Chapter 793: Flirting with You

Xu Jinzhu's words made Xiao Cai's little face flush slightly, and her heartbeat quickened along with it.

I have to say, 3D Glasses are a good thing.

In the pitch-black Cinema, they can serve a stronger purpose than sunglasses, preventing young men and women in an ambiguous relationship from seeing the chaotic panic in each other's eyes.

Xu Jinzhu's meaning was very clear: the movie isn't good, so I am looking at you.

Don't look at how he threw out such a direct pitch; he was actually quite panicked himself after saying it.

Xiao Cai, meanwhile, couldn't help but dodge his gaze, very much wanting to pick up her milk tea and take a big gulp to adjust her emotions.

But as the older sister, she was unwilling to lose out in front of this younger brother, saying, "Don't look at me with that scrutinizing gaze; it's not like I just brought you to see a trashy movie."

"Is this a scrutinizing gaze?" Xu Jinzhu spat out a mouthful of old blood internally.

This is clearly the gaze of a dirty old man...

The ultimate tug-of-war between a man and a woman seems destined to continue.

But this is precisely the most interesting part of the ambiguous phase.

You advance and I retreat, you retreat and I advance; when both advance, after a brief touch, both are too shy and shrink back.

"Boom—!"

A sudden, loud noise in the movie actually gave the two of them a start.

"What happened?" Xu Jinzhu was completely dumbfounded.

Only to see on the big screen, the male lead started to 【go Peerless】.

Upon seeing the female lead still alive but in imminent danger, he began to slaughter everyone in his path.

It is worth mentioning that the male lead's greatest cheat code is that he has the authority to remotely control the strongest weapon in Shanghai, which we shall call the 【Shanghai Cannon】.

When his battle armor's energy was about to run out, he began to remotely control the 【Shanghai Cannon】 and got entangled with the strongest BOSS, effectively including himself in the blast range of the cannon.

For the sake of Romance, fire at me!

Oh my, how touching.

In this scene, the screen plunged into a bright white.

Good fellow, using this holy-light-like white saves the entire cost of special effects for when the ultimate weapon, the Shanghai Cannon, hits.

This film crew is actually quite clever in this regard, huh!

When the image reappeared on the big screen, it was amidst ruins, and the female lead was struggling to open her eyes.

She got up like a madwoman to search for the male lead, only to find not even a scrap of him.

Reckon his ashes were blown out and drifted away with the wind.

The female lead knelt on both knees; for some reason, it started raining in Shanghai at this moment.

She covered her face and wept in the rain, and as she covered her face with both hands, she suddenly felt a foreign object on her face.

She lowered her hands to look and discovered that on the ring finger of one of her hands, she was actually wearing a diamond ring.

No one knows when it was put on.

Of course, don't ask why such a large area was blown up like this, yet the female lead is completely unscathed, not even her clothes torn.

If you ask, it's the power of Romance!

At the very end of the movie, a memorial statue of the male lead was erected in Shanghai.

It was made very realistically, even capturing his exquisite four-six parted bangs.

As for the other members of the male lead's squad who sacrificed themselves, no one cares.

Afterwards, in order to round out the story so it wasn't just the male lead acting on impulse and sacrificing his entire squad to save the female lead, the superior discovers that the alien creatures originally had a precise plan that Shanghai couldn't have withstood at all, and it was actually accidentally interrupted by the male lead.

This is a very standard plot.

Villain: Diligent, serious, working day after day for their own ambition.

Hero: Damn it! Don't underestimate the power of Romance! You bastard!

Movie "Shanghai Fortress", end.

Inside the Cinema, the lights came on.

Unlike when "The Wandering Earth" ended, where a bunch of people stayed behind to listen to the ending song sung by Luo Mo and watch the behind-the-scenes footage, most of the audience stood up one after another, unwilling to linger.

Only a few girls remained in the Cinema, taking photos while praising, "Fanfan's Singing is so good!"

"Wuwuwu, our Zhong Feifan is so handsome!"

"So touching, I want to marry him!"

Xiao Cai and Xu Jinzhu exchanged a look, not wanting to say anything for a moment.

They probably understood why little fresh meat like Zhong Feifan, who clearly didn't debut based on acting, and who is clearly an idol, could repeatedly receive the favor of capital and participate in some big-budget film and television projects.

Capital must believe that these idols have so many fans that as long as a portion of them come to watch the movie, breaking even is a sure thing.

