Chapter 46 1/2

When Sheng Quan was surfing and saw the trending topic #Iron-Blooded Boss Sponsors Private Screening of Cultivator, he realized it was bought but was quite effective.

Among the currently released movies, “Cultivator” and “Iron-Blooded Boss” had the highest popularity. Although “Cultivator” was dominating, the all-star lineup of “Iron-Blooded Boss,” also produced by Sheng Quan, had gained decent box office and discussions.

In a situation where everyone could see that they were in direct competition, the side of “Iron-Blooded Boss” that was firmly suppressed by “Cultivator” surprisingly openly praised their competitor.

In an interview video, a representative of the production side of “Iron-Blooded Boss,” an employee of Bluebird Film and Culture Media, smiled and responded:

“It was a directive directly given by our chairman. She was on a business trip abroad, happened to see ‘Cultivator’ being released, went in to watch it, and immediately called back after watching, saying it was so good and asking why we haven’t produced such a work.”

“Yes, this money is from the chairman’s own pocket. She said to let everyone watch it well, hoping that next time we can also produce such an excellent film as ‘Cultivator.'”

“Yes, I watched it too, and it’s really good. I didn’t want to leave the cinema… competitive relationship? Indeed, everyone is in the Spring Festival file. Would it be unlucky to release such excellent works simultaneously in all aspects? No, we don’t think so. Rather than feeling unlucky, it’s more like a stroke of luck because its success can encourage us to make better works, making us more humble and cautious.”

Xu Man and Lin Aike sat next to each other and listened to the entire process.

Lin Aike, who had seen a lot of malicious competition in the film industry, said, “Praising and killing?”

“No, they are adjusting their future development direction.”

Even though Sheng Quan was currently learning various new knowledge, in her old profession, she could still see it at a glance:

“Look at the comments, and you’ll understand. Although Bluebird lost, they lost gracefully. They also expressed the willingness to learn and progress. Combined with the high popularity of their movie, it will attract a wave of passersby and our movie audience who have a good impression of them to contribute to the box office.”

She signaled Lin Aike to look at various comments under this trending topic.

“Hahaha, this is so funny. Even the chairman of the rival company fell for ‘Cultivator.'”

“I envy Bluebird’s employees. Why didn’t I encounter such good things?”

“The chairman has been won over. Keep it up! Looking forward to your future films being as good as ‘Cultivator’!”

“Ordinary viewers say Iron-Blooded Boss is actually quite good. It’s not your fault that the box office is suppressed by ‘Cultivator.’ It’s just that ‘Cultivator’ is too good.”

【Chairman is so cute 23333. Actually, Iron-Blooded Boss is not bad. Tonight, I’m going to watch it with my colleagues.】

【Yes, yes! Cultivator is so good! Everyone, go watch it! PS: Iron-Blooded Boss is actually pretty good too. Chairman, don’t be discouraged.】

Sheng Quan shook her phone, smiling as she asked, “Guess if there are any water army comments in these messages?”

“It’s like a slightly famous artist publicly announcing themselves as a fan of another big star. As long as they show a low profile and are willing to support the other side, the true fans of the big star will naturally have a good impression of them.”

Lin Aike suddenly realized, “So, do we just ignore it?”

“Why should we bother?”

Sheng Quan was very calm: “We’re not at a loss, and they are paying for the private screening, contributing to the box office. They are also praising us in various ways. We gain benefits, and they can use our marketing. It’s a win-win situation.”

Xu Man sipped her milk tea leisurely, browsing the comment section:

“Indeed, the popularity of Cultivator was initially declining, but with the praise from Bluebird, it’s visibly rising again.”

Regardless of how good a movie is, its popularity tends to fluctuate. People can’t discuss the same thing every day. So, if the popularity of something continues to rise, it’s either constantly producing events that stimulate passersby or someone is deliberately maintaining it.

Someone is paying money and effort to boost the popularity of Cultivator, and Sheng Quan welcomes it with applause.

