Chapter 156: Let me just ask, who else is there?! / Do you really take us for fools? (Seeking Subscriptions)

A cumulative box office of one billion in two weeks.

*Goodbye, Mr. Loser* ultimately became a dark horse.

This was something many people had failed to anticipate.

Of course, compared to the overall box office market of the Huaxia film industry, this result might still not be at the very top.

Yet, at least in the New Year holiday windows of the past couple of years, it had carved out a firm place for itself.

Thus far, word of mouth had been overwhelmingly phenomenal.

More crucially, Su Mu was practically single-handedly carrying the entire film on his shoulders.

Although Lin Haoming and Du Qifeng were also first-billed male leads,

the overall supporting cast and traffic were far greater on their side than Su Mu's, not to mention the production budgets.

The actual production budget for *Goodbye, Mr. Loser* was not particularly high.

After all, it was merely an urban-themed comedy.

Naturally, the main reason was that they were unaware of Su Mu's exorbitant salary.

Therefore, by comparison,

*Goodbye, Mr. Loser* was also praised by people as the ultimate value-for-money champion of the last two years.

Everyone assumed that Huayi had leveraged a tiny amount of money to finally move the box office fulcrum.

...

Three weeks later.

*Goodbye, Mr. Loser* continued to surge in popularity.

Not only were movie tickets sold out for every single screening, but online memes derived from the film also intensified.

Eventually, every single supporting character, every song that had appeared, and every background music track

were all extracted to create short videos, triggering a frenzy of resharing and commenting.

Determining whether a movie has the potential to become a massive hit

is actually very simple.

One just needs to see whether the roles in the film other than the protagonist are also well-received, leaving a deep and memorable impression on the general public.

If that can be achieved, making even the supporting characters the talk of the audience,

then the ensemble cast of this movie can be considered truly established.

Yuan Hua, who made his entrance accompanied by his own background music; Zhang Yang’s classic "to each his own"; Ma... what's-her-name, Ma Dongmei; Su Mu's mother telling Uncle Zhang not to hurt him; Qiu Ya’s figure; Da Chun asking "Do you think my sneakers look good?" and so on.

Online, people gradually began expressing their affection for these characters in the film.

Feng Kaili, Lu Juan, Song Chuan, Chu Ming, Ge Zhou, and Fang Gangzhi—supporting actors who gave stellar performances in *Goodbye, Mr. Loser*—also began to skyrocket in popularity.

It must be known that prior to this, they were all third- or fourth-tier, or even more obscure, fringe comedic actors.

Sometimes, landing a supporting role once every few months was already considered a stroke of good fortune.

Yet this time, they had firmly etched themselves into the memories of everyone.

The primary reason was simply that every character possessed distinct and vivid traits.

Faced with interviews,

these actors all had tear-filled eyes, offering Su Mu the highest level of respect.

Feng Kaili: "Teacher Su Mu is amazing! Without him, we wouldn't have today!"

Song Chuan: "You might not believe this, but every single aspect of my performance for the role of Yuan Hua in Loser was personally and meticulously demonstrated to me by Teacher Su Mu step by step!"

Fang Gangzhi: "You all thought the movie’s plot and lines were hilarious and brilliant, right? Let me tell you, every single joke and every single punchline was written by Teacher Su Mu! Therefore, regarding those outside doubts, I want to say they are utterly ridiculous. Teacher Su Mu may have simply chosen not to enter the film industry in the past, but the moment he decided to step in, he was bound to excel!"

Lu Juan: "I still have no idea how I was chosen to play Qiu Ya, but if Teacher Su Mu calls upon me again next time, I'd go even without pay!"

Ge Zhou: "Let me drop another bombshell! Not only was the script written by Teacher Su Mu, but even the songs in it, including that wonderful background track for Yuan Hua, were all composed by Su Mu!"

Following the revelations made by several supporting actors and actresses,

Su Mu’s popularity was once again pushed to an even higher peak.

[Oh my god, what on earth is the name of that background track for Yuan Hua? It's so addictive!]

[Just Once, accompanying you to the ends of the earth... What song is that?! Please, I'm begging you, tell me!]

[And there's that scene where Su Mu plays the guitar and sings—is it called Those Flowers?]

[I’m kneeling and begging Su Mu to release a single! I want to listen to all of them, I'm crying my eyes out!]

The third week concluded amidst the frantic discussions of the masses.

Gradually,

a large wave of audience members also began to develop a deeper understanding of the film.

Many people claimed to feel an urge to cry after watching it a second time.

Meanwhile, a legion of professional film critics

almost unanimously awarded it high ratings.

In past years, it was rare to see such prominent social media influencers and critics share such a unified opinion on a comedy.

In short, it boiled down to one core sentiment:

Su Mu's film possessed humor, emotional resonance, and shared sentiments, making it well worth the price of a movie ticket.

As media outlets and critics from all walks of life showered the film with extravagant praise,

the New Year holiday season also entered its final week.

During this period,

rival competitors were not without thoughts of mounting a desperate struggle.