Moreover, these people will definitely work very hard to promote the movie; there's no need to hire internet trolls, saving tens of millions in promotion costs.

Yet in these past few years, there really have been some film and television works that made money.

Although the word-of-mouth was terrible, it doesn't matter.

Capital chasing profit is enough.

After walking out of the cinema, Xiao Cai didn't forget to complain, "It's precisely because of this that there are fewer and fewer good dramas and movies nowadays, and even good songs are becoming fewer and fewer!"

After becoming a worker related to the cultural and entertainment industry, she really couldn't stand these chaotic phenomena!

"Then you should write a film review when you get home and properly roast this movie," Xu Jinzhu suggested.

"You really are a devil," Xiao Cai said with a smile.

"Likewise," Xu Jinzhu replied.

It is worth mentioning that when the two took the elevator to the underground parking lot, there were still people chatting in the elevator, and the content was complaining about this movie.

"What kind of bullshit 'Shanghai Fortress', it's fucking terrible!"

"Why does this dare to call itself a Science Fiction film?"

"It's got cannons and mechs, so it's Science Fiction, right?"

"The point is there aren't even any special effects; they were all in the trailer."

"That's nothing. Let me tell you, I took off my 3D Glasses halfway through, and guess what I found? I didn't even need to wear them; there was almost no difference in the picture!"

"I must have been out of my mind to come see this."

These few boys were complaining frantically, while a young couple nearby wanted to say something but held back.

The girl's expression looked a bit angry, especially when these men were scolding Zhong Feifan; her indignation was particularly obvious.

The man, however, really wanted to join the group chat, but succumbed to his girlfriend's overwhelming power.

Honestly, people like him are also the target demographic for capital.

Among the fans of these "little fresh meat" idols, women are the majority, and many young women, while crazy for their idols, are not nuns in real life; they also want to date.

Thus, it often happens that a boyfriend helplessly walks into the cinema to experience torture, and even pays for the movie, making capital laugh wildly in the shadows.

After arriving at the underground parking lot, Xiao Cai and Xu Jinzhu said their Farewell to each other; both of them had driven there themselves.

After returning home, the two began chatting on WeChat.

It's just that when the two were chatting, it was rather disjointed.

Because Xiao Cai was writing a Film Critic review while chatting with Xu Jinzhu, and kept telling her about her own train of thought.

By the time she finished writing the Film Critic review, it was already late at night.

After washing up, it was just about time for the "saying goodnight to each other" segment.

Only then did Xiao Cai realize that the other party wasn't a Film Critic, and wondered if he might actually be a little impatient hearing her talk about so many things in the movie.

So, she asked: "Was I too chatty today?"

Xu Jinzhu belongs to the type of male who is a bit timid in person, but not at all timid when chatting.

Therefore, he replied directly:

"It's fine. I've always felt that people don't need to be too stingy with their expressions. Actually, I'm very willing to listen to your rambling."

Xiao Cai, lying on the bed and texting Xu Jinzhu, couldn't help but quickly lift her lower legs after seeing the reply, then put them down, then lifted them again, repeatedly tapping the bed surface.

Immediately after, she rolled over, lifted the thin quilt, and covered half her face.

After a long while, she sent a sticker of a little girl Dancing, then replied: "Hee hee, goodnight!"

"Mm, goodnight."

She had seen many friends around her being led around by the nose by men's sweet talk, and she had also seen many anti-men remarks on the internet.

But at this moment, she was still head over heels.

Tonight is a restless night.

On the Hot Search, things look quite interesting.

On one side is the box office success report of "Shanghai Fortress", and on the other are various complaint entries from netizens.

Yes, the first-day box office performance of "Shanghai Fortress" is not bad, successfully breaking 100 million and reaching 129 million.

This is the first film starring Zhong Feifan to break 100 million on its first day.

At the same time, it is also the second Science Fiction film in Huaxia film history to break 100 million on its first day, if... it actually counts as a Science Fiction film.

All of this seems a bit magical.

Many capital tycoons felt with certainty: "Science Fiction has truly risen!"

The first-day box office of "Shanghai Fortress" undoubtedly proved this point.

Huaxia audiences now have very high enthusiasm for domestic Science Fiction films, very, very high!

The market's Demand for domestic Science Fiction is too great, far too great.

With Zhong Feifan as the lead, many passersby even held a "testing the poison" mentality as they walked into the cinema to watch this so-called Science Fiction blockbuster.

