It's reasonable for me, a stuntman, to live a crazy life, right?

Chapter 817: Try anything possible when desperate!

After finishing the call with Ren Zhonglun, Chen Fei turned off his phone.

Because of this, he slept so soundly.

However, it is different for other people on the other side of the ocean. Not to mention taking a rest, they can’t even close their eyes for a while!
"Did Pan Asia Cinemas really remove Monster Hunt from its shelves?"

Jiang Zhiqiang was currently sitting on a private jet preparing to return to Emperor Entertainment Group to take charge of the overall situation, while also conducting a remote video conference with relevant company executives.

"That's right, Director Jiang. As soon as the announcement was made, they removed Monster Hunt from the shelves. They also removed the promotional posters and online ticket sales channels. Nothing was left."

As soon as the previous person in charge finished speaking, another person in charge's voice sounded:
"We have already hired a lawyer to negotiate, but they said that we were the first to breach the contract, deceived fans, arbitrarily manipulated the box office, and even asked us to pay liquidated damages!"

"This is simply unreasonable!"

Jiang Zhiqiang slammed the table angrily, but his heart was dead silent at this moment.

He had also thought that it was inevitable that he would be impacted by online public opinion after the box office theft was exposed.

But he never expected that he would be punished by having the theaters forcibly remove the products from his shelves!

You should know that Pan Asia Cinemas is currently one of the best cinema companies in China, in Asia, and even in the world.

Once "Monster Hunt" leaves Pan Asia Cinemas, the huge losses caused will be unbearable for anyone!

After having a tantrum, you still have to face reality.

Jiang Zhiqiang pondered for a moment and said, "Since it has already happened, we have to deal with it quickly. It is still too early and there is still a chance to remedy the situation.

Notify the public relations department and immediately issue an announcement to suppress online public opinion.

Also, tell everyone to immediately stop the "adjustment" of box office sales in other theaters, and have everyone stay where they are until negotiations are complete here before continuing."

"Okay, Mr. Jiang, I'll arrange it right away."

After hanging up the video call, Jiang Zhiqiang fell into deep thought.

It's not like he hasn't done things like stealing box office revenue before, and he does it often, but this is the first time he has encountered such fierce resistance.

In his opinion, everyone could just sit down and negotiate calmly about this kind of thing, there was no need to make it so rigid.

The world is bustling with people, all for profit. The worst that can happen is compensation from other places. It's no big deal.

It was also because of this that although he was somewhat worried, he was not particularly worried.

He was confident that he could handle this kind of thing.

Even though Pan Asia Cinemas has already issued an announcement, this problem is not unsolvable. At most, we can find a scapegoat to deal with it, and we can still be good friends.

……

Huayi.

"Jiang Zhiqiang went back to Hong Kong?"

"Well, we have been walking for a few hours. We should have arrived at the company by now."

"You didn't participate in stealing the box office, did you?"

"I didn't, he was the one who did it all, I didn't even touch it."

"That's good."

Wang Zhongjun immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Wang Zhonglei looked at him in confusion: "Is this a big deal? I don't think Jiang Zhiqiang cares much about it. He seems quite confident that it can be handled satisfactorily."

"It's very troublesome." Wang Zhongjun said in a deep voice: "I contacted Ye Ning, and he said that Chen Fei's attitude is very firm, especially when it comes to Jiang Zhiqiang's behavior of getting into the theater chain, he is very dissatisfied."

"But isn't this the norm in the circle?"

"You know that stubborn donkey. Has he ever followed the unspoken rules of the industry? He dared to challenge the censors, and even won. Do you think he would be afraid of Edko Films?"

Wang Zhonglei's expression suddenly changed: "What about our investment?"

"Well, let's wait and see, maybe the situation will turn around."

"Oh, by the way." Wang Zhongjun suddenly changed the subject: "Next, you should personally follow up on the company's structural integration and prepare to welcome new partners."

"Ye Ning?!"

"Well, he has agreed. He will complete the handover with Wanda by next year at the latest, and then come to Huayi to take over. I Am Not Madame Bovary and Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back will be handed over to him."

"Haha, great, Huayi has added another great player, cause for celebration!"

