After being dumped by the diva, I was picked up by her arch-enemy.

Twelve hours after the Cannes awards ceremony ended.

The domestic internet has been completely paralyzed.

#Jiang Yichen Cannes Best Actor#

#Farewell My Concubine's 12-Minute Applause#

#23-year-old Best Actor#

Of the top 20 trending topics, 13 are related to "Farewell My Concubine".

Major video websites worked overnight to create special features.

The image of Jiang Yichen walking onto the podium was played repeatedly.

The phrase "Drama should not perish, nor will culture" topped the trending charts on short video platforms.

The threshold of the Qilin Opera Troupe has been worn down by reporters.

Several elderly men were blocked at the door, and the only question they asked was the same one.

When will this movie be released?

The old gentleman tucked his sleeves in.

"have no idea."

Are you looking forward to it?

The old man looked up at the camera.

"I waited my whole life."

Four words silenced the interviewing reporter.

……

three days later.

Jiang Yichen returned to China.

Sixty security personnel were deployed at Beijing Capital International Airport, but they still couldn't stop the crowds of people coming to pick up passengers.

Someone was holding up a record of "Nocturne".

Someone was dressed as Yu Ji from a traditional opera.

There was also a male fan carrying a two-meter-tall sign.

It says--

[Jiang Yingdi, please stop playing Yu Ji, it breaks my heart.]

Jiang Yichen glanced at the man as he passed by.

"Nice makeup."

The male fan paused for two seconds, then shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Jiang Shen praised me!"

The scene instantly descended into chaos.

Back at the Qilin Opera Troupe, Xu Zhiyou had already prepared a brazier.

Jiang Yichen stood at the doorway, looking at the burning charcoal at his feet.

"What do you mean?"

"To ward off bad luck."

Xu Zhiyou said earnestly, "Cheng Dieyi suffered too much. Overcome this, and from now on, only walk the flower path."

Jiang Yichen stepped over the brazier.

Gu Ruanxing stood behind him and handed him a bowl of water infused with pomelo leaves.

"Take a sip."

"This also wards off bad luck?"

"Hydrate."

Gu Ruanxing looked at him: "You only drank half a glass of water during the eleven-hour flight."

Jiang Yichen took the bowl.

"President Gu's romance is becoming increasingly based on scientific evidence."

Gu Ruanxing's ears turned slightly red.

"Drink it or don't, it's up to you."

Xu Zhiyou peeked out from the side.

"Isn't mine more romantic?"

"You almost burned my trouser leg."

"..."

After a short rest, the real problem arose.

The movie "Farewell My Concubine" is about to be released.

The distribution meeting was held at the National Film Center the following afternoon.

All six major domestic cinema chains were present.

After the final video finished playing, the conference room was quiet for half a minute.

Qin Maosheng, vice president of Xinghai Cinema Circuit, spoke first.

"The movie is very good."

Chen Hao's heart sank when he heard those four words.

In business, "the product is very good" is usually followed by "but".

really.

Qin Maosheng opened the data table.

"But the film is 171 minutes long."

"Including cancellations and clearing out, a maximum of five screenings can be scheduled per screen per day."

"The competition during the summer movie season is fierce. The film next door, 'Deep Sea Fortress,' is only 108 minutes long, and it can be shown seven times a day."

He adjusted his glasses.

"Our suggestion is to cut it to 135 minutes."

Chen Ge raised his head.

"Where should I cut?"

"The opera segment can be shortened."

Qin Maosheng flipped through the documents.

"Also, the early scenes of learning opera, Master Yuan, and the trial are a bit slow-paced. Ordinary viewers might not understand them."

Chen Ge put down the teacup.

Have you watched it in its entirety?

Qin Maosheng paused.

"The issuing department conducted a professional assessment."

"I'm asking you."

Chen Ge stared at him.

Have you seen it?

No one spoke in the meeting room.

Qin Maosheng remained silent for two seconds.

"Time was limited, so I fast-forwarded through what I learned."

Chen Ge smiled.

He closed the script.