Other people in the industry, although surprised by Xie Wan Zhao’s actions, could understand it. After all, Sheng Quan has always been generous, and Guo Zhao is known for being ruthless, even to companies where he holds shares. If Bluebird really goes against them, it’s uncertain who will win.

However, Sheng Quan doesn’t see it that way.

In the original text, Cultivator was also released during the Spring Festival, achieving outstanding results and overshadowing all other films. Although “Iron-Blooded Boss” is not mentioned in the book, according to her knowledge, Bluebird had prepared for a year and a half for this movie.

Therefore, in the original text, it was similarly overshadowed. However, at that time, Cultivator didn’t have a big backer like Sheng Quan, so its development was naturally limited. If other movies wanted to engage in malicious competition at the same time, Cultivator would be powerless.

But it still smoothly garnered box office during the spring festival and shone internationally.

Whether Cultivator had a big supporter or not, Xie Wan Zhao made the same choice.

When asked by reporters, “What kind of person do you think Xie Wan Zhao, the chairman of Bluebird Films, is?”

Sheng Quan looked seriously at the camera.

“She is a person I admire a lot, yes, admire.”

At Bluebird Films, Xie Wan Zhao sat behind her desk, watching the interview footage on the computer, slowly curling her lips.

That night, when she received dissuasive calls, her attitude remained firm:

“Alright, don’t dissuade me anymore. I’ve already decided. Bluebird will have a new development direction in the future. Join me in this. It’s time for this industry to change.”

“Why? Well, maybe because I really like a young person. I hope she can always maintain her admiration for me.”

***

Due to the enthusiastic praise of “Iron-Blooded Boss” at the same time, the popularity of Cultivator increased even more.

The actors in Cultivator were pleasantly surprised.

Because the praise from Bluebird was all-encompassing, they even sent audition invitations to several actors who had appeared in Cultivator.

The reason given was: “The acting in Cultivator is really excellent, so when thinking about finding actors, the first reaction is to invite them.”

For netizens who were just bystanders, this development might seem strange.

But for some actors who were relatively unknown before the release of Cultivator, it was an incredibly huge surprise.

Cultivator can be said to be a rare movie where every character is outstanding, even those with only one or two scenes. This led to almost all the actors who appeared in the movie, even those with minor roles, experiencing a rapid career leap after the film was released.

And because the actors in Cultivator were almost unknown, this leap became even more apparent.

For example, Shen Lu Before participating in Cultivator, she was in an awkward position—not exactly famous, only chosen when the script called for her. To get roles with more screen time was difficult. If she aimed for a very likable role, she could be replaced at any time before joining the crew.

Participating in a large production like Cultivator was something Shen Lu never dared to imagine. It wasn’t the company arranging an audition for her; it was her own decision to give it a try.

Sending resumes, receiving interview invitations, and conducting on-site auditions.

Then, like a dream, she received the news that she passed the audition three days later.

God knows how happy and scared Shen Lu was before joining the crew. Sometimes, she would wake up suddenly in the middle of the night, take out her phone, and check for any notifications.

She was afraid that, like the opportunity she had grasped so hard before, even though she had received the script and was about to join the crew, she would be notified at the last minute to step down.

But in the end, Shen Lu smoothly joined the crew.

After joining, to be honest, Director Xu was strict. If a scene wasn’t shot well, redoing it a dozen times was common. Sometimes, the whole crew wouldn’t sleep all night, waiting for the morning sun.

It was truly tough, but when being praised as a typical example, the immense satisfaction in the heart could instantly offset all the hardships.

When talking about this experience on a TV show, Shen Lu couldn’t help but get slightly teary-eyed.

“That day, I had just finished shooting. Sheng Dong came to watch, sitting next to Director Xu. When I came down, they both looked up at me together. Sheng Dong said, imitating Sheng Quan’s tone.”

“Xiao Lu, what you filmed just now was really good; it even moved Director Xu to tears. Our company has a new project; why don’t you give it a try? I think you can be the female lead.”