Over on Du Qifeng's side, he had racked his brains trying to manufacture more related public opinion to capture broader attention, thereby bringing *Ancient Martial Kirin* back into the spotlight.

Yet the ultimate outcome was

that it didn't even require Su Mu to make a personal move; it was simply swallowed up by various other trends.

Du Qifeng probably never expected that his action sequences couldn't even match the share count of a single supporting character.

The short video of Yuan Hua's entrance accompanied by his background music directly hijacked all the hype.

That made discussing anything else entirely redundant.

Faced with such a brutal and crushing defeat, Du Qifeng ultimately chose to lie flat and accept his fate.

Because catching up in box office earnings was truly impossible.

...

A month passed amid excitement.

The final box office figures for the New Year holiday season were released.

[Doumiao Box Office Data / New Year Holiday Season:]

No. 1: *Goodbye, Mr. Loser* ↑ 1.88 billion

No. 2: *Ancient Martial Kirin* 1.1 billion

No. 3: *Xiao Tian’s Diary* 289 million

No. 4: *Departure* 176 million

No. 5: *...* 40.2 million

...

A complete landslide victory.

When everyone finally laid eyes on these results,

they could only let out an internal sigh.

Wasn't this practically rubbing Lin Haoming and Du Qifeng's faces in the dirt?

Of course, outwardly, Du Qifeng had no direct interaction with Su Mu.

However, Lin Haoming could not escape his fate.

Everyone still vividly remembered the scene at the previous awards ceremony.

Looking at the situation now, he had been beaten so badly by Su Mu's box office numbers that not even his undergarments were left.

1.88 billion—if calculated further out, it was bound to hit 2 billion two months down the line.

That was four times the figure of Lin Haoming.

Given that he had previously uttered remarks about "building a high threshold to keep outsiders out of the film industry,"

he must be feeling quite awkward right now.

Wasn't this high wall you built a bit too low?

Lin Haoming’s comment section completely exploded.

Initially, some fans tried to manage and suppress the comments, but they ultimately failed to hold the line, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people.

After all, everyone had been waiting for a whole year; there had to be an outlet for release.

Naturally, Lin Haoming's comment section served as the prime location, accompanied by a casual thrashing of the unfortunate Du Qifeng as well.

[Hahaha, weren't you acting all high and mighty with 500 million? Where are you now?]

[Remember this: Su Mu has never lost!]

[Where was that arrogant attitude from before? Why aren't you talking anymore? The arrogance you put on display at the awards ceremony has to be swallowed back down while kneeling!]

[Punching the 500-million Lin Haoming, kicking the 1-billion Du Qifeng! I ask you, who else is there?!]

...

...

...

Just as the curtain fell on the New Year holiday box office,

Huayi hosted a celebration banquet.

They invited quite a few heavyweight figures from within the industry.

There were Zhang Huaimou's friends from the director's circle, as well as several industry veterans.

Even the big three streaming video platforms were fully represented, seeing as they were all investors in this film.

Inside the car,

Qian Jida was beaming with radiance. In truth, ever since the week *Loser* took off, he had been in a state of extreme euphoria.

No other way around it—Su Mu's box office earnings far exceeded expectations.

"Su Mu, once we head back to Galaxy City, how about we host a celebration banquet too?"

Su Mu was holding his mobile phone, calculating numbers. Hearing Qian Jida speak, he nodded offhandedly. "Sure, do whatever you want."

Xiao Juzi: "Yay! That's wonderful!"

Qian Jida: "Su Mu, what are you calculating?"

Su Mu: "Box office earnings, seeing how much money we'll be taking home."

Qian Jida was speechless. "Is there any need to be this anxious? Besides, even if you calculate it now, the fastest we'll see the funds hit the account is the second half of the year; accounting and disbursements across various theater chains are extremely slow."

Su Mu chuckled. "I'm not particularly anxious either, but just looking at the numbers feels great inside. What, don't you guys feel great?"

Qian Jida: "..."

Xiao Juzi: "..."

The two were left speechless.

Feel great your sister. It's not our money, what on earth is there for the two of us to feel great about?

...

Inside the banquet hall, a large crowd had already gathered.

The celebration banquet had long since begun, featuring red wine, champagne, and a variety of exquisite dishes.

Holding a wine glass, Zhang Huaimou was laughing and chatting amiably with several directors.

Aside from old friends like Chen Anzhi, Yuan Zheng, Zhuang Yan, Wang Ouyi, and Ma Baoguo, Dong Xuefei had unexpectedly made an appearance as well.

Those familiar with her knew that she typically did not attend occasions of this sort.

Besides, while Su Mu had answered Lin Haoming's challenge, it essentially meant he had also indirectly defeated Dong Xuefei.

After all, Lin Haoming's 500-million-grossing film had still originated from her hands.

Even so, she had still shown up. It wasn't entirely out of respect for Zhang Huaimou's prestige; her primary motive was simply to meet Su Mu in person.

When Dong Xuefei had previously discussed the matter with Wu Dongsheng, Gu An, and others, she had assumed Su Mu probably wouldn't achieve stellar results this time around.

