Chapter 95: Shock

The sea breeze at Weiduoliyagang still carried a hint of chill, yet crowds were already surging before the major cinemas across Xiangjiang. Yongsheng Film's epic romance blockbuster "Titanic" was about to premiere; this "Eastern Leviathan" crafted by Xiangjiang filmmakers was embarking on a legendary voyage that would rewrite world film history.

Yongsheng Film hosted a grand premiere at the Peninsula Hotel. The red carpet glittered with stars; when Qian Qian Xiaohao appeared arm-in-arm with Cai Cai Shaofen, camera flashes illuminated the night sky as brightly as day. No one could have imagined what commercial miracle this production, with an investment reaching 50 million Hong Kong dollars, would create over the coming three months.

When the first-day box office figures were released, everyone in Yongsheng's Caiwu Force held their breath.

"10.88 million!" The financial director's voice trembled. "We have set a new record for first-day box office in Xiangjiang film history!"

This figure equaled the total box office of a mid-sized film at the time. Even more astonishing was the film's continuous upward trajectory:

- Day Two: 12.50 million (setting a single-day box office record)

- Day Three: 11.80 million

- Day Four: 9.80 million

When the cumulative box office surpassed 100 million Hong Kong dollars on the fourth day, all of Xiangjiang's media erupted. The front-page headline of the Ming Pao read: "Yongsheng's Leviathan Breaks 100 Million in Four Days; Xiangjiang Cinema Sails into a New Era."

The film's astonishing performance quickly attracted international attention. The first to arrive at Dengmen was Japan's Toho Co., Ltd., offering a high price of 3 million US dollars to purchase the Japanese distribution rights.

"This price is the highest record for a film imported into Japan," said the Toho representative, wiping sweat from his brow.

Immediately afterward, South Korea's CJ Entertainment closed a deal for 2 million US dollars, Wanwan's Central Motion Picture Corporation exceptionally offered a 15% box office share, distributors from Southeast Asian nations formed a joint procurement group, and the European and American distribution rights sparked a bidding war between MGM and Warner Bros.

Xiang Xiang Huaqiang looked at the table covered in contracts, laughing so hard he could not close his mouth: "A-Fei, we have truly redeemed ourselves this time."

The film continued its hot run for 30 days, eventually concluding with the astonishing figure of 2.075 billion Hong Kong dollars. This number meant: it equaled 0.5% of Xiangjiang's GDP in 1986, with 12 million admissions (when Xiangjiang's population was only 5.5 million), averaging 2.2 viewings per person in Xiangjiang, breaking the global box office record previously held by "Star Wars."

"This is not merely a film, but a social phenomenon," evaluated the Asian edition of Time Magazine.

The film's success was inseparable from its technical breakthroughs: a cruise ship model built at a 1:0.8 scale, crafted by 200 artisans over half a year; the pioneering "miniature wave" filming technique, five years ahead of Hollywood; an underwater photography team that independently developed pressure-resistant camera housings; and the shipwreck scenes utilizing the most advanced hydraulic devices of the era.

"We have proven that Eastern filmmakers can also master top-tier special effects," said Technical Director Li Guoqiang proudly.

The film's global success brought profound impacts: it opened a new model for Chinese-language films to "go global," established Xiangjiang's status as the Eastern Hollywood, and advanced the industrialization process of Chinese cinema by a decade. In 1986, the Academy Awards committee sent a special letter to Yongsheng, praising the film for "redefining the standards of the romantic epic."

Yet undercurrents surged behind the glory: Shaw Brothers had once united 13 cinemas in an attempt to boycott screenings, the British Maritime Association questioned historical accuracy, and conservatives criticized it for being "excessively Westernized."

Xiang Fei responded with only one sentence: "Let the work speak for itself."

Standing on the top floor of the Yongsheng Building, Xiang Fei said to Xiang Xiang Huaqiang, "This leviathan has only just set sail." Outside the window, an ocean-going cargo ship was sounding its horn as it steamed toward the Pacific Ocean, mirroring Yongsheng's ambition to stride onto the international film stage.

These 2.075 billion were not merely a number, but a declaration: Eastern filmmakers can likewise create screen legends that shake the world. As the New York Times stated: "The arrival of 'Titanic' marks the reshaping of the global film landscape."