't ask any questions, and he naturally started talking about his experiences over the past two years.

Gradually, the conversation flowed again like a stream, and the long-lost tacit understanding quietly revived in their words.

During the chat...

She got something...

Listening to Zhou Yang recount the various twists and turns during the film's production...

Hollywood animation teams would demand higher fees at the last minute, break contracts midway, and then they would clean up the mess themselves, redraw storyboards, and eventually bring the animated film to the big screen...

They encountered various problems and were at a loss, so they eventually found some new artists and revised the artwork...

Zhou Yang spoke these words in a relaxed tone, a smile playing on his lips, even interspersing them with anecdotes from the filming process, teasing him like an old friend…

But An Xiaoshi couldn't manage a smile. She knew that the past two years, for the sake of the film, hadn't been as easy as they had imagined…

"Has the path for the future of Chinese cinema been paved?" she asked softly.

"It's almost done... As for the rest, let time do its work. Who knows what the future holds..." Zhou Yang looked at the screen with a faint smile on his lips.

An Xiaoshi silently gazed at his profile, nodded, and then her gaze returned to the lit-up screen. The opening theme music of "Robot Baby Power" slowly began to play.

"And what about your future?" she suddenly asked, her voice soft but exceptionally clear.

"Hmm?" Zhou Yang was slightly taken aback, then laughed, but did not answer immediately.

Only after the movie officially started did he let out a long sigh, lean back in his chair, and half-jokingly say, "How about... I try going on a blind date?"

After he finished speaking, he laughed.

An Xiaoshi laughed along, the light reflecting on her face, casting a soft halo.

She suddenly stopped smiling, and nodded seriously: "Well, I think you should at least go on a blind date with someone from a similar social class..."

"What does 'marrying someone of equal social standing' mean?" Zhou Yang asked.

"She's very wealthy and can help you a lot. Ideally, she'd have her own businesses and a dowry." She paused, her gaze lingering intently on Zhou Yang's face for a moment, as if carefully confirming something she was planning: "If you two join forces, you'll be invincible!"

Zhou Yang was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter: "Yes, yes, we definitely need a partner like that!"

The movie begins...

As the screen lights shifted, An Xiaoshi glanced sideways and caught a glimpse of Zhou Yang's focused profile, its deep contours outlined by blue light.

Zhou Yang seemed to sense something, turned his head and met her gaze. The two smiled at each other, and then simultaneously turned their eyes back to the screen.

……

As the end credits of "Robot Baby" slowly rolled, thunderous applause echoed throughout the theater.

As the lights came on, many audience members were still unwilling to leave their seats...

Some gently wiped away the tears from the corners of their eyes, while others remained immersed in the shock brought by the story.

This seemingly simple robot fairy tale touches the softest part of everyone's heart with astonishing depth: about growth, about bonds, about the meaning of life, and about the purest love, where even a mechanical heart can beat.

The clumsy yet determined figure of Wali on the screen seems to still linger before my eyes.

Its robotic arm embracing the world showed viewers courage and love that transcends steel.

The exquisite cinematic language and the delicate emotional portrayals tell us that this is not just an animated film, but a cinematic love letter to all dream chasers.

As the movie ended, fans enthusiastically discussed the plot details. Some were amazed by the production quality, which far exceeded their expectations, while others were moved to tears by the core message of the story.

And in the passageway where the crowd was thinning...

And in the passageway where the crowd was gradually dispersing.

As the event ended, someone caught a glimpse of a familiar figure leading a young girl, quietly disappearing into the sunlight.

The girl was very happy and excited, excitedly talking about something, seemingly discussing the romance in the movie. As she talked, she started making plans for a blind date, introducing various things, and I vaguely heard one name after another...

The boy stood quietly to the side, a gentle smile on his lips, sometimes nodding earnestly, sometimes lost in thought.

In a daze, the man's silhouette looked exactly like Zhou Yang...

But as the light shifts, one might doubt that it's merely an illusion created by the winter sun...

……

In the early morning of January 4, 2009, the snow in Yanjing stopped.

Outside the cinema, the giant LED screen flickered in the cold wind, and the pulsating numbers resembled a silent battle.

The box office for "Robot Baby" on its opening day was 5800 million, while the daily box office figures for "The Alda" and "God of Monsters" have not yet been released.

Some are amazed by the outstanding performance of "Robot Baby," while others worry that this three-way box office battle will reach a stalemate.

However, when the detailed data was updated, the entire film industry fell into a brief silence...

Then it completely boiled over!

God of the Monsters, with a single-day box office of 6120 million, surpassed Alda's 6050 million for the first time!
Despite the mere 70 difference, this slight advantage ignited passion throughout the entire industry.

At 3 a.m., the internet erupted in celebration: movie fans went crazy, with some posting screenshots of box office figures with the scarlet caption "Chinese behemoth, crushing Hollywood!"

Theater managers, trembling, repeatedly checked the reports and immediately called headquarters. Even the usually restrained editor-in-chief of *Film Weekly* exclaimed in quick succession, "A historic moment!!!"

Just as the audience's emotions reached their peak, the official Weibo account of [XuanShi Entertainment] suddenly updated with a stunning movie poster.

In the image, the Taotie, tearing through the clouds, roars with its head held high, and the remains of the Statue of Liberty are reduced to dust under its claws.

Amidst the billowing smoke, the adorable robot Wali slowly walked towards them.

From Sun Wukong to Zhou Yang's Spider-Man in the "Black Robe Alliance," from Zhao Yun in armored martial spirit to the domineering Lu Bu...

Since 2003, these classic characters etched in the memories of the audience seem to have stepped out of the screen one by one. Behind them, a brilliant galaxy of stars, spanning eras and composed of familiar names from the Zhou Yang group of Chinese filmmakers, has been formed...

And leading this cinematic legend is a young figure wearing glasses and a cape...

this moment!
All the audience members heard it; the bells of the new era were thundering down on the roar of Hollywood's industrial engines!

this moment!
The cinematic legend of China is forging a new epic!
this moment……

one……

A new era has arrived!
(Finish)

(There's also a bonus chapter, I'll post it tomorrow, it'll be a little bit of an interesting story...)
(End of this chapter)