Chapter 431 - 223: Premiere Ends

Chapter 431: Chapter 223: Premiere Ends

Su Chen saw the sea of people outside and felt his scalp tingle.

"How are there so many people? What big shot did Deng Chao and the others invite to draw such a huge crowd?"

"Could Deng Chao have called in the cast of ’Running Man’? You know they’re the hottest group in the country right now!" That was the first thing that popped into Chen Fei’s head.

Su Chen fell silent for a long moment before finally saying, "Let’s just stick to the original plan."

’We’re already here. It’s not like we’re too scared of a crowd to walk the red carpet.’

Chen Fei nodded and drove the Hongqi N701 toward the red carpet entrance.

When the Hongqi came into view, no one thought much of it. Many reporters just assumed it was another group of unknown guests.

But when the car stopped at the entrance to the red carpet and the reporters saw the number on its license plate, they all gasped.

"No way... They really saved the ultimate trump card for last!" The local entertainment reporters from the Imperial Capital quickly capped their camera lenses.

Their peers who saw this were completely baffled. They hurried to find people they knew to ask what was happening.

"What else could it be? We can’t photograph them. Even if you took pictures, you wouldn’t be able to publish them. Why waste your time?"

"Huh?" His words left the other reporters utterly confused.

"Didn’t you see the license plate on that Hongqi? You have to understand, in the Imperial Capital, there are two kinds of license plates that you stay as far away from as possible. You never, ever get involved!"

The speaker paused, his gaze complicated as he looked toward the Hongqi. "One type is Imperial A-G6. If you see that on the road, you get out of the way immediately. As for the other kind..."

He jutted his chin toward the red carpet entrance. "It’s Imperial A0!"

The meaning was crystal clear. If any reporter present still didn’t get it, they’d have to be a fucking idiot.

One by one, they followed the lead of the earlier reporters, capping their own camera lenses before turning their gazes toward the Hongqi.

Everyone was curious just what kind of major figure was sitting in that car.

A young man got out of the driver’s seat, hurried over to the rear right door, and respectfully opened it.

When Su Chen stepped out of the car, all the reporters gasped again. It was for one simple reason: Su Chen was just too young. It created a stark contrast with the Hongqi N701 he had arrived in.

They had all expected someone in their thirties, or even forties, not a young man in his twenties.

Su Chen and Chen Fei didn’t linger on the red carpet, striding quickly toward the theater.

The reporters on both sides of the red carpet simply watched in respectful silence. Only the onlookers in the crowd were holding up their phones, SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!

"Holy shit! What’s going on? Why isn’t there anyone in my picture? I was pointing it right at him!"

The words had barely left his mouth when a chorus of agreement rose up. Everyone was saying their photos and videos showed no trace of the men. Many thought their phones were malfunctioning.

Only a few sharp-eyed people had noticed the young man who opened the car door holding a long, black, rod-like object. Connecting that to what had just happened, they had a good idea what that object was.

At the theater entrance, Wu Jing saw Su Chen arrive and immediately hurried over to greet him, saying respectfully, "Mr. Su, it’s good to see you!"

Su Chen gave a slight nod. "You’ve caused quite a stir today. You can’t afford to disappoint."

Wu Jing naturally understood Su Chen’s meaning. He patted his chest and promised, "Mr. Su, I absolutely will not disappoint you or the audience."

"Let’s go. I imagine many people are getting impatient." With that, he strode into the theater. Seeing this, Wu Jing quickly moved to Su Chen’s side to lead the way.

Seeing Wu Jing disappear through the theater doors, the reporters outside knew all the guests had arrived. In twos and threes, they scattered to find places to rest, waiting for the film to end so they could try to interview one or two major guests and get their verdict on the movie’s quality.

Many of the onlookers left as well, but a number of young people remained in the plaza. Several held light-up signs and posters, looking like they were fans of a particular star.

The premiere was held in the theater’s largest VIP screening room. When Wu Jing led Su Chen and Chen Fei inside, Si Cong, Chen Feiyu, and others who had been chatting in the front two rows immediately shot to their feet.

