Pirates began to dominate the Chinese entertainment industry.

This long post was published at 3 p.m.

Soon, Xiao Zhao led the top students from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Computer Science Department into the room and began flooding Tianya, Tieba, Sohu, Sina, NetEase, and other online forums with posts...

At 3:05 PM, Ji Yun checked her blog and saw that the number of comments had exceeded 1,000.

3:10, over 10,000 reposts, Ji Yun's blog account gained 30,000 followers in 10 minutes.

At 3:30, "The Seven Deadly Sins of Red Cliff" topped the trending searches on several platforms. Ji Yun's followers surpassed 50, reaching the level of a major online influencer.

The comment section exploded.

"Holy crap, this analysis is so professional! Every single point hits the nail on the head!"

"'Mengmeng, stand up.' I was really engrossed in the trailer, but then this came on, and I burst out laughing."

"Playing a 16-year-old at 33? Lin Chi-ling is beautiful, but this is just too outrageous."

"Leung Chiu-wai's acting skills are beyond question, but he really looks old when he plays Zhou Yu."

"Takeshi Kaneshiro playing Zhuge Liang? Does the director have some misunderstanding about Zhuge Liang?"

"The harshest point is the seventh one. Orange Sky is indeed backed by Japanese capital, so wouldn't Golden Harvest be indirectly acquired by a Japanese company?"

"So, 'Red Cliff' was made by people from an island nation about the Three Kingdoms? That's a chilling thought."

"Wait, who wrote this long article?"

The signature is: Ji Yun.

"Holy crap! This young man is too tough. He just got mocked, and he immediately retaliated with a big punch. Are Orange Sky and Director Wu still awake?"

"He's not only a director, but also a stock market guru. With that kind of keen sense, no wonder he can make 300 million."

"I suddenly want to watch 'Lost in Thailand'. Someone who can analyze 'Red Cliff' so thoroughly must make a good movie."

Naza squinted and chuckled foolishly as many people praised their boss.

These people have such good taste.

Just like her.

……

Orange Sky office.

Lin Chih-ling stared at the computer screen, and when she saw her own name in the first message, her eyes welled up with tears.

She filmed the scene "Mengmeng, stand up" seventeen times.

As a result, this statement has now become a laughing stock among netizens across the country.

She was so angry her breasts almost swelled up.

My phone rang; it was a text message from my agent.

"Zhiling, stop reading the comments online and don't speak out publicly. Let the big shots figure it out."

Lin Chih-ling remained silent for a long time. She knew her acting skills were poor, but with such an opportunity presented to her, how could she refuse it even if she had to choose again?

She let out a breath, smiled, stood up, and took Jiang Yiyan's hand to pour them tea to cool them down.

Wu Kebo was so angry that his hair was practically steaming and his eyes were about to burst. He smashed the mouse in his hand with a loud crack.

"How dare he! How dare he!"

The publicity director huddled in the corner, silent and trembling, not daring to utter a sound.

The seven deadly sins each pinpoint the Achilles' heel of "Red Cliff." What's even more terrifying is that each one is supported by textual and visual evidence, not mere fabrication.

Especially Article 7.

Japanese investment background.

Cultural bullying.

The publicity director trembled with fear. In the heated public opinion environment of 2008, those two words were as destructive as a nuclear bomb.

They were torn apart by netizens.

Wu Yusen looked at the post and the comments below, his forehead veins bulging. He slammed his hand on the desk, and the cup on the desk crashed to the ground, soaking the carpet and leaving a black stain.

That brat surnamed Ji dares to spout such nonsense; that's his cinematic art!

"Mr. Wu, I need your attitude!" Wu Yusen's face was gloomy.

"Of course, I'll handle it! Director Wang, contact every artist you can reach!" Wu Kebo roared. "Have them issue a statement supporting 'Red Cliff' to drown out public opinion! Now!"

……

The next morning.

Artists from Orange Sky Entertainment Group began to speak out collectively.

The first to step forward was Jiang Yiyan, a rising star under Orange Sky Entertainment.

She posted a poster of "Red Cliff" on her blog with only three words in the caption: "I want to see it."

Immediately afterwards, Song Jia also posted the same poster with the same three words.

Then there's Tangyan.

Then, several production teams invested in by Orange Sky Entertainment—directors and actors—all posted "I want to watch it."

In just two hours, the phrase "I want to see" went viral across the internet and became a headline in entertainment news.

