Huayu became famous overnight

Chapter 240 I don't believe you, my foot!
11 month 8 day.

"How Long Will I Love U" was released as scheduled.

This film, which is disguised as science fiction but is actually a romantic comedy, has attracted the attention of many peers and audiences.

Needless to say, the audience is comfortable with romance and comedy, making them popular choices.

Industry peers, on the other hand, wanted to see if Xu Ming could continue his box office miracle in the context of the dismal National Day holiday season.

"Is this your sixth film this year?" Han Sanping asked.

Since "The Unknown" broke the 1 billion mark, he has never missed the premiere of any of Xu Ming's films.

This year, the mainland Chinese film market has been unusually bleak, while Hollywood films have been booming, repeatedly setting new box office records in China.

In this context, the phrase "produced by Xu Ming" has become a symbol of Chinese cinema.

Of the top six box office hits, all except "The Founding of a Republic" were films by the former.

Even though Han Sanping had a very high opinion of his eldest nephew, he was startled and began to pay even more attention to him.

"Yes." Xu Ming nodded.

"Are there two more?" Han Sanping continued to ask.

"If nothing unexpected happens, one will be directed by Tsui Hark, and the other by Han Han," Xu Ming said.

"They all have considerable potential."

Han Sanping sighed and began to make plans in his mind.

Given Xu Ke and Han Han's reputations, their collaboration with Xu Ming would be a powerful alliance.

As long as the film's quality doesn't collapse, it's hard for its box office to be bad.

We'll see how "How Long Will I Love U" performs; if it succeeds, it will signify Xu Mingzhi's rise to power.

If both of these films make the list...

Han Sanping and Xu Ming exchanged a glance, and the two tacitly agreed not to discuss the matter further.

Let's weather the storm first.

the other side.

Wearing baseball caps and fully armed, the two entered the movie theater.

"Qiming invited you to the premiere, but you didn't go. Why did you have to buy a ticket and sneak over here?" Xu Fan asked.

"That's a woman's perspective. For someone of my status to attend a premiere would be aiding the enemy, wouldn't it?"

Under the brim of his hat, Feng Xiaogang's small eyes peeked out, darting around as he observed his surroundings.

He hadn't forgotten how he'd managed to get away with it, and the bet he made with Xu Ming.

If I were forced to say "I looked up and saw the Big Dipper," I'd rather be dead.

Xu Fan opened his mouth, looking helpless.

So, by buying these two movie tickets, they're not considered aiding the enemy?

As husband and wife, Feng Xiaogang could guess Xu Fan's thoughts without even thinking. He said in a low voice, "Know yourself and know your enemy and you will win every battle. This kid has always been at odds with me, so I have to keep an eye on his strength."

Although he was reluctant to admit it, he had to admit that the other party was not only qualified to be his competitor, but he was not even confident of winning against them.

“You and Xu Ming have no fundamental conflict of interest, so why make things like this? If you both take a step back, the future will be bright,” Xu Fan advised.

"Hmph, me avoiding his sharp edge? Impossible."

Feng Xiaogang snorted coldly, but a hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes.

He never imagined that Xu Ming would become so powerful in just one year.

It's a bit like Stephen Chow back in the day.

No, even Stephen Chow in 1992 wasn't as awesome as the other guy is now.

The former is at most a king among actors, while the latter is a producer, screenwriter, and lead actor all in one.

Both demonstrate dominance, but their meanings are completely different.

If I had known this, why bother.

The theater went dark.

The movie opened with Yang Mi taking the stage first.

When Yang Mi appeared on the big screen, her fans cheered.

Upon hearing this sound, the industry insider's expression shifted.

It's not uncommon for TV drama stars to cross over into film, but few manage to bring that influence with them.

This is why TV drama stars are often less popular than movie stars.

The latter's fans have invested real money.

But Yang Mi is breaking that line a bit; her fans are genuinely willing to pay to watch movies for her.

However, everyone quickly shifted their attention from the two lead actors to the plot.

On one side is Xu Ming, down on his luck and frustrated in 90; on the other side is Yang Mi, who is determined to climb the social ladder and goes on blind dates everywhere in 10, only to be swindled out of her only savings by a cameo appearance by a wealthy man.

The contrast and differences between the two time periods.

This leads the audience to speculate and get closer to the truth.

Until, for some reason, the houses where the two lived unexpectedly overlapped.

Everyone's minds went blank for a moment.

Even seven years later in 2018, this idea was still quite amazing.

Moreover, this is the case now.

So this is what "time travel cohabitation" means.

Two people, 20 years apart in age, ended up in the same bed.

