Reborn in the Chinese Entertainment Industry: My Childhood Sweetheart is Boss Yang

The number of screenings for "Crazy Stone" skyrocketed, like a rocket.

From an initial dismal 10%, it skyrocketed to 20%, and now it's at 30%...

Although there are only a dozen days left before it leaves theaters, the hype has already exploded.

Whether it's a prime-time daytime showing or a midnight screening where nobody goes, any theater showing "Stone" is always packed.

Some cinema managers in second-tier cities even stopped showing "Harry Potter" before it had finished its run, just to schedule two more screenings of "Stone".

Gu Heng was in a great mood as he looked at the battle reports Su Qing sent him every day.

Seeing the extra four percent of revenue sharing made Gu Heng overjoyed. These theater managers, who used to act like lords, now have to obediently hand over their money, right?

The hot pot team members were equally happy.

This wave of emoji marketing not only didn't lower their image, but also gained them a large following because of its "down-to-earth" appeal.

Especially Huang Xiaoming, I heard that now when he goes out, fans call him "Master".

That evening, after finishing work, Yang Xiaomi rushed into Gu Heng's room with her phone in hand, her face flushed with excitement, without even removing her makeup.

"Old Gu, Old Gu! Look! Look what this is!"

She shoved her phone screen directly into Gu Heng's face, nearly knocking his high, straight nose askew.

Gu Heng shoved the phone away, rubbed her nose, and said irritably, "What are you doing? Trying to murder your husband?"

"Hey, look!" Yang Mi shouted excitedly, pointing at the screen, ignoring what he was complaining about.

Gu Heng looked closely.

Wow, it's a Baidu Tieba forum that was only recently established.

Yang Mi Bar.

Although the interface is still very rudimentary and full of the unique "Shamate" style of this era, it has already attracted several thousand followers.

The forum was buzzing with activity, with everyone posting her memes.

When someone says something like "I'm tired" or "Get out of my sight," the comments are all the same: "Honey is so cute!" "That expression is hilarious!" "Love it!"

"I have a fan group now! The kind that's active! The kind that can talk!" Yang Mi jumped around excitedly, her long legs making Gu Heng dizzy.

Looking at her pathetic state, Gu Heng couldn't help but reach out and rub her head, then pinch her cheeks full of collagen. They felt so good, so soft.

"Promising."

Gu Heng complained, "It's just a few thousand fans. In the future, your fans will be all over the country, from ninety-nine-year-olds to toddlers, everyone will know your name, Yang Mi. You'll complain about the noise then."

Yang Mi's face was pinched, her mouth was squeezed into a duck's beak, and her speech was unclear, but her big eyes were bright and sparkling, revealing an indescribable sweetness.

She hugged Gu Heng tightly, clinging to him, and said in a sweet, childlike voice, "That's different... This is the first time someone has built a forum just for me, especially because of that meme we made together. Old Gu, do you think I'm going to become famous?"

Just listen to that tone; it's at least twice the amount of full sugar.

"Yes, yes, you're going to be famous, a big star." Gu Heng teased with a smile, casually lifting her up a bit. "Don't forget to give me, the extra, a handy job when you do. Just give me a meal."

Yang Mi tossed her chin up, her arrogant tone flaring up: "Hmph, let's see how you perform!"

Seeing her smug look, Gu Heng really wanted to pin her down on his lap and spank her.

But if we really make a move now, this little fox might just take advantage of the situation and refuse to leave tonight.

Although... cough cough, it's fine to stay put.

But this is, after all, a film set, with lots of people and eyes around. If word gets out that "Gu Heng had a late-night battle with Yang Mi," then we'll have to go through a lot of trouble with public relations.

Our CEO Gu is a respectable person! (Probably)

There was an unexpected element to this wave of meme attacks.

Zhang Jizhong, with his big beard, called.

After such a long delay, the post-production editing team was practically worn out, but the show is finally getting a release date. Before they'd even spent much on promotion, the two leads, Huang Xiaoming and Liu Yifei, were already dominating the internet.

"Brother Gu! You're amazing!"

Zhang Jizhong's booming voice made Gu Heng's ears ring, and he felt like his phone speaker was about to crack. "This publicity is so timely! It saved me so much trouble! The popularity of our 'The Return of the Condor Heroes' has skyrocketed! Next time you have a new drama, I'll definitely reserve a good role for you! Absolutely the male lead!"

Gu Heng moved his phone further away, even wanting to tap his ear.

He thought to himself: I don't believe you, that old geezer is really bad.

Now they call each other "brother" and "younger brother" all the time.

Although he was internally ranting, Gu Heng remained polite on the surface, after all, the old man still had some influence in the industry: "That's great, Director Zhang, just remember this, and we brothers will join forces again for a big success."

As for director Chen Jialin, this old man is quite traditional. At first, he was worried that the meme would affect Wang Zhaojun's dignified, elegant, and even somewhat tragic image.

As a result, Su Qing compiled the feedback online and showed it to the old man.

Wow, everyone's praising Yang Mi for being "lively," "cute," and having a "contrast charm." This has even boosted the popularity of the drama "Wang Zhaojun," which is still in production. Many young people have even commented that they'd watch this historical drama just for these memes.

The old man was beaming from ear to ear, his beard practically sticking up to the sky. On set, he found Yang Mi more and more pleasing to the eye, even scolding her less for NGs, and even asking the production assistant to give her an extra chicken leg.

The following days were filled with tedious but fulfilling filming.

Winters in Hengdian are truly frigid; the damp cold seems to seep into your bones. Although Gu Heng is physically fit, he can't withstand being exposed to the cold wind while wearing armor every day.

Yang Mi had it even worse. Those Hanfu clothes looked elegant, but they were actually as thin as paper, and she couldn't wear thermal underwear to look good on camera. Every time the director yelled "cut," Gu Heng would immediately wrap her in his military coat and give her a hand warmer.

But this girl is really good at enduring hardship; she didn't utter a single complaint.

In the outside world, the frenzy surrounding "Crazy Stone" continues, with box office revenue reaping rewards like it's on steroids.

The film officially ended its run on January 8th.

The final box office figure was astonishing.

8100 million!

In the cold winter of 2006, an inconspicuous stone, with a small investment of only a few million and not even a decent big star, became the biggest dark horse of the year.

Is this even reasonable?

These days, a film that grosses over 100 million yuan is considered a top-tier blockbuster. Ning Hao's name became known throughout the entire Chinese film industry overnight. From China Film Group to Huayi Brothers, all the bosses were inquiring about the director's next film.

Those investors who rejected "Stone" are now kicking themselves.