Chapter 559

At New Year's, Jiang Heng and Zhang Ruoruo passed through Chongqing and had a meal at a restaurant near Liberation Monument.

Seeing the dense New Year's crowd downstairs through the window, Zhang Ruoruo couldn't help but feel longing.

"Honey, how about we go celebrate the New Year later?"

"What, you also want to say goodbye?"

Zhang Ruoruo nodded eagerly, "Yeah, 2014 was a major turning point for me; last year at this time I never dreamed I'd become a star, it's so surreal! I just want to join the crowd and bid farewell to the past at midnight!"

"Okay, I'll accompany you!"

Although he said that, it was impossible for Jiang Heng to wait a few hours.

The two only put on masks and blended into the crowd after eleven o'clock, then shouted together when midnight arrived.

"Goodbye 2014, hello 2015!"

"Getting better and better!"

"2015, be kind to me!"

After the countdown, the people around shouted all sorts of things, but Jiang Heng wasn't that excited.

He knew that such New Year's celebrations couldn't change anything.

Of course, he was certainly getting better and better, because he was the one who controlled resources, and money would automatically keep growing.

On the contrary, Zhang Ruoruo appeared especially excited; after shouting, her little face was flushed red like an apple.

After the New Year's celebration, the crowd gradually dispersed, and Jiang Heng and Zhang Ruoruo also returned to the nearby hotel.

Seeing she was still a bit excited, Jiang Heng asked if she wanted to drink a little more.

Zhang Ruoruo nodded, so Jiang Heng went to the car to get red wine, returned to the room, and they continued drinking while chatting aimlessly.

Zhang Ruoruo still had many expectations for the future, while Jiang Heng was much more subdued, because he knew that this world was not getting better and better.

Perhaps after 2018, having spent the summer universally recognized as the happiest online, he began to retreat.

Calculating carefully, it was only about four years.

If those four years continued at the previous filming pace, that would mean eight more works.

He hadn't figured out what kind of film to shoot to give his directing career a perfect ending, so he came out to relax.

Each day was just driving around, viewing different scenery, drinking and chatting at night, indulging in the gentle countryside.

A few days later, the two arrived in Dali.

After touring the old town and strolling Cang Mountain and Erhai Lake, they then took a flight home.

As for the car they had driven all the way, it was naturally handed over to the driver and bodyguard following behind to be taken back.

After returning to Jingcheng, Jiang Heng began to seclude himself to write scripts, spending most of his time in his own mansion, occasionally going to the Aoyou Teng Building to handle some important matters.

In fact, the group company's development up to now has long been on the right track.

With the Super Microcomputer assisting Jiang Heng, it's nearly impossible for subordinates to deceive him in the accounts.

Every year or so, sending a few people to prison gradually meant no one dared to be corrupt.

With corruption eradicated and generous incentive policies in place, the group company's overall atmosphere remains good, basically requiring no excessive worry from Jiang Heng.

What he needs to manage are the company's major decisions and some promotional events he must attend, such as the premiere of Three Body 2.

As the second installment of the film series based on the world's most famous sci-fi novel, Three Body 2 is highly anticipated; not only domestic audiences await its release, but overseas ordinary viewers and elites of all strata likewise hold the greatest expectations for it.

Consequently, even before the film's release and before promotional activities formally began, major forums sparked widespread discussion, with heat rising ever higher.

Anyone with clear vision can see that Three Body 2 will be a box-office miracle; other films similarly scheduled for the Spring Festival, unable to withstand the box-office pressure, have all decided to postpone or move up.

In Jingcheng, within the meeting room of Huayi Pictures, representatives of Shangying Group, Yaolai Pictures, and several other producers gathered to discuss moving up the release of Heavenly Descending Heroes.

The film Heavenly Descending Heroes is co-produced by Huayi, Shangying, Yaolai and several other companies, with eight or nine joint producers including Penguin Video and A Li Company; written and directed by Li Gangang, it stars Cheng Long, John Cusack, Adrien Brody, and others in an ancient costume action blockbuster.

In the view of the bosses of Huayi and Shangying, although Heavenly Descending Heroes cannot compete with Three Body 2, releasing it simultaneously during the Spring Festival slot could still scoop up some box office.

But judging from recent market feedback, it seems there's hardly any room to survive—Three Body 2 is just too hot! The distributors in charge of the film's promotion—Shangying, Yaolai, Huayi, and Meituan—suddenly realized that if Heavenly Descending Soldiers were released on the first day of the lunar new year, it would very likely be crushed outright by Three Body 2, and if that happened they would suffer huge losses.

The opinion of several company representatives was to move up the release, even if just by a week.

But Cheng Long refused, since the original plan was a Spring Festival release; suddenly moving it up would seem as if he were afraid of Jiang Heng—where would he put his face?

So the outcome of this negotiation was that they parted unhappily.

Cheng Long was very displeased, so he wanted to find someone to drink with.

Although he had many friends in Jingcheng, the only one of equal status with whom he could get along was Jiang Heng.

Looking at it page by page, there is not a single mistake in this edition!

"Hey, what are you busy with, brother!"

"Writing the script!"

"Come out for a drink!"

"Why suddenly want to drink with me?"

"Ah, I'm upset; want to come out?"

"Sure, you name a place!"

Jiang Heng has been in the industry for many years, and his relationship with Cheng Long has always been good.

Over the years, the elder brother has often helped him with publicity or cameo appearances; this face must still be given.

Jiang Heng tidied up, went downstairs, drove to the hotel Cheng Long mentioned.

Upon entering the private room and finding only Cheng Long there, he was greatly surprised, because the elder brother always had a retinue when he went out.

"Why are you alone today?"

"Ah, I'm feeling down, too lazy to summon others; I just wanted to chat with you a bit!"

The elder brother isn't the type to keep things bottled up; after a few drinks, he spilled the beans about the situation.

"I know, martial arts films are somewhat outdated! No matter how hard I fight, how thrilling the scenes I craft, the film struggles to gross a billion, completely incomparable to your effects blockbuster!"

But I want to ask one thing—is there really no hope at all? Last Spring Festival season, it was all about taking huge risks!

Jiang Heng heard this and his expression turned embarrassed; without Three Body 2, Heavenly Soldiers could still have garnered a decent box office in the Spring Festival season.

But under the pressure of Three Body 2 and The Richest Man in West Hong City, he really didn't think this film, which only left audiences with the impression of a UFO hat, could have much box office; honestly, there's nothing to see.

"Aesthetic tastes change with the times; audiences' preferences aren't fixed. For example, at first they liked rugged, straightforward action, then later they preferred graceful, flowing styles. After seeing many explosion scenes, they start to think only special effects are interesting. But sooner or later, my special-effects blockbusters will also grow stale for audiences."

Cheng Long certainly understands these principles, but he never expected Jiang Heng to think this way.

"You mean, even special-effects blockbusters will eventually grow stale for audiences?"

"Definitely!"

"How long?"

"Ten years, maybe!" (End of chapter)