Volume 3: Taking Roots 2016 Chapter 708 No Return
When Ni Ni first heard about this, she thought it was just a matter of pride on Zhou Dongsheng's part. After all, for a young man who has achieved success at a young age, it seems not surprising that he would do something ridiculous just to prove himself.
After all, similar things are not uncommon for Ni Ni. For example, she has seen the scene of a rich young man spending a fortune lavishly for jealousy, but she has heard about it many times even though she has not seen it with her own eyes.
Therefore, if Zhou Dongsheng made a bet with others on Weibo just to prove himself, and placed a valuable bet as a bargaining chip to prove himself, it would naturally be a reasonable thing to do.
However, Zhou Dongsheng made a boast: he would pay for the portion of the box office revenue that he could not reach out of his own pocket!
As soon as this sentence was uttered, the bet naturally deteriorated and became a completely unequal bet.
After all, to be honest, the other party is just an unknown little follower who has benefited a little from the Internet era and accumulated a small fan base, so he can barely be considered a lucky guy.
Even so, the gap between Zhou Dongsheng, who built a empire from scratch, and him is still as huge as a chasm that is difficult to cross.
The so-called bet is often based on a relatively equal relationship. Only with sufficient expected returns will you be willing to invest heavily and give it a try.
However, betting with such an unknown person, especially in such an extreme way of "betting one's entire fortune", is obviously quite irrational and not a cost-effective choice at all.
Winning is just icing on the cake, but losing is irreparable. This kind of gamble is something that no one can easily agree to.
However, Zhou Dongsheng agreed rashly, just like a rich second-generation who was naive and acted on impulse. In short, he was "brainless".
This behavior gives people a strong sense of incongruity. It is completely contrary to Zhou Dongsheng's previous image of starting from scratch, and it does not seem like something done by the same person at all.
The only reasonable explanation for such reckless behavior is that Zhou Dongsheng was full of confidence and was sure of it, so he dared to make such a bold statement.
However, up to now, the film has not been officially completed and no comment can be made without seeing the full movie. It is really puzzling where Zhou Dongsheng's confidence comes from.
As a half-party involved, Ni Ni made many guesses in her mind, but she did not come up with many reliable answers.
One relatively reasonable guess is that Zhou Dongsheng is "losing money to gain publicity." After all, as one of the investors of "Wolf Warrior 2," Zhou Dongsheng is undoubtedly one of the vested interests.
Therefore, it is understandable to spend some time and effort on the early promotion of the film, but whether this "investment" is worth risking one's reputation is naturally debatable.
Especially such bold words made in the public opinion field, if not fulfilled, can easily become an indelible shadow.
Taking this opportunity, Ni Ni also spoke out the question that has been bothering her for a long time.
As the person involved, how would Zhou Dongsheng feel if he knew that the beauty had been troubled by this problem for so long?
Hearing this question, Zhou Dongsheng became playful again and spoke with a sense of evil humor.
"In fact, I am a person who came back from the future, so I am familiar with all the trends of future history. I am sure that this movie will make a lot of money, so I did this."
"Well, are you satisfied with this explanation?"
Although the truth is sometimes so simple and crude, people often do not care about the truth, but are only willing to believe what they want to believe.
The result is predictable. Ni Ni rolled her eyes in a charming way and said, "Boss Zhou, you really are treating life like a play. Are you acting in a movie with me?"
"Don't mention it, your movie script is quite interesting. If you're in need of a leading actress, remember to contact me. I'll make a guest appearance for free..."
As she was talking, Ni Ni suddenly felt that this statement seemed a little wrong. Life is like a play, and the heroine...
Zhou Dongsheng seemed to have come to his senses as well, and couldn't help but reveal a half-smile on his face, looking at Ni Ni meaningfully. Regardless of whether it was intentional or unintentional, the atmosphere was just right when he said this.
Ni Ni blushed, but she was not stage-frightened. Instead, she acted as if nothing had happened and said with interest, "In that case, if it is really as President Zhou said..."
"Doesn't it mean that President Zhou has personally given me the honor of being the leading actress in a movie with a box office of 1.5 billion?" A pair of captivating fox eyes stared at Zhou Dongsheng.
"Too little, too little." Zhou Dongsheng said leisurely after a tactical retreat with a calm demeanor.
"Since you're going to give it away, the starting amount must be 2 billion to be worthy of our status as one of the four little beauties?" The slightly joking tone made people wonder for a moment whether it was a joke or something serious.
