Chapter 128: Upsidedown
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
On the first day of the lunar new year, the movie ‘Wa-wah Robot: A Brilliant and Brave Rescue’ officially hit the big screens. It successfully aired during the new year film slot that was the golden period of ticket sales. The big cinemas were all positive on the potential of the movie. As the movie was a family-orientated comedy film, its row piece rate was at above 30%.
Even so, the row piece rate was still too low. The reason was that the turn-up rate in the cinemas showing the ‘Wa-wah Robot’ film was generally above 80% and 90%. There were also many cases of a 100% turn-up rate at the cinemas, and scenes of severe crowding. The movie broke many records for the highest turn-up rate in various cinemas. For example, the Wanda mall cinema which accounted for the largest market shares of the cinema outlet, had a turn-up rate of a whopping 93.27% for the first screening, which exceeded the runner-up by over 50%. The numbers were scary! It was the same in the other big cinemas.
Time pa.s.sed quickly. Morning sessions, night sessions, and late-night sessions, all three waves of screening periods had pa.s.sed. The row piece rate, turn-up rate, real-time box office, and other statistical data were continuously fluctuating and being renewed and recalculated.
When the clock pa.s.sed 12 midnight, in Hanghu city, cheers that trembled the skies came from within a studio named ‘Taotao Films.’
“It is broken, the record has been broken!”
“We have broken the records for the highest daily box office for the new year film slot and the nationwide record for highest daily box office!”
“788 million, we are ahead by 200 million compared to the runner up! Miss Tao, we can certainly hold this record for a very long time.”
“Hmph! It was actually possible to break 800 million on the first day, but there were too many people stealing our box-office. We urged the internet to help collect evidence and realized that at least tens of millions of box office had been stolen, we must get back what we lost!” s.h.i.+ Xiaotao ground her teeth. Hitting 800 million box office on the first day was a very auspicious number, but those shameless thieves gobbled up a large piece of it. She would not stay idle in this matter. She would wield the weapon of law and defend her rights of profit!
When she was sending a message to Chen Jin via WeChat to report the good news, despite still being angry, she could not keep herself from boasting, “788 million on the first day, it is confirmed that the total box office will break five billion. Ah, rookie director, first workpiece, and I debut directly at the pinnacle. Indulging in the loneliness of being unrivaled, can you understand the state of my heart now, Mr. Chen?”
“I can, congratulations.” Chen Jin, who was currently watching the Spring Festival Gala with his parents, replied to her with a smile.
His mother s.h.i.+fted her head towards him and asked, “How was it, son? Is the box office announced?”
“Yes, 788 million, it broke box office records for the new year film slot as well as the national box office record.”
“That’s great! Watching this Spring Festival Gala made me tired, but now I’m all energetic!” He Li was enraptured in a state of euphoria and was very excited.
“Wow!” His father beside him couldn’t help but exclaim, “Almost 800 million in just one day, won’t it become a few billions in another few days? Son, you said that you had quite some market shares in this movie, you can definitely earn a lot from this, am I right?”
Chen Jin turned his head and asked out of confusion, “Eh, dad, why are you suddenly interested in this?” His dad was the quintessential example of someone who valued simplicity in life. Towards money, his concept was always to have just enough.
Chen Gang smiled bitterly and said, “I became sensitive after all the questions I’ve been getting recently, people keep on asking me, ‘your son’s net worth was already in the billions, why are you still wearing these kinds of s.h.i.+rts?’ and ‘you son is so rich, why are you still driving this shoddy car?’ So I intend to buy a few clothes that are more expensive and change to a better car… I’m already annoyed by all those questions. I wonder what price range for the car will be suitable.” He shook his head and sighed, “Only now I realize, it is quite stressful being the father of a billionaire.”
“Why don’t I give you a red packet so you can buy a better car?” asked Chen Jin.
“That won’t be necessary, I have some savings with your mom, so I won’t need your money. I have decided on the car as well, the Red Flag H8 made in our country, its price is about 500 thousand, my company manager is driving this car as well. That should keep their mouths shut, right?”
Chen Jin gave a big thumbs up. Driving the same car as your company manager, you are slaying it, dad!
Upon hearing about red packets, He Li looked at Su Yun, who was sitting at the edge of the sofa. She moved over, picked up her phone, and said, “Su Yun, today is New Year’s Eve, I have to give red packets; here’s one, please take it.”
