Chapter 298: Poor Chen Shiren

In the outside world, after one week of release, *Now You See Me 2* reached a box office of 188 million.

Among film news, *Now You See Me 2* steadily suppressed other films in the same period, firmly occupying a position in the first tier.

Quite a few production companies were cursing Zuoshandiao in private; it was already the prelude to the New Year Slot, and to let a Hollywood blockbuster in, were they not letting people live?

A crowd of films in the New Year Slot also began to build momentum crazily. Perhaps because stocks had risen sharply recently and his net worth had multiplied, Feng Dapao was getting carried away, actually shouting that *If You Are The One 2* would surpass *Passengers* and take back the box office record.

Jiang Wen pulled a flashy move; in the promotion for *Let the Bullets Fly*, he highlighted the origin of the film's name—the inspiration given by Wei Jin.

Not to mention Chen Shiren; as the release approached, press releases for *Sacrifice* were flying everywhere, claiming it was a "masterpiece of craftsmanship." Even on the set of *Pacific Rim*, Fan Bingbing helped by posting on Weibo every day to promote it.

However, in the battlefield of big directors, a newcomer and a new film were mixed in: Old Zhao's *Laughing Jianghu*, which seemed very out of place.

At the premiere, facing reporters, Old Zhao was also very low-key:

"This is a comedic martial arts film of ours. As for the box office, if it can reach 150 million, the whole Zhao Family Troupe will be very satisfied."

The New Year Slot was in full swing. Zhang Weiping felt that how could it work without Zhang Yimou? He high-profilely announced the main cast of *The Flowers of War*.

The industry's most concerned new generation "Mou Girl" was freshly released: Ni Ni from the Communication University of China, Nanjing.

Looking at the released character posters, a large number of industry insiders were sighing that Zhang Yimou's eye for casting was truly fastidious.

This was not the end; Zhang Weiping continued to launch satellites, directly announcing the production cost and the production company of *The Flowers of War* together.

At this, the industry boiled over: a production cost of 600 million, exclusively produced by New Picture.

Wei Jin saw this news on set and was stunned. 600 million? Even if this guy Zhang Weiping sold his ass, he probably wouldn't have that much money, right? Could it be that he was inflating the cost to launder money? With this cost, it would be impossible to break even on box office alone; he could only sell the rights, but the story *The Flowers of War* told probably wouldn't fetch much of a price. What on earth was he thinking? "I completely don't understand what kind of plane this guy is trying to fly."

On the set of *Love is Not Blind*, taking advantage of a break, Yang Mi and Ceng Jia chatted about the newly promoted Mou Girl.

"Mimi, you didn't lose unjustly."

Previously, Ceng Jia still felt that Zhang Yimou was just being difficult, but now seeing the girl in the photo, she had to admit that she truly perfectly met the requirements of being both pure and seductive, with charming eyes and a graceful demeanor.

"Yeah, she's really lucky."

Yang Mi was a bit envious. As a non-professional actor, Ni Ni's first film was as Zhang Yimou's female lead, and it was a big production with a 600 million cost; it was practically a ceiling-level start in the entertainment industry.

"Forget it, don't think too much. Just film this female-lead movie well. I have a premonition that the box office won't be low."

Ceng Jia had read the original work and had also read the entire adapted script. Yang Mi's character was very grounded and quite brilliant; it should be able to resonate with many people.

"Mm, I understand, Jia Jie." — On the filming set of *Whiplash*.

"Cut."

Following the instruction issued by the director behind the monitor, Bai Yu and Wang Jinsong, who had just been grappling together, instantly stopped the movements in their hands.

This scene depicted Bai Yu getting into a car accident on the day of the competition, insisting on performing on stage while covered in blood and scars, but because he was too severely injured, he couldn't hold the drumsticks steady and was completely unable to perform.

But even so, he still had to be mocked and even insulted by the devil coach. Long-term repression caused Bai Yu to explode, and the two had a fierce physical conflict.

However, looking at the image on the monitor, Wei Jin was somewhat dissatisfied.

"Teacher Wang, Xiaobai, you two come over and take a look."

Hearing this, the two knew that this take definitely hadn't passed, but they also wanted to know where the problem lay, so they couldn't help but walk toward the monitor.

"Xiaobai, your problem lies in the emotional outburst not being enough. You are already holding the mindset of going down with him; you need to express that feeling of disregarding everything."

"Teacher Wang, your situation lies in the eye acting not being cold enough. The character of the coach has a somewhat neurotic feeling; don't use the thinking of a normal person to speculate on his actions."

"Understood, Director. Let's do another take."

Wang Jinsong and Bai Yu looked at each other and said in unison.

"Good, all units prepare, reset the scene, actors touch up makeup."

About ten minutes later, Wei Jin looked at the restored scene and sat behind the monitor once again.

"Action." — *Sacrifice* was released. Although Chen Shiren had already taken several big tumbles, the audience still chose to believe in him.

The film's first-day box office was 28 million, which counted as a quite good start.

