Entertainment from Divorce

On the first morning after New Year's Day, the capital was shrouded in a thin layer of morning mist, and the chill was even greater than the day before.

In the apartment Lin Qingye rented, just as dawn was breaking, he sat bolt upright in bed, his eyes bloodshot, clearly having not slept all night.

His biological clock shouldn't have woken him up this early, but the thought of box office numbers kept him awake.

The phone screen on the bedside table was lit up, displayed on the homepage of the State Administration of Culture's official website. My finger unconsciously swiped across the screen, leaving faint traces.

He got up and walked to the window, drew back the curtains, and saw the city's outline blurred in the morning mist, much like his mood at that moment.

The online reviews were quite good, and he read them countless times, but good reviews don't necessarily mean good box office results.

The competition during the New Year's Day holiday was fierce, and the top comedy film "Happy Together" led the way in pre-sales thanks to its dense jokes and a cast of actors with high national popularity.

Another action film, "Speed ​​Chase," also enjoys a significant share of screenings thanks to its explosive special effects.

"What if the box office on the first day is less than 100 million?" This thought was like a needle stuck in his heart.

He recalled the days and nights spent filming, the cross-city trips during promotions, and the look in Tan Yue's eyes when he patted him on the shoulder and said "I believe in you," and his palms couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

If the box office is dismal, not only will he have betrayed Tan Yue's trust, but his label as a TV drama director transitioning to film will likely be branded as a failure, making it difficult for him to have a chance to turn things around.

Lin Qingye paced back and forth in the living room, his steps heavy as if they were made of lead.

The water glass on the table emptied and filled again, filled and emptied again, but he didn't drink a single drop.

His phone vibrates every few minutes with real-time updates on public opinion from his colleagues in the publicity team. The feedback is overwhelmingly positive, but it can no longer soothe his tense nerves.

Before the official box office figures are released, all the word-of-mouth is like a bubble suspended in mid-air, ready to burst at any moment.

"Wait a little longer, there's still one hour." He glanced at the wall clock; the hour hand pointed to nine o'clock, a full hour before the State Administration of Culture's official website would publish the box office figures.

He forced himself to sit on the sofa, turned on his computer, and rewatched the post-production footage of "Time Ticks" in an attempt to distract himself.

But my gaze kept drifting to the time in the corner of the screen, and my heart was beating faster and faster as the second hand ticked.

As the scenes from the filming flashed by, Lin Qingye's eyes gradually welled up with tears.

He thought that even if the box office results were not satisfactory, at least they had put their heart into making a sincere work, but the resentment in his heart still surged like a tide.

At 9:59, Lin Qingye suddenly stood up from the sofa, gripping his phone tightly with both hands, his fingertips turning white from the force.

He refreshed the homepage of the State Administration of Culture's official website, but the page still showed yesterday's content.

His heart was pounding wildly in his chest, as if it were about to break free of its restraints. He could even hear his own breathing, heavy and rapid.

At exactly 10:00, the page on the phone screen refreshed on time.

Lin Qingye's fingers trembled as he opened the announcement, his eyes quickly scanning the movie titles and corresponding box office data in the table:

First place: "Happy Family": 1.58 million yuan.

Second place: "Time Ticks": 1.36 million yuan.

Third place: "Speed ​​Chase": 9200 million yuan
Fourth place: Fantasy Adventure: 6500 million yuan
Fifth place: Winter Sonata: 3800 million yuan
“One hundred and thirty-six million…second place…” Lin Qingye muttered to himself, repeatedly checking the numbers in the table, afraid that he had misread them.

Only after confirming that everything was correct did his tense body relax instantly. His legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the sofa, tears welling up unexpectedly.

This wasn't a groundbreaking achievement, but it was enough to give him a temporary respite.

With a first-day box office of 136 million yuan, although it was not as good as "Happy Together", it led the third place by nearly 44 million yuan, and gained a firm foothold in the fiercely competitive New Year's Day box office.

More importantly, this achievement far exceeded the industry's expectations for heartwarming themes, proving that the script and his directing abilities were not rejected by the market.

He took out his phone and, with trembling hands, sent a message to Tan Yue.

"Mr. Tan, the box office results are in! 1.36 million on the first day, second place!"

After successfully sending the message, he called the head of the publicity team, his voice trembling with barely suppressed emotion: "The box office figures are in! 1.36 million! Thank you all for your hard work!"

