Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 644 The Middle Eastern Prince
Sydney
It's the height of summer in the Southern Hemisphere right now. The midday sun is so hot that the concrete is practically scorching. You could probably cook an egg by throwing it on the ground.

Despite the scorching heat, people's enthusiasm for watching the movie remained undiminished, with queues stretching from the ticket booths all the way to Darling Harbour Pier.

"I want an IMAX ticket for Avatar!"

"No more~"

"Gone?"

"IMAX tickets are all sold out this morning, only regular tickets are available. Do you want one?"

The boy glanced at the densely packed crowd behind him and immediately nodded: "Yes!"

A few seconds later, the boy got his ticket and left. The Chinese boy behind him immediately said, "I want two tickets for *Pacific Rim 2*!"

Sorry, there's only one left!

"what?"

The boy was still hesitating when someone behind him shouted impatiently, "If he doesn't want it, I want it!"

"I want it, I want it~"

The Chinese boy, fearing that the last ticket would be snatched away by someone else, immediately took out his money.

No sooner had he left than the crowd erupted in a commotion: "Gone? How could it be gone so quickly?"

The Chinese boy was relieved that he had managed to grab the last ticket, but a scalper immediately stopped him: "500 Australian dollars per ticket, want it or not?"

"No, no, I'm keeping it to support my idol!"

Those who can afford to study abroad are all from wealthy families, let alone someone who is a fan of Zhang Chen.

"Ocean's 2" is sold out, "Avatar" IMAX is sold out, and there are only a few regular tickets left.

Before long, the regular tickets were also sold out, and a 'sold out' sign was hung in the ticket hall. The crowd left reluctantly.

……

Rio de Janeiro

The Christ the Redeemer statue on Mount Corcovado stood silently in the twilight, but the area outside the cinema was already in an uproar.

A boy in flip-flops weaved through the crowd to the beat of a samba drum, holding up a crumpled Real and yelling, "I want any showing of 'Ring 2'! Even the first row corner!"

The glass of the ticket window was being pounded on repeatedly, and staff members were shouting through a megaphone: "Tickets for the next three days are completely sold out! Advance tickets for next Wednesday were also snapped up this morning!"

No matter what the staff said, people were unwilling to leave. They preferred to stand and wait for their tickets to be refunded rather than miss this "global carnival".

……

Dubai
Behind the gilded ticket counter at the Palm Island Film Festival cinema, the manager repeatedly apologized over the phone: "Even the chief's assistant can't add any more seats—the sofas in the VIP hall are all booked until New Year's Eve."

The woman in the black robe slammed a pearl bracelet on the counter: "I'll pay three times the price if I can see the 3D version of Avatar!"

In the waiting area next door, a businessman in a suit and tie was using a satellite phone to arrange air tickets: "I have to get two tickets for 'Pacific Rim 2' no matter what. The client said that the scene of the mechs gathering at the end of the movie is more spectacular than the fireworks at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai."

Outside the cinema, LED screens played clips from the two films on a loop. Passing tourists took photos of the long queues with their phones and posted them on social media: "In Dubai, besides the sheikh's camels, the only other things you can't buy with money are tickets to these two movies."

……

Moscow October Cinema

In contrast to the height of summer in the Southern Hemisphere, Moscow is in the dead of winter at this time of year. Despite the frigid temperatures of minus twenty degrees Celsius, long lines of people have formed outside cinemas near Red Square.

The girl, wrapped in a raccoon fur coat, tucked a hand warmer into her scarf. A thermos flared at her feet, and a sign in her hand that read "Seeking tickets for the premiere of 'Pacific Rim 2'" rattled in the cold wind.

The online ticketing system crashed as soon as it opened, and despite three emergency expansions by technicians, it was still to no avail. An uncle in front of the ticket window shouted anxiously in Russian, "My son couldn't get a ticket in St. Petersburg, surely there's hope in Moscow!"

Ticket scalpers, bundled up in heavy down jackets, moved among the crowds, driving up the price of tickets originally priced at 800 rubles to 5000 rubles, yet people still gritted their teeth and bought them.

A college student who had just finished watching Avatar exclaimed in amazement, "The 3D effects were amazing, but I'd love to see the mech battles in Ocean Revolution 2. I heard that the whole theater applauded when the music started playing."

……

UGC Cinema on the Champs-Élysées in Paris
The plane tree leaves on the Champs-Élysées have all fallen, but the area in front of the cinema is bustling like a festive market.

The ticket seller waved his hand helplessly: "No tickets left, all tickets for the next week are sold out!"

The screen displayed a "sold out" message, and many people peered through the glass doors of the cinema.