However, compared to the 24 million first-day box office of *Laughing Jianghu* which was released a day earlier, although Chen Shiren won, it could also explain some problems.

But the entertainment industry is a very realistic place. As a Palme d'Or-winning big director, Chen Shiren had a complex network of relationships in the industry, and there were too many people licking his boots; many famous stars and artists began to praise him on Weibo.

"As expected of Director Chen, his moves are extraordinary. As long as this data stays stable, 300 million or 400 million will be easy, and 500 million is also very hopeful."

However, the audience didn't buy it and directly mocked him in the comments.

Xiaoshen Yiji 37: "I think *Laughing Jianghu* is much better to watch than *Sacrifice*; at least it's worth the ticket price."

Sichun Fugu: "Chen Shiren is really finished. Once again starting high and ending low; what kind of crap is he filming later?"

Qianshui Zai Kan Ne: "Debut was the peak. When will Chen Shiren be able to return to the level of *Farewell My Concubine*?"

Yansuiii: "After watching the movie, to summarize: Chen Shiren has once again racked his brains and exhausted his efforts, even sending his whole family into battle, to film a big piece of trash!"

The collapse of word-of-mouth was intuitively reflected in the box office. The second-day box office of *Sacrifice* plummeted by 5 million; after two days of release, it barely broke 50 million.

Even so, facing interviews from reporters, Chen Shiren still maintained himself, firmly believing that he was right.

"I have made a subversive adaptation of the original work, which is full of loyalty, humanity, and virtue... The audience needs to watch it a few more times to savor the deep meaning within."

Unfortunately, Chen Shiren's stubbornness couldn't save anything. The box office trend of *Sacrifice* was even more miserable than *The Promise* back then.

Less than a week after release, the single-day box office had already fallen below 10 million.

According to this downward trend, let alone 300 million, even 200 million was very precarious. Chen Shiren's whole family began to promote it crazily.

And I don't know whose flashy move it was, but *Sacrifice* was exposed for stealing box office; videos secretly filmed in theaters were all exposed on the internet.

The money the audience spent was for *Laughing Jianghu*, but the ticket they got in their hands was for *Sacrifice*.

Theater staff even directly claimed: "It's all the same, it doesn't affect you watching the movie."

This kind of scandal directly plunged *Sacrifice* into the center of public opinion, and Chen Shiren was once again attacked by the entire internet.

Poor Chen Shiren; not only did his painstaking work flop at the box office, but even the reputation and honor he cared about most fell to the bottom once again. — *Let the Bullets Fly*, which Jiang Wen regarded as his comeback battle, held a grand premiere several days in advance.

Jiang Wen personally called to invite him, so Wei Jin found it hard to refuse. Fortunately, the time was set for the evening, so it didn't delay his filming schedule.

Ceng Li was not interested in this kind of occasion. In Li Jie's words, if she had this free time, she might as well spend more time with Dudu.

Since *Passengers*, Gao Yuanyuan had been extremely busy; she was either recording interviews or running errands, and simply had no time.

As for Liu Yifei, after the film wrapped, the young girl dove straight into the recording studio for closed-door training; she wouldn't come out until she had recorded that English song to her satisfaction.

Jing Tian, who had an inexplicable obsession with red carpets, accompanied Wei Jin to this event.

"Wow, Brother, Director Jiang has really put on quite a show."

Jing Tian was somewhat surprised; even though they hadn't yet entered the venue at the Olympic Sports Center, the setup on the perimeter was already massive. At a glance, the tens of meters of red carpet paired with a giant red signature wall, and dozens of etiquette models lined up, were truly spectacular.

"Jiang Wen has really made this quite flashy."

Wei Jin muttered softly, took Jing Tian's hand, and stepped onto the red carpet. Whether as an actor or a director, Jiang Wen could be considered a veteran in the circle, and he had a very wide circle of friends.

Many people had come to show their support today, and there were quite a few big-name stars as well.

As soon as Wei Jin and Jing Tian entered the venue, they saw Boss Yang and Han Sanping surrounded in the center, with Jiang Wen, Zhou Runfa, Cheng Long, Feng Dapao, Ge You, and others accompanying them on the side.

Nearby were many other actors and stars from Mainland China and Hong Kong, including Gu Changwei and his wife, Xia Yu and his wife, Carina Lau, and others.

With Wei Jin's arrival, the focus of the previously orderly venue shifted instantly.

"President Wei, you've arrived."

"Wei Jin, we've been waiting for you for a long time."

"Director Wei, you've arrived a bit late, haha."

Boss Yang, Han Sanping, Jiang Wen, and others greeted Wei Jin one after another and walked over; in an instant, Wei Jin became the new center of the entire venue.

Jing Tian's large eyes were filled with smiles; her man was truly too outstanding.

However, Wei Jin knew his place; he wasn't the protagonist today. After exchanging pleasantries with everyone, he took the initiative to integrate himself into Han Sanping's group.

After some casual chatting, Wei Jin witnessed the orderly succession within the circle: Cheng Long had brought his son, Jiang Wenli had brought Ma Sichun; counting them up, there were no fewer than ten second-generation stars present.

