Pirates began to dominate the Chinese entertainment industry.

When I got back to my classmate's villa, it was already past 2 a.m.

Bai Mengyan was sleeping in the guest room, but she couldn't fall asleep no matter how much she tossed and turned. So she turned on the computer in the room, logged into her blog, and searched for "Lost in Thailand".

After looking around, I found that hardly anyone was talking.

So she logged into her account and typed a message:

Just finished watching the midnight showing of "Lost on Journey," and I laughed until my stomach hurt. This movie reminded me of all the unfortunate things that happened on my way home from school, and of the people waiting for me at home. This is truly the best movie.

After sending it, she felt it wasn't enough, so she opened the QQ group and sent a message in the class group.

"I highly recommend 'Lost in Thailand'! If you don't like it, come and hit me!"

Night owls quickly replied in the group.

"Really? I was planning to see 'Red Cliff' tomorrow."

"Forget about 'Red Cliff,' go see 'Lost in Thailand'! I just finished the midnight showing, it was amazing!"

"I just came out of the theater. I watched both movies. I slept for half an hour during 'Red Cliff,' but I laughed for over an hour during 'Lost in Thailand.' The difference in quality is obvious."

"But Red Cliff has a lot of screenings, while Lost on Journey has too few. In our small town, there are only three screenings a day."

Bai Mengyan paused for a moment, then opened the movie schedule he had sent her.

Sure enough, tomorrow's screenings of "Lost in Thailand" will be pitifully few, with only five screenings all day, all during the day and evening, with no prime time slots.

She gritted her teeth and sent another message.

"Even if there aren't many screenings, I'll still watch it! Support good movies, and if you don't like it, come find me!"

"Okay! I'll go see it tomorrow!"

"+1!"

"+2!"

Seeing the responses from the night owls in the group, Bai Mengyan smiled with satisfaction.

She went back to her blog to read other people's reviews.

The first result that popped up was Ji Yun's blog.

His blog homepage is not updated often.

The latest one is still his critique of "Red Cliff" with "Seven Deadly Sins".

The latest comment was just posted:

"Just finished watching the midnight screening. Director Ji, I apologize for looking down on you online before."

"It's really funny. It's a hundred times better than 'Red Cliff'."

"Director Ji, when are you going to film the second movie?"

"I don't know anything about movies. I only know that I laughed more than ten times and was even moved at one point. That's enough."

Bai Mengyan clicked on Ji Yun's profile picture and was surprised to see that face; it was even more handsome than Rain oppa.

She stared at it for a long time, and then...

Never mind, I can't sleep anyway.

……

When I woke up the next morning and opened my blog, I saw that there were more than sixty comments under her post.

Some people are sharing the laughs that the movie made them laugh, while others are discussing why Wang Baoqiang is both so funny and so heartbreaking.

Another comment said, "The blogger is so beautiful, she could definitely be a star."

Bai Mengyan's lips curled up slightly.

----------

It was midnight in the Tiandao Culture office.

Ji Yun was in her office, facing off with Na Zhatou, counting the pre-sale figures for the film before its official release at midnight.

"0, 0, 0... Wow, boss, so many zeros, we're going to... Waaah—" Naza was covered in the mouth by Ji Yun, who only let go after warning him not to talk nonsense.

Naza jumped for joy: "Boss, our pre-sales have surpassed five million!"

Ji Yun glanced at the data.

Five days ago, pre-sales were zero.

Five days later, pre-sales reached five million.

The movie hasn't even been released yet, but it has already recouped half of its costs.

Ji Yun leaned back in her chair and let out a sigh.

Naza turned to look at him: "Boss, why aren't you excited at all?"

Ji Yun laughed: "The movie will be showing for a month, this is just the beginning."

"what?"

"The marketing war is over, now it's time for the box office war..."

Naza nodded, seemingly confused but full of fighting spirit.

Ji Yun glanced at the office clock: 1:50.

The midnight session has just ended.

Whether it's a small profit or a big profit, the results are about to be revealed.

At this moment, Zhao Liying came in carrying a large pile of lunch boxes.

"Late-night snack is here."

She opened and arranged the lunch boxes one by one.

He then took out a bottle of red wine from the office cabinet, leaving the bottle of champagne next to it unopened for the time being.

There were only the three of them in the office at that moment.

Sister Li went to help Ji Yun dig up news, while Xiao Zhao was in an internet cafe outside Shanghai Jiaotong University, working with the publisher Enlight Media to monitor public opinion with the students.

After opening the bottle, Zhao Liying poured a glass for everyone.

"Come on, let's celebrate the upcoming release of Tiandao Culture's first film!" Zhao Liying raised her glass first.

"Damn it!" Naza shouted, displaying the fierce spirit of a woman from the Western Regions.

Ji Yun smiled and raised her glass as well.

Just as the three cups were about to clink together, the company door was suddenly pushed open.

"Wait, what about me?" Secretary Liu arrived looking travel-worn.

Her face showed both fatigue and a smile. She wore an elegant blue fitted dress and black stockings and high heels, which made her long legs look even more shapely and charming.

