286. You've Understood Everything

Three days later, at the end of May, Lu Ban received a call from Thomas Lee.

"Mr. Lu, I have seen your movie."

Lu Ban already knew the purpose of the call from the first sentence the other party said.

"How are you feeling?"

Lu Ban moved at a leisurely pace.

"I don't understand, but I'm deeply impressed. Your film is truly amazing. I've never, ever seen such a unique horror film before. It felt like I was actually in it. As for the special effects, I never knew that domestic special effects teams could create such effects."

Thomas Lee was still somewhat dazed.

"Excuse my intrusion, Mr. Li, which one did you watch?"

Lu Ban asked a question.

"I've seen them all, Mr. Lu. I've seen both movies, as well as your previous works. All I can say about these works is that they are geniuses, simply geniuses. It's hard to imagine that someone could make such movies."

Thomas Lee was not stingy with his praise.

"Yes, I saw it. The reaction was indeed quite severe."

Lu Ban muttered to himself.

"What?"

"No, it's okay. I'm glad you enjoyed my movie."

Lu Ban replied with thanks.

"Actually, there wasn't much enjoyment involved, but the tingling sensation on my scalp, and the subsequent relaxation, made me feel thoroughly satisfied. Perhaps that's the meaning behind people's pursuit of horror movies."

Thomas Lee seemed to still be savoring the moment.

"Yes, actually, when humans are frightened or threatened, their adrenaline levels rise, bringing a sense of tension. Conversely, when the crisis is over, the brain releases a reassuring substance, thus relieving the previous tension. This substance is not usually available, so the experience of watching horror movies is unique."

Lu Ban explained.

In fact, rather than this kind of metaphysical argument, Lu Ban prefers to believe that when people see something terrifying or beyond their comprehension, their rationality will decrease to a certain extent. In the process of decreasing rationality, various symptoms of mental pollution will occur.

However, when rationality decreases, a person's tolerance for terrifying things increases, and therefore the body achieves relaxation, which is the source of this feeling.

Lu Ban called it a sense of security.

"Your theoretical research on horror films is truly profound. I admit that I did not investigate carefully before and did not realize the value of your work, Mr. Lu. Therefore, I would like to import your previous works along with your new film."

Thomas Lee stated his demands.

"Absolutely."

Lu Ban had no reason to refuse.

The two arranged another time to finalize the details of the acquisition. Lu Ban received the original share of revenue sharing, without giving the theaters a larger share. As for the number of screenings, that was still undecided, but the contract guaranteed a minimum of 5% of the screenings.

To increase the number of screenings, changes will only be made after Lu Ban's film is completed and the theaters receive the master tapes and confirm their quality.

For Lu Ban, these business negotiations were more exhausting than making a movie.

If the quality is up to standard, that's fine. But if the quality is not up to standard, all sorts of negotiations, discussions, and exchanges of benefits will be torture.

In June, with the college entrance examination approaching, the weather also became hot.

Strangely enough, it rains heavily every year during the college entrance examination in Jiangcheng.

Lu Ban looked up from his computer and glanced at the employees of Silent Media who were working diligently.

Just as Lu Ban had predicted, those who could withstand the stimulation of his short film must have lost a lot of their rationality. When faced with the video clips of the Night Country's Demon Tide, although they would experience some symptoms in a short period of time, they adapted quickly.

"Although time is tight, you don't need to work too hard. You need to learn to balance work and rest."

Lu Ban patted the shoulder of the employee next to him. Everyone had dark circles under their eyes, probably because they were working too hard.

Qin Tiantian, the receptionist, was the only one without dark circles under her eyes and looked very energetic.

"Why did he die again? Does he even know how to play?"

She had just been ordered food and was now in a state of helpless rage in front of the screen.

Although Qin Tiantian seems to be doing nothing but playing games, the effect is actually quite good.

When some salespeople or people with ill intentions approach, seeing Qin Tiantian's wailing and howling performance in the game, they would subconsciously think that this was some kind of clinic for mental patients.

