Chapter 94

Meanwhile, "Puxi Fortress" was also released on the mainland. Thanks to its name, the film was particularly popular in Puxi. The plot and scenery were closely related to Puxi, and many local viewers felt a sense of freshness when watching it. Especially, the setting of the Oriental Pearl Tower as a defense bubble node made Puxi residents feel a deep resonance. As a result, the film's reputation and box office success soared, and the Starlight Animation Production Company also became a star enterprise.

Beijing audiences were more focused on the aerial combat scenes in the film. "Puxi Fortress," "Tokyo Fortress," "Battle Fairy Yuki," and "World Air Combat Story" all shared a common spirit, emphasizing the overlap between the story and reality. This was a common phenomenon in the Japanese animation industry, as such settings were less mentally taxing and less prone to errors. Thus, the J-8 Hai, a domestically produced Soviet-style fighter, and later the J-10 and J-11, which served as the film's ultimate weapons, became the biggest highlights.

Military enthusiasts on both sides of the strait found what they were looking for in "Puxi Fortress" and "Tokyo Fortress." On the other side of the strait, people felt that their country was the best, and the F-16 and F-22 were incredibly cool. On this side, the appearance of the J-10 and J-11 made people feel hopeful about their country. There were also rumors that the J-10 and J-11 would appear in the National Day parade, which further fueled the enthusiasm of young people to watch the film.

With such a craze in Beijing and Puxi, it was natural that the National Day box office across the country would be booming. Perhaps this was China's first experience with an animated film made for adults, and there were still many adjustments to be made. Many children went to watch the film, expecting an animated movie, but they didn't understand anything and only saw planes flying around. Some found it interesting, while others found it boring. However, some parents who accompanied their children enjoyed the film. In a sense, if "Puxi Fortress" had not been co-produced with Japan, it would have been a great attempt for Chinese animated films.

As someone online summarized, this was a significant expansion of the subject matter in Chinese animation, and it directly addressed China's real society, government, and military, elevating fantasy to a realistic portrayal. The story was epic, and although the ending was somewhat cliché, its production quality and subject matter ensured it would be recorded in history.

Often, those who participate in history do not realize the significance of their actions or their place in history. Even Shen Zhenghui himself was only aware that he had introduced Japanese technology to the development of Chinese animation. He was more concerned with the development of technology and the box office success. The greater historical significance was something even a time traveler might not fully grasp, and it could be said that precisely because he was a time traveler, he could not fully understand it. Just like Stephen Chow, who might not have realized that "A Chinese Odyssey" would become a legendary film that would illuminate an entire era.

The box office continued to rise amidst the noise, and many people spontaneously promoted the film, claiming that only in the cinema could one truly experience the visual and auditory enjoyment.

During his time in Taiwan, Shen Zhenghui, besides visiting the production team and gathering information about the Taiwanese film industry, mainly focused on the box office of the two films.

"Puxi Fortress" achieved a miraculous box office success on the mainland. It was released a week before National Day, and when the J-10 and J-11 did not appear in the National Day parade, many people were disappointed and went back to the cinema to rewatch the J-10 and J-11 in the film. "Puxi Fortress" earned 19 million yuan in the week before National Day, surpassing the domestic animated film "Rabbit Year Top" released during the New Year. As a result, "The Magic Lotus Lantern" had to move down one position. The box office continued to perform well during the National Day week, earning another 17 million yuan. The most unique aspect of the film's release on the mainland was that the General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army organized a collective viewing of the film after National Day. This news caused a stir not only among mainland residents but also in the international media.

The military leadership publicly stated that the purpose was to provide patriotic education to the troops—this was true, as "Puxi Fortress" was overall a patriotic, pro-party, and pro-people film, especially in its portrayal of the PLA. According to overseas media, the reason behind this was that the film's distributor was a company controlled by the military, and this was a rebound after the ban on military involvement in business—though it was unclear how this theory was formed.

The Americans provided the most reliable so-called insider information, stating that the Chinese Air Force had already popularized the film internally, not just this one but also "Tokyo Fortress." These two films, based on real data and high-quality production, provided a realistic and imaginative reference for future air combat. Most importantly, the animated format was easy to understand and suitable for training new recruits and as a teaching reference. Therefore, the viewing of these films by the Chinese military was actually a form of internal military training, with the focus on the explanations after the viewing.