"Why are you back?" Ji Yun was taken aback.

"I finished early in the mountain city." Liu Shishi said, sticking out her little tongue. Actually, she had run away secretly and didn't dare to turn on her phone yet, because Sister Cai was probably in a bad mood.

Ji Yun's expression clearly showed disbelief. This crucial battle after the Tang people's great calamity was far from easy, and it couldn't possibly end so prematurely.

Liu Shishi blushed and said, "Oh dear, our movie has been released, of course we have to come back to celebrate."

She changed the subject, saying, "Why don't you hold a premiere? That way, I, the lead actress, can come back openly and legitimately."

"The key to a premiere lies with the stars and the media, and we are at a disadvantage."

Ji Yun smiled.

He's not in a hurry; the key is to catch up with the massive influx of traffic after "Red Cliff" suffers a critical collapse.

"Here you go, Senior Sister." Naza obediently took a cup, poured the wine, and handed it over.

She and Sister Liying were arranged by the boss to live in the Silver Moon Apartment, where they were neighbors with Liu Shishi, and the two had met twice. She respected Liu Shishi quite a bit, after all, she was beautiful, had a good temperament, and came from the famous Tangren Media.

"Cheers!" Liu Shishi, in high spirits, led Ji Yun and the others in a toast.

……

The four of them sat around the table, eating and drinking.

Zhao Liying and Nazha were drinking one glass after another, looking more nervous than Ji Yun and Liu Shishi.

As contracted artists of Tiandao Culture, if the company's first film fails, they'll probably hide away and cry in secret.

All they want to do right now is get completely drunk, and they'll find out the outcome when they wake up.

Ji Yun wanted to say a few more words of advice, but suddenly felt something rubbing against his leg under the table.

He glanced down without making a sound, and froze.

A slender, long leg rubbed against his leg, the thin black stockings glistening with an oily sheen under the light. Her calves were beautifully shaped, and her instep would occasionally brush against his leg.

Liu Shishi's beautiful legs are sexy under the table, but she looks calm and pure on the table, creating a strong visual impact.

Has she gone astray, or has she learned something...? Ji Yun wondered.

Ji Yun glanced at her, only to see her give an elegant smile and raise her wine glass in a toast to Ji Yun from afar.

Ji Yun clamped her legs together to hold the unruly calves, then grabbed them with her left hand and rubbed them with her fingers.

Liu Shishi trembled and tried to pull back, but Ji Yun held her firmly, preventing her from moving.

Her face flushed instantly. She bit her red lips and secretly glared at him, then lowered her head to hide her embarrassment, leaving Ji Yun to play with her legs.

"Boss, you... you want to drink too?" Naza's voice was slurred.

Zhao Liying hugged her and rested her head on her shoulder. It was the middle of the night, and with the alcohol numbing her senses, her eyelids were almost closed, and she was making smacking noises with her mouth.

Eventually, he slumped onto the table, only occasionally muttering in his sleep.

Naza looked at her and grinned foolishly, then couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed drunk on the table.

Taking advantage of Ji Yun's momentary daze, Liu Shishi quickly pulled her leg back, stood up, and checked on the two of them.

Seeing that the two were fast asleep, she could only gesture to Ji Yun for help, and carry them to the sofa to rest.

She had just covered the two of them with blankets.

Ji Yun hugged her from behind, their bodies pressed together, and he gently stroked her slender waist.

Liu Shishi turned her head, their eyes met, and their passionate breaths collided.

She stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

Then she closed her eyes and reached out to wrap her arms around his neck.

The kisses grew more forceful, and Ji Yun's arms tightened around him.

The two were deeply engrossed in kissing, while Zhao Liying and Nazha were fast asleep nearby.

After a long while.

Lip points.

Liu Shishi's eyes were glazed over, her breathing rapid, and she buried her head in Ji Yun's arms.

Ji Yun reached out and ran her hands over her body.

Liu Shishi trembled, her legs went weak and she could barely stand. She quickly grabbed Ji Yun's hand and said, "Not here, those two..."

"They're sleeping very soundly," Ji Yun whispered in her ear.

"Please, not here," Liu Shishi pleaded, her voice trembling.

Ji Yun laughed and asked, "Can you do a handstand split?"

Liu Shishi's face flushed completely red, and she hid in Ji Yun's arms without saying a word.

Ji Yun chuckled, picked her up, quickly carried her to his office, locked the door, and laid her down on his usual bed.

This bed and the sofa outside are separated by only one wall.

Liu Shishi bit her hair, not daring to make a sound.

……

Time flies.

Ji Yun lay on the bed, her hand caressing Secretary Liu's fair back.

Her hair was damp with sweat, and she had fallen asleep next to Ji Yun.

"Girls with a dance background are incredibly flexible; they can do all sorts of poses, they can even..."

Ji Yun glanced at the time: 4:20.

He was in high spirits and got up to clean up the mess.

Liu Shishi was fast asleep on the small bed in the inner room, wrapped in a blanket, with a faint smile on her lips.

