This celebrity is overly enthusiastic!

Chapter 167 Fans' Actions, Idols Pay the Price

"It's rare to come back from abroad, why are you being so low-key? Are you tired?"

Han Sanpin personally came to the airport to pick them up. This time, Chen Yuan and the crew of actors, who are usually very high-profile, did not hold any similar fan pick-up activities when they returned to China, which surprised him.

"Sigh, I've been traumatized by Japanese fans. I can almost hear the echoes of a group of people screaming in my ears."

The overall situation has been settled; further exaggerated publicity will have little effect or significance.

Chen Yuan and Han Sanping got into the back seat of the Audi and chatted about domestic developments on their way out of the airport.

"What is the current domestic box office figure?"

"Yesterday, it broke 100 million in just six days. Now that you're back to do roadshows and promotions, it should be able to maintain high growth for a few more days."

Han Sanpin stared intently at Chen Yuan, who, although still physically in good condition, showed signs of fatigue in his expression.

"You really showed your true skills this time, which has impressed many people! Among Chinese people, besides Bruce Lee and Chen Long, you are the third to be so admired by Americans and Japanese!"

"Stop flattering Third Master. It's just the two of us now, what's the point of you saying that?"

Although Chen Yuan was being polite, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

"Alright, alright, you've probably heard enough of this flattery these past few days. Any ideas for a sequel to 'The Edge Walker'?"

"Not for now. I need to take a good rest for a while and reorganize the company. I've been so busy these past few years that I haven't even had a proper New Year's celebration."

Another point is to ensure the film's influence is fully realized, so that we can negotiate a better price when discussing cooperation with Columbia Pictures.

Han Sanpin nodded seriously. When they were negotiating a collaboration with Columbia Pictures, they did indeed have to rely on them.

Although this collaboration was mutually beneficial, the Chinese side clearly gained a lot from what it received, but it also paid a heavy price, with more than half of the copyright for "The Edge Walker" belonging to the other party.

Now that the movie is so successful, it's even more of a pity. We must renegotiate a fairer contract for the sequel.

"The tiered revenue-sharing scheme you came up with this time has been quite effective. Many other companies in the industry are discussing this scheme. Chen Yuan, do you think others can learn from your method?"

"Profit sharing? That's not an easy matter."

Chen Yuan stroked his chin, pondering the question.

Since the cinema reform in 2002, the struggle for interests between film producers and cinemas has been out in the open.

Prior to this, the revenue share of production companies had long hovered around 35%, which was very unfavorable for large-scale films that could only recoup their costs through box office revenue, as the risk was too great.

The cinema chains, on the other hand, believe that cinema operation is a capital-intensive business with constantly rising daily costs, and they have their reasons for not compromising on every penny.

What may appear to be a single-digit percentage change represents a profit distribution of tens or even hundreds of millions.

China Film Group controls the investment in major domestic films and also owns several important state-owned cinema chains. It would be difficult for Han Sanpin to coordinate the conflict of interests between the production company and the cinema chains.

In 2002, Zhang Weiping, with his newfound artistic vision, teamed up with veteran director Zhang Yimou to dominate the box office.
With a firm stance of "no screenings without a signed agreement," and leveraging the film's strong market appeal, they forced theaters to concede, increasing the film's revenue share from 35% to 40%.
Before the release of "The Edge Walker", Zhang Weiping also approached him, hoping that he could stand with him from the perspective of the producers and work together to increase the revenue sharing ratio.

Given the sheer scale of "The Edge Walker" and its unique significance to Chinese cinema, Chen Yuan certainly has the ability to easily increase his share of the profits.

But he knew it was pointless to do that. It was no problem to snatch a few points from the theaters, but some movies would give theaters a rebate in order to get more screenings, which would become a basic practice in the future film market.

There's no point in arguing now; the key is to see how capable each of us really is.

Moreover, if Metaverse wants to delve deeper into the film industry in the future, how can it continue to rely on others for film distribution?

Huayi Brothers suffered a major blow due to Feng Xiaogang's unofficial 5-year ban from directing and Wang Jinghua's escape with her team to join Orange Entertainment, leading many to abandon the company.

He also proactively recruited a group of talents from his own cinema distribution system.

Film distribution, to put it simply, involves negotiating screening schedules with various theater chains and cinema owners. When dealing with theater chains, you can't be as arrogant and demanding as Zhang Weiping.

Chen Yuan then thought of the tiered revenue sharing scheme commonly used in China in later generations.

