How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 262 'The Future Has Arrived'

'2028'.

As Feng Xiaopao predicted, the timeline shifted again.

At this point, He Ji in the scene has already entered the internship stage at Dongying University. He is doing the lowest-level odd jobs at the TV station, but he leaves early and returns late every day, sleeping in a cramped Japanese-style rental room. The film directly portrays the life of the lower class in Dongying. Although the background music and visuals are positive and sunny, it makes the audience feel somewhat depressed and angry.

Especially the hierarchical culture in some Japanese workplaces.

Until one day, He Ji received a call from her second sister, He Hui, asking her if she was coming home this year.

"The round-trip airfare is over ten thousand yuan, which is too expensive. I'll wait until next year when I'm officially hired after my internship," He Ji said with a weary smile.

“He Ji, you haven’t been home to see your parents for two years. Don’t forget how you went abroad. Have you forgotten your roots in the big city?” He Hui’s tone was somewhat angry.

The two sisters had a heated argument on the phone, and He Ji's emotional breakdown surprised many viewers, who began to appreciate the actress Zhao Liying.

After the two sisters finished arguing, He Ji's breakdown and crying was very moving. Then, her third sister, He Yuan, called to comfort and explain that the family's fishing business had not been doing well in the past two years due to the impact of emissions from Japan. People in the village knew that she was in Japan and often spoke ill of her. He Hui had made enemies with many people in the village because of her.

He Ji remained silent for a long time after hearing this, and finally looked up at the calendar hanging on the wall.

"hold on."

'2030'

Having shed her childishness, He Ji became a full-time employee of Dongying TV. Even her face shape changed from a round face to a more angular and mature look. Paired with her professional attire, she exuded the aura of a workplace elite.

He Ji successfully became a TV station assistant anchor, responsible for helping senior anchor (Lin Zhiling) with tasks such as organizing scripts and test broadcasts. By chance, the senior anchor fell ill and was unable to go on stage for a live broadcast, and the opportunity fell to He Ji, the assistant anchor.

However, when the leader in charge of the program met with He Ji alone that night, he made a suggestive suggestion about the unspoken rules. Faced with this situation for the first time, He Ji was at a loss and could only seek help from a senior anchor. In the end, with the help of the senior anchor, he set a trap for the leader.

When her boss started harassing her at work, she was caught by a senior anchor. The two used this to threaten and retaliate by calling the police, which led to the boss's downfall. Then, the senior anchor became the new boss in this 'GHG' storyline.

Later, with the help of a senior anchor, He Ji got a chance to go on stage for a live broadcast. In this kind of plot, as expected, something unexpected happened. His third sister, He Yuan, called to say that their father was seriously injured and ill while fishing at sea.

He Ji had no choice but to give up the hard-won opportunity and was scolded by the senior anchor. After returning home, he was further criticized and ridiculed by his second sister, He Hui. He Ji felt silent and guilty.

Then comes the standard emotional scene: the seriously ill father comforts and encourages He Ji to continue pursuing his dreams, uttering a crucial line.

"You must wait patiently, and wait some more, to see when the grapes will ripen."

Seeing her aging parents again, He Ji began to feel lost. She returned home and hid in her room, feeling sad and conflicted about whether she should give up her dreams and go home to take care of her parents. Her third brother went to comfort her and expressed his support for his sister.

"My sister is my pride and my idol."

With the support of her family, He Ji and her father were discharged from the hospital and set sail again to pursue their dreams.

This melodramatic plot is arguably the biggest conflict and highlight of the entire film so far, depicting the arcs, growth, and changes of everyone involved. However, Feng Xiaopao and others still felt it was expected.

Lin Zhiling and Zhao Liying both gave excellent performances in this scene, especially the part where they faced workplace harassment. It was very realistic and touched on the edge of reality. However, it was a bit strange that the director never gave the leader a close-up of his face when filming him. We didn't know who played the male leader until the very end.