At first glance, it seems to be a grand affair.

However, netizens do not seem to agree.

"Why are all these people posting the same copy? Is it a unified arrangement by Orange Sky?"

"Hilarious, even the punctuation is the same."

"Orange Sky is getting anxious. The more they react like this, the more it shows that the 'Seven Deadly Sins' have hit a nerve."

"I suggest Orange Sky change the copy; 'I'm scared' would be more appropriate."

Seeing the mockery in the comments section, Wu Kebo got so angry that he smashed his keyboard.

He yelled at the PR director, "Go all out! Get more people to post it!"

The following days, until the release on July 5th.

More artists from Orange Sky Entertainment and its collaborating artists have joined the "I Want to See" group.

The brokerage firm jointly owned by Orange Sky and Wang Jinhua has begun to enter the market.

Mainland actors Hu Jun, Yuan Quan, Tong Dawei, Xia Yu, Mei Ting, Yuan Li, Ma Yili, Wen Zhang, director Zhang Yibai, Zhang Li...

Hong Kong and Taiwan stars such as Leung Ka-fai, Cheung Chi-lam, Lau Ka-ling, Rosamund Kwan, and Anita Yuen...

Even several second-tier artists from Hong Kong and Taiwan released the same posters and captions.

The phrase "I want to see" spread like a virus in the entertainment industry.

At the same time, various fan clubs and support groups mobilized millions of fans to leave messages supporting their idols, creating a massive movie promotion campaign that instantly swept across the national public opinion field.

……

"Bai Mengyan, hurry up, the movie is about to start."

July 4, 23:55.

The lobby of the cinema on the fifth floor of Changzhou Shopping Center was packed with people.

Bai Mengyan was supported by two classmates, one on each side, and stood in front of the poster for "Lost in Thailand".

She yawned, and a few tears welled up in the corner of her eye.

"No, why do we have to watch the midnight showing?" Bai Mengyan asked for the hundredth time, a question that seemed to be utterly agonizing.

"Because this is the premiere! The premiere!" Li Wan, the girl on the left, blushed with excitement. "Do you know, this is Hu Ge's first movie after his injury!"

"And Liu Yifei!" Sun Meng, a female classmate on the right, added, her eyes shining. "Liu Yifei got criticized for her previous film, 'The Forbidden Kingdom,' she must be very upset right now. We should support her new movie!"

Bai Mengyan rolled her eyes. She loved Korean dramas; Rain was so handsome, Song Hye-kyo so beautiful. What was so great about domestic films, especially low-budget comedies like this? How good could they possibly be?

She looked around; the movie theater lobby was packed with people.

Most people crowded in front of the poster for "Red Cliff," pointing and discussing how handsome Takeshi Kaneshiro's Zhuge Liang was and how beautiful Lin Chih-ling's Xiao Qiao was.

Although there are people in "Lost in Thailand", their numbers are significantly fewer.

"Look, everyone's gone to see 'Red Cliff'," Bai Mengyan said, making a last-ditch effort.

"That's judging by appearances, so superficial!" Li Wan grabbed her arm and pulled her inside. "Let me tell you, just based on Ji Yun's 'Seven Deadly Sins,' I'm convinced his movie will be good. Someone who can analyze the flaws of 'Red Cliff' so thoroughly, how could their comedy be bad?"

Bai Mengyan pouted. Everyone knows she likes handsome guys...

She was pulled forward, and as they passed the poster for "Red Cliff," she overheard several boys discussing it.

"I heard that the investment in 'Red Cliff' was 6 million yuan, the scenes must have been spectacular."

"Nonsense, John Woo, a big Hollywood director, he directed Mission: Impossible 2."

"Liang Chaowei, Jin Chengwu, Zhang Zhen, Zhao Wei... This lineup alone is worth the price of admission."

"So what's the story behind 'Lost in Thailand'?"

"It seems to be a low-budget comedy directed by a new director, with only Xu Zheng and Wang Baoqiang as the main actors. I don't know how it suddenly became so popular; the internet is full of discussions about it."

"It's definitely just hype. What good stuff can a small-time director make?"

Hearing these discussions, Bai Mengyan felt even more uncertain.

She turned to look at Li Wan, but Li Wan looked resolute, as if she had already seen the movie and knew how good it was.

Ticket check, entry, find your seat.

The screening room was sparsely populated, with only about a third of the people seated.