A cheer erupted from the other end of the phone. The person in charge said excitedly, "Director Lin, that's great! Our word-of-mouth is spreading rapidly, and many cinemas are asking if we can increase the number of screenings. We'll contact them right now!"

"Okay, okay!" Lin Qingye agreed repeatedly. After hanging up the phone, he finally felt half relieved.

But he quickly calmed down.

This is just the first day's box office; the New Year's Day holiday lasts for three days, and the subsequent box office performance will be crucial.

The comedy genre of "Happy Together" is more in line with the holiday atmosphere, and it may have a box office boom afterward. "Time Tick Tock" must rely on continuous word-of-mouth and effective publicity to maintain its advantage.

He cannot let his guard down; there is still a tough battle ahead.

The office building of Brilliant Entertainment has returned to its usual bustling state.

The year-end wrap-up work and the advancement of various projects have kept everyone in the company on their toes.

In the president's office on the eighth floor, Tan Yue had just finished processing the details of the cooperation agreement for the overseas distribution of "The Three-Body Problem" and handed the document to Chen Ye: "Have the overseas distribution department connect with Universal Entertainment as soon as possible to confirm the final version of the agreement and strive to complete the signing next week."

"Okay, Mr. Tan." Chen Ye took the documents and turned to leave, but was stopped by Tan Yue.

"By the way, the State Administration of Culture should have released the box office figures for the New Year's Day holiday. Could you check the results for 'Time Tick' for me?"

"Okay, I'll check right away." Chen Ye nodded and quickly started working on his phone.

Tan Yue leaned back in his chair, picked up the hot tea on the table, took a sip, and looked out the window.

The morning mist has dissipated, and sunlight shines through the glass onto the desk, warm and bright.

He had expectations for the box office performance of "Time Tick-Tock". With its good word-of-mouth, the box office on the first day should not be too bad, but he was not entirely sure how much it would achieve.

After all, the competition during the New Year's Day period is far more intense than imagined.

The lead actors in "Happy Together" are national-level comedy stars who bring their own audience and box office appeal.

The production cost of "Speed ​​Chase" reached 3 million yuan, with stunning special effects and a large investment in marketing.

As a heartwarming film, "Time Ticks" has no big-name stars and no explosive special effects. It is not easy for it to break through in such an environment.

"Mr. Tan, I found it!" Chen Ye strode back, a smile on his face. "The State Administration of Culture's official website announced that 'Time Tick' grossed 1.36 million yuan on its opening day, ranking second in the New Year's Day box office, second only to 'Happy Together' at 1.58 ​​million yuan!"

Upon hearing this, Tan Yue smiled with relief, feeling a weight lifted from his shoulders.

A first-day box office of 136 million is a pretty good result for a heartwarming film.

More importantly, positive word-of-mouth and box office revenue created a virtuous cycle, which laid the foundation for long-term box office growth.

“Very good.” Tan Yue nodded, picked up the phone on the table, and dialed Engineer Wu’s number.

The call was quickly answered, and Engineer Wu's voice carried a hint of excitement: "President Tan, you've seen the box office figures, haven't you? 136 million, second place! This result has exceeded our expectations!"

“I saw it, it’s really good.” Tan Yue’s tone was calm and firm. “Now is not the time to celebrate. The word-of-mouth has already been established. We need to take advantage of the momentum, expand our publicity efforts, and strive to take the box office to another level.”

"Don't worry, we're already making preparations," Engineer Wu said quickly. "However, we'd like to hear your thoughts on how to expand the publicity."

"I have three directions for you to consider," Tan Yue said clearly and logically.

"First, strengthen word-of-mouth marketing."

"We compile the audience's real feedback, famous crying scenes, and film critics' professional interpretations into a series of short videos and graphic materials, and intensively distribute them on platforms such as Weibo, especially in the sinking market of third- and fourth-tier cities, where the audience values ​​emotional resonance and is easily driven by word of mouth."

"We can emphasize the themes of family movie viewing and healing the New Year to attract family audiences and older viewers."

"Second, we need to connect with cinemas and try to increase the number of screenings."

"Now that word-of-mouth is spreading, many viewers are reporting that they can't buy tickets. You should have your colleagues in the distribution department immediately contact major cinema chains and use box office and word-of-mouth data to try to increase the proportion of screenings during prime time in the last two days of the New Year's Day holiday."

