Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 358, Section 356: Anything is Possible

Besides the popularity of "Shaolin Soccer".

Friday, December 13, 2001.

For the land of China, this is a day destined to be remembered in history.

The frenzy and heated discussions sparked by "Shaolin Soccer" the day before had not yet subsided when an even larger and more fervent torrent of national sentiment began to surge and converge across the country as night fell.

All eyes were turned to distant Moscow.

The 112th IOC Session is being held there, where a vote will be held to decide the host city for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Beijing, as one of the candidate cities, carries the expectations of hundreds of millions of Chinese people.

As evening approached, the streets and alleys were much quieter than usual, many shops closed early, and the glow of televisions shone from the windows of every household.

The radios on buses and taxis are mostly tuned to live channels.

The air was thick with a tense, breathless atmosphere, and an almost suppressed restlessness, like the calm before a volcanic eruption.

In university dormitories, factory activity rooms, street restaurants, and countless ordinary homes, people gathered around television sets, staring intently at the screen, waiting for the final result to be announced.

The viewing frenzy surrounding "Shaolin Soccer" seems to have temporarily given way to this major event that affects the fate of the nation.

Many young people who had planned to go to the movies tonight also chose to stay in front of the television.

In all the halls of China Film Grand Cinema, the pre-show advertisements before the evening movies were all switched to CCTV-1's live broadcast signal.

The cinema management made this arrangement specifically.

As Samaranch walked toward the podium, the previously noisy theater fell silent instantly. All the audience members, regardless of age, instinctively sat up straight, their eyes focused on the small but crucial envelope.

“The games of the 29th Olympiad in 2008 are awarded to the city of Beijing!”

When the word "Beijing" was clearly conveyed throughout the world through Samaranch's words, and instantly transmitted to every corner of China via CCTV's live broadcast—

"boom--!!!"

Huge, enthusiastic cheers that could lift roofs erupted from every household, from squares, from campuses, and from every place where crowds gathered!
In Beijing, the city that won the bid to host the Olympics, the city instantly transformed into a sea of ​​joy!

The sound of firecrackers exploded without warning, breaking the tranquility of the night sky. Then, more firecrackers, gongs and drums, and car horns joined in, creating a noisy and ecstatic symphony.

People flooded the streets, waving hastily acquired national flags, their faces beaming with uncontrollable excitement. Strangers hugged and high-fived each other, shouting, "Beijing has succeeded!" "Long live China!"

Chang'an Avenue was instantly blocked by jubilant crowds and vehicles, turning into a slowly moving river flashing with car lights and the colors of the national flag.

Students spontaneously marched around campus, and the dormitory supervisor, unusually, did not stop them but instead joined in the celebration with a smile.

At this moment, all the anxiety, tension and uncertainty transformed into unparalleled national pride and collective celebration.

……

That night, the whole country rejoiced.

This nationwide euphoria created a wonderful chemical reaction.

In the early promotion of "Shaolin Soccer," the slogan "Let us suffocate for our dreams" and the crazy marketing that linked the film with the Chinese national football team's bid for the World Cup were given a new, more positive and convincing energy against the backdrop of the larger, already realized "Chinese Dream" of "successful bid for the Olympics."

"Beijing has already won the bid to host the Olympics! What's impossible for Chinese football to qualify for the World Cup?"

This optimistic sentiment spread rapidly online (although the internet was not yet widespread at the time) and through word of mouth.

"After watching 'Shaolin Soccer' and seeing the successful bid for the Olympics, I feel that this year is truly a lucky year for China!"

"That's right! In the movies, kung fu teams can create miracles. In reality, we won the bid to host the Olympics, and the national football team will definitely do it this time too!"

"Let's go watch 'Shaolin Soccer' again tomorrow, to share in the good luck! What if we win World Cup tickets?"

Some viewers who might have initially been skeptical about the "giving away World Cup tickets if the box office exceeds 100 million" offer were completely ignited by national pride and optimistic expectations for the future, leading to a surge in their desire to consume and participate.

"Shaolin Soccer" is no longer just a comedy film; it has been inadvertently swept up in the tide of the times of "dreams coming true" and has become a cultural symbol for expressing joy and placing expectations.

……

The following weekend, July 14th and 15th, the box office of "Shaolin Soccer" did not decline due to the diversion of attention caused by the successful bid for the Olympics; instead, it experienced an explosive surge!

Long queues have formed again at China Film Grand Cinemas across the country, with many cinemas experiencing a shortage of tickets.

