When things get busy, time always flies. Before we knew it, New Year's Day arrived amidst a heavy snowfall.
Driving through the streets this morning, perhaps because everyone is on holiday, the usually bustling streets are now deserted. Even when a car passes by, it slows down, not in a hurry, and the ground is covered with snow tracks. No one wants anything unpleasant to happen on the first day of the new year.
Some government offices and shopping malls along the roadside had hung lanterns at their entrances, but as the daylight grew brighter, they gradually went out. Fang Yang couldn't remember when it started, but where there used to be lanterns all over the streets, now only government offices and shopping malls were still hanging them up. Perhaps they were holding on to the last bit of festive glory!
There were hardly any people at the company today, and the already deserted building was even more desolate. Fang Yang had nowhere to go, and he was shivering at home, so he might as well come to the company. He thought he would finish "Ghost Blows Out the Light" during the two-day holiday. He had been dragging it out for so long, and he had to finish it as soon as possible.
Yang Huajin next door rarely gets a day off. It seems that his daughter is coming home today, so even an iron man becomes a softie and goes to serve his sweetheart from a past life.
The office is cleaned every day. Fang Yang turned on the air conditioner and boiled water to make tea as usual. It seems that the Xihu City building will be completed in a couple of days. It will be a good time after the heavy snow and when the weather is clear. He will make a trip to Xihu and bring Chen Chen with him. The assembly of the computer room equipment there is about to start. Chen Chen will have to decide what equipment is needed.
While silently planning his itinerary, Fang Yang was startled awake by the gurgling sound of boiling water. He quickly made tea, since no one was coming to freeload today. He took out the purple clay teapot that Zhou Xin had brought last time, which could fill the whole pot with tea without any waste.
Just before lunchtime, Chen Chen and Fu Ming unexpectedly arrived together. Seeing Fang Yang in his office, they were both delighted. "President Fang, we didn't expect you to be in your office. Let's go out for lunch together; it'll be more lively with the three of us."
"Didn't you take a break today? It's a rare holiday, why don't you spend some time with your family?"
Chen Chen laughed and said, "My wife and kids went to my parents' house for the holiday, leaving me all alone. I might as well come to work and have some fun. Plus, I don't have to cook. Nothing tastes good when I cook for myself."
Fang Yang laughed and said, "In this cold weather, wouldn't it be better to stay home and play a little mahjong with a few people?"
"The fight won't last long. Don't you remember that 'Five Ghosts Transporting Fortune' was released today? I need to keep an eye on the data."
Fang Yang saved the computer data, stood up, and said, "Let's go. What do you want to eat for lunch? Let's see if the cafeteria has any."
"It's a holiday today, let's go out and have something nice to eat."
Chen Chen followed closely behind Fang Yang, saying, "Besides, Director Fu's movie is going to be released tonight, so let's celebrate in advance."
Fang Yang glanced at the two of them. "Alright, I'll drive over then. But eating crabs without drinking isn't very fun. You call the driver and have him bring a minivan."
The three of them were fully equipped. When they arrived downstairs, the driver had already parked the car. The heating was on perfectly, and they felt a wave of warmth as soon as they got in.
"Let's go to the crab restaurant near the City God Temple."
He pointed out the address to the driver, without looking out at the snow-covered landscape, and asked Chen Chen, "The film is releasing tonight, how are the pre-sales going?"
"Over 17 million, all from tonight's pre-sales. The situation is not bad. Last month's promotion still played a very big role. The box office in the south is better, reaching 15 million. In the north, it is mainly concentrated in the northeast region, which is about what you expected."
Chen Chen glanced out the window, hunched his shoulders slightly, and realized that as he got older, he didn't really like snowy days anymore. He was a bit afraid of the cold, and his body wasn't as resistant to the cold as it used to be.
"What about the other companies? How are their pre-sales going?"
"This year, the United States released a sci-fi blockbuster called 'Aliens,' a genre that has never been seen before. I heard it was released globally simultaneously. In the past two weeks in China, they've spent a fortune on advertising, reportedly nearly 500 million yuan in just two weeks. That's a huge investment. And the pre-sales have lived up to expectations, ranking first with a total of 81.53 million yuan, breaking the record for pre-sale amount in the domestic film industry. It's truly a formidable force."
Fang Yang was not surprised by this. This box office performance was just the beginning. With peace and no war in the world, countries around the world were working hard to develop their economies. As the vanguard of thought and culture, the film industry was naturally changing rapidly and showing a vigorous development trend.
After several years of slump, the domestic film industry has seen a recovery this year. Major film and television companies have invested heavily in producing new films, and several films have grossed over 2 billion yuan at the box office. This has brought a revival to the entire cinema industry, making it flourish again.
I wonder if Dadi Group feels like it's selling off its ancestral lands at a bargain price. Although Zhao Liang's report for this year hasn't come out yet, Fang Yang heard Zhao Liang say recently that this year's profit is estimated to be no less than one billion yuan. Although most of it has been invested in the renovation and upgrading of cinemas, this was originally part of the budget. The fact that the cinema chain can generate its own revenue is undoubtedly a great thing for the group.
"This is not surprising. With economic development, the film and television industry will usher in a period of boom. After all, the United States has a deep reserve and an open mind. It is common for them to produce a few good movies. Sci-fi blockbusters are all about funding and technology. We are not lagging behind in terms of technology, but we cannot invest too much in funding for the time being. We have to put this matter aside and do our own thing well first."
"Yes, besides this movie, a police thriller film shot in Hong Kong is also very popular. I heard that Liu Hua and Zhang Ze are the leading actors, and the female lead is also the new generation actress Xu Tianmin. This movie is also very popular, with pre-sales reaching 71.52 million, and it has great staying power."
Fang Yang glanced at Fu Ming, who was huddled in the back, and said, "It seems there are many hidden talents during this New Year's Day holiday. Everyone is going all out to give it their all. In that case, won't the competition be even fiercer during the Spring Festival?"
Chen Chen spends every day online and knows a lot about the current situation of various companies. "As far as I know, there are several big-budget films with investments of no less than 500 million yuan that are preparing to compete for the Spring Festival film season. Moreover, these films have already finished filming and are now being edited. It is estimated that they will start promotion in the middle of this month, and then there will be another fierce battle."
Fang Yang laughed and said, "Isn't this normal? Everyone wants to find a good time to release a film, but there are only a few good times throughout the year, so they all end up in this one period. However, as long as the quality is good, even the largest market can tolerate it. Simply put, you might want to watch 'Alien,' but after watching it once, twice, or three times, you'll eventually watch other movies. With such a long holiday, as long as the movie is good, it will always reap box office rewards."
Chen Chen laughed and said, "What you said makes sense. It's true that you can't please everyone. Otherwise, art films would have no reason to exist. The market always has an inclusive side."
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