Chapter 35: A Kick-Ass Film!

In 2001, after China joined the WTO, the great tide of trade between China and the European and American markets officially began.

In 2001, China exported 266.16 billion US dollars and imported 243.61 billion US dollars, achieving a trade surplus of 22.55 billion US dollars.

In 2002, under the wave of globalization, China's film market fully opened to Europe and America...

2002 was a year of great significance for the survival and development of Chinese cinema.

This year, foreign films, mainly Hollywood blockbusters, entered the domestic Chinese market in greater numbers and more rapidly, snatching away the vast majority of box office revenue...

This year, the capital and institutions behind the production, distribution, and exhibition of overseas films were waiting for an opportunity to enter China through cooperation with Chinese film companies, shareholding, and other means, sweeping through like a whirlwind, just as they had swept through the Hong Kong film market in the millennium year, plundering China's box office resources...

Gazing at the flourishing Hollywood films...

Some felt fear, trembling under the shadow of Hollywood films...

Some felt shocked; the industrial visual system of Hollywood was so astonishing. At the beginning of the millennium, Chinese cinema, which had made its name with martial arts films, had not yet risen, and was already beaten into a disorganized rout...

But the majority were a crowd of fanatics!

……………………………………

Early morning on July 12.

A light rain fell over Yanjing City.

It was also Sunday, so there were far fewer people on the streets and alleys than usual...

But at this very moment, Zhongguancun was filled with the sound of gongs and drums, and the roar of a crowd.

As early as the early morning hours, countless dense crowds of users, holding umbrellas, watched the soon-to-open 【Dingjin Electronics City】 with tension and anticipation.

The 【Dingjin Electronics City】, covering nearly 100,000 square meters, was expected to see 30,000 to 50,000 visitors daily, selling everything from computers, mobile phones, and cameras to CD players, tape recorders, and DVDs...

Without exaggeration, its products covered almost the full range of electronic goods in China, and it was hailed by countless people as the largest cluster of electronics markets in China.

……

"Boss, do you have new stock?"

"Yo, yes, yes we do!"

"What new stock?"

"Seems to be some Hollywood blockbuster!"

"Hollywood blockbuster?"

"Yes, seems to be called 'Superman 2'."

"Damn, boss, is that for real?"

"Real or fake, you can see for yourself; what else could I lie to you about?"

"……"

The light rain of the morning took away the summer heat.

A gust of wind blew through the window.

Liu Jun was jostled back and forth in the crowd, finally squeezing into 【Dingjin Electronics City】 and walking into a counter named 【Audio-Visual Little World】.

He originally wanted to buy himself a new 【Nokia】 mobile phone, but at the 【Nokia】 mobile phone counter, the crowd was simply too dense; he had arrived a bit late and couldn't possibly get in line...

Looking at the distant counter, seeing the mountain of people and the sea of crowds, Liu Jun knew he wouldn't be able to squeeze in anytime soon.

When he saw that the newly opened 【Audio-Visual Little World】 didn't have too many people, he simply decided to see if there were any newly arrived Hollywood discs!

In 2003, besides box office revenue, Authorized Zhengban copies of DVDs and VCDs remained the mainstream in China.

Of course, what was displayed openly was Authorized Zhengban, but in the room behind, there were stacks of films from Japan and Korea, Europe and America that could not be shown in public or had no copyright at all.

……

He swept his gaze around!

Although the stall named 【Audio-Visual Little World】 was not large, various discs were endless.

From Hong Kong films of the 80s to martial arts films and horror films of the 90s...

A dazzling array, with everything available.

However, Liu Jun had no interest in the discs outside; what interested him most were those Hollywood blockbusters behind the stall.

In these years, the killing power of Hollywood blockbusters on Chinese film fans was immense!

Even in 2002, after China officially opened its arms to Hollywood films and expanded imports, it still could not fill the Chinese film fans' longing for Hollywood blockbusters!

The market was huge, but there were only so many films with copyright in a year; many Hollywood films, for various reasons, could not enter the Chinese market...

So, some merchants secretly started up 【piracy】.

In these years, Liu Jun had watched countless Hollywood blockbusters relying on cheaply packaged discs at 2 yuan each or beautifully packaged boxes at 10 yuan each!

