I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords
Chapter 538 - 538 537. A difficult decision_1

Chapter 538: 537. A difficult decision_1 Chapter 538: 537. A difficult decision_1 “Brother Li, what’s happening?”

While listening to “Unforgettable Tonight” and the incessant sound of red packet alerts from Qin Tiantian’s phone, Lu Ban confirmed with Li Zijian over the phone.

“Here’s the situation, the weather station has observed that the snowstorm is intensifying. From tonight until tomorrow, a major blizzard is forecasted across most parts of the country, hence the warning has been issued. Our local theaters have received a notice to postpone all movies, and I expect other malls and restaurants will soon be notified as well,” Li Zijian said with a hoarse voice, evidently not having rested well. In the background, his wife and children’s voices were audible, seemingly oblivious to the current situation, still in high spirits and laughter.

“However, this delay might not be that simple. Abroad, partner theaters are also halting operations, and there seems to be no hope for a timely release anymore.”

Lu Ban fell silent for a moment upon hearing Li Zijian’s words.

“I’ll think of some countermeasures and call you back later. Oh, and Brother Li, happy Spring Festival.”

“…Mm, happy Spring Festival.”

Li Zijian hung up the phone and returned to the living room.

“What’s up, calling some young lady this late at night?”

His wife teased him.

“It was Lu Ban, about his movie, it might not be able to premiere on the first day of the lunar new year,” Li Zijian answered.

“What? Doesn’t that mean a big financial loss?”

His wife also started to worry.

“He usually shares profits fairly, but if it can’t premiere, indeed he’ll earn much less. With such great special effects and the marketing budget, there’s a chance he could be looking at a loss.”

Li Zijian roughly calculated in his mind, Lu Ban would at least lose several hundred million this time.

While he felt sympathy for Lu Ban, Li Zijian thought that Lu Ban’s previous films had made billions, so even a substantial loss this time would be bearable.

Suddenly, he felt that the real Clown was himself.

“A delayed release generally means waiting for the next available slot. The interim costs and disputes over rights can be quite a headache. I wonder how he will handle it.”

Li Zijian felt a creeping sense of dread. The theaters were a vital source of income for Jiangcheng Industries, and if the snow persisted, the company’s commercial plazas would also be affected. The Spring Festival was usually the peak season for revenue, but now, with everyone unable to go out, the losses could be substantial.

And bigger problems lay ahead.

Compared to these, the timely release of the film was no longer the main issue.

Just then, Li Zijian’s phone rang.

It was a call from Lu Ban. He immediately answered and went to the balcony, where only the sound of the blizzard tapping against the tightly shut windows could be heard.

It was cold on the balcony, but Li Zijian felt extremely anxious. He didn’t know what measures Lu Ban would choose, but after giving it some thought, there seemed to be no other option but to postpone. With only this choice to consider, he felt somewhat relieved.

“So, in case of a delay, I’ll communicate directly with the person in charge on the theater side. Our time zone is ahead, so there won’t be any issues with premature screenings. As for compensating pre-sold tickets…”

Li Zijian started rambling on, but Lu Ban quickly interrupted him.

“Brother Li, I’ve decided not to postpone the release.”

Lu Ban stated resolutely.

“Okay, we can offer refunds or keep the tickets valid until after the release. I think we can afford it… wait, what did you say?”

Li Zijian continued but then realized what he had just heard.

“Not postponing the release.”

Lu Ban repeated.

“But the cinemas definitely won’t open their doors. I bet the viewers won’t go out to shop either. This could cause a lot of trouble!”

Li Zijian had never encountered this situation and had no idea what was going through Lu Ban’s mind.

“I know you might have invested a lot of money in this movie, but a delay is not a cancellation, you can still make money. We need to get through this first, don’t act impulsively.”

He urged, fearing that Lu Ban, as a young person, was holding his breath to make a big splash in the news or something.

“Brother Li, you need to calm down.”

Instead, it was Lu Ban who started to calm Li Zijian down.

“Damn, I am calm. It’s you that needs to calm down. Leaving aside the issue of money, with such heavy snow, if you ask people to go to the cinema and something happens on the way, you can’t not consider other people.”

Li Zijian shouted, even his wife poked her head over, looking timid.

“Don’t worry, the audience won’t need to leave home to go to the cinema.”

Lu Ban replied.

“Huh?”

Li Zijian was utterly confused.

“Brother Li, help me contact the TV stations and major video websites. We need to find a time to broadcast tomorrow, airing simultaneously on the internet and TV stations.”

Lu Ban’s words caused Li Zijian’s brain to completely freeze.

TV stations?

Video websites?

Simultaneous broadcast?

What was this person talking about?

He recognized every word, but why couldn’t he understand them when strung together?

“You… you need to calm down, don’t be impulsive. Should I come over to you now? I should be able to get there in half an hour by car.”

Only then did Li Zijian’s brain start to process the situation.

The problem of transitioning a movie prepared for theatrical release to TV stations and video websites was far more serious than a delay.

Firstly, the cinemas had spent money on the movie, and after a free broadcast, they would definitely need to refund the presold tickets, and the movie’s subsequent revenue would surely be greatly reduced. Especially for big-budget movies like Lu Ban’s, it meant direct losses of billions in industry revenue.

Secondly, with such an incident, Lu Ban would definitely have to compensate the cinemas, which is another big expense. Moreover, those cinemas may not agree, and in such a short time, it would be very difficult to settle.

Lastly, and most daunting, is the short timeframe. Video websites might be okay, but TV stations may not have slots available for Lu Ban’s movie. In Li Zijian’s view, if Lu Ban’s plan could be realized, it must be nothing short of a miracle, and more than one at that.

“Brother Li, my head is very clear. I think now is the best time to do this. Don’t worry about money, as long as you can ensure the movie airs tomorrow.”

Lu Ban spoke with Li Zijian for a while longer, and it wasn’t until almost one o’clock that he hung up the phone.

His idea was simple.

His movie was made to be seen by as many people as possible, to change their worldviews and perceptions.

In such conditions, with snowstorms whirling like Doomsday, this movie would surely bring a deeper impression to everyone.

It is because humanity finds itself in difficulties that it needs this movie that faces disaster even more.

Therefore, Lu Ban didn’t need to make money from it. As long as the movie could be shown on TV stations and video websites, the vast majority of people would be able to see the movie, which would be Lu Ban’s New Year gift to everyone in the midst of the snowstorm.

At three o’clock in the morning, on Weibo, forums, official cinema websites, and social media, the news that “Doomsday” would cancel its theatrical release and instead premiere on TV and video websites on the first day of the New Year was released.

There was an uproar.

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