Chapter 24: Heavily Promoted by China Film

"Famed young adult author Gu Zhi abandons writing to venture into the film industry?"

On April 10, 2000, this sensational headline suddenly appeared overnight in major entertainment magazines and newspapers.

The next day, "Huaguo Entertainment News," an infotainment show under Sunshine Media, devoted a full two minutes to broadcasting this story, focusing on introducing this so-called "famed young adult author" to its audience.

They also aired several photos of Gu Zhi and Ning Hao auditioning actors, and provided background on the film's four new lead actors, emphasizing Liu Ye, who had been nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Rooster Awards.

At this time, "Huaguo Entertainment News" was broadcast daily on nearly 150 television stations nationwide, with viewership reaching over 315 million, making it the undisputed king of entertainment programming in Huaguo.

Just to get news about "The Butterfly Effect" featured on the show, China Film Group spent a million yuan.

This was only possible because of the powerful forces backing China Film; otherwise, even with money, it would have been difficult to secure a two-minute segment.

On the third day, entertainment media across the country received invitations from China Film to attend the April 15th launch press conference for "The Butterfly Effect." All key members of the film’s creative team, including the influential Han Sanping, would be present.

This flurry of publicity landed like a series of well-placed blows, clearly signaling one thing.

China Film was preparing for something big.

Upon receiving the notice, entertainment reporters rushed to the capital faster than those from Hong Kong, heading out without hesitation, terrified they might miss this critical scoop.

Gu Zhi's fans went wild on major online forums, posting questions everywhere.

"Is Gu really giving up writing for film? Is this a joke?"

"Wasn't his third book about to be released? Why is he suddenly making a movie..."

"Talk about overestimating himself—just because he writes a good book, he thinks he's invincible? How can a kid like him direct a film?"

"He's a complete fool! Ever since he dropped out, I knew he was no good. Instead of studying, he just messes around corrupting the youth. How can such garbage become the country's best-selling writer? Look at the books from Japan—so much better! A bunch of blind fools with no taste. No wonder Huaguo lags behind!"

"And what did Gu ever do to you? All you do is spout nonsense. Didn't you read the papers? He already addressed the dropout rumors days ago. Maybe you're the one who's blind!"

...

The internet was, as always, a breeding ground for verbal violence. Even though Huaguo's web infrastructure was still developing, people found ways to clash and vent online.

Amid all the bickering, the topic drifted away from the film itself.

Regardless of whether the talk was praise or criticism, the publicity had achieved its goal: nearly everyone following the news now knew about "The Butterfly Effect." This was exactly what China Film wanted. To achieve this, they had already spent 1.5 million on promotion, and this was only the beginning. Once the posters and trailers were ready, they would launch a second, third, and even fourth wave of publicity, keeping up the momentum until release day.

"Third Master, this campaign is overwhelming. Our total budget is just five million; at this rate, we’ll be way over!"

At China Film headquarters, in Han Sanping’s office, Gu Ji voiced his concerns anxiously.

Gu Zhi, Ning Hao, and Han Sanping were seated around the tea table.

Three steaming cups of goji berry tea sat in front of them. Except for the one in front of Han Sanping, the other two remained untouched—not because Gu Zhi and Ning Hao were unwilling, but because they simply weren’t in the mood.

"After we decided to invest in this film last week, I immediately recommended the script to the boss," Han Sanping began. "The next day, he told me he spent three hours that night reading it—front to back, and back to front. He decided he wanted to give this film a big push."

Han Sanping raised his old-fashioned teacup, blew on it, and sipped gently.

Gu Zhi and Ning Hao, upon hearing this, weren’t sure whether to feel relieved or worried.

"The boss himself is interested? Why would he favor our film? Didn’t North Film Studio sign new projects with directors Jiang Wen and Feng Xiaogang earlier this year? With names like those, why would he focus on 'The Butterfly Effect'?"

North Film Studio was a subsidiary in name, managed directly by China Film headquarters.

"Ugh, that’s exactly what frustrates me. Jiang Wen insists on making a film called 'Devils on the Doorstep' this year. That one probably won’t even pass censorship, so how can we count on it getting released? As for Feng Xiaogang’s 'A Sigh,' it’s a good film, but not his usual New Year comedy style. I don’t expect much at the box office. Besides, even though I’m listed as producer, it’s actually being made by Huayi, so it’s not really a China Film project.

"But your film is different—it's a new genre, something Huaguo has never done before. It’s a bit science fiction, a bit thought-provoking, very intriguing. It’s a new frontier, more akin to foreign commercial films.

"For over a decade, aside from Feng Xiaogang’s New Year comedies, the domestic market has been dominated by art-house films made for awards. They have a high chance of winning but always bomb at the box office. True commercial films like this one have scarcely appeared.

"The boss wants to use your film to test the market, to see the potential for commercial cinema. The domestic market holds great promise; box office revenues will be limitless in the future. We can’t just keep making films the public doesn’t love—we need to let them try something new."

Finishing his speech, Han Sanping sipped his tea again.

"So for now, don’t worry about the money. China Film will support you fully. Just focus on making the best film you can.

"When the final cut is ready, don’t disappoint me, and don’t disappoint China Film."

He looked deeply at Gu Zhi, then turned to Ning Hao.

"Third Master, don’t worry—we’ll give it everything we’ve got!"

Ning Hao sprang to his feet and made a loud, firm promise.

He sensed something deeper in Han Sanping’s words, realizing there might be more to this than met the eye.

In fact, after the boss made his decision, he had intended to replace Ning Hao with a more famous director and leading actress, to secure box office success.

But Han Sanping firmly objected, arguing that since Gu Zhi had written the script himself, he alone understood best how the film should be made, and must have had his reasons for choosing Ning Hao.

The most important thing in a film is its quality; star power doesn’t always trump genuine passion. Han Sanping wanted China Film to give young people a chance—to let them make their own work.

In the end, the boss agreed under his strong recommendation. The "Butterfly Effect" crew remained unchanged, and Ning Hao kept his position.

If the film succeeded at the box office, all would be well; if it failed, Han Sanping would lose face before the boss.

But for a man of Han Sanping’s stature, losing face over a failed investment meant little. Even ten failed films wouldn’t affect him.

"I believe in you—otherwise, I wouldn’t have made the recommendation. Go on now, and don’t forget the launch press conference on the 15th."