Aside from the drama on New Year’s Day, the new year went relatively smoothly.
Fearing the Jiang family might cause trouble and add to Mr. Jiang’s burden, Ye Zhou decided not to stay in City A during the holidays. Instead, he took Mr. Jiang on a trip to City H for half a month. During this time, Ye Zhou kept his phone turned off, while Mr. Jiang, although he did not turn off his phone, instructed his secretary not to call unless it was an urgent matter.
During these two weeks, both their bodies and minds were greatly relaxed, especially Ye Zhou, who went wild, temporarily setting aside his concerns about getting ‘Thriller Circus’ approved and fully immersing himself in this rare vacation.
Jiang Tingyuan was no exception. As a workaholic who demanded a lot from himself, he rarely took time off, let alone a two-week vacation.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t; it was just that Jiang Tingyuan was clearly more interested in work than traveling.
However, this time, because he was with Ye Zhou, Jiang Tingyuan found that traveling, which he had previously found extremely boring, could be quite interesting.
Happy days are always fleeting, and before they knew it, the Spring Festival was over, and both Jiang Tingyuan and Ye Zhou needed to start their respective work again.
Before leaving the small island in City H, Ye Zhou stood on the small island, waving his flamboyant sun hat and calling out to Jiang Tingyuan walking behind him, “Jiang-ge, come over here!”
As Jiang Tingyuan quickened his pace and walked up to him, Ye Zhou handed the camera to the bodyguard standing nearby and said with a smile, “Can you help us take a picture?”
The bodyguard readily agreed.
Ye Zhou pulled Mr. Jiang along, taking a few steps onto the stairs, ensuring that the scenery of the island would be captured in the frame, and made a playful expression.
Although Jiang Tingyuan’s expression remained calm, his gaze followed Ye Zhou’s figure, and the affection and doting in his dark eyes were undisguised.
With a light click of the camera shutter, the scene was frozen.
Ye Zhou ran over and tilted his head to look at the photo they had just taken, his eyes disappearing into his smile after seeing it. “Not bad, let’s go with this one. When you get it developed, remember to give me two copies. I want to put one in my wallet.”
Jiang Tingyuan also took a look at the photo. Seeing Ye Zhou’s playful expression, he was torn between laughing and crying, but said nothing. He only instructed the bodyguard, “Print a few more copies then.”
Then, he turned to Ye Zhou and asked, “Do you want to take photos at any other scenic spots?”
Ye Zhou checked the time and, although tempted, refused, “The boat is about to arrive. We may not have enough time. Nevermind, we’ve taken so many photos already. Let’s not take any more and head back.”
Almost within minutes of Ye Zhou’s words, a white yacht slowly approached the pier from a distance. Before leaving, Ye Zhou looked back at the island behind them with some reluctance.
Noticing his reluctance, Jiang Tingyuan gently ruffled his head and reassured him, “If you like it, I’ll give you this island.”
“No, no, no.” Ye Zhou shook his head repeatedly. He didn’t doubt the sincerity of Mr. Jiang’s words at all, but if he showed the slightest desire for it, he would become the owner of the island in a few days.
“Liking something doesn’t mean you have to buy it. We can just come and play here often. Why buy it?” Fearing Mr. Jiang would not believe him, Ye Zhou emphasized his determination, and then couldn’t help but tease, “We’re going to travel to many places in the future. Are you going to buy every place I like?”
Ye Zhou meant it as a joke, but unexpectedly, Jiang Tingyuan seriously considered the feasibility of the idea. After a few seconds of contemplation, he readily agreed, “Okay.”
Ye Zhou’s smile froze, and he was full of questions.
Even after transmigrating for so long, he still couldn’t adapt to the rich people’s consumption mentality. This was too magical!
After the Spring Festival ended and life resumed, the number of people going to the movies gradually decreased. By the time the New Year films started to be withdrawn from theaters, the box office results for this year’s New Year films were in.
Topping the list this year was Director Sun Wei’s ‘Intricate Beauty1雕梁画栋 (diāo liáng huà dòng) – richly ornamented (building), word by word it could be “Carved Beams and Painted Joists”, I suck at naming titles lol‘ with a high box office of 3.675 billion. Second place went to the light-hearted comedy ‘Run, Youths!’ with a box office of 1.53 billion, and third was the family film ‘Happy Celebrations’ by veteran director Guo Qi, with a box office of 1.19 billion.
As Ye Zhou and Jiang Tingyuan had expected, although ‘Tears Behind Bars’ received high praise for its word-of-mouth, its box office and attendance were not as desired, making it a high word-of-mouth, low box office film.
However, riding on the New Year viewing base and the formidable influence of actor Zhong Bai, ‘Tears Behind Bars’ managed to earn a box office of 285 million yuan by the last day of its run during the New Year period.
