020 All Films Make Way for "Crazy Stone"

[Congratulations! "Crazy Stone" nominated for the Grand Summer Film Splendor Award!]
[Congratulations! "Crazy Stone" nominated for the Grand Summer Film Legend Award!]
[Congratulations! "Crazy Stone" nominated at the Capital University Student Film Festival!]
[Congratulations! "Crazy Stone" nominated for the Treasure Island Golden Steed Award!]

The release of these heavyweight announcements immediately drew numerous grassroots film industry workers to like and share.
Who says actors without star power can't make great films?
Who says the entertainment industry only values looks?
Haha, looks like they’ve been proven wrong!
"Crazy Stone" truly vindicated them.

Of course, the supporters weren’t just these down-to-earth film practitioners like Wang Bo.
Many mid-tier celebrities in the entertainment circle also came forward to show support.
After all, previously "Tai Chi" turned a blind eye and shut them out, but now with "Crazy Stone" booming, it’s like a breath of fresh air for them.
There is strength in numbers.
Moreover, these are stars who have always been active in the public eye.
Their influence is immense.

Soon, the internet was flooded with waves of heated discussion, pushing the already fiery public opinion to successive peaks.

Meanwhile, the leadership at the Capital Film Academy was also riding a high tide of emotions.
They never expected this.
Wang Bo and Qian Lang had brought them honor!
Although the school had previously fallen into a trough of criticism because of the two, it’s undeniable that water can both sink and support a boat!
Now, enrollment numbers across all departments soared sharply, rising more than twofold overnight!

Faced with this phenomenon, while department heads cracked smiles, they also chased after the school leadership for more resources.

But where there is joy, there is also worry.
Wang Xingxing had been keeping a low profile lately.
He couldn’t understand why the head of the online trolls, with whom he had cooperated so well before, had vanished.
And "Tai Chi" wasn’t that bad after all, yet it was being slammed by Summer film fans as if it were trash!
Damn!
Unappreciative commoners!

Zhang Mou, the chief director of "Tai Chi," really should have spoken up.
But all he did was hide away, completely abandoning his reputation to the wind.
Oh, right.
He probably doesn’t care anymore, since the internet has already shifted all the blame onto that deputy director!
Shameless!

And those unscrupulous actors from the island nation and Korea—
all they know is how to collect hefty paychecks!
They open their mouths and tens of millions roll in.
Now, in "Tai Chi’s" crisis, none of them have come forward to say a word!
Despicable!

The angrier Wang Xingxing got, the more troubled he became.
But fate seemed to pick on him, the "unfortunate soul."
Suddenly, the theaters quietly reduced the screening times for "Tai Chi."
Although there was an agreement signed earlier, theaters do have autonomy over scheduling.
After all, no one is a fool.
Nor a philanthropist.

"Tai Chi" was mired in scandal, and audiences refused to buy tickets.
Would the theaters be foolish enough to keep empty halls and lose money?
Of course not.
The market is the sole judge.
Whichever film makes money gets more screenings.

The theaters were arrogant.
And for something like this, a small-time director like Wang Xingxing had no say.
So he planned to have his company intervene.
Boss Jiang Yan was notoriously hands-off.
There was no choice but to seek help from Cheng Jie.
But to his surprise, that old man was on vacation!

See?
Who can you rely on in crucial moments?
When there’s success, everyone wants to claim the glory.
When there’s trouble, everyone wants to stay out of it.
Isn’t this world just disheartening?
Who would bother striving anymore?

Wang Xingxing deeply regretted it.
No matter how you look at it, he shouldn’t have boarded the old thief Cheng Jie’s ship!
For the sake of a so-called opportunity, he gave up his previous director’s share.
Speechless to the heavens!

After all, he had directed several films as a young director.
Yet he had not a penny to his name!
Now he didn’t even dare to ask to leave.
What a huge loss!

Poverty and misery perfectly described Wang Xingxing’s current state.
But the world is strange that way.
Some suffer in despair, while others thrive in success.