However, just from the body language shots, it's clear that this actor playing a character involved in unspoken rules is very experienced, making it easy for viewers to empathize with him.

When they returned to China later, the character of the second sister, He Hui, was further fleshed out. To fulfill her older sister's dream, she dropped out of high school to help her family go out to sea to fish, giving up her own future to support her older and younger sisters and take care of her parents, which was a highlight.

However, the biggest highlight of this family-friendly scene is the incredibly moving background music, which perfectly matches the inspiring, heartwarming, and family-friendly atmosphere of the entire film, making it a definite plus.

With the film already nearly four-fifths complete, just as Feng Xiaopao, Lu Chuan, and others concluded that the later plot would likely be a happy family story of He Ji's ambitious career comeback, his triumphant rise to the top, and his eventual return to support his family, the background music in the latter half of the film suddenly became subtly intense and abrupt.

'2032'

After two years in the workforce, He Ji finally achieved his dream of becoming a news program host and got the opportunity to broadcast the biggest news in Japan live.

The camera pulls the glamorous He Ji along the long corridor leading to the studio, attempting to announce the hardships and joys of this girl's 22 years of pursuing her dream.

But just as He Ji pushed open the studio door, the scene suddenly shifted to a flashback. On the stormy sea, the second sister, He Hui, stood at the bow of a fishing boat, looking up at several large patrol boats in the distance, with the piercing sound of alarms echoing around them.

"Withdraw from Japanese territorial waters immediately."

Although He Hui's makeup was somewhat simple, it still couldn't hide his heroic and handsome features. His tightly furrowed brows revealed his anger, and his tanned skin exuded an unusual wildness.

"Captain, what should we do? Should we back up?" a crew member behind us asked anxiously.

"Withdraw from our territorial waters, my foot!" He Hui sneered. "Full speed ahead, ancestors above, ram them!"

Amidst the piercing alarms, furious broadcasts, and the roar of engines, a powerful, magnetic voice rang out. The suppressed, screaming vocals, combined with the fishing boat's charge towards the lake, created a chilling and awe-inspiring atmosphere.

'I look into your unwavering eyes, unsure if I represent the light. In darkness, we need no pity; in justice, there are questions that cannot be answered.'

Meanwhile, the scene blurs and shifts back to the brightly lit studio. He Ji wears a sweet and approachable smile, her dimples are prominent, and her eyes retain a clear and resilient look untouched by worldly affairs.

As the background music pushed the atmosphere to a subversive level, he spoke in a standard, clear voice.

(Fill in the blank)

At the same time, the camera passes through He Ji's face, returning to that small fishing village as if traveling through time and space. In the room at the beginning of the movie, the third sister He Yuan has a stunning profile, looking up at the yellowed and even dried-out sea chart on the wall.

He was holding an even older children's digital watch in his hand, the same one that He Ji had worn on his wrist 22 years ago.

The camera finally focuses on the children's watch face, where the countdown numbers have stopped at '22'.

The movie abruptly ended, and the crew list floated up.

ended?
A gasp suddenly erupted in the movie theater.

After all, the last part should have included a long scene of the female lead receiving her MVP award, so why did it just end abruptly?

And it left even more suspense: did the second sister's boat collide with the other boat?
An open ending?

What kind of movie is this?
Inspirational for women? Sci-fi? Suspense?
Even after the end credits rolled and the words "This story is purely fictional, and any resemblance to actual events or persons is purely coincidental" appeared, everyone was still completely bewildered. However, the goosebumps on their arms had not yet subsided, which at least proved that the last few minutes had indeed evoked an emotional response from everyone.

"What kind of movie is this?" Feng Xiaopao couldn't help but complain.

The beginning was at least a lighthearted urban comedy about women in the workplace, similar to "Go Lala Go!", but how did it suddenly turn into a suspenseful war film later on?

"It is indeed somewhat trendy," Wang Zhongjun remarked after considering his words.