Su Yun, on the other hand, kept on staring at the television screen. She was not focusing her eyes but in a state of daze. She had yet recovered from the immense feeling of shock. 788 million box office, how much could he earn from that? Even just 1% will be more than what I earn in a lifetime.
“Su Yun, Su Yun.” He Li called her twice, and finally she came around and heard what her manager was saying. “Here’s a red packet for you, take it.”
“I don’t want it, Mrs. Chen.”
“Just take it as I asked you to, you must not refuse something from your elders.”
After quite a moment of runarounds, Su Yun finally accepted the red packet. She opened it and saw $1,300 in it. She immediately tried to return it, but her manager still insisted she take it and dropped her a hint, saying, “I don’t give red packets to other common girls.”
Su Yun blushed yet again.
…
Over two consecutive days, the movie ‘Wa-wah Robot: A Brilliant and Brave Rescue’s box office continued its uphill climb. On the first day of the lunar new year, as the row piece rate increased, the box office pierced 925 million and broke the nationwide records for the highest daily box office once again.
On the second day, as the movie spread via word of mouth, the number of people that came to the cinema further increased. There were some who even came to watch the movie for a second and third time. The daily box office hit 946 million, renewing the records once again! In just three days, the box office for this movie acc.u.mulated to a ma.s.sive 2.659 billion!
There were even hopes for this movie to realize five billion in box office during the new year film slot, becoming the second movie in the Z nation to enter the five billion club! Because of the movie’s powerful trends, some speculated that it might very well surpa.s.s ‘Battle Dragons 2,’ ascending the throne and becoming the Z nation’s top box office hit.
The forums went crazy as the internet users posted various discussions. In the end, over 70% of internet users agreed that ‘Wa-wah Robot: A Brilliant and Brave Rescue’ had hopes to top the chart.
Aside from discussions about the box office, regarding the quality of this move, on movie rating websites, some professional audiences and movie a.n.a.lysts gave their opinions.
“Seven out of 10, a qualified production film.”
“I’ll give an eight out of 10, we should commend this local movie director of the Z nation who is capable of producing such a film, which was technically speaking at Hollywood levels. This reflects that our local film industry is gradually moving forward.”
“New work of a rookie director achieving this level of excellence. If I give her a full 10 she might get conceited. A nine it is then. I hope she continues to produce better movies.”
However, there was a well-known movie a.n.a.lyst that gave the movie a zero and criticized, “Hmph! Zero value, zero artistic quality, but a remarkable advertis.e.m.e.nt indeed!”
Some could not stand his comments and aggressively replied on his review.
“The slight hopes for Z nation’s local film industry will be destroyed in the hands of arrogant professionals like you.”
“Zero value? I and my family felt amus.e.m.e.nt, compa.s.sion, warmth, and had wonderful memories in the cinema. And that will be value and its art!”
“Even if it’s an advertis.e.m.e.nt, it will still be an eight out of 10 advertis.e.m.e.nt!”
“The movie is a zero in your eyes, you and the other hand have a negative value in my impression, trash movie a.n.a.lyst, get out from the film reviewing industry!”
Overall, the movie ‘Wa-wah Robot: A Brilliant and Brave Rescue’ received a lot more affirmations and praises than criticisms and slanders. Regarding questions about the movie like why its box office was so high and why can it potentially break the records to become the highest grossing film in the Z nation, there was an article named ‘The Wa-wah Robot Effect’ written by professionals that provided clear explanations for the realization for its readers.
Chen Jin also read this article, and immediately his mind was enlightened.
“When I first invested in s.h.i.+ Xiaotao to make this movie, my only intention was to advertise the Wa-wah 2.0 with the help of this movie to boost its sales. But the Wa-wah 2.0 which was released earlier created a wave of ma.s.sive uproar and the fever towards it was at its peak. And at this very moment, the ‘Wa-wah Robot’ movie aired, surfing on the Wa-wah Robot heat wave, and it caused a nationwide movie frenzy. So… as what was written in this article, in this tradeoff, Wa-wah 2.0’s sales will not have significant increase because of the movie. But the movie box office, on the other hand, will have hopes to outstrip the rest because of the Wa-wah robot! My initial thought was not wrong, but… it was all flipped around. It was totally upsidedown.”