The day after the meet-and-greet, Hank, along with his assistant and students, boarded a plane back home, bidding farewell to Dragon Country.
However, news about the meet-and-greet, and specifically about Hank and Gao Fei, remained within the top twenty trending topics even after a night.
The sustained popularity was attributed to two factors: Ouyang Chen's sudden appearance and the technology exchange program. Additionally, gossip media had previously spread rumors about a fallout between Gao Fei and Hank. These rumors, already a subject of debate and trending, were debunked by Ouyang Chen's appearance, thus fueling the ongoing buzz.
As these topics hovered within the top twenty, Zero Degree Films, through its official account, posted again.
The content of the post read:
"Zero Degree Films' online movie is now available!
Netizens can watch it for free on Zero Degree Films' partner video platforms without needing a membership or purchasing the film.
This perk is offered as a token of gratitude for the immense support and forgiveness from our countless netizens. Therefore, our new film will be available for everyone to watch without charge.
The movie's content is absolutely brilliant and explosive, with all actors delivering outstanding performances. If it's not enjoyable, feel free to leave a negative review.
Furthermore, Zero Degree Films' online movie is a spy thriller, paying tribute to Mr. Gao Fei's breakout hit, 'Black and White Edge'."
The text was approximately two hundred words long.
Below it were three web links, each directing to a different video platform. Clicking on them led directly to Zero Degree Films' new movie.
Underneath the text was a black and white poster. At the top of the poster, five large red characters spelled out the film's title: "Hero Under the Wolfskin." The poster depicted a person in black attire, representing a member of society, with a figure in white at the center. Both the title and the overall design clearly indicated the film's spy genre.
Zero Degree Films' sudden release and announcement aimed to promote the movie. At the end of the post, it not only mentioned the new film's tribute to Gao Fei but also tagged the Far Flight Studio account.
Zero Degree Films' operations team had mastered the art of leveraging trending topics to promote their film. As long as Gao Fei remained on the trending list, any post mentioning him was guaranteed to go viral within half an hour.
This proved to be true.
Three minutes after Zero Degree Films announced their new movie, tagging Gao Fei for promotion, it garnered one hundred thousand views and clicks. Although the number of comments, shares, and likes was low, those initial clicks demonstrated the immense traffic generated by associating with Gao Fei.
Half an hour after the new movie's promotional release, Zero Degree Films, using the "Tribute to Gao Fei" tag, climbed into the top thirty trending topics. It received over 10,000 shares, 20,000 comments, and its click count surpassed five million.
Whether they were Gao Fei's fans, anti-fans, or neutral netizens, many noticed Zero Degree Films' offer of a free movie as a gesture of gratitude for netizens' forgiveness and sent their blessings.
[Even though I'm an anti-fan of Gao Fei, his debut film was indeed a classic in the domestic spy genre. It's appropriate for you, Zero Degree Films, to pay tribute to him. Support!]
[As a member of the Gao Fei anti-fan army, putting aside his shameless traits, his creative ability is undeniable. Zero Degree Films is offering a freebie and paying tribute to 'Black and White Edge,' so the anti-fan army will support this.]
[If the anti-fans are supporting it, how can we fans fall behind? Since you, Zero Degree, are paying tribute to Comrade Xiao Gao, I'll definitely tip you after I watch the movie!]
[Comrade Xiao Gao's fan army, we can't let the anti-fans outdo us. Zero Degree Films is paying tribute, so let's quickly watch it, increase the click count, and give them a good review.]
[In appreciation for netizens' forgiveness, offering a free movie and paying tribute to Gao Fei, Zero Degree Films shows great breadth of vision and respect. Even as a pure passerby, I'll support this.]
[This Zero Degree Films is quite cultured. Paying tribute to Gao Fei, the pioneer of spy thrillers, and offering a free movie, passersby must support this.]
All netizens were impressed by Zero Degree Films' attitude. Blessings and support flooded the comment section. Since the movie was free to watch, after commenting, everyone clicked on the links to watch.
