in2ebook Chapter 456 Light Speed Cutting
Chapter 456 Light Speed Cutting
Under the same night sky, thousands of kilometers away from the bustling city, the scene inside the top-floor ocean view suite of a five-star hotel in a seaside resort is quite different.
Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the deep sea stretches as far as the eye can see.
The suite was dimly lit and the air was filled with the subtle fragrance of sleep-inducing essential oils.
It actually has quite a nice atmosphere.
Chen Le thought to himself, and saw Xin Xin wearing cute cartoon pajamas, already fast asleep on the soft bed, her little face rosy, and she was holding a plush dolphin doll in her arms.
Chen Le gently closed the door connecting the master bedroom and the living room to make sure his daughter wouldn't be woken up.
He walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, dressed in comfortable cotton loungewear.
Su Xi was curled up in the large sofa, a soft cashmere shawl draped over her, a fashion magazine in her hand, and a warm yellow floor lamp cast a gentle halo around her.
Having shed the fatigue of her journey and the pressure of being in the spotlight, she appeared exceptionally relaxed and serene.
"Is Xin Xin fast asleep?"
Su Xi raised her head, her voice soft and tinged with a lazy smile.
"Yeah, I'm tired from playing, I fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow."
Chen Le smiled, walked to the sofa, and naturally sat down next to his wife. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, gently resting his chin on the top of her head, savoring this rare peace and warmth.
Just then, the screen of Chen Le's phone, which was on the small table next to him, lit up silently.
He glanced at it out of the corner of his eye and saw a message notification from Lin Tianxiong.
Chen Le didn't immediately reach for his phone; he simply tightened his grip on Su Xi's arm slightly.
However, he had actually seen the message Lin Tianxiong sent yesterday.
but,
For some reason, Chen Le's precognitive abilities seem to be declining.
Fortunately, this time it was timely.
"what happened?"
Su Xi keenly noticed his subtle change, put down the magazine, and turned her head to look at him.
Chen Le withdrew his gaze, lowered his head and placed a comforting kiss on her forehead, his tone as relaxed as if he were discussing tomorrow's breakfast:
"It's nothing serious. Zheng Tianming... finally couldn't hold back anymore."
Su Xi frowned slightly: "What is he planning to do now?"
She didn't like the arrogant director who was also hostile to her husband.
Chen Le picked up his phone and quickly swiped his fingers across the screen, seemingly checking information or typing commands. His movements were fluid and confident, without the slightest hint of panic.
"The same old thing."
He put down his phone, his tone carrying a calm and collected air of someone who had strategized and planned ahead.
"They hired online trolls to smear the movie and me, trying to reduce our screenings, and they even planned to dig up some dirt on us to throw mud at us. They're quite quick to act; it seems they're really angry about the box office."
Su Xi asked with some concern, "What should we do then? Should we have Lin Tianxiong contact a PR team? Or a lawyer...?"
"Need not."
Chen Le interrupted her, his tone gentle yet firm, and he pulled his wife closer again.
"Let them make a scene. The bigger the scene, the better."
He paused, then said slowly and deliberately,
"As for the online trolls, I've already had Lin Tianxiong anonymously send the pre-prepared evidence—the special effects outsourcing company for the Legend of Immortals cutting corners and their marketing expenses being severely inflated—to several reliable industry influencers. The higher they jump now, the more severe the backlash will be once these things are exposed."
Su Xi opened her eyes wide in surprise.
Chen Le continued, his voice deep and steady:
"As for the screening schedule... perfect timing. We were planning to focus on promoting 'word-of-mouth screenings' and previews in second- and third-tier cities starting next week, right? The 'non-prime time slots' that Zheng Tianming helped us free up are actually more suitable for the lower-tier markets. His suppression might actually help us open up new opportunities. I've already asked the distributors to adjust their strategy."
"Besides, with the Journey to the East being such a hot topic right now, who would turn down money?"
He spoke casually, as if he were talking about something trivial.
Su Xi listened quietly, and sighed softly:
"You... seem to know everything and have prepared everything."
Chen Le lowered his head and kissed her hair, his voice softening: "I only know that I can't let anyone disturb our family's peace, nor can I let petty people tarnish what we've made with our hearts."
He glanced at the warm light shining through the crack in the bedroom door, his gaze both firm and gentle.
"Zheng Tianming? He's not worthy of being our opponent. Let him jump around, he's just a clown."
the next day.
Before Chen Le could even retaliate, Zheng Tianming had already collapsed.
However, things didn't go as smoothly as Zheng Tianming had imagined.
He originally thought that, under pressure from public opinion and after he made his own call, several cinema chains with which he had good relations would adjust their screening schedules for A Chinese Odyssey and increase the screenings for The Legend of Fengxian.
But to everyone's surprise, not only did the number of screenings not increase, but it actually decreased!
Zheng Tianming received a call from the cinema chain early in the morning, saying that The Legend of the East was currently enjoying great popularity and high attendance, so they had no reason to reduce the number of screenings.
"Old Zheng, it's not that I don't want to help you, it's just that... 'A Chinese Odyssey' is too popular. If we reduce the number of screenings, my cinema will forget about making any money."
"Old Zheng, I'm really sorry. I haven't changed the screening schedule, but I have reduced the number of screenings for The Legend of Fengxian. You know, businessmen are all about profit. Who would turn down money? You know what I mean."
"..."
Upon hearing the voice from the other end of the phone, Zheng Tianming's smug smile instantly froze.
His eyes widened, and he was trembling with anger.
"You, you..."
He never expected that these cinema chains would dare to disrespect him!
They even... reduced the number of screenings for The Legend of Fengxian!
How dare they?!
Zheng Tianming's face was ashen, his chest heaving. He was just about to explode in anger when Xiang Xiatian called again.
"Young Master Xiang..."
Zheng Tianming quickly composed himself and was about to complain, but before he could even open his mouth, Xiang Xiatian's angry voice came from the other end of the phone:
"Zheng Tianming, look at the garbage you produced! My dad gave you billions in investment, and this is the kind of thing you make?"
"what?"
Zheng Tianming was completely stunned by Xiang Xiatian's shout.
He paused for a moment, then realized what he meant and quickly explained:
"Young Master Xiang, this isn't entirely my fault. It's Chen Le, it's all Chen Le's fault, he's the one who messed with me..."
"Get you?"
Xiang Xiatian angrily said:
"Does he need to mess with you? Chen Le is just a new director. Even if he stood still and let you mess with him, could you do anything about it?"
"Look at the rubbish you've made, and then look at other people's films. I'm starting to doubt whether you even know how to make a movie!"
He was hoping to use this movie to step over those senior figures in the film industry and rise to the top in one step. Now look what happened, his Virgo film is completely ruined!