“2 billion? The box office of all the movies I’ve starred in over the years since my debut is not this much!” Ni Ni cooperated very well and showed a surprised expression.
I have to say that when it comes to competing with professional actors in acting, Zhou Dongsheng is still a little immature, but it is more than enough to add a little interest to life.
Hearing this, Zhou Dongsheng couldn't help but laugh inwardly. Not to mention the movies you've starred in since your debut, even if you add up the movies you've starred in over the next few years...
That's not as much as the box office of this movie. After all, Ni Ni is not a box office queen. She often appears in some niche art films that are neither well-received nor popular...
However, starting from this movie in this life, maybe there will be a chance for me to compete.
It's quite interesting to let such a so-called goddess of literature and art be tainted with the smell of money, Zhou Dongsheng thought with full of evil taste.
Of course, in addition to the smell of money, some other fishy smells are naturally indispensable, right?
Well, after all, eating seafood always has a little fishy smell, which is reasonable. Just at this time, the waiter brought a plate of fresh seafood sashimi that was colorful, fragrant and delicious.
For people who grew up in the coastal areas, they are not pickled or raw. After all, Zhou Dongsheng, a native of Chaoshan, must know about pickled food, which is known as the poison of Chaoshan.
It is really delicious, but it will give you diarrhea if you are supposed to.
This is the price, Gul'dan!
After picking up a piece of sashimi and eating it with gusto, Zhou Dongsheng continued the topic with interest: "In that case, if I help you double your cumulative box office record, how are you going to repay me?"
"Are you serious? Mr. Zhou is so sure of victory that he not only made a bet on Weibo, but is also planning to trick me into giving him some more benefits?"
Compared to Zhou Dongsheng's eating style, Ni Ni's slow and leisurely appearance is undoubtedly much more elegant. After all, even ordinary girls are overly conscious when it comes to body management.
Not to mention the female celebrities who make a living from this stuff? They are no less ideologically conscious.
Since we cannot fully satisfy our appetite, we can only slightly prolong the time of enjoying the food.
"After all, if the box office doesn't reach that level, I'll have to pay for it out of my own pocket. You might be the box office poison, so I won't have to get some compensation from you, right?"
Zhou Dongsheng joked in a relaxed tone. After all, under the influence of his butterfly, this kind of thing could really happen, and the title of "box office poison" would most likely not fall on a guest actor like him.
After all, Zhou Dongsheng is not an insider. Just like Principal Wang, who has a wide range of interests, he has also made guest appearances in movies and played in professional competitions...
But I believe that most people would not label him as an actor or a professional player, and the same is true for Zhou Dongsheng.
"So, if the box office really doesn't reach 1.5 billion, Mr. Zhou is really going to stick to his word, right?" Ni Ni was still a little unsure, after all, this was a matter of several hundred million...
If the box office is not ideal, it is not impossible to pay out 1 billion at once. Even Zhou Dongsheng, who is said to have a net worth of 10 billion, will probably suffer a lot of losses, right?
"Of course, a real man keeps his word. If I go back on my words, wouldn't I be a villain?" Zhou Dongsheng said seriously.
It's true that Zhou Dongsheng had really considered this matter in his heart. If this movie was really ruined under his butterfly wings and the box office was terrible...
Then Zhou Dongsheng was also prepared to make drastic measures. Wasn't the trump card he held just to prevent any unexpected situations from happening?
It is not impossible for Zhou Dongsheng to spend 1 billion yuan now. Moreover, the promise he made in the beginning to pay for it out of his own pocket is obviously questionable in terms of form.
After all, directly buying and selling box office tickets is not honorable, and donating them is even more impossible. The best way to deal with the money is to use it for charity activities.
Zhou Dongsheng had already thought of a way out in advance, spending 1 billion to gain a good reputation and do more practical things. What's more, these practical things were already within the scope of Zhou Dongsheng's plan.
Of course, if the box office can still be reproduced as we remember, then everyone will be happy. After all, Zhou Dongsheng will make money anyway. You may make a small profit, but Zhou Dongsheng will never lose money.
What's more, if "Wolf Warrior 2" can still become the ceiling of China's movie box office, and Zhou Dongsheng "spends 1 billion" on charity...
The effect achieved will naturally be incomparable, and will definitely get hundreds or thousands of times more feedback!
By then, maybe I will have a chance to become the "lucky one" who takes the lead before the next wave arrives...
In a trance, Zhou Dongsheng felt as if he had touched upon the true meaning of the saying “Once wealth accumulates to a certain level, it’s just numbers.”
