Shang Yechu certainly knew who the "writer" Ji Juntao had gone to find was.
No wonder Ji Juntao didn't dare answer Shang Yechu's calls. She probably thought Shang Yechu would turn on her.
Why bother hiding it from Shang Yechu? Even if Ji Juntao told the truth, Shang Yechu wouldn't be angry. After all, who would complain about free labor?
Shang Yechu walked step by step toward the door, but the more she walked, the heavier her steps became, and the more she walked, the more difficult it was to shake off the frustration in her heart.
Shang Yechu told Ji Juntao about Sheng Wenzhi's situation, originally worried about rumors of her living with a male writer in the future, and wanted Ji Juntao to prepare in advance. Unexpectedly, Boss Ji was good at recognizing talent and had already started using Sheng Wenzhi as a tool.
Every word Shang Yechu said to Ji Juntao was carefully absorbed and stored in her database, like a locked drawer or a neatly organized folder on a computer.
She cared too much about Ye Chu.
She doesn't take Shang Yechu seriously at all.
Shang Yechu stopped in her tracks.
On what grounds?
Why should I?!
A long sigh came from behind. Suddenly, Shang Yechu turned around and looked at Gu Wenhua, saying, "You have the master tape, right?"
Gu Wenhua was taken aback: "Uh... of course there is."
Shang Yechu looked directly into Gu Wenhua's eyes: "Take me to see it. I'll see it with you."
Gu Wenhua put down her teacup, somewhat surprised: "But didn't President Ji say that she—"
"Do you want to place all your hopes on others?" Shang Yechu stared intently at Gu Wenhua.
Gu Wenhua was stung by the obsession in those eyes and was momentarily speechless: "I...I...I..."
"Didn't you want to become a famous director, a great director, surpassing Zhan Kexiang?" Shang Yechu's tone was tinged with disappointment. "You can't even handle this little thing, what kind of great director are you?"
"Huh, how did you know..." Gu Wenhua was stunned. Zhan Kexiang was Gu Wenhua's idol, and Gu Wenhua even had a collection of all of Zhan Kexiang's film DVDs at home. —But he had never mentioned this to Shang Yechu!
"I'll just ask you one question: are you going to do it or not?"
Gu Wenhua was completely defenseless against Shang Yechu's gaze. In an old film directed by Zhan Kexiang, there was a mentally unstable mad scientist who often displayed a similar look. That mad scientist was Gu Wenhua's childhood nightmare.
“Okay, okay. I’ll do it!” Gu Wenhua was covered in sweat. “I can’t show you the master tape, but I have a copy of the finished film on my USB drive. But the USB drive is in my hotel room, and it might not be convenient for you to come with me, since you’re an artist.”
The pressure in Shang Yechu's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a warm smile: "I almost forgot, your hometown isn't in Hengshi. You came here just for the movie?"
Gu Wenhua breathed a sigh of relief: "After the premiere, I originally planned to go straight home. But then I thought that I would just be idle at home anyway, so I might as well come to the film and television base in Hengshi and broaden my horizons."
Shang Yechu walked up to Gu Wenhua and asked curiously, "Aren't you from the Beijing Theatre Academy? I remember there's a film studio right next to the Beijing Theatre Academy."
"You mean Tiangong Film Studio?" Gu Wenhua stood up and quietly stretched his limbs. "They do things differently there than here. Both are worth learning from."
Shang Yechu stopped discussing the issue. "I'll wait for you here. Do you have a laptop?"
"have."
"Remember to bring it."
Gu Wenhua went downstairs, while Shang Yechu stayed in the office and called Yi Tianzhao to ask for leave.
In the past few months, apart from the time Yi Tianzhao was hospitalized, Shang Yechu had never taken leave. Therefore, it was easy for her to get leave this time. Yi Tianzhao approved two days' leave.
Shang Yechu sat at Ji Juntao's desk, turned on Ji Juntao's computer, and began downloading video editing software and frame-by-frame screenshot software.
-----------------
Gu Wenhua rushed into the office like a gust of wind. It was the hottest time of October, and he brought a strong smell of sweat with him as soon as he entered.
Shang Yechu didn't mind him at all, and quickly waved her hand, saying, "Quick, quick, sit here, let's watch together!"
Gu Wenhua tossed the USB drive to Shang Yechu and drank a cup of tea first. While drinking tea, Shang Yechu copied the original film "The Mute Woman" onto Ji Juntao's computer.
During the theatrical release, the film sources are all encrypted digital copies. But Gu Wenhua, as the director, naturally has many resources at his disposal and is not bound by these restrictions.
Trying to refute Dong Hongtao through verbal arguments is actually quite ineffective. The most effective approach is to focus on the film itself.
The theatrical release period is the golden age for commercial warfare. During this time, the results of mudslinging and underhanded tactics are most significant. This is because during the theatrical release, there are no other legitimate ways to watch a film besides in theaters. Theatrical releases have viewing costs—a ticket costs tens of yuan, and viewers have to invest about two hours of viewing time. Most viewers will consider this carefully.
If a film's reputation sours at this point, audiences will naturally be more cautious and may not bother watching it at all. However, for a film to clear its name, it needs a large audience to see it in theaters, creating a word-of-mouth effect. Bad reviews mean fewer viewers; the fewer viewers, the fewer people voice their opinions fairly, and the louder the smear campaign becomes—further worse the reputation. It's a vicious cycle.
Shang Yechu recalls many movies that were heavily criticized upon release, suffering from poor reviews and box office losses. However, after their theatrical run ended and they were released on streaming platforms, many viewers were surprised to find that they weren't as bad as others had described. Then, many spontaneously rallied to rehabilitate the films.
This process will take a long time, perhaps months, perhaps years. Even if the case is overturned in the future, no amount of positive reviews can bring back the box office success of the past; it will all be just yesterday's news.
Therefore, to refute Dong Hongtao, one must start with the film itself, using evidence from the original film, and deliver a swift and decisive blow before the film is taken off the screens!
As Shang Yechu watched the progress bar gradually fill up, a sense of doubt suddenly arose in her heart.
The box office battle is an annual event, with people arguing fiercely every year. But with "The Mute Woman's" low box office numbers, who could it possibly threaten? Why is it suddenly being targeted?
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