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

Chapter 1345: Completely Forgot the Meaning of Slow and Steady Work
Youku has announced collaborations with several variety shows, including "The Voice of China," "Infinite Beyond Class," and "The New Journey." See you in 2022!

"The casting process for 'The Octagonal Cage' has officially begun, with many actresses born in the late 95s and early 00s gathering at Feiyue Film and Television to participate in auditions."

"The suspense/crime film 'Sheep Without a Shepherd 2,' produced by Feiyue Films, officially launched its premiere press conference in Beijing this morning..."

At 10 a.m., after leaving home, Chen Fei and Liu Yifei went to the premiere press conference of "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2".

As for the audition for "The Octagonal Cage," with Baoqiang and Zhong Lifang keeping an eye on it, he didn't need to personally intervene.

In the car, looking at the posters for "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2" on both sides of the road, Liu Yifei muttered curiously:

"When I see Xiao Yang, I think of his song 'Little Apple.' He seems to be the most successful singer-turned-actor, right?"

Chen Fei chuckled and shook his head: "You've been misled by his hit song. He originally studied advertising directing, and his graduation project won a major award at the Beijing Film Academy."

Later, by chance, he was discovered by a music producer and became a household name across the country with songs such as "Old Boy" and "Little Apple"...

"Oh, I see!" Liu Yifei exclaimed in realization, but then asked with some confusion, "He was so popular as a singer back then, how did he transition into acting? Wasn't he afraid of breaking the audience's immersion in the story?"

"This is probably the ability of a naturally gifted person. Singing, directing, acting, he has done it all and achieved quite good results in all of them."

At this moment, the car slowly came to a stop at the edge of the red carpet.

The two got out of the car and walked hand in hand into the venue amidst cheers from reporters and audience members.

To Chen Fei's surprise, as soon as he entered the venue, he bumped into Wang Jian'er, the new chairman of Shanghai Film Group, who was walking towards him.

The other person was dressed in a sharp suit, with a gold badge from the "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2" press conference pinned to his chest.

Shanghai Film Group is also one of the investors in this film, so it's only natural that he's here.

"Haha, Chairman Chen, it's been a long time since we last met!" Wang Jian'er took the initiative to extend his hand to greet him.

Chen Fei smiled in response: "It has indeed been a while since we last met."

Liu Yifei, who was standing to the side, gently squeezed Chen Fei's hand, indicating that she would go first: "Chairman Wang, I'll go over there first, you two can talk."

After speaking, she turned gracefully in her high heels and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

After exchanging pleasantries and chatting for a few minutes, Wang Jian'er suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Chairman Chen, I wonder if you still remember the film 'Mozart in Outer Space' that Shanghai Film Group filed for record in 2020?"
You probably remember that sci-fi comedy project about a father-son relationship and a clash with an alien civilization, right?

Chen Fei frowned slightly, and the brief introduction on the filing notice flashed through his mind.

A mysterious alien agent transforms into an adorable doll to accompany a teenager in his fight against a "wolf dad."

This type of family-friendly genre has great potential, but the cost of special effects and the depth of the plot for science fiction elements are significant challenges.

“I do have a vague recollection of this.” He nodded with a smile. “Is this a project that Chairman Ren was in charge of back then? They kept saying they would start construction, but it was delayed again and again because of the pandemic?”

“That’s right.” Wang Jian’er laughed. “I’m about to launch this project. I wonder if Chairman Chen would be interested in participating?”

He was mainly attracted by Feiyue Films' expertise in special effects production, and believed that given the relationship between the two companies, the price would definitely be lower than the market price.

However, Chen Fei did not agree immediately.

Because he had read the script that Ren Zhonglun had given him, and felt that there were quite a few problems with it.

After a moment's thought, he replied, "These kinds of projects involve considerable technical and market risks. I need to review the complete project proposal first, including the script, budget plan, and marketing strategy."

Wang Jian'er nodded knowingly, "President Chen is indeed cautious! Here's what we'll do: after the premiere of 'Sheep Without a Shepherd 2', I'll have the project team prepare all the materials and send them to you in a few days."

"it is good."

Chen Fei nodded in agreement, feeling a strange sense of anticipation in his heart.

He planned to take this opportunity to observe how this person would arrange the project.

Character is revealed in the details; sometimes, you only need to interact with someone once to know what kind of person they are.

Zhao Wentao, the new chairman of Xi'an Film Studio, has passed his test, so he is ready to continue leading Xi'an Film Studio to new heights.

