Huayu 02: The Days of Extreme Pulling and Rolling with the Fairy

Yu Dong certainly didn't let us down at crucial moments.

He didn't know where his confidence came from, but he just felt that "Stone" would be a huge hit.

Lao Yu invited reporters from various media outlets and film critics.

For the past two weeks, his smashed GGs have been everywhere on buses and in shopping malls; he's really gone all out with the publicity.

On the day of the premiere

Xie Jin invited Feng Xiaogang and Jia Zhangke to the event.

Lao Yu called all the friends he could think of.

Anyway, everyone who can come will make time to attend the premiere and support the event, creating buzz.

The theater was bustling with noise, and media and film critics were whispering among themselves.

"Hey, this is a big name, isn't it? But I don't recognize many of the actors."

"Who can argue with that? I think Xie Jin has learned his lesson from his youth. He was lucky once, but if he does it again, it's hard to say whether he'll lose money."

"Still too inexperienced. Your first film has barely gained traction, and you're already trying to invest in other films."

"It doesn't matter to us, it's fine to take a nap with the air conditioning on anyway."

The whispers inside the theater included questions about Ning Hao, doubts about the lack of heavyweight actors in the film, and a lot of curiosity about whether Xie Jin, who fully funded the film, would lose money.

The voices of skepticism outweighed those of optimism, and the creators of "Stone" were all biting their lower lips, holding back their determination.

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Ning Hao, wearing a suit custom-made for him by the company, sat in the first row of the auditorium, adjusting his collar and cufflinks every now and then, his palms constantly sweating.

Xing Na squeezed his hand: "You're so capable, you've already been to Berlin, what are you afraid of?"

"It's different. This is my first commercial film. My junior colleague invested so much money, I'm not confident about it."

"Sometimes I wonder if what the media is saying is true, or if I'm just being delusional."

Xing Na felt sorry for her husband seeing his state: "Don't you have confidence in your work?"

  

Ning Hao thought for a moment and shook his head: "Yes! This script has been polished for so long, and everyone has put in so much effort, I think it's fine."

That's it.

As the lights slowly dimmed, the movie began.

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Today, Xie Jin has a hamster on one side and Feng Dapao on the other.

Feng Dapao coughed and said, "Brother, you're doing pretty well. Look at me, I get scolded every day, whether I pat or not."

Xie Jin chuckled lightly: "Who told you your film was so profitable?"

Feng Dapao shrugged.

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Liu Yifei was dressed very appropriately today, wearing a black long dress with a ribbon tied at the waist, revealing her bare shoulders.

She appears aloof and unapproachable, exuding cold elegance, but her lively eyes reveal a touch of playfulness.

As soon as the lights went out, she pulled out a bucket of potato chips from somewhere.

Xie Jin was speechless. Just keep eating, eat until you turn into a little pig!

"No, why are you eating again?"

The big hamster pouted: "Mind your own business. Anyway, the lights are off, so no one can see us."

"Then I'll have one too."

"Yes."

Director Feng's inner monologue: [You two aren't even trying to hide it from people, are you? Why can't I get a piece too?]

...........

The movie begins.

The inexhaustible dripping faucet echoes the male protagonist's unspeakable secret.

The clever technique brought a knowing smile to many people in the audience.

.........

Huang Bo and his two companions were scouting the area outside the temple when Hei Pi, dressed in flashy clothes, was reprimanded by Dao Ge.

Dao Ge: "Manners, watch your manners... What manners are you talking about?"

The dark-skinned man declared confidently, "It's a brand! Erdos!"

The audience burst into laughter.

Xie Jin's expression changed upon seeing this.

Σ(°ロ°)！ ！ I forgot about that!

So it turns out they were thanking Andy Lau for inserting a line from Baleno. Now you're thanking me for inserting a line from Erdos?

My client! That damned Huang Bo!!!

The plot slowly begins to take off, and Xie Jin's cameo as the master thief Mike is switched at birth as soon as he lands.

The contrast between the international master thief and the petty scoundrel is very effective.

The room erupted in cheers, and Lao Feng smiled too.

Thankfully... thankfully I was also wearing Erdos... so handsome...

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In the hotel, Dao Ge discovered that Xie Xiaomeng had cheated on him. After a severe beating, the gang leader broke down and wanted to find a lawyer.

"Hello, lawyer? My wife was seduce by someone else, and nobody's doing anything about it! We're not married, but we have real feelings for each other!!"

"You're married and nobody cares? Is there no law anymore?! ...What the hell kind of lawyer are you?!"

The movie theater was in stitches, with many viewers laughing so hard they were crying.

The lines spoken by Yue Xiaojun and Ning Hao, these seasoned veterans, were incredibly catchy even in 2004.

Let alone the fact that it was their first time seeing the stone, even Xie Jin, who had seen it so many times, still couldn't help but laugh.

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On the other side, Dao Ge and Hei Pi temporarily left the room, leaving Xiao Jun to "comfort" Jing Jing during the gap.

Xiao Jun slowly walked to the bedside, lay down next to Jingjing, and asked with concern, "What exactly do you like about him? Is he better than my older brother? Is he better than me?"

"How could you do such a thing? How could you face your brother? How could you face me?"

Jingjing glared at him: "Don't touch me! I've already wronged Big Brother with him, how can I be wronged with you?"

