Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Teacher Shen, your performance towards me tonight...
After dinner, Chen Zhuo and Shao Chengzhang found the foreign movie that Zhixia released last year and watched it. Chen Zhuo thought the plot was very ordinary.
"From your objective evaluation, is 'Like Her' better than this movie?" Shen Zhuo asked.
"Yes." Shao Chengzhang nodded and reassured her, "It's already grossed over 60 million, so you don't have to worry."
Chen Zhuo sighed heavily, leaning his head against the back of the sofa, frowning and silent. Shao Chengzhang took her hand, pinching the base of her fingers, stroking the back of her palm, accompanying her.
"Shao Chengzhang, do you have any good news to cheer me up?" Shen Zhuo was too upset, and she couldn't indulge in this mood any longer.
Shao Chengzhang said, "The recent bidding process went smoothly. Barring any unexpected events, the results will be announced in a few days. If we win, Dreamora will build a theme park in Ya'an District."
"Okay, okay, at least one of us can have a smooth life." Chen Zhuo held his hand and placed it on his forehead, "Lend me some of your good luck."
Shao Chengzhang smiled and said, "I don't want any. I'll give you all my good luck."
*
Chen Zhuo first contacted Zhixia Media and learned that they had set up a word-of-mouth special group last year, specifically to introduce niche and well-received foreign films. Last year, they had included "Like Her" in the discussion, but they didn't expect that the copyright would be bought by Chen Zhuo later.
Chen Zhuo hadn't expected the negotiations with Zhixia to go so smoothly. Furthermore, as one of the top three private film and television companies in China, Zhixia had its own publicity team. While Chen Zhuo still had to cover the costs, he didn't have to waste the energy of finding a separate publicity company. In one fell swoop, they secured not only distribution but also publicity.
Zhixia gave her a plan based on Chen Zhuo's 1.5 million publicity expenses. Chen Zhuo showed the plan to Nadia, and she said that the plan given by the other party was relatively reasonable.
The publicity budget is very limited and can basically only be concentrated online. Trailers will be released on major platforms first, and short video topics will be used to generate heat. Previews will be held in first- and second-tier cities a week before the release. At the same time, mid-level and vertical film and television bloggers will be selected to share and recommend the film.
Chen Zhuo took a look at the schedule calendar. There were two movies that attracted much attention on May Day. One was a comedy road movie with top stars, and the other was an action blockbuster directed by a Hong Kong director. These two movies could almost occupy most of the theater schedules. If the release time was long and it would be connected to the summer season, there would be even more movies released, and "Like Her" would hardly occupy any screenings.
Chen Zhuo and Zhixia discussed and decided on the release date for the weekend before May Day. If the box office performance in the previous week is good, there is a chance that the film will make a push for the May Day release date.
"Wild River" is about to reach its finale, and the pseudo-siblings played by Guan Siyu and Jiang Rui remain incredibly popular, with "artificial rain" ranking in the top three most popular topics daily. Chen Zhuo has been receiving script offers and proposals, which she forwarded to Xiaoyun, asking her to select and evaluate the best ones. This is essential for Xiaoyun to become a professional agent.
As the workload increased, Chen Zhuo began to recruit agents to manage the newly signed girls.
Once we get busy, the days fly by and in the blink of an eye it’s mid-April.
One day before going to bed, Shao Chengzhang suddenly asked her: "Wife, do you know what day tomorrow is?"
"What day?" Shen Zhuo leaned against the bedside holding his phone and replied to the message, following his words and asking without thinking.
After a few seconds without hearing Shao Chengzhang's answer, she turned her head to look at him, "Hmm?"
Shao Chengzhang curled his lips and snorted, "This day last year was the day we got our marriage certificate, and you've forgotten."
Chen Zhuo was stunned: "Is it tomorrow? So soon." She swiped the status bar of the page with her finger. It turned out that they got the certificate on April 15th. Well, she didn't remember it at all.
Who made their start so hasty and impulsive?
"It would be nice if it was a special day with a good meaning." Shao Chengzhang said with a little regret, then added, "But I checked, it's a good day for getting married."
"You're starting to believe in metaphysics again. What's the matter? Do you think the day is bad? Why don't we get divorced and then pick an auspicious day to get remarried?" Chen Zhuo said with a smile.
When Shao Chengzhang heard Chen Zhuo say the word "divorce", he looked at her resentfully and said, "I won't divorce you. What if after we divorce you regret not marrying me?"
"Then you have to reflect on yourself. There must be something you did wrong. That's why I won't marry you."
Shao Chengzhang turned over, supported himself on the bed with his elbows, and looked up at her. "So, am I doing anything wrong now?"
Shen Zhuo thought for a moment and said, "For now, I'm satisfied."
"Out of 100, how many points can I give?"
"Hmm... 99 points."
"Where's that one point difference?"
"I'm afraid you'll be too proud, so I want you to know that there's still room for improvement."
"I'm not proud, give that point back to me."
"If you want it, I'll give it to you."
"Give it or not?"