A student who had just managed to snag tickets for "Pacific Rim 2" laughed and said, "I stayed up all night to get these tickets. My friend said that the visuals of 'Avatar' were like an Impressionist painting, but the action-packed scenes in 'Pacific Rim 2' are what really get you going, especially the music during the mech assembly, which is even more breathtaking than 'Victory'."

……

Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles
The red carpet at the Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard seems like it was just yesterday, and the queue outside the theater has already stretched for several blocks.

Fans in denim jackets squeezed through the crowd, yelling into their phones: "We have to get tickets for both Avatar and Ocean 2, no matter what!"

Within ten minutes of the online ticketing channel opening, all tickets for all sessions were sold out, and the ticketing system backend showed "the number of visits exceeded one million".

Ticket scalpers ran wildly through the streets holding up ticket stubs, followed by a group of eager moviegoers, with the price of a single ticket soaring to $200.

Thanks to the controversy surrounding "Avatar" and "Ocean 2" during this period, both blockbusters have gained considerable popularity, with tickets becoming extremely difficult to obtain in many countries.

The more difficult it is for movie fans to buy tickets, the more they want to see the film, and their enthusiasm for watching movies shows no signs of diminishing.

Seeing this, many cinemas simply bundled the two movies together and created a combined screening ticket.

Online, the two films have already sparked heated debates.

"Guys, I just saw the live broadcast of Avatar. The technology is revolutionary! It's no exaggeration to call it the strongest 3D movie ever made. But with two and a half hours of runtime, my bladder is about to give out!"

"I've seen Ocean Light 2 and decided to watch it again. The emotional impact is amazing! During the final scene where the Jaegers volunteered for battle, I almost stood up and volunteered too!"

"I'm a King Kong fan, and I never imagined King Kong would have partners. But I have to admit, the prehistoric world is pretty good; it's full of loyalty and camaraderie!"

"You guys don't know, when I saw Crimson Storm shielding the wounded Primordial behind it, it was absolutely awesome!"

"The scenery in Avatar is so beautiful! Can anyone tell me where it was filmed?"

This year's Lunar New Year film season is destined to be a global celebration for movie fans.

Card God has been famous for a long time and has his own group of fans.

Although Zhang Chen is a newcomer to fame, he is the most dazzling rising star in recent years. The clash between the new and the old has created a unique spark.

A group of teenagers wearing mecha-themed T-shirts strolled through the streets of Tokyo, Japan.

Following the premiere of "Pacific Rim 2," advance screenings were held in various locations around the world, with audiences from different countries expressing their love for "Jaegers and Kong" in their own ways.

At a movie theater in Shinjuku, Tokyo, a group of high school students wearing mecha-themed T-shirts cheered and slapped the table after the screening ended.

Some people held up signs in Japanese that read "The coolest in the prehistoric world," while others discussed "the details of the daytime battle": "When the prehistoric beast's claws tore through the Kaiju, I could even see the bone spikes on its claw tips! It was more impactful than the Na'vi in ​​Avatar!"

In cinemas in Rio de Janeiro, the audience's enthusiasm was as intense as the local sun—when the film showed the Crimson Storm blocking the way for the Flood, some viewers couldn't help but stand up and shout "Go for it!"

Many viewers watched both films simultaneously and gave fair evaluations afterward, generally agreeing that Avatar was more technologically advanced, but the story was somewhat boring.

While "Ocean's 2" is technically inferior to "Avatar," it far surpasses the latter in evoking emotions.

The scene at the end, in particular, where numerous mechs volunteered to come and provide support, was very exciting and inspiring, conveying a strong sense of unity and determination.

In Hollywood, this kind of plot is called "global collaboration to fight the crisis," while in China, it's called "a single arrow piercing the clouds, and a thousand troops rush to meet."

In particular, Zhang Chen used "The Song of Breaking the Formation in the Moon Palace" as background music, which complemented the visuals perfectly. Viewers generally said that "The Song of Breaking the Formation in the Moon Palace" is a work that can be compared with "Victory" and "He is Pirate". The former is the classic background music of "The Demon World", and the latter is the exclusive background music for Captain Jack's appearance.

A Brazilian viewer posted on social media: "Pandora's rainforest is beautiful, but I love the King Kong and Jaegers of the Pacific even more—this kind of 'fighting for protection' passion gets me more excited than alien fantasy!"

At the cinema in Chaoyang District, Beijing, many viewers came specifically for "Honghuang" (a popular Chinese cartoon character). When the movie showed Honghuang rubbing its head against Fan Xiaoyang's shoulder, a parent pointed to the screen and said to their child, "Look, even a panda can be a hero!"

