Losing Money to Become a Tycoon: Starting with Games
Chapter 424: The Movie Release
The more Pei Qian thought about it, the more something felt off. He quickly dialed Huang Sibo's number.
Even though there was clearly an insider involved and the situation was already beyond saving, Pei Qian still couldn't help but ask.
Even if he was going down, he at least wanted to know why!
"Hello? President Pei?"
Huang Sibo's side sounded a bit noisy, as if he was busy.
Pei Qian didn't waste any time and went straight to the point. "Who handled the movie's promotion and distribution?"
Huang Sibo paused for a moment. "Huh? Shenhua Films did. Didn't Mr. Lin tell you?"
Beep. The call ended.
Huang Sibo looked at his phone, completely confused.
"Strange… wasn't it President Pei himself who asked Mr. Lin from Shenhua Films to help with the promotion?"
…
After hanging up, Pei Qian immediately called Lin Chang.
"Hello? President Pei, what's up? The movie doesn't premiere until tomorrow, right?"
Hearing this, Pei Qian's heart sank.
As expected—it was this guy!
Suppressing the pain in his chest, Pei Qian asked, "The promotion for A Better Tomorrow—did you use Shenhua Films' resources for it?"
Lin Chang paused briefly before laughing. "Yes, President Pei—you noticed already? I was actually planning to surprise you on the day of the premiere."
"Don't take it too seriously, President Pei. I didn't spend much money—just used some existing resources I had on hand. Nothing major, really."
Pei Qian was so angry he couldn't even speak.
Listen to that—was that even something a human would say?
Didn't spend much money? Just casually used some existing resources?
And with that, you secured nearly 40% of the screening slots?!
Hearing no response from the other end, Lin Chang thought Pei Qian was moved and quickly added, "Really, it's just a small token of gratitude. Please don't take it to heart."
"Besides, future screening allocations will depend on attendance and word of mouth. It might not stay above 30%."
"Of course, since it's a film invested in by President Pei, it must be excellent. I'm just helping things along."
"If you still feel bad about it, you can always symbolically cover some of the promotion costs after the box office profits come in."
Pei Qian: "…"
After the box office profits come in?
By then I'll already be buried! What's the point of talking about 'compensation' now?!
With a weak voice, Pei Qian asked, "Who told you about this movie…?"
Lin Chang chuckled. "What, President Pei wants to thank them in person? No need. Feihuang Studio making a movie isn't exactly a secret—you can find out with a little digging."
"Anyway, don't worry about it. As long as you help settle Lin Wan's situation, what's a bit of promotional resources?"
"Once Lin Wan finally returns home, I'll help promote every movie you make in the future!"
Pei Qian: "…"
If you keep talking like that, Lin Wan is never going back to your family for the rest of her life!
Only now did Pei Qian finally piece together what was going on. Clearly, Lin Chang had misunderstood and taken it upon himself to do what he thought was a "small favor" as thanks for Pei Qian persuading Lin Wan to leave.
But Pei Qian was suffering inside—this wasn't gratitude, it was sabotage!
Pei Qian forced a dry laugh. "Mr. Lin, if this movie becomes a box office hit, I won't let you off!"
Beep. The call ended.
Lin Chang looked at his phone, slightly surprised.
"As expected of President Pei, even his way of expressing gratitude is so unique."
In reality, although Lin Chang made it sound simple, securing such a high screening rate had taken quite a bit of effort.
Fortunately, the competing films weren't particularly strong, which allowed A Better Tomorrow to claim such a large share of screenings on its first day.
"Looks like Lin Wan will be coming home soon," Lin Chang thought to himself with satisfaction.
…
…
Tuesday, February 22nd.
00:00 AM.
Pei Qian quietly snuck into the cinema on the top floor of Huanyu Sky Street, planning to watch the midnight premiere of A Better Tomorrow all by himself.
Huang Sibo, Zhu Xiaoce, Lu Zhiyao, and Zhang Zuting weren't in Jingzhou. Over the past few days, they have gone to major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou to promote the film and meet fans.
At this very moment, they were probably in some big-city theater as well, waiting for the premiere.
As for why Pei Qian came alone—it was because he was afraid that if the premiere received an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response, he might lose control of himself.
As long as no acquaintances saw him, he wouldn't risk making a scene and ruining President Pei's image.
Before entering the theater, Pei Qian first noticed the Zadkiel phone booth. Even at this late hour, someone was inside singing.
Seeing Zadkiel's seemingly mocking expression, Pei Qian felt his eyelid twitch. He quickly turned his head away and hurried into the theater, afraid that his mentality might collapse before the movie even started.
Because he had bought his ticket a bit late, he didn't get a particularly good seat—just a corner spot off to the side.
Pei Qian thought that was actually fine.