Just try it, trying it won't kill you.

And then, one by one, they died from the poison.

On the internet, it can now be said to be a chorus of scolding.

"Damn it, give me my money back!"

"Does this count as false advertising? You told me this was Science Fiction?"

"Luo Mo can cut his hair into a buzz cut and still look handsome as hell, but you, damn it, keep this hairstyle and don't even dare to wear a hat firmly for fear of flattening your hair!"

"My girlfriend insisted on dragging me to see it, so annoying!"

"I was wrong, I was the one who took my girlfriend to see it, thinking at least the special effects would be done well!"

"Everyone, don't be fooled; it's a genuine piece of trash, and there really aren't any special effects!"

"I really didn't want to go to the cinema, but my girlfriend offered a condition I couldn't refuse, promising not to go back to the dorm. Damn it, if I'd known, I would've just stayed in and masturbated tonight!"

By the next day, netizens even created a meme called "Closing Disciple".

Luo Mo is the pioneer in the field of domestic Science Fiction blockbusters, the master who opened the door to domestic Science Fiction.

This "Shanghai Fortress" produced by Pineapple is the "Closing Disciple" work of domestic Science Fiction.

Hey, so you're the one who kicked open the door to Science Fiction, right?

Watch me use a beautiful roundhouse kick to close it back up for you!

Everyone began to deeply realize one point—it's not that domestic Science Fiction films have risen strongly, it's that Luo Mo is just too impressive.

This person is standing alone in the spotlight again!

There are also many netizens who say that "Shanghai Fortress" is just sucking the blood of "The Wandering Earth"!

Many netizens who like the Little Broken Ball began to launch a counterattack.

Damn it, people worked hard, risked everything, and spent seven or eight hundred million to make a movie, feeling their way across the river all by themselves; the entire crew put in so much, and they raised the entire industry to a new height.

Even now, foreign media are reporting on it like crazy; although it hasn't been released overseas yet, it can be considered famous far and wide.

Good grief, with you pulling a stunt like this, if you aren't a rat dropping in the soup, what are you?

Wang Shisong of Pineapple was still feeling smug when he looked at the opening day box office.

Seeing the comments online, he wasn't panicked either.

Even a fool knows that Zhong Feifan has many die-hard fans, but also many haters.

Even if he made a masterpiece, a bunch of people would still chase after him to curse him.

The word-of-mouth for this movie, to use Luo Mo's words, is that we must—let the bullets fly for a while longer.

But by the second day, Pineapple's publicity department was full of a sense of crisis, discovering that the development of the situation was becoming increasingly out of control.

"Is it this serious? Could it be that a rival is stirring up trouble?"

"Is Liu Mingyue's team playing dirty behind the scenes to guard against Zhong Feifan?"

"This rating drop is too outrageous!"

Yes, it is indeed a bit too outrageous.

Petal Net hasn't opened its rating yet, but if you go to the rating section and look around, it is almost entirely one-star reviews.

Even if the fans try hard to control the rating and give five stars, it is still one-sided.

The ratings on major ticketing platforms have always been relatively lenient; many people won't even rate the movie after watching it, and it will automatically default to a 10-point positive review.

Under normal circumstances, the ratings on ticketing platforms for the vast majority of movies are higher than 8.

If it can drop below 8 points, then it is truly rotten to the core.

It's just like how on Earth, when you open an app like Tao Piao Piao, you will find that a film you think is rotten to the core actually still has an 8-point rating!

The infamous flop on Earth, the renowned "Dreaming of the Entertainment Industry," had a—6.8 rating on many ticketing platforms!

But what is the rating of "Shanghai Fortress" now?

It has already dropped to 8.4.

If there were no fans controlling the rating, it would definitely have already fallen below 7.5.

This is only the second day of release; I'm afraid it will continue to plummet.

If the rating drops below 8, when everyone is buying tickets on ticketing platforms, many people will see this score and choose not to watch it.

Honestly, if "Shanghai Fortress" weren't a Science Fiction film, everyone's resentment would still be heavy, but not necessarily to this extent.

Furthermore, everyone's long-standing resentment toward these traffic-star movies could erupt at any moment.

As luck would have it, "Shanghai Fortress" just happened to run into it.

On the second day of this movie's release, Pineapple was initially hoping it would continue to break 100 million, but it was cut in half, with only 61 million.

