I'm just trying to ride the wave of popularity!

Chapter 1: Sun Wukong vs. Superman 2!

2003 years.

June.

The weather was so stuffy it was hard to breathe.

Zhou Yang sat quietly by the window, ordered the cheapest coffee, and did nothing but stare blankly at the bustling street outside.

I've been in this world that's both familiar and strange for about a month now, and I still feel a little lost.

Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Emperor Taizu of Song—all are represented. The Empress Dowager Cixi of the late Qing Dynasty and the eight years of humiliation are also included. The Three Kingdoms and Journey to the West are also featured, along with other well-known historical figures.

But what followed in history gradually became somewhat ambiguous...

After finishing his coffee, he looked away, straightened his slightly wrinkled suit, and lowered his head to wipe his glasses.

Although his appearance in the mirror was not as good as before, Zhou Yang was very satisfied with his refined and gentle demeanor.

The music in the café was gentle, a melodic tune, um, it was a famous Austrian piano piece called "To the Beautiful You".

Zhou Yang listened quietly, thoroughly enjoying this moment of tranquility. Before long, the coffee was almost gone.

Just then, there was a knock on the door of the private room.

"Come in."

Zhou Yang put on his non-prescription glasses and looked at the beautiful, tall girl who walked in with a gentle smile.

The girl was a little stunned when she saw Zhou Yang, but then she quickly smiled and extended her hand: "Hello, Mr. Zhou."

"Hello, Mr. Zhang..." The girl's name was Zhang Muxue, a shareholder of Feihe Cinema in Yanjing.

After the girl sat down, she looked the young man up and down, who, despite wearing an inexpensive suit, was impeccably dressed and possessed a certain air of sophistication. She hesitated for a moment and then said, "Mr. Zhou, let's get straight to the point. You said you wanted to invest in our [Feihe Cinema], is that true?"

"Yes." Zhou Yang nodded.

"Mr. Zhou, you should be aware of the current situation of our Feihe Cinema, right?" Zhang Muxue hesitated for a moment before asking this question.

"I've looked into it. They only have four months' rent left before they go out of business." Zhou Yang nodded seriously after asking the waiter for a refill of his coffee.

“Although the lease expires in four months, we will renovate and replace all the tables and chairs. In addition, we will also reach various strategic cooperation agreements with major cinema chains… We…” When Zhang Muxue saw this, she immediately took out a long list from her bag and handed it to Zhou Yang.

But Zhou Yang shook his head and did not take the list: "Mr. Zhang, I'm sorry, I like to get straight to the point. Just tell me, how much do you want to invest in your movie theater?"

"One hundred thousand!" Zhang Muxue's face flushed slightly, but she still stared intently at Zhou Yang and uttered a number that exceeded her expectations.

But it's a pity.

She couldn't detect any other emotion on Zhou Yang's face.

As the beautiful French song "Beautiful World" played, Zhou Yang silently took a sip of coffee, looked out the window, and made no move to speak.

"Ninety thousand. If you can give me the money now, I'll give you ninety thousand!" Zhang Muxue took a deep breath and gritted her teeth as she said another number.

Zhou Yang turned his head slightly to look at Zhang Muxue, and gave her a gentle smile: "Well then, Ms. Zhang, let's order first. How about steak?"

"can."

"Okay, waiter, two steaks please, thank you!"

Under Zhang Muxue's gaze, Zhou Yang looked at the waiter who walked in and gave him an elegant smile.

The waiter nodded, then turned and left.

“Mr. Zhou, although our cinema’s lease is about to expire and our profits in the first half of 03 haven’t been high, Mr. Zhou, you should know that our Feihe Cinema is a long-established cinema with a large customer base. Moreover, and more importantly, our team is very well-organized, which gives us a significant advantage in the upcoming wave of cinema acquisitions…” Zhang Muxue felt very uncomfortable talking to Zhou Yang.

He always seemed so nonchalant, and always gave the impression of standing high above, looking down on others.

But Zhang Muxue knew very well that right now, she needed money!

In the 80s and 90s, the Feihe Cinema in Yanjiao was once very popular. Almost every time a blockbuster was released, the cinema was packed with people, and the surrounding snack and popcorn vendors also benefited.

In the late 90s, after the second owner was caught secretly playing pirated movies and the cinema was shut down for a while, Feihe Cinema gradually went downhill.

In three years, it changed owners several times...

However, because they were too stingy to buy the rights to major films, the movies they did buy were either incomplete or terrible films that caused people's blood pressure to rise and were ignored by everyone.

In the late autumn of 1999, with the arrival of the new millennium, the gradual end of the golden age of Hong Kong films, and the introduction of the concept of cinema chains by capital, cinemas of all sizes began to merge, reorganize, and undergo systematic brand management under the operation of capital.

This wave came very quickly. By 2001, cinemas all over the country, from large cities to small towns, big and small, any cinemas with any value, were restructured and acquired.

However, Yanjing Feihe Cinema, located in the suburbs and on the verge of bankruptcy, was not among those acquired in this wave of acquisitions.

It's too old.

The facilities are too old.

In addition, his reputation was ruined when he was involved in piracy, and his situation became increasingly awkward as the rent approached.

Zhang Muxue, on the other hand, was the unlucky one who was forced to take over Feihe Cinema last.