However, there is still room for negotiation on the Shanghai Film Group's side.

……

"Sheep Without a Shepherd 2" tells the story of Lin Rilang, a desperate father who, in order to save his son suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy, ultimately chooses to take a desperate gamble and hijack a hospital.

Chen Fei made a major overhaul of the script, and the actors were completely different from the original.

Xiao Yang, Zhou Xun, Zhang Songwen, Liu Yijun... they all use veteran actors.

The film opens with a highly oppressive shot of a hospital corridor as the screen lights up.

Xiao Yang's portrayal of Lin Rilang, with his furrowed brows and bloodshot eyes, perfectly captures the essence of a father driven to despair by fate.

Holding a homemade gun, his voice hoarse yet filled with heartbreaking words, he questioned the crowd: "My child just wanted to live, is that wrong?"

At that moment, the air in the entire theater seemed to freeze!
Zhang Songwen's portrayal of the police chief showcases a complex and multifaceted character.

During his pursuit of Lin Rilang, he displayed both the cold decisiveness of a law enforcement officer and an almost imperceptible emotion when witnessing the deep affection between father and son.

In the interrogation room, his scenes with Lin Rilang were full of tension. The clash of their eyes vividly portrayed the struggles of humanity and the dilemmas of the law.

Liu Yijun plays the hospital director, who, beneath his suit and tie, is full of hypocrisy and scheming.

From his initial high-sounding refusal to operate on his child to his panic after being taken hostage, subtle changes in his expressions accurately conveyed the dark side of the character.

The actress Zhou Xun, who plays the mother, also delivers a superb performance.

When she staggered down the hospital corridor, her disheveled hair and tear-streaked face instantly gripped the audience's hearts.

In particular, the scene between her and Xiao Yang at the hostage standoff is the highlight of the entire film's emotional outburst!

She reached out her trembling hand, wanting to touch her husband, but was stopped by the situation. Her voice was broken as she screamed, "Let's think of a way together, don't be impulsive." The fear and despair surging in her eyes, combined with the restraint and collapse in her body language, portrayed a mother struggling on the edge of life and death in a breathtaking way.

As the plot unfolds, Xiao Yang delivers textbook-level acting in scenes such as her monologue on the hospital rooftop and her final farewell to her son through the glass.

When the end credits rolled, the theater was silent for a moment, then erupted in prolonged applause!
As Chen Fei clapped, he turned around, looked at the reddened eyes of the audience behind him, and nodded in satisfaction.

This meticulously crafted work, from the script to the performances, far exceeded his expectations.

Like its predecessor, "Sheep Without a Shepherd 1," this work, which follows the same lineage, is also a masterpiece among masterpieces.

"Today, the suspenseful crime film 'Sheep Without a Shepherd 2,' produced by Feiyue Films, held a grand premiere in the capital."

Talented actors such as Xiao Yang, Zhou Xun, Zhang Songwen, and Liu Yijun deliver a powerful performance, bringing to life a gripping story of a father committing a crime for love.

"The audience members were moved to tears several times by the plot twists, and one film critic bluntly said: This is not only a suspense film, but also an ultimate test of humanity!"

Xiao Yang, who became famous across the internet with "Little Apple", once again completed a stunning transformation from singer to actress in "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2".

His portrayal of the father, Lin Rilang, perfectly captured the complexities of despair and tenderness, earning him thunderous applause at the premiere! He proved with his acting that actors from other fields can also deliver box office success and critical acclaim!

With its premiere generating a surge in positive reviews, "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2" has officially entered its final promotional phase, with its online popularity continuing to soar.

On Weibo, hashtags such as #SheepWithoutAshes2HasAreSoEffective# and #XiaoYangZhouXun'sScreenActsAchieveGodlikeStatues# repeatedly topped the charts, with related discussions exceeding 200 million in a single day.

On Douyin, movie clips have garnered over 10 billion views, with highlights such as "rooftop monologue" and "hospital confrontation" being remixed into viral mashups.

Meanwhile, the ratings on major ticketing platforms continued to rise, and tickets for the preview screenings were extremely difficult to obtain.

An industry analyst predicts: "With its strong word-of-mouth and star-studded cast, 'Sheep Without a Shepherd 2' is poised to become a dark horse at the box office this year and break the record for domestic suspense films!"

The current box office record for domestic suspense films is still set by "Sheep Without a Shepherd" a few years ago, with a specific figure of 15.33 billion yuan.