This gesture left many in the room stunned, especially "Big Brother" Cheng, "Hua Zai," and Tingfeng, who were seated in the front row.

But the three of them reacted instantly and also stood up. They guessed that this must be the Young Master Su that Chen Feiyu had told them about.

Sure enough, many people were respectfully calling out "Young Master Su" and "Mr. Su!"

When Su Chen spotted "Big Brother" Cheng and "Hua Zai" in the crowd, he was also taken aback for a second. He never expected them to be here.

He quickly smiled and nodded at the three in greeting.

"Big Brother" Cheng hadn’t expected Su Chen to acknowledge them and quickly returned the gesture by cupping his hands.

Wu Jing arranged for Su Chen to sit in the very center seat of the front row, taking the seat next to him without hesitation. After all, as the director and lead actor, it was Wu Jing’s role to provide commentary for Su Chen.

Su Chen had just sat down when a soft, delicate voice sounded from behind him. "Mr. Su."

Hearing the vaguely familiar voice, Su Chen knew who it was and turned his head.

The first thing that met his eyes were two pristine, snow-white peaks, squeezed together. They were so dazzling he thought he’d gone snow-blind. He could also vaguely smell a faint, fresh fragrance.

Su Chen hadn’t expected Reba to be crouched down behind him. When he turned, his face was only a few inches from her snowy peaks. At this distance... the warmth of his breath could be felt on her exposed skin.

"Ahem... Reba, it’s been a while!" Under everyone’s watchful eyes, even Su Chen, who was used to grand occasions, felt a bit awkward, as if they were doing something secretive.

Feeling the intermittent warmth on her "snowy peaks," Reba’s pretty face flushed faintly. She now realized just how suggestive her posture was.

"Thank you so much for before, Mr. Su. I was wondering if I might have the honor of treating you to a meal to express my gratitude!" Though she felt a little shy, Reba hadn’t forgotten her objective for the day.

"Of course. I’m especially curious about the cuisine from the frontier regions. Don’t disappoint me when the time comes," Su Chen said before turning his head away, leaving a stunned Reba in his wake.

It’s unclear what she was thinking, but her entire face and neck turned a deep shade of pink.

The movie began shortly after. The opening scene picked up where the first film left off. When Su Chen saw the forced demolition, a flash of anger crossed his eyes.

Even though he had read the script and knew the plot, seeing it performed was a much more visceral experience.

To say nothing else, that one kick alone was more compelling than the entire plot of many other films.

As the film’s plot continued to unfold, gasps of surprise echoed through the theater from time to time. This was especially true when the villains appeared; their realistic portrayal had many people marveling at how authentic the extras were.

Only the few who knew the truth, like Old Guo, wore expressions of pure shock and nothing else.

As the movie neared its end, there came the moment Wu Jing crossed the warzone holding the national flag. When both warring factions lowered their guns to let the convoy pass, an inexplicable sense of pride swelled in Su Chen’s heart.

The movie concluded. A large Huaxia passport appeared on the screen, and beneath it, two lines of text slowly faded in...

"A Huaxia passport may not take you to every corner of the world, but it can bring you home from anywhere!"

The theater instantly erupted in deafening applause, led by "Big Brother" Cheng, "Hua Zai," and the others. They were among those who could most profoundly appreciate the benefits of a powerful nation.

"I have a feeling... this movie will become a new benchmark in cinematic history!" said "Big Brother" Cheng. Having navigated the film industry for decades, he naturally understood the film’s significance.

Beside him, "Hua Zai" nodded in firm agreement.

After the movie, the main cast and crew took the stage for a Q&A session with critics and the media.

Wu Jing and his team kept this part brief, wrapping it up in just half an hour.

"Everyone, I’ve arranged a dinner banquet at the five-star hotel next door. Please, make your way over," Wu Jing announced into the microphone, unable to hide the broad smile on his face.

In the interviews just now, all the critics and media outlets had given the film extremely high praise. How could he not be happy?

As everyone was leaving, Su Chen took the initiative to go and greet "Big Brother" Cheng and "Hua Zai." After all, these were stars he had grown up watching.