"No—ah!" Shen Zhuo exclaimed before he finished speaking.
Shao Chengzhang stood up, lifted the quilt, and took her phone away. He put his big hand around her waist and dragged her down, then pressed her down. The friction of her nightgown pressed her down below her waist, revealing two smooth legs.
Shao Chengzhang looked at her with a pout.
Chen Zhuo couldn't help but laugh. She lifted her foot, hooked it around his calf, and gently rubbed him with the instep of her foot. "Okay, I'll reward you with an extra question tonight. If you answer it well, you'll get extra points."
Shao Chengzhang curled his lips, rested his forehead against hers, and said in a deep voice: "Teacher Shen, I don't want to do one question, I want to do a whole set of questions."
He kissed Chen Zhuo and wrote the answer bit by bit on her body with the tip of his tongue.
The previous answering steps are familiar.
There was nothing around to hold onto, so Shen Zhuo could only grab the bed sheet with both hands, his chest heaving violently.
She couldn't control her shyness and trembled uncontrollably. She wanted to avoid it but also wanted to comply. She really didn't know what to do.
The test paper was completely wet, and the furry head lifted from his lap. "One point per point, okay?"
Shao Chengzhang's face felt cold. He stretched out his tongue to lick off some of the water stains, but he couldn't reach the other part. He stood up and covered her with his tongue, smearing the sticky liquid on her chest.
The originally empty space was gradually filled up.
"Enough, enough...one hundred points!" Shen Zhuo struggled to get these words out of his throat, trying to speak clearly for fear that Shao Chengzhang might not hear clearly.
But he didn't stop even though he heard it clearly. "There's one last additional question, right?" he said in a rough, panting voice.
Shao Chengzhang suddenly began to write rapidly.
Finally, the exam is over.
Shao Chengzhang held her in his arms, patting her back gently. When she had almost calmed down, he pulled away a little, placed her hand on his chest, and looked at her with a smile, "Teacher Shen, are you satisfied with my performance tonight?"
Chen Zhuo was indeed satisfied and hummed twice: "It's barely a full score."
He moved his hand from his back to the front, wrapping his entire palm around a white mass. He moved his fingers on it, pressing it as if playing the piano. "Actually, I have other ways to solve the problem. I'll show Teacher Shen a few more next time."
Chen Zhuo patted the back of his hand, turned over and lay flat on his back, not looking at him, and said proudly: "No."
Shao Chengzhang loosened his hand and switched to the side he hadn't held just now. He curled his lips and said, "Teacher Shen, don't you know that a strict teacher can only produce excellent students? We need to take more exams in order to make progress."
"I don't want a talented disciple, I want students all over the world." She couldn't help teasing him again.
"Hmm? What did you say?" Shao Chengzhang raised an eyebrow and turned her face so that she was staring at him. "Then Teacher Shen's wish won't come true. You will only have me as your student in this life."
*
Chen Zhuo has no time to celebrate the one-year anniversary, as "One Look at Her" will be officially released soon. She has been keeping an eye on the promotional topics every day, but so far none of them have gone viral and caused any discussion. In addition, the box office of the preview screenings in the previous week was less than one million, so she is a little worried.
The day before the release, she was practically on pins and needles, often staring blankly at the time on her phone. At night, no matter what Shao Chengzhang said to her, she seemed to have installed a signal shield, ignoring everyone.
At 23:59, she held her mobile phone and stared at the data platform APP. Shao Chengzhang asked her if she wanted to get ready for bed, but she shushed him and said, "Don't talk to me first." Her heart was pounding with nervousness!
At 00:00, Chen Zhuo refreshed the page. "Like Her" appeared in the third row of the film column. The box office value kept jumping. Chen Zhuo clicked on that column and saw that today's box office showed 101,000. Looking down, the column for predicting the total box office in the mainland showed 11.2417 million.
"The forecast is only 11 million?!" Shen Zhuo shouted in shock.
She initially projected a box office of 30 million, knowing that the film might not have a large audience, but she never expected the forecast to be so low!
"It just came out, and there aren't many people going to the movies during midnight, so the current forecast data is not accurate."
Shen Zhuo was completely stunned. Shao Chengzhang's words drifted in and out of her ears like air. Now she only remembered the 11 million. If it was 11 million, then she wouldn't even get her money back, and she might even be losing money.
"Now all you have to do is sleep."
"Don't talk to me first!" Shen Zhuo couldn't help but raise his voice to warn him again, and the tone was several degrees higher.
Chen Zhuo opened her calculator. The total cost included 2.8 million yuan for copyright buyout, 1.1 million yuan for distribution, 1.5 million yuan for publicity, and about 200,000 yuan for translation and post-production. She spent a total of 5.6 million yuan, but after deducting the theater share and taxes from the 11 million yuan box office, she could only get back about 3.85 million yuan, taking a middle value.
So she still lost about 1.75 million.
She looked at the -175 on the computer, her eyes blinking, her mind blank.