"By the way, haven't you been in contact with Guo Fan, Ning Hao, Lu Yang, Zhong Lifang, and Jiang Xueruo recently? Is it effective?"

Speaking of this topic, Wang Zhonglei's face suddenly changed.

"What a bunch of stubborn donkeys. Just let them wait there to die! They don't even want to take the shares. I don't know where their parents are. They are unwilling to move no matter what."

……

In a blink of an eye, it is already late July.

A new day has arrived, and with the attention of netizens and people in the industry, the box office of "Monster Hunt" has just been released.

And when the number 7654 million was exposed, it immediately caused an uproar on the Internet!
"Well, yesterday it was 1.6 million, today it's only 7654 million, it's more than half less?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, this loss is really huge."

"How much box office revenue did they steal? Half of the revenue from one cinema? Isn't that too much?"

"It's not just the box office. Look at its peripherals and stock price. Everything has been going down and there's no way to stop it. This is a Waterloo!"

"It's useless. It turns out that Monster Hunt is not as good as Pancake Man?"

"Although "The Pancake Man" is really bad, it is fun. You can still watch it for fun."

"Go check Weibo. Anle Pictures has issued an announcement."

In fact, the film and television industry is quite lively today. Not only is there a Hollywood imported blockbuster online, but there are also several hot search topics.

The daily box office revenue of Gardenia Blossoms and Tiny Times 4 has both dropped below one million yuan. Wu Yu and the main creators of The Crossing: Part Two have started to promote the film. Guo Jingming's "original" novel Fantasy City is suspected to be about to start preparations for the project...

However, these news are slightly inferior to "Monster Hunt".

……

Edko Films released a notice:

“Dear audiences, partners and media friends: Recently, we have noticed the online doubts about our film Monster Hunt being suspected of inflating the box office. We deeply regret this and believe it is necessary to make a formal response to the public.

First of all, we firmly deny all false accusations about Monster Hunt inflating the box office. Since the release of the movie, we have always adhered to the principle of integrity, strictly abided by market rules, and promoted it in a legal and compliant manner. Every movie ticket sold is the result of voluntary purchase by the audience, and there is no human manipulation or false transactions.

In response to outside doubts about the box office data, we are willing to display the relevant data openly and transparently and accept any form of review and verification. At the same time, we have also commissioned a professional organization to conduct a comprehensive audit of the box office data to ensure the authenticity and accuracy of the data.

We firmly believe that the innocent will be cleared and facts will prove our innocence.

In addition, we understand the concerns of audiences and partners about the fair competition environment in the film market. As a responsible film company, we are always committed to maintaining market order and opposing any form of unfair competition. We are willing to work with all parties to promote the healthy development of the film market.

Finally, we sincerely thank the audience for their support and love for "Monster Hunt". It is your enthusiastic support that gives us the confidence to continue to create more excellent film works.

At the same time, we also welcome valuable opinions and suggestions from all parties. We will listen humbly and make continuous improvements to give back to the audience's love and expectations.

Here, we solemnly declare again: our company and the Monster Hunt team firmly oppose any form of box office manipulation and will continue to maintain a fair competition environment in the film market. Please rest assured that our audience and partners will respond to everyone's concerns and expectations with a more rigorous attitude and better quality works. "

……

This announcement was issued in a very solemn and pompous manner, as if we had done nothing wrong, but the actual operations of Enlightenment Pictures are constantly slapping themselves in the face!

Under Jiang Zhiqiang's operation, people kept calling Chen Fei.

When he received the call from Zhang Yimou, he was not too surprised. After all, the producer of "Hero" was Emperor Entertainment Group.

"Director Chen, could there be some misunderstanding here? Of course, I have no intention of trying to reconcile them. It's just that Mr. Jiang contacted me, and I just wanted to understand the whole story first."

"Director Zhang." Chen Fei's voice was a little cold: "Don't get involved in this matter, because it's useless even if you understand it. Facts speak louder than words."

"OK then."

Zhang Yimou hung up the phone awkwardly, then called Jiang Zhiqiang back.

"Mr. Jiang, I'm so sorry, there's nothing I can do."

"Okay, thank you Director Zhang."

Jiang Zhiqiang thanked him with a smile, but after hanging up the phone, his expression suddenly turned cold.

