China Entertainment’s rescue plan is hard to come by

Chapter 867 The Theater Company's Intervention and a Misunderstanding [2-in-1]

Chapter 867 The Theater Company's Intervention and a Misunderstanding [Part Two]

It was another weekend, and in the evening, Beijing welcomed its first snowfall in 12 years.

Although it was just a light snowfall, with scattered snowflakes melting in just a few minutes after hitting the ground, it still brought a unique kind of joy to the citizens of Beijing.

Especially young couples.

Taking advantage of the snowfall, we went out for a walk, hand in hand, as the snowflakes fell from the sky, and our hair turned white along the way.

How romantic!
After a walk, we can have a meal together, then watch a movie together, and then go home in the evening to learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses.

Cinema on the third floor of Wanda Plaza, CBD, Chaoyang District.

A young couple took advantage of the snowy weekend to go for a walk. After having dinner at Wanda Plaza, they suddenly decided to watch a movie together.

It has to be said that Wanda, a commercial center that integrates leisure, shopping, dining, and entertainment, is really convenient, offering a one-stop experience where you can find whatever you want.

Because it was a last-minute decision, the two did not choose to buy tickets online, but went directly to the cinema's ticket counter.

After browsing through the newly released films, the two chose a comedy starring Ng Man-tat, "Flowers for the Wild Beasts".

Of course, the film may not be a good one, and I haven't heard much about it in terms of publicity, but at this point, the main thing is the atmosphere, and whether the film is good or not is not important.

"Hello, what time is the latest performance of 'Flowers for the Wild Beasts'?"

The boy asked the ticket seller, who politely replied, "The tickets are only available at 10:10."

"No way, it's only a little past 7 o'clock now, and the first showing isn't until 10 o'clock. Didn't this movie just start showing? Why is the showtime so late?"

"I'm sorry, the specific screening times are not determined by us. Customers can check out other films, such as 'The Bourne Legacy' and 'Wreck-It Ralph,' which are said to have good reviews."

The ticket seller, with a smile on his face, began recommending imported Hollywood blockbusters.

The young couple exchanged a glance, both showing expressions of regret.

I wanted to support domestic products, but unfortunately, I wasn't given the chance.

"Okay, how about two 'Wreck-It Ralph' posters? I think it's a Disney animated film, right?"

The boyfriend took his girlfriend's preferences into account and did not choose an action movie like "The Bourne Legacy".

"Yes, that's right, customer. Is the 7:40 PM show okay? Do you have any seating requirements?"

"7:40? Okay." The boy glanced at his watch; there were still 20 minutes until the show started. This time was acceptable to them. Then, he lowered his voice and whispered to the ticket seller, "Please open two seats for me where there are fewer people around, preferably in the back row."

The ticket seller immediately gave me a knowing look and promptly issued the ticket.

The girl blushed deeply and gave the boy a piece of her mind. The boy coaxed and tricked her into going to the claw machine.

There's still time before the show starts, so I can play a claw machine to appease my girlfriend.

That night, countless scenes like this unfolded in cinemas across the country, not just in Beijing.

If someone were to investigate further, they would find that such incidents primarily occur in cinemas controlled by established cinema chains such as Wanda, Jinyi, Dadi, and Jiangzhe Times.

Companies like China Film Stellar Media, Starry Sky International, and Shanghai Film Union are basically nonexistent.

The next day, the starry sky was reflected in the image.

Sun Yi was discussing the filming of his new role with Liu Yifei. Since it involved a lot of action scenes, and Sun Yi himself was not good at action scenes and did not have much experience, he had to humbly ask his wife for help.

Liu Yifei was overjoyed. Things change, and finally, Sun Yi had a chance to ask her for advice.

Moreover, she was very satisfied with this role, finding it full of challenges.

Regarding the new film, she's now even more enthusiastic than Sun Yi, adopting the demeanor of a little teacher as she speaks to him:
"The action design depends on the specific style the director wants. For example, there's the flying and leaping martial arts style of director Tsui Hark, like my previous works 'The Condor Heroes' and 'Chinese Paladin'. Or there's the realistic hand-to-hand combat style of Hong Kong films. Or there's the style involving firearms and props, focusing on the recreation of details. I wonder what style my great director Sun specifically wants?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, I didn't realize my Qianqian knew so much." Sun Yi raised his hand and clapped. Liu Yifei tossed her head arrogantly and curled up the corners of her mouth, making Sun Yi laugh inwardly.

"Well, 'Superman' is a superhero movie, so no single style really works. I'd like to combine some specific action choreography elements," Sun Yi said, gesturing as he spoke.

"For example, when you fight Superman, in addition to the extraordinary power of flying and moving, there should be real physical collisions, and then some explosions and scenes of houses collapsing should be added to highlight the destructive power of your battle. How about this style? Can you accept it?"

"Yes, I'd really like to give it a try~" Liu Yifei nodded emphatically, agreeing with great joy.