Now, "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2" has entered the market with great force, clearly aiming to break records.

This is undoubtedly great news for Feiyue Films and the other co-producers of "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2".

However, this is undoubtedly a huge crisis for "Cliff Walkers," which is scheduled to be released on the 24th.

In the office of China Film Group, Jiao Hongfen looked at the appalling data of "Cliff Walkers" on the computer screen, his brows furrowed into a deep frown, his heart filled with worry.

Although this movie boasts a strong cast, the acting skills of Zhang Yi, Yu Hewei, Qin Hailu, Zhu Yawen and other talented actors are beyond doubt.

The film itself is also of good quality.

Zhang Yimou's meticulously crafted spy world in Harbin boasts stunning visuals and a gripping, suspenseful plot. However, despite this, "Cliff Walkers" suffered from significantly lower-than-expected pre-sale box office and anticipation numbers compared to the strong performance of "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2."

Jiao Hongfen really racked his brains during this period to promote the movie.

He even brought up Zhang Yimou's role as the director of the Winter Olympics opening ceremony for marketing purposes, trying to attract more viewers' attention.

The promotional material prominently features the words "Zhang Yimou's Winter Olympics Masterpiece," accompanied by visually stunning images from the film.

Related promotional articles and videos can also be seen on various media platforms.

But all of this seems to have had little effect, and the data remains very poor.

Especially seeing the neighboring Feiyue Film and Television Company celebrating the success of "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2", Jiao Hongfen felt increasingly pressured.

He paced back and forth in his office, stopping every now and then to stare at the numbers on the computer screen, as if that would somehow change the data.

Unfortunately, it was all just a fantasy.

This is his last chance. If the box office is successful, he might be able to stay in this position for a few more years.

But if it doesn't work out, there's no choice but to retire.

The office was very warm, but Jiao Hongfen was sweating profusely.

The key issue right now isn't the box office; the real problem is that "The Mermaid 2" hasn't filled the hole yet!

The time to report on the year-end summary is approaching, and if the higher-ups find out about such a big mistake, it will be a huge problem.

China Film Group Corporation has consistently ranked among the top state-owned enterprises in terms of both performance and results.

If he incurs huge losses...

Jiao Hongfen didn't dare to think about what the consequences would be!
However, what he didn't know was that Wang Jian'er, who was in Shanghai at the time, was also facing a major problem.

As he watched the trending topics on his phone screen refresh, his Adam's apple bobbed violently.

The hashtags #XuZhengandCoupleSuspectedOfPyramidScheme# and #TSTWeChatEmpireCollapses# are seeing their readership skyrocket every second, and their rankings on the trending topics list are like a rollercoaster, soaring straight to the top three!

Just a few hours earlier, he was meticulously organizing the project proposal for "Mozart in Outer Space," and he had even rehearsed countless times in his mind every word he was going to say when he met Chen Fei.

This film was a key project for him when he took over Shanghai Film Studio.

Directed by Chen Sicheng and starring Xu Zheng, the film also features a cast of well-known industry figures including Yao Chen and Fan Wei.

With such a cast and a sci-fi comedy theme, it definitely has the potential to be a huge hit!

Even the actors' letters of intent have already been signed!

But now?

Those plot highlights that were meticulously designed specifically for Xu Zheng have all been rendered useless in the current wave of trending topics.

As an actor, to get involved in something like "pyramid schemes" is just asking for trouble.
He rubbed his eyes and looked at the trending topics again.

Public opinion is driving the topic, and it has now soared to the top of the trending search list!

The comment section has long been flooded with calls to "boycott celebrities with bad records" and "give me back my hard-earned money."

As dusk deepens outside the window, neon lights begin to cast dappled shadows on the glass curtain wall.

Wang Jian'er stared at the gold-embossed words "Xu Zheng makes a special appearance" on the cover of the project proposal, her nails digging deeply into her palms.

He knew better than anyone that every butterfly flapping its wings in the entertainment industry could unleash a storm powerful enough to destroy any carefully crafted business plan.

The fact that Xu Zheng and his wife are deeply involved in the "TST pyramid scheme" could completely ruin him if not handled properly!

……

At midnight tonight, "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2" will officially hit Chinese theaters.

Pre-sale box office reached 1.58 million yuan, with a total screening share of 46%, and the number of people marking it as "want to see" on Maoyan exceeded one million...

All of this proves that the release of this film will definitely create a buzz and sensation during the Lunar New Year holiday season.

Even the related trending topics on Weibo had been bought in advance.