He suddenly realized that he seemed to have overestimated the relationship between these mainland directors and Chen Fei. After all, even Zhang Yimou was turned away, so others might be even more useless.

Then, he looked up at a senior executive and asked, "What did Huo Qigang say?"

The executive pulled his lips awkwardly: "We can't even get into Golden Harvest, and Huo Qigang didn't even answer the phone. There are reports that he went on a business trip to Los Angeles overnight."

"What about Ying Huang?" "Director Yang said he doesn't care about this kind of thing. Ip Man 4 is in the midst of intense filming right now, so he has no time to take care of it."

How could Jiang Zhiqiang not understand the name "Ip Man 4"?
A long time ago, Ying Huang and Feiyue Film and Television were already tied to the same boat. It was harder than climbing to the sky to convince Yang Shoucheng, the old fox!

"Where's Shi Nansheng?"

"She said that her relationship with Mr. Chen was not close enough for her to act as a middleman."

As more and more news came in, Jiang Zhiqiang's face became increasingly ugly.

In the end, he simply picked up his phone and started making calls himself.

However, he was greeted with rejection after rejection!
"Boss Jiang, I really can't help you..."

"Boss Jiang, I haven't worked with him much in recent years. Although we have a personal relationship, I'm afraid I don't have enough confidence to help you mediate."

"Mr. Jiang, you should know that The Mermaid was invested by Feiyue Film and Television."

"What? You said you are Jiang Zhiqiang from Edko Films. Oh! Hello, Mr. Jiang, are you looking for my dad? Sorry, there is a small problem with the distribution of The Hundred Regiments Offensive, so he went to Feiyue Films to negotiate with Mr. Su."

"The upper shadow is neutral."

"Boss Jiang, Wanda is cleaning out the infestations in the cinema chain, and I can't help..."

"Mr. Jiang, I'm afraid you haven't known about the relationship between Bona and Feiyue Films before. If I go there, it might have a counterproductive effect."

"I've disliked that guy for a long time. Mr. Jiang, please charge forward. Chengtian will definitely cheer for you!"

After making a round of phone calls, Jiang Zhiqiang started to have a headache.

It would be fine if he was not in the right, but he couldn't even find a suitable middleman. Isn't this asking for his death?
……

Jiang Zhiqiang was always on the phone, but Chen Fei was always answering the phone.

Without exception, all of them came to "leak information".

"Mr. Chen, I can assure you that Yinghuang will absolutely stand by you unconditionally. We will resolutely resist such shameless acts as stealing box office revenue!"

"Haha, Mr. Yang, there's no need to be like this. I definitely believe you."

...

"Director Chen, I owe him a favor, but I won't get involved in this kind of thing. I'm just giving you a reminder."

"Okay, Brother Hua, I'll leave it to you for Chasing the Dragon. We'll have many opportunities to work together in the future. I have several scripts here that are all suitable for you."

...

"I'm just wondering, why are they looking for light?"

"Haha, maybe he feels that Mr. Wang has a lot of face."

"Hey, I don't care about this kind of thing." Wang Changtian curled his lips and changed the subject: "I heard that Wang Baoqiang is going to withdraw from the recording of the third season of Running Man. Is this true or false?"

"Hmm?" Fade Chen raised his eyebrows slightly: "I haven't received any news yet."

"Oh, that might be a rumor. These netizens keep making up stories all day long. It's really boring."

After ending the call with Wang Changtian, Chen Fei paid attention to the impact caused by the complete withdrawal of "Monster Hunt" from Pan Asia Cinemas.

Looking around, the first ones to be affected are "Sicario" and "The Pancake Man", whose daily new box office revenues directly reached a new high.

Even the box office of a number of other low-budget domestic films have picked up, and they are one step closer to recovering their costs.

All these prove the fact that "Monster Hunt" stole the box office!
Looking back at the announcement released by Emperor Entertainment Group, it is so ridiculous.

"I want to see if you're going to die this time! Stealing the box office is fine, but you're also interfering with my cinema chain? If you don't die, I'll make you lose a layer of skin!"

……

"Can't help", "powerless", "can't help", "look for someone else", "can only remain neutral"...

For three consecutive days, watching the box office of "Monster Hunt" continue to decline, Jiang Zhiqiang was like an ant on the hot pan, running around in a panic.

