Chapter 510: Tough Guy Sheds Tears, Mature Beauty's Heart Stirs

The first phase of promotion for *Lost in Thailand* had already concluded, and the cast and crew returned to Beijing to rest, waiting for the premiere the next day.

Unexpectedly, right at this moment, the Film Bureau announced a piece of information.

"The road crime film *No Man's Land*, produced by China Film Group, directed by Ning Hao, and starring Xu Zheng, Huang Bai, Yu Nan, and others, has officially passed censorship and received its public screening permit!"

"*No Man's Land* has had an exceptionally bumpy journey; after more than three years of review, undergoing numerous cuts and revisions, a major script overhaul, and even the reshooting of the ending, it has finally passed."

Once the news broke, everyone in the industry sighed for Ning Hao; although it had passed censorship, the brilliant parts had been completely castrated, leaving only a defective product.

Despite having already won Best Director at the Berlin International Film Festival, Ning Hao had deep feelings for the film *No Man's Land*.

Therefore, after learning the news, this "big brother" of the social scene, who wore a large gold chain, was sobbing uncontrollably during his phone call to Wei Jin.

Of course, the film passing censorship was ultimately good news; this call was not to cry, but to invite Wei Jin over to celebrate.

Upon arriving at the location, Wei Jin was given a solid bear hug by Ning Hao, who had come out to greet him.

It was clear that Ning Hao's emotions had not yet settled, so Wei Jin had to pat his back and comfort him: "Senior brother, do you remember what I always say? Good things don't come in a rush; it's good that it passed, it's good that it passed."

Perhaps because two grown men were hugging, Ning Hao felt a bit awkward; his excitement gradually subsided, and he sighed: "My kid is almost four years old now, nearly four years... I really thought this film would never be released like this."

"Yeah, four years have passed in a flash."

Wei Jin glanced at the little chubby boy in the courtyard, feeling quite emotional as well.

He still clearly remembered that Ning Hao had started filming when the little chubby boy was just a month old, and it was also around that time that Ceng Li had just become pregnant with Dudu.

Speaking of which, how many prime four-year periods can one have in a lifetime?

Everyone present today were members of the *No Man's Land* crew; basically, everyone who could come had come.

Xing Aina cooked in person, preparing a table full of sumptuous dishes.

Looking at the crew, Ning Hao recalled the "dark" days of filming in the Gobi Desert of the Northwest, raised his glass, and bowed to the actors of *No Man's Land* in thanks: "Thank you all for your support."

"Don't do all this stuff; it's a happy occasion, why are you being so sentimental? But Haozi, next time we film, you can't just add chicken legs to the boxed lunches."

"Hahaha."

Huang Bai's emotional intelligence was as high as ever, and everyone on the scene was amused. However, he wasn't finished; this guy successfully took over the role of the "drinking commander," raised his glass, and proposed: "Today is a day worth celebrating. Not only did *No Man's Land* pass censorship, but Old Wei's film has also broken 1.4 billion; breaking records is inevitable. Let's drink a toast together and wish for our lives to get better and better."

"Good, Old Huang, you really are a great drinking commander, but the rest is up to you guys, haha."

"Don't worry, President Wei. With the word-of-mouth backing of the first film, *Lost in Thailand* has a much higher starting point compared to other films. I won't say too much, but I think 500 million is definitely no problem."

Xu Guangtou, having had two drinks, became a bit bolder and loudly declared his goal.

Wei Jin shook his head; this guy was still too conservative, but he didn't want to tell him about the 1-billion goal, otherwise, the people at the table might have been startled.

"Alright, I'll leave tomorrow's premiere to you guys. I'll just sit in the audience as a guest and watch you perform."

"No problem, Old Wei. I'm not bragging, but my popularity is incredible right now."

Huang Bai started cracking jokes, the atmosphere at the table began to relax, and everyone started toasting frequently.

Yu Nan, this young woman, was very forthright; she caught Wei Jin and drank two glasses, insisting on thanking him for the opportunity he had given her back then.

Honestly, Yu Nan was a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy's acting department and could even be considered Wei Jin's senior sister. Moreover, her acting was excellent, and she didn't cause any trouble, so he would naturally help if he could.

However, ever since *Silent Witness*, Yu Nan seemed to have really gotten lucky; she even participated in *The Expendables 2* last year and was considered a top-tier powerhouse in the industry.

Wei Jin was actually pondering when they could collaborate.

After three rounds of drinks, Wei Jin turned and asked Ning Hao: "Senior brother, when are you planning to release *No Man's Land*?"

