Song Shi'an watched as several cars drove out of the village one after another, raising a cloud of dust.
He took Lin Fan to the high-speed rail station, and then happily returned home to begin his new holiday.
The variety show ended three or four days before the Chinese New Year. Because of filming the show, he missed the movie promotion for " Number One Winner ".
However, this did not prevent the film from generating ridiculously high buzz, with pre-sales exceeding one billion yuan, making it the highest-grossing pre-sale film in recent years, and expectations reaching their peak.
As the New Year countdown began, Song Shi'an posted "Happy New Year, looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow" on Weibo right on time, and the post received over 10,000 likes in just a few seconds.
The comment section was peaceful.
Happy New Year, An'an!
Looking forward to the premiere tomorrow!
"All the tickets are sold out here! We've added more shows, but we still couldn't get any!"
"Can I squat down and look? I'm really out of ideas..."
Song Shi'an had Lin Fan try to snag tickets a few days earlier. Lin Fan used three devices simultaneously and successfully secured three tickets.
After finishing his meal, he took Father Song. and Mother Song. Song to the cinema in the county town.
Looking at the packed cinema, Song Shi'an thought, "Is this what the Spring Festival movie season is like? So many people!"
"Son, so many people?" Father Song followed behind him, a little nervous.
"It's alright, there are a lot of movies showing during the Spring Festival, so naturally there are a lot of people." Song Shi'an led them to the waiting area. "I'll go buy you drinks."
Watching Song Shi'an's departing figure, Mother Song 'Father Song began to examine the posters that were being displayed on the large screen on the wall.
The poster for " The Number One Winner " took up an entire wall, with Song Shi'an standing at the very edge, his clean-cut, harmless face a stark contrast to the group of filthy people next to him with their blood-stained faces.
Two girls next to me were taking pictures of the poster with their phones.
"I wonder which role Shi'an is playing. I'm really looking forward to it. Look at him, he's so fair-skinned among this group of people. I hope he's not really playing a spoiled, useless character like some people online say."
"I don't care what role he plays, with that face, I'd watch him even if he played a robot vacuum cleaner."
Father Song. and Mother Song. Song exchanged glances, Mother Song lowered her voice. "Are they talking about our son?"
"Who else could it be but our son?" Father Song puffed out his chest proudly. Although he didn't quite understand what "a beloved but useless person" meant, it sounded like he was quite popular.
Song Shi'an returned carrying popcorn and milk tea, handing one to each person.
Father Song smiled, took the drink, and said, "I'm too old for sweets."
"I know, that's why it's only 30% sugar, not sweet." Song Shi'an stuck the straw into his own cup.
Several people entered the theater one after another after having their tickets checked, and the entire theater was immediately filled with seats, not a single one was empty.
The big screen was still showing advertisements when, a minute before the show started, the theater doors were suddenly pushed open again.
A group of people filed in and An'an quietly on the steps; those who had nowhere to sit stood against the wall.
Song Shi'an was completely bewildered. What was going on? Standing room tickets at the movie theater?
The lights went out, and the movie officially began.
Many people filmed this feat and posted it online with the caption "If you can't buy a ticket, buy a standing ticket," and then immediately put away their phones to concentrate on watching the movie.
Song Shi'an already knew the plot. He pulled his mask down a bit and started eating popcorn. When he got tired of it, he drank some milk tea. He was much calmer than the audience who were screaming in fear of the zombies.
The preceding plot was thrilling and mind-bending, leaving viewers in awe.
Lu Ci fought his way through the trials, his teammates sacrificing one after another, until that one person who truly impressed him appeared.
Halfway through the broadcast, online voices started calling for action.
"Is Qu Lingzhou just there to make up the numbers?"
"I really don't want to say it, it's just dragging me down."
"It feels like a mascot; it's good-looking but useless."
"Director, just tell me which sugar daddy put him in there."
Father Song. and Mother Song. Song watched with great interest. When the zombie part came on, Mother Song was so scared that she dared not open her eyes and held Father Song's hand tightly, but she couldn't help but peek through her fingers to see what the plot would be like for her son.
When Qu Lingzhou appeared, she whispered, "Why isn't my son out yet?" Father Song pointed to the boy huddled in a corner on the screen, trembling and clutching a medical kit. "Isn't that him?"
As the event neared its end, the entire audience erupted in uproar.
When Qu Lingzhou sat down in the gaming chair, tilted his head to look at his former teammates, and said, "Welcome to the final level," the entire theater was so quiet that even the sound of chewing popcorn disappeared.
The final twists and turns are endless: teammates kill each other, Lu Ci and Cheng Zhiwei duel, and the truth revealed in front of the pink princess's bed.
"My sister isn't always by your side."
The ultimate winner has been chosen: Lu Ci.
The lights came on, and before anyone could react, the movie was over.
Many people were even a little confused, remaining seated without moving. After the Easter egg was shown, the blurry figure in the darkness said, "The game isn't over yet," which made everyone even more anxious.
In less than an hour, the online sentiment completely shifted, with eight out of the top ten trending topics being " The Number One Winner ".
"Holy crap, what does that mean in the end? Who's his sister? Qu Lingzhou or Cheng Zhiwei?"
" Cheng Zhiwei, Qu Lingzhou a man?"
"Damn it, can someone explain who this Qu Lingzhou is, why he's playing this game, and what the Easter egg is all about!"
"I'm going to fight you guys who've already seen the movie! I couldn't even get a ticket, and I have no idea what you're talking about!"
"As long as we don't give up, there's always a way to overcome difficulties. We bought other movie tickets, sneaked into The Number One Winner, and watched it standing up."
The Number One Winner dominated the top ten trending topics all night, with every single one focusing on discussions about the plot.
Those who hadn't seen the film pieced together a complete story from their words, and the more they pieced it together, the more outrageous it became. Some even said that Qu Lingzhou was Lu Ci's sister who had switched genders in a virtual universe.
Some say that Qu Lingzhou is actually the incarnation of the Tianquan mastermind, and a blogger even made a video analyzing Qu Lingzhou's micro-expressions frame by frame, which garnered over five million views in one night.
Some of the recorded videos have also leaked on D Station, and those who watched them exclaimed, "Wow!"
Besides the lead actor's soaring popularity, the character Qu Lingzhou is undoubtedly the most popular.
There are too many mysteries, making people curious about his story and where he went after the game ended.
Under Song Shi'an's Weibo, the fans who were praising Su Wenli just a few days ago have returned, and the comments section is getting more and more outrageous every day.
" An'an, tell me, is Qu Lingzhou really my sister?"
"So who exactly is your sister? Tell me secretly, and I promise I won't tell anyone."
"From Su Wenli to Qu Lingzhou, can you play a single character who is normal?"
"Am I the only one concerned about whether Qu Lingzhou is alive or dead...?"
Song Shi'an scrolled through the comments, fireworks exploded outside the window, illuminating the entire night sky with countless sparks.
He put down his phone, his gaze falling on his reflection in the windowpane, a faint smile slowly curving his lips. The new year had arrived!