Entertainment from Divorce

Half a month has passed in the blink of an eye. Although the chill in the capital has not dissipated, it is less biting than at the beginning of the year.

The focus of the film and television industry has gradually shifted from the box office battle during the New Year's Day period to the long-tail box office performance of various films.

Inside the CEO's office on the eighth floor of Brilliant Entertainment.

Sunlight streamed through the thin clouds outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting dappled shadows on the mahogany desk, but failed to dispel the subtle gloom in the room.

Lin Qingye sat on the sofa opposite Tan Yue, his back straight, his hands tightly gripping the folder on his lap, his knuckles slightly white.

He was wearing a dark suit, and his hair was neatly combed, but the bloodshot eyes and taut jawline betrayed his inner unease.

The folder contained a complete data report on the film "Time Tick-Tock" after half a month of release. He had looked at the report over and over again at least ten times last night, and every number felt like a needle pricking his heart.

Tan Yue held an unlit pen between his fingers, his gaze focused on the report, his movements steady, and his face showing no obvious emotional fluctuation.

The core data on the report's homepage is clearly displayed.

"Time Ticks" has grossed over 20 billion yuan in 15 days, ranking second among the five films released during the New Year's Day holiday.

During the same period, the top comedy film "Happy Together" accumulated 25 billion yuan in box office revenue, firmly holding the champion position.

The data page records the box office trend in detail.

In the first seven days after their release, the two films were fiercely competing, with the daily box office taking turns leading, and the largest gap being less than 1000 million.

Starting from the eighth day, the gap gradually widened. Thanks to the appeal of the national-level comedy IP and a wider audience base, "Happy Together" consistently led "Time Tick-Tock" in daily box office growth, eventually resulting in a gap of 5 million yuan.

Lin Qingye's gaze was fixed on Tan Yue's profile, his heart pounding in his chest.

He originally had high expectations for "Time Tick-Tock," even believing that with its solid word-of-mouth, the film could make a comeback and lead the New Year's Day box office.

After all, he spent a long time selecting and polishing the script for this movie.

From the initial story draft to the final version, he revised it more than ten times, although Tan Yue provided many key suggestions for revision.

He originally wanted to repay Tan Yue's trust and prove his successful transformation with a box office champion victory, but the second place result filled him with disappointment and self-blame.

“President Tan,” Lin Qingye’s voice was a little hoarse, breaking the silence in the office, “Have you finished reading this report? In the end, ‘Time Ticks’ still couldn’t surpass ‘Joyful House’. It’s my fault for not doing a good job…”

Although the movie hasn't left theaters yet, Lin Qingye knows that the chances of it surpassing the box office record are almost nil.

Tan Yue glanced up at him, put down the report in her hand, placed the pen on the table, and asked calmly, "What do you think was not done well?"

"There are many areas where we haven't done a good job." Lin Qingye lowered his head, his tone full of self-reproach.

"I found the script. Although you gave me suggestions for revision, the core problem is still mine."

"Perhaps my judgment of the market was not accurate enough, and the audience for the heartwarming theme I chose was too narrow, unlike the comedy theme of 'Happy Family' which has a wider audience."

"It's also possible that I lacked control over the narrative pace, which caused the box office growth to lag behind in the later stages... If I could have done better, the box office would definitely have reached another level, and maybe even surpassed 'Full House'."

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his hands trembling slightly: "You trusted me so much back then, entrusting me with the position of film director and giving me so much support, but I failed to deliver the best results and let you down."

Tan Yue listened quietly without interrupting him. Only after Lin Qingye finished speaking and his emotions had calmed down slightly did he slowly speak: "Director Lin, calm down first. Let me ask you, what level is 20 billion yuan at the box office for a heartwarming film?"

Lin Qingye was taken aback for a moment, then subconsciously replied, "Although it hasn't reached the top level, it's already very good."

"If that's the case, why do you feel you haven't done a good job?" Tan Yue leaned forward slightly, his gaze gentle yet powerful.

"You need to understand that a movie's box office performance is affected by many factors, such as the subject matter, the target audience, the market environment, and the strength of competitors. These are not things you can completely control."

"The lead actor of 'Happy Together' is a comedy star with extremely high national popularity. It was jointly produced by three major film and television companies. Its publicity and distribution investment was more than twice that of 'Time Tick-Tock'. Moreover, the comedy genre itself is more in line with the festive atmosphere of the New Year's Day period and has a wider audience. Its box office of 25 billion yuan is the result of a combination of factors."