This box office figure might be considered a failure for other films, but for ‘Tears Behind Bars,’ a film with a total investment of only 15 million yuan, even after deducting various accounts and taxes, the main creative team earned a substantial profit.
Moreover, ‘Tears Behind Bars’ was positioned from the start as an award-seeking film, so no one had high expectations for its box office performance. They originally thought it would be remarkable if the film could break even, but unexpectedly, not only did it break even, but it also made a considerable profit!
On the last night at midnight when the box office results came out, He Feiyang was so excited that his face turned red. Although Liu Zhao was slightly more composed, his joyful expression was undisguised.
At the celebration banquet the next day, He Feiyang and Liu Zhao had drunk a bit too much. They tugged at Ye Zhou’s sleeves, crying incoherently, unable to utter a complete sentence, with “thank you” pouring from their mouths.
Liu Zhao was reserved by nature and couldn’t say anything eloquent, but he frequently toasted Ye Zhou tonight, conveying all his gratitude and words in those drinks.
That evening when Mr. Jiang came off work to pick them up, he saw the three drunks sitting in a row on the steps at the entrance of the restaurant, babbling incoherently in a language Jiang Tingyuan couldn’t understand, yet they could miraculously communicate!
Jiang Tingyuan first had the driver send He Feiyang and Liu Zhao home before taking his own little drunk back home.
After the celebration banquet, they thought the box office had already given them a big surprise, but an even bigger surprise soon hit them in the face.
“You’re saying the national television station wants to buy the film rights?” Ye Zhou asked in disbelief, his voice raised due to the surprise.
Seeing He Feiyang’s dazed and incoherent state, Liu Zhao beside him took over and explained to Ye Zhou, “Yes, the staff from the national film channel approached us, saying they want to purchase the rights, but I heard from them that the money might not be as much as other video streaming platforms.”
“The staff said that if we’re interested, they can try their best to get more, but the person in charge on our side would need to go and discuss the exact amount with them.”
Ye Zhou rubbed his face to regain his composure and said directly, “If the national television station really wants to buy it, the money isn’t a problem.”
It’s no wonder Ye Zhou was so generous, because being selected by the national television station would bring benefits far greater than just money to the film and the creative team.
The money might be less, but the influence and fame would be far higher than any online platform. Although online platforms can be searched indefinitely, they only promote new releases, with subsequent publicity falling behind.
But the national television station is different. Some films can be broadcast two or three times a year, and if they’re truly classic films, they’re basically replayed every year.
Although ‘Tears Behind Bars’ was of high quality and had won many awards, neither Ye Zhou nor He Feiyang had expected it to catch the attention of the national television station.
They were not short-sighted people. Compared to the immediate gains, long-term development was more important.
The movie’s investment was made in Ye Zhou’s personal name by Mr. Jiang, so there was no need to consult anyone else. After the three reached a consensus, Ye Zhou informed Mr. Jiang about this matter and received his approval. With great speed, they finalized the contract with the television station.
——
Early one morning, after finishing his morning jog, Feng Mingrui chatted idly with his fellow inmates. As soon as they left the playground, they heard a shrill whistle blast.
Almost reflexively, the prisoners who had been scattered in small groups on the playground rapidly formed orderly rows in less than two minutes, showing their disciplined training.
The prison guard checked the roster and, after confirming no one was missing, cleared his throat and said, “Today’s labor education is canceled. Instead, there will be a movie appreciation. After dismissal, report directly to the screening room. Each of you should sit in your assigned seat according to your number. No chatting or changing seats is allowed.”
“Do you understand?”
As the guard’s voice fell, an orderly response came from the playground.
After the rows dispersed, Feng Mingrui felt puzzled. He poked the prisoner next to him and asked in a lowered voice, “Isn’t the movie appreciation on Fridays? Today is only Wednesday. Can we have it twice this week?”
The prisoner rolled his eyes and slapped Feng Mingrui’s back mercilessly, “What are you thinking? It’s just been switched. Today is the movie appreciation, and Friday will be labor instead. They can’t let you have it twice. You’re quite ugly, but your imagination is quite beautiful.”
Feng Mingrui was stunned for a long while, not knowing what to say. He wanted to retort, but looking at the other’s stature, he didn’t dare. If he didn’t retort, he felt resentful.
He blamed the heavens, the earth, and Ye Zhou.
Yes, Ye Zhou. Feng Mingrui was the young man who sabotaged Xie Gefei’s stunt wires during the filming of ‘A Farce’.
Now, he had been in prison for almost three years. Not only had he never reflected on his own problems, but he resented Ye Zhou instead.
In Feng Mingrui’s view, although he had tampered with the wires, he was eventually discovered, and no one died or caused any major disaster. Yet Ye Zhou, a mere director, not only refused to let it go but also reported it to the police, causing a huge uproar and even getting him arrested!
