Huayu: This director specializes in promoting young actresses.

Chapter 59 Breaking 100 Million in Two Days

"Do we have any regrets?" Tian Xiwei suddenly asked. "For example... I used to tease Brother Feng all the time, does that count as a regret?"

Liu Haochun laughed: "Then just treat him well now, there's still plenty of time."

Listening to their conversation, Li Yitong turned to look at the balcony. Lin Feng was still standing there, his shadow stretched long by the streetlight. She walked over and stood beside him: "What are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking," he turned to look at her, his eyes sparkling, "that's what it feels like to be recognized."

"It's not just about being recognized," Li Yitong said with a smile, "it's about being believed. The audience believes in your story and your character, and that's the most precious thing."

He suddenly reached out and gently took her hand. The evening breeze carried the aroma of a hot pot restaurant from afar, as well as the laughter of Tian Xiwei and Liu Haochun.

"We want to film more stories in the future," he said.

"Okay," she squeezed his hand back, "keep taking pictures."

The moment their fingers touched, Tian Xiwei's voice boomed from the living room: "Brother Feng! Sister Yitong! Come quick! Sister Li Yi messaged saying the box office results are coming out soon!"

Li Yitong pulled her hand back as if she had been burned. Lin Feng coughed lightly and walked back to the living room first, with her half a step behind.

The TV screen was still playing behind-the-scenes footage of "The Beginning." Tian Xiwei was squatting in front of the coffee table, holding her phone, while Liu Haochun was close to her, their heads almost touching.

"Three minutes until midnight!" Tian Xi stared at the time, her voice tense. "Yesterday we broke 60 million, can we surpass that today?"

"Definitely," Liu Haochun said softly. "Today is the finale of 'The Beginning,' and many people said they would go to support the movie after watching it."

"It's here!" Tian Xiwei suddenly screamed, almost dropping her phone. "Fifty... fifty million two hundred thousand!"

The air in the living room froze instantly. Tian Xiwei's smile vanished, her eyes widening: "How come it's less than yesterday? Did you miscalculate?"

Liu Haochun was also stunned, and whispered, "Maybe... I'm overthinking it?"

Li Yitong looked at Lin Feng and saw that he looked calm, which reassured her a little, but she still couldn't help but ask, "Is this normal?"

Lin Feng took Tian Xiwei's phone, glanced at the data, and chuckled as he ruffled the girl's hair: "Silly girl, this is normal. Have you forgotten about 'Monster Hunt' from half a month ago? It broke 100 million on the first day, but then dropped back on the second. Most movies are like that; the first day relies on pre-sales and novelty, and the second day is when the real market feedback comes in."

"Really?" Tian Xiwei was still a little skeptical. "But over fifty million..."

"Over fifty million is already impressive," Lin Feng explained, calculating for her. "Over one hundred million in two days—that's a speed that no big-budget production can match. Think about it, how much did we actually cost?"

Tian Xiwei counted on her fingers: "It seems... only tens of millions?"

"Yes," Lin Feng nodded, "the return on investment is something everyone in the industry would envy." He paused, looking at the expectant eyes of the three girls, and said with a smile, "Don't worry, there will be plenty of red envelopes. One for Xiao Tian, ​​one for Hao Chun, and one for Yi Tong... too."

"I have one too?" Li Yitong raised an eyebrow, a smile hidden in her eyes.

"Of course," Lin Feng deliberately put on a stern face, "You're a hero. Without Li Shiqing, how would so many viewers recognize us?"

Tian Xiwei immediately forgot about the box office and leaned over to shake Lin Feng's arm: "How big is the red envelope? Can I buy the latest dress?"

"Not only that," Lin Feng teased her deliberately, "I could buy you ten different dresses."

"Yay!" Tian Xi jumped up with a cheer, her earlier disappointment long gone. Liu Haochun smiled too, and whispered, "I don't need a big red envelope, just something to buy for Mom and Dad."

Li Yitong looked up at Lin Feng, who was on the phone with Li Yi: "Let's hype up the finale of 'The Beginning' again, and edit a few virtual interactive videos of 'Li Shiqing watching 'Take My Brother Away' to guide the audience 'from the cycle to the sibling relationship,' and completely convert drama fans into movie fans." After hanging up, he had already imagined the lively scene tomorrow.

According to data from Tencent's backend, since its release, "The Beginning" has brought millions of new members to the platform. Combined with the revenue from derivative merchandise and OST copyrights, the total revenue is expected to exceed 100 million yuan in the future.

Not to mention this movie, which broke 100 million in just two days. According to industry norms, its final box office is likely to reach 500 million.

For a low-budget film with a production cost of only tens of millions including marketing, this means several times the profit. He could almost imagine the company's phone lines being ringing off the hook the next morning.

At the same time, the lights were still on in the president's office of a film and television company in Beijing. President Zhang was holding a report, his brows furrowed. The box office data for "Take My Brother Away" had just arrived, along with director Lin Feng's information: a freshman at the Beijing Film Academy, who debuted at his peak, with one web series and one movie that were both huge hits.

"This kid... he's been hiding it well." He muttered to himself, picked up the intercom, and said, "Connect me to the director of the artist department and have him check Fengrui Films' contact information first thing tomorrow morning. Do whatever it takes to get Lin Feng's private phone number."

"Mr. Zhang, I heard that several companies are looking for him," the secretary said with a troubled expression. "The front desk of Fengrui Film and Television is like an iron barrel; they don't transfer calls from unknown numbers at all."

"Then we'll use connections," Mr. Zhang emphasized, "find a professor at the Beijing Film Academy, find Wang Man from Tencent, even... find a cleaner at his company! I need to know his schedule before dawn!"

After hanging up the phone, Mr. Zhang looked at the CBD night view outside the window and knew in his heart that Lin Feng was no longer the rookie director who could be easily manipulated.

"The Beginning" proved his screenwriting ability, and "Take My Brother Away" proved his market acumen. People like him should either be snatched up for collaboration, or... at least not become competitors.

Meanwhile, in the conference room of Huaying Media, several senior executives were still debating. "With 500 million yuan in box office revenue, how much should we ask to sign him?"

"We're not just scrambling to sign directors, we're also fighting over those actors. Tian Xiwei has great talent, and Li Yitong has national recognition; they're both promising prospects!"

"I think the key is the script," someone tapped the table. "I heard he has several projects in the pipeline. If we could get priority investment rights..."

Zhou Ye from Huicheng has already booked tickets for tomorrow morning's movie screening. She posted a poster of "Take My Brother Away" on her WeChat Moments with the caption: "Second viewing planned! Go Director Lin!" She quickly received a comment from a classmate: "Didn't you just watch it yesterday?"

"Yesterday we focused on the plot, today we need to use a magnifying glass to examine the details!"

That night, Tian Xiwei rushed into Lin Feng's room clutching her pillow, her eyes scanning the bookshelf like a scanner: "Brother Feng's room is still the same as always!"