It's reasonable for me, a stuntman, to live a crazy life, right?

Chapter 1336: The identity is finally revealed!

After the meal, everyone went their separate ways.

Ren Zhonglun didn’t say much. Anyway, he had completed the “introduction” task, and now it was up to Wang Jianer himself.

He is retired now, so he has no right to comment on Shanghai Film Group's future operational plans, nor does he want to interfere too much.

After all, it is a state-owned enterprise, not a private enterprise. There is an essential difference between the two.

After seeing off a few people, Fade Chen did not hang around outside, but went straight back home.

My son has a weekend off today, and he is eager to go back and play with me.

As for the subsequent cooperation and arrangements, he already had a plan in mind and could take his time, so there was no need to rush.

In the blink of an eye, it was late at night.

At 12 o'clock in the morning, "My Fathers and Me" officially landed in major theaters, kicking off the National Day movie season in advance.

The next morning, as soon as Chen Fei woke up, he saw a large number of hot search reports about this movie on major entertainment news lists.

"Today, the third part of the 'National Day Trilogy', "My Fathers and I", produced by China Film Group and directed by Huang Xiaoming, Zhang Ziyi, Xu Zheng and Shen Teng, has officially landed in major theaters.

On the first day of its release, the film's total screening volume reached 42%, far exceeding "White Snake 2" and "The Angry Case" during the same period. "

"After 'My Motherland and I', the princess once again sang the 'National Day Trilogy' series. The scenes that our parents fought for were realized in the era of our children. This is the meaning of the song title 'As Wish'."

"At the premiere yesterday, many viewers said after watching the film, 'The country is safe and sound, China is the China you hoped for', 'I choked up with tears, this prosperous world is what you wished for'... A large number of positive reviews helped the film shine brightly among mainstream films."

"So far, after two rounds of previews, the film has received a score of 9.5 on Maoyan and 9.5 on Tao Piao Piao. The excellent word-of-mouth performance demonstrates the film's excellent quality and strength, and has been rated by the audience as a 'must-see movie for parents during the Mid-Autumn Festival'!"

It is obvious that China Film has put a lot of effort into publicity and promotion, so much so that now the entire Internet is full of discussions about "My Fathers and Me".

Looking around, one topic after another is high on the hot search list. When you click on it, you will see audience recommendations, in-depth analysis from film critics, and behind-the-scenes footage compiled by fans.

However, what made Chen Fei laugh was that many of these press releases actually criticized "White Snake 2" and "The Angry Case", two movies that were about to be withdrawn from theaters.

The release date of "White Snake 2" has been extended for another month and it will probably be released before the National Day holiday.

However, "Fury" will be taken off the shelves in less than a week because its box office potential is not very strong.

But even so, it is still dragged down by the newly released movie "My Fathers and Me", which is quite funny.

He was browsing the news when his cell phone suddenly vibrated. It was a call from Zhao Wentao, the new chairman of Xiying.

After pressing the connect button, he asked, "Director Zhao? What's going on?"

Zhao Wentao's slightly surprised voice came from the phone: "Director Chen, did you see the trending searches? China Film Group's promotion this time is really strong, the popularity has exploded!"

Chen Fei laughed and said, "I just finished watching it. It doesn't matter whether it becomes popular or not. The key is to keep the box office stable."

"That's true."

Zhao Wentao muttered, then changed the subject, "Xiying is planning to make a 'Memoirs of the Veterans of the Battle of Changjin Lake', and visit the veterans' homes to comfort and interview them, to help the upcoming release of 'Changjin Lake'. Do you think this plan will work?"

"Sure!" Chen Fei supported without hesitation: "This is a good thing, you can contact Su Guohai later and do it in the official name of "Changjin Lake".

By the way, we can also communicate with several other producers. After the movie is released, we can take out a portion of the box office share to set up a consolation fund to help veterans who are disabled or have difficult family situations..."

The two were chatting here, while on the other side, in the temporary operations room of the China Film Promotion and Distribution Team, Jiao Hongfen was staring at the real-time box office data with a smile on his face.

The person in charge next to him assured confidently: "The pre-sale has broken the record, and the word of mouth is spreading quickly. The Mid-Autumn Festival is stable, and the popularity will definitely continue to the National Day."

