Chapter 814: Chapter 804: Director Teng Accepts His Fate

How can a chef picking a fight with the diners be any different from bringing trouble on oneself?

Of course, this also has a lot to do with the entertainment industry’s market in recent years. Everyone’s been saying it’s over for the industry, and it seems like it is. Nowadays, there’s an inexplicable sense of superiority in this market, as if forgetting that those who pay are the real masters.

One must at least appease the ordinary audience, let alone those who spend real money to go to the cinema. After all, no matter how good the film quality is, no one wants to pay to be insulted.

The confounding self-destructive publicity campaigns have squandered this crew’s last bit of audience goodwill, and even the lead actor’s popularity can’t salvage the box office. Imagine how turbulent the online public opinion is right now.

Put it this way, currently on the internet, anyone who dares to say a good word about "Demon Capital Fortress" would be instantly attacked as a paid shill.

As for speaking up for the actors, that’s even more out of the question. There are just too many cringe-worthy points in the film, giving film commentary bloggers plenty of material.

A wave of collective ridicule has formed, and the only thing the actors and the crew can do now is to stay silent and not pour oil on the fire.

The actors are still alright. Except for the male lead, the rest of the cast didn’t shine much but they didn’t draw much attention either, even the actress playing the lead female role.

As for being criticized, isn’t that just normal? What public figure hasn’t been scolded? They get scolded but at least they get paid. After all, their fees have already been settled.

But Teng Hua, as the director, and the investors have it tough, especially the investors. Though they’re not being scolded, they’re losing money. With the way the box office is trending, recovering even one-tenth of their investment would be fortunate.

If they invested a hundred million, getting back ten million would be a stretch.

As for Teng Hua, the director, he’s the most miserable because he’s not only the director but also an investor. During the promotional period, he even stepped forward. In short, apart from losing money, the pressure and cursing he’s facing are no less than what the male lead is enduring.

Moreover, after two days, praise for "Life-changing Matters" has increased. Even amidst the whirlwind of public opinion, it is making its mark.

Currently, "Life-changing Matters" has a box office of 78 million, whereas "Demon Capital Fortress" is at 84 million. Although it’s still in second place, it might not be long before it gets overtaken, possibly today.

Even for other films, as long as they’re not atrociously bad, there’s been a slight increase in their box office earnings. If this trend continues, the final box office for "Demon Capital Fortress" might end up in the lower ranks.

Immediately, Tang Nan rattled off the inside information she’d heard over the past two days, focusing on the chaos within Teng Hua’s crew.

There was no doubt she went out of her way to dig up this info. Given the conduct of the opposite party, wanting Tang Nan to intercede was akin to treating her like a fool.

"To put it this way, Su, you’re really lucky not to have gotten involved with them. Otherwise, you’d be in deep trouble. You’re really fortunate!" said the landlady, patting her ample chest while looking relieved.

"It’s more than that. Even if you didn’t invest, just speaking up for them or showing support could drag you in. Let’s not mention anything else. Yi, your man’s foresight is truly sharp. I have to admit, I’m growing more confident in my project,"

Unlike others, Su Qing once again proved his discerning eye to those around. At first glance of the script, he directly declined Teng Hua without any consideration, much to Tang Nan’s dismay since she introduced him. Su Qing was being quite inconsiderate.

But now it seems he was sparing her a lot of embarrassment. Had it not been for Shen Yi’s relationship, Tang Nan suspected Su Qing would have driven her out along with Teng Hua.

Given Su Qing’s outstanding judgment, Tang Nan felt more confident in her project. Although her acting might not be stellar, can’t she learn?

Especially when Liao Dong was initially set to bring in a novice for the role, her limited acting experience was better than none.

Hearing this, Shen Yi naturally puffed up with pride. Yes, this is her man.

Then Su Qing spoke with a chuckle, "Alright, enough about us. How’s it going on your end? Have you assembled the crew? And has the experience been beneficial for you?"

Speaking of the project, Tang Nan perked up immediately, energetically updating everyone about her recent developments.

In brief, she’d leveraged contacts within the industry to understand how to collaborate with the police, and thanks to Mr. Wen’s connections, she was warmly received. With Su Qing’s special instructions, the Jiang City police were rather friendly to her and her crew.

In particular, Tang Nan took the initiative to promote anti-fraud education for the Jiang City police, resulting in mutual satisfaction with this partnership.

They even agreed to offer some assistance during filming.

As for Tang Nan, she’s been immersing herself in the life of the station, including basic training.

It’s safe to say she’s going all out for this role transition.

Liao Dong isn’t slow, either. Within a short time, the crew was almost fully assembled. They’ve already begun scouting locations and setting up shoot sites.

Scenes inside the police station, of course, can’t be filmed on-site. Since it’s a workplace, no one would allow a crew to film haphazardly.

They had to shoot the exterior scenes outside and build the necessary filming infrastructures. Fortunately, with Su Qing’s connections, President Zhao permitted Liao Dong and Xie Xiaoshan to visit and observe the interior sets and even explained some procedural details to them.

"So you’re saying, your crew might start shooting by mid-month?" Su Qing asked, somewhat surprised.

Tang Nan nodded, "Yeah, we’ve got some ideas for casting, discussions are in progress, and I’ve invited quite a few people to make cameos. Once I successfully transition, I’ll properly thank you!"

Saying so, she winked at him playfully, startling Su Qing again, "No need, seriously."

"By the way, when are you two coming back?" Tang Nan asked.

At that, Su Qing and Shen Yi exchanged a glance. Shen Yi replied, "We’ll stay one more day and then head back to the capital the day after. As for when we’ll be in Jiang City, we’ll have to see but probably soon!"

While they were chatting and laughing, Teng Hua awoke with red eyes. His hair was disheveled, and he reeked of alcohol, his eyes bloodshot.

He fumbled on the bed, connected his phone to the charger, and then called the assistant director.

"Teng, you’re finally returning my call. President Han, President Zhao, and President Li have been calling you repeatedly, questioning what’s going on with us. What should we do?"

Listening to the assistant director’s panicked voice, Teng Hua seemed surprisingly calm as he responded, "How’s our box office looking today?"

"Not good at all. Judging by the trend, it should fall below ten million today, Teng. The problem isn’t just with the promotion; it’s with us..."

The assistant director’s words trailed off, but Teng Hua knew what he meant. The hype before the release was overblown, raising expectations too high. The movie quality didn’t meet those expectations, leading to this explosion of all underlying issues after its release.

He’s no longer thinking about how to recover the box office or reputation. Although it’s only been two days, he’s aware of the movie’s outcome. The only thing he can do now is to try to extricate himself so he doesn’t completely destroy his career.

"I understand. Go spread the news that we’ll hold a press conference in two days. Pick a location," Teng Hua said, as if resigning himself to fate.

"But Teng, holding a press conference now doesn’t seem wise. Wouldn’t they just mock us even more?"

"It’s fine, just a small press conference with a few journalists. The public doesn’t need it, but the investors need an explanation."

He’s a director and can’t ruin his career. Failure isn’t scary; what’s scary is failing without an excuse.

...

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