Chapter 128: Breaking Through One Hundred Million!

"What is going on? Why is ticket sales so slow?"

"Exactly! It’s scorching hot out here, can you guys hurry up?"

"Hey, watch it! Stop cutting in line! No cutting!"

"Where are your manners? Do you have any sense of decency?"

This was not a store clearance sale; it was just people buying movie tickets. There were simply so many people that the box office windows were overwhelmed.

"I say, what's happening here? So many people queuing up—this is rare. What are they buying? Is there a discount?" In China, a long queue easily attracts spectators; everyone wants to see if they can get in on a bargain.

"It’s not a sale, it’s a movie!"

"I know it’s a movie, this is a cinema, isn't it? Is there some kind of big promotion? Watch a movie for free and get two bags of melon seeds?"

"Forget it! It’s not cheap; sixty yuan a ticket!"

"That expensive? And people are still lining up to watch it?"

"You don't get it, do you? This is that new film by Wu Xiang. Everyone is here to see it."

"Is he better than Zhang Yimou?"

"Hard to say, but many people are saying it’s good. Journalists, those so-called film critics—they all say this film is a rare find."

"Nonsense! Can it be better than the American ones?"

"Whether it is or not, don't you have to see it to know? What if it actually is?"

"No way, aren't the Americans the best?"

"What good does being 'the best' do? Didn't that guy with the beard crash into the Americans' buildings anyway?"

"True. Well, I’ll go check the video store first; they should have this movie. If it looks good, then I’ll go to the cinema."

"Forget it! I’ve already checked; there are no pirated discs. This film was released domestically first. Not many people have seen it yet, so where would a pirated copy come from?"

"That’s true! Alright then, let’s go in and take a look."

BOOM! With a deafening roar, as the two cavalry squadrons collided fiercely on the screen, the entire theater seemed to tremble.

"Whoa!"

"Damn!"

"That impact was massive!"

Undeniably, the effect was excellent, though the audience members sitting near the speakers were out of luck.

"Damn! That was satisfying as hell!"

"Not bad at all. These domestic films are actually pretty good!"

"This, well, it’s good, but the plot..."

"What’s wrong with the plot?"

"Huo Qubing getting together with a Xiongnu princess? I mean, what about 'How can I have a home when the Xiongnu are not yet destroyed'?"

"Hey, buddy, you know your history!"

Overall, after watching the film, the response was quite positive, even though many people complained about the fictionalized parts of the plot written by Wu Xiang.

Starting from the wide release of *Emperor Wu of Han* on the afternoon of September 30th, scenes of people queuing for tickets appeared in major cities across the country. With the holiday approaching, many people were out and about, and after watching the film, most audiences expressed that it was quite good. The battle scenes were spectacular—very realistic and grand.

This positive word-of-mouth spread quickly, sparking a craze for the film. It felt as if the Chinese public had finally rediscovered the joy of going to the cinema. If there was nothing else to do, why not go see this domestic film and see if it could really rival Hollywood blockbusters?

"Have you seen *Emperor Wu of Han*?"

"Not yet."

"I heard it’s quite good. After we finish shopping later, shall we go see it?"

"The tickets aren't cheap, are they?"

"Why are you so stingy?"

"Fine, fine, let’s go see it then..."

The so-called "Golden September and Silver October" is a peak period for consumption. After shopping, young men and women always look for some entertainment, or at least a place to rest. Thus, cinemas became a top choice, much like restaurants or fast-food chains like KFC and McDonald's.

Meanwhile, various promotional efforts did not stop; they intensified. On the internet, even more "hired hands" were active. It must be said that they were among the first professional internet influencers in the country, all orchestrated by that man, Wu Xiang.

Ten million in box office revenue took only two days, and twenty million was even faster, breaking the record within three days of release. It set a significant milestone: the fastest domestic film to reach twenty million in box office earnings. Of course, this record would be broken repeatedly in the coming years, with everyone eventually focusing on the one-hundred-million mark. But for now, *Emperor Wu of Han*’s achievement was staggering.

Three days of such success naturally delighted the entire crew, and the box office kept snowballing.

Thirty million, forty million, fifty million... After the National Day Golden Week, the box office for *Emperor Wu of Han* had surpassed the ninety-million mark, and it was on the verge of breaking one hundred million!