"You won't even give it three hours, yet you expect me to believe the audience won't give it either?"

Qin Maosheng's expression darkened slightly.

"Director Chen, we're talking about business."

"Theatrical distribution is not an art charity."

Just as Chen Ge was about to speak, Jiang Yichen reached out and pressed down on his script.

"President Qin is right."

Everyone looked at him.

Qin Maosheng was also somewhat surprised.

Jiang Yichen continued, "Theatrical releases need to make money. Scheduling screenings based on occupancy rates is fair."

"So you agree to the cuts?"

"No."

Jiang Yichen picked up the stack of documents on the table.

"Not a single frame was cut."

Qin Maosheng frowned.

"So how do you plan to solve the runtime issue?"

"Give it 12% of the screenings on the first day."

"Too low."

"I know."

Jiang Yichen looked at him.

"But I don't want administrative coordination or special treatment."

"Pre-sales for both midnight and prime-time screenings are now open."

"After the film's release, the occupancy rate will be tallied every six hours. Whoever has the highest occupancy rate will get the screening slot for that period."

Qin Maosheng stared at him.

"You want the market to decide?"

"Didn't you just say we were talking about business?"

Qin Maosheng remained silent.

Gao Qiming, the producer of "Deep Sea Fortress", was also present.

He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the armrest.

"Teacher Jiang, film festival audiences and ordinary audiences are not the same thing."

"People in Cannes can sit for three hours straight for art."

"Domestic audiences spend money to go to the cinema to relax."

Gao Qiming smiled.

They don't owe Cheng Dieyi a movie ticket.

Jiang Yichen nodded.

"right."

"So I don't intend to make them pay off their debts."

He stood up and took the hard drive from Chen Hao's hand.

"My job is just to put the movie in."

"As for who they look at, the data will speak for itself."

End of the meeting.

The six major cinema chains agreed to Jiang Yichen's proposal.

First day of screenings.

"Deep Sea Fortress", 38%.

Farewell My Concubine, 12.5 percent.

When the news broke, many industry insiders shook their heads.

"A 171-minute opera-style art film, no matter how many screenings it gets, can't be sold out."

"A Cannes Best Actor award can generate buzz, but box office success isn't built on trophies."

"It's estimated to be capped at 500 million."

When Gao Qiming was interviewed, he only said one sentence.

"Respect art, respect the market."

It was 8 p.m. that evening.

The final trailer for "Farewell My Concubine" has been released.

The trailer is only 90 seconds long.

There is no narration.

There was no mention of the award.

The story begins with Little Bean standing in the snow, repeatedly singing the wrong lyrics.

The scene changes.

The phoenix crown fell off.

The gongs and drums sounded.

Cheng Dieyi turned around.

Then came the Japanese army, war, wedding, public denunciation, and the Fish Intestine Sword.

The last shot.

The stage was empty.

Cheng Dieyi looked at Duan Xiaolou.

We promised to be together forever.

The screen turns black.

Pre-sale channels are now open.

ten minutes.

Pre-sale box office: 48 million.

Twenty-seven minutes.

It has surpassed 100 million.

One hour.

One hundred and ninety-three million.

Three ticketing platforms crashed simultaneously.

Xinghai Cinema Data Center.

Qin Maosheng looked at the constantly changing numbers on the backstage screen, took off his glasses, and wiped them twice.

The secretary whispered a reminder.

"Mr. Qin, the prime-time screenings of 'Farewell My Concubine' are sold out."

"Add another show."

"How much?"

Qin Maosheng glanced at the pre-sale attendance rate of "Deep Sea Fortress," which was only 19%.

"Adjust by eight percent first."

Midnight.

The film "Farewell My Concubine" premiered nationwide.

The No. 1 Cinema in Beijing.

All 1,200 seats were occupied.

The movie has ended.

The screen went black.

There was no music at the end.

Twenty seconds passed.

No one in the screening room got up.

The theater manager, sitting in the last row, gradually turned pale.

He didn't know what this silence meant.

Until, from the darkness, came a suppressed sob.