Chapter 426: Facing the Challenge: A Record of Art-House Films

Beijing, Xishan Villa.

"Let's learn to meow together, meow meow meow meow meow meow, acting cute in front of you, oh my meow meow meow meow meow meow."

In the spacious room, Liu Yifei's crisp singing voice rang out, waking the two who had battled through the night.

"Oh my, who is it, so early?"

Liu Yifei loved sleeping in most; after being woken up, her morning grumpiness was no small matter. At this moment, she rolled over, pulled the entire quilt over, and buried herself inside, head and all.

"I don't know, let me check."

Wei Jin shook his head and glanced at the time on the wall; it was actually nearly ten o'clock. Last night had indeed been too wild.

Looking at the caller ID, Wei Jin had a guess in his heart.

"Hello, Chairman Yang?"

"President Wei, the box office has exploded! *SPL: Sha Po Lang 2* brought in 36.8 million on its first day, it's a hit!"

The usually refined Boss Yang's voice was a bit loud, revealing unconcealable joy.

He absolutely had reason to be happy; for the film *SPL: Sha Po Lang 2*, Emperor Motion Pictures held a 60% investment share.

Last year, Emperor Motion Pictures spent 500 million to produce several films in a row, all of which failed, and even their stock price fell quite a bit. Now, they could finally hold their heads high.

Boss Yang had already made up his mind: no matter what, he could not get off Wei Jin's boat; he would just follow blindly.

As for the Hong Kong Circle, what kind of thing was that? If they wanted to die, they could go die far away. After chatting with Boss Yang, Wei Jin no longer felt sleepy. He picked up his phone and logged onto Yinxiang Net; compared to the first-day box office, he cared more about word-of-mouth.

Moreover, Wei Jin was not surprised by this result. After all, being able to secure an average of 25% of screenings while Hollywood blockbusters were crowding the market, shouldn't it be worthy of such treatment?

However, seeing the 7.8 rating on Yinxiang Net, Wei Jin felt reassured. Despite being released a few years early, the audience still bought it; the large number of positive reviews was proof.

"Haven't seen such fierce fighting in Chinese-language films for a long time, exciting!"

"Zhang Jing is too handsome, did he bribe the director?"

"Seven Kills, Army Breaker, Greedy Wolf, the three stars gather in SPL, my fate is determined by me, not by heaven!"

"The cold weapon combat is really beautiful, especially like Wu Jing, it's explosive! When is *The Raid 2* coming out!!!!"

"Wen Yongshan is so pretty, how can I sleep with her..."

"..."

Although there were some nitpickers, most of the reviews were very fair, especially regarding the several action sequences, which the audience rated highly. It seems that deep down, people really do like violence.

However, Wei Jin also discovered that many fans had entered the cinema because of the original *SPL: Sha Po Lang* from back then.

You have to know, that *SPL: Sha Po Lang* back then was not even released in Mainland China because it was too bloody, yet it still had so many supporters.

One has to say, Hong Kong films during their glorious period really did leave behind quite a few classics.

After a sigh of emotion, Wei Jin continued to browse.

Compared to the eye-catching results of *SPL: Sha Po Lang 2*, the film *Killing*, directed by Guan Hu and starring Huang Bai, was too miserable, with only 2.31 million on its first day, effectively buried in the dirt.

Shaking his head, Wei Jin turned his head to look beside him, only to see the young girl had already opened her eyes, but with a clearly listless expression.

"What's wrong?"

As he spoke, Wei Jin lay down, slid his arm under the pillow, rested it beneath the girl's swan-like neck, and pulled her tighter into his embrace.

"Woken up, can't sleep anymore..."

Liu Yifei pressed her forehead against Wei Jin's chin, rubbed it, raised her head, and pouted as she spoke.

"It's about time, it's already past ten, time to get up for breakfast."

"No, hold me for another ten minutes, no, half an hour."

Liu Yifei was like an octopus, her arms hooked around Wei Jin's neck, one long, beautiful leg draped over his waist, burying her head deep into the man's chest.

Wei Jin reached out and ruffled her hair for a while, then suddenly remembered something.

"Yifei, tell me, when did you change my phone ringtone?"

Liu Yifei raised her head and blinked her large eyes, "Hee hee, I changed it last night. Isn't it nice to listen to, Brother?"

Although she was still bare-faced, the young girl was fair-skinned and beautiful, naturally endowed with grace. At this moment, she was like a lotus rising from the water, exceptionally moving. Coupled with this playful demeanor, it made Wei Jin's heart race.

He slid his hand down from the top of her head, all the way to her perky buttocks, a playful smirk curling the corner of Wei Jin's mouth.

