Although the movie had finished its theatrical run, the online discussions and popularity remained unabated. The impact brought by this film was even further amplified.
Despite being an imperfect movie, labeled as a ‘flop’ by many critics, its ability to gross an astounding 2.8 billion yuan at the box office, carving out a bloody path during the fiercely competitive National Day holiday period, and completing a perfect underdog story, was enough to prove its outstanding merits.
While some despised it, others adored it. While criticized by professionals for lacking depth, its endless stream of humorous moments and outrageous antics also attracted a significant fanbase.
During its theatrical run, the official Weibo account for ‘A Farce’ gained over 300,000 followers, and even Ye Zhou’s once-neglected Weibo account gained over 100,000 new followers.
His various outrageous antics in the film struck a chord with many fans’ interests.
Of course, what excited fans the most was Ye Zhou’s face-slapping reversal story, akin to a standard feel-good novel1Shuangwen (爽文) refers to a type of popular fiction story that lets readers feel powerful and have their wishes come true. These stories are about characters who are treated badly but then use their skills and hard work to turn things around and get back at those who looked down on them. The plots are straightforward and satisfying, giving readers an escape and making them feel justice is served. The characters start off weak but become strong and win in the end. While not high literature, shuangwen stories tap into common fantasies of the underdog beating the odds in an entertaining way. The term literally means “refreshing/invigorating writing.”.
First, Ye Zhou came from a financially disadvantaged background, relying on student loans to complete his four-year university education. After graduation, his achievements were unsatisfactory, and he struggled to produce any memorable works. Last year, he was even forced out of a production crew and subsequently viciously slandered by his former assistant director, Wang Hong.
Wang Hong claimed that Ye Zhou couldn’t direct films and was merely a pretender. He asserted that the movie ‘The Pursuit’ was entirely his own work, and Ye Zhou had nothing to do with it.
At the time, when Ye Zhou had just started preparing for his new film, this slander caused half of the already-recruited actors to abandon the project, with some even breaching their contracts and using the incident to gain attention by criticizing Ye Zhou.
Ye Zhou, a little fool, didn’t even know how to explain himself. He didn’t even respond from the beginning to the end. He didn’t even pay attention to the defaulting actors who criticized him and yelled that he was nothing.
Had Wang Hong not been exposed for his scandal with Liu Yunlan, this little fool Ye Zhou might have been forced to abandon the film entirely.
Even after the film commenced production, the wire accident occurred, and Ye Zhou prioritized the actors’ safety by reporting it to the authorities, despite the immense pressure. Yet, some detractors seized the opportunity to accuse Ye Zhou of using substandard wire to cut costs, disregarding human lives.
After overcoming numerous obstacles, the film was finally completed. However, before he could catch his breath, the initial screenings received disastrous reviews, thrusting the film and Ye Zhou into the eye of the storm, becoming a target for criticism from all sides.
In the face of widespread skepticism, when most films in such a situation would have been doomed, Ye Zhou refused to give up and decided to release the film earlier than scheduled.
During the golden National Day holiday period, amidst a ruthless battle for screening slots and with film critics labeling it a flop, the movie was released.
Against all odds and immense pressure, Ye Zhou and his film hit rock bottom before bouncing back, gradually emerging victorious and achieving a miraculous box office success.
Such a dramatic journey, even Ye Zhou hadn’t expected himself to gain a small following online and attract a group of career fans.
If Ye Zhou knew how his fans perceived his image, he would have been amused and exclaimed, “You guys are really good at filling in the blanks!”
He was hardly a pitiful figure! He had a powerful backer! An extremely capable one who not only provided generous financial support but also helped resolve various issues and even boosted the film’s screening allocations!
The day after receiving his box office share, Ye Zhou had planned to visit the Jingzhe Dream Incubation Building to check on the progress of his invested projects and determine if additional funding was needed.
However, plans often change unexpectedly.
Just as Ye Zhou had finished breakfast and was bidding farewell to Boss Jiang, he received a phone call.
As soon as he answered, a thin, anxious female voice came through, tinged with the sound of sobbing.
“Are you Director Ye Zhou?”
Ye Zhou gestured apologetically to Boss Jiang, replying, “Yes, who is this?”
“I…I’m Zhu Ning’s assistant. Are you available to talk? I have something very important to tell you.”
Hearing Zhu Ning’s name, Ye Zhou’s brow furrowed, immediately getting a bad feeling. “Go ahead.”
Ye Zhou’s premonition proved accurate, as the assistant delivered some disturbing news in the next moment.
“Ning-ge suddenly collapsed while filming a variety show at the TV station the night before last. The hospital recommended he be admitted for a period of rest and recovery, but his manager disagreed and only approved a three-day leave…”
The assistant, leaning against the bathroom wall, initially maintained her composure but soon broke down in tears. She lowered her voice helplessly, sliding down the wall as sobs overtook her.
No further explanation was necessary; Ye Zhou had guessed what had happened.
He sighed and told the assistant, “Calm down. Send me the hospital address. I’ll be there shortly.”
After hanging up, Ye Zhou met Boss Jiang’s gaze with a bitter smile. “Jiang-ge, it looks like I can’t make it today. Zhu Ning has been hospitalized. I need to go see him.”