Even before the plot unfolds, viewers have already come up with many interesting speculations.

"Is it really that good-looking?"

Feng Xiaogang glanced at his wife, who was watching intently, and asked with dissatisfaction.

“It’s quite creative. This approach is very interesting, and…” Xu Fan paused and glanced at her husband beside her.

"Speak your mind," Feng Xiaogang said.

"Xu Ming's acting skills have improved a lot. For someone who isn't formally trained, it's quite impressive that he's reached this level," Xu Fan said.

She was making her evaluation purely from the perspective of an actor.

Feng Xiaogang remained silent, saying that from his perspective as a director, "How Long Will I Love U" had some shortcuts involved.

How come the rooms from two different time periods overlap?
The plot is also somewhat clichéd.

However, none of this affected the film's commercial success. The gimmicks attracted the audience, and the elements of romance and comedy were just right.

Most importantly, the two lead actors have a strong fan base.

Every frame of their interaction captivated the audience, as evidenced by the focused gazes of those around them.

"I'm not watching anymore, I'm going back to edit the footage," Feng Xiaogang said.

Hoping for his opponent to make a mistake was impossible, so he could only place his hopes on his own film, "1942".

He poured so much effort and resources into it; he refused to believe he couldn't beat Xu Ming.

"It'll be over soon..."

Xu Fan watched her husband leave without looking back, hesitated for a moment, and then followed him.

ten minutes later.

Scene from the Beijing premiere.

There was thunderous applause.

The audience gave Xu Ming and Yang Mi the biggest cheers when they appeared on stage.

"This is my sixth movie released this year, and my ninth movie as the lead actor. Although I have only been in the industry for three years, I am able to get to where I am today without everyone's support."

Xu Ming said with emotion that he didn't include "Let the Bullets Fly" in his list, as it was only a cameo appearance.

That's when he realized that this year was a breakout year for his work.

It's true that you don't know how much potential you have until you push yourself.

"It's Guo Fan's third film, and also the first film in which my friend Mimi starred."

"We're not talking about box office targets today; we just hope that the performances and storylines we contribute will be loved and recognized by everyone."

"We also hope that you will still be here when we make our tenth, twentieth, or thirtieth film."

After Xu Ming finished speaking, he took Yang Mi's hand and, together with Guo Fan, bowed deeply to the audience.

They didn't talk about money at all, only about feelings. Most of the people in the audience were fans of the two, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to get tickets to the premiere.

Hearing Xu Ming's words, I was deeply moved.

Seeing the two holding hands again, she became even more excited and started squealing.

Little did they know that talking about feelings can cost far more money than talking about money.

"I poured my heart and soul into this movie. On the day filming wrapped, I felt like I had just woken up from a dream, and it took me a long time to recover."

Yang Mi took the microphone and said sincerely, "For a moment, I desperately wished that this dream would never end, and that Lu Ming and Gu Xiaojiao could continue on their journey together."

"Unfortunately, many things in life don't go according to my will, but fortunately..."

As she said this, she subconsciously glanced at Xu Ming beside her, then turned her gaze away avertedly.

“We all live in the same era, not separated by a time span of twenty years.”

"By the way, I was referring to 'How Long Will I Love U'."

Yes, yes, we all believed it.

It's just a movie, they always create romantic pairings, it's the same old trick. I can't believe anything they say anymore... what a load of rubbish.

If this is staged, they'd be willing to eat three pounds of shit.

With Yang Mi's acting skills, she simply couldn't portray such genuine emotions.

There's definitely something going on between the two of them.

Thinking back to the movie, whenever Xu Ming and Yang Mi have romantic scenes, the latter's performance is always on a much higher level.

Everyone watched the two on stage with knowing smiles.

Even if the sugar was poisonous, they still ate it.

This kind of couple isn't interesting to watch if they were actually together; it's precisely this ambiguous, unpredictable stage that makes it fun to ship them.

"Oh, by the way, we've prepared a small gift for the moviegoers who come to watch the premiere. Don't forget to ask the staff at the door for it when you leave," Xu Ming reminded them.

The so-called small gift was a small cartoon sculpture of him and Yang Mi.

It's considered part of the movie's merchandise.

This is also a direction that Qiming is trying to develop.

The reason why domestic film production companies treat filmmaking like gambling is largely due to the lack of monetization channels, relying entirely on box office profits.

If a movie's box office collapses, the whole thing is lost.

Overseas film and television companies are worth learning from and emulating. They recoup their production costs through channels such as DVDs and movie merchandise.

The longer the time frame, the greater the potential benefits.

For example, Jet Li's Hollywood movies didn't make money at the box office, but the DVDs sold well, so low-budget B-movies often favored him for roles.

