Chapter 45 3/3

The risks she took during the investment had now completely transformed into enormous profits. Selling merchandise would also become a long-lasting source of funds for Starlight Entertainment.

There was one more thing Xie Wan Zhao hadn’t forgotten: the real filming locations were built on the land that belonged to Sheng Quan.

Back then, many people said she was wasting money, but now, many are secretly calculating how much profit “Ten Great Immortal Palaces” would bring to Sheng Quan with the enormous popularity of “Cultivator.”

Xie Wan Zhao’s feelings were complex.

As a profit-oriented businessperson, she instinctively resisted Sheng Quan, who was blocking her path to making money.

But as a person herself, she couldn’t help but admire Sheng Quan.

Xie Wan Zhao realized that the success of “Cultivator” not only hindered the release of “Iron-Blooded Boss” this time, but with Sheng Quan’s current attitude, there would definitely be a second and third “Cultivator” in the future.

For production teams accustomed to the Chinese market, if they didn’t want to be completely overwhelmed, like the previously easy money-making film production methods, they would be thoroughly eliminated.

The logic was simple.

A fruit that had been sitting for several days and was a bit withered, diners, in the absence of other food sources, could only eat it. After eating, they would still say, “Not bad, replenishing vitamins.”

But what if there were a plate of freshly picked, juicy, fresh fruits placed next to this withered fruit?

Xie Wan Zhao almost immediately sensed the threat.

She had two paths laid out in front of her.

One: Don’t become the withered fruit; strive to become the fresh fruit, but it requires more and more exhausting efforts than before, and it’s also more likely to fail.

Two: Expel the fresh fruit from the market. Without a comparison, customers could only choose the withered fruit.

Xie Wan Zhao knew she should choose option 2.

Her rationality urged her in that direction.

But for some reason, she was hesitant to act.

Xie Wan Zhao rarely hesitated, like she did now. She also rarely found herself in such a state of indecision.

It wasn’t until she flew abroad for business negotiations.

After exhausting business banquets, the driver drove her back to the hotel. On the way, she suddenly saw the movie theater billboard.

She was slightly surprised. “Is ‘Cultivator’ released overseas?”

Assistant No. 2, who was promoted recently and was a bit nervous on his first business trip, quickly replied:

“Yes, it was just released a day ago.”

The box office and word of mouth are particularly good.

He didn’t say this, considering that “cultivator” was also a competitor.

Assistant No. 2, the clever young man, was giving himself a mental pat on the back when he heard Ms. Xie say:

“Stop the car.”

“See if we can get tickets; let’s go in and take a look.”

Tickets were almost sold out. Assistant No. 2 called the theater’s internal staff and managed to get three tickets.

The driver, arranged by the cooperative party, knew there were tickets for himself, and he seemed a bit hesitant to accept them. In the end, he took them and muttered something in his own country’s language:

“I’ve never watched a Chinese movie before.”

He spoke softly and was several steps behind Xie Wan Zhao. Technically, she shouldn’t have heard it, but unfortunately, her ears were sharp.

Although it was just a small mutter and it was about another country’s “cultivator,” Xie Wan Zhao’s mood became a bit unpleasant.

She knew the driver wasn’t looking down on China, but rather, Chinese movies had indeed become increasingly average in recent years.

Even she, despite being an investor in movies, didn’t set foot in a cinema except for previews.

Xie Wan Zhao’s various thoughts were slightly stunned as she walked into the cinema, almost shocked by the almost full house of foreign audiences.

So many viewers?

A fantasy film like “Cultivator” actually had such a high attendance rate overseas?

After sitting down, she could still hear the faint discussions and admiration of the foreign audience around her.

“Does China really have flying swords?”

“Those animals are really attractive.”

“Credibility. When those cultivators flew up, my eyes swelled with tears.”

“So beautiful, I’ll go online to tell everyone.”

Xie Wan Zhao silently absorbed all this, her heart in a state of mixed feelings.

In the car, she remained silent. The assistant, who had just watched the movie and was quite excited, wanted to share his enthusiasm, but seeing his boss, he remembered that “Cultivator” was their competitor. So, he could only silently and secretly revel in excitement.

Soon, the car stopped at the hotel entrance.

The driver got out and opened the door for the two.

As Xie Wan Zhao got out of the car, the driver, who had previously rejected Chinese movies, suddenly said:

“Madam, this movie is very captivating. I want to ask, do those beautiful scenes in China really exist? I want to go to China and see for myself; it’s amazing.”

Xie Wan Zhao paused for a moment. After a second, she looked up, smiled, and said:

“Yes, those landscapes were all shot on location.”

The driver immediately showed a happy expression and said with a smile:

“That’s great! I’ll find some time to go on a trip.”

After getting in the car, he leaned out and gave a thumbs up. “Madam, thank you for inviting me to watch the movie. This Chinese movie is really good.”

As he drove away, Xie Wan Zhao stood in place.

Seeing her staring at the back of the car without saying a word, the assistant felt a bit uneasy.

When Ms. Xie goes on a business trip and hears praise for “Cultivator,” is she angry now?

Oh no, oh no, oh no, he was just crying and laughing loudly a moment ago. Ms. Xie didn’t notice, right? She wouldn’t think he was being disloyal, would she?

As the assistant was imagining all sorts of scenarios, he suddenly heard Xie Wan Zhao say, “Call back and book a private screening of ‘Cultivator’ for all the company employees.”

The assistant, being cautious, asked, “After watching it, are we going to give it a bad review? It might get leaked.”

Xie Wan Zhao replied, “No, no bad reviews.”

The assistant breathed a sigh of relief.

Well, Ms. Xie is not the type to make such a basic mistake.

Then he heard Xie Wan Zhao say, “Let them watch it carefully, and after watching, they should all give it a good review.”

The assistant: “?”

Is this a new competitive strategy?

“Ms. Xie, what’s the reason for doing this?”

Xie Wan Zhao smiled as she suddenly recalled her bold statement to her companions when she was young:

“Someday, I will make Chinese movies popular worldwide. Just wait! I want foreign movies to come and accept our Chinese awards!”

But then she didn’t achieve it.

However, the young, impulsive, and seemingly naive Little Sheng Dong seemed to have taken the first step.

Xie Wan Zhao smiled as she gave the answer. She felt more carefree than ever at this moment.

“The reason?”

“Because it’s a Chinese movie.”

She looked at the assistant and said, “In the future, we may need fresh fruits one by one.”

Xie Wan Zhao walked towards the hotel entrance with big strides. She was not young anymore, but at this moment, she felt a new vitality, and every step was steady.

The assistant pondered for a moment, then hurriedly followed, carrying the bag.

“Ms. Xie, let me take you to your room to rest. Don’t worry, I understand what you mean.”

He was confident. “After sending you off, I’ll immediately go buy fruits!”