UGB Chapter 154 Entertainment Sniper, Big-budget Productions Released Simultaneously
Chapter 154 Entertainment Sniper, Big-budget Productions Released Simultaneously
The strangulation of capital is never bloodless.
Once the massive war machine of Dynasty Entertainment gets going, its efficiency is astonishing. In just one night, the Spring Festival film schedule was completely reshuffled as if by an invisible hand.
"Warframe" has a 40% screen share, covering all prime-time screenings.
As for "A Chinese Odyssey," it only gets 5% of the screenings, and most of them are "ghostly screenings"—either at 8 a.m. when everyone is still catching up on sleep, or at 2 a.m. when even ghosts don't go out.
"This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"
Su Qingge slammed her phone onto the sofa; it was the third call she had just hung up.
She was wearing loungewear, her hair casually pulled back, her chest heaving violently. As a top diva in the industry, she had never been treated like this before.
"They all call me 'Sister Qingge' like she's their own mother, but now that they hear about more screenings, they're all giving me the runaround! They're talking about 'market rules,' about 'cinemas need to make money too.' Make money my foot! This is clearly that old bastard Zhao Jianguo putting pressure on us behind the scenes!"
Lin Zhou was sitting next to Nuonuo peeling oranges, and when he heard this, he didn't even lift his eyelids.
"Honey, calm down. It's not worth ruining your health over those snobs."
"How can you still sit still?"
Su Qingge paced anxiously in the living room, her slippers clattering on the floor.
"5% of screenings! What does that mean? It means that even if 10,000 people want to see our movie, only 500 will actually be able to buy tickets! How are we supposed to compete with them? We'd be crippled before we even get to the battlefield!"
"Even with a broken leg, he can still crawl."
Lin Zhou popped the peeled orange into Nuonuo's mouth, took out a tissue to wipe his hands, and his eyes were as calm as a deep pool of water.
"As long as the film is good, even if I have to kneel, I can still create a box office miracle."
He picked up his phone, opened the Weibo account that had been overrun by trolls, and quickly tapped a few lines.
There was no sob story, no accusations, just a simple sentence and an electronic pledge.
[@Lin Zhou: Heard there are very few screenings? No problem, good things come to those who wait. As I always say, I don't care about screenings, I only care about fairness. If you bought a ticket and don't like the show, come to me with your ticket stub, and I, Lin Zhou, will give you a full refund! This is my promise!]
The moment this Weibo post was published, the netizens who were initially mocking the post instantly erupted in anger.
Full refund?
Are there still directors who dare to do this these days?
"Has Lin Zhou gone mad? A 200 million investment is already struggling to break even, and now he wants to return the money? Is he planning to lose everything?"
"Trying to grab attention! I think he knows his terrible movie won't sell, so he's trying to trick us into going to the cinema this way!"
"What a load of rubbish! The fact that they dared to sign a written agreement is impressive! With that kind of arrogance, I'm going to buy a ticket and see how they die!"
Although public opinion remains pessimistic, at least a sliver of curiosity has emerged.
Time slipped quietly into New Year's Eve amidst this tense atmosphere.
Outside the window, fireworks exploded, their colorful lights reflecting on the glass. The joyful voices of the Spring Festival Gala hosts blared from the television, and the comedians delivered their punchlines with thunderous force, as the entire nation was immersed in the joy of family reunion.
In the dining room of the Lin family villa, steaming dumplings were served.
"Come on, let's eat dumplings! Whoever finds a coin in their dumpling will be rich this year!"
Lin Zhou, wearing an apron and carrying two large plates of dumplings, came out with the most genuine smile on his face, as if the bloodshed and turmoil of the outside world were completely shut out from this door.
Nuonuo held a small spoon in her hand, her eyes fixed on the dumplings on the plate, her mouth watering.
"I want to get rich! I want to buy my dad a big airplane!"
Looking at the two lively children, one big and one small, Su Qingge finally relaxed after a long day of tension. She sighed, picked up her chopsticks, and put a dumpling in her mouth.
The filling is pork and scallions, juicy and incredibly delicious.
"Is it good?" Lin Zhou leaned closer and asked with a grin.
"It's delicious." Su Qingge nodded, her eyes gentle. "No matter what tomorrow brings, at least tonight, our family is together."
"That's right."
Lin Zhou poured her a glass of vinegar, his eyes resolute.
"As long as we're together, there's no obstacle we can't overcome. Besides, I have a feeling that after tomorrow, that old bastard Zhao Jianguo probably won't even have a peaceful New Year."
Midnight.
As the New Year's bells rang, fireworks lit up the entire city, illuminating the night sky as if it were daytime.
Meanwhile, the battle for the Spring Festival film season has officially begun.
Lin Zhou and Su Qingge were fully armed—masks, sunglasses, and baseball caps—making themselves look like two spies as they sneaked into the nearest movie theater to their home.
Although it was the early hours of the morning, the movie theater was still packed with people.
However, most of the tickets people held were printed with Warframe posters. The posters featured cool mechs and explosive special effects that were enough to get anyone's adrenaline pumping.
In contrast, the poster for "A Chinese Odyssey" sits forlornly in a corner, ignored by everyone.
"Two copies of 'A Chinese Odyssey,' thank you."
Lin Zhou lowered his voice and spoke to the ticket seller.
The ticket seller looked at them with some surprise, probably wondering why anyone would come to see such a "bad movie" during the Chinese New Year.
"Only the last corner seat is left, do you still want it?"
"want."
Hold your ticket and enter the venue.
The moment I pushed open the theater door, a chilly atmosphere hit me.
The huge theater was completely empty.
There were fewer than ten people scattered around in the front row.
One young couple was huddled in a corner, locked in a passionate kiss, clearly not caring what was playing on the big screen; they were simply looking for a dark place to enjoy their romance.
There was also an older man holding popcorn, idly scrolling through his phone; the screen's light was particularly glaring in the darkness.
Su Qingge's heart sank instantly.
She instinctively gripped Lin Zhou's hand tightly, her palms covered in cold sweat.
"How come... there are so few people?"
Her voice trembled slightly. Although she had prepared herself mentally, seeing the dismal attendance was still a huge blow.
Lin Zhou, however, grasped her hand in return, his grip steady, the warmth of his palm seeping through her skin.
He pulled her to sit in the last row, took off his mask, raised his chin at the big screen, and curled his lips into a confident smile.
"Don't rush."
"The real show is just beginning."
At that moment, the big screen suddenly lit up.
As the familiar dragon logo flashed by, the desolate and absurd Five Mountains, accompanied by a variation of Lowell Lo's classic "A Lifetime of Love," slowly unfolded before the few remaining spectators.