Jiao Hongfen nodded heavily, and reminded: "Also, we need to follow up on the publicity of "Peak Explosion" in a timely manner. We can't just focus on this. Both sides need to go hand in hand."

"Yes! Director Jiao!"

The team members high-fived each other and cheered for the results of their day and night work.

But what no one noticed was that on Douban, Tieba and other major forums, questions about the "over-marketing of "My Fathers and Me"" had already shown signs of fermenting.

Four artists who were originally actors suddenly switched careers to become directors. This gimmick was indeed eye-catching enough and attracted enough popularity for the film.

However, the prerequisite for changing careers is that they must have real skills to back them up and the quality of the works they produce must be high enough.

Judging from the current popularity online, this movie seems to be quite popular.

But all of this is essentially the result of marketing.

False prosperity will eventually dissipate, and only real high quality is the foundation for the soaring box office.

However, from the most basic foundation, "My Fathers and I" is far less solid than "My Country, My Parents" and "My Hometown and I"!
……

"On its first day of release, the main theme movie "My Fathers and I," produced by China Film Group and directed and starred by Huang Xiaoming, Zhang Ziyi, Xu Zheng, and Shen Teng, grossed 8996 million yuan on its first day of release."

Friday is a working day, and it is considered very good to achieve such results.

Therefore, China Film Group spread the press release as soon as possible.

After noticing this, Fade Chen just laughed and ignored it.

Even when he was participating in some promotional activities and the host asked questions about "My Fathers and Me", he just mentioned it vaguely and did not make any comments.

He has already found time to watch the finished film, and can only say that it's... barely okay!

It's a very standard movie, and you can see a lot of Huang Jianxin's influence in it.

As for other highlights or shining points, unfortunately, he didn't see them.

The most important thing is that the most important element of "emotional resonance" in mainstream movies has been completely eliminated in the patchwork-like preparation.

This is also the reason why "complex-style" movies suddenly disappeared without a trace.

One major plot line is actually interpreted by several directors, and the resulting sense of "disconnection" is very difficult to conceal.

"My Country, My Parents" is okay. Brother Chen Kai and several other directors are of high enough level, and the film's pace is fast enough, which has done their best to make up for this shortcoming.

But looking at "My Fathers and Me", the sense of separation is so great that it's scary!
Even Huang Jianxin was powerless to remedy this defect.

As a producer, he can only ensure that the general direction remains unchanged, but he has no control over the details.

……

As Friday and Saturday pass by, the Mid-Autumn Festival has officially arrived!

There are a total of 7 movies competing with "My Fathers and Me", and including the 17 new films released on the 5th, there are a total of 12.

Then add on those movies that were released early and have not yet been taken off the screen, the total number of movies screened during this period is as high as 40!
If you want to stand out in such competition, it is not very difficult if your marketing is not in place.

Three days passed in a flash, and as expected, "My Fathers and Me" successfully took the top spot in the Mid-Autumn Festival!

"After five days of release, the main theme movie "My Fathers and Me", produced by China Film Group and directed by Huang Xiaoming, Zhang Ziyi, Xu Zheng and Shen Teng, has grossed a total of RMB 5 million, ranking first in the Mid-Autumn Festival box office rankings!"

"The action blockbuster "Raging Fire", which is controlled by Golden Harvest Films, co-produced by Ying Huang and Feiyue Films, directed by Chen Long, and starred by Zhao Wenzhuo, Nicholas Tse, and Jing Tian, ​​has officially been taken off the screen today, with a total box office of 18.56 billion."

"Directed by Li Jun and starring Zhu Yilong, Huang Zhizhong, Chen Shu and Jiao Junyan, the annual disaster blockbuster "Peak Explosion" will be released on September 9, with previews starting on September 30. Box office pre-sales have now officially started."

"Mao Buyi sang the promotional song "Youth" for "Revolutionary", and the underwater dance MV paid tribute to the revolutionary martyrs."

"The list of main competition units of the 3rd Longteng Shengshi International Film Festival has been officially announced. The film "Changjin Lake" will be the competition unit and the opening film, kicking off the annual film festival. Please look forward to it..."

After the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, there are less than 10 days left until the National Day holiday.

