Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 657 Have people lost all sense of shame these days? And they're still so loyal!
Stellar Media's response was surprisingly swift.

Almost as soon as reports of "the box office of Wuxia" began to spread online, their official Weibo account quickly released a statement announcing a reward for the capture of the "thief".

"We earnestly request all netizens to jointly monitor the ticketing situation in cinemas nationwide. Anyone who discovers and reports similar handwritten ticket alterations will receive a 1000 RMB cash reward from the film's production company upon verification."

At the same time, we also believe that this is a violation by a very small number of cinemas for their own benefit, and has nothing to do with the producers of any other films.”

This statement is very well written.

They adopted the stance of a victim determined to get to the bottom of things, while also pointing the finger at "a very small number of cinemas," distancing themselves from other film producers, seemingly trying to avoid making a big fuss.

They were very careful.

Even the reward amount was set at a rather subtle 1000 yuan.

They might be worried that if they paid too much money, they might be caught red-handed, or that someone might be working in their place.
Those in the industry who saw this statement all sensed something fishy was going on.

Although this incident affected several films released during the same period, the most surprising thing was that China Film Group's "The Founding of a Republic" was also involved.

However, Xingmei stood up as a "tragic victim," and this wave of sympathy was indeed gained by ordinary netizens.

“Interesting.” In Wanda’s office, Zhang Lin was on the phone with Wu Chen, his tone tinged with regret.
"I was thinking that if it involves 'Ex Machina,' I'd send someone down to investigate. If it's fake, I'd just have that theater disappear from the cinema chain."

Wu Chen couldn't help but chuckle at his slightly roguish tone.

It has to be said that those who come from the real estate industry all still carry a bit of the "street smarts" spirit.

“Oh, right,” Wu Chen said, as if remembering something, “I’ve noticed that every time there’s a box office fraud incident, it’s involving cinemas under the Jinyi Group. It’s been like this before.”

“Jinyi’s strategy is different from Wanda’s,” Zhang Lin explained.

"Wanda's initial positioning was in the core business districts of first-tier cities, and it only later expanded into lower-tier cities as Wanda Plaza expanded. Jinyi, on the other hand, has always been positioned in the second, third, and fourth-tier markets, you know what I mean, Director Wu."

Furthermore, for private enterprises, profit is paramount. If you go to see a blockbuster (A), the cinema gets 43 yuan per ticket; if you go to see a smaller film (B), the cinema gets 57 yuan. In your shoes, which would you choose?

Zhang Lin went straight to the heart of the matter.

Wu Chen smiled upon hearing this: "That's true, but this time it's not as complicated."

"Oh? Director Wu, you mean..."

"Do you think it's possible that this never happened at all, and that someone just needs this story?"

Wu Chen's mind was as clear as a mirror.

From the very beginning, Star Media never intended to actually investigate who stole the box office revenue; this is evident from their statements.

Moreover, Stellar Media felt that as the industry leader, China Film Group could not openly "go to war" with a film that was currently showing, as it would not look good regardless of the outcome.

Furthermore, it's not just "The Founding of a Republic" that's involved; the situation is very murky, and they are also trying their best to defend China Film Group and the various film companies, shifting the blame to individual cinemas.
It has to be said that this tactic works.

Many netizens still sympathize with "Wu Xia" and angrily condemn the box office fraud.
Chen Kexin and others took the opportunity to promote their products aggressively.

Discussions about "Wuxia" have indeed increased significantly; at least, the overwhelming ridicule online has diminished considerably.

China Film Group's actions were exceptionally swift.

Compared to the other affected film companies, which only issued a lukewarm statement saying they did not steal box office revenue, China Film Group's statement was much more assertive.

"China Film Group was unaware of and did not support this matter; we are already conducting a thorough investigation."

"No box office targets were set for 'The Founding of a Republic'; the film was simply shown in accordance with national requirements. It cannot be ruled out that other films might use it for publicity. Currently, film marketing methods are quite chaotic."

The last sentence of this statement was clearly pointed.

The media immediately seized on the key point and instantly turned their attention to it.

The online discussion immediately became lively.

Netizens are feeling a bit dizzy from this drama; one side is the victim, the other seems to be implying something. Perhaps they're feeling the pressure.
Xingmei is very smart.

An executive from Jin Yi Pearl River Cinema Line stepped forward to explain the matter to the media.

"According to our investigation, the ticket stub circulating online was because the audience member changed their mind after purchasing the ticket and wanted to see a different movie. For convenience, the cinema staff simply handwritten the correction, which was a very accidental and unavoidable operational error."

The distributor of "The Founding of a Republic" has never given any box office targets to our theaters.

"Chairman Han, did you see that? That was a mistake on their part," Wu Chen said with a smile, teasingly.

"Do you think I'm a three-year-old?" Han Sanping said irritably. "For a little bit of box office marketing, people these days have no shame. Damn it, it's only because China Film Group is in such a precarious position that they're willing to back down."

Han Sanping felt very uncomfortable.

This is equivalent to someone using the film for their own purposes.
"Never mind, Qin Hong came personally to apologize; he's outside the door right now, hehe."

"I bet he'll say that the PR team below acted on their own initiative and that he himself was completely unaware of it," Wu Chen said with a smile.

Han Sanping was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone. He guessed that what Wu Chen said would most likely come true.

As for whether Qin Hong truly knew or was pretending to know, who knows!

"Fine, it's not appropriate for him to do it himself, I'll do it."

After hanging up the phone, Wu Chen muttered to himself.

Under Liu Yifei's curious gaze, his Weibo account was updated.

"Another mistake? Do you think we're three-year-olds?"

That's very direct; it names names.

When netizens saw Wu Chen's involvement, things got really lively.

"Of course! Machines always make mistakes, no, it should be people, people always make mistakes!"

"Director Wu, be careful, they might 'change their minds' again later!"

"We're all 36-month-old babies, we just don't understand, it's too complicated."

"."

In the office of China Film Group, Han Sanping and Qin Hong had just finished a "friendly and cordial" meeting.

The secretary whispered to Han Sanping.

After listening, Han Sanping couldn't help but chuckle. Looking out the window, he remarked, "He's quite loyal."

The secretary smiled when she heard Han Sanping's words, which had a touch of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry).

"But this Qin Hong," Han Sanping changed the subject, his tone laced with sarcasm, "he knows nothing about them, and doesn't even know if his company is actually run by the two brothers."

If it doesn't work out, we might as well sell it.

"Haha, Chairman Han, they might be reluctant to part with it." The secretary was quick to respond.

The secretary was very good at responding.

The box office performance of "Wu Xia" was like a brief resurgence, rising slightly on the day when its popularity was at its peak, but it quickly plummeted again due to its terrible reputation.

The already low Douban rating dropped by a fraction of a point.

In contrast, "Ex Machina" remained completely unaffected, with its box office performance remaining stable.

On its sixth day of release, the film's cumulative box office officially surpassed 100 million yuan.

Starry Sky Pictures welcomes another "director with a box office of over 100 million yuan".
(End of this chapter)