Huayu: This director is pretty strong.

Chapter 92 Ghostly Arena and Full House

Chen Yan's fingertips pressed against the cold, hard edge of the tie clip.

The man outside the door stopped what he was doing, the tip of his black short-handled pliers drooping, rain dripping down the metal.

Tell Lu Haiming.

Chen Yan spoke, his voice drowning out the whirring of the old fan in the projection room, "The screen may be off, but the fire in people's hearts cannot be extinguished."

The man's eyes changed, and with a flick of his wrist, the short-handled pliers didn't smash the power source, but instead swung fiercely at Chen Yan's face.

Chen Yan dodged to the side, his right hand like an iron claw, precisely gripping the man's wrist and twisting it inward.

The dull thud of dislocated joints was perfectly masked by the film's soundtrack.

The man groaned, the pliers slipped from his grasp, and Chen Yan shoved him out the door, where he staggered and disappeared into the shadows at the end of the corridor.

Chen Yan picked up the short-handled pliers from the ground, threw them into the trash can, and locked the door behind him.

He turned around and saw Su Wan standing in front of the control panel, her face ashen.

"Chen Yan, look."

Su Wan handed over a fax paper, which crumpled from her force.

At the top is the joint logo of major cinema chains in Beijing, and below it is a table.

"Thunder" will be shown on its opening day.

BJ Cinema: 02:15.

Huadu Cinema: 03:40.

Dongdan Art Cinema: 06:10.

Su Wan's fingers tapped on the string of numbers, her fingertips turning white.

"This isn't a screening, this is a funeral procession."

Su Wan's voice suppressed her anger, "Lu Haiming wants us to die at midnight. Two o'clock, three o'clock, six o'clock—who will see that except ghosts?"

Chen Yan took the paper, glanced at it, folded it, and stuffed it into his briefcase.

"He can control the scheduling, but he can't control the timing."

Chen Yan said, "This is called a ghost field."

"We'll lose all our money!"

Su Wan said, "Lin Shufen just called; the first show's attendance was less than 30%, and all subsequent shows have been cancelled!"

"Notify Lao Wu."

Chen Yan pulled out a chair and sat down, sinking his entire weight into it. "Contact the BBS administrators of all universities in Beijing."

Su Wan looked at him.

"Post a thread titled 'Operation Night Watch'."

Chen Yan took out his pen and wrote furiously on the paper.

"With your student ID, the ticket price for the midnight show is half off. I'll pay the other half."

"We're out of money."

Su Wan reminded.

"Is that five million dollar contract just a piece of paper?"

Chen Yan looked up and said, "Find Lin Shufen to advance the funds. Tell her that she will pay for it, and I will give her priority for overseas distribution of my next two films."

Su Wan nodded and picked up the phone.

"besides."

Chen Yan stopped her, "Rent a bus. Wait at the gates of Peking University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University, and Beijing Film Academy at 1 a.m. Hang a poster of 'Thunder' on the front of the bus."

Free shuttle service.

Chen Yan added, "Prepare hot drinks and raincoats."

One o'clock in the morning.

Lu Haiming's office.

Wang, the comprador, pushed open the door and entered with very light footsteps.

"Mr. Lu, Chen Yan posted on the school's BBS and even rented a car."

Lu Haiming flipped through the documents without looking up.

"Rent a car to pick someone up to go to the movies? Does he think this is a wedding procession? In the middle of the night, have those students lost their minds from being soaked in the rain?"

"Ticket prices have been cut in half."

Wang, the comprador, added.

"Losing money to gain publicity is a recipe for disaster; it won't last more than three days."

Lu Haiming put down his pen. "What about the cinema?"

"Everything has been arranged. Right after midnight, turn off all the air conditioners, close all the concession stands, and leave only one ticket checker. Let's see what he'll do to keep people here."

Lu Haiming picked up his wine glass and tapped his fingernail three times on the glass.

"Keep an eye on those cinema managers. Anyone who dares to give Chen Yan a boost will be made to disappear from Beijing."

Meanwhile, in front of the BJ Cinema.

Manager Zhang, wrapped in a military overcoat, looked at the empty lobby and muttered curses under his breath.

"They're all insane, they're all fucking insane."

He stamped his foot and glanced at his watch.

1:45.

At the intersection, two blinding white lights pierced the night, and the deep sound of engines grew louder as they approached.

A blue long-distance bus pulled up to the station, its body adorned with Lin Qingqiu's enormous black and white profile.

The car door opened.

A group of students wearing hoodies and carrying backpacks poured off the bus like a tidal wave bursting its banks.

"Is it that diving scene? I heard the director yelled at us really hard on set."

"I saw the screenshots on the BBS, the film grain is amazing, I have to see it on the big screen!"

Manager Zhang stood there, stunned.

Before he could react, a second and a third bus arrived in quick succession.

The once quiet cinema lobby was instantly filled with people; body heat and noise quickly warmed the air.

"Where are the tickets? Are there any left for 'Thunder' at 2:15?"

A boy in a red down jacket was patting the counter.

Manager Zhang pointed to the computer screen, his lips moved, but no sound came out.

"It's...full."

"Full?"

The boy's eyes widened. "Isn't this supposed to be a ghost game? It's only 1:50!"

"What about the one at 3:40?"

"It's gone too."

On the computer screen, the white squares representing empty spaces are being visibly turned red.