For a time, including the currently popular "My Fathers and Me", and movies such as "Changjin Lake", "Peak Explosion", and "Revolutionary" that will soon be released in theaters, all started their final publicity sprint.

The most popular one is naturally "Changjin Lake".

Chen Fei personally led the team and took a group of main creators to travel all over the country. This situation is very rare.

Going back to the time when the epidemic had just eased, when he was doing publicity and promotion for "Boundary Breaker" before its release, he and Chen Long went to theaters across the country.

When "Go Where the Wind Is" was launched, several live broadcasts were held.

After that, it was extremely difficult for fans to see him!
"Director Chen, are you not going to do Go Fighting anymore?"

At the roadshow, many old fans asked questions expectantly.

Chen Fei smiled and replied, "There will be opportunities later, but I have to get through this period first."

He couldn't give a specific time, after all, the system hadn't assigned any tasks for a long time.

Although he has been maintaining his physical fitness and level, it feels a bit silly to challenge such a dangerous behavior without any tasks or rewards. So, let's wait a little longer.

At the same time, while he was doing the roadshow, Zhao Wentao and his team also launched the program "Memoirs of Veterans of the Battle of Changjin Lake".

With Xiying's network of connections, it was not difficult to get a list of living veterans.

In fact, there are quite a few options to choose from in Xi'an.

But in order to show how much he values ​​veterans, he specially contacted some veterans from all over the country who were willing to be interviewed.

The reason why most people accepted the invitation was not for the subsidies and consolation gifts, but mainly because they were deeply touched by the movie "Changjin Lake" and wanted to talk about the story that happened that year.

Especially those old veterans who feel they will not live long are eager to talk about their innermost thoughts.

Today, the Xiying team interviewed a veteran of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea who is currently living in the capital.

"Chen Weiguo?"

Looking at the names on the list, Zhao Wentao couldn't help but smile knowingly.

Most of the older generation have little education, so they tend to be more casual when naming. They often just pick a name that sounds smooth or has a powerful sound.

What about Goudan, Erniu, Erniu, Jianguo, Guoqing, Yongping, Shufang...

Zhao Wentao has seen too many names of this type.

Just as he was learning the relevant information about the veteran who needed condolences today, the car suddenly stopped.

The driver turned around and said, "Mr. Zhao, we've arrived."

"Oh, okay, let's go then."

Zhao Wentao opened the door and got out of the car. Just as he was about to take the gift he had prepared in advance, he looked up and was stunned.

The place in front of me turned out to be a courtyard house very close to the Forbidden City!

The green tiles and gray walls were quiet in the morning light. The two half-person-high stone pillars at the door were polished to a shine. Although the wooden plaque with the words "Loyalty and Honesty Passed Down from Generation to Generation" on the lintel was a little mottled in paint, it exuded a very refined feel.

"Director Zhao? Are we on the right track?"

The accompanying assistant took a few steps forward curiously and looked into the half-open door.

There were several pots of blooming roses placed under the screen wall, the red and pink ones against the green bricks, looking fresh and lively.

"Tsk tsk, this piece of land is not simple! It's right next to the Forbidden City? According to the current market price, it will probably cost tens of figures to buy it."

Zhao Wentao muttered to himself, flipped through the address in his hand, and after confirming that there was no problem, he went forward and knocked on the door: "Hello? Is anyone there? Is this Mr. Chen who participated in the Battle of Changjin Lake? We are from Xiying and are here to do an interview."

Just as he finished speaking, footsteps were heard from inside.

Outside the door, Zhao Wentao and others looked together and saw an old man coming out from behind the door.

Although his hair was completely white and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes from smiling were deeper than the wood grain on the door frame, he looked very energetic and didn't even use a crutch.

“Is this the state a person who is almost 90 years old should be in?”

Zhao Wentao almost thought that the age on the information was wrong.

"Come in, come in. I was worried that you wouldn't be able to find a place, so I wanted to pick a conspicuous place, but I didn't expect the community to arrange for you to come to my home."

"Grandpa, it's easy to find. Just follow the navigation and you'll be there."

The little girl said this while secretly muttering to herself, "Isn't it hard to find next to the Forbidden City? This is too conspicuous!"
Everyone filed in.