After the screening, a Chinese movie fan held up a sign that read "The Primordial Panda Returns Home" and said with a smile, "I never expected to see such a cute and powerful panda in a Hollywood blockbuster. Director Zhang Chen really understands us!"

One viewer compared Avatar and Ocean 2: "Avatar's special effects are more dazzling, but Ocean 2's emotions are more down-to-earth. When Crimson Storm was about to self-destruct, my friend and I both cried."

In Manhattan cinemas, audience discussions leaned more towards the "balance between technology and story"—one film critic said in a post-screening interview: "The 3D technology of Avatar is revolutionary. Compared to it, the special effects of Ocean Revolution 2 are too ordinary. However, Ocean Revolution 2 wins in terms of its tight story. The dual narrative adds to the bond between Fan Xiaoyang and the Primordial World, making it more immersive than 'Jack becomes a Na'vi'."

One viewer added, "That final group battle reminded me of the days when I played games with my friends when I was a kid. This joy of 'fighting side by side' is in our genes, regardless of nationality!"

With "Ultraman 2" and "Avatar" opening on the same day, the global box office is showing a fierce "chasing and catching up" trend.

On its opening day, Avatar slightly led with $1.2 million, thanks to its pre-release word-of-mouth and technological hype.

However, thanks to its unique "Jaeger + Kong" concept and emotional resonance, "Ultraman 2" surpassed "Avatar" at the box office on its second day, reaching $1.15 million and narrowing the gap to $500 million.

在北美市场，《环2》的观众人群分布更广泛——18-35岁男性观众占比55%，女性观众占比30%，剩下15%是家庭观众。

Avatar had a higher percentage of family viewers, but a lower percentage of young male viewers than Ocean 2.

A theater manager said, "On weekend screenings, 'Ocean's 2' had a higher attendance rate, especially the evening screenings, where many young people came in groups to watch the 'gang fight' scenes."

In the Asian market, "Planet 2" has a more obvious advantage—in mainland China, it grossed over 200 million RMB on its opening day, while "Avatar" was moved to January.

Global Times has, of course, protested this point.

But the protest was in vain.

When you were playing dirty tricks on us in the US, did you ever think that I would make things difficult for you in the Chinese market?

China Film Group is not to be underestimated. Even if you take this to the WTO, it won't do you any good.

In Seoul, South Korea, pre-sales for "Pacific Rim 2" reached 60%, and many cinemas added IMAX screenings.

In Mumbai, India, some cinemas have launched special "Robotech and King Kong" themed packages to attract family audiences.

Some industry analysts predict that "the two films may eventually gross more than $10 billion worldwide, creating a situation of 'healthy competition'."

Avatar won because of its technological innovation; Ocean Revolution 2 won because of its emotional resonance and the uniqueness of its MonsterVerse.

……

Washington

The Four Seasons Hotel, located near the White House, is one of Washington's most prestigious hotels.

In other words, those who can live here are either rich or powerful.

In the distance, a convoy of cars was heading towards the Four Seasons Hotel.

The convoy had just come to a stop when the staff were about to approach, but were stopped by burly men who got out of the lead car.

These guys with Middle Eastern faces looked like bodyguards, and the staff took a few steps back when they saw this.

The bodyguards began scanning their surroundings, and after a while, one of them opened the doors of the three cars in the middle one by one.

The real deal has appeared!

Three young people wearing Middle Eastern headscarves got out of the car.

Upon seeing this, the hotel manager immediately greeted them warmly: "Your Highnesses~"

The visitors were none other than princes from Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

"Your Highness, please."

The hotel manager was completely unconcerned about the three people ignoring him.

Although the three princes weren't very respectful, they gave incredibly generous tips. Compared to that, politeness didn't seem so important.

"Hamad, Salman, how are you today?" The one who asked the question was Prince Rashid of the UAE, whose attire was easily recognizable: a white headscarf and a small round collar.

"I'm not doing very well. Never mind, let's go upstairs and talk about it."

The one who answered him was Qatari Prince Hamad, who was also wearing a white headscarf, but with a high collar.

In contrast, the other Saudi prince's attire was the easiest to identify, with a red and white turban, a color reserved for the Saudi royal family.

Half an hour later, the three appeared at the rooftop revolving restaurant of the Four Seasons Hotel, where they enjoyed a meal while discussing business.

The princes of Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia traveled to the United States together specifically to invest.

Just this year, Obama signed an economic stimulus package totaling $7870 billion, and the Federal Reserve introduced a "quantitative easing" monetary policy.

These policies may bring new investment opportunities and development prospects to American businesses and markets. Middle Eastern princes saw the business opportunities and came to investigate the investment environment and look for suitable investment projects.

(End of this chapter)