"Trying to make a movie like a music video? That's really amateurish," Lu Chuan complained from the side. "You're right, the movie itself isn't great, but the soundtrack is really good. But since it's Tan's movie, we'll leave it at that," Wang Zhongjun smiled and reminded Feng Xiaopao.

With the recent success of "Tang Zhen," Feng Xiaopao has become a bit arrogant again, and I'm afraid he might offend people by saying something inappropriate in the media.

Offending Tan Hui is one thing, but now Huayi has invested heavily in 'Tianwang Private Equity' and will definitely be involved in the variety show field in the future. We can't afford to offend Wang Yao.

"Don't worry, just tell me you haven't seen it yet if you ask me." Feng Xiaopao waved his hand.

They might not talk about it openly, but they'd definitely complain to someone behind the scenes. It's like any Tom, Dick, or Harry dares to get into the film industry; the world is going to the dogs.

"This film is not good for international friendship," Lu Chuan said quietly from the side.

Wang Zhongjun glanced at him but said nothing.

At the same time, Wang Yao also invited Honma Hide, president of Dongying LP Company, to watch a preview screening of "22.22", and thoughtfully, it was the Japanese version. The female anchor senior role played by Lin Zhiling was the same one played by Yui Aragaki.

So after watching it, Hidetoshi Honma jumped up from his chair.

"President Wang! What does this mean? This script is different from the one you gave us. You're committing fraud! I'm going to sue you! I demand that you stop the screening of this movie immediately, or else you can expect a cross-border lawsuit!" Honma Hide's voice cracked with shock and anger.

He never expected that the movie's ending would take place in such a sensitive setting.

If this movie were to actually be shown in Japan, or even spread to Japan, Yui Aragaki would face a huge public relations crisis, and her career could even be ruined as a result.

LP Company had finally nurtured such a decent cash cow, but they never expected it would be ruined in this aspect. If it weren't for the bodyguards around Wang Yao, he would have been ready to start a samurai duel with Wang Yao directly.

"President Honma, please calm down. You wouldn't want the news of Ms. Aragaki's participation in this movie to reach Japan, would you?" Wang Yao waved his hand, a warm smile on his face.

"What do you mean? Is this a threat?" Honma Hide's face darkened.

"Actually, besides Ms. Aragaki, I also filmed another version." Wang Yao smiled and showed off Lin Zhiling's version.

"This is the official release version? What exactly is President Wang trying to do?" Honma Hide was stunned, looking at Wang Yao with a puzzled expression.

"Of course, it's a continuation of the cooperation we discussed before," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"President Wang's character is hard to trust. I hope Yui Aragaki's master tape doesn't leak out, or I'll make President Wang regret it. As for you and me, let's just pretend we never met," Honma Hide said coldly, preparing to leave.

Since the version being released isn't the one with Yui Aragaki, Shu Honma has plenty of time to prepare for a crisis management campaign. He can simply say he was deceived and use the publicity to boost Yui Aragaki's popularity in Japan. At worst, he can just give up the Chinese market altogether.

"President Honma, I'm planning to invest $1500 million in LP in exchange for about 40% of the shares, and I'm also preparing a series of international cooperation projects. I hope you'll give it a good consideration. LP's cooperation with Skyfire could make LP the largest film and television company in Japan," Wang Yao patiently persuaded.

LP's valuation is around $5000 million. Wang Yao's offer is fair. If it were before, Honma Shu would have considered it carefully. But now that he has seen that Wang Yao has set up such a despicable trap, how could he possibly cooperate with him?

"Thank you for your kind words, President Wang, but let's pretend we never met," Honma Hide said with a cold laugh.

"President Honma, you'd better think this over carefully, otherwise the cooperation model won't be the same tomorrow." Wang Yao narrowed his eyes, his smile unchanged.

"President Wang, you may be all-powerful in China, but don't forget, in Japan, I also have the ability to make Tianhuo permanently withdraw from the Japanese market!" Honma Hide suppressed the urge to curse and quickly left to prepare for crisis public relations.

