Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 123: Girl's Feelings

On the afternoon of October 2002, 10, the crew of Whiplash began their first roadshow in Central and South China in Changsha.

It's a familiar process, but because Hunan's provincial TV station is more entertainment-oriented, Jay Chou has an especially large number of fans.

The last time he went to Happy Camp, tickets were hard to come by, and this first roadshow was still packed with fans.

Boss Lu became more and more proud of his decision to choose him. As long as the quality of the film was guaranteed, this would be a box office magic potion!

"Lu Kuan, when do you think I'll have so many fans?"

Liu Yifei sighed with envy as she watched Jay Chou signing autographs for his enthusiastic fans.

She wasn't jealous, she just felt that it was a great sense of accomplishment to be recognized in some aspects.

"You? It's too early."

In general, Boss Lu treated her with mainly criticism and supplementary encouragement.

She has lived a relatively affluent and smooth life since childhood, and if she is praised implicitly by others, how proud would she be?

Concubine Liu Yi was used to his teasing and didn't take it seriously: "Xiaolu, let's finish our conversation and sneak off to the night market, shall we?"

"I heard Changsha has a lot of delicious food, like stinky tofu, sugar-coated glutinous rice cakes, salted duck, and rice noodles..."

Boss Lu glanced at her thighs and gave you a look so you can understand it yourself.

Liu Yifei raised a small fist towards his back and looked at her figure with a frown.

She is at the age of growing up, and although her energy consumption is high, she also eats a lot.

Because of the daily morning exercise training, the thighs and calves have already developed some muscle lines.

Anyone who has lost weight knows that this type of muscular fat is the most difficult to shape.

The pace of domestic films has always been slow. This is the first time that audiences have seen a movie like "Whiplash" with a relatively dense narrative rhythm and reversals.

Not only the audience at tonight's premiere in Changsha, but also the crew has spent a lot of effort to complete the roadshow in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Yangtze River Delta and other places. The reputation and praise of the film are constantly fermenting.

Peking Dance Academy

Liu Shishi, who just started school this year, just came back from the cinema with her roommates and was still immersed in the exciting movie atmosphere.

She started learning ballet at the age of 6 and went to art school in the fourth grade of elementary school. She has been living in the school dormitory since she was a child in order to have more time to practice dancing.

"Shishi, Lu Kuan's movie is so good! I want to watch it again tomorrow!"

Liu Shishi smiled gently, her feelings were much deeper than most ordinary audiences.

"In this world, there is no evaluation more harmful than 'not bad'."

What a great thing to say, it reminded her of her dancing career, but where should she go in the future?

The little girl clenched her fists and silently cheered herself up, Come on!
Peking Film Academy

"Ling Xiaosu, can you give me a definite answer?"

Yao Chen was indeed quite upset today.

He saw Guo Lukuan and the girl who was lucky enough to become the heroine at the Beijing Film Academy's freshman opening ceremony this year.

But today, when she actually went to the cinema to watch this Golden Lion Award-winning film and heard endless praise of Liu Yifei's beauty, she finally couldn't help but get angry at her boyfriend.

"Chenchen, this Lukuan is indeed difficult to contact for the time being. It is said that Zhang Jian from the Beijing circle sent his son there before, but he was just a handyman. This..."

Yao Chen glared at her. "I don't care. I'm about to graduate, and I don't want to be in those low-end TV crews anymore. If an actor wants to be famous, he has to be on the big screen and win awards!"

"Look at that little girl in the movie just now, she's only 15! Look at the internet now, all over the internet are her red carpet photos. What about me? What about me?"

"Ling Xiaosu! I've been with you for almost two years. Can you please be a little more manly?"

Ling Xiaosu's face also looked ugly. He wanted to get angry at his girlfriend but couldn't bear to do so, so he could only keep a low profile.

"I... I'll think of a way. Don't worry, Chenchen. Even if it's not Lu Kuan's movie, there are other people. I will definitely help you!"

Yao Chen's mood turned from sunny to cloudy. That's right. Every day he either works hard under the bed or works hard in the bed!