"Keep your voice down! I'm sorry, brother... Aren't we all family? This good stuff isn't going to go to outsiders, so we're not losing out, right?"

The laughter inside was so loud it almost lifted the roof off.

Yue Xiaojun is absolutely brilliant. Could a carbon-based life form have come up with such lines?

Feng Dapao looked at Xiao Jun, then tilted his head and asked Xie Jin, "Brother, where did you find this actor? He's so...so charismatic!"

Xie Jin was also a little embarrassed: "Ahem, would you believe me if I said this is a screenwriter from my company...?"

Feng Dapao was stunned for a moment: "A screenwriter? A scriptwriter? This guy can be a scriptwriter? Don't tell me he wrote these lines too."

Yeah, who would believe Yue Xiaojun is a screenwriter...?

"It really was written by him. Many of the lines in 'Stone' were brainstormed by the actors, director, and screenwriter on set."

Feng Dapao genuinely liked these guys; despite their looks, they were all incredibly talented. He said, "For the next few scenes, I can borrow these treasures of yours for a cameo role."

"It's just a matter of a word."

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The audience's reaction completely relaxed Ning Hao, and he slumped onto the chair, utterly exhausted.

He had a feeling that his box office performance wouldn't be bad; no matter how much, it would at least give him some closure for the years he had wasted.

If it can win over these seasoned film critics and media, then the audience can't help but laugh.

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After the premiere, film critics and media representatives were still eager for more, writing articles and recommending the film.

Huang Bo and his friends were pulled around for a flurry of photos, and it's hard to imagine that so many reporters and film critics would also crowd around, their dialects amusing him.

After dealing with the strangers, the group returned to the company.

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Ning Hao went to the supermarket and came back carrying a large Want Want gift bag, asking, "Qianqian, look what this is."

The big hamster's eyes lit up: "Aba aba, senior brother is a good person."

"Ahem, Senior Brother Xixi has a favor to ask. Can you guess how much the box office will be?"

Xie Jin was completely bewildered: "Senior brother, why didn't you let me guess?"

"What's the use of your guess? Last time, after Sissi guessed 4000 million, you broke 4000 million in mainland China too."

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Xie Jin laughed in exasperation... "Senior brother, are you a little obsessed...?"

Miss Liu thought for a moment and said, "Senior brother, I really guessed it."

"Hmm, guess seriously."

The giant hamster, hands on hips, exclaimed, "Is 7000 million enough?!"

Ning Hao's face lit up with a smile: "That's enough, that's enough. Your senior brother will take care of all your snacks. From now on, whatever you want to eat, your senior brother will buy it for you."

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I wonder if the hamster's prophecy was prophetic.

Anyway, Ning Hao's stone exploded, and the media coverage increased exponentially the day after the premiere ended.

This completely exceeded Yu Dong's expectations.

Film critics showered the film with praise, offering detailed analyses of everything from its multi-narrative structure to its classic scenes.

The small investment and lack of big-name actors became the focus of media reports, and as word-of-mouth spread, the media coverage doubled.

On its opening day, the box office was 297 million in mainland China, 51 in Hong Kong Island, and 67 in Taitung Island.

Strangely, the box office revenue did not drop but actually rose the next day, breaking 350 million.

It seems that the advertising for tap water is the most aggressive.

Ning Hao didn't rest; he took the whole team out for promotions non-stop, using the women like men and the men like animals.

I just got back today.

Only a week had passed when Yu Dong couldn't hold back any longer.

I came to Xie Jin's company early this morning.

This one film alone is worth as much as the revenue share of his other five or six domestic films!

"Does Xie Jin even know how much the first week's pay is?!"

"1971 million! And surprisingly, it's even seen a reverse trend thanks to word-of-mouth."

Σ(°ロ°)！ ！ How much!

Xie Jin was also surprised.

Looking at the report data, the increase is too glaring.

"Mr. Yu, how come there are so many?"

Yu Dong said regretfully, "Actually, your 'When a Man Falls in Love' was a loss. You really lost out by selling 40 million in mainland China and only 700 million in Hong Kong and Taiwan."

Why do I say that?

Yu Dong lit a cigarette: "It's been three quarters since you left the show, right?"

"The number of cinemas nationwide has increased by 57%, meaning that almost every city in the country is seeing an increase in the number of cinemas, and even counties that didn't have cinemas are building them."

"Look at this now, can a shopping mall without a movie theater even be called a shopping mall? Even if the theater is small, it has to have at least one!"

Old Yu sighed: "With a larger base, the overall box office will naturally rise. If your film had been released this year, it might have broken 100 million."

"But it doesn't matter, you invested in the stone and you've made a killing."

Yu Dong looked around but couldn't find Ning Hao. "Where's Ning Hao?"

Ning Hao? This guy really has no bottom line!

Xie Jin covered her forehead. "Are you building a supermarket?"

"Build a supermarket?"

"Yes, he's been blinded by feudal superstition."

This guy just got back. He drove the company's small truck to the supermarket early this morning and brought back a small bucket of snacks.

They also bought several shelves, pulled in the art team, and found a room to decorate a small shop for the big hamster.

.............

When Lao Yu entered the "supermarket," he overheard Ning Hao rambling on about the hamster's prediction of box office numbers.

Yu Dong's expression changed: "I'll donate two freezers! One for sweet drinks and one for popsicles!"