Tan Yue picked up the report on the table and turned to the reputation analysis page.

"Look at this, the audience satisfaction rate, the second viewing rate, and the recommendation rate of 'Time Tick' are all the highest in the New Year's Day period. Many viewers said that this movie made them re-examine family relationships, and some even took the initiative to reconcile with family members they had not seen for many years because of this movie."

"For a film to convey such emotional value and move so many viewers, isn't that a success?"

He paused for a moment, then continued, "More importantly, this is your first time directing a film. Transitioning from a television director to a film director presents challenges in many aspects, including narrative pacing, cinematic language, and emotional expression. To complete such a work in such a short time and achieve such high praise has already exceeded my expectations."

Tan Yue added, "The film will be out of theaters for at least another two weeks, so the box office will continue to grow."

Lin Qingye raised his head, his eyes slightly red. Looking into Tan Yue's sincere eyes, the self-blame and disappointment in his heart gradually dissipated, replaced by a warm feeling.

He had always thought that Tan Yue would be disappointed because the box office didn't win the championship, but he didn't expect that Tan Yue would not only not blame him, but also affirm his efforts and the value of his work from multiple perspectives.

"Mr. Tan, thank you." Lin Qingye's voice was slightly choked. "I was too focused on the box office champion before and neglected these things. In fact, many viewers sent me private messages saying they were moved by the movie, and some even shared their own family stories. I read them all."

"Having aspirations is a good thing, but you can't be held hostage by the results." Tan Yue smiled, his tone becoming more relaxed.

"The core of filmmaking is to convey emotions and tell stories. Box office is only part of the market feedback and not the only standard for measuring the quality of a work. Being able to pay attention to the audience's feedback and feel the value of the work from the audience's stories is the most valuable thing for a director."

He picked up a pen, signed his name on the report, and handed it to Lin Qingye: "I've read this report. The data is very detailed, and the performance is excellent."

Tan Yue continued, "You've worked hard these past few days. You can take a few days off to rest and recharge. The company has several film projects in preparation, and I'll talk to you again if I find a suitable script."

"Thank you, Mr. Tan!" Lin Qingye stood up and bowed deeply to Tan Yue. "Rest assured, I will not let you down. I will work even harder in the future to make more excellent films."

After saying that, he picked up the report on the table and walked briskly out of the office.

As he walked down the corridor, he couldn't help but look back at the door to the president's office, his heart filled with gratitude.

Without Tan Yue's trust and support, he could not have completed this transformation, let alone achieved such results.

He secretly resolved to transform this trust into motivation and carve out his own niche in the film industry. After Lin Qingye left, the office returned to silence.

Tan Yue leaned back in his chair, stretched, and relieved the fatigue from sitting for so long.

He picked up the thermos on the table, took a sip of warm chrysanthemum tea, and then looked back at the "Time Tick-Tock" report, a satisfied smile appearing on his lips.

In fact, he knew very well that "Time Ticks" had already exceeded expectations.

The audience for heartwarming films is inherently limited, so the fact that it stood out in the fiercely competitive New Year's Day holiday season, becoming the runner-up at the box office and breaking the box office ceiling for this genre is enough to prove the film's quality and market acceptance.

As a new director, Lin Qingye has demonstrated exceptional talent and potential by handling such a project. Given time, he is sure to achieve great things.

Tan Yue put down his thermos and picked up another stack of documents on the table. This was the latest filming progress report sent by the "Three-Body Problem" production team.

In his report, Lu Chuan mentioned that all the interior scenes at the Red Coast Base have been filmed, and they are currently filming the scene of Ye Wenjie and Evans' first meeting. The actors are in excellent condition.

Filming is progressing ten days ahead of schedule; meanwhile, the special effects team has completed the initial cut of the holographic projection of the Three-Body civilization, which will be sent to Tan Yue for review.

Tan Yue carefully reviewed the report and felt relieved to see that the filming was progressing smoothly.

As a key hard science fiction series developed by the company, "The Three-Body Problem" embodies his expectations for expanding overseas markets and enhancing the company's international influence.

So far, the crew's performance has not disappointed him. As a new director, Lu Chuan, although inexperienced, has a strong learning ability and is serious about his work, and can always solve problems encountered during filming in a timely manner.