Boring!
She has an impeccable taste in choosing boyfriends.

Ling Xiaosu's mother is a producer and director at the Xi'an Film Studio;

My great-grandfather is Ling Zifeng, one of China’s third generation of directors;

Grandma is Shi Lianxing, one of the four great stars of the Yan'an period;
My aunt and uncle were both Qi Baishi’s last disciples...

I'm a virgin, and I've given you my body. What's wrong with that for your family's good resources? What's wrong? Is that too much?
[Beiping, a compound in Liuliqiao, FT District]

"Mom, I still want to act in movies."

Zhang Weixin was knitting a sweater leisurely. Given her family's financial situation, there was no need for her to knit it herself. It was just a hobby.

She smiled without even raising her eyelids: "Are you tired of filming TV series again?"

She brought her daughter to the set when she was 3 years old and taught her acting step by step.

At the age of 17, she won the Golden Horse Award for Best Actress for her good friend Chen Chong and Yan Geling's film "The Scent of Heaven", and since then she has embarked on the path of an actress.

Li Xiaolu is only a dozen days younger than Fan Bingbing, but her resources and background are much more powerful.

Take the yard under the mother and daughter’s feet for example. The famous Beijing director Ye Daying also grew up here. His surname alone says a lot.

Li Xiaolu was searching for information about the young director Lu Kuan on his blog, thinking about the film Whiplash that he was going to watch in the cinema that night.

She is currently on the set of "The Thirteenth Princess", a Qing Dynasty palace drama co-starring with Li Chen, Lü Liping and others.

"Mom, do you have any acquaintances who can connect with Lu Kuan?"

Zhang Wei was stunned. "Lu Kuan? The Golden Lion Award-winning director?"

"Yeah, I looked up his information. He's the same age as me, very talented, and very handsome!"

"Mom, I want to act in his movie, okay?"

Zhang Weixin looked at his daughter lovingly.

"Okay! Why not? I'll ask you now."

She put down her phone, flipped through the address book, found Tian Zhuangzhuang's name and dialed it.

The movie "Whiplash" ignited the passion of movie lovers in more than a dozen cities, and also subtly changed the life trajectories of many people in the circle.

In the entertainment industry, a world of fame and fortune that is like a melting pot, Lu Kuan's name has finally entered the vision of various circles thanks to this masterpiece.

Some people may have forgotten his nickname as the little god that people used to joke about.

But no one can deny his talent as a young film director.

Or envy, jealousy, or hostility.

There are those who want to win her over, those who want to recommend themselves to her, and those who regard her as a competitor.

October 2002, 10, Changsha Huatian Hotel, Lu Kuan Room.

Boss Lu skillfully looked at the response to "Whiplash" after the first day of its premiere on various websites, with a stack of newspapers at hand.

Concubine Liu Yi was also in his room.

Of course Liu Xiaoli was also present.

"How is it? They are all praising us, right?"

The little girl was so excited that she couldn't sleep well all night. Early in the morning, she went to Lu Kuan's room with her mother to wait for the first day's box office data.

Coincidentally, Feng Yuanzheng, Jay Chou, Huang Bo...

Everyone gathered together without any prior arrangement, eagerly awaiting the result of the first battle.

Boss Lu smiled as he watched the crowd file in. Just as he was about to take out his cigarette case, he was met with an unfriendly look from Concubine Liu, and he stuffed it back into his pocket in a huff.

When a lady is present, you should still behave like a gentleman.

Huang Bo is a lively person. Seeing everyone's nervous faces, he took the initiative to liven up the atmosphere.

"Director Lu, I went to the internet cafe and browsed forums all night yesterday. Guess what?"

"Let's tell a crosstalk, tell it!"

"It was such a rave review! All of them were praising us!"

Everyone was amused by his exaggerated tone and expression. Suddenly, Lu Kuan's cell phone rang.

He picked up the phone, it was Yu Dong.

Lu Kuan turned on the hands-free mode: "Old Yu, go ahead."

