Entertainment from Divorce

At 7:30 a.m., the glass curtain wall of the State Administration of Culture building was already bathed in the warm gold of the rising sun.

When Ye Wen pushed open the office door, the cleaning lady had just finished wiping the floor-to-ceiling windows. The bright, clean glass let the morning light into the room without reservation, casting neat patches of light on the solid wood desk, like a piece of carefully cut amber.

The weekly box office report for "Interstellar" spread out on the table still carried the warmth of the printer.

The words "US$3 billion" in bold red font are printed at the top of the homepage, standing out prominently in the morning light. The attached line graph shows that although the blue box office curve flattens out slightly in the third week, it has maintained a steady upward trend. Each data point is marked with a specific date and box office increase.

As a veteran who has been deeply involved in the cultural field for more than 20 years, Ye Wen's desk is always covered with analysis reports on the domestic and international film markets.

She has witnessed the rise and fall of too many films.

But few works have made her feel both gratified and filled with indescribable anticipation like Interstellar.

She raised her hand to take off her glasses, gently wiped the lenses with a lens cloth, and ran her fingertips over the "hard science fiction" category label on the report.

This genre, which was once almost ignored in the domestic film market, has now become a hot area for major film and television companies to compete for, thanks to the success of a single film. This transformation reminds her of the predicament she faced ten years ago.

At that time, fewer than five science fiction films were registered in China each year, and most of them were "soft science fiction" films with a budget of less than 10 million yuan.

Some stories use science fiction as a backdrop for romance, with the main characters on the alien spaceship only concerned with their sweet nothings.

Some use cheap special effects to fool the audience, and the so-called "space battleships" look like children's toys.

Some even directly copied Hollywood plots, with the alien creature designs showing signs of cheap imitation.

Ye Wen still remembers that when she led a team to the Berlin Film Festival ten years ago, foreign colleagues would only subconsciously associate Chinese films with kung fu, martial arts, and historical themes.

When she presented a PowerPoint presentation on domestic science fiction creation projects, the skepticism in the audience was almost unmistakable. Some even joked on the spot, "Chinese filmmakers should tell historical stories well first."

Now, Interstellar has given all the doubters a resounding answer with its $3 billion box office.

Ye Wen put down her glasses and opened the thick compilation of audience feedback next to her. The blue folder was labeled "Voices from the Audience," and it contained handwritten messages and electronic comments from audiences of different ages and professions. Each message was accompanied by a brief annotation from the compiler.

Her fingertips gently traced one of the pages: "Li Jianguo, a 72-year-old retired aerospace engineer: I finally saw a black hole that conforms to the theory of general relativity on the big screen. The light effect angle of the accretion disk and the refraction effect of the gravitational lens are almost identical to what we simulated in the laboratory back then. This is what hard science fiction should look like."

The next entry is "Wang Meng, a 16-year-old high school student: After watching the movie, she immediately signed up for the school's astronomy club. Now she and her club members observe the starry sky with a telescope every night, and she dreams of becoming an aerospace engineer in the future."

There's also "Zhang Min, a senior executive at a foreign company: Last week, I took my American colleagues to see the IMAX version. After watching it, they kept asking, 'Was this really directed by a Chinese director?' They even asked me to recommend more Chinese science fiction films. I felt so proud."

These simple words, devoid of flowery language, moved Ye Wen more deeply than any professional film review.

She firmly believes that the success of a film lies not only in its box office numbers, but also in the seeds it plants in the hearts of its audience and the curiosity and yearning for the unknown it ignites in so many people.

A new message notification suddenly popped up on the tablet computer on my desk; it was a real-time data summary sent by the public opinion monitoring team.

When Ye Wen clicked on it, she saw that the hashtag #InterstellarBoxOfficeExceeds3Billion# had garnered over 6 billion views and more than 40 million discussions, with related short videos accumulating 35 billion views across various platforms.

The video that received the most likes was one created by a student from Tsinghua University.

She swiped her finger across the screen and tapped the video.

In the video, several college students in school uniforms are gathered around a 3D printer, which slowly spews out parts of the "Eternal" spaceship.

They carefully pieced the model together with glue, meticulously replicating even the texture of the engine casing and the proportions of the spaceship's windows according to the movie prototype. When the final assembled model was placed against a black background and illuminated with blue lights, it actually had a touch of science fiction about a spaceship.