《边缘行者》的票房在1亿以下，分账39%、1到2亿分账42%、2亿以上是45%
The core of this approach is that the higher the box office, the higher the percentage that the producers and distributors receive.

The higher the box office, the more recognized the film is by the audience, and the more visitors the cinemas will have. This provides a continuous and stable window for subsequent distribution and a source of revenue for theatrical films, ensuring the vitality of the entire industry ecosystem, which is beneficial to cinemas in the long run.

This revenue-sharing arrangement is acceptable to theater owners.

"Others can certainly use it, but this cannot be generalized, after all, everyone's movies are different."

I think it's best not to have any mandatory regulations. Let the production companies take their films and negotiate with the theaters on a case-by-case basis. Let the market handle the market's decisions.

Han Sanpin thought about it and realized that was indeed the case. Not everyone had Chen Yuan's ability and confidence to make a bet with the theater owners.

Chen Yuan did not return to the company or rest first. Instead, he went to the hospital to visit a fan who was hospitalized.

Rampant piracy has long been a persistent problem hindering the development of the domestic film and television industry.

Despite numerous precautions and multiple measures taken to effectively prevent piracy of "Hero" two years ago, high-definition VCDs still flooded the market three weeks after the film's release.

Although some of those who got in early were sued and imprisoned by the angry new emperor, a large number of them still made a fortune.

"The Edge Walker" is a Sino-US co-production blockbuster even more significant than "Hero," and naturally, countless pirates have their eyes on this lucrative opportunity. Metaverse and China Film Group are also on high alert and ready to fight.

Many audacious individuals have been apprehended, but with so many cinemas across the country, it's inevitable that some will slip through the net. Currently, blurry, shaky pirated copies from cinemas are circulating online.

Yesterday, in a remote cinema in the capital, a young female fan of Chen Yuan discovered someone was recording her without her consent and angrily pointed it out in public.

Her injury wasn't caused by the person who illegally recorded her recording, but rather by her falling to the ground when she was surrounded and beaten by other fans of Chen Yuan.
At the time, the movie theater was pitch black, and she was trampled by many people. Her injuries were actually more severe than those of the person who was taken to the police station for recording. She was just very unlucky.

"Everyone else is blind and stupid, but you're a living idiot, you think you're so capable! After this lesson, let's see if you dare to get involved in this kind of thing again!"

"I'm happy with it this way!"

"You're obsessed with celebrities? I think you've ruined your brain by watching too many TV shows and movies!"

"Keep it quiet, don't say anything, I can tell the difference between good and bad!"

"You can't tell the difference? If you can, tell me why you're so reckless when you've never been in a fight before."

Is Chen Yuan your father or your ancestor? Is he someone you'd risk your life to make money for?
"You help others make money, but do they even know who you are?" The argument in the ward was quite loud. Chen Yuan, carrying a fruit basket, stood outside the door, his face flushed under his mask.

Binbin, Han Sanpin, and their assistant Xiao all covered their mouths to stifle their laughter.

Only Brother Zhang, who was both the driver and bodyguard, always had a deadpan expression, but for some reason his jaw muscles were so prominent.

Seeing Chen Yuan's face turn red, Fan Binbin leaned against the wall, covering his mouth with one hand and his stomach with the other, trying not to make too much noise.

Chen Yuan, who was chatting and laughing with the chairman of Sony, was now so embarrassed. Fan Binbin had never seen him in such an awkward state before.

Glancing at Binbin, who couldn't stop chuckling, Chen Yuan took a deep breath, composed himself, and knocked on the ward door.

Unable to explain it to her mother, Sun Xiaoxiao, a high school sophomore this year, simply turned her head forcefully towards the window.

However, the movement aggravated the abrasions on her neck under the bandages, causing a burning pain, but she gritted her teeth and endured it without making a sound.

Sun Xiaoxiao knew her mother was worried that she would become a mindless fangirl, but she wasn't that kind of person. So far, the only celebrity she liked was Chen Yuan.

She had watched "Legend of Seven Swords" and fallen in love with the upright and incorruptible Pan Hong, which led her to further develop an interest in learning about Chen Yuan and eventually be attracted by his personal charm.

She dared to stand up immediately when she discovered the recording was unauthorized because Sun Xiaoxiao knew there was a real, enthusiastic fangirl in the movie theater, in her mother's eyes.
That person seemed quite wealthy; he invited a group of like-minded people to watch a movie together.

As long as she points out that someone is engaging in piracy, this group of people will definitely come up and find that person.