Bai Mengyan's heart sank; it was indeed a movie no one would watch.

To her surprise, a large group of people rushed in through the door just two minutes after she sat down.

Most of the faces were young, walking in twos and threes, chatting and laughing as they looked for seats.

"See, I told you people would watch," Li Wan said smugly, nudging Bai Mengyan.

Bai Mengyan didn't say anything, holding the popcorn bucket, preparing to endure the next hour or so.

0: 00.

The lights dimmed, the screen lit up, and the dragon logo flashed.

The movie begins.

The opening scene is an office where a bald man is yelling at someone on the phone.

"What? The tickets are gone? Do you know I have to go home every year for Chinese New Year!"

Xu Zheng's fierce and dejected face appeared on the screen, his tone full of a middle-aged man's irritability and helplessness.

"I don't care what method you use, you have to get me a ticket! My wife and kids are waiting for me to go home for the New Year!"

After hearing something said on the other end of the phone, Xu Zheng's expression changed from anger to shock, and then to frustration.

"Economy class?? Who am I? I'm Li Chenggong! You're letting me sit in economy class??"

The scene shifts to Niu Geng, played by Wang Baoqiang, appearing at a dairy farm and speaking to a cow.

"Hey bro, do you think the boss isn't planning on paying salaries?"

The cow mooed.

"You think so too? Then what do we do?"

The cow mooed again.

"You're right, we can't just wait; we have to take the initiative!"

Wang Baoqiang rolled up his sleeves, his face resolute.

The first burst of laughter filled the screening room. Bai Mengyan heard Li Wan chuckle beside her, and couldn't help but smile herself. How could Wang Baoqiang talk to a cow with such a serious expression?

What followed made her completely forget that she had originally come to see a joke.

When Niu Geng was on his first flight, the flight attendant asked him what he wanted to drink. After thinking for a while, he blurted out, "Could we open the window for some fresh air?"

The whole place burst into laughter.

Bai Mengyan laughed so hard she almost spat out her popcorn.

She saw a bespectacled boy next to her slap his thigh with a laugh, while his girlfriend laughed so hard her chest heaved.

Xu Zheng plays Li Chenggong, who encounters Niu Geng on a plane, their paths crossing unexpectedly. Niu Geng, with his characteristic jinx, says, "I hope nothing bad will happen to the plane," and just as he finishes speaking, the plane begins to shake violently. Li Chenggong is terrified, while Niu Geng looks completely innocent.

When the plane was forced to land and the two spent the night at the airport, Bai Mengyan was laughing so hard her stomach hurt. She completely forgot what she had come there for; her eyes were only on the two unlucky guys on the screen.

On the train, the two met again, and surprisingly, they had the same ticket.

"This ticket is mine!"

"This ticket is mine too!"

The two argued back and forth, and when the flight attendant checked, it turned out that the self-righteous boss, Li Chenggong, actually had a fake ticket.

To save himself trouble, his stupid subordinate actually bought fake tickets from scalpers.

Li Chenggong's expression shifted from anger to embarrassment to utter shame; Xu Zheng perfectly captured the awkwardness of a middle-aged man.

But in the blink of an eye, his expression changed. Two stunningly beautiful women, no less attractive than his lover, sat down opposite them!

Seeing Liu Yifei and Yang Mi playing college students in cameo roles, Li Chenggong's heart, which had been yearning for 18-year-old girls, suddenly burned with excitement. He smiled and took the initiative to strike up a conversation, but unfortunately, his carefully prepared jokes were of no use. Neither of them were interested in the older man's charms.

Seeing their intimate behavior, Li Chenggong assumed they were lesbians and had no choice but to back down. However, when the handsome man played by Hu Geke appeared, the two women suddenly started greeting him with smiles and took the initiative to chat. The stark contrast in their attitudes made Li Chenggong feel inferior, and he could only huddle together with Niu Geng.

"Mengyan, look! Hu Ge is still so handsome! He wasn't disfigured in the car accident!" Li Wan excitedly hugged her arm and screamed in a low voice.

"That was awesome! Liu Yifei is so beautiful. It was a waste of her face in 'The Forbidden Kingdom'." Sun Meng nodded. "Look how well Li Xiaoyao and Zhao Ling'er match. I heard that 'Chinese Paladin 3' is about to be filmed. It would be great if they could work together for the third time."