Recently, theater owners were raking in profits by the bucketful.
Ha ha ha.
The era of big data makes business so easy!
No matter if you are a top star or a nobody,
the market’s verdict depends entirely on numbers.

"Tai Chi," as a big-budget production, had an impressive opening day box office, but it couldn’t withstand the fans’ dislike.
As businessmen, though they didn’t care much about themes or plot,
the lead actor’s thick Korean accent alone made the film suspicious in their eyes.

So they kept a close watch on the box office trends of the rival film.
If things didn’t improve, they’d push "To Youth" hard for the summer season.
Though niche, it was better than risking a loss on "Tai Chi," right?

Yet, unexpectedly, chaos erupted at the theaters.
Look at this mess.
One film oversold online tickets, sparking protests from thousands of viewers.

“What’s going on? No tickets, yet you still sell them?”
“Refund? You must be joking! I finally got my ticket, do you think I want a refund?”
“You insult my dignity and my intelligence!”
“I don’t care! Today, we must watch ‘Crazy Stone’!”

The audience was irate.
Online, "Crazy Stone" was already wildly popular.
Countless memes and catchphrases were spreading nonstop.
Though these viewers hadn’t yet seen the film,
they were well versed in the buzzwords—perfect for this situation.

Watching theater staff speechless under their barrage of complaints,
the crowd only grew more fired up.
No wonder "Crazy Stone" had such a loyal fanbase.
Truly a sociological textbook case.

“Refunds denied! No compensation accepted!”
“Today, we’re watching the movie, no exceptions!”

The crowd’s anger escalated.
The theater manager was extremely anxious.
Normally, one would naturally try to satisfy the audience’s demand.
But the film wasn’t hers to control.
Adjusting screening times required the owner’s approval.

But no matter how many times she called, the damn owner didn’t answer.
It was a classic case of the eunuch worrying more than the emperor.
Thankfully, the manager was a woman who didn’t care about such things.

“What’s the matter?”
At last, the theater owner answered the phone.

The manager quickly and succinctly explained the situation.
A few seconds of silence followed.
Then, with a yell like a butcher, the owner bellowed:
“For money-making business like this, why the hell do I need to approve it? Don’t you know to act first and report later?”

“Th-then... should I just increase the screenings?”
The manager was a bit stunned by the scolding.

“Of course! If you don’t want a raise, I don’t mind replacing you!”
Another roar came from the other end.
Then the call was abruptly cut off.

The manager chuckled.
Though she had been scolded head-on, she was secretly very pleased.

The boss was a bit hot-tempered and reckless in speech,
but he was a good man.
That last remark just gave her more authority.

Ha ha ha.
What’s a little scolding for such good news?

There’s a popular joke online:
Monthly salary 1,000: Boss, I’m your father.
Monthly salary 3,000: Boss is nonsense.
Monthly salary 5,000: Boss has a screw loose.
Monthly salary 10,000: Boss is still human.
Monthly salary 30,000: Whatever the boss says is right; if wrong, it’s definitely me.
Monthly salary 80,000: The office formaldehyde fascinates me.

She was at the 30,000 level.
Naturally, whatever the boss says goes.

Yeah, the boss really was out of his mind.
For business that rakes in money, why bother asking?
Just act first and report later.

How long had it been since Summer had a phenomenon-level film?
Here comes a dark horse, bursting onto the scene!
Sweeping through like a mighty army to turn the tide!
Saving the Summer film industry from the brink!

Okay, maybe that’s a bit exaggerated.
But as a citizen of Summer, whenever an outstanding work appears, shouldn’t all industry insiders support it wholeheartedly?

Sigh, she had just wasted time asking the boss for permission over a minor matter?
Haha, she really deserved that scolding.

No exceptions.
All films must make way for "Crazy Stone"!

“Dear family, my beloved family!
The theaters are wide open! Come, come, line up in an orderly fashion, let’s get in quickly!”