In the entertainment industry, everyone has been reborn, but who will be their servant?

Chapter 49 Keep a Souvenir
While the two were on the phone, Liu Xiaoli was also with her daughter. She was quite surprised to hear that the first film she invested in had grossed more than 30 million yuan on its opening day.

After deducting costs, promotion, and channel service fees from the investment of over 30 million, the profit was approximately 10 million. In other words, she earned back her investment on the first day, and perhaps even multiplied it by several times.

This is only the first part; you've already made hundreds of thousands from 50,000. When will you ever see such a huge return on your investment?

"How could that be? It's a publicity stunt; the actual box office figures are missing a zero," Qin Xuan said.

These words caused Wu Guoqiang and Cai Mei, who were standing nearby, to exchange a glance. They were also shocked by the news. It made sense; how could a low-budget production be so successful?

"Aren't you lying to me?"

Liu Yifei said something into the phone, then whispered to her mother, "Only 376 million."

Liu Xiaoli's enthusiasm vanished immediately, and all her excitement was for nothing.

That's how it is. If you just heard it was 376 million, you could at least make a profit of over a million, the investment would be successful, and you'd be happy for a while.

But Qin Xuan immediately launched a major attack, exaggerating their military intelligence report by adding a zero, thus raising their profile significantly.

"I didn't want to lie, but I had no other choice," Qin Xuan said.

"Why? Three million is not bad at all. You only invested so little, and you made a profit!" Liu Yifei didn't understand.

"Old Wang set a threshold for me: each of my three films must gross 30 million at the box office before he will support me," Qin Xuan said without hiding anything.

This has all been targeted. If Old Wang can't be his strong backer, he's out of luck.

"Oh, is that so?" Liu Yifei only then realized it, having just heard him mention it.

"You know, if Lao Wang can't support me, I'll have no chance to get anywhere in this industry, I'll even have a hard time getting started," Qin Xuan explained.

Liu Xiaoli heard it too, and remained silent.

It's really hard to judge. For someone without connections to rise to the top is harder than climbing to heaven.

Wu Guoqiang and Cai Mei were also somewhat saddened for their nephew, as all the pressure had fallen on him alone.

"Alright then, good luck. But I've seen a lot of people talking about this, so your publicity strategy was successful." Liu Yifei could only offer encouragement.

There are still two more movies to go. Three movies for 90 million is really a bit of a challenge.

After the two hung up the phone, Liu Xiaoli said, "I didn't expect that this boy had such an agreement with Mr. Wang, but there's nothing we can do about it."

"I just don't know if he can finish it." Liu Yifei also felt that Qin Xuan had a tough time.

She can't help much, and she's barely able to take care of herself. Nobody's asking her to act anymore, and nobody's even handing her scripts.

Huayi is still pressuring her, so she can't stay in the game!
Amidst differing reactions, the movie "Nightclub" sparked a media frenzy, with netizens and viewers, unsure of its veracity, flocking to see the film.

Because it was the weekend, the box office figures for the third day were 926 million, nearly tripling, bringing the total to 1302 million, still a ways off from 30 million.

For a low-budget film, this was an absolute dark horse, but the word-of-mouth from those who saw it was less than satisfactory.

"How could I have watched such a terrible movie!"

"That's ridiculous, that's absurd!"

The internet is flooded with negative comments and criticisms, while those who are positive have been drowned out. Clearly, someone has already hired online trolls.

So what if Wanda is behind them? If they get ruthless, they'll take down Wanda too.

But now "Nightclub" has gained momentum and public opinion has reached a significant scale, making it impossible to stop.

The box office figures for the third day were tallied on the fourth day, showing a drop to 699 million, but the total box office exceeded 20 million.

There's no way around it; someone has already brazenly uploaded a high-definition, uncensored version of "Nightclub" to major streaming video platforms, including mainstream ones. Even roadside vendors selling adult films have it. The speed at which it's being distributed is astonishing, and they're not even trying to hide it.

You can't even sue the butterfly sellers; they can just run away. Those mainstream video media outlets will take at least a few years to sue, and by then they might even be bankrupt.

Furthermore, the management in this area is not strict at present. If you ask someone to take it down, they can immediately put it back on and claim that it was not their doing, but the netizens' doing.

The subsequent box office performance was predictably disastrous, but thankfully it stabilized for two or three million within two or three days.

With another five or six million added, and only one or two million later, the thirty million target can be achieved.

At the Shougang filming location, today marks the wrap-up day for the crew. The three films have been shooting for a total of more than two months, exceeding the budget.

But Qin Xuan had already set aside extra costs, so it was fine, since no one was asking for wages.

The expenses are only for food, drink, and basic necessities. If you don't have money, you can get by even if you eat or live in worse conditions.

"Come on, let's take a picture to remember this moment." Qin Xuan gestured for everyone in the crew to line up in rows.

So everyone stood in several rows, some making funny faces, some making peace signs, and took a picture to commemorate the occasion.

"Filming wrapped up!" Everyone raised their hands and cheered, making the scene very lively.

The main reason is that they filmed three movies at once, one of which was released in theaters and made money, which was a great achievement for them.

"Thank you for your hard work these past few days. Your salaries will be settled with Shen Ao." Qin Xuan said goodbye to the actors Zhang Songwen and Wang Yanhui.

Most of the actors have already been dismissed from the production crew.

"President Xuan, you're too kind. This was the most comfortable and enjoyable performance I've ever given. I also want to thank you for giving me one opportunity... no, I mean three opportunities," Zhang Songwen complimented.

Zhang Yu, Tan Zhuo, and the others smiled as well. This was the first movie they had acted in that was released in theaters, and they had heard that it did quite well at the box office.

With such achievements, everything is worthwhile. The greatest satisfaction for these actors is that their work is watched.

"That's good, let's cooperate again when the opportunity arises." Qin Xuan shook hands with each of them.

Although Zhang Songwen's acting skills have been criticized, they are at least at a certain level; they are not too bad, and they can be very good.

"Thank you, thank you!" The group expressed their gratitude and shook hands with him.

After seeing them off from the film crew, Qin Xuan gathered the crew members behind the scenes and began his speech.

"We'll stop filming here for this year. We'll clean up the place later and return all the rented equipment. Due to limited resources, we won't be having a wrap party. We hope you understand."

Those present watched in silence, indicating their understanding; they knew the money had already been spent.

With only two million, they managed to produce three films. How could they possibly still have money? They'd be lucky if they weren't in debt.

"Although there won't be a wrap party, there will definitely be a celebration party. Let's do it in January next year. You all need to arrange your own things and wait for my notification. We'll hold a big celebration party at a five-star hotel. You can bring your classmates or family members. There's no limit to the number of people." Qin Xuan's voice suddenly became louder as he spoke.

"President Xuan is awesome!"

"President Xuan is awesome!"

Some people immediately shouted loudly, and smiles appeared on the previously silent faces of the crowd, and that sense of anticipation returned.

Qin Xuan always managed to motivate them.

However, Qin Xuan did this to further win them over. With the success of these three films, some people would probably leave the team, since people naturally want to move on to better opportunities.

Of course, this is also to further expand the team.

(End of this chapter)