Outside the room, Zhao Liying and Nazha were drunk and passed out on the sofa. On the dining table were empty wine bottles and several lunch boxes.

Ji Yun sat back down at the computer, her fingers lightly tapping the desktop.

The box office figures haven't come out yet, and the data for the midnight screenings won't be available to him for another two or three hours.

He wasn't in a hurry; he had done everything he could, and now he just had to wait for the results.

He leaned back in his chair, put his feet up on the desk, and closed his eyes to rest. The air conditioning made the office feel icy cold.

My phone vibrated.

He picked it up and saw it was a text message from Gao Yuanyuan.

"The midnight showing tonight is sold out in several theaters in Beijing. I asked my friends in the theater industry, and the theater is almost full. Director Ji, if you can't sleep, I'm flying to Shanghai right now to celebrate with you."

Ji Yun smiled and her fingers flew across the keyboard: "How can you come so late?"

Gao Yuanyuan replied almost instantly: "Let's go to the airport now. We'll arrive at dawn and I can have breakfast with you then."

Ji Yun turned her head and glanced at the closed door of the inner room, then typed, "No need, you're too tired from staying up all night."

After waiting for about half a minute, the phone went silent.

After a while, Gao Yuanyuan replied, "Okay. I'll let you know as soon as the box office figures for Beijing are released tomorrow."

Ji Yun replied with an "okay" and then left.

He then opened the unread text message, which was from Liu Yifei:

"I'm so angry! I want to go to the movies, but my mom locked the door! How could you secretly show a movie while I'm in solitary confinement? Did you do it on purpose?! If this keeps up, I'll have to climb out the window and run away!!"

It was followed by an angry cat emoticon.

Unfortunately, Ji Yun didn't see it just now; he was...

Thinking of this, he simply went back to sleep.

……

He woke up just as dawn was breaking.

Secretary Liu, who was completely naked, was still sleeping in.

The sky outside the window was still a deep blue, with a faint hint of white in the east.

He stood up, stretched, and walked to the window to look down. The streets of Shanghai were quiet, with hardly anyone around, except for the occasional taxi passing by.

He picked up his phone and glanced at it.

Seven unread text messages.

The first one, posted by Gao Yuanyuan: "In North China, a midnight screening, less than 5% of the screenings, 200,000 yuan!"

The second one, posted by Xiao Zhao: "Boss, the data from Shanghai just came out. Some cinemas have reached 80% occupancy, and some cinemas have even added smaller theaters for our midnight screenings!"

Thirdly, Cai Yinong's text message contained only four words: "How much was the box office?"

The fourth one was sent by Xu Zheng.

The fifth one was sent by Wang Baoqiang.

The sixth message was from Manager Liao, and his tone was like a newly promoted middle-aged man reporting to his benefactor: "President Ji, I took my family to see it. It was very well made. I wish you great box office success."

The seventh one—he paused for a moment.

It was sent by Liu Yifei.

5 points in the early hours.

"The streets of Beijing at dawn."

A beautiful photo of her fully armed followed by a picture of her, with the girl next to her being Zhang Liangying.

Ji Yun stared at the text message for five seconds, then chuckled.

He replied to Liu Yifei with a message: "Did you use a VPN?"

I waited a few seconds, but there was no reply.

She was probably hung up and beaten by her mother.

……

Ji Yun smiled, put her phone in her pocket, and brewed herself a cup of Longjing tea.

"Boss..."

Ji Yun turned around and saw Zhao Liying sitting up from the sofa in a daze, her hair a mess like a bird's nest, rubbing her eyes and yawning loudly.

"What time is it?"

"Around six o'clock."

"Where's the box office? Where's the box office? Where's the box office?" Zhao Liying suddenly woke up, her eyes wide open.

"Wait a little longer." Ji Yun placed the tea in her hand. "Drink some first, and we'll talk when you're awake."

Zhao Liying took the teacup, her fingers still trembling.

She took a sip, then another, and suddenly burst out laughing.

"Boss, I'm more nervous than when my show's ratings are announced."

"If you want to know, just call and ask yourself."

Zhao Liying realized what was happening and quickly dialed her brother's number.

"Why are you awake so early?" Xiao Zhao's voice on the other end of the phone was so hoarse it sounded like he had just swallowed a piece of sandpaper. The clattering of keyboards could also be heard nearby, indicating that he hadn't slept all night.

"Where's the data?" Zhao Liying asked, holding her phone.

"The data for the midnight show isn't complete yet, but based on what I can see so far... sis, I think it's going to be a hit."

Zhao Liying's heart skipped a beat, her pupils dilating: "Wh...what do you mean by 'explosive'?"

"I just feel like we might break even." Xiao Zhao's breathing was trembling even through the phone. "Where's the boss?"

Zhao Liying blankly handed over her phone: "Boss, he's looking for you."

Ji Yun took the phone.

"Boss, we currently have over 500,000 data points available for the midnight session."

We could very well break even in just one day!

In the five cities of Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou, the average occupancy rate exceeded 80%. In Shanghai, a cinema moved us from a small theater to a larger one; they added that at 1 AM last night.

besides......"