I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords
Chapter 316 - 316 315. Breaking through ten billion counts as a

Chapter 316: 315. Breaking through ten billion counts as a success_1 Chapter 316: 315. Breaking through ten billion counts as a success_1 Lu Ban’s last visit to Yannan was during the previous Yannan University Student Film Festival.

At that time, he was still a fledgling film director with only online film experience. Now, a mere year later, Lu Ban can no longer participate as a contestant, but rather, he must attend as a member of the jury.

Seeing those who critiqued him last year become colleagues this year, and young directors who were competitors are still contestants, Lu Ban felt as if he were in a different world.

But for many directors, it was they who seemed to be in a different world.

Just last year, Lu Ban, who had only directed online films, shot up to become one of the top ten grossing directors in the country in just one year, with his new film slated for a global release, directly challenging “Fatal Speed 11”.

We have all seen prolific directors, those who churn out two or three low-budget terrible films a year just to keep busy, and we’ve also seen high-quality directors, who craft a single film over three or four years with meticulous detail.

But a director like Lu Ban, who is both prolific and high-quality—no one has ever seen such a phenomenon.

What’s more terrifying is that the production speed of Lu Ban’s films is even faster than that of imitators.

“Cry” had just ignited the trend for hospital-themed horror films when “The Madman’s Mouth” started a wave of deconstructing the fourth wall. Comparison films on the internet had not even finished editing before Lu Ban’s new film was slated to release, defying all logic.

Additionally, the performances in Lu Ban’s films were exceptional. Any minor character could boast an award-winning-level performance, coupled with astonishing special effects, it’s hard to imagine how he accessed such incredible resources.

In the large auditorium of Yannan Media University, Lu Ban was attending an academic salon, a program for hosts to chat with directors. During the student film festival, a different director dialogues each day to discuss the development of cinema and related issues.

This program attracted many university students as the audience, and it was also live-streamed online. Thanks to Lu Ban’s presence, the number of viewers skyrocketed, several times the usual count.

“…We are honored to have invited Director Lu Ban as our guest for the first day,” said Cao Song, the host.

The host, named Cao Song, is a formal presenter from Yannan Television Station, and he returned to his alma mater to host this program as a way of giving back to his educational upbringing.

“Hello Director Lu Ban, your ‘Magic Tide’ has garnered a lot of attention. It’s the only Mandarin-language film in recent years to be released globally in sync. What would you like to say to the audience who are looking forward to this film?”

Hearing the host’s question, Lu Ban picked up the microphone.

“The film is very entertaining, I hope everyone will go to the cinema to watch it. It would be best if you could go several times and boost the box office,” he said.

A good-natured laugh spread among the audience.

“So, Director Lu, you are very confident about the box office of this film?” the host asked, following Lu Ban’s response.

“Not entirely, but I feel that if ‘Magic Tide’ reaches a global box office of 13 billion, that would be a success,” Lu Ban said candidly.

“That’s quite an ambitious goal, 13 billion in ticket… wait, 130 billion???” the host said as he finally grasped the figure.

It wasn’t 13 billion he was talking about, but 130 billion.

“Director Lu, are you joking? 130 billion is not a small number. You should know the previous domestic box office champion was 56 billion. 130 billion is more than double that. It’s not a small target,” the host Cao Song was somewhat astonished.

If Lu Ban had said his goal was to surpass his previous films, that would be a reflection of striving for excellence.

But to state a nonsensical figure like 130 billion made it hard for people to comprehend.

“This global synchronized release, after so much pre-release promotion, is precisely because we hope to make a breakthrough at the box office,” Lu Ban answered promptly.

“Speaking of which, ‘Fatal Speed 11’ has been rescheduled to the Christmas season, clashing head-on with ‘Magic Tide’. Some say the box office of these two films will represent the production quality of a new generation of movies from both countries. What is your opinion on this?” the host asked, seeing that Lu Ban seemed to have no intention of explaining the 130 billion box office figure, he shifted the topic.

In such a situation, there was no point in arguing. It was better to continue the conversation by following up on that subject.

“I’m also looking forward to ‘Fatal Speed 11’. It’s the final installment of the series and should provide a fitting end,” Lu Ban replied.

“We respect these predecessors who have created wonderful films, but now it’s our era.”

“You sound very confident in your statement, Director Lu. Do you believe ‘Magic Tide’ can surpass ‘Fatal Speed 11’ at the box office?” host Cao Song pressed on.

“It’s not about whether I can surpass it or not. I believe that a film’s box office is not the only standard for judging its quality. Commercial films with a broad audience will naturally have a higher box office than niche art films or films with specific themes, but can we say that these commercial films are superior in all aspects compared to other films?” Lu Ban counter-questioned.

“Are you saying, Director Lu, that even if ‘Magic Tide’s’ box office doesn’t match ‘Fatal Speed 11’, the value represented by ‘Magic Tide’ is more significant than that of ‘Fatal Speed 11’?” Cao Song laughed.

Although what Lu Ban said was indeed true, bringing it up now seemed like a preemptive excuse for potentially being outsold at the box office.

“No, what I mean is, even if ‘Fatal Speed 11’ doesn’t outperform ‘Magic Tide’ at the box office, that doesn’t mean it’s a film without value,” Lu Ban clarified.

“?”

This guy was a bit full of himself.

Cao Song had heard that Lu Ban was supposed to be a very approachable and amiable person. But now, while he certainly didn’t carry the airs of a major director, there was a streak of arrogance in his bones.

This kind of director generally has two possible outcomes: either their work would actually be beaten and they become a laughing stock or they truly achieve what they claimed, and people exclaim in amazement, “He’s done it again.”

If it were any other target, Cao Song might have thought it possible for Lu Ban to achieve it, but with such a figure as 130 billion and considering it’s the final installment of an iconic series over a decade, it didn’t seem possible at all.

“Director Lu, it seems you have high expectations for the box office and reputation of ‘Magic Tide’. What kind of impact do you think it will have on the domestic film industry?” the host mused.

“It’s not so much expectation as it is a goal. I’ve always been down to earth; I don’t do things I can’t achieve, nor do I entertain uncertainties,” Lu Ban replied again.

“As for the impact of ‘Magic Tide’ on the domestic film industry’s development, I believe the release of ‘Magic Tide’ indicates that this genre of film is no longer exclusive to Europe and America. We can produce such epic blockbusters domestically. The impact on our domestic peers should be just around that,” he concluded.

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