The red color, like wildfire, burned from one corner of the screen to another, stinging Manager Zhang's eyes.

The phone at the counter rang incessantly.

Manager Zhang answered the phone; it was Lin Shufen's hoarse voice.

"Old Zhang, what's the attendance rate?"

Manager Zhang looked at the throng of people in front of him, his throat tightening.

"Mr. Lin, the lobby is overflowing! The students are making a scene outside, insisting on buying standing-room-only tickets!"

"Didn't Lu Haiming tell you to turn off the air conditioner?"

"It's closed. But it's packed with people now, like human heaters, hotter than during the day!"

Lin Shufen remained silent for a full five seconds on the other end.

"Listen up! Open the concession stand, free refills of Coke! If Lu Haiming asks, just say you're worried about a stampede and can't take responsibility!"

"These...rules..."

"Rules? I'm going to set some new rules for you today!"

Lin Shufen's voice carried a hint of fierceness, "If you open the door now, you're setting a good example. If you close the door, tomorrow's headline will be 'Movie Theaters Discriminate Against College Students.' The choice is yours!"

Manager Zhang slammed down the phone, stared at the dense mass of umbrellas outside, and gritted his teeth in frustration.

"Open the side door! Clear out Hall 3 too! Send copies over, dual projectors!"

2:15.

"Thunder" will be released simultaneously in six cinemas across the city.

Chen Yan stood in the shadows of the last row of the BJ Cinema, not looking at the screen, but at the audience.

Every time Lin Qingqiu fell in the ruins, students in the front row would instinctively clench their fists.

Su Wan walked over silently and handed him a newly printed fax.

"All red".

Su Wan's voice was very soft, "There are 2,300 seats, but 2,800 are actually occupied. The extra 500 are all standing tickets."

Chen Yan put away the paper and turned his gaze toward the cinema entrance.

Several black Santana cars were parked on the side of the road, the embers of their cigarettes flickering in the night.

At five in the morning, the sky was beginning to lighten.

As office workers left their homes, they saw a crowd still gathered outside the movie theater, with students sitting around, passionately debating the plot.

Lin Qingqiu's poster fluttered in the morning breeze.

Lu Family Villa.

"Snapped!"

White porridge and shards of porcelain bowls were scattered all over the floor.

"Seat occupancy rate".

Lu Haiming's voice was very soft.

"Ninety-eight percent. Standing tickets, not included."

Wang, the comprador, kept his head down and said, "Security guards have been deployed to maintain order in Dongdan."

"A full house for the 2 PM show?"

"Yes. Chen Yan took the people directly to the gate in a bus. Those students were like they were possessed; they didn't leave after watching and just waited at the gate until dawn."

Lu Haiming walked to the window and saw that the black and white poster had been pasted on the wall of his own real estate sales office across the street at some point.

Lin Qingqiu's eyes on the poster are fixed intently on the villa.

His knuckles turned white from gripping the weight so tightly.

"Find the inspectors! Report him for illegally organizing a gathering!"

"Mr. Lu...no."

Wang, the comprador, wiped his sweat. "Several senior professors from Peking University were also there last night. They published an article in the internal publication this morning, saying that Chen Yan is the 'backbone of film.' If we take action against him now, the public opinion will explode."

Lu Haiming turned around and kicked the mahogany table leg, causing the cigar box on the table to slide to the ground.

"Then put pressure on the theaters! Don't give him a single screening today!"

10:00 AM.

A video titled "The Fame Built on That One Footstep" was pinned to the top of the entertainment sections of Sina and NetEase.

In the video, Chen Yan roars at Lin Qingqiu in the rain, "If you're not dead, keep going!"

The comment section exploded instantly.

"This director is a devil, but I absolutely have to see this movie!"

"Why aren't there any screenings at the cinemas here?"

"I heard Lu Haiming is being blacklisted; let's all unite and boycott his real estate projects!"

11:30.

Manager Zhang of Huadu Cinema received a phone call.

"President Lu instructed that the 2 PM show be changed to 'New Year's Grand Carnival'."

Manager Zhang looked at the long line stretching from the entrance to the street, and the students holding up handwritten signs, and spat into the microphone.

"Tell Mr. Lu, if my cinema is demolished by the students, will he compensate me?"

He hung up the phone and walked into the lobby.

"Attention everyone! A bonus screening of 'Thunder' at 2 PM! Bring out all the folding chairs!"

A deafening roar of cheers erupted in the hall.

Chen Yan stood on the street corner, and Wu Gang offered him a cigarette.

"Old Chen, Lu Haiming broke a cup at Diaoyutai and is leading his men this way."

Chen Yan lit a cigarette and watched as several black cars with government license plates slowly drove by in the distance, flicking off the ash.

"You've come at the perfect time."

He straightened his tie clip; beneath that calm lay an impending frenzy.

"Su Wan, get the equipment ready."

Chen Yan said, "The show is about to begin."

The cinema's automatic doors opened.

Lu Haiming got out of the car, his shiny leather shoes stepping into the puddles, splashing up a puddle of mud.

He looked up at the huge black and white poster above the cinema.

On the poster, the black figure reflected in Lin Qingqiu's pupils is standing on the steps of the cinema lobby, looking down at him.

Chen Yan took a step down.

The sole of the boot struck the marble floor.

Crisp and resolute.