"Third, delve into the behind-the-scenes stories to evoke emotional resonance."

Tan Yue paused, then added, "In addition, we must pay close attention to public opinion trends, especially the direction of negative comments."

"Currently, negative comments mainly focus on the slow pace, which are characteristics of the subject matter itself and do not require deliberate response. However, if there is large-scale malicious smear campaign or online trolls stirring up trouble, timely countermeasures should be taken to guide public opinion to engage in rational discussion."

"Understood!" Engineer Wu carefully noted down Tan Yue's requirements, his tone full of enthusiasm.

"I'm calling an emergency meeting with the public relations and distribution departments right now to relay your instructions and ensure that all promotional plans are implemented by today!"

"Okay, hurry up and don't waste any time." Tan Yue hung up the phone, leaned back in his chair, and felt much more at ease.

He knew that now was a crucial period for the box office growth of "Time Tick".

The two days following the New Year's Day holiday are the peak viewing period. Whether a film can seize this opportunity and expand its market share will directly affect its final box office performance.

He felt very reassured with Brilliant Entertainment's top-notch public relations and distribution teams.

After hanging up on Tan Yue, Engineer Wu immediately convened an emergency meeting in the conference room with the core members of the public relations and distribution departments.

The atmosphere in the conference room was lively, with everyone's faces filled with excitement and enthusiasm. The opening day box office of 136 million was very encouraging for everyone.

"President Tan's instructions are very clear. Now we will split into three groups, each with its own responsibilities, and we must implement all the plans before noon!" Engineer Wu stood in front of the whiteboard in the conference room, his tone serious and firm.
"The first group will be led by Li Meng," Engineer Wu assigned the tasks in one go.

"Does everyone understand their tasks?" Engineer Wu asked seriously, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

"Understood!" everyone answered in unison, their eyes filled with fighting spirit.

After the meeting, each group immediately threw themselves into their work.

In the public relations department's office, the sounds of keyboards clicking, telephones ringing, and discussions mingled together.

At 2 p.m., the promotional materials for "Time Ticks" were released on major platforms on time.

Tan Yue saw the real-time updated promotional and pre-sale data in his office and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

He knew that the road to a box office comeback for "Time Tick-Tock" had officially begun.

At this moment, Lin Qingye had calmed down from his initial excitement and tension.

He sat in front of his computer, watching the growing positive word-of-mouth and rapidly increasing pre-sale data online, his heart filled with gratitude.

He knew that all of this was inseparable from Tan Yue's trust and support, the team's efforts, and the audience's recognition.

He sent Tan Yue a WeChat message.

"Mr. Tan, thank you for your guidance. The promotional materials have been launched, and pre-sale data is growing rapidly. I will continue to follow up on the subsequent promotional work and live up to your trust."

Tan Yue quickly replied, "You're welcome, you deserve it. Just stay calm and focus on doing your own thing. If you need anything later, just let me know."

Lin Qingye felt a warm feeling in his heart upon seeing Tan Yue's reply.

He knew that his film career had only just begun, and the success of "Time Ticks" was just a wonderful start.

As evening approached, the sky over Beijing was ablaze with a warm and beautiful orange-red sunset.

Inside the offices of Brilliant Entertainment, colleagues in the public relations and distribution departments were still busy monitoring the latest public opinion and box office data.

Inside the cinema, the story of "Time Ticks" continues to play, touching every audience member who enters the theater.

At the filming location of "The Three-Body Problem," Lu Chuan and the crew are still working hard to film and strive to present the best results.

For Tan Yue, the box office success of "Time Ticks" is good news, but he has a bigger vision.

The filming of "The Three-Body Problem" has entered a critical stage, and an overseas distribution cooperation agreement is about to be signed. All of the company's businesses are progressing in an orderly manner.

He knows that more challenges and opportunities await him in the future, but he is confident that with the team's efforts and reverence for their work, Brilliant Entertainment will surely ride the waves of the film and television industry and create new glories.

For Lin Qingye, the opening day box office of 136 million is a weighty affirmation, but also a new responsibility.

He stood by the window, watching the sunset outside, and silently made a wish.

Hopefully, "Time Ticks" can achieve a box office comeback and become a dark horse in the New Year's Day box office thanks to positive word-of-mouth.

I also hope to take this as a starting point and go further and further on the path of filmmaking, living up to Tan Yue's trust and my own passion. (End of Chapter)