During the two years Feng Mingrui was in prison, whenever he was bullied, his resentment towards Ye Zhou grew. By now, he regarded Ye Zhou as his sworn enemy.
Yet he completely forgot that his own actions had violated the law, and everyone must pay the price for their actions. Whether he was at fault or broke the law was already evident from the court’s verdict.
There’s a saying, “You can never wake someone who is pretending to sleep.” This phrase perfectly describes Feng Mingrui, who was trapped in his own world, unable to break free.
Every day, Feng Mingrui hoped for Ye Zhou’s misfortune, wishing and wishing, but his wishes remained unfulfilled. Instead, he heard about the huge box office success of ‘A Farce.
Money! It was all about the money!
If he hadn’t agreed to Zou Rong’s request back then and had stayed in the crew, after the film’s massive success, as a crew member, he would have definitely received a substantial bonus.
Unfortunately, reality has no “ifs.” While others were happily dividing the profits, he was doing labor in prison. While others were holding grand celebration banquets, he was forced to eat simple, bland meals. While others achieved success and fame, with this film as a stepping stone to increase their worth, what about him?
He was in prison. With this criminal record, even if he were released in the future, it would be impossible for him to work in film crews like before. Which crew would dare hire him?
Whenever he thought of this, Feng Mingrui’s hatred for Ye Zhou escalated.
Reporting to the police, reporting to the police… If only Ye Zhou hadn’t reported him and had accepted his apology instead, how could his painstakingly built career have been ruined? How could his hard-earned connections have become completely useless? How could he have ended up in this situation?!
“Feng Mingrui, what the hell are you thinking about? This is my seat, get out of the way!”
Lost in thought, Feng Mingrui was abruptly shoved, the force nearly knocking him over. He staggered a few steps before regaining his balance. Just as he was about to curse back, he looked up and met a face full of scars, promptly swallowing his words.
“Sorry, Qiang-ge. I’m sorry, I’ll move right away.” Feng Mingrui apologized meekly.
The other man rolled his eyes, grabbed Feng Mingrui by the collar, and dragged him aside, gruffly saying, “Scram!”
Feng Mingrui clenched his fists but didn’t dare retort. He nodded repeatedly and hurried away. After finally finding his assigned seat, he saw someone already sitting there.
That person looked intimidating. As time ticked by and the guard was about to enter, Feng Mingrui finally mustered his courage and said softly, “This…this is my seat…”
Before he could finish, the person glared at him, and Feng Mingrui immediately fell silent, unable to utter another word, as if a chicken being strangled.
At that moment, the guard’s gaze fell on them. Feng Mingrui’s legs trembled. Looking around and finding no empty seats, he could only grit his teeth, take a deep breath, and crouch in front of the desk.
Fortunately, the room darkened soon after he crouched down, and the film began. The unfortunate part was that he might have to maintain that crouching position throughout the entire movie.
After the opening credits, three words appeared on the screen: ‘Tears Behind Bars’.
As soon as the title appeared, muffled laughter rippled through the screening room, but it quickly died down under the guard’s order to maintain silence.
Initially, no one took this obviously educational film seriously. Although their eyes were on the screen, they constantly fidgeted and occasionally commented on the actors’ performances in hushed tones.
However, two-thirds into the film, the atmosphere in the screening room had completely changed. Rarely did anyone speak, with only the dialogue from the movie filling the vast space.
As the plot progressed to the protagonist’s release, most in the audience visibly relaxed, admiring the qualities the protagonist embodied, for people often yearn for what they cannot achieve themselves, be it a person or a circumstance.
Seeing the protagonist finally make it through and start a new life, everyone felt happy for him, and the atmosphere in the screening room lightened considerably.
As the protagonist boarded the train home, the rapidly passing scenery outside the window seemed to symbolize leaving behind the unbearable past, with an open path ahead.
But when they followed the protagonist back home and saw the towering, unfamiliar buildings that instilled fear, and the surrounding scenery that bore no resemblance to his memories, they began to share his trepidation.
Some recalled the protagonist’s parents, who hadn’t visited him for days, and the black-and-white funeral scene.
The quicker ones had already realized that the protagonist’s parents might have passed away.
Thinking about the news awaiting the protagonist, everyone felt a pang of sadness.
Especially for those who had been in prison for many years, they were overwhelmed with mixed emotions, inevitably thinking about their hometowns, families, scenery, and things from their pasts.
After so many years, were their old friends still well? Or had their homes, like in the movie, changed beyond recognition?
They dared not dwell on it further and focused their attention on the film, trying their best not to recall memories of home, fearing they might break down at any moment.