Despicable Chinese people, do you really think I'm made of clay?

Watching Honma Shuu leave in a huff, Wang Yao shook his head helplessly: "He has quite the temper."

After the first round of preview screenings of "22", because no publicity strategy was prepared in advance, and because it was led by Tan Hui's Xingmei, neither peers nor the media spoke out first. Only a few major media outlets published a mediocre film review, but they also placed the film under the key promotion of "female inspiration" and "future comedy".

I waited until 11 p.m., after all three rounds of the movie had been over, and there was a lot of discussion about "22" on various social media and film forums, with film critics and media naturally spreading the topic.

People still placed the same level of anticipation for this movie as for "Go Lala Go!", and the pre-sale box office for the second day of the premiere reached millions.

Wang Yao launched the first wave of promotional activities overnight based on these organic traffic sources.

'The future is here'

The main selling points are the powerful functions of smartphones shown in the movie and predictions about how technology will change human life in the next ten or twenty years. At the same time, there are also soft advertisements on mobile platforms such as Mulan Street, Ms, Ele.me, KT, Bilibili, and "Water Spine".

Most of He Ji's scenes in the movie revolve around 'smartphones', such as using KT social networking, ordering takeout with Ele.me and Didi ride-hailing when he was in school, and using his phone for live streaming and dubbing after arriving in Japan, which perfectly fits into the current hot topic of smartphones.

In the early hours of September 9.6th, the cast and crew of "22," led by Zhao Liying, along with other artists and models from the Skyfire Group, posted advertisements on social media featuring the movie.

'The future is here! #22.22'

With the addition of various behind-the-scenes clips, the topic garnered nearly ten million views online the next day. This was entirely due to the sheer number of people involved, as the combined fan base of the artists and models from the Tianhuo system alone is close to 100 million.

However, the opening day box office prediction was not very high, barely breaking 300 million.

However, the download volume of major mobile apps has increased significantly, and predictions about future smart lifestyles have sparked considerable discussion on various technology forums.

By noon, the first batch of interviews with the lead actors' team began to be released.

Director Stanley Kwan explained that the inspiration for the film came from the story of Chen Yuxiang, a martyr who fought in the Diaoyu Islands movement in 1996.

Zhao Liying explained the origin of the He sisters' names, which are taken from Bai Juyi's poem "Looking northwest, where is my hometown? Looking southeast, how many times has the moon been full?" The three sisters each represent a kind of hope for their family.

By evening, after a day of promotion, the first-day box office was predicted to exceed 400 million. The only topic that naturally trended on social media was not related to the movie's plot, but rather the background music used in the film.

Ms is already one of the largest music platforms in China, and with Tianhuo signing a large number of online singers and copyrights, hundreds of new songs are released on Ms every day.

However, "Tangible Wings" and "Ambition" were the first songs to truly break out of the circle and trend on social media, especially the former, whose singer was none other than Zhang Shaohan, who was involved in negative public opinion last year, such as "abandoning children and using drugs"!

This person's reputation has been terrible lately. The song "22" actually used her audio! And soon someone found out that Zhang Shaohan seems to have signed with Skyfire Entertainment. This kind of "tainted artist" has sparked a lot of discussion on the Internet.

However, Tianhuo Entertainment quickly released false information about the negative rumors surrounding Zhang Shaohan, clarifying that the rumors from last year were a tragic misunderstanding caused by her own mother and outsiders slandering her while she was abroad for heart treatment.

While successfully restoring Zhang Shaohan's image as the original goddess of most netizens, she also gained the label of "beautiful, strong, and tragic", gaining hundreds of thousands of followers in one day.

Zhang Shaohan's popularity once surpassed that of "22", boosting box office revenue.

The film ultimately grossed five million on its opening day, which is quite good for a low-budget film with a completely new cast. Tan Hui was also quite satisfied, as it was close to the expected total box office of forty to fifty million.

Until the next day, September 9.7th.

(End of this chapter)