Wei Jin couldn't help but sigh that, in the future, there would no longer be room for ordinary people in the circle.

"President Wei."

Boss Yang held a wine glass, still maintaining that elegant and easygoing demeanor, with the beautiful mature woman Huo Wenxi following behind him.

"President Yang, I wish you a huge box office success, haha."

"Thank you, President Wei. Have you considered the release slot for *Ip Man 3*?"

Boss Yang knew clearly that while the profitability of Jiang Wen's film was still unknown, *Ip Man 3* was a guaranteed cash cow, so he was naturally more concerned about that.

"Not yet. Once I finish the matters at hand, I will go to China Film Group to pick a suitable slot."

The final cuts for *Thieves* and *Ip Man 3* had already passed censorship, but Wei Jin was still considering the release slots.

"Alright. However, for your projects next year, could you let Emperor Group participate?"

Wei Jin's new film hadn't been announced yet, but that didn't stop Boss Yang from planning ahead; the profitability of *Passengers* was truly too terrifying, and there was no one in the circle who wasn't envious.

"We'll talk about it when the time comes."

Wei Jin smiled and stopped talking.

Seeing Wei Jin's reaction, Boss Yang knew the probability of getting on board wasn't high. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, stopped pressing the issue, and instead threw out an unexpected topic.

"By the way, President Wei, there's a film that approached me for investment; would you mind giving me some advice?"

"Hmm?"

Wei Jin was somewhat surprised to hear this. Asking him for business advice—what was wrong with Boss Yang? "What film?"

"*The Last Supper*."

Once these words were out, Wei Jin understood: Boss Yang wasn't sure of his stance toward Lu Chuan and was afraid of being implicated after investing.

"For investment decisions, it's better for you to make up your own mind, President Yang. As long as the film isn't politically crooked, and Lu Chuan doesn't come to provoke me, I can't be bothered to pay attention to that clown."

Since Boss Yang had come to ask, it meant he was already inclined to invest. Since their relationship wasn't deep enough for such advice, Wei Jin naturally wouldn't give an opinion lightly; stating his own attitude was enough.

"Haha, it was my presumption, President Wei."

Having received his answer, Boss Yang felt a weight lift from his heart, pondering that he could now begin the final evaluation of the project.

After some casual chat, the premiere officially began, and the guests took their seats.

Wei Jin brought Jing Tian to sit in the first row, surrounded by industry bigwigs.

The cast and crew appeared on stage to accept interviews from reporters.

"With this film, I feel like I've found my direction. The filming process felt great, and I believe that after you all watch it, you will feel great too."

Jiang Wen spoke last, appearing quite confident; he had high hopes for this film.

As the main feature began, Jiang Wen's words were confirmed; he had indeed found his direction, transitioning from the art-house film realm to commercial films with great success.

This could be seen from the waves of laughter throughout the venue.

During the screening, Jing Tian had a smile on her face and held Wei Jin's large hand, their fingers interlaced.

She finally understood why Wei Jin hadn't let her act in Jiang Wen's film; there were truly too many revealing shots. But didn't this just prove her status in her man's heart?

Wei Jin had seen this film in his past life, so he didn't pay much attention to the plot. He was more concerned about how so many vulgar, bed scenes, violent, and revealing shots had passed censorship. It was said that not a single cut was made; this was truly surreal. Ning Hao would probably be so angry he'd get sick if he saw this.

He immediately threw the question to Han Sanping, who remained expressionless and gave him a "those who know, know" look.

Only then did Wei Jin remember that Jiang Wen's background was not simple; people were indeed different from one another.

"What do you think of this film?"

Han Sanping also knew about the blind operations of those censors, so he changed the subject to chat with Wei Jin; after all, China Film Group had invested in this one too, even if the share wasn't large.

"With so many metaphors and so many restricted-level shots, the audience should like it very much."

"Hmm? This is the first time I've heard you be so certain about another film."

Han Sanping looked at Wei Jin with some surprise. "Then in your view, how much will the box office be?"

"He said it himself, a floor of 500 million."

Before Han Sanping could be surprised, the venue had already erupted in overwhelming applause.

In the subsequent interview segment, Jiang Wen focused on thanking Boss Yang of Emperor Group, his words earnest and his tone impassioned.

This year's New Year Slot was a battle between three major directors, and the media naturally wouldn't let go of such a good gimmick. When asked about the box office, Jiang Wen looked at Feng Dapao off-stage and held up one hand.

"I have confidence, a floor of 500 million, and while I'm at it, I'll take down Director Feng."

Many people at the scene laughed; the premiere of Sacrifice a few days ago had said the same thing. It seems that whether it is Jiang Wen or Chen Shiren, both are very dissatisfied with Feng Dapao wanting to dip his hands into the New Year Slot after finishing off the Summer Slot.

However, looking at it now, Sacrifice has no hope, but this film by Jiang Wen has quite a bit of hope.

First update of the day.

(End of this chapter)