With the added support of veteran actors like Ma Guoliang and Zhang Lan, he is full of confidence in the final product of "The Three-Body Problem".

Next, he processed the overseas distribution plan submitted by the overseas distribution department.

By the time I finished processing these documents, it was already noon.

Tan Yue glanced at his watch, then picked up his phone and sent Chen Ziyu a message: "I've finished my work this morning. I'm going home for lunch."

Soon, Chen Ziyu replied to the message: "Okay, Mom has already made lunch. It's all your favorite dishes. I'll be waiting for you at home."

Tan Yue felt a warm feeling in her heart upon seeing the message.

He had been busy with work lately and had little time to spend with Chen Ziyu, which made him feel somewhat guilty.

He tidied up the documents on his desk, turned off his computer, picked up his coat from the back of his chair, and strode out of the office.

In the elevator, he ran into Mr. Wu, the director of public relations.

Engineer Wu greeted him with a smile: "President Tan, are you about to leave work? Have you seen the data report for Director Lin Qingye's film? Achieving 20 billion in box office revenue in just half a month is quite an impressive result!"

"I've seen it, and it definitely exceeded my expectations." Tan Yue nodded. "The movie is still showing, so your department needs to pay close attention to what's happening online."

"Don't worry, Mr. Tan," Engineer Wu quickly replied. "In addition, the high reputation of 'Time Ticks' has also boosted the company's brand image. Recently, many excellent screenwriters and directors have contacted us, wanting to cooperate with the company. I have already compiled the relevant information and will send it to you later."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work." Tan Yue nodded. The elevator arrived at the first floor, and the two said goodbye before heading in different directions.

Tan Yue walked briskly towards the parking lot, his mind filled with thoughts of the food at home and his family waiting for him, and his steps became much lighter.

He knows that no matter how busy he is with work, his family will always be his warmest harbor and the driving force behind his hard work.

The car drove away from the company and merged into the city's traffic.

Tan Yue turned on the radio, and a soothing piece of music was playing, gradually relaxing his tired nerves.

He recalled a line from the movie "Time Ticks": "Time will not stand still, but love and hard work will make every period of time meaningful."

He thought to himself that the success of "Time Ticks" was the result of Lin Qingye's hard work and the collaborative efforts of the company team.

The smooth progress of "The Three-Body Problem" is proof of the hard work of Lu Chuan and the entire crew.

The company's growth and expansion are inseparable from the contributions of every employee.

As soon as Tan Yue parked the car in Ruishan Residential Area, he saw Chen Ziyu standing at the entrance of the building, supporting her back, waiting for him.

The sunlight shone on her face, gentle and bright.

Tan Yue walked over quickly and carefully took her arm: "Why are you standing here waiting? It's windy outside, be careful not to catch a cold."

"I'm bored staying at home, I want to see you as soon as possible." Chen Ziyu leaned against him, her voice gentle. "Have the box office figures for 'Time Tick-Tock' come out? How did it do? Is Director Lin Qingye very happy?"

"The results are excellent. We've achieved 20 billion yuan in box office revenue in just half a month, and we're currently in second place during the New Year's Day holiday," Tan Yue said with a smile. "Director Lin was a little disappointed at first, feeling that he hadn't won the championship, but after talking to him, he's come to terms with it and is now full of energy."

"That's great!" Chen Ziyu's eyes lit up. "I knew Director Lin Qingye could do it. This movie is really good, the emotions are very sincere, it can move so many viewers and even go abroad, it's really amazing."

The two entered the house, and Tan Yue gently touched Chen Ziyu's belly: "Has the baby been good today? Has she been fussy?"

"She's being very good. She moved around quite a few times this morning, as if she knew her dad was coming back," Chen Ziyu said with a smile.

Chen's mother had already set the table with the food: braised pork, sweet and sour pork ribs, and steamed sea bass, all of which were Tan Yue's favorite dishes.

The family of three sat around the dining table, enjoying their lunch and chatting happily, with a warm atmosphere filling the air.

The afternoon sun streamed into the living room through the floor-to-ceiling windows, creating a warm and gentle atmosphere.

Tan Yue sat with Chen Ziyu on the sofa, watching parenting programs and occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones.

He temporarily set aside his work fatigue, immersing himself in this precious family time, his heart filled with peace and happiness. (End of Chapter)