The video caption reads, "Because of a movie, we fell in love with a field, and in the future we want to build a real 'Eternity'."

Ye Wen couldn't help but smile, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes curving into a gentle arc, and she lightly tapped a thumbs-up on the screen with her fingertips.

This is the power of good works; they can transcend the boundaries of age and profession, planting the seeds of dreams in the hearts of ordinary people and allowing the light of science and art to shine into reality.

At 10:00 a.m. sharp, the red telephone on the desk suddenly rang, its crisp ringtone standing out in the quiet office.

This is the dedicated line for the leader in charge of cultural work; every time it rings, it means there is an important matter to discuss.

Ye Wen immediately straightened her back, tucked her stray hair behind her ear, and pressed the answer button, her tone respectful and steady: "Hello, this is Ye Wen."

"Comrade Ye Wen, Interstellar is getting a lot of buzz lately. How's the box office performance?"

A familiar voice came from the other end of the phone, with a gentle laugh, and the rustling sound of turning pages could be faintly heard in the background: "I read the People's Daily commentary yesterday. Three billion US dollars in box office revenue, that's a remarkable achievement."

"Thank you for your attention, leader."

Ye Wen quickly organized her thoughts, her gaze falling on the detailed data page of the box office weekly report, and gave a clear and organized presentation.

"As of midnight last night, Interstellar's global box office has exceeded $3.2 billion."

"Of these, overseas markets contributed US$1.87 billion, accounting for 62%."

"More importantly, this film is the first truly hard science fiction work from my country to gain recognition in the global mainstream market." "From the physical setting of black holes to the mechanical structure of spaceships, from the simulation of weightlessness to the presentation of five-dimensional space, every detail has reached the international first-class level, completely changing the stereotype of foreign audiences that Chinese science fiction films are 'crude in special effects and have unrealistic plots'."

"We used to have a weakness in the hard science fiction genre."

The leader's voice carried a hint of emotion, and his tone softened: "People used to say that Chinese filmmakers are good at looking back at history and depicting reality, but lack the ability to imagine the future. Now it seems that it's not that they can't make films, but that they haven't found the right direction and haven't settled down to polish their work. The success of 'Interstellar' is not only a victory for one film, but also sets a good benchmark for the entire industry, allowing everyone to see the potential of Chinese science fiction."

Ye Wen then picked up the "Statistical Report on Copyright Registration of Science Fiction Films" from the corner of the table and reported another piece of good news:

"You're absolutely right."

"We have worked with the National Copyright Administration to conduct statistics. In the first quarter of this year, the number of registered hard science fiction scripts increased by 320% compared with the same period last year, and many of these works are very innovative."

"Some focus on deep-sea exploration, combining it with the development of my country's manned deep-sea submersible technology; some pay attention to the ethics of artificial intelligence, exploring the boundaries between technology and humanity; and some combine traditional mythology with science fiction, such as adapting 'Kuafu chasing the sun' into a story of interstellar travel."

"This is a good sign!" The leader's tone became noticeably excited, his voice filled with barely suppressed joy. "Cultural development emphasizes 'letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend.' We must not only produce works that inherit history and promote the spirit, but also create works like 'Interstellar' that look to the future and inspire imagination."

"Hard science fiction films can not only showcase a country's technological strength, but also plant the seeds of scientific spirit and patriotism in the hearts of young people. We must persist in this direction and not give up halfway."

Ye Wen took out her notebook and carefully wrote down the leader's instructions with her pen; the sound of the pen tip gliding across the paper was as light as a feather.

At the same time, she remained clear-headed and added, "Rest assured, we have jointly formulated the 'Science Fiction Film Development Support Plan' with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Science and Technology, providing support in three aspects."

"Well said, Comrade Ye Wen." The leader's voice was full of approval, and his tone became more serious. "Being too eager for quick results often backfires. Poorly made works not only waste resources but also erode the audience's trust."

After hanging up the phone, Ye Wen let out a long sigh of relief, her tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and as she leaned back in her chair, she noticed that a small patch of her shirt collar was already soaked with sweat.

The leader's recognition strengthened her resolve to promote the development of science fiction films, while also reminding her not to be blinded by her current achievements.

She got up and walked to the window, opened it, and the morning breeze carrying the faint scent of locust blossoms wafted in. The street below was bustling with traffic, and pedestrians hurried along, each busy with their own lives.