"There are too many films from the company in the first half of the year, so let's put it in the Summer Slot. What do you think?"

Wei Jin raised an eyebrow upon hearing this; one had to know that the Summer Slot was now the second most popular period of the year, which meant Ning Hao was still full of confidence in the incomplete version of *No Man's Land*.

However, Shanhe Media hadn't invested in this film, so he had no reason to interfere, and thus he nodded:

"That works. Just let me know in advance when you choose the release date so we don't clash."

"Don't worry, I have it covered."

The next day, the premiere of *Lost in Thailand* arrived as scheduled.

Although it was a low-budget comedy and the director was a newcomer, as the last film to be released in 2012, and with a script written by Wei Jin, it still received quite a lot of attention in the industry.

It was just unexpected that, right at this moment, Zhao Yanzi, who had been quiet for a long time, actually came out to join the fun.

That film *So Young*, which had been reported on many times before, released its first electronic concept poster to the outside world for the first time.

In an instant, the industry's gaze shifted rapidly.

Even the Beijing Film Academy advertised it on its official website; after all, it was the graduation project of one of their own students, even if this student had delayed graduation for three years.

A large number of industry insiders, media, netizens, fans, and moviegoers were mobilized, and there was quite a lot of discussion about the film online.

It could only be said that the previous Qiong Yao dramas like *Huan Zhu Ge Ge* and *Romance in the Rain* had indeed maximized Zhao Yanzi's national popularity.

It was just that the release date announced on the poster surprised the industry; it was actually chosen for the May Day holiday. Was this meant to challenge *Tai Chi Hero*? "Brother Wei, it's not that I'm deliberately targeting you, but this youth film has been delayed for over a year, and the pressure to recoup the investment is huge. There's also *Badges of Fury* in the second half of the year, so only the May Day slot is suitable. Please don't overthink it."

Perhaps fearing a misunderstanding, Old Wang from Enlight Media specifically pulled Wei Jin aside at the premiere to explain.

"Brother, you're joking. It's just the same release slot; it's very normal. I'm not that sensitive."

Wei Jin waved his hand, appearing quite magnanimous.

To be precise, he didn't care at all; after all, which popular release slot didn't have two or three films nowadays? Although *So Young* had a strong fan base—the director, actors, and the original work all had massive followings, and even the theme song was sung by Faye Wong—the online buzz could not be underestimated.

But for *Tai Chi Hero*, Wei Jin had absolute confidence and was not afraid at all.

Furthermore, the target audiences for the two films were different, so the competitive relationship was actually not that great.

If *So Young* were competing with *Left Ear*, that would be a proper targeting.

What Wei Jin didn't know was that when discussing the release slot, Zhao Yanzi had indeed suggested releasing it before *Left Ear* for a head-on collision, but it had been vetoed by Wang Changtian.

After these years of cooperation, Old Wang knew clearly in his heart that when mixing in the Mainland China film circle, one must never go against Wei Jin. "By the way, judging by what you said, has the release date for *Badges of Fury* been confirmed?"

"Yes, the temporary internal discussion is to place it in the Summer Slot. The specific time hasn't been set yet. If you have other films to release, let's keep each other informed."

"Alright."

Wei Jin nodded without saying much more.

As for the company's current films, the Post-production Special Effects for *Shendu Longwang* were still being produced, and it was estimated that there would be results only after the Spring Festival.

Although *Hidden in the Dust* has passed censorship, this art-house film is destined not to be released during any major peak season.

According to the projections of Cao Baoping and Wu Ershan, *Dear* and *Suspect* will also be completed around the Spring Festival.

Ning Hao's side is slightly more efficient; *The Unnamed* is estimated to be finished in about two more weeks.

As for Guo Fan's *About Time*, Wei Jin just wrapped up filming when he was in Shanghai a few days ago, so post-production has only just begun.

Including *Big Shot*, the company has a full 7 films waiting to be released in the second half of the year.

Wei Jin intends to wait until these films have all passed censorship before considering the issue of release slots comprehensively.

After chatting with Old Wang for a while, the premiere on stage began.

Just as Wei Jin said earlier, he is purely a guest at today's premiere, and everything is left to Xu Guangtou and the creative team to handle.

Although it is his first time as a director, Wei Jin has to admit that Xu Guangtou really has some skill; facing the microphones held out by reporters, he is not stage-frightened at all.

"I am very grateful to President Wei for giving me this opportunity to fulfill my dream of being a director. This is my first film, and I hope it will have a good result."

Wang Baoqiang and Huang Bai are also old hands, and their coordination is very tacit; the three of them standing on stage have an indescribable chemistry.