"Chen Zhuo, don't give up." Shao Chengzhang snatched her phone away. "You should wait at least a week before looking at the forecast. Hawkeye judges box office trends based on daily box office and month-on-month changes. The film has enough staying power, so the box office is predicted to be higher, so don't worry about it yet."
"No, give me your phone so I can take another look." Shen Zhuo raised her hand to grab it, but Shao Chengzhang stretched out his arm and she couldn't reach it.
"Baby, go to sleep now. I promise the box office will definitely not be just 11 million. You have to believe in yourself."
"But--"
"No buts."
Shao Chengzhang put his cell phone on the bedside table on his side, helped Chen Zhuo lie down, and turned off the lights directly.
After a few seconds, Shen Zhuo couldn't help but say, "Shao Chengzhang, what if the box office is lower than predicted? Then I will lose even more."
Shao Chengzhang reached out and pulled her into his arms, his tone steady: "Even if it is really lower than expected, it's just a loss of money."
"No!" Shen Zhuo shouted, "That's just under 2 million!"
"This is only the first day of release, and market feedback is far from stable. Audience reputation is the key to determining the direction of the film. If the film is good, the audience will naturally bring more people to the theaters. The data will increase, you have to give it time."
"But...what if the audience doesn't buy it?"
"Then let's review and summarize our experience, so we can be more cautious in selecting films next time."
"Ahhh, if I lose money, why would I choose a movie? I will never invest again. I'll just go to work honestly."
Shao Chengzhang smiled and said, "It's better if you make money, but it doesn't matter if you lose money, I'm here anyway."
"How about you help me take another look and see if the box office is higher? Oh, please, please, please, please?" Chen Zhuo shook his arm. She wanted to take the phone and wanted to keep staring at the box office data.
Shao Chengzhang sighed, turned over to unlock the phone and took a look. Chen Zhuo also half-propped himself up and squinted his eyes to see, but the screen was too far away from her and she couldn't see anything clearly.
"It's too high." Shao Chengzhang locked the screen, put down his phone, and lay back down.
"Ah? Really?"
"Really? I'd be lying to you like a puppy." Shao Chengzhang hugged her again, "Start now, close your eyes and go to sleep. When you wake up tomorrow morning, the box office will definitely increase."
Chen Zhuo was so worried that she could only pray silently that the situation would be reversed tomorrow.
It's hard to find peace when someone's preoccupied with something. Chen Zhuo tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Shao Chengzhang wasn't asleep either, but he kept his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. If she knew he was awake, and she'd constantly ask him to check data or get caught up in endless speculation about the future, she wouldn't have gotten any sleep that night.
In fact, she understood the general principles, but at this time, no matter what he said, it was like empty talk. She could only rely on herself to digest and adjust bit by bit. He could only promise that he would always be there when Shen Zhuo needed him.
It was almost three o'clock when Shen Zhuo's breathing finally calmed down. Shao Chengzhang pulled the corner of the quilt for her and hugged her tighter before slowly falling asleep.
Shen Zhuo rarely opened her eyes before Shao Chengzhang woke up. It hadn't even been four hours. Her eyes were sore, but her mind was clear. She glanced at Shao Chengzhang, who was still fast asleep, so she quietly got out of bed, walked around to his side, and took her phone.
She immediately unlocked it, clicked into the app, and took a look at the box office.
The good news is that the box office really increased.
The bad news is that the increase wasn't very much.
The screening ratio has not increased, and the expected box office remains the same, without any change.
Chen Zhuo stared at the screen, his heart knotted even more, he sighed, and walked out of the bedroom with his head down.
The room returned to silence, and Shao Chengzhang slowly opened his eyes. He also got up and walked into the living room to see Shen Zhuo curled up on the sofa with his knees hugged. His thin back made his heart tighten.
How can we help Chen Zhuo?
He turned back to his room, picked up his phone, and opened the chat with Chen Hang. The words were already typed: "Contact a few cinemas and book a number of screenings..."
But the fingertips stopped.
Yes, if you do this, she might feel relieved at the moment, relieve her anxiety, and feel that the situation is not so bad, but what about in the long run?
Shao Chengzhang stared at the screen in silence for a long time, and finally deleted the edited text.
It's not that I don't want to help, but I can't help her in this way. True support isn't about smoothing everything over for her, but about allowing her to learn to withstand setbacks and pressure independently, to accept the facts, to cope calmly and unperturbed, and to become more composed and stronger. Only in this way can she truly grow and not be crushed by a single setback.
Reason told him that Chen Zhuo had to walk this path alone. All he could do was to always stand behind her when she needed him.
He believed that Shen Zhuo could do it.
And based on her understanding of Shen Zhuo, she wouldn't agree with her actions. If she knew he was helping to buy out the theater and buy ticket sales behind the scenes, she wouldn't be happy, but would be even more angry. She didn't want false comfort, but real results.
He put down his phone, took out a blanket from the cabinet, walked into the living room, put the blanket on her, and then put his arms around her from behind.
But Shen Zhuo couldn't stay stuck in the internal friction, so Shao Chengzhang whispered, "Wife, let's go on a date today."
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