Upon hearing this, a hint of understanding flickered in Jiang Tingyuan’s indifferent eyes. Glancing at the time, he said, “I’ll drive you there.”
Ye Zhou didn’t refuse. They took Boss Jiang’s car and followed the address provided by the assistant to the hospital where Zhu Ning was admitted.
To Ye Zhou’s surprise, Boss Jiang also got out of the car when they arrived.
“Jiang-ge, don’t you need to go to the company today?” Ye Zhou recalled the company being quite busy lately, with Boss Jiang working overtime for several consecutive days without leaving on time.
“Not busy today. I’ll go in the afternoon.” Boss Jiang calmly lied through his teeth.
Recently, the company had a large transnational project that was reaching a critical juncture. Even Jiang Tingyuan, as the CEO, couldn’t escape overtime. In fact, he was busier than regular employees. How could he possibly not be busy?
The real reason Jiang Tingyuan accompanied Ye Zhou was that Zhu Ning’s manager was notoriously difficult to deal with, and he was concerned Ye Zhou might be taken advantage of if he went alone.
In simple terms, he was there to support Ye Zhou.
Unaware of Boss Jiang’s consideration, Ye Zhou believed him and the two entered the hospital together.
Zhu Ning’s room was on the top floor, with a pleasant environment. His agency, Summit Entertainment, lived up to its big-spending reputation by sparing no expense on this facade.
The hallway was lined with floral arrangements, their mixed fragrances creating an overwhelmingly sweet aroma.
Two men in black suits, resembling bodyguards, stood outside Zhu Ning’s room. Upon seeing Ye Zhou and Boss Jiang, they immediately stepped forward to block their entry.
However, Boss Jiang’s bodyguards were no pushovers. Most of them were former special forces with rigorous training. They were not comparable to these glorified security guards.
Seeing the bodyguards about to confront their boss, Boss Jiang’s guards didn’t hesitate, swiftly stepping forward and forcing the two men to the ground without a word.
The two bodyguards had their faces pressed to the ground, their expressions extremely distorted, and the scene was very embarrassing for a time.
At that moment, the closed door suddenly opened from the inside, and a thin, tall man in his forties emerged, frowning as he looked out.
Ye Zhou recognized him as Zhu Ning’s manager.
The manager also seemed to recognize Ye Zhou and was about to lash out, but upon noticing Boss Jiang behind him, he swallowed his harsh words.
Ignoring Ye Zhou, he forced a smile towards Jiang. “Well, what brings you here, Mr. Jiang?”
Jiang Tingyuan didn’t even spare him a glance, telling Ye Zhou, “Aren’t you going to see him? Go on in.”
The manager’s already sour expression turned even more unpleasant. As Ye Zhou was about to enter the room, the manager instinctively tried to stop him but froze upon receiving Mr. Jiang’s warning glare.
He could only step aside, allowing Ye Zhou to enter.
Ye Zhou glanced at Boss Jiang, and after receiving his nod of approval, he confidently entered the room.
Screaming silently in his heart, “Boss Jiang is awesome!”
However, his good mood instantly dissipated upon seeing Zhu Ning’s frail form on the hospital bed.
Zhu Ning was asleep, his complexion no longer just pale but alarmingly sickly white. He had regained some weight during the filming but had now reverted to an even thinner state than when Ye Zhou first met him.
Without makeup to conceal it, his dark eye circles were glaringly obvious.
The assistant sitting beside the bed looked relieved to see Ye Zhou as if he were a savior, but considering the manager’s presence outside, she could only whisper, “Director Ye, you’re here.”
Ye Zhou nodded, approaching Zhu Ning’s bedside and silently observing for a while, unsure of what to say.
“What did the doctor say?” Ye Zhou finally asked.
“Malnutrition, extreme fatigue, and severe lack of sleep…”
“Ever since Ning-ge refused the company’s orders to distance himself from you after promoting your film, Brother Zhang confiscated his phone and arranged a relentless schedule for him. There was almost no time to relax. He couldn’t even secure basic sleep every day.”
The assistant lowered her voice, quietly recounting the recent events to Ye Zhou, audible only to the two of them.
Had she any other choice, she would never have sought Ye Zhou’s help.
But she was out of options. She was just an assistant who could be fired at any moment for displeasing the manager. She dared not argue with him.
Zhu Ning’s condition had become so severe, yet the company only approved a three-day leave, essentially driving him to his limits.
In this dire situation, the assistant could only turn to Ye Zhou for help.
After listening, Ye Zhou remained silent for a long while.
He knew Zhu Ning had been overworked lately but never imagined it had deteriorated to this extent, let alone that this incident was inadvertently caused by him.
As Ye Zhou pondered silently, Zhu Ning’s eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.
Noticing Ye Zhou, he looked surprised. “Director Ye, why are you here?”
But soon, seeing his assistant’s troubled expression, he immediately realized the reason for Ye Zhou’s visit.
With a resigned sigh, he told Ye Zhou, “She’s young and reckless. Don’t listen to her nonsense…”
“If I could help you switch to Jingzhe, would you be willing to jump ship?”
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