On the trending list, as netizens began watching the movie, the promotional buzz for Zero Degree Films' new movie gradually declined, dropping to thirty-second place. However, thanks to Gao Fei's name, it remained on the trending list and continued to hover within the top thirty.
Two and a half hours later, some netizens started returning. This time, Zero Degree Films didn't rely on Gao Fei to trend. Instead, driven by netizens' reviews of the movie, it surged into the top fifty trending topics. "Hero Under the Wolfskin" became a trending keyword.
Clicking on the trend, the first entry was still the official account of Zero Degree Films. However, the account hadn't posted any new text. Instead, it shared nine screenshots, each showcasing movie reviews. Upon opening the screenshots, each image displayed uniformly excellent ratings from nine to ten stars.
In the comment section, netizens who had finished watching the movie first began to share their reviews.
[Oh my god, the lead actors and supporting cast in this movie, while I don't recognize any of them, their acting skills are absolutely top-notch and incredibly brilliant!]
[Not only is the acting superb, but the plot is also very exciting. Even though the setting is in a small Korean country, the protagonist's undercover storyline within the H gang keeps the adrenaline pumping!]
[To summarize, 'Black and White Edge' was a classic in the drug bust undercover genre, and 'Hero Under the Wolfskin' is undoubtedly a classic in the anti-gang undercover genre.]
[I agree with the previous comment. Both films are undercover thrillers, but each has its own strengths. The plots are equally engaging and thrilling.]
[When 'Black and White Edge' became a huge hit, it sparked a wave of undercover films in the domestic film industry. However, apart from the pioneer work, most imitations were mediocre, with weak plots and poor execution. Now, 'Hero Under the Wolfskin,' another undercover film, has appeared, completely surpassing all the imitations on the market and ranking second only to the pioneer work.]
Netizens who had watched the movie returned, each offering their sincere evaluations in the comment section. Everyone felt that while 'Black and White Edge' held the top spot for its genre, both films offered unique merits in terms of plot. One focused on drug busts, the other on anti-gang operations, with equally captivating storylines. As positive reviews continued to pour in, "Hero Under the Wolfskin" finally entered the top twenty trending topics.
...
Kyoto Third Ring Road, the prestigious office building of Zero Degree Films.
In the president's office, Qiao Zheng sat alone behind his desk, facing the company's three vice-presidents. Looking at the trending news on the computer and the positive reviews in the comment section, all four wore satisfied smiles.
One of the vice-presidents spoke, "President Qiao, your meticulous planning, starting from your disagreement with Hank and continuing to this day, has finally brought tremendous returns to the company. I used to be dissatisfied with you holding the position of president, but now, I, Xu Gang, am completely convinced."
"Like Mr. Xu, I am now genuinely impressed by your strategic planning ability, President Qiao. I retract any disrespectful words I may have said before."
"Me too!"
Before Qiao Zheng became president, the three vice-presidents were very reluctant to accept him. But now, seeing the company's movie receiving constant praise and even entering the top twenty trending topics, they were sincerely impressed.
However, the truth was that the movie's explosive success was orchestrated by a major investor behind the scenes, with Qiao Zheng merely carrying out orders. But facing the vice-presidents' flattery, Qiao Zheng did not reveal the truth. He suppressed his overwhelming joy, nodded with feigned seriousness, and said, "We have now soared to great heights by leveraging Gao Fei's fame and have firmly established ourselves in the Dragon Country film market. From now on, we will no longer rely on Gao Fei's popularity for promotion. We must build our own brand and momentum."
"Yes, President Qiao!"
The three vice-presidents straightened their postures and nodded. Qiao Zheng was pleased with their attitude and continued, "Once the company has accumulated enough popularity, we can begin implementing the third phase of the plan I've given you."
"Yes!!"
With Zero Degree Films' third phase plan set in motion, the Dragon Country film industry finally had a company capable of rivaling other film companies and competing with Gao Fei.