Bai Mengyan was so busy laughing that she didn't even look at the handsome men and beautiful women.

What made her laugh the most was the scene in the hotel.

Li Chenggong and Niu Geng squeezed into a small bed, separated only by a blanket. Li Chenggong was so cold that he tossed and turned and couldn't sleep. He finally made up his mind to snuggle under the same blanket.

"puff--"

One fart was enough to drive Li Chenggong to a mental breakdown.

Bai Mengyan burst into the most unladylike laughter of her life, tilting her head back and sliding off her seat with laughter.

Li Wan and Sun Meng laughed as they pulled her up, and they themselves were laughing so hard they couldn't stand up straight.

"I can't take it anymore... I can't take it anymore..." Bai Mengyan clutched her stomach. "Why is this movie so funny...?"

Later, Li Chenggong accidentally entered the room of a shrewish married woman and was caught in the act by her husband, who cornered him against the ceiling.

Bai Mengyan was too tired to laugh anymore and could only lean on Li Wan's shoulder, panting and wiping away her tears.

Amidst the constant stream of laughs, the director didn't forget to use other scenes as a diversion.

When Li Bingbing held her sick daughter, her eyes shifted from relief to pain and then to guilt. She didn't say a word, but the entire screening room fell silent.

When Niu Geng stood at the door, saw the situation inside, and silently turned to leave, the screening room was so quiet that the hum of the air conditioner could be heard.

Bai Mengyan suddenly felt a lump in her throat.

My mom never tells her about any difficulties at home; she just tells her to study hard...

Her father was a railway worker, a job that was both tiring and dangerous, and he was often away from home. At the beginning of the year, that incident happened, and he was gone for a month during a heavy snowfall.

The figures of the two unfortunate people on the screen suddenly became incredibly clear, just like someone she had met on the train where her father worked when she was a child.

At the end of the movie, Niu Geng finally received his wages, and Li Chenggong returned home. The two said goodbye at the train station, and Li Chenggong showed Niu Geng a genuine smile for the first time.

Suddenly, Niu Geng blurted out, "Boss, are you going home again next year? I feel—"

Li Chenggong's expression changed instantly, and he hurriedly covered his mouth in alarm.

The screen went black, and the subtitles slowly appeared.

There was a two-second silence in the screening room, followed by enthusiastic applause.

Bai Mengyan clapped along, her palms turning red from clapping.

This movie is not only entertaining and funny, but as the daughter of a railway worker, she felt a special connection to the story.

"It's so beautiful!" Li Wan excitedly grabbed her hand. "I knew Ji Yun wouldn't disappoint!"

"It really is beautiful." Bai Mengyan sniffed, her eyes still glistening with tears. "It's much more beautiful than I imagined."

"What do you mean 'much better than I imagined'?" Li Wan glared at her, dissatisfied. "This is a masterpiece, okay? Just think, he's only 18, and this is his first film. What will he be like in the future?"

Sun Meng nodded vigorously beside her: "And look at those celebrities, they're all doing cameos for free. Why? Because they believe in Ji Yun! They believe in this movie!"

Bai Mengyan thought back and indeed saw many familiar faces. Hu Ge, Liu Yifei, Yang Mi, Li Bingbing...

"I'm telling you, from today onwards I'm a fan of Ji Yun," Li Wan announced. "I'll definitely watch his movies from now on!"

"Me too!" Sun Meng raised her hand.

Bai Mengyan smiled but did not respond.

But she knew in her heart that she already remembered the name Ji Yun.

As they left, they passed by the screening room of "Red Cliff" and were surprised to find that the movie was still showing.

Bai Mengyan curiously peeked inside.

To her surprise, although the room was full of people, the audience's reaction didn't seem enthusiastic. Some people yawned and walked out, some frowned and looked at their phones, and some ate popcorn expressionlessly.

She overheard a boy leaving complain, "Two and a half hours! Half an hour of rambling just sits there. They should at least do some fighting. What kind of movie is this if they don't fight? It's the middle of the night, and I was already sleepy."

Another boy chimed in, "Lin Chih-ling's 'Cute Girl Stands Up' gave me goosebumps. Is Wu Yusen under some kind of spell...?"

"The highest-grossing Chinese director? All that talent has been sucked dry by white people. I waited a whole year, stayed up all night to see the movie, and I'll give him a piece of my mind when I get back."

The three exchanged a glance and chuckled to themselves.