And as the clamor of it being a rotten film spreads across the entire internet, the box office will definitely continue to drop.

What's miraculous is that "The Wandering Earth," which is in the extended release phase, has had its screenings slashed and its popularity had already dropped quite a bit, yet today's box office was actually higher than yesterday's, up by 8.7 million.

Goods shouldn't be compared, or they'll be thrown away; people shouldn't be compared, or they'll die of shame!

"The Wandering Earth" is certainly not a perfect work either; it definitely has shortcomings and flaws.

But in comparison with "Shanghai Fortress," everyone feels even more deeply how difficult it is for domestic Science Fiction to suddenly leap forward and be produced to this level.

The internet has even launched an "Eye-Washing Campaign"; shouldn't one go watch "The Wandering Earth" again to wash their eyes?

And then hypnotize oneself: "Look! Domestic Science Fiction is still salvageable!"

By the third day of the release of "Shanghai Fortress," the situation could be said to be a foregone conclusion.

Petal Net opened with a 3.6 rating; it seems there is still room for it to fall.

Major ticketing platforms have basically all dropped to around 7 points; falling into the six-point range can be said to be a foregone conclusion.

Many of Zhong Feifan's rivals have started to stop stirring up trouble, not daring to continue blackening Zhong Feifan's name to compete for the Idol market.

They also began to feel a sense of crisis gradually spreading.

Many teams of "little fresh meat" stars have realized that with "Shanghai Fortress" being this rotten and everyone cursing it like this, it will also affect their own "little fresh meat" stars!

If the "little fresh meat" market collapses, then none of them will have it easy!

On the third day, the single-day box office for "Shanghai Fortress" dropped directly to 20 million, and this was still a figure supported by fans struggling to hold it up, along with some curious viewers who didn't believe the hype and wanted to pay to see just how rotten it was.

And what about "The Wandering Earth"?

The single-day box office actually rose again, reaching 22.19 million, overtaking "Shanghai Fortress"!

A movie in the extended release phase actually surpassed a "Science Fiction blockbuster" that had just been released!

When Wang Shisong saw this data, he was so angry he almost bit his back teeth off.

In the middle of the night, the official Weibo of "Shanghai Fortress" actually started questioning netizens.

It posted a scene from the movie with the caption: "This is a rotten film????"

And it posted three videos in a row, all with the same caption: "This is a rotten film????"

The arrogance of capital, and the arrogance of some filmmakers, was revealed without a doubt.

You must think this kind of behavior is stupid, and think it's very unrealistic, right?

If any stupid novel were written this way, I would definitely blast it for being brainless and lowering the IQ of the story!

In reality, the "Shanghai Fortress" on Earth was even worse; the official Weibo posted four in a row, questioning the entire internet: "This is a rotten film???"

At the same time, it also posted one saying: "Can't sleep..."

Finally, the official Weibo posted another message, which was the editor coming out to apologize, saying they were impulsive, saying they were emotional, letting the editor take the fall, and asking everyone to support the movie more.

By the way, the official Weibo later deleted the apology.

Damn it, having lost this much money, why the hell should I apologize to you bunch of idiots!

On the Blue Star side, under the Weibo post for "Shanghai Fortress," netizens were replying in full: "Rest assured, this is a trash film, you absolutely must not doubt yourself."

"What are you barking about?"

"Damn it, refund the money!"

These capitalists and filmmakers are just this arrogant.

They treat the audience like fools, feed the audience shit and then complain that you aren't eating it happily, and even hate that you won't spend money to line up to eat shit!

Now it's done for; no matter how hard Zhong Feifan's fans try, they can no longer control the comments.

Over at "Petal Net," the rating dropped directly to 2.9.

On major ticket-purchasing platforms, it also dropped to six points.

The single-day box office even plummeted below ten million!

Never mind breaking even; even the promotional costs invested before the film's release cannot be recovered!

This film is losing a fortune! Pineapple simply cannot sustain it, and no matter how much incompetent Anger they show, it's useless.

Wang Shisong sat on the sofa in his home, his left hand holding a cigarette trembling slightly.

Once a titan of the entertainment industry, his gaze was somewhat unfocused, and his entire spirit seemed to have been drained away.

At this moment, he finally felt a sense that the mansion was about to collapse.

"Pineapple... is going to be gone."

(PS: New month, asking for guaranteed monthly votes at the start of the month.)

(End of this chapter)