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

Chapter 1440 iQiyi Changes Leadership, Gong Yu Resigns with No Choice...

"After one week of release, the comedy film 'If You Are the One 3,' directed by Feng Xiaogang and starring Ge You, Shu Qi, and Fan Wei, has grossed 9363 million yuan at the box office."

"After a two-week run, the crime film 'All or Nothing,' directed by Shen Ao and starring Zhu Yilong, Yang Mi, and Wang Jinsong, has successfully surpassed 18 billion yuan at the box office!"

"The romance/fantasy film 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,' co-produced by iQiyi, grossed over 5 million yuan in its opening week, but unfortunately... its reputation plummeted! Its Douban rating dropped below 5.0..."

"The box office for 'The Annual Meeting Can't Stop!' continues to rise, and its dark horse status during the New Year's Day holiday is unstoppable!"

……

The three-day New Year's Day holiday flew by.

However, the box office landscape of the film industry has been completely set in just a few days, and the gap between some companies' success and others' failure has become increasingly obvious.

The worst case was "If You Are the One 3".

Since iQiyi and the five distributors withdrew their investment and resources, the daily box office revenue of this film plummeted like a kite with a broken string.

During the first three days of the holiday, thanks to the lingering impact of Feng Xiaogang's previous criticism of the cinemas and the nostalgia of some viewers, the box office was barely maintained at an average of 2000 million yuan per day, accumulating more than 6000 million yuan over the three days.

However, in the last four days, "If You Are the One 3" completely lost its momentum due to the lack of promotional support and the backlash from negative reviews.

Daily box office revenue plummeted from 1500 million to 500 million, and the company only earned a little over 3000 million in four days.

After a week in theaters, the total box office was only 9363 million yuan, not even reaching the 1 million yuan mark!
It's worth noting that the film's investment cost alone was as high as 1.5 million yuan, and with marketing and distribution expenses added, a loss was inevitable.

Such an achievement is nothing short of a "disgrace" in Feng Xiaogang's career as a director of Lunar New Year comedy films!

In stark contrast to the dismal performance of "If You Are the One 3", "Go All In" continued its triumphant run.

After a two-week run, this crime film not only did not experience a box office slump, but also gained momentum during the New Year's Day holiday, with daily box office revenue consistently above 8000 million yuan, and total box office revenue successfully exceeding 18 billion yuan.

In the cinema, there are still many viewers who come specifically to see the film a second or third time.

On social media platforms, topics related to "anti-fraud" remain popular, and some local police have even used video clips as anti-fraud propaganda materials.

At this rate, it's a foregone conclusion that "All for the Winner" will reach 20 billion yuan at the box office, making it the undisputed "box office dark horse" and "benchmark of word-of-mouth" in the 2023-2024 Lunar New Year film season!
However, the most unexpected twist in this New Year's Day lineup has to be "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," co-produced by iQiyi.

As the film adaptation of a popular TV series, this romantic fantasy film has generated considerable buzz since its official announcement.

The TV series version garnered a high score of 8.1 on Douban and accumulated a large number of enthusiastic viewers thanks to its "time loop" setting and delicate emotional portrayal.

Before the movie's release, the production company went to great lengths to capitalize on the popularity of the TV series, releasing promotional materials such as the original cast returning for follow-up events and additional episodes not aired in the TV series, successfully arousing the audience's anticipation.

Thanks to this sentimental filter, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" successfully broke 5 million yuan at the box office in its first week of release, and its box office on the first day was as high as 1.2 million yuan, which once surpassed "The Annual Meeting Can't Stop!" and became a "dark horse candidate" for the New Year's Day box office.

But no one expected that behind the booming box office was a collective deception of the audience.

Audiences who went to the cinema found that the movie version not only failed to continue the high-quality storyline of the TV series, but also changed the "time loop" to a "parallel world".

The plot is illogical and drags on. The originally delicate emotional storyline is replaced by a large number of meaningless sentimental scenes, and the interaction between the male and female leads is so awkward that you could dig out a three-bedroom apartment from it!
"This isn't a movie version! It's clearly a cheap cash grab made by cutting out the highlights of the TV series and adding filler!"

"I came here because of the TV series, but I was disappointed. The plot was fragmented, the acting was awkward, and 120 minutes of it was all nonsense..."

"Is iQiyi treating its audience like韭菜 (a metaphor for exploiting consumers)? First there was 'If You Are the One 3,' and now this one. With this level of production quality, how dare they release it?"

"It's no wonder the Douban rating dropped below 5.0! I suggest those who haven't watched it don't go, so as not to waste money and time and ruin their goodwill towards the TV series!"

The online backlash came like a tidal wave, and the box office of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" plummeted.

