Chapter 172: Multiple Endings
This was the main group chat for "Ghost Traces." All the actors participating in the film were in it, so when this person sent out this seemingly casual sigh, the chat instantly went silent.
The staff member who sent the message clearly realized his remark was inappropriate for the setting and quickly withdrew it.
But right now, everyone was waiting to learn the box office numbers. Even though it was past one in the morning, many people were still online and had naturally seen the message.
Admittedly, the message spoke to what everyone was thinking. However, since Ming Qian, along with his agent and assistant, were also in the group, everyone could only maintain their silence.
They were just waiting for someone to break the awkwardness.
In the end, it was Director Mo who came out to defuse the situation: "It's quite late, everyone should get some sleep. The premiere is just our first battle; we still have a whole week ahead! Once the data is tallied, we'll see our true results!"
"Okay, Director Mo. Good night, Director Mo!"
With Director Mo providing the stepping stone, everyone seized the opportunity. After sending a flurry of goodnight stickers, they shut down their devices and went to sleep, pretending nothing had just happened.
Early the next morning, news of "Ghost Traces" earning 300 million at the premiere box office spread widely.
Simultaneously, many people discussing the plot emerged.
Some eagle-eyed viewers even managed to unearth three different interpretations of the ending.
The First Ending: Everything that happened before was all Du Xiao's hallucination, including the final appearance of Jing Sheng's face in the mirror. This was because Du Xiao had not yet escaped his own delusions; he was still deeply trapped within them.
The Second Ending: It was all born from Jiang Qing's delusion. From beginning to end, there was no scene showing Jiang Qing's death. No one could prove that Jiang Qing's consciousness had completely become "Jing Sheng." This might also be Jiang Qing's fantasy, with the purpose being to kill Jing Sheng. This could more reasonably explain why Du Xiao would plunge the scalpel into "Jing Sheng's" heart. It was because Jiang Qing wanted to kill "Jing Sheng" but felt he couldn't do it himself, so he hallucinated Du Xiao to kill "Jing Sheng."
However, he ultimately failed, because "Jing Sheng" appeared in the final mirror shot. This aligns with the hidden rule that "Jiang Qing cannot kill Jing Sheng."
The Third Ending: These events did indeed truly happen. Jiang Qing did once fantasize about killing "Jing Sheng" and was killed in turn. To avenge Jiang Qing, Du Xiao killed him. But after killing Jiang Qing, Du Xiao also began to develop hallucinations. Wanting to escape his own responsibility, he started to fantasize that Jiang Qing was killed by "Jing Sheng." Yet, when he regained consciousness, he genuinely saw a ghost. Jing Sheng had truly become a vengeful spirit coming for him.
With three different endings, opinions varied widely, and no one could convince the others.
Consequently, the discussion surrounding "Ghost Traces" skyrocketed.
If "The Chase" started with a high opening at its premiere but saw a decline later, only managing to salvage its box office curve and save face by stirring up a CP between its lead actors, then "Ghost Traces," starting from its premiere, saw its box office numbers climb steadily, with daily figures continuously increasing.
Since Yin Chengjue had only said the first ticket on opening day was free, and afterwards, even with an ID card, one couldn't get a free ticket, those who wanted to see it had to buy tickets themselves.
Thus, a phrase gradually began circulating on Weibo: "Once there was a free movie ticket to be had, but I did not cherish it. Only after the free period passed did I feel regret."
DramaWatcher9 V: New film "Ghost Traces," satisfaction five stars. Horror level depends on the viewer's own tolerance, because all the horror elements in this film are concentrated on the male lead, Jing Sheng. As the only ghost in "Ghost Traces," he single-handedly carries all the terror. So, if you find Jing Sheng scary, then this movie is scary. If you think he's handsome, then this movie isn't scary.
Brainpower required: five stars. I currently very much want the "Ghost Traces" crew to compensate me for my brain cells.
Plot richness: five stars. "Ghost Traces" is truly non-stop high energy with no dull moments. Two hours is too short; the content requires a microscope to pick apart, so I suggest buying several tickets. If you don't understand it the first time, watch it a few more times.
Actor performances: three stars. Perhaps because the plot is so rich, it raised my standards. I feel the actors' performances weren't quite convincing enough. I call it as I see it. Due to his looks, the horror factor of the lead actor Rong Yu is indeed somewhat reduced. Those who admire appearances might even feel excited watching him (don't ask me why I think this, because I am...).
Among the two male supporting roles, the actor playing Du Xiao is Wei Hai. Wei Hai has been in the industry for quite some time, and his acting skills are widely acknowledged. Moreover, this role suits him perfectly; he seems eccentric and exudes a sinister aura. The character's background is also well-developed, allowing him to hold his own against the male lead Jing Sheng.