“Okay, let’s settle on that for now. I’ll have Brother Fan contact the Dongzhi team to see which one is available. Oh, and we also need to ask which team has a female stunt double,” Sun Yi said thoughtfully.

"I don't need to designate a stunt double; I can do most of the stunts myself."

“That won’t do. It’s been so long since you’ve done an action movie. The one in Pacific Rim doesn’t count. It was less than two minutes long.”

"I haven't taken on any action roles, but I haven't stopped training."

Liu Yifei retorted, saying that her current mindset is that as an action actor, she should avoid using a stunt double if possible, as if using a stunt double is a disgrace.

Everything else can be discussed, but we can't indulge Sun Yi.

The neck injury I sustained while filming "The Return of the Condor Heroes" has not fully healed even after so many years, and I have to go for physical therapy every year.

"That won't work either. There must be a designated stunt double. You are absolutely not allowed to do some difficult or dangerous stunts yourself. I'm telling you."

Sun Yi refused firmly, even using his position as director to pressure her.

Just kidding. If we don't explain this to her before filming starts, she might throw a tantrum once filming begins. Then, on set, we won't know whether to coax her or not. It's better to talk to her about it during the pre-production stage.

Liu Yifei was a little agitated, but she knew in her heart that Sun Yi was thinking of her. However, her inner obsession was still lingering, and she always felt that she had lost face.

To prove herself, she decisively stood up, walked around the desk, and came over to Sun Yi.

"Hey, this is the office, not home. You can't use torture to extract confessions here!"

Sun Yi pointed at Liu Yifei, panicking, thinking that she was going to resort to violence if she couldn't win an argument.

Liu Yifei was so angry she didn't know whether to laugh or cry; she hadn't meant it that way at all.

In a moment of desperation, she lifted her leg, pressed her heel against the wall, and used it to push against Sun Yi's shoulder, performing a split.

"You see, I've always maintained a very good condition."

As Liu Yifei spoke, she pressed herself against the wall. Sun Yi was sitting in the boss's chair, and now the chair back was pressed tightly against the wall. He was pressed down by Liu Yifei's two long legs, forming a triangle, and he was between her legs.

Because it was snowing today, Liu Yifei wore a pair of suede high-heeled ankle boots with leggings, and her bouncy thigh muscles were pressing right on Sun Yi's neck.

They've stopped using their hands and started playing this instead?!
Sun Yi swallowed hard, staring blankly at Liu Yifei.

At this moment, Liu Yifei realized that her posture was a bit inappropriate, and her cheeks began to burn.

Good heavens, this is the company! What am I doing?!

But now that things have come to this, there's no reason to give up halfway.

"I want to do it myself, I don't need a stunt double."

"no!"

Sun Yi refused again.

Liu Yifei bent down, her face getting closer and closer to Sun Yi, and said, word by word, "I—want—it!"

"Don't even mention your uncle wanting it, your aunt can't have it either!"

"What? Oh my god!"

Their faces were inches apart, they could hear each other's breath. Liu Yifei puffed out her cheeks, her face full of defiance, while Sun Yi stiffened his neck and stared back at her, showing no sign of backing down. At this point, the issue had escalated from whether or not to use a designated stunt double to—what kind of attitude is this, daring to yell at me!

Just as the two were facing off, the office door made two soft knocks and was then pushed open.

Liu Yifei felt a chill run down her spine. She withdrew her leg, squatted down, and performed the entire movement smoothly. Sun Yi only felt a blur before his eyes, and the "pressure" on him disappeared.

Upon closer inspection, Liu Yifei had darted directly under his desk.

Seeing Sun Yi's gaze, and still shaking her head at him, this time the tables turned, and Liu Yifei was now between Sun Yi's legs.

"Cough cough."

Sun Yi coughed twice and looked at the newcomer.

Basically, everyone in the company who knocks twice and doesn't get a response from him goes into his office, except for General Manager Yang Fan.

Because Sun Yi himself doesn't like so many formalities, he had mentioned it to Yang Fan before.

He never imagined that something like this would happen one day.

But why am I so excited, feeling my blood surging?
"Brother Fan, what happened?"

Sure enough, for Yang Fan to come to him in such a hurry, it must be something important.

"The theater chains have stepped in."

Upon hearing this, Sun Yi immediately became serious and subconsciously leaned forward until Liu Yifei lightly pinched his calf, making him realize that there was someone below him.
"what happened?"

"Starting yesterday, Enlight Media's newly released film 'Flowers for the Beast,' a dark comedy, was boycotted by several major cinema chains. On its first day, the film only had an 8% screening rate, and even with this low screening rate, all of the film's screenings were scheduled for early morning and midnight screenings."

"When Enlight Media made negotiations, the response they received was that the screening rate was set by the parent company of the cinema chain and they could not change it. As for the release dates, they were only available during these two time periods due to the specific operation of the cinemas."

"Ha, they're blatantly trying to fool us. The Lunar New Year film season doesn't start for another month. What big movies are going to be released in this timeframe? Do they really think cinemas don't have time to schedule screenings?"