Of course, this is largely due to the well-developed copyright laws and regulations overseas.

Xu Ming was well aware that the domestic copyright situation would gradually improve, so he made arrangements in advance not only to increase revenue now, but also to prepare for the future decline of the film industry.

……

The next day.

Xu Ming and Yang Mi stood at the entrance of the theater, personally handing out dolls and autographs to each departing moviegoer.

"Thank you for watching the film."

"Thanks for the support."

After seeing off the last fan, the two finally relaxed.

"I've never seen you so hands-on during previous roadshows. Why are you standing at the door handing out things this time?"

Yang Mi had gone from being excited to feeling tired.

She hasn't had a moment's rest since the start of the promotional campaign.

"You think I'm doing this for the movie's box office? I'm doing it to shape your image."

Xu Ming glanced at the other person and said, "Your advantage lies in your fan base. Maintaining a good relationship with your fans is of utmost importance."

"Your usual image and style are not suitable for being aloof, so you need to act more down-to-earth."

In fact, it's not just Yang Mi; he plans to cultivate all the artists in Qiming Company to maintain good relationships with their fans.

An actor makes a living by their work, but a star makes a living by their fans.

A look of gratitude flashed in Da Mimi's eyes. She hadn't expected that the other person would accompany her during such a tiring activity.

"Don't be so self-righteous. I'm only keeping you company because I'm afraid you'll slack off."

Xu Ming ruthlessly shattered Da Mi Mi's fantasy.

"Pooh."

Yang Mi spat, thinking, "This scoundrel can't even let me fantasize a little longer."

But she just couldn't bring herself to lower the corners of her mouth from that smile.

After leaving the theater, we returned to the van.

Xu Ming gulped down a bottle of mineral water, while Yang Mi lay sprawled out on the bed to rest.

Xiao Juan was already used to seeing her two big stars acting so unceremoniously when she came upstairs, so she just coughed lightly.

"The opening weekend box office figures are in."

In an instant, Yang Mi nimbly jumped out of bed, her eyes bright: "How much?"

Xu Ming threw the mineral water bottle into the trash can in a basketball shooting motion.

Then he said lazily, "It won't be low, otherwise this girl would have already written all her thoughts on her face."

Hey, Xiao Juan raised an eyebrow.

What a guess.

"Over 100 million?" Yang Mi exclaimed in surprise.

Xu Ming almost choked on his breath and said irritably, "It won't be too high, otherwise your thoughts will be written all over your face."

"4500."

Xiao Juan quickly gave the number to Da Mi Mi so she wouldn't have to guess anymore.

"Oh, that's not high. 'Kung Fu Jungle' made 3600 million back then," Yang Mi said dejectedly.

But as soon as she finished speaking, she noticed that the two people in the car were looking at her like she was an idiot.

"Do you know how much the total box office of 'Kung Fu Jungle' was?" Xu Ming asked quietly.

Yang Mi thought for a moment and said, "4.2 million."

"This means that under normal circumstances, 'How Long Will I Love U' has the potential to break 500 million views. Isn't that high?" Xu Ming said.

He discovered that his achievements had led many people to have unrealistic expectations.

Looking at the movies released this year, apart from those starring themselves, more than 90% of the movies struggled to break 100 million yuan at the box office.

Yang Mi is now so dissatisfied with 4500 million on the first day that she's not even satisfied.

"Yeah, if you hadn't told me that, I wouldn't have realized it yet."

It was only then that she clearly realized the significance of this opening day's box office performance, and she immediately became excited.

I swept away all my fatigue and became myself again.

With bright, sparkling eyes, she said, "I suddenly feel less tired. Let's continue with the afternoon's roadshow!"

"Heh, let me finish lunch first."

As Xu Ming spoke, he took out his phone and took a photo of himself and Yang Mi.

Then I edited a Weibo post.

[Xu Dada Ming: Congratulations to Xiao Yang on his first victory!]

The accompanying photos include a selfie of the two, and a screenshot of the first-day box office figures for "How Long Will I Love U" from the ticketing website.

Within ten minutes, it was pushed to the top of the trending search list by fans.

This film has drawn the attention of many netizens who don't usually pay attention to movies.

This also forced many of their peers who wanted to bury their heads in the sand and refuse to accept reality to face this bloody reality—Xu Ming has won again.

With 45 million on its first day, let's not even talk about whether it can break 500 million, it's guaranteed to surpass "The Laughing Swordsman".

This signifies that another film by Xu Ming will be added to the domestic film box office rankings.

They've taken another step closer to dominating the charts.

(End of this chapter)