The interview ended, and the screening of the feature film began.

The comedic moments in the film, appearing every few minutes, made the guests and fans in attendance roar with laughter, and they watched very attentively.

The 100-plus-minute film came to an end, and the dozens of instances of tacit, uproarious laughter from the audience gave the creative team full confidence.

"Little brother, this film is indeed quite good; Xu Zheng has really struck gold."

Old Wang's tone was somewhat emotional; in his view, with the support of the previous work and the guarantee of the film's own quality, Xu Guangtou's directorial debut is about to be an instant hit—his luck is truly quite good.

Wei Jin smiled and said nothing more; at this moment, the creative team on stage began accepting interviews again.

Box office is always a topic that media reporters cannot avoid, especially since this is the final shot for Shanhe Media in 2012.

"This year's New Year Slot films are all big directors, big productions, or big casts, but *Lost in Thailand* is not. So, at first, I was actually a bit nervous, but considering the production costs, our pressure to break even is actually very small."

Speaking of this, Xu Guangtou revealed his signature smile, and a wave of good-natured laughter followed in the venue.

Isn't that so? Compared to the production costs of other films that easily reach hundreds of millions, *Lost in Thailand*, even including marketing and distribution, will not exceed fifty million; it will definitely be profitable if it surpasses the previous work.

At this moment, Xu Guangtou changed the subject, suddenly becoming impassioned.

"But I believe that with President Wei's script and the support of the previous work, as well as Director Ning Hao's guidance and the addition of us three 'cobblers,' *Lost in Thailand* will definitely have very brilliant results in the New Year Slot. Conservatively estimated, a box office of 500 million!"

Although the domestic film industry is developing day by day, 500 million is still a very high threshold, so the media reporters were also a bit excited. Are they really that confident? "Director Wei, what is your take on Director Xu's words?"

Many reporters aimed their microphones at Wei Jin off-stage; after all, his predictions have always been accurate.

"Regarding Director Xu's words, I think it is still too conservative. I have full confidence in *Lost in Thailand*. I can even say that if not for *Gravity*, it would be the absolute king of the New Year Slot. After all, this is the only comedy film."

The "satellite" Wei Jin launched directly silenced the entire venue; they had no idea how to respond.

Yes, everyone admits that this comedy is indeed good, but to call it the absolute king of the New Year Slot? How many hundreds of millions in box office would that be?

Although it is nearing the end of the year and celebrities are very busy, many still came to show their support for the Shanhe Media premiere, so during the cocktail party, the scene was filled with clinking glasses.

"Wei Sheng, the film is very good. Even I, a Hong Konger, find it funny. Wishing you a big box office success."

Huo Wenxi was still in that professional woman attire, her sparkling diamond earrings matching her bright red lips, fully displaying the aura of a powerful woman.

However, perhaps because *The Last Supper* was too much of a flop, Wei Jin always felt that there was a hint of dejection in this beautiful mature woman's smile, not as refreshing as the spring breeze of the past.

"Mani, I'll take your kind words."

"Wei Sheng, regarding the share of Golden Harvest's new films next year, please consider it more."

A hint of anticipation appeared on Huo Wenxi's charming face, which was full of grace.

Previously, Boss Yang arranged to contact Shi Nansheng, but unfortunately, the share could not be negotiated. After all, there are more and more studios under Shanhe Media, and what needs to be considered is not just the issue of premiums.

But Emperor Group is large and powerful; their five-hundred-million investment strategy failed, and their progress into Mainland China was hindered. They must have films with sufficient influence to hold the fort.

Otherwise, let alone growing bigger and stronger, even maintaining their face in that small patch of land in Hong Kong would become difficult.

Huo Wenxi knew very well that there was no better choice than the magical man in front of her.

After all, no one dares to guarantee the profitability of a project when making films, especially some big productions; if the box office is not strong, it could even drag down an entertainment company.

Only this monster Wei Jin can achieve a record of never having lost since his debut!

"Mani, I will communicate with President Shi. Two films, no less than a thirty percent share. How does that sound to you?"

Wei Jin held his wine glass, his smile gentle and elegant.

"Wei Sheng, thank you."

Huo Wenxi did not expect Wei Jin to be so easy to talk to; there was some emotion in her smile. If she were younger, perhaps she would really be moved by him?

"Mani, you are too polite. After such a long time of cooperation, I know very well who my friends are. Please also convey to Boss Yang that our friendship will last forever."

"Mm, Wei Sheng is right. Friendship lasts forever. Cheers."

"Cheers."

(End of this chapter)