On the first day, box office revenue plummeted from 1.2 million yuan to 2000 million yuan, and its screening share was overtaken by "The Annual Meeting Can't Stop!"

iQiyi, which originally hoped to turn its fortunes around with this movie, not only failed to reverse its previous losses, but also further damaged its reputation by exploiting the audience's nostalgia.

Some netizens joked: "Is iQiyi obsessed with 'bad movies'? From 'Burst Point' to 'If You Are the One 3' and 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star', every single one of them is a disaster. There's no one else like them."

At this moment, the most frustrated person in the entire film and television industry is none other than Gong Yu, CEO of iQiyi.

From the Lunar New Year holiday season to the New Year's Day holiday season, in just over a month, iQiyi has either been the main producer or co-producer of a total of 5 movies!
"Burning Point", "Raging Tide", "If You Are the One 3", "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", plus the earlier released "Ocean's 8".

Each of these films was highly anticipated before its release, but the final results were astonishing!
All five films flopped, none of them were able to support the box office or the audience's reputation. Most of them failed to even recoup their costs, and were even criticized by the audience as "money-grabbing trash" as soon as they were released.

Gong Yu sat in his office, looking at the box office reports spread out on his desk, his heart filled with bitterness.

He wasn't unaware of the risks involved in making movies; the film industry is known for the saying that "nine out of ten films lose money."

But he never expected the risk to be this great!

Five movies flopped in quick succession! This not only caused iQiyi to lose nearly 1 billion yuan, but also led to a continuous plunge in the company's stock price, wiping out nearly a third of its market value, and even affecting the platform's new member acquisition.

He had previously hoped to turn things around with the Lunar New Year film season and reverse the decline caused by previous film investment failures.

But now it seems that this was nothing more than wishful thinking on his part.

Just as he was lost in thought, the office door was suddenly pushed open, and the secretary rushed in, looking flustered, and reported:

"Mr. Gong, we have received news from the shareholders that they need to urgently convene a shareholders' meeting, scheduled for 2 p.m.

"Shareholders' meeting?"

Gong Yu suddenly looked up, her face full of confusion. "I didn't schedule this meeting. Why is it suddenly starting?"

A sense of unease crept into his heart.

Since the series of box office flops, shareholders have been very dissatisfied, and people have been calling to question them from time to time, but it hasn't reached the point where an emergency shareholders' meeting needs to be convened.

Why is there a big meeting all of a sudden today?
The secretary shook his head: "I don't know the specific reason. It was initiated directly by the major shareholder of Baidu, who said there was an important matter to vote on."

Major shareholder of Baidu?

Gong Yu's heart sank instantly.

Baidu has always held an important position in iQiyi's equity structure.

Although Baidu's shareholders were dissatisfied with the previous film investment failures, they did not interfere too much.

But this sudden emergency shareholders' meeting is clearly a sign that they have reached their limit.

Two o'clock in the afternoon arrived quickly.

With a mix of trepidation and excitement, Gong Yu entered the shareholders' meeting room.

As soon as he opened the door, he sensed that something was wrong.

The previously relaxed atmosphere had completely vanished, and the shareholders all wore serious expressions.

Several major shareholders from Baidu sat in the main seats, their sharp eyes fixed on him, offering no pleasantries whatsoever. Once he was seated, the meeting was immediately declared open.

The representative of Baidu's major shareholders spoke first, his tone icy: "President Gong, the main reason we are holding this meeting today is to discuss the current operating status of iQiyi."

From the Lunar New Year holiday season to the New Year's Day holiday season, all five films invested in by the company flopped, resulting in significant losses, a sharp drop in stock price, and a loss of members, which has seriously damaged the company's interests.

We collectively believe that you are no longer suitable to serve as CEO, therefore we propose that you be removed from your CEO position and replaced by Vice President Geng Xiaohua.

These words were like a thunderclap, leaving Gong Yu's mind blank!
He wanted to defend himself, to say that there were objective reasons for the film investment failure, and that he was already developing a new strategic plan, but when the words came to his lips, he found that he couldn't say anything at all.

The facts are undeniable: the five films flopped, and the losses were real; he had no reason to refute them.

The subsequent voting process was even faster than expected!

The major shareholders of Baidu were the first to vote in favor, and the other smaller shareholders followed suit.

The proposal to dismiss Gong Yu and appoint Geng Xiaohua was passed by an overwhelming majority, with almost no discussion.

The entire meeting lasted less than half an hour, with no unnecessary chatter and no room for maneuver.

Gong Yu was thus forced off the stage, leaving the position of CEO of iQiyi in disgrace.

As he walked out of the conference room, he felt as if the whole world was spinning.

He never imagined that the film and television empire he had built would become his Waterloo.

After taking over as CEO, Geng Xiaohua did not hesitate at all. The first thing he did after taking office was to convene a management meeting and announce a major decision:
"Starting today, iQiyi’s film investment plans will be completely suspended. All film projects, whether as the main producer or co-producer, will be put on hold."