"Yifei, I want to hear you sing live now, how about it?"

Looking at the man's expression and his movements, how could Liu Yifei not know what he meant by "sing live"? She couldn't help but lightly spit in disdain.

"Brother, you are really bad... mm..."

Before the words were finished, Wei Jin rolled over and blocked the girl's red lips, and a magnificent morning workout began. The Beijing International Film Festival concluded. Cameron, who was treated as an honored guest by the organizers, showed no mercy when leaving, once again uncovering the scars of the domestic film industry.

"I hope the Huaxia government can relax restrictions on film shooting and not stifle the creative inspiration of filmmakers."

Regarding this statement from Cameron, the attendees thanked him politely but didn't take it to heart at all. It was a problem of many years; it would be a miracle if the higher-ups listened.

At the same time, China Film Group announced a new batch of release dates, making the media immediately excited.

Huayi's *Tai Chi 0* was set for September 27; the film *Dangerous Liaisons* starring Zhang Ziyi was set for September 28; that film *Second Exposure*, which Fan Bingbing quit and Huo Siyan eventually filled in for, was set for September 29. In the eyes of industry insiders, this was a direct challenge to Wei Jin's *Bottom-tier Girl*.

"This National Day Slot is going to be lively."

Beijing, Huayi Zongbu.

"Zhonglei, are you confident this time?"

This scheduling was entirely handled by Wang Zhonglei. At this moment, Wang Zhongjun was a bit unsure, as Wei Jin's films had too strong a deterrent power.

"Brother, whether we are confident or not, we have no way out. Are there any other slots to choose from? You calculate it yourself: the *Tai Chi 2* later, Xiaogang's *Back to 1942*, Cheng Long's *Chinese Zodiac*, and further on, do you want us to fight ourselves?"

Wang Zhongjun nodded. There were only so many popular slots, and Shanhe Media had films released almost every month. They couldn't just let their own films kill each other because they were afraid of competition. "Fine, let's listen to you this time. However, for *Chinese Zodiac*, can we borrow the momentum of *Gravity*?"

"Hmm, Cheng Long's side is estimated to wrap up around mid-May, with post-production expected to take over two months. Placing it in the second half of the New Year Slot will be just right. That kid did a good deed." "If that's the case, then *Back to 1942* can only be placed in mid-to-late November..."

Wang Zhongjun did not mention the Spring Festival Film Season; the film's subject matter was too bitter. Although many scenes that would cause audience discomfort had been deleted or modified to pass censorship, releasing it during the New Year was ultimately inappropriate.

"Hmm, then let's put *Tai Chi 2* in late October. It's just right for the two parts to be connected. I hope it has a good result..."

Wang Zhongjun nodded, "That's all we can do."

Leaving the office, Wang Zhonglei's expression turned serious; what he did not confess to his own brother was that the release dates for these few films were the result of his private collusion with the producers.

He simply wanted to test the waters, and even if there were no good results, he had to suppress Wei Jin's arrogance, otherwise Huayi would always be a step behind Shanhe in the future! Honestly, regarding the battle for release dates, Wei Jin did not take it to heart at all; as the domestic film industry became increasingly prosperous, this was an unavoidable matter.

Even Shanhe Media's own films were almost fighting each other, so how could he spare any attention for others?

Furthermore, he had full confidence in the films produced by his company and was not afraid at all, so Wang Zhonglei's burning passion could be considered as winking at a blind man—a total waste of effort.

At this moment, Wei Jin looked at Wu Ershan, who was sitting upright opposite him with a terrifyingly high hairline, and felt a bit emotional.

Wu Ershan's works were truly few, and there were not many films that suited his style; "Ghost Blows Out the Light" could be considered his best series.

But it is best for a series to settle for a while before filming again, otherwise, the audience is prone to fatigue, which also led to the fact that for several months in a row, Wu Ershan could not find any suitable scripts.

Fortunately, however, Wu Ershan had not been blinded by fame and fortune and decided to break out of his comfort zone to challenge a new direction.

But seeing that Wei Jin was slow to give an answer, Wu Ershan felt a bit uneasy in his heart and could not help but ask, "President Wei, what do you think of my idea?"

"Oh, very good. It is a good thing that you are willing to seek a breakthrough. This script is also quite good and worth a try."

Upon hearing this, Wu Ershan breathed a sigh of relief; although he was already a director at the Studio, if Wei Jin did not support him, it would mean he would either have to bear the production costs himself or seek outside investment.

Although with his current fame, there would be no shortage of investors, without Wei Jin's nod, Wu Ershan still felt a bit insecure; after all, it was a brand-new attempt, which could even be called a transformation work, and now there was finally a good result.