On Saturday and Sunday, the daily box office of "Shaolin Soccer" surged to 189 million yuan and 197 million yuan respectively in 60 China Film Cinemas across the country! The average attendance rate remained above 90%, and prime screenings were sold out half a day in advance.

This enthusiasm has also spread to other theater chains and independent cinemas.

Amidst the extensive coverage of the "successful bid for the Olympics," major media outlets also devoted significant space to reporting on the box office miracle of "Shaolin Soccer," linking it to national sentiment.

The headline of the report in China Film News was: "Joy of the Olympic bid ignites a movie-going frenzy, and the box office of 'Kung Fu Soccer' takes off."

The Beijing Entertainment News wrote: "From Moscow to Cinema: This Summer, We Cheer for All Dreams."

……

At the same time, another entertainment storm, jointly promoted by Shengying Media and Tencent, also began to show amazing penetration, riding the wave of "Shaolin Soccer" and the nationwide attention brought by the successful bid for the Olympics.

That is "Legend of Mir 2".

With "Shaolin Soccer" being forcibly shown before more than 80% of screenings in cinemas nationwide, catchy advertising slogans such as "I'm Zha Zha Hui" and "If you're a brother, come and chop me down," along with the rough yet alluring scenes of monster-fighting and equipment drops, were forcibly received by millions of young viewers, accompanied by Stephen Chow's comedy.

This simple, direct, and repetitive brainwashing-style marketing has produced remarkable effects among specific target groups.

Especially on the weekend following the successful bid for the Olympics, a large number of young viewers flocked to the cinemas. After experiencing the excitement and humor of "Shaolin Soccer," they were further intrigued by this game advertisement with its strikingly different style.

Meanwhile, Tencent's OICQ had already accumulated an astonishingly large user base, especially among young people, where it had achieved almost full coverage.

The advertisements for "Legend of Mir" were simultaneously launched in the QQ chat window, the game channel of the QQ portal website, and other locations, creating a three-dimensional online and offline blitz.

And so, starting that weekend, a peculiar phenomenon began to unfold in internet cafes across the country:

Many young people who had just finished watching "Shaolin Soccer," or those who were recommended by friends or attracted by advertisements, flocked to internet cafes, and the first question they asked was: "Boss, do you have 'Legend of Mir'?"

"Give me a computer to play 'Legend of Mir'!"

"Boss, I'd like to buy some game time cards for 'Legend of Mir'!"

The surge in demand was so sudden and intense that many internet cafe owners were caught off guard.

Despite the efforts of Shengying Media and Tencent to distribute game cards to internet cafes through their "Light and Shadow World" chain stores and a ground sales force comprised of children of film studio employees, the exponentially growing user demand quickly led to a supply shortage.

"The game cards are sold out?"

"So fast? I'm only level 10!"

"Boss, hurry up and stock up! We need to top up our accounts to buy medicine!"

Such conversations filled the internet cafe.

In some popular cities, internet cafes have even experienced a shortage of game cards, which are being resold on the black market at slightly inflated prices.

Tencent's gaming division had to work overtime overnight to ensure that the servers could handle the surge in players (although lag and queuing still occurred from time to time), while also urgently increasing the printing and distribution of game cards.

With its rough 2D graphics, simple controls, core gameplay emphasizing PvP and equipment value, and a system heavily reliant on social interaction (guilds, team-based treasure hunting), "Legend of Mir" accurately hit the sweet spot for the needs of a large number of young online game players in China at the time.

The sheer joy of "getting a rare item" and the simple, straightforward social fun of "brothers fighting together" have quickly captivated countless players, making them unable to tear themselves away.

Inside the internet cafe, the clatter of keyboards and mice, along with the sound effects of "slaying monsters," filled the air, mingling with the excited shouts of players.

"Holy crap! Hold on, mage!"

"Taoist priest, apply poison! Apply poison!"

"Haha, it exploded! It's Hellfire!"

While "Shaolin Soccer" presents a comedy on the big screen about creating miracles with kung fu, "Legend of Mir" constructs another virtual world of sword fights and chivalrous revenge on the computer screen.

And this entrance to the virtual world is spreading at an astonishing speed in internet cafes across the country, along with that thin prepaid card. The sales records of the prepaid cards are being refreshed time and time again as the server capacity is continuously expanded.

This summer, dreams have become reality at a breakneck pace.

The good news from Moscow has immersed the entire country in an optimistic atmosphere where "anything is possible."

The dream of qualifying for the World Cup seems to have become more real with the successful bid for the Olympics and the popularity of "Shaolin Soccer".

Meanwhile, on the other end of the network, a virtual kingdom called "Legend of Mir" is absorbing its citizens at an unprecedented speed.

(End of this chapter)