Why were they forced to?
The previous boss had gambled away money through drinking, gambling, and prostitution, and was unable to repay it. The court enforced the judgment and gave the money to Zhang Muxue.

Faced with the mess that was [Feihe Cinema], Zhang Muxue was completely dumbfounded.

"Mr. Zhang, I am well aware of the situation at Feihe Cinema, and I understand your feelings. However, investing is no small matter... It requires careful consideration. Let's have dinner first..."

Sunlight streamed through the window and shone on Zhou Yang's face.

Zhou Yang remained as calm and collected as ever. After the steak was served, he skillfully picked up his knife and fork and began to eat slowly and elegantly.

They resembled seasoned aristocratic elites who had been through countless battles.

Zhang Muxue hesitated for a moment, wanting to say something, but ultimately chose to remain silent.

I just looked at the steak in front of me, but I had no desire to eat it. I just took a sip of lemonade.

Then, the phone rang.

She glanced at the phone number, then at Zhou Yang. "Excuse me."

"Please."

Under Zhou Yang's gaze, she picked up her phone and hurriedly left the private room.

About ten minutes later, she walked in silently.

Zhou Yang had almost finished eating.

"Steak tastes best when it's hot; it loses its flavor when it's cold," Zhou Yang said, looking at Zhang Muxue.

Zhang Muxue took a deep breath and looked at the pretentious Zhou Yang, feeling a little annoyed: "Mr. Zhou, you've finished eating. Can we talk about investing now?"

Despite Zhang Muxue's increasingly cold expression, Zhou Yang maintained a gentle smile: "Ms. Zhang, would you like some steak?"

"No, I'm full."

"Oh, then we can't waste it."

Zhang Muxue watched helplessly as Zhou Yang took her steak.

Then, he watched helplessly as Zhou Yang picked up his knife and fork and continued to eat slowly and deliberately.

Would you like some coffee?

"Don't drink."

"Oh."

Zhou Yang nodded, and under Zhang Muxue's murderous glare, he took the cup of coffee that should have belonged to Zhang Muxue and took a sip.

After finishing his drink, he leaned back in his chair with a contented look on his face.

Zhang Muxue glanced at the time, her gaze gradually turning cold: "President Zhou, can we discuss the acquisition contract now?"

"Mr. Zhang, may I take a look at your contract?"

“Okay.” Zhang Muxue handed the contract to Zhou Yang.

Zhou Yang did not take it. Instead, he wiped his hands with a tissue and, seeing that they were clean, accepted the contract from Zhang Muxue with both hands.

After receiving the contract, Zhou Yang took a careful look at it.

"The asking price of 9 is not an ideal price..."

"Mr. Zhou, so you mean..."

"Okay, I have some things to do in the entertainment industry later. Please leave the contract with me for now. I will have my lawyer review it carefully, and I will give you an answer tomorrow."

"it is good!"

Seeing Zhou Yang's serious expression, Zhang Muxue nodded: "Then tomorrow will be here..."

"Let's stay here. I enjoy facilitating this collaboration with gentle French music."

"it is good!"

"Mr. Zhang, please wait a moment, no need to see me off."

"it is good."

Zhang Muxue watched as Zhou Yang put away the contract, stood up, and walked out of the private room.

Zhang Muxue nodded, then lowered her head to think about the next film copyright plan, but the more she thought about it, the more of a headache she got.

Currently, cinemas across the country mainly operate through connections between cinema chains, production companies, and distributors, gradually forming a state of capital monopoly.

Small cinemas without powerful backers face significant challenges in acquiring blockbuster films, especially given the exorbitant copyright fees.

But without good movies, no customers are willing to spend money. Without customers, it's even harder to resell a cinema, and it's even harder to get a good price. Everything seems to be stuck in a vicious cycle.

Zhang Muxue glanced at the meager amount in her bank card and recalled the condescending manner of "President Zhou" from earlier. A look of worry crept onto her face. It seemed that her first entrepreneurial venture was destined to end in failure.

Forget it, let's take a step by step.

As she was leaving the private room, she was called back.

"Hello, the total bill is 514 yuan, thank you!"

"What? 514 yuan? A few cups of coffee and a few steaks cost that much?"

"Excuse me, hello. Mr. Zhou, who shared a private room with you, ordered our signature steak, four glasses of milk, four servings of pasta... oh, and he also took one of our guitars..."

"???"

Zhang Muxue took the bill, glanced at it, and then looked at the door.

His face turned bright red, and he was trembling with anger!
..............................

"Director Shen, didn't your brother want a guitar? Here, I'll give you one..."

“Mr. Zhou, this guitar is too valuable… I… You’ve been taking care of us brothers all this time, we…”

"What are you thinking about? Oh, right, I just bought a movie theater. I want to invest in making a movie. Can you help me get a crew and we can shoot it when we have some free time?"

"Huh? A movie? Mr. Zhou, you're amazing!"

"Ha, it's nothing special. I wrote a script, take a look..."

"What script?"

"A blockbuster that blends Chinese and Western elements!"

"Wow! Mr. Zhou, I will definitely make your movie seriously. Thank you for your trust. I...I...wait, 'Sun Wukong vs. Superman 2'?"

"..."

(End of this chapter)