In 2002, cinema chains across the country were not connected to the Internet, and tickets were basically torn by hand. Box office statistics were inaccurate and slow.

When we entered the Internet age, box office figures would pop up as soon as midnight passed.

There was a faint sound of heavy breathing coming from the other end of the phone, and everyone was stunned.

Flopped?
"Lu...Guide Lu." Boss Lu's hand reached for the cigarette box again involuntarily. It would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous.

Confidence is confidence, but when facing the results of the first day of the test, no one can remain indifferent.

The market is always worthy of awe.

"Old Yu, just say it, no matter what the outcome, we can handle it!"

Of course he can afford it. The copyright in North America and the distribution rights in Asia have been negotiated, and the film's profits have reached an extremely astonishing level.

But the mainland box office will always be an issue he needs to pay attention to, because it is the blue ocean of the future, the future treasury, and a market that all directors and investors must seize.

“2…217 million!”

Don’t think this number is low, this is the Chinese film market in 2002.

"Green Tea", starring Jiang Wen and Zhao Wei, only had a box office of 60 on the first day, not to mention that the cost of "Whiplash" was only about 600 million.

"what!"

This is Feng Yuanzheng.

"Fuck! That's awesome!"

This is Jay Chou.

"Ahhhh!"

This is the screaming Liu Yifei.

Lu Kuan breathed a sigh of relief. This number was slightly beyond his expectations.

The number of screenings of "Whiplash" on the first day was not high, only 15%.

The biggest competitors during the same period were Hong Kong's "Heartstrings" and "The Lion Roars" and Chen Kaige's "Together with You".

The number of screenings is slightly higher than that of "The Drummer".

There is nothing that can be done about it. One is a Hong Kong star who is well-known in the entertainment industry, and the other is a famous director who won the Palme d'Or at Cannes.

Although it is not an exaggeration to say that Boss Lu is a rising star, the cinema chain still dares not schedule too many screenings for him.

In any case, it is rare to recover almost one-third of the film's cost on the first day.

This is also the advantage of low-budget movies, with less pressure to make profits.

Yu Dong also laughed heartily: "I've already made appointments with all the cinema owners in Peking today. They must schedule a screening for us today. With this quality and reputation, I don't believe they will refuse to make money!"

"Old Yu, drink without worry. If you die from drinking, it will be considered a work injury!"

"Screw you!"

Yu Dong hung up the phone with a smile and curse, and there was joy in Lu Kuan's room.

Boss Lu is far less optimistic. This is only the first day, and the budget for publicity has been set at over 300 million.

300 million in advertising expenses may seem like a lot, but in first-tier cities, it was all spent on a few high-end advertisements, a few outdoor screens, and elevator advertisements in a few buildings.

Fortunately, he has Blog.com, the public opinion tool with the largest traffic in China, which can greatly make up for the weakness of online propaganda.

The 300 million yuan in publicity expenses alone would require at least 900 million yuan in box office revenue to recoup the investment.

Making movies is difficult!

If it weren't for the cheat, Boss Lu's first movie would probably have been a flop.

"230 million on the first day, over 2000 million in ten days, wouldn't it be over 5000 million in a month?"

The little girl was holding AD calcium milk in her hand, sucking it while having wild thoughts.

Everyone was amused by her. Of course, the box office revenue cannot be calculated in this way, but the result is hard to say. It may be lower than expected, or it may far exceed expectations.

"This is a good start, but the subsequent box office performance depends on many factors."

Liu Xiaoli and her daughter were relative outsiders in this room, and upon hearing this, they couldn't help but wonder, "Xiaolu, can you tell us more?"

"The first thing to look at is definitely word of mouth, to see how the audience reacts after the premiere."

"The better the reputation, the more viewers will see it, and Yu Dong will have more confidence when negotiating with theater chains about scheduling the film."

"Secondly, it depends on the performance of competitors."

"We chose to premiere in October to avoid Mission: Impossible 10 in September. There were only three movies that could be released during the same period."

Boss Lu counted on his fingers to analyze the situation for everyone.