What was even more saddening was when the protagonist finally found his old home, he happened to encounter a neighbor who was about to leave as he tremblingly unlocked the door.
From the neighbor, the protagonist finally learned the truth about his parents’ passing.
As the protagonist’s figure gradually disappeared into the alley, the voiceover was accompanied by sobs.
Nothing could make them, the prisoners, empathize more than this, nothing at all.
Because they empathized, the initial cries were muffled, but as more people wept, it turned into wailing.
Never before had they felt such dread. Over all these years, were their parents still healthy? Had their children grown up successfully? Were their wives/girlfriends still…waiting for their return?
Never before had they felt such remorse. Why had they committed crimes in the first place? If they hadn’t done those things, they would have been with their parents, spouses, and children, living happily together as a family.
“In life, one must pay the price for their mistakes. Some mistakes can be rectified, but others can never be undone.”
So, did they still have a chance to make amends for the mistakes they made back then?
“If so, they should strive to break free from the quagmire and be reborn.”
“If not, they should forge ahead bravely, for there is no turning back from here on.”
Some whispered the last two lines from the film’s ending, repeating them over and over, savoring each word.
Most people were immersed in the emotions evoked by the film, unable to emerge from it. Only a small number of indifferent individuals were misbehaving, and Feng Mingrui was among them.
Feng Mingrui had maintained the crouching position for nearly two hours. When he tried to move his legs slightly, excruciating numbness surged through them, paralyzing him in that position for a long while. Beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead.
With great difficulty, he endured the numbness and forced himself to stand up. His gaze inadvertently swept across the large screen still displaying the end credits, and what he saw left him dumbfounded.
Feng Mingrui stared blankly at the enormous line of text in the center of the screen, even doubting if his prolonged crouching had caused him to see things.
He rubbed his eyes vigorously with his hands, but when he looked up again, the line of text remained, becoming ever clearer.
The large text in the center of the screen read: Sincere thanks to the investor, Mr. Ye Zhou. Without him, ‘Tears Behind Bars’ would not have been made.
What the hell! Was that the director Ye Zhou he had in mind?!
“It must be a case of same name. Yes, such an ordinary common name is bound to be a case of same name. How could it be him? He’s just an obscure little director…”
Feng Mingrui muttered, but contrary to his wishes, after the end credits finished rolling, a short video clip about ten seconds long played.
The video showcased behind-the-scenes footage, seemingly from the film set. Much to Feng Mingrui’s dismay, he immediately spotted the man wearing a black baseball cap sitting next to the director – none other than the Ye Zhou he loathed.
The line of thanks, coupled with Ye Zhou’s appearance in the behind-the-scenes footage, left Feng Mingrui no choice but to accept that this Ye Zhou was indeed the same person, or he would just be deluding himself.
Feng Mingrui was completely dumbfounded, his face a picture of shock. He couldn’t bring himself to believe that while he had ended up in such a miserable state, like a stray dog, the very person who had personally sent him to prison was not only unscathed but thriving.
This blow was too much for Feng Mingrui. His head spun, and his body swayed before he collapsed onto the floor.
Normally, his collapse should have been easily noticed, but Feng Mingrui was truly unlucky. Just seconds before he fainted, the guard had announced the dismissal, and everyone rushed towards the exit, too preoccupied to notice him falling.
Feng Mingrui felt someone step on him, and the intense pain made him instinctively cry out for help, but once again, his luck was… too wretched.
Everyone was immersed in the sadness brought by ‘Tears Behind Bars,’ with sobs and choked cries filling the entire screening room. His cry for help was naturally drowned out by the wailing.
Of course, someone must have seen him fall, but Feng Mingrui’s reputation was poor. He was generally disliked, so even those who noticed simply ignored him, at most detouring around him when passing by – that was already being kind enough.
As the screening room emptied, a cleaning aunty spotted someone lying on the floor while sweeping. Only then was the unfortunate Feng Mingrui finally discovered.
His back was covered in footprints, especially his buttocks, which were grayed and unsightly.
Fortunately, he had thick skin, and most of his injuries were superficial. Apart from a fractured coccyx and wrist, he was relatively unharmed. However, the next few months would likely be difficult for him.
After the screening of ‘Tears Behind Bars’ in prison, the guards unexpectedly noticed over the following month that many inmates became much more active in labor, training, and studying compared to before.
Some who were previously impatient with family visits also showed some improvement in their interactions and phone calls with family members after watching the film.
After reporting these behavioral changes, ‘Tears Behind Bars’ instantly became popular in prisons nationwide, regardless of whether they were men’s or women’s prisons.
Taking advantage of the unexpected popularity of ‘Tears Behind Bars’ in prisons, Ye Zhou received another piece of good news.
The long-delayed ‘Thriller Circus,’ which had been stuck in limbo, finally passed its review three days ago.
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