After reaching this level, wealth may just be one of the chips in the game. Just like the saying that education is a stepping stone, wealth may also play the same role to some extent...
Just like the position of the richest man.
Thinking of this, Zhou Dongsheng stopped his divergent thoughts for a while. With his current title of "billionaire", he was obviously still far from that level of game.
At least there is no need to consider this issue in the short term, it is just an extra layer of long-term concern.
Instead, the delicious meal in front of us is the most pressing issue.
"If Mr. Zhou's words really come true, it will undoubtedly be a great help to my film career. If it really comes true, Mr. Zhou, please let me know if you have any requests, and I will definitely repay you!"
Ni Ni couldn't help but imagine what Zhou Dongsheng was saying next, which was quite interesting.
Zhou Dongsheng couldn't help but laugh out loud, "When you said that, it reminded me of a joke. I heard that in ancient times, there were roughly two ways for women to repay their gratitude."
"One is that I cannot repay you, but I will repay you in my next life by working like a slave."
"The other is that I have nothing to repay you with, and I can only pledge my love to you..."
"And these two ways of repaying a favor completely depend on the appearance of the benefactor. If he is a rough and sturdy outlaw, then the former is naturally the way to repay a favor."
"But if the benefactor is a handsome and elegant young man, then it is naturally the latter."
Zhou Dongsheng shared this joke that he just remembered in a relaxed tone, and Ni Ni couldn't help but smile knowingly after hearing it. As a woman, she naturally understood the meaning of the joke more deeply.
"I have listed all the ways to repay you. Now it's a difficult question of choosing between the two. Which one will you choose?" Zhou Dongsheng changed the subject and jokingly said.
"So you're waiting for me here! You really have bad intentions." Ni Ni smiled slyly, and now she was no longer shy. After all, everyone was an adult, and in the adult world, topics were sometimes so simple and crude.
What's more, in the entertainment industry, most of those who can gain a foothold in this circle are not good people. Maybe except for some wishful fans, no one will think that celebrities are really naive and innocent...
Ni Ni has seen more explicit and direct methods than Zhou Dongsheng before. In comparison, these words coming from a young and promising young talent like Zhou Dongsheng...
Not only does it not feel greasy, but it also feels quite romantic and makes people enjoy it. At least for Ni Ni, she is very happy about it.
Just like the joke I made before, women are all double-standard, especially beautiful women.
It's human nature to have double standards.
"Then I have to wait until the movie is released and see how it performs at the box office before making a decision..." Ni Ni gave an ambiguous answer.
"Then the time period is long enough. In this case, I have to charge some interest to make it cost-effective." Zhou Dongsheng said seriously.
"I haven't even agreed yet, where does the interest come from?" Ni Ni tilted her head and blinked.
"It's too late to regret now. I unilaterally declare that this matter is settled!" Zhou Dongsheng waved his hand and said without further explanation.
"Okay, in that case, if the box office really reaches that target, I will agree to one of Mr. Zhou's requests, as long as it's not too excessive." Seeing that the tug-of-war was almost reaching a point, Ni Ni threw out the bait at the right time.
"It's too little, I said too little." Zhou Dongsheng said seriously.
"One request is not enough, are you planning to take advantage of me?" Ni Ni put on a pitiful look and said eagerly.
"What I mean is, meeting the box office target is one requirement, but what if the box office doubles on that basis? Wouldn't be two requirements?" Zhou Dongsheng said seriously.
Ni Ni burst out laughing when she heard this. "Could it be that Mr. Zhou thinks that he can surpass The Mermaid? I'm afraid that a movie with this theme won't be able to enter the Lunar New Year period, without the bonus of the Lunar New Year period..."
"No, why would I seriously discuss this possibility with you?" Ni Ni said belatedly.
Zhou Dongsheng spread his hands forward, unable to deny it.
"Okay, if it really comes to this, let alone two requests, I will agree to anything more than that!"
Ni Ni got excited and made the decision, saying, after all, how could such a thing be possible?
The Mermaid is a box office hit that has everything going for it: the right time, the right place, and the right people.
How can such a movie surpass the previous one? As an insider, Ni Ni doesn't believe it at all.
"Okay, it's a deal, and I'll record it as evidence so you can't go back on your word!"
Zhou Dongsheng raised his mobile phone seriously , smiling like an old fox who had succeeded.
Ni Ni was speechless, looking at Zhou Dongsheng's strategizing, even though she didn't believe it in her heart, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous...
This kind of thing can't possibly happen...right?
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