He made many calls, but without exception, all were rejected.

Although some people promised to help, they would call back soon to say that they were unable to help.

Until now, there are only three channels left before him.

1: Go to Feiyue Films in person to negotiate and apologize.

2: Find China Film Corporation.

3: Seek help from the General Administration.

He could barely accept the second one, but the price to pay for the first and third one was too high, and he really couldn't convince himself.

"Jingle Bell!"

At this moment, the telephone rang suddenly.

After taking a look at the caller ID, he quickly pressed the answer button: "How is it? What did Feiyue Film and Television say?"

On the other end of the phone, the vice president of Enlightenment Pictures was standing at the gate of Feiyue Pictures. Looking at the various people around him and the mocking eyes, he felt uncomfortable all over.

"Boss Jiang, it's useless. I sat there for the whole morning and couldn't even see Su Guohai."

Jiang Zhiqiang's face darkened and he hung up the phone.

He tried to call Han Sanping again, but it was still his eldest daughter who answered the phone.

"Mr. Jiang, what's the matter this time? My dad is not at home."

Jiang Zhiqi patiently said in a deep voice: "When will Mr. Han come back? I will call you then."

"I don't know. He is so elusive that even my own daughter can't catch him."

"Then... let's do it."

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Zhiqiang gritted his teeth and couldn't help cursing inwardly: "This mountain eagle! He is even more slippery than a loach!"

In his opinion, Han Sanping is actually the best "middleman".

However, this guy "Zuoshandiao" was very unscrupulous in his style of doing things when he was in power, and now that he has retired, he has become even more unscrupulous.

It was obvious that he didn't want to answer the phone and wanted to hide, which made Jiang Zhiqiang lose his temper.

After pondering for a long time, Jiang Zhiqiang felt that he could no longer sit and wait for death.

He stood up suddenly and ordered, "Let's go to the airport and return to the mainland. I have to go to the Central Film Academy!"

……

Three and a half hours later, Jiang Zhiqiang arrived in the capital at a speed comparable to that of a top scholar taking a plane to date a girl, and appeared downstairs of the China Film Building.

After arriving at the reception room as arranged by the staff, he couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

If you want to persuade China Film, personal connections alone are definitely not enough. I guess it will require some practical efforts.

So, apart from money, what else can Emperor Entertainment Group offer that would be enough to impress China Film Group?
While he was deep in thought, the door of the reception room was suddenly pushed open and La Peikang walked in.

Seeing this, Jiang Zhiqiang hurriedly forced a smile, politely exchanged a few words with La Peikang, and then gradually got to the point.

"Boss La, I think you should have paid attention to the recent conflict between Edko Films and Feiyue Films. I came to you this time because I hope you can help us to solve this problem privately with them.

I know you have a good relationship with Director Chen and have always had a good reputation in the industry, so I would like to ask you to come forward and help us communicate with them to see if we can reach a settlement. "

After hearing this, La Peikang raised his eyebrows slightly. He really didn't expect Jiang Zhiqiang to make this request so directly.

However, he actually didn't want to get involved in this matter.

After all, the relationship between China Film Group and Feiyue Films has always been very good. If this incident affects the friendship between the two sides, it would be a loss.

However, at this moment, Jiang Zhiqiang proposed a condition that made La Peikang very excited!

"My request is not high, I just want to sit down and have a chat with Mr. Chen. I know he is in the UK now, so as long as he agrees, I can fly over in person.

As long as you are willing to help build this bridge and pull this line, I can persuade Dongyang Paige to transfer all the shares of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny" to China Film Group for free. What do you think?"

As soon as these words came out, La Peikang's eyes suddenly lit up!
If all the shares of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny" belong to China Film, it means that this movie will become a pure Sino-foreign co-production blockbuster produced by China Film and Hollywood.

If the subsequent movies are released and they continue to sell well at the box office, then all of this can be counted as political achievements!

Thinking of this, La Peikang suddenly became a little irrational.

"You mean, I just need to make a phone call? And arrange a dinner?"

"That's right!" Jiang Zhiqiang nodded quickly and replied, "That's all!"

……

(ps: Second update, please vote for me!!!)
(End of this chapter)