Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 357, Part 355: Zha Zha Hui
The next day, September 7th.

Beijing, China Film Group Corporation headquarters data center.

The green numbers on the electronic display screen kept changing and updating, while the server rack emitted a low, continuous hum.

The air was filled with the smell of air conditioning and a faint ozone, a unique odor produced when electronic devices are operating at high intensity.

Han Sanping, dressed in a neatly pressed white short-sleeved shirt and dark trousers, stood in front of the large screen with his hands behind his back, his posture as upright as a pine tree.

His face showed little expression, only his sharp gaze behind his glasses was fixed on the constantly summarizing and refreshing data stream on the screen.

Yesterday, "Kung Fu Soccer" simultaneously ignited the summer box office across the country.

As the vice chairman of China Film Group and the de facto head of China Film Shengshi Cinema Circuit, he is more concerned than anyone else about the opening day performance of this "bombshell" that is the first to be tested by the market under the new cinema system.

"Chairman Han, the data has been basically compiled." The data center manager, a technical lead in his thirties wearing black-rimmed glasses, walked briskly to Han Sanping's side, holding a newly printed preliminary report, his tone filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Speak," Han Sanping said succinctly, his gaze still fixed on the screen.

"As of 7:00 a.m. today, we have entered the first-day box office data for 'Kung Fu Soccer' into all 60 China Film Shengshi Cinemas covering various provinces and municipalities."

The supervisor clearly reported: "At our cinema, 'Shaolin Soccer' grossed 166 million yuan on its opening day!"

166 million!
Han Sanping's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

This number, taken alone, doesn't seem earth-shattering.

But keep in mind that this is just the result of 60 cinemas in one day!

And it happened on a regular Thursday, not on a weekend.

Young people really have strong spending power.

"Details." Han Sanping turned around and took the report, which still carried the warmth of the printer.

"Yes." The supervisor immediately followed up, pointing to the data on the report, "60 cinemas, the average share of total screenings on the first day reached 89.7%, close to 90%! Almost all prime time slots and premium theaters were given to 'Kung Fu Soccer'."

The average attendance rate reached an astonishing 81.5%! Especially for screenings after 6 PM, almost every show was sold out, with many cinemas having to add extra seats and creating queues.

As Han Sanping listened, he quickly browsed the regional data on the report.

Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Tianjin...

Following the names of cinemas in key cities are strings of exciting figures.

"What about other cinema chains and cinemas outside our alliance?" Han Sanping asked the crucial question.

The supervisor immediately replied, "According to preliminary information from our marketing department across various regions, the average screening rate of 'Shaolin Soccer' has remained stable at around 70% in other major cinema chains and independent cinemas included in the statistics."

While not as large as our own cinema, it still holds a dominant position. Currently, there are no competitors of similar size in the market.

Han Sanping nodded slightly.

He knew this was thanks to careful scheduling.

By targeting the window of opportunity in mid-July, and seizing the first-mover advantage before the release of two Hollywood blockbusters, "The Mummy Returns" (July 28) and "Pearl Harbor" (August 10), they have firmly established themselves as first movers.

Stephen Chow's star power, coupled with Wang Sheng's team's aggressive marketing strategy of "linking themselves to the national football team and suffocating for dreams," completely ignited the audience's enthusiasm for the film.

the other side.

Japan, Tokyo.

A popular entertainment tabloid, Tokyo Entertainment Express, published a slightly satirical short article on its daily edition, titled: "Chinese 'Kung Fu Soccer' is Coming, Are We Glad to Be the Hosts?"

The article briefly introduces the box office success of "Shaolin Soccer" in mainland China and Stephen Chow's nonsensical comedic style, focusing on the exaggerated comedic effects and amazing power of combining Chinese martial arts with soccer in the film.

At the end of the article, the author wrote in a joking tone: "Seeing Chinese players in the movie displaying 'kung fu' comparable to superpowers and being invincible on the field, one can't help but think of the Chinese national men's football team that is currently striving to qualify for the World Cup."

Could it be that this mysterious ancient Eastern country truly possesses some secret football technique unknown to us? Well, in any case, we're fortunate that this World Cup is co-hosted by Japan and South Korea, giving us direct qualification (referring to our host country status). Otherwise, encountering such a 'kung fu team' in the qualifiers would have been quite... shocking. (laughs)

……

For the vast majority of Chinese audiences who went to the cinema, after the main feature of "Shaolin Soccer" ended, they were "brainwashed" by another advertisement with a completely different style.

In any cinema across the country showing "Shaolin Soccer," as soon as the theater lights dim and the commercials begin, a highly recognizable voice will assault the audience's eardrums through a high-quality surround sound system:

"Hello everyone, I'm Zha Zha Hui..."

Next, the screen displayed 2D game graphics that were slightly rough in color but had a distinctive style:

The little man in cloth clothes wielded a wooden sword and slashed at the gurgling maggots crawling in the cave;
Warriors clad in heavy armor wielded dragon-slaying blades, their fiery sword techniques creating dazzling light and shadow.

The mage in his robes unleashed a beam of light on the seventh level of the Pig Cave, instantly annihilating a swarm of red boars;

And then there's that iconic, gigantic monster that requires dozens of people to gang up on—"Holy crap, it's the Dragon God!" "Brothers, the boss has spawned! Charge!"...

Accompanied by rapidly edited battle scenes and the players' (voice acting) excited shouts, a male voice with a strong Hong Kong accent (Zhang Jiahui) passionately shouted:

"Equipment can be recycled instantly, making trading more flexible!"

Come to "Legend of Mir" and forge your path to becoming a king!
Prepaid cards are now available for sale, authorized in South Korea, operated by Tencent, and are now being offered in internet cafes nationwide!
If you're a brother, come and chop me up!

The advertisement wasn't particularly well-made, and even had a slightly "rustic" and "addictive" feel, but it was precisely this simple, direct, and repetitive style that, combined with the large young audience seeking thrills and social entertainment before watching "Shaolin Soccer," created a wonderful chemical reaction.

"What game ad is this? It looks really exciting?"

"Legendary? That sounds interesting. Killing monsters and getting equipment?"

"Zha Zha Hui's accent... hahaha, it's hilarious, but why is it strangely catchy?"

"'If you're a brother, come and fight me'... That line is brilliant!"

"I heard you can play it at an internet cafe? I'll check it out after I finish watching the movie."

While many viewers were laughing, they also developed a strong curiosity about the game called "Legend of Mir".

……

(End of this chapter)