Chapter Twenty-Five: Boasting Without Hesitation

On April 15th, the film "The Butterfly Effect" held its launch press conference in the capital.

China Film Group had invited nearly every major news outlet across the country, and with the influence of heavyweight Han Sanping and Gu Zhi, even uninvited media flocked to the scene. Many organizations based outside the capital were so eager that they caught flights just to attend.

The event was a bustling affair; the area in front of the stage was packed with reporters and all manner of cameras, and the air was filled with constant noise.

Shortly after ten in the morning, the formally dressed male host took the stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the press, please settle down. Now, please welcome to the stage the producer of ‘The Butterfly Effect,’ Han Sanping; the screenwriter and co-producer, Gu Zhi; the director, Ning Hao; lead actors Liu Ye, Tang Wei, Zhang Yishan, and Yang Zi, along with the rest of the production team!”

The order of names was determined in advance by China Film Group. As Ning Hao was unknown, he, though the director and normally listed first, found himself placed after Han Sanping and Gu Zhi.

Fortunately, Ning Hao himself cared little for such formalities.

As the host introduced them, the group made their way to the center of the stage. Han Sanping stood in the middle of the front row, flanked by Gu Zhi and Ning Hao, with the four lead actors arranged on either side. The rest of the crew filed in and stood behind them in the prearranged order.

The appearance of Han Sanping and Gu Zhi instantly stirred the crowd; reporters frantically clicked their shutters, and the harsh glare of the flashbulbs seemed never-ending.

Seeing these titans of the film world appear as promised, many journalists began discussing excitedly with their neighbors, and the room, after only a few seconds of quiet, erupted again into chatter.

“Han Sanping actually showed up. China Film Group is really going all out this time. He’s produced quite a few movies this year, but did he only attend the launch for this one?”

“No, he went to the launch of ‘The Magic Lantern’ starring Xia Yu last month.”

“Well, Xia Yu became a triple Best Actor winner with his debut film, so of course Han Sanping had to show support. But what does ‘The Butterfly Effect’ have? Just Gu Zhi?”

On the stage, after the standard formalities, it was Gu Zhi, the screenwriter, who addressed the journalists to introduce the film:

“‘The Butterfly Effect’ is a semi-science fiction, semi-suspense film about traveling through time and space. It’s quite different from most domestic films currently showing, and is actually more in line with Hollywood productions.”

“Is everyone familiar with the butterfly effect? It’s the theory that a butterfly flapping its wings in South America can cause a downpour in North America.”

“When I wrote the script, I drew inspiration from this theory. The story shows that going back in time to change one’s fate isn’t always easy or joyful—in fact, chance events can lead to tragedies where everything changes and nothing is the same.”

“My main purpose in writing this story was to express that no one’s life is flawless, and only by accepting our own imperfections can we truly face reality and change ourselves. I hope you’ll all enjoy the film.”

Gu Zhi’s brief introduction was just enough to whet the reporters’ appetites.

“A Hollywood-style film? Aren’t those all just mindless popcorn flicks?”

“A sci-fi movie… isn’t that a bit much? Can we even make sci-fi films here? The roads aren’t even smooth, and now we’re supposed to build a time machine on screen?”

“It sounds interesting, but I’m afraid it’s just a gimmick, and the result will be neither here nor there.”

After the brief introduction, the press conference quickly entered the much-anticipated Q&A session, as microphones and cameras were thrust forward.

Because there were so many journalists present, the host called on them in order to avoid unnecessary confusion.

“Mr. Han, with China Film Group heavily promoting ‘The Butterfly Effect,’ does this mean you’re placing all your bets on it this year? And why did you choose a film made entirely by newcomers?”

The first question came from a reporter with Light Media’s “China Entertainment Report.”

“China Film Group has always made film creation and production our top priority. We have only one standard for any film—whether it meets the spiritual and cultural needs of the people. If it does, we’ll promote it vigorously. There’s no such thing as betting on a single film.”