Immediately, he looked at Wei Jin, "President Wei, then I will start making the storyboard first, and you can give me some pointers when the time comes?"

"Sure, but let's arrange for someone to submit the script for review first."

While speaking, Wei Jin pushed the script on the table over, and one could see the large characters on the cover—"The Devotion of Suspect X".

"Okay, I will go and arrange it right away."

After dismissing Wu Ershan, Wei Jin fell into deep thought.

"The Devotion of Suspect X" is a suspense novel by Keigo Higashino, the plot is very brilliant, and after the adaptation by the editorial department, the script can be called excellent.

And Wu Ershan's strength lies in visuals, while his grasp of story plots is precisely very weak; filming this type of plot-driven movie will be of great help to him.

As for whether he can film it well, Wei Jin is not worried at all; after all, the original story is too brilliant, and as long as Wu Ershan does not let his imagination run wild, plus his own oversight, there is definitely no problem with breaking even.

After all, if a half-baked director like Su Youpeng can make a profit, there is no reason for Wu Ershan to lose money, right?

"Whiplash" finished its one-month screening period and was taken off the screens, with major portal websites and media reporting it overwhelmingly.

"The art film 'Whiplash', directed by Director Wei Jin and starring Beijing Film Academy Vice Dean Wang Jinsong and Central Academy of Drama actors Bai Yu, Liu Yifei, and others, has officially ended its run today!"

"The film 'Whiplash' was in theaters for one month, with a total box office of 268 million, creating a miracle!"

"'Whiplash' has pushed the domestic art film box office record forward by 100 million; who will be able to break the 268 million record in the future?"

It was not just the media reporting it; many production companies, celebrity artists, and film and television practitioners in the industry were posting to offer their congratulations.

"Whiplash" indeed created a miracle; after all, it achieved this result while facing a slew of Hollywood blockbusters, so its value is truly substantial.

"It is very difficult for an art film to achieve this kind of box office. Director Wei Jin's drawing power is beyond doubt. If it had been a different release window, it might have broken 300 million. It's a pity."

When Zhang Yimou accepted an interview, he looked full of regret.

"This should be the most successful art film in the country so far, a double harvest of awards and box office, an unrepeatable miracle!"

Almost all art film directors were full of envy; it is very difficult for their films to achieve such a balance.

With a big box office hit, a celebration banquet is naturally indispensable. Taking advantage of the May Day holiday, Wei Jin gathered the crew to celebrate together.

For the film "Whiplash", excluding Wei Jin's director fee, even counting marketing and distribution, the total cost did not exceed 30 million.

Yet, the domestic box office alone achieved a profit of over 105 million, and counting overseas rights, as well as miscellaneous advertising revenue, the net profit was at least over 250 million; it was definitely a huge profit.

So Wei Jin was not stingy either, directly taking out 3 million as red envelopes for the crew.

Among them, the two leads, Wang Jinsong and Bai Yu, each received a 500,000 red envelope, and everyone from the Producer and Executive Director down to the production assistants received one.

Looking at the number on the check, Teacher Wang Jinsong hurriedly waved his hand, "Wei Jin, this is really too much, the salary was already enough."

"Teacher Wang, the box office is a big hit, the red envelope cannot be less. You cannot break the rules, just accept it, otherwise..."

Wang Jinsong looked around the scene; the atmosphere had already been built up, and if he refused, he was afraid he would dampen everyone's spirits.

"Alright, then, thank you."

Wei Jin smiled and shook his head, inviting everyone to take their seats, and soon, the table became lively.

"President Wei, thank you for your cultivation and appreciation of me, I'll drink to that."

Bai Yu held his wine glass, his tone sincere, and finished it in one gulp after speaking.

He knew very well that getting the opportunity for two of Wei Jin's films before graduation was a blessing cultivated in a past life; he didn't know how many people in school envied him.

"This is also because you worked hard yourself; rotten wood cannot be carved, so keep up the good work."

Wei Jin patted his shoulder and encouraged him; he still appreciated Bai Yu quite a bit.

According to Zhang Xu's report, this kid had turned down many announcements to focus on his studies at the Central Academy of Drama, and the rest of his time was spent honing his acting skills at the company's training center.

Although there was some loss for artist management, this attitude toward his profession was definitely worth affirming.

Subsequently, many people came to toast, and although Wei Jin did not drink, he encouraged them one by one; after the celebration banquet, it could be said that both host and guests were satisfied.

After the dinner ended, Liu Yifei pulled Wei Jin back to Xishan Villa.

As soon as they entered the house, the young girl couldn't wait to offer a sweet kiss; with separation imminent, shouldn't they seize the time? Thus, that night, the two of them fought almost until dawn. (End of this chapter)