To Chen Fei's surprise, at this critical juncture, someone would actually try to steal the spotlight.

TST, product-related skin damage, Zhang Ting, Lin Ruiyang, Xu Zheng, Tao Hong, shareholders, pyramid scheme...

He sat on the sofa, his finger swiping across his phone screen, quickly browsing the trending search terms.

Liu Yifei came out of the kitchen carrying two cups of coffee. Seeing the serious expression on Chen Fei's face, she couldn't help but curiously approach him.

The next second, she also saw the topic on the trending search list, and her brows furrowed slightly.

"Sheep Without a Shepherd 2 is about to be released, why is this kind of news breaking out? I hope it doesn't affect the movie."

Chen Fei shook his head and said firmly, "No, these are two different things. Watching movies is a form of entertainment for the audience, and those who want to watch movies will still watch them."

The hype surrounding WeChat-based e-commerce usually only lasts a few days. Once the hype dies down, the public forgets about it. As long as you promote and distribute your products normally, there shouldn't be any problems.

After he finished speaking, his gaze fell back onto the phone screen.

The Market Supervision Bureau has issued a notice stating that Darwei Company, founded and operated by Zhang Ting and Lin Ruiyang, was investigated and punished for engaging in "pyramid scheme" activities online. As a result, 96 properties under the company's name, valued at 17 billion yuan, were seized, and the brand was fined 2100 million yuan.

Meanwhile, Lin Chi-ling, Tao Hong and Xu Zheng (a married couple), Huang Lei, Wang Dongcheng, and other celebrities who were once shareholders or spokespeople for TST, or who had endorsed or retweeted TST's posts, were all affected.

"Hey, this pyramid scheme is actually more profitable than making movies?" Chen Fei leaned back on the sofa, his face full of surprise.

The seized properties alone are worth 17 billion yuan, so the value of the other assets must be several times higher.

Thinking of this, the image of the female micro-business owner who shouted "orders are booming" on Douyin, Kuaishou, and WeChat Moments popped into his mind.

Sure enough, women are the most ruthless when they attack other women, aiming to empty their pockets!
The night passed by in a hurry.

The following morning, news about TST was still trending on the hot search list, but it had been pushed down to second place by the announcement of the release of "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2".

The overwhelming publicity resulted in a flood of moviegoers and a large number of positive reviews on Douban.
"The scene of a group of doctors looking down at a child on the operating table but doing nothing was truly terrifying."

"We're just honest people, so why do you always win? Is it wrong for ordinary people to just want to survive?"

"The actors' performances were absolutely superb, the story was fantastic, the bad guys got their comeuppance, the good guys got their reward, the child survived, and those who deserved punishment were punished. This is a standard commercial film! Why can't many movies even achieve this basic level?"

Once the movie is officially released and word-of-mouth starts to spread, the box office will naturally be high.

With no major films being released during the current Lunar New Year season, "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2" is naturally enjoying a meteoric rise!
The box office was 2.21 million yuan on the first day (including pre-sales), 1.7 million yuan on the second day, and 1.88 million yuan on the third day...

Over five consecutive days, the film's total box office revenue successfully surpassed 8 million yuan.

It goes without saying that the film's box office in the first seven days will definitely exceed 10 billion yuan, which means that the film has the potential to exceed 20 billion yuan in total box office.

It was under such immense pressure that "Cliff Walkers" held a grand premiere event.

Chen Fei was in Yanjing, so he naturally attended the premiere.

However, the finished film left him with a rather complicated feeling.

The script is rough, riddled with loopholes and falsehoods, uses actors to cover up the plot, and even contains several instances of excessive and inappropriate humor.

The atmosphere was temporarily adjusted, but it pushed the emotions of the entire film into a state of entanglement and division.

Due to the heavy clothing of the story background, the action scenes are somewhat oppressive in terms of both entertainment value and action design. The performance of the Korean action choreographer can only be described as mediocre, too fast and too light, and not heavy enough. Only the opening scene and Sha Yi's Western-style duel feel the most right.

The various flaws in the details were exposed by the close-ups of the camera, and the lack of further reflection led to problems that could have been avoided being overlooked due to the fast pace of suspense and action.

In short: they fought and plotted all the way, but still didn't know where their final destination was.

The story is rushed, the plot is rushed, the director is rushed, the actors are rushed...

It seems that ever since Jiao Hongfen took over the China Film Group, he has completely forgotten what it means to take his time and produce high-quality work!

(End of this chapter)