“As for your second question, the answer is simple. I’ve never seen a domestic film of this kind before. Since it didn’t exist, I wanted to see what it would look like if we made one.”

Han Sanping’s replies were either strictly official or evasive, never really saying anything of substance.

After several rounds of similar answers, later reporters began to shift their focus elsewhere, ignoring the big boss.

“Gu, there were recent rumors you planned to give up writing to focus on the film industry—is that true? Didn’t you just announce that your third book was nearly finished half a month ago?”

This came from a journalist with Guangming Daily—the same one who had dubbed him “Classmate Gu” at the last signing event.

Since that report, Gu Zhi’s fans had all taken to calling him “Classmate Gu” in unison. The nickname soon spread; even when Gu Zhi spoke with his mother Lin Zhi a few days ago, she jokingly used it.

Luckily, he rather liked the nickname, so he let it be.

“To the first question, I won’t set aside my pen; I’ll continue writing. There are countless worlds in my mind that I long to share with you all, so my readers can rest assured.”

“As for the second, I’ve already finished the third book. It’s being proofread, and will definitely be published before June.”

“But today is the film’s launch, so I hope you’ll focus your questions on the movie. Thank you.”

Gu Zhi had no wish to steal the spotlight, so he shut down that line of questioning with one sentence.

“Classmate Gu, you just described ‘The Butterfly Effect’ as a Hollywood-style film. Are you implying it lacks depth compared to other domestic productions, that its content is more superficial?”

This was from a reporter with Xinlang Entertainment, a newly established web portal. It was a pointed and rather unpleasant question.

Faced with such skepticism, Gu Zhi gently shook his head. “Excuse me, but how do you judge a film? By its technical style, its awards, or its box office?”

The reporter was about to reply, but Gu Zhi didn’t give him the chance.

“I believe everyone has their own criteria. Mine is simple: box office. Films are made for audiences. When they spend their money and time to see a movie, they are the only true judges. You say my film is superficial? We’ll see after it’s released.”

The Xinlang Entertainment reporter wanted to continue, but the host quickly moved on.

“Next, please.”

“Hello, Classmate Gu. Since you just said box office is your benchmark, what are your expectations for the film’s box office?”

“Fifty million.”

The answer was direct, without a trace of hesitation or modesty.

A stunned silence fell across the room; even the film’s creators were caught off guard.

What did fifty million at the box office mean in China in the year 2000?

Let’s look back two years: in 1998, “Titanic” grossed a staggering 360 million domestically, followed by “Saving Private Ryan” at 82.3 million, “Who Am I” at 80 million, and “Deep Impact” at 51.3 million.

Three foreign films and one from Hong Kong surpassed fifty million—none were mainland productions.

That year’s top domestic film was “Premier Zhou’s Diplomatic Storm,” at 40.3 million.

Last year, domestic box office dropped sharply. The champion was Feng Xiaogang’s “Sorry Baby,” with just 43 million.

This year, Director Feng’s “Endless” has earned only 33 million, and he has another film, “A Sigh,” coming later in the year.

For Gu Zhi to say “The Butterfly Effect” would make fifty million was to claim it would outdo Feng Xiaogang’s films.

It must be noted: in recent years, Feng Xiaogang, thanks to his New Year blockbusters, has become the most successful director at the mainland box office, bar none.

The journalists could hardly believe Gu Zhi would make such a bold claim—it was hardly the demeanor of a novelist.

Classmate Gu, have you lost your mind?

“I heard the director of ‘The Butterfly Effect’ is just a freshman at Beijing Film Academy. If even Feng Xiaogang can’t hit that number, do you really think this newcomer, Ning Hao, can work a miracle?”

Another skeptical voice.

“I believe in Director Ning Hao’s talent. He will be one of China’s best directors in the future.”

When Gu Zhi finished, the reporters exchanged glances, at a loss for words.

“Just how can this Classmate Gu brag so much?”