"I watched Chen Kaige's 'Together With You'. It was too literary and artistic, and the plot was dull. I think the screening schedule will be reduced."

"'Heartstrings' has a strong cast with Nicholas Tse, Edison Chen and others. The box office should be good in the first few days, but the reputation will definitely collapse within a week, especially with us as a comparison."

"'The Lion Roars' is the biggest rival, and the final competition in terms of film scheduling will be between us and it."

Lu Kuan and Yu Dong studied the movies that will be released in theaters in October and November. Almost all of them are low-budget domestic films, including Tian Zhuangzhuang's "Spring in a Small Town".

In short, there is no one who can fight!
As long as the box office can remain stable in the first week, the spread of word of mouth will attract more audiences to the cinema.

Without considering the impact of piracy, winning the Golden Week box office championship or even the October box office championship is not an unattainable dream!

Everyone happily returned to their rooms to pack their luggage and prepare for the afternoon flight to the mountain city.

"Xiao Liu, why haven't you left yet?"

After Boss Lu finished arguing with a few trolls online, he looked up and found only Liu Yifei in the room. Liu Xiaoli was gone.

"me..."

The little girl stammered and couldn't speak.

"If you have something to say, say it now! If you have to fart, fart now!"

Lu Kuan walked to the door and opened it wide.

This kid, how come he has no defense against me at all?

"Lu Kuan, can I go with you guys to finish this month's roadshow before returning to the crew?"

Zhang Jizhong is almost going crazy. He has been bombarding Lu Kuan with more than a dozen phone calls almost every day these days, nagging him to release Wang Yuyan as soon as possible.

The crew of "Tian Long" moved from Shidu to Taohua Island, and then to Yongchang, Zhejiang Province. The last stop was Tianlong Film and Television City in Dali.

Lu Kuan laughed and said, "How can that be? Without your big beard, will Tianlong still be filming?"

"What's wrong? Are you worried?"

Concubine Liu Yi muttered, "It's okay, nothing."

Boss Lu looked at her strangely as she walked away dejectedly, and slammed the door emotionally.

With a loud bang, the road became inexplicably wide.

Why did the young lady suddenly get so angry?
In Liu Yifei's room, Liu Xiaoli was packing clothes as their flight was leaving early.

Liu Xiaoli didn't notice that her mood was a little unusual and was busy folding her underwear.

Well, my daughter has grown up and it’s time to change her size.

"Hey, what is this?"

A small sapphire blue embroidered satin sachet fell out of the clothes. When I smelled it carefully, I could smell the fragrance of Chinese herbs such as Angelica dahurica and Cymbidium orientale.

The little girl approached like lightning, grabbed the small thing in her hand, and pretended to be calm.

"This is the mother I usually use to keep myself awake while reading a script."

Liu Xiaoli said with a smile: "You work so hard? Where did you get this little gadget? It's quite exquisite."

"Oh, this was made by a handicraft shop near Beijing Film Academy that Jiang Yiyan from our class took me to."

She pinched the small sachet guiltily and pinched the few barely noticeable red dots on her fingers, which were marks left by stitches.

When she thought about Lu Kuan who had sent her to the crew of "Tian Long", she felt very aggrieved.

At the end of August, Lu Kuan asked Mei Yanfang's personal designer Liu Peiji to help the little girl design a dress for the red carpet.

At that time, Lu Kuan joked that it was her birthday present this year.

When the two of them went to the courtyard together last month, she accidentally learned that Lu Kuan had a habit of staying up late to write scripts, but the original incense holder was broken.

She thoughtfully asked Zhuang Xulukuan about his birthday according to the Gregorian calendar, which was October 10th of every year.

This small sachet was originally a gift for him, but now it seems there is no way to give it away.

The fifteen-year-old girl, who had just reached the age of 15, stood quietly by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the lonely autumn scenery, with her mother's nagging instructions behind her.

Perhaps she herself has not yet realized the girlish feelings that are quietly sprouting in her heart.

　The next chapter may be risky. I will publish it on a regular basis. If it is harmonized after being sent out, I will revise it during the day and then send it out.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)