October 11th, Beijing, in a five-star hotel conference hall.

"Congratulations on *Emperor Wu of Han* reaching one hundred million at the box office! Cheers, everyone!"

"Cheers!"

"Come on, let's cut the cake!"

Wu Xiang held the knife, with others like Yu Dong, Huang Xiaoming, Zhang Jingchu, Huang Haibo, and Deng Chao stepping in to help—though they were mostly just posing for the cameras.

"Yeah!"

*Click, click...* As the knife pierced the cake, a flurry of camera flashes erupted.

This was the celebration banquet held by the *Emperor Wu of Han* crew. It was open to the public, of course—otherwise, how would there be so many reporters? It was a clever promotional tactic. The person who planned this event was Zhu Xuebin, one of Yu Dong’s people, who was now in charge of such planning and doing a fine job.

Naturally, many media personnel were invited. It was a banquet with good food, drinks, and news interviews; who wouldn't want to come?

The pretext was the film crossing the one-hundred-million mark. Truth be told, the actual figure was slightly shy of that, but a little discrepancy didn't matter as long as the gap wasn't too large. To drive the box office even higher, everyone temporarily set their integrity aside.

Since so many media friends were invited, interviews were inevitable. Wu Xiang stood before countless microphones.

"Director Wu, could you share your thoughts on the box office crossing one hundred million?"

"Honestly, I don’t have many thoughts. At first, I didn't dare to imagine it, but once it broke through, I suddenly realized the dawn had arrived." Wu Xiang’s words were a bit disingenuous; he had been aiming for one hundred million from the start, and he had even secretly hoped for more!

"Hahaha..." Naturally, Wu Xiang’s humorous answer drew laughter; the atmosphere was joyous.

"Director Wu, although your new film, *Emperor Wu of Han*, has achieved a high box office, many fans feel that your interpretation of historical events is somewhat disrespectful. Is it possible that the plot is..."

"A bit too artistically exaggerated?" Wu Xiang finished the question for the reporter.

"Yes, yes..." In truth, the reporter was too embarrassed to say it bluntly. The online criticism regarding Wu Xiang’s handling of history was not kind.

It was simple: the various creative liberties Wu Xiang took with the plot, like the relationship between Emperor Wu and Wei Qing—though that was minor—caused the most controversy, specifically the subplot between Huo Qubing and the Xiongnu princess. Online, people were far less subtle than the reporter. They called Wu Xiang a "history inventor."

The more rational ones would ask, "Was that part of history really like that? Could those two really be together?"

The more aggressive ones would say, "What kind of garbage is this? This love story is pure nonsense!"

Some who were more historically inclined would comment, "The battle scenes are quite good and very faithful to history. I haven't seen anyone else pay such close attention to the stirrups. However, it seems unlikely that Huo Qubing would get involved with a Xiongnu princess. Plus, the timeline seems a bit off. Is this supposed to be a romance between an older woman and a younger man?"

Of course, some didn't care at all, shouting, "Age-gap romance is the gold standard!"

Wu Xiang had read most of these comments, and he was quite pleased.

In reality, he found the controversy perfectly normal. If there were no controversy, it would mean his film hadn't succeeded. He had designed that subplot specifically to stir up debate!

Exactly. Wu Xiang had foreseen this from the beginning. It was a strategy: the harsher the criticism and the more intense the discussion, the more successful his design was because it attracted attention.

In fact, this was a variation of viral marketing. The essence of viral marketing is "topicality." Without a topic, there is no marketing.

Why was Wu Xiang so well-versed in viral marketing?

It was simple: before becoming a screenwriter, he had spent time as a ghostwriter, writing advertorials and sponsored articles. These were all forms of viral marketing.

To put it more bluntly, he had also been a web novelist—a past he didn't care to revisit. Regardless, since he made his living through words, he understood how to control the narrative. Thus, writing the plot this way was exactly right.

But how did Wu Xiang respond to the reporters?

"Regarding the plot, I referenced historical materials. The records for that period are not very clear, especially concerning General Huo Qubing—everyone is welcome to look it up. Besides, I never claimed this film was a documentary or an educational film. This is a narrative film. I hope this answer satisfies you."

True to form, he dodged the question perfectly. His answer didn't have any obvious flaws, but the moment it was posted online, it would ignite countless more debates.

Indeed, his integrity levels were running a bit low.