Just as Qin Tiantian put on her headphones to prepare for the next round, she saw a somewhat familiar person standing at the door.

Moving her gaze upwards, Qin Tiantian saw Feng Yu.

She was wearing a dress, a vest, lace stockings, and black leather shoes, looking like she had just returned from a trip.

"Feng Yu, what brings you here?"

Qin Tiantian canceled the ranked match, stood up, and handed the other person the opened bag of potato chips beside her.

Want some potato chips?

"No need, thank you. Where is Lu Ban?"

"Him? He works there, right?"

Qin Tiantian pointed to the office.

Feng Yu walked into the office, and Qin Tiantian followed to join in the fun.

Upon seeing a young woman enter, several employees of Silent Media craned their necks, looking at her curiously.

Feng Yu approached Lu Ban, who was wearing headphones, and patiently watched him work for a while before speaking up when he finished.

"Your company seems pretty good."

Upon hearing Feng Yu's voice, Lu Ban subconsciously minimized everything, revealing the computer desktop. He took off his headphones and turned around.

What brings you here?

Lu Ban showed a surprised expression.

"I came to visit after finishing my work."

Feng Yu glanced at Lu Ban's company.

"It seems pretty good. So, are you still hiring? How about considering me?"

"There's a shortage, of course there is, but we're not the same generation, so it's not appropriate for you to be an employee."

Lu Ban raised a serious question.

"So it would be suitable for me to be your employee? Aren't we peers?"

Qin Tiantian suddenly asked a question from the side.

"A mascot is almost as important as the boss."

Lu Ban explained.

The employees standing nearby had gossip gleaming in their eyes, and in some small groups, they began to exchange gossip about Lu Ban.

[Beaver]: Who is this woman?

[Xiaobai]: Could she be Director Lu's girlfriend? Wife? Secretly married? Could it be that Director Lu already has a child? Is he a third-generation descendant of someone who married into Jiangcheng Industries or something?

[Lemon]: You're overthinking it. I feel like she's just a girlfriend.

[Maruko]: What?? I always thought our receptionist was Director Lu's girlfriend. After all, Director Lu never said anything since she just played games all day and did nothing, and the two of them often went home together.

[Woody]: Are they here to catch their partner cheating? This is going to be interesting?

Although everyone seemed to be doing their own thing, they were actually distracted and secretly listening to Lu Ban's conversation.

How about we have dinner together tonight?

Feng Yu asked.

"Sure, no problem."

Lu Ban nodded in agreement; it was perfectly normal for Feng Yu to invite him to dinner.

"You're coming too?"

Feng Yu glanced at Qin Tiantian again.

"Okay, let Lu Ban treat us this time. There's a restaurant I've been wanting to try."

Without hesitation, Qin Tiantian took out her phone and opened the review app to search.

The employees' small group chat was buzzing with activity again.

[Orange]: Something's not right. The two of them seem to be getting along very well. It doesn't seem like they're here to catch someone cheating.

[Maruko]: Could it be that Director Lu is so charming that both girls are infatuated with him?

[Beaver]: If I had Director Lu's talent and wealth, I might also be incredibly charming.

[Xiaobai]: They're getting ready to leave!

The employees looked up and saw that Lu Ban had already packed his things and was preparing to leave work early.

"You can all go home early today. The college entrance exam is tomorrow, so everyone should get some rest."

Lu Ban waved his hand.

After Lu Ban left, the group chat became excited again.

[Lemon]: College entrance exam? Did I hear that wrong?

[Hudi]: I get it. This girl is a high school teacher. She has the college entrance exam tomorrow, so she came to see Director Lu today. She must be Director Lu's girlfriend!

[Orange]: You think you're so good at reading comprehension? You've already understood everything.

[Xiaobai]: Let's not talk about this anymore. Shall we go out for a nice meal tonight?

The group members unanimously agreed.