Sun Yi was so angry he laughed. He had expected that the theaters would manipulate the screening schedule, but he didn't expect them to play such dirty tricks. They not only manipulated the screening schedule, but also the release period in theaters.

Early morning and midnight screenings have hardly any viewers; it would be strange if they didn't make any money at all. Even Sun Yi couldn't do it.

“Yes.” Yang Fan nodded seriously. “It’s an old trick. They’re just making an example of us, using light beams as a starting point to show us what’s what and make us back down. But I have to say, although the method is old, it works.”

"The Lunar New Year film season is almost here. At the end of the month, there's Huayi Brothers' 'Back to 1942,' at the beginning of next month, there's our 'Wolf Warrior,' Starlight Media's 'The Last Supper,' in the middle of the month, Enlight Media's 'Lost in Thailand,' Bona Film Group's 'The Great Shanghai,' and at the end of the month, there's Huayi Brothers and Emperor Motion Pictures' 'CZ12,' as well as our 'Edge of Tomorrow.'"

"What did Lao Wang from the Light Source say?"

"It's a bit unstable, but we can still hold on. 'Flowers for the Beast' is just a small-to-medium-budget film for that prince to make for fun. It's not a big project. But the Lunar New Year season next month is uncertain. To put it bluntly, every family is waiting for this season to celebrate the New Year."

“Indeed, they are quite different from our starry sky, and that’s something we need to take into account.” Sun Yi nodded.

It has to be said that the cinemas chose a very good time, right before the Lunar New Year film season. This not only shows their strength but also divides the film production alliance. If they can't hold on, then this year's Lunar New Year film season will be another year of huge profits for them.

Sun Yi thought of "Lost in Thailand," a comedy film that broke domestic film records and officially heralded the arrival of the billion-yuan box office era for Chinese films.

One billion! One percentage point is ten million.

“We can’t wait any longer. Now that the theaters have made their move, we don’t need to hold back anymore. Let’s confront them head-on.”

Sun Yi slammed his hand on the table in excitement, startling Liu Yifei who was sitting underneath. She almost screamed.

She subconsciously pinched Sun Yi again.

hiss~
Sun Yi's face twitched, making Yang Fan stare blankly. "Little Yi, are you... feeling unwell?"

"No, no, I was just angry."

"Oh, okay." Yang Fan nodded and continued, "Then I'll contact Guangxian, Bona, and Xiao Ma. As for Huayi, how should I put it? I have a feeling they won't be so honest."

Sun Yi frowned and sighed. To be honest, he didn't really trust Huayi either, mainly because they were too deeply involved with these investors and it was difficult for them to be completely independent.

However, we shouldn't label someone before they've even done anything.

Sun Yi sighed and said to Yang Fan, "No one can guess this. If they want to be traitors in the industry, no one will stop them. In the end, they will reap what they sow."

Yang Fan nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

"By the way, Brother Fan, is the publicity for 'Wolf Warrior' all right?"

"No problem, Xiaowei is keeping an eye on things," Yang Fan replied truthfully.

"Add another ten million yuan for publicity and prepare for the release date to be moved up to the end of the month."

"At the end of the month, you mean with Huayi Brothers' '1942'?"

"It's just a matter of being prepared. Then the promotion for 'Edge of Tomorrow' can begin. The promotion budget will be increased by 30%. This time, we will go all out and promote it for a month straight."

"Okay, I'll make arrangements right away."

Yang Fan came and went like the wind. After talking with Sun Yi for a while, he left the office.

No sooner had Yang Fan left than Liu Yifei popped out from under the table, rolled her eyes at Sun Yi, and said with a flushed face, "I was so suffocated!"

Sun Yi shrugged, as if to say, "It has nothing to do with me. I didn't ask you to crawl under the table."

Although I've thought about it~
Just then, the office door opened again.

"By the way, Xiao Yi, that..."

It was Yang Fan again. He had something to do earlier and hadn't explained it clearly, so he went and came back, this time without even knocking on the door.

Seeing Liu Yifei standing next to Sun Yi, he was completely stunned.

I went in and out in less than 20 seconds, how come there was an extra person?
Yang Fan suddenly noticed Sun Yi's large desk, then immediately slapped his forehead and left without changing his expression, muttering to himself as he went.

"What was I supposed to do? How could I forget? Sigh~ As people get older, their memory gets confused, and they can't remember anything!"

It wasn't until the office door closed that Sun Yi realized what had happened.

"Brother Fan, no, no!"

Then, Sun Yi looked at Liu Yifei and tentatively said, "He probably didn't see it."

"Oh dear~ It's all your fault! It's all your fault!"

Liu Yifei's face was so red it was almost steaming, and she felt a surge of anger just looking at Sun Yi.

I haven't seen anything yet.

I saw it all.

They must have thought that way too.

He unleashed a flurry of punches at Sun Yi.

"No, Sisi, it's not my fault, it has nothing to do with me~"

"You still dare to say that?! It's all your fault!!!"