Looking at the bustling scene, Ye Wen knew in her heart that the 3 billion yuan box office of "Interstellar" was just a starting point. Chinese science fiction films still have a long way to go and need more people to work together to make this road full of flowers.

Back at her desk, Ye Wen picked up her now-cold teacup, took a sip of warm water to moisten her throat, and then pressed the speed dial on the internal phone to call her secretary's office: "Come over here for a moment, there's something I need you to follow up on."

Soon, the secretary strode in carrying a laptop. Her black business suit made her look exceptionally capable. In her hand, she held a stack of documents secured with paperclips: "Director Ye, you wanted to see me? This is a compilation of overseas media reviews of 'Interstellar,' which I just finished organizing. It's divided into three parts by region: North America, Europe, and Asia. It also includes translations of key reviews."

Ye Wen took the document, tapped the cover lightly with her fingertips, and instead of immediately flipping through it, looked up and instructed, "From today onwards, you should focus on the online reviews of 'Interstellar' both domestically and internationally, especially the dynamics on overseas social media platforms and professional film review websites. On the one hand, you need to collect positive feedback, such as audience viewing experiences and professional evaluations from industry professionals, and compile them into case studies for domestic film and television companies to refer to; on the other hand, you also need to be wary of any potential negative public opinion."

"For example, some malicious individuals may smear the film by spreading rumors that the special effects were plagiarized; or they may over-interpret the film's content, causing unnecessary controversy. We need to pay attention to these issues in a timely manner, and once we discover any signs of them, we must coordinate with relevant departments to handle them immediately."

The secretary nodded quickly, took out a pen and scribbled rapidly in her notebook, the pen tip making a "scratching" sound as it glided across the paper: "I understand, Director Ye. I will immediately arrange for my colleagues in the public opinion monitoring team to work in shifts 24 hours a day, categorizing and organizing the data by region and platform, and sending you a briefing every morning. If there are any emergencies, I will report to you immediately without delay."

Ye Wen smiled, her eyes filled with satisfaction, and gently patted the document.

At noon, Ye Wen asked the cafeteria to deliver a simple work meal.

After quickly finishing her meal, she didn't rest but returned to her desk, turned on her computer, logged into the State Film Administration's internal system, and checked the latest science fiction film filing projects.

On the screen, imaginative film titles appeared one after another: *The Martian*, *Deep Sea Space Station*, *Time Ferryman*, *Galaxy Express*, and so on.

Each project is accompanied by a detailed story synopsis, introduction of the creative team, and budget plan, including many young new directors and screenwriters who have transitioned from science fiction writing.

Ye Wen's gaze lingered on the "Galaxy Express" project, and she clicked the mouse to open the details page.

The story follows a carefree interstellar courier who, while delivering packages to a distant planet, unexpectedly becomes involved in an adventure to save an endangered world.

At this moment, a message popped up in the lower right corner of the computer, along with a screenshot: "Director Ye, NASA's official Twitter account just retweeted the black hole special effects analysis video from 'Interstellar,' with the caption 'A perfect fusion of science and art, a tribute to Chinese filmmakers.' The number of retweets has now exceeded 100,000."

Ye Wen quickly opened the screenshot, and the blue "verified" logo next to NASA's official account profile picture was particularly eye-catching.

In the comments section, netizens from various countries showed great enthusiasm.

"I never knew Chinese filmmakers were so scientifically savvy! I always thought they only made historical films, but now my opinion has completely changed."

"I hope to see more Chinese science fiction works in the future, and I look forward to the universe stories brought by Chinese teams."

"I'm already looking forward to the sequel to Interstellar and want to know what happens to Cooper and Dr. Brand."

A smile involuntarily crept onto her lips as her fingers rapidly typed a reply on the keyboard: "Closely monitor the follow-up developments, categorize and organize netizens' comments by region, especially the opinions of foreign aerospace experts, which should be listed separately, as we may need to use these materials later."

At 3 p.m. sharp, Ye Wen entered the conference room and chaired an internal meeting on the development of science fiction films.

In the conference room, each person had relevant materials about "Interstellar" and the meeting agenda in front of them.

The projector projected the title "China's Science Fiction Film Development Plan" onto the white screen, making it clear and eye-catching.

Ye Wen, with a serious expression, began the meeting. (End of Chapter)