Of course, the Americans did not believe that these films had leaked any secrets of the U.S. military. In a sense, the Americans were proud of their strength and wanted to show off their muscle to the world through such subtle means. Although the protagonist in "Tokyo Fortress" being Japanese made the Americans feel slightly less satisfied, and the portrayal of China as the protagonist made them mock China's outdated air force, these films still became important teaching references for the U.S. military, albeit from a unique perspective. The Americans used these films to guide how to defend against alien invasions and were also interested in the imaginative weapons in the films, which helped open the U.S. market.

Of course, for most ordinary viewers, these were just animated films about air combat. Many military enthusiasts and tech enthusiasts were deeply fascinated by these films, going to great lengths to understand and collect information about the stories behind them. These two films, along with the two "Yuki" films produced by Gonzo later, formed Gonzo's best reputation in the air combat genre (technically, "Puxi Fortress" was technically directed by Gonzo), laying a solid foundation for Gonzo's international reputation.

"Tokyo Fortress" sparked a wave of enthusiasm for animated films in Taiwan and Hong Kong, especially in Hong Kong, where the enthusiasm for "Tokyo Fortress" had not yet subsided when the enthusiasm for "Puxi Fortress" began. Shen Zhenghui couldn't stay in Taiwan any longer and left after a brief inspection of the local film industry, returning to Japan. Upon returning to Japan, the first thing he did was to visit Fukuda Miharu.

"Hey, you're back?"

"I'm back."

"Is there something you want to talk about?"

"How are the box office numbers for 'Tokyo Fortress' and 'Puxi Fortress' in Japan and overseas?"

Fukuda Miharu looked surprised, "I thought you would want to talk about what we discussed on the phone last time."

"Can we talk about that later? Can you tell me about the box office numbers first?" Shen Zhenghui gestured, "Also, I admit you were right about the last phone call, but let's discuss the specifics later."

"Are you embarrassed?" Fukuda Miharu tilted her head and picked up a piece of paper from her desk, "I have the latest data for Japan, but the overseas data is a bit behind." She continued, "We didn't schedule it well this time. 'Tokyo Fortress' was only released for two weeks before 'Puxi Fortress' came out." She sighed, "Currently, 'Tokyo Fortress' has earned 3.685 billion yen, and it's expected to exceed 5 billion yen by the end of its run. 'Puxi Fortress' has only been out for two days and has earned 160 million yen, which is far behind 'Tokyo Fortress,' but it's possible it could exceed 2 billion yen."

"Phew..." Shen Zhenghui took a deep breath, "With the overseas market, it looks like Gonzo is making a big profit this time."

Fukuda Miharu snorted, "Mura Hamasho is also a big spender. 'World Air Combat Story' has been in production for almost a year and has cost nearly 4 billion yen, and there's still a lot left to finish. The box office earnings from 'Tokyo Fortress' aren't enough to cover the costs."

Shen Zhenghui opened his mouth wide, "Doesn't that mean it needs to earn over 10 billion yen to break even?"

Fukuda Miharu shrugged, "If we lose money, we can produce TV animations to pay off the debt. Who knows how long he'll have to work to pay it off."

"Isn't there the overseas market?" Shen Zhenghui asked, "I think the box office in Hong Kong and Taiwan should be good, plus the mainland."

"The copyright for 'Puxi Fortress' is not officially related to Gonzo, so Liu Xin should be the one to celebrate," Fukuda Miharu said, "And the box office in Taiwan and Hong Kong is only a few hundred million." She raised her eyebrows, "Combined, it's around 1 billion yen. Now we just have to see if the U.S. market performs well."

For such films, the U.S. market is unpredictable. Shen Zhenghui had also daydreamed about the U.S. military organizing group viewings, just like the PLA.

"Alright, we've talked about the box office. Let's discuss what we talked about on the phone last time," Fukuda Miharu pursed her lips and stared intently at Shen Zhenghui, "Do you have any counterarguments? You haven't called me for a while, so I assume you wanted to argue in person?"

Shen Zhenghui twitched his lips, "I've already admitted that I agree with your criticism. Do you think I'm lying?"

"If that's the case, I'm interested in hearing your confession," Fukuda Miharu continued, "So, you've reflected on your mistakes? How have you reflected?"

Shen Zhenghui took a deep breath and cleared his mind of excess emotions, "First, we shouldn't let personal emotions influence our views on investments and the market..."