Sun Xiaoxiao's guess was correct, but she didn't expect that group of people to be so crazy, which directly implicated her as well!
As a result, Sun Xiaoxiao herself has been reported by reporters as a fanatical fan of Chen Yuan, who "bravely fought" against rampant piracy in support of her idol's career.

Sigh, not only will I get scolded by my mother, but also by relatives and friends. My high school teachers and classmates probably know about my glorious deeds by now. This is really annoying!

Disturbed, Sun Xiaoxiao looked out the window at the poplar trees that had just sprouted green buds. The knocking on the door did not interrupt her troubles.

An elderly woman in the hospital ward who had accidentally broken her leg remarked:

"Sigh, kids these days are so hard to manage. They're either playing games online or chasing after celebrities."

"Oh, you can tell me now."

Sun's mother echoed the old lady, and got up to open the door when she heard the knock.

"Hello, Auntie, are you Sun Xiaoxiao's parent?"

"I am. You are."

"I am Chen Yuan."

When Mrs. Sun saw the tall young man in front of her take off his mask, revealing a handsome nose and deep, expressive eyes that were exactly the same as those in the poster in her daughter's room, she was stunned.

"Hello, Auntie, I'm Fan Binbin."

Then, seeing the woman behind him who, though still wearing a mask, exuded natural allure, Sun's mother was completely speechless!

Sun Xiaoxiao was initially stunned, but when Fan Binbin's voice reached her ears, she suddenly jolted awake and slowly turned her head to look at the doorway.

The pain in her body seemed to disappear instantly, and she no longer felt uncomfortable. Instead, all the blood rushed to her head, making her feel dizzy.

Am I dreaming? How could Chen Yuan and his girlfriend Fan Binbin appear in front of me?!
"Young lady, you must be Sun Xiaoxiao?"

"You...me...me..."

Looking at that familiar, so close face—the most handsome and rugged face she had ever seen in real life—Sun Xiaoxiao completely lost her ability to speak.

It wasn't until she saw Fan Binbin, the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, come to her bedside and slightly elevate the pillow under her neck that Sun Xiaoxiao realized this wasn't a dream, it was real—Chen Yuan and Fan Binbin had come to the hospital to see her!

"You, how could you!"

“Sun Xiaoxiao, you were injured and hospitalized because you supported our movie. Metaverse should express its gratitude to you.”

Just moments ago, Sun Xiaoxiao was feeling frustrated, but now she felt a lump in her throat. She didn't know what she was feeling, and tears streamed down her face.

Binbin took out tissues to wipe away Sun Xiaoxiao's tears, who had multiple soft tissue contusions all over her body, while Chen Yuan expressed the company's gratitude and apology to Sun's mother.

In addition to some movie-related gifts and nutritional supplements, this trip also included 20,000 yuan for medical and nutritional expenses.

At this moment, Sun's mother was filled with fear and trepidation, and the momentum she had displayed when she angrily berated Chen Yuan had completely vanished.

Superstars Chen Yuan and Fan Binbin, whose net worth is hundreds of millions, or even billions, enough to build this hospital building in cash, have come to offer their condolences!
“Sun Xiaoxiao, please never be so impulsive again. If you encounter something like this, just tell the cinema manager.”

Now that her emotions had calmed down a bit, Sun Xiaoxiao, who had gone from being an ordinary fan to a true fan, was very confused:

"Why is that? Because many pirates are in cahoots with cinemas!"

At this moment, she felt no recklessness about her behavior yesterday; in fact, she was quite proud and moved!

Chen Yuan peeled a banana for Sun Xiaoxiao and placed it in her slightly trembling hand, then sighed and said:

"Piration is a black market activity, and they are well aware that it is illegal. You can't predict whether a lawbreaker will take more drastic measures after being discovered."

Protecting myself is the most important thing; at most, I'll just earn a little less money.

Another issue is that news about irrational fans can negatively impact Chen Yuan's reputation, although the impact is minimal, he still doesn't want such news to occur frequently.

However, there's no need to explain these things too clearly to this young fan.

"Okay, Brother Yuan, I promise I won't be so reckless again."

At the end of the visit, Chen Yuan and Binbin stood on either side of the hospital bed and took a group photo with Sun Xiaoxiao.

"Xiaoxiao, we've come to see your news. Please don't spread it around. Wait at least ten days to two weeks, until the movie's popularity has died down, before sharing it with others, okay?"

"Ok, Ok!"

Sun Xiaoxiao agreed immediately, but didn't understand it at all.

This is clearly a good thing. Other fans would be happy to know that their favorite star is such a gentle, considerate, and kind person. Why doesn't Chen Yuan want others to know?
(End of this chapter)