On one hand, he wasn't expecting a great viewing experience anyway—just watching it casually would do. On the other hand, there were bound to be lots of couples coming to see this movie, and sitting in a corner could help him avoid too much "public displays of affection."
However, the moment he sat down, he was speechless.
Right next to him was a couple.
No matter how he tried to avoid it, he still couldn't escape!
Pei Qian could only aggressively munch on his oversized bucket of popcorn to distract himself.
The theater was about 70–80% full—not completely packed, but still quite impressive for a midnight premiere. After all, this was Jingzhou, not a major city like Beijing or Shanghai.
Of course, that was "impressive" by other people's standards. To Pei Qian, this attendance rate was very bad news!
"Stay calm, stay calm."
"I must maintain a peaceful mindset."
"The people coming to a midnight premiere are probably all hardcore fans of Lu Zhiyao. As a top-tier domestic actor, it's perfectly normal and reasonable for him to have some die-hard fans show up."
"Once these fans have watched it, the attendance rate should drop sharply."
Pei Qian chewed on his popcorn while psyching himself up.
Just past midnight, the theater lights dimmed and gradually went out.
The opening featured a series of company logos, including Feihuang Studio and Shenhua Films.
The chatter in the theater slowly died down as everyone focused on the big screen.
The movie officially began.
Accompanied by the opening credits and background music were several montage shots:
A ready-to-eat relief meal placed on a table;
Crumpled paper balls and flattened beer cans at someone's feet;
A small screen endlessly playing noisy advertisements;
A half-eaten bag of chips filled mostly with crumbs…
Through these shots, the film's sci-fi setting became faintly apparent—the design of the table, the small advertising panels in the room, and the cramped yet high-tech environment all seemed to suggest a story set in the future.
The chaotic static in the background gradually became clearer. On the big screen, a well-produced yet seemingly dull variety show was playing. Clear, standard English narration could be heard, with subtitles appearing at the bottom of the screen.
Lu Zhiyao's figure was seen from behind, sitting on the floor and leaning against the bed, completely absorbed in watching the screen.
Suddenly, the big screen displayed the "Guessing Result" segment. At the same time, a huge celebratory "Congratulations" burst onto the screen with fireworks effects—this meant the protagonist had guessed correctly and earned money from the variety show.
"YES!"
Lu Zhiyao shouted excitedly, pumping his fists. After a series of celebratory gestures, he walked over to the food counter to buy a can of beer…
?
Pei Qian suddenly realized—he had seen this scene before.
Next would be the beer-drinking part!
Back when they were filming, he had even personally "guided" Lu Zhiyao's acting in that scene…
Pei Qian's heart sank.
Damn it—this movie opened with a killer move right off the bat!
When he watched the rough cut before, this wasn't the opening scene at all!
Just changing the opening like this instantly created a powerful, attention-grabbing effect.
The entire theater fell silent—even the sound of people eating popcorn had diminished.
A sudden sense of unease crept over Pei Qian.
This felt completely different from the rough cut!
On screen, Lu Zhiyao didn't go to pick up the can he had thrown away. Instead, he slumped to the ground, leaning against the window, hugging his knees, and burying his head deeply into his arms.
This was the film's opening.
Then the scene shifted, no longer focusing on the capsule where the protagonist lived, but instead transitioning to the outside world.
After midnight, the external world became the domain of the extremely poor.
Towering skyscrapers stretched toward the night sky like glowing tombstones.
Faintly visible atop distant buildings were rooftop terraces and gardens. Wealthy elites loved to build retro-style mansions on the very tops of these skyscrapers, and at night, they ensured these homes shone brilliantly—so that the destitute, who were only allowed three hours outside at night, could gaze upon them.
At the base of the buildings, colorful neon lights flickered—completely different from the almost heavenly scenes at the very top.
The dim stars above and the neon lights below seemed connected by these glowing "tombstones," creating a faint sense of absurdity.
Thousands of flying cars, glowing in various colors, darted between the skyscrapers like flowing stars, forming vibrant rivers of light across the night sky.
Yet, the destitute people walking in the drizzling rain with umbrellas paid no attention to any of it. They browsed strange-looking snacks that might not even taste good, engaged in cheap forms of entertainment, and haggled over a few coins—clearly accustomed to this way of life.
On televisions in roadside shops, programs were playing: one destitute individual was being severely punished for entering the outside world at the "wrong time." The host was "earnestly advising" all citizens to only go outside during designated hours and not violate the rules.
Pei Qian hadn't seen this segment before.
Because most of these shots were created with post-production special effects, which was where the bulk of the budget had gone.
Looking at the grand scale of the scene and the almost lifelike visual effects, Pei Qian grew even more anxious.
"Stay calm, stay calm."
"The special effects only last for this short segment—just a few minutes. There won't be scenes of this scale later."
Pei Qian grabbed another handful of popcorn and stuffed it into his mouth, using food to ease his growing anxiety.
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