Yet, facts proved that the so-called master directors like themselves didn't have particularly good judgment when it came to reading people; they had all been severely slapped in the face.

Therefore, Dong Xuefei was now eager to meet Su Mu.

She wanted to see what kind of person this most influential actor of the year truly was.

"Su Mu is here."

At that moment, someone suddenly spoke up.

Immediately following that, everyone raised their heads to look.

They saw Su Mu leading Qian Jida and Xiao Juzi into the banquet hall.

Su Mu instantly became the center of attention, with many individuals proactively stepping forward to greet him and forge connections.

Su Mu merely shook hands politely one by one, glancing around casually without retaining who was who.

He only remembered that one person was higher-ranking and more powerful than the last—either the CEO of this company, the chairman of that entertainment firm, or a real estate developer from some region, and so forth.

After a round of polite pleasantries,

Su Mu finally encountered a familiar face.

Zhang Huaimou: "Su Mu, you're finally here. Let me introduce you—this is Director Dong Xuefei."

Su Mu looked at the woman. She wasn't old, but neither was she young, exuding the dignified poise of a talented intellectual woman.

Of course, one couldn't rule out the possibility that she possessed the hidden talent to let loose and run wild to the moon in private.

"Director Dong." Su Mu smiled and offered a polite greeting.

Dong Xuefei nodded, looking Su Mu up and down. "Hello. I've heard Huaimou praise you for a long time. Congratulations on achieving such a stellar result with your very first film."

Su Mu: "Thank you, Director Dong."

Dong Xuefei: "Su Mu, I've seen your work, and I think it's exceptionally good. I wonder if we might have the opportunity to collaborate in the future."

The corners of Su Mu's mouth curled into a smile—precise and sincere: "Really? If it's a project by Director Dong, I'd definitely want to collaborate."

Dong Xuefei paused slightly inwardly.

At that moment, looking at Su Mu's smile, some memory seemed to have been stirred within her.

It reminded her of her daughter who was still studying abroad.

Whenever her daughter spoke to her in the past, she had possessed the exact same clarity and authenticity.

After all, a young girl's innermost thoughts could never truly be concealed.

And right now, Su Mu's heartfelt sentiments were similarly written across his expression, as though he were continuously declaring his willingness to collaborate.

Dong Xuefei wore a slight smile; she rather favored young people whose minds were easy to see through. "Wonderful, Su Mu. Then we'll wait for an opportunity in the future."

[Facial Expression Proficiency +1]

[Skill Point +0.01]

"Alright, let me go say hello to President Wang with Director Zhang. You guys chat slowly."

Su Mu smiled and nodded, instantly dropping his expression the moment he turned around.

As expected, once facial expressions reached Level 5, they were quite different from before.

In just those few minutes, he had conveyed roughly two hundred characters' worth of sincerity.

Judging by Dong Xuefei's reaction,

she had most likely read the corresponding subtext straight from his expressions.

Of course, it was all just playing along for the occasion—first leaving a good impression, while future collaborations would depend on circumstances.

As he walked,

Zhang Huaimou glanced at Su Mu from the side. "Tsk tsk, have you changed your mind?"

Su Mu: "About what?"

Zhang Huaimou: "Didn't you say before that you wouldn't participate in Dong Xuefei's major productions?"

Su Mu: "Oh, I'm still not participating."

Zhang Huaimou: "Then why did you just agree to it?"

Su Mu: "Does agreeing have anything to do with actually going?"

Zhang Huaimou: "..."

...

Halfway through the banquet,

Su Mu followed Wang Jun and Zhang Huaimou up to the top-floor office.

The true main event was about to begin.

Profit-splitting.

Wang Jun wore a look of gratification and admiration. "Su Mu, not bad at all. Total victory this time around—you truly didn't disappoint us."

Su Mu offered a polite yet awkward smile. "Ah, haha, thank you, President Wang. Just doing my job, just doing my job."

The corners of Wang Jun's mouth twitched.

For some inexplicable reason, he suddenly felt an urge to hit someone.

Because he could actually discern the hidden meaning behind Su Mu's expression:

[Can you hurry up? Are you dragging your feet over nothing, damn it? Split the money! Understand?]

Damn it, this bastard definitely thought that in his heart just now!

Wang Jun wore a dark expression, but since the other party was being impeccably polite, he couldn't find any evidence. "Ahem, fine then. I've already said congratulations eight hundred times. A promise is a promise—let's split the profits."

Su Mu broke into a brilliant smile. "Oh, President Wang, I came here to celebrate together, not to ask for money. How could I possibly doubt your word?"

Zhang Huaimou: "..."

Wang Jun: "..."

Silence descended upon everyone present in the room.

Without even needing to analyze Su Mu's facial expressions, they all knew this fellow definitely did not mean that.

Let me ask you, when you say such hypocritical words,

do you even believe them yourself?

Before the box office run had even started, you were already crunching numbers with a calculator and A4 paper.

And now you're saying you're not in a hurry.

Do you really take us for a bunch of fools?

Su Mu: "Correct."

"???"

"???"