Chapter 1081: Potions and Bombs

After Wilnien left, the scene returned to its previous lively state.

The screening event concluded successfully.

As producer Wang Sheng walked over, he saw Xiao He leaving with his bodyguard team.

"What? Did Xiao He leave so early?"

Wang Sheng was a little puzzled: "Speaking of which, what has Xiao He been busy with these past few days? He always seems to be in a hurry whenever I see him."

Moreover, he frequently missed the internal meetings held by the film crew of "Long" in Cannes during this period.

As the most important male lead in "Long", Xiao He's frequent absences are really inappropriate and completely different from the professional image he usually presents to everyone.

However, Wang Sheng wasn't angry; instead, he became worried: "Are you sure there's no problem?"

Zhuang Hongyi watched Xiao He and the others leave, shook his head, and said, "What was the attitude of those guys over there?"

The distributors in Europe and America were quite amusing. On the surface, they pretended to be calm, looking worried and hesitant to place an order. But as soon as the screening ended, they all came over to inquire about the situation.

That makes sense, though. There are Willynn and other competitors over there. If they don't put on an act, wouldn't they be revealing their true intentions?

After all, business battles are like a play, and it all depends on acting skills.

Wang Sheng immediately explained to Director Zhuang in detail what he had learned during this period.

"As soon as possible."

After listening, Zhuang Hongyi thought for a moment, then instructed Wang Sheng: "Go when the conditions are right. Focus on the people from South Korea, Japan, and the United States. Try to get all the necessary visas signed in the next few days, then arrange the plane tickets in advance. We'll leave after the awards ceremony."

"Oh, you're leaving early? Are you in such a hurry?"

Wang Sheng was somewhat surprised.

The awards ceremony Zhuang Hongyi was referring to was not the main competition awards ceremony on the last day, but rather the awards ceremony for a special section they were participating in.

Awards for the Special Feature section are presented a day in advance, on the penultimate day of the Cannes Film Festival.

Generally speaking, after participating in one event, it's good to stay an extra day to attend the final closing ceremony.

Seeing Zhuang Hongyi's seriousness, Wang Sheng nodded: "Okay, but does Xiao He want to come with us?"

Xiao He explained in advance when he arrived that his schedule was not aligned with that of their film crew.

Since we need to buy tickets to go back now, what about Xiao He's side...?

Zhuang Hongyi thought for a moment and said, "You can confirm this with Song Zhe later."

...

While conspiracies were brewing offline, the online reaction to "Long" brought back a different kind of lamentation to China.

【Family! It's all settled! With Brother Xiao and Director Zhuang in the cast, we can rest assured! The movie quality is excellent, a pure Hong Kong ghost film style, the plot is very coherent, and the battle of magic was thrilling. The only downside was the ending; my heart is still pounding even now.】

【Worth the trip! The plot was well-developed from beginning to end, and the anti-metaphysical trio was the best! The other seniors were also incredibly talented! The research institute scenes really elevated the entire work's message without feeling forced; it was truly excellent! History should be remembered, and suffering should not be forgotten.】

【I was very fortunate to attend this screening. All I can say is that the fact that *The Grinch* was able to directly enter the Cannes awards after more than a decade of dormancy for Hong Kong ghost films speaks volumes about its brilliance! The mystical thrill and the action were exhilarating!】

【I highly recommend everyone to watch it, but it's a pity it won't be available in mainland China. I just hope it can be found on some online marketplace. This is truly the kind of old-fashioned Hong Kong film style that only Chinese filmmakers could produce. It's hard to believe how many Hong Kong film directors Director Chong has worked with. Even though "The Phantom Thieves" is also his work, the styles of the two films are completely different.】

【So why! Why can't I see it! Why!】

【I've already decided to go to Hong Kong to see the official release of "The Dragon".】

【Me too, if all else fails, I'll go abroad to see a doctor.】

【Yay! This is a huge victory for our overseas IP addresses.】

【You guys are lucky. Who understands the pain of being in Cannes but unable to get into the venue to watch the screenings...】

That must have been very painful.

...

Discussions within China are in full swing.

It's hard to imagine that, despite being a film that can't be seen in mainland China, with no mainland version of the trailer and no proactive promotion, "Long" still garnered a lot of attention and popularity online.

It is a film that no other movie in the May Day holiday period can match.

Indeed, the May Day film battle has quietly passed during the Cannes Film Festival.

Although many works are still participating in the battle, to be honest, it's getting worse year by year.

Look at this, it didn't even surpass the popularity of "Long".

It's actually quite funny.

However, Xiao He's popularity and fame in China are undeniably top-tier. Even if other companies have some complaints, they are mostly glad that the subject matter of "Long" was sent overseas instead of coming back to compete with them during the May Day holiday.

Regarding the issues circulating online about the film "Long" being approved for film distribution, the production team had already prepared a contingency plan before Willyne asked that question. Therefore, before the domestic marketing efforts were fully launched, Linghui Entertainment, Zhuang Hongyi Company, and Hong Kong investors all issued clarifications immediately, and even the Hong Kong film regulatory authorities gave their approval.

This surprised many people, and it was also quite eye-opening, as it was the first time they had seen the Hong Kong authorities show such a friendly attitude towards a mainland actor.

This has also made more people look forward to the upcoming awards ceremony and the release of "Long".

...

After returning home, Xiao He continued to live as if nothing had happened.

More and more people are secretly watching him, but he himself doesn't seem to be in a hurry at all.

The next day, Lao Qi returned carrying two suitcases.

"Teacher Xiao, please confirm these things."

Old Qi placed the box in front of Xiao He.

At this moment, only he and Xiao He were in the room; everyone else had been sent out.

In this situation, Xiao He still trusted Lao Qi more, after all, he had the closest relationship with Lao Qi, and even though Lao Qi knew a lot about him, he never told anyone.

So Xiao He didn't hide anything from Lao Qi and opened the two boxes right in front of him.

Despite his considerable knowledge of Xiao He, Lao Qi's pupils still constricted slightly when he saw what was inside the box.

"This, this is—"

Old Qi instinctively took a step back as a precaution.

One of the boxes contained some random potions, which Lao Qi had bought for Xiao He several times before, so he wasn't unfamiliar with them. But the other box contained something that looked like a bomb!

Although Lao Qi had already witnessed many storms with Xiao He, when he saw the object that looked like explosives, he admitted that he had underestimated his boss's level of madness.

He even carried the box back himself!

No, are they so sure they won't become terrorists and then be wanted globally by local authorities?

To be more precise, Mr. Xiao, after we finish this job, are we really going to be able to go home?

Just thinking about it made Lao Qi's scalp tingle.

"Haha, don't worry, I'm not using this. I'm just curious. What you see is just the outer shell of the prop; there's nothing inside."

Xiao He glanced at Lao Qi's hesitant face and said with a smile, "After all, he's gone abroad, so he always wants to see something different. Don't worry, Brother Qi, I just bought it for fun."

Old Qi: Who bought this thing to play with? It's even more worrying, isn't it?!

Is this something you can play with?