There was an eight-person table in the yard. The old man called out to everyone to sit down quickly, and pointed to the clean glass jar on the table: "It contains the jasmine tea I brewed. You young people like to drink sweet things, and there is honey on the side."

"Don't bother you, we just follow the host's wishes, haha."

Zhao Wentao smiled and looked around.

Although this courtyard is next to the Forbidden City, it is not luxurious at all. If you ignore its unique geographical location, it is just an ordinary courtyard.

"Were we just going to sit here and talk? Or should we go inside?"

The photographer set up the camera and the lens swept across the morning glories climbing on the courtyard wall and then fell on the old man's calloused hands.

"That's it." The old man nodded and pointed to the eaves set off by the red wall in the distance: "This place is close to the Forbidden City. When I moved here with my grandson, it was the first time I saw the roof of the Forbidden City. I thought about those brothers who didn't come back. How great it would be if they could also see this peaceful and prosperous era..."

A breeze blew in from outside the door, carrying with it the faint voices of tourists from the Forbidden City in the distance.

Zhao Wentao's heart moved, and he felt that the current atmosphere was just right.

Compared to those glamorous studios, this courtyard hidden under the red walls is simply perfect for conversation and chatting.

There is no need to pay attention to lighting or scenery, and there is no need to sit upright. Just bask in the sun, drink scented tea, and slowly speak out the snow buried in your heart, the guns you have carried, and the tears you have shed...

He curiously asked, "Grandpa, do you live here alone? Where are your family members?"

"Busy. My grandson and granddaughter-in-law are busy all day long, and the young people are busy pursuing their careers."

"And your son?"

"No, old man, I have never married in my life..."

A flash of reminiscence passed through the old man's eyes.

"Back then, I took a few young men from the same village and followed the organization to the front line, fighting the Americans until day and night. After the war, I was the only one who came back alive from the battlefield.

There was a young man who entrusted me to take care of his family before he died. Later, when I returned home and found his home, I learned that his wife fell seriously ill after giving birth to a son and did not survive, leaving the child behind.

I couldn't bear it, and the child was only two or three years old at that time, so I brought him to my side and raised him as my own son. Time passed quickly, and the child got married and had children, and I had a grandson.

But the good times didn’t last for a few years. The boy and his wife were delivering goods when they encountered a mudslide on the way and never came back…”

Everyone listened quietly, their throats tightening a little.

Several young girls were so moved that they wiped away their tears.

"Oh, this is not easy for you."

Zhao Wentao followed up and was about to ask about what happened on the battlefield that year, but the old man retorted:
"It's not that difficult. This kid is quite capable. He was able to bring me here from a small mountain valley and bought me a big house. It's worth it that I raised him with so much effort, haha!"

A little girl asked curiously, "Grandpa, what does your grandson do? He is really capable to be able to buy such a big house!"

The old man was stunned when he heard this, scratched his head and said: "I don't know what he does specifically, I just know that he is a movie director and has made many movies. My granddaughter-in-law is also a big star and often appears on TV."

"what?"

The group of people were a little confused after listening to it.

Making a movie?

superstar?
"Hey? Are we in the same business as each other?" Zhao Wentao asked with a smile, "What are the names of your grandson and granddaughter-in-law? Maybe we have worked together before."

"Really?" The old man raised his eyebrows in confusion and introduced: "My grandson is Chen Fei, and his granddaughter-in-law is Liu Yifei."

Zhao Wentao: “???”

The rest of the people: “!!!”

The courtyard was in an uproar in an instant, and Zhao Wentao almost fell off his chair!

This is really a great director! A big star!

No wonder they were able to buy such a large courtyard house that is right next to the Forbidden City!
Zhao Wentao didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Grandpa, I really know your grandson. It was your grandson who filmed "Changjin Lake" and I am also your grandson's partner."

"Ah? Really?"

The old man scratched his head, also a little confused.

What a coincidence?

At this time, Zhao Wentao had already taken out his mobile phone and called Chen Fei, who was doing a roadshow promotion activity in Nanjing.

While waiting for the call to be connected, he couldn't help but mutter to himself: "Director Chen, why didn't you tell me earlier that you have such a special background? Isn't this a ready-made best publicity case?"

(End of this chapter)