Super Zoo

By the third week of Terror Animal City's release, the second wave of blockbuster films for the summer holiday golden slot arrived, with long-awaited big pictures such as Monster Hunt, Pancake Man, and The Bloom of Gardenia, which perhaps were trashy films finally hitting the screens. As the Yangtze River's new waves drive on those ahead, historical succession is inevitable. To make way for the newly released films, all movies from the previous phase significantly reduced their screening frequency and adjusted their showtimes, relinquishing prime slots and peak hours to the newcomers. Half a week later, Tiny Times 4 was the first to stop showing, followed by Monk Comes Down the Mountain, which ended its run five days afterward. From the previous phase, the only hot film that remained on the big screen was Terror Animal City. Fortunes shift in cycles, and this time, Terror Animal City became the crucible test for the return of Great Saint. Postponing its withdrawal for another week, it began a box office battle with Great Saint's Return. Since its hype had passed, coupled with scheduling issues, Terror Animal City was soundly defeated in the final week of the contest. Previously, Animal City had emerged victorious among many blockbusters, overwhelmingly surpassing the pedestrian offerings, and fighting a spectacular battle to rebound, earning unanimous praise from all quarters and enjoying unrivaled limelight for a time; Yet, in just half a month's time, Animal City was replaced by another domestic quality masterpiece, Great Saint's Return. The glory once bestowed upon Animal City was, without exception, transferred to Great Saint's Return, as if time had reversed and history had perfectly copied and pasted itself. The great river flows eastward, waves wash away all the gallant figures of the past who could only dominate the scene for a few hundred years—they are all gone. The tides of history may carry away attention but can't sweep away the solid reality of box office earnings. Ultimately, Animal City stopped showing, and its final box office figures came in. From an initial three-day screening period, it was extended to stay on the screens for a full month. The first week, 65 million; the second week, 160 million; the third week, 95 million; the fourth week, 35 million; the total box office in the mainland reached 365 million. After deducting profit sharing with various parties, just from the mainland box office, the producers Taoyuan Entertainment Company and the production company Huaxia Star made a net profit close to 170 million, and the share that went into Suming's own pocket would definitely exceed one hundred million. An investment of ten million, in a little over two months, earned tenfold. And that was just the visible earnings. Terror Animal City also brought many intangible influences, such as enabling Suming to break into the film industry, building recognition for the zoo, cultivating two human stars and a series of animal stars. All of these would continue to bring sustained revenue to Suming and the zoo over time. No wonder so many investors set their sights on the film industry, with short turnaround cycles, rapid results, and astonishing profits—absolute windfall gains. There are two kinds of money to be earned: quick money, such as through stocks, with the disadvantage being its unsustainable nature; and slow money, such as factory construction, which requires long-term operation and is hard to see immediate results; Suming had found the trick. The film industry combines the advantages of both quick and slow money, allowing for the continuous earning of quick money over the long term. And unlike traditional industries, which necessitate ongoing management of factories and employees, a movie company can be assembled with just an office and a few employees, making it relatively much simpler. Of course, as quickly as money is made, it can be lost just as fast. A huge investment in a film that flops can result in a normal yet blood-curdling loss. The great success of Animal City thoroughly solidified Wang Jian She's confidence in Suming. Confidence, like reputation, doesn't appear out of thin air; it is accumulated bit by bit, based on past actions. Just under half a year as a temporary worker at the zoo, and he turned a nearly dead zoo into a profitable establishment, creating a star attraction; Doing business, he quietly devoured the largest fishery company in the city and, with a turn, became the leading figure in the fishery industry in both the city and the province; When he went abroad, he strolled with ease through the IS-occupied zones that left the whole world helpless, casually saving people from two major nations and becoming a friend of the Russian people; In the live-streaming platform business, even though he had offended many top domestic platforms from the start, he now emerged as the leader of the national association, guiding and leading the rest; Even in filmmaking, which seemed completely out of his field, in just two months with a modest investment, he hired an unknown director and a group of non-professional actors, and despite everyone's low expectations, he achieved tremendous success, creating one of the biggest disparities between investment and box office returns, with the highest profit ratio in the country; It was hard to imagine there was anything such a person couldn't do. It might be luck, or it might be ability, but regardless, everything in the past made Wang Jian She feel that it was worth betting on Suming, a man who could be trusted. For officials at his level, their worldview is quite different from that of ordinary people. On the one hand, they believe in science and are not at all superstitious; during the course of their work, they would absolutely not be deceived by the tricks and charlatans in society; On the other hand, one could say he was very superstitious. All officials share this trait, believing in a predestined fate, that there are some people who are simply endowed with a great destiny. With destiny on their side, they succeed in everything they do. It's just that many officials wishfully think that they are the ones with this destiny. In Wang Jian She's view, Suming was someone with such a destiny. Wang Jian She was a deputy mayor, and though he seemed to be in a glorious position, behind him lay countless dangers and numerous difficult problems to handle. To stay securely in his position and achieve political accomplishments, he needed reliable allies in the business world. In the past, Wang Jian She had helped Suming, certainly because Suming had indeed made him look good, but most importantly because of Suming's relationship with Wang Hao. Ultimately, it was a matter of an elder looking out for and supporting a junior. However, after this movie, Wang Jian She's thoughts had undergone a significant change. Even though Suming's current wealth and influence were not on par with the large groups and listed companies in the city, in terms of growth potential and the special close relationship with the Wang family, Suming was undoubtedly a very good ally. After the release of Terror Animal City, Wang Jian She privately readjusted Suming's position in his mind: an ally who was currently not of much help but was very close and could be integrated into his core circle. Therefore, Wang Jian She specifically asked his secretary to call Suming, taking the initiative to bring up the acquisition of the zoo again. However, one doesn't know the cost of household provisions until one starts to manage one's own home. Tenfold profits within two months, with total earnings exceeding one hundred million, seemed astonishing even to successful entrepreneurs. But in Suming's eyes, it still wasn't enough. Wang Jian She's secretary conveyed the leader's intentions subtly, that if Suming was interested, the government could step in and apply for a loan from the bank. From a business perspective, securing loans is the right move — using other people's money to handle one's own affairs allows for the quickest expansion of business and accumulation of assets. But making money was only one of Suming's goals, or rather a means to achieve his personal ideals, not the actual end. He didn't want to take too many risks, burdened by heavy loans and interests that would leave him gasping for air. Such a life would be too tense for him mentally. It was time to talk about the overseas distribution rights.