Chapter 571: Chapter 545: Film Release
Yu Ming was impressed by Ye Chen’s explanation of culinary skills and admired him even more.
He felt that becoming Ye Chen’s apprentice was the best decision he ever made.
The two chatted for a while, and Ye Chen’s stomach started to growl.
Because he had been talking to Yu Ming, Ye Chen hadn’t had a bite to eat.
Yu Ming awkwardly said, "Master, it’s my fault. I didn’t let you eat well. The food is already cold. Let me make a few more dishes for you."
Just then, the door of the private room was pushed open, and Yu Ming came in carrying steaming dishes.
"Steward Ye, I’ve made a few more specialty dishes. Could you please give me some pointers?"
Su Wanyi took a bite and wrinkled her brows, "This tastes really bad?"
Yu Ming also took a bite with his chopsticks and was displeased, "Yu, your culinary skills have declined. How can anyone eat this stuff?"
Yu Ming replied, "Master, your taste has surely been spoiled by the food made by Steward Ye. Don’t compare me to him, or else, how can we chefs continue in the future?"
Yu Ming nodded, "Kid, although that’s the case, you should strive for perfection and hope to reach one-tenth of your master’s level. Your restaurant will definitely become more popular."
Ye Chen was so praised by these two, it made him blush.
He ate while giving Yu Ming some guidance, and then he left.
Yu Ming and Yu Ming led their apprentices all the way to the gate to see him off.
This scene attracted the attention of many customers.
Ye Chen escorted Su Wanyi home, and Su Wanyi said with a smile, "Ye Chen, I’m really happy today. The food was so delicious, thank you."
"Haha, as long as you’re happy."
Su Wanyi took a few steps and suddenly remembered something, "Oh, Five-Star Review."
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for receiving a Five-Star Review, activating the 2nd review star, and earning a 40% stake in Tianmei Cinema Line as a system reward.]
Tianmei Cinema Line holds 45% of the cinema resources in M Country and owns over a thousand large screens there.
Ye Chen was thinking of expanding into overseas markets, and this reward was very timely for him.
Just then, Ye Chen received a phone call.
The production of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was completed.
Ye Chen went to Star University to watch the sample of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and nodded in satisfaction.
This project was assigned to the design team at Star University.
He chose them because the post-production design team at Star University had access to the film special effects software edited by Ye Chen.
The capabilities of this software completely surpassed current technologies.
That day, Ye Chen booked an entire floor at the Marriott Hotel to hold the wrap party for the film.
All the cast and crew were present at the banquet.
Ye Chen was very generous, handing out red envelopes to everyone in one go.
Ordinary people received ten thousand, and the red envelopes for some of the main responsible persons were in the millions.
For hundreds of cast and crew members, Ye Chen handed out tens of millions in red envelopes at once.
Especially Liu Hua, Zhou Fa, and Tong Xiaoya received red envelopes worth millions.
Currently, Liu Hua and Zhou Fa were in serious need of money.
The million-dollar red envelopes were truly a fortune for them.
The reason Ye Chen handed out such large red envelopes was mainly because these actors really had it tough.
After all, his energy was limited, and it was actually several assistant directors who supported all the logistical work for the film.
All Ye Chen did was direct the filming.
Moreover, Ye Chen was very satisfied with the quality of the shooting, as it basically met the requirements he had for the entire film.
Most importantly, Ye Chen had signed Liu Hua and Zhou Fa, which was a profitable move.
With the release of this film, Ye Chen believed it would definitely be a hit.
Being wealthy means being willful, and Ye Chen’s goal was to show everyone that as long as they work diligently with him, there will definitely be no shortage of red envelopes.
News appeared in the entertainment sections on the same day.
At the "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" celebration scene, Ye Chen wildly handed out ten million in red envelopes.
The news caused a sensation in the entertainment circle.
"Wow, he’s really rich."
"What a tycoon."
"Giving out ten million in red envelopes even before the release, Ye Chen is too confident."
"Haha, I heard he’s just a rich second generation. Can his movie be any good?"
People perceived Ye Chen as merely a prodigal who knew how to squander money.
Soon, Ye Chen received the news that the movie passed the review and was scheduled for the Golden Week holiday on the eleventh.
Not only that, Ye Chen arranged for Lin Wanrou to handle the overseas release of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."
Tianmei Group has cinemas in major cities across North America, so Ye Chen’s aim was not only to make "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" a hit in Hua Country but also worldwide.
Lin Wanrou quickly sent back the news that under the operation of Tianmei Group, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was scheduled to release in more than a dozen countries, including Japan, Korea, and Europe.
There’s no denying that Tianmei Group was indeed supportive.
Ordinary films wouldn’t receive such significant backing from Tianmei.
However, Ye Chen is the largest shareholder with a 40% stake; how could he not invest wholeheartedly in his own movie?
With everything in place, Ye Chen was just waiting for the final results.
The first step was the pre-sale promotion.
The film had already been sent to the cinemas, and Ye Chen entrusted the marketing department at Star University with the entire film’s advertising.
As expected, the students did not disappoint him.
The promotion was very well-executed; they even embedded the movie posters in the King’s Canyon game.
Ultimately, the film was scheduled to premiere on October 1st.
It would be publicly screened at midnight in Hua Country.
Late at night, Ye Chen lay in Hua Mansion, with Lin Wanrou at his side.
For the sake of this film, Lin Wanrou had been running around tirelessly.
After she returned, Ye Chen naturally had to treat her well.
After their activities, it was just past one o’clock in the morning.
By then, the viewers attending the premiere should have left the cinema.
He kept refreshing Weibo to see the audience’s feedback on the film.
Sure enough, users started commenting on the movie, "Just got out of the cinema; it’s been a long time since I watched such a fantastic martial arts film, and my girlfriend cried her eyes out."
It’s a shame the female lead jumped off the cliff in the end.
"@Ye Chen, why did the female lead Yu Longjiao jump off the cliff?"
Ye Chen smiled faintly.
In his past life, this topic was the focal point of movie fans, and the director didn’t provide an explanation at the time, so naturally, Ye Chen didn’t know the reason either.
If one had to ask Ye Chen, the reason was simply because the script was written that way—she was meant to jump off the cliff.
Ye Chen continued scrolling through Weibo.
The reviews of the film were almost entirely positive.
Seeing these reviews, Ye Chen breathed a sigh of relief.
The film was sure to succeed.
Ye Chen glanced at Lin Wanrou beside him, gave her a gentle kiss, and then fell asleep too.
The next day, Ye Chen opened Weibo.
The movie had already gone viral.
It even made its way into the trending search list.
The first trending topic was "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon creates a box office miracle, midnight sales exceed 20 million."
The second trending topic was, "Ye Chen, the director, silences doubts with 20 million at the box office, with hopes to break the sales record."
The third trending topic was "Director Ye’s keen eye, Brother Fa’s explosive performance."
"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" exploded in Hua Country’s movie market upon release.