In contrast, the actor playing Jiang Qing, portrayed by Ming Qian, seems somewhat lacking in depth. Judging by screen time, Jiang Qing has many scenes and lines, but Ming Qian's expression remains largely the same from start to finish, making me lose immersion constantly.
As for the other supporting roles, I noticed most are artists from Huansheng Entertainment. It feels like this movie is populated by Huansheng Entertainment artists. A few of the younger actors are quite good-looking; I wonder if they have Weibo accounts to follow.
The rest is left for the comments section to add. [Image]
Comment Section:
Comment 1: Ninth Master is recommending a drama! Something new to watch! But... Ninth Master, are you serious about the last few sentences? Aren't you afraid of getting your account banned? That Miao Master before got banned because their drama review was deemed "unreasonable."
Comment 2: The Miao Master incident really made me angry for days. Miao Master was just simply watching and reviewing dramas, saying they liked what they liked and didn't like what they didn't. What's wrong with that? Different strokes for different folks, are people not allowed to dislike something anymore? Some crazy fans are so eager in their star-chasing that they threw their brains on the roadside.
Comment 3: Hahaha, that's hilarious! "Chased too fast and lost their brains"! I have a vivid image in my mind now hahaha!
Comment 4: Ninth Master, most of the outspoken drama reviewers before have been reported into oblivion. Now we can only find good dramas from you. Please give your account a way out! Stop challenging its ability to withstand reports!
Comment 5: Hahaha, how pitiful is the plea from the user above. But I guess those fan armies are probably already on their way here, right?
Comment 6: Tch, such obvious praise for one and criticism for another. Can Rong Yu fans use their brains a bit and wrap their fake skins tighter? Can you not stand up without rubbing against others' heat?
[蹭别人热度: lit. rubbing against others' heat; fig. piggybacking on others' popularity/topicality for attention.]
Comment 7: No way, no way, does anyone really think this is just a simple drama review blog? Dying of laughter. Are the antis these days so unskilled?
Comment 8: Tsk tsk tsk, here they come, the fan armies of a certain someone. The fan's magical thought process—if you criticize me, you must be a fan of our rival, otherwise you're a professional anti, there are no other options! I find it strange, do only rival fans and professional anti-fans have the right to criticize your idol? Are we ordinary bystanders who just don't like him not worthy of an opinion?
Comment 7 replies to Comment 8: If you join the discussion, you're not a passerby! Anyone who speaks up is either a rival fan or an anti!
Comment 8: ...
Other comments also tactfully turned into ellipses, momentarily not knowing how to respond to this seemingly brainwashed logic.
Besides DramaWatcher9, other drama review blogs also posted their thoughts. The comments were moderate, containing both praise and criticism. A common question among these reviewers was: Who is the author who wrote this "Ghost Traces"?
If you set aside the actors' performances, this screenplay could definitely be nominated for Best Film Screenplay of the Year!
Regarding this, the crew of "The Chase" was also burning with curiosity. Although "The Chase" director had obtained the previous version of the "Ghost Traces" script, they still couldn't find out who the author of "Ghost Traces" was.
They had originally planned a hot search topic about "Ghost Traces script leak," but before they could arrange it, news came that the script had been revised. Moreover, after the revision, only the actors' relevant lines were distributed to them. The entire script content was known only to Director Mo and that mysterious author.
This way, even if they really exposed the original "Ghost Traces" script content, it would likely only generate more hype for them and cause no real damage.
The director of "The Chase" felt extremely frustrated about this, especially upon seeing that "Ghost Traces" premiere numbers were on par with theirs and the following days' data showed continuous growth. He instantly felt unprecedented pressure.
Although they were different genres, they were released in the same period. "The Chase" was still showing in major cinemas. Originally, its data had just started to recover because the actors playing the male lead and the antagonist in "The Chase" formed a real-life CP, causing the CP fan army to frantically contribute to the box office, allowing "The Chase" data to rebound and not fall as disastrously as before.
But now, with the release of "Ghost Traces," every showing was packed. Of every ten people coming to the cinema, seven or eight were there to see "Ghost Traces," naturally leaving the other films released around the same time with empty seats.
"The Chase" data naturally couldn't go up.
Especially in recent days, the plot of "Ghost Traces" became the focus of everyone's discussions. Curious passersby drawn in by the hype also went to buy tickets, naturally creating a virtuous cycle.
The box office numbers for "Ghost Traces" increased day by day. By the fourth day alone, its figures had already surpassed those of "The Chase," which had been in theaters for two weeks.
This invisible contest had clearly already determined a winner!
"The Chase" director was fuming but powerless. He could only keep a close watch on the latest news, wanting to see when "Ghost Traces" would reveal the author's real name.
In the end credits of "Ghost Traces," the author field only listed three English letters that clearly weren't a real name, an obvious sign that the author did not want their true identity known.
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