……

"Are these all?"

"Yes!"

Under Liu Jun's gaze, the boss of 【Audio-Visual Little World】 took out a box of newly arrived discs while smoking.

The discs included high-end versions; the high-end versions were 10 yuan per plastic box, containing two discs!

The low-end versions were 2 yuan per box, consisting of just a sheet of plastic film and a cardboard shell.

Liu Jun looked at that box of discs...

When he saw a copy of 'Superman 2', he was instantly stunned!

He looked up at the boss with disbelief, his eyes wide open.

"Holy crap, boss, is this Superman 2?"

"Yes!"

"Damn, wasn't this movie not released? Did you guys get the stock from Europe or America?"

"Rules of the trade: watch the film, don't ask about the source..."

"..."

Liu Jun flipped through the discs while nodding: "Two yuan per disc?"

"Ten yuan for the high-spec, two yuan for the low-spec!" the boss nodded.

"Then I'll take a high-spec one..."

"Alright!"

The boss extinguished his cigarette butt, took out a brand-new packaged "Superman 2" from the back, and handed it to Liu Jun.

After paying, Liu Jun put the disc away, hesitated for a moment, looked at the people outside, then at the boss, and finally cautiously leaned over: "Boss, do you have any of those newly arrived, more exciting ones?"

"How exciting?"

"You know, the kind from the back door..."

"These? We don't sell these!"

Upon hearing this, the boss's spirits instantly lifted, then he frowned and shook his head vigorously.

"Boss, I won't report you, and besides, boss, you know me; I'm a regular here. Back when you were dealing in pirated copies, I bought quite a lot from you..." Seeing Liu Jun's appearance, the boss frowned slightly, then hesitated for a moment, realized Liu Jun really didn't look like an undercover officer, and finally nodded.

"There is a new batch, but... the price..."

"Don't worry about the price; I can afford thirty yuan. I know the market rate!"

"Then alright."

"..."

The boss glanced at the assistant in the shop, gave him a few instructions, and then silently led Liu Jun toward the inner room.

The inner room was very narrow...

Very dim, allowing only one person to pass.

Moreover, the products were not as dazzling as those outside, but were placed in individual packing boxes.

Under the dim light...

Liu Jun, excitedly staring as the boss pulled out an unopened box, suddenly revealed a series of short films that made one's face turn red!

At this moment...

Liu Jun felt his breathing become heavy!

He touched his heart, lowered his head cautiously...

Selecting one after another of the "blockbusters" from Japan and Korea, from Europe and America, it was simply a dazzling array that confused the eyes!

Just as he was selecting...

Liu Jun saw a movie titled "Superman and the Beast's Passionate Night" and was instantly slightly shaken!

He saw on the cover...

A beauty who seemed to be from an island nation, dressed like Superman, was playing with an iron rod with a burly man wearing a Sun Wukong mask!

How fiery the scene!

How spectacular the visuals!

Especially that line on the cover: 【In the 21st Century, the most explicit human and beast, making a shocking debut!】

His spirits instantly lifted!

"Boss, this movie..."

"This movie just arrived; forty yuan!"

"Forty yuan, so expensive?"

"It was obtained just this early morning by one of my business partners..."

"Then I'll take it!"

"Alright!"

After buying this one, unexpectedly, Liu Jun flipped to another European and American movie.

This movie was titled "Superman 2 vs. the Beast!"...

The cover of this movie was even more spectacular: a muscular Superman was raising his hand, and below him, a great beauty from an island nation was doing something indescribable!

Liu Jun shivered all over, instantly feeling his bloodline hard to suppress!

"I'll take this one too!"

"Good!"

"Wait, there's this one, this one... 'Beast and Female Superman 2: Passionate Bed Battle'!"

"Good!"

"..."

Half an hour later.

The Audio-Visual Small World stall began to gradually get lively.

Liu Jun cautiously took a box of discs into his hand, kept his head down, and hurriedly squeezed through the crowd...

Another ten-plus minutes later...

He returned home excitedly.

He drew the curtains, turned on the DVD...

Trembling, he took out a box of discs, inserted it into the DVD, and planned to reward himself properly!

About a minute later, looking at the scene playing on the DVD...

His pupils instantly contracted sharply...