Chinese entertainment industry has been booming since 2008.

A coffee shop in Beijing!

Inside the private room, the fragrant aroma of coffee couldn't dispel the lingering melancholy between Liu Yifei's brows. She stirred the latte art in her cup until it became blurry before looking up at Shu Chang, who had come to keep her company.

"Changchang, tell me... can I really make a comeback with 'You Are the Apple of My Eye' this time?"

Her voice was very soft, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, as if she were asking herself rather than Shu Chang.

Shu Chang put down her phone, which displayed the enthusiastic comments under the "Those Years" music video. She grasped Liu Yifei's slightly cool hand and said firmly, "Qianqian, of course you can! You acted so well in the movie, and you've seen the reaction to the music video. Everyone is really looking forward to it!"

Liu Yifei shook her head, her smile somewhat bitter: "Having expectations is one thing, but whether or not everyone can see it is another."

As she spoke, she took a deep breath and finally voiced her deepest concern: "I heard... Huayi Brothers pulled some strings, and the initial screenings we received from the theaters... were very few, extremely few, probably less than ten percent."

She paused, her gaze falling on the starless sky outside the window, as if she saw her own equally uncertain future reflected there.

Speaking of which, after "The Forbidden Kingdom", Liu Yifei once thought about retiring from the entertainment industry, but she was unwilling to give up. After missing out on "My Love from the Star", she was even more unwilling.

Now, she's pinning all her hopes on the film "You Are the Apple of My Eye." If it fails at the box office due to scheduling issues, then...

Liu Yifei dared not think any further. The feeling of falling from a great height, struggling to climb back up, and being repeatedly thwarted was simply too agonizing.

She desperately needed a beautiful, undeniable victory to prove herself, to fight back against Huayi, and also to appease her mother's increasingly anxious expectations.

Seeing the rare vulnerability in Liu Yifei's eyes, Shu Chang felt a pang of sadness. She gripped Liu Yifei's hand tightly: "Qianqian, don't worry! So what if there are fewer screenings? We can rely on word of mouth! The movie is so good, once the first batch of viewers see it, they'll definitely spread the word!"

"Reputation..."

Liu Yifei murmured, as if comforting Shu Chang, and also as if encouraging herself: "Yes, now we can only trust the film itself and the audience."

Seeing Liu Yifei's knuckles turning slightly white from gripping the coffee cup so tightly, Shu Chang comforted her again, "Qianqian, don't worry, Zhang Yang... he'll definitely have a way!"

Upon hearing Zhang Yang's name, Liu Yifei immediately recalled the dinner they had arranged before the last episode. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. While angry, she also wondered what Zhang Yang was doing at that moment. Was he also overwhelmed with the scheduling issues like she was? Or was he still confident and in control?

In Liu Yifei's mind, Zhang Yang would definitely not tolerate "You Are the Apple of My Eye" being suppressed like this, right?

But... can Zhang Yang really turn the tables against a behemoth like Huayi?

Meanwhile, in Liu Yifei's mind, Zhang Yang was having a meeting in the hotel conference room where the "Swords of Legends" crew was staying.

Chen Hai said in a slightly bitter voice, "Mr. Zhang! A 10% share of screenings means that we simply can't get many prime-time slots on nights, and audiences who want to buy tickets can't find suitable times and theaters."

This will put them at a very disadvantage in the initial box office. If the opening day's box office and attendance fall short of expectations, subsequent screenings will only be further reduced, creating a vicious cycle...

"I know."

Zhang Yang interrupted him, leaning forward and bracing his arms on the table. His gaze was sharp, and he said with firm confidence, "Does Huayi think that by controlling the scheduling, they can control us? That they can suppress us and drown us?"

What a joke! What we're going to do is use this 10% of screenings to create 100% or even 200% occupancy!

Let the market, let those theater managers themselves, look at their empty theaters showing "Chasing the Shadows" and then at our "You Are the Apple of My Eye" showing in sold-out screenings, let them vote with their feet and voluntarily increase our screenings!

With his gaze sweeping over everyone, Zhang Yang began to outline the next steps of the plan.

"First, immediately release information on all media outlets related to the 'You Are the Apple of My Eye' film crew, offering a lucky draw for those who present their ticket stubs from the premiere day. The prizes include autographed photos of me and Liu Yifei, as well as autographed posters, autographed T-shirts, and so on. Create a sense of scarcity and excitement, as if tickets are in high demand and extremely hard to come by, even at midnight screenings in the heart of a first-tier city!"

"Secondly, contact all the film critics with whom we have good relationships and good reputations, and prepare promotional materials and scripts for the opening day. I know the quality of the film; as long as they go to the theater, I'm not afraid they won't praise it. Emphasize the core points of 'authentic youth,' 'strong resonance,' 'the best romance film of the year,' and 'a sincere work,' and spread the word!"

"Third, we will simultaneously launch the 'Sharing Youth' large-scale online emotional interaction event, encouraging viewers to share their youth stories and first love memories on social media platforms, deeply connecting with the emotions of the film, and elevating 'You Are the Apple of My Eye' from a movie into a social topic of youth nostalgia, forming a phenomenal discussion."

"fourth..."

At this point, Zhang Yang paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, and lowered his voice: "'Timely' and 'accidentally' release the real, negative reviews from a few industry insiders who are not at liberty to reveal their names at the screening of 'Chasing Shadows.' Remember, the operation must be clean and natural, as if it came from an accidental leak from other channels and has nothing to do with us."

Upon hearing this, everyone was initially taken aback, but their eyes lit up and their spirits lifted! This combination of punches, especially the last one, was like cutting off the enemy's supply lines, striking right at their vitals!

If news of the poor reception of "Chasing the Shadow" among internal screenings spreads first among core movie fans and those who follow industry trends, it will be a fatal blow to the illusion of "blockbuster prosperity" created by Huayi Brothers through high screenings and aggressive marketing!

Zhang Yang sneered and said coldly, "Wang Xiaoer thinks he can crush me with capital and connections? He thinks he's a hunter sitting on the sidelines. Well, I'll teach him what a reputation comeback is in this content-is-king era, and what it means to use magic to defeat magic."

After speaking, he surveyed the room, his gaze intense: "Does everyone understand their mission?"

"Understood, Mr. Zhang!" came the unified, spirited voices in response.

After the meeting, everyone left quickly, carrying new instructions and renewed fighting spirit, to throw themselves into even more intense work.

After everyone left, Zhang Yang remained alone in the conference room, looking at the words "Those Years" and "Chasing Shadows" written side by side on the whiteboard, his eyes full of confidence.

To be honest, he wasn't worried at all. Faced with an absolute quality advantage and a prescient information gap, Wang Xiaoer's underhanded tricks relying on capital and resources were nothing but futile struggles of a clown, and would only become stepping stones for the resurgence of "You Are the Apple of My Eye".

On July 30th, we'll soon find out who will become the ultimate joke.

He couldn't wait to see what kind of amazing expression Wang Xiaoer would have when he discovered that the high number of screenings he had secured with his heavy investment and favors had resulted in a dismal attendance rate for "Chasing Shadows," a precipitous drop in screenings, and a deluge of negative reviews.