For the foreseeable future, the company will focus on optimizing platform content and controlling costs, taking a break and consolidating until the market improves and suitable investment opportunities are found before considering restarting the film business.

Although some management worried that this decision would affect iQiyi's strategy in the film and television industry, no one dared to object.

After all, the lesson of five consecutive box office flops is still fresh in their minds. Continuing to blindly invest in movies will only plunge the company into a deeper quagmire.

Geng Xiaohua is well aware that iQiyi cannot afford any more setbacks right now; only by stabilizing its position can it have any future development.

Gong Yu, who had left iQiyi, stood in front of the familiar office building, looking at the iQiyi logo on the building, feeling a mix of emotions.

He knew that from this day forward, his era at iQiyi was completely over.

His dream of making movies was shattered by the failure of these five films!
As for the competition with Feiyue Films... he suddenly realized that from beginning to end, he had only ever considered Chen Fei as a hypothetical enemy.

On the other hand, Chen Fei didn't even give him a second glance!
Even judging by his eye for investing in film projects, he probably can't even compare to a single eyelash of Chen Fei.

……

The news of iQiyi's change of leadership spread like wildfire throughout the film and television industry and the internet industry.

Various media outlets rushed to report on the incident, and industry insiders also discussed the impact of this change on iQiyi's future development.

Some people think that Geng Xiaohua's decision to suspend film investment plans is a wise move to cut losses, while others worry that it will cause iQiyi to completely lose its competitiveness in the film market.

Chen Fei naturally received the news as well.

When his assistant handed him the news, he only glanced at the headlines and core content before looking away and not paying much attention to it.

In his view, this was an expected outcome.

As a major shareholder of iQiyi, Baidu certainly cannot allow the company to continue losing money under Gong Yu's leadership.

Gong Yu was determined to invest in films, but made a series of misjudgments, resulting in five films that all flopped, causing losses of nearly 1 billion yuan, a sharp drop in stock price, and a significant loss of members...

If he isn't removed from office soon, the company might really be driven to bankruptcy by his obsessive "movie dream"!
Changing the coach is an inevitable choice.

Whether the newly appointed Geng Xiaohua can lead iQiyi out of its predicament depends on its subsequent strategic plans.

Of course, none of this matters to him; his current focus is entirely on filming "The Three-Body Problem."

Just then, Liu Yifei's clear voice suddenly rang in my ears: "Director, I need to ask for leave."

Chen Fei turned his head and saw his wife standing beside him with a smile. He subconsciously asked, "Oh? Why do you suddenly need to take leave? Where are you going?"

Liu Yifei's face was beaming with a bright smile, her eyes sparkling: "There's a Bulgari global brand gala the night after tomorrow. I'm Bulgari's global ambassador, so I have to attend and walk the red carpet."

As she spoke, she swayed slightly, clearly looking forward to the dinner.

Seeing her excited expression, Chen Fei nodded without hesitation: "Okay, approved. You don't have many scenes to film these next few days, so once you finish filming your scenes, you can focus on preparing for the banquet."

He knew that Liu Yifei, as an actress, often had to participate in various brand events, which was part of her job.

Therefore, as long as it doesn't affect the filming schedule of "The Three-Body Problem", he never interferes too much.

"Thank you, honey. I'll treat you tonight!"

Liu Yifei said happily, then turned and left him with light steps to prepare for the next shoot.

Chen Fei watched her retreating figure, smiled, and then returned to his work.

However, to his surprise, on the evening of January 8th, after finishing his work on set and returning to his hotel, he habitually scrolled through his phone for a while and suddenly saw a trending topic on the hot search list about Liu Yifei attending a Bulgari dinner.

The title is particularly jarring:

During the Bulgari dinner group photo, a foreign actress appeared to steal Liu Yifei's center position.

Chen Fei frowned immediately and clicked on the trending topic to check the details.

Photos and videos of the dinner party have already been circulating online.

In the picture, Liu Yifei is wearing an elegant white haute couture gown, with exquisite makeup, and stands in the center position that was originally arranged for her.

But at that moment, a blonde, blue-eyed foreign woman next to her deliberately took a step forward while taking a photo, slightly blocking her view and taking over the central position that originally belonged to her.

The video also shows that Liu Yifei paused for a moment, then calmly adjusted her posture while maintaining a proper smile.

Netizens online are outraged and are voicing their sympathy for her.

"Who is this woman? If you're going to take a picture, just take it properly. Why are you blocking people's way?"

"Are you crazy? Where did this guy come from?"

"Holy crap? What's Bulgari doing? Aren't they keeping an eye on their people?"

Chen Fei glanced at the discussions, didn't think much of it, and went straight to Liu Yifei's phone number, dialing it to her...

(End of this chapter)