Chapter 212: Premiere
Wu Ming was discussing the follow-up promotional plans with the theater chains when he heard the news that Lu Xu had fallen ill. His heart sank, realizing that this was bad news, but Lu Xu’s health was obviously more important.
At that moment, the promotional workload for Code A77 was at its peak, with all production teams making their final push. With no other choice, the team had to announce that Lu Xu would be taking a day off to recover.
Wu Ming was worried that fans who wouldn’t get to see Lu Xu might be upset. However, to his surprise, there wasn’t a single complaint in the comment section—everyone simply wished for him to recover first.
[I’ve been following Lu Xu for so many years, and this is the first time he’s ever missed an event.]
[+1. I only attended one fan event, but I was absolutely amazed by how cooperative he was. He kept smiling from start to finish, with none of that big-shot attitude.]
[Agreed! I actually switched to following Lu Xu after being disappointed by another actor. The one I used to support wasn’t even as famous as Lu Xu, but his attitude was completely different on and off camera, and his assistant was always so rude. At one event, Lu Xu even had his assistant give me a ride home.]
[Wait, seriously?!! I’ve never heard this story before.]
[Anyway, Lu Xu is truly dedicated to his work. Unless it’s dealing with weirdos trying to leech off his fame, his entire focus is on acting. He always shows up for promotional events whenever possible. This time, he just needs to take care of himself first.]
[Get some good rest and take care of your health!]
[Cough, cough, don’t worry about the box office—we’ve got this.]
[I already bought my ticket for Code A77! I’m watching it tomorrow. Nothing gets me out of the house during summer break—except for my favorite actor’s movie!!!]
…
On the first Friday of August, Code A77 was officially released, and the production team held a premiere event.
Unfortunately, Lu Xu was unable to attend the promotional events on the first two days of the release. Instead, he recorded a short VCR message to thank his fans for their support.
On camera, Lu Xu looked visibly drained, his energy low and his voice hoarse. Fans even felt like he was having trouble swallowing. Though he couldn’t attend the event in person, he still reposted all the promotional content from Code A77’s official account.
Fans weren’t sure if he was the one managing his social media or if his agent was handling it for him. From their perspective, they actually hoped it was the latter—so he could focus on resting.
Without Lu Xu, the premiere felt noticeably dimmer, as if a shadow had been cast over Code A77’s prospects.
However—when the first-day box office numbers were released, they shattered expectations!
Including presales, Code A77’s opening-day box office surpassed 800 million!
[HOW MUCH??!!!]
[800 MILLION!!!]
[I get why Observing the Stars at Night hit 800 million on its first day—it had both Lu Xu and Li Yan. But how did Code A77 pull this off? Someone explain this to me!!]
In reality, a simple search for #CodeA77 would reveal the answer in just two words—“cool” and “hot”.
[The plot is thrilling, and Lu Xu is insanely handsome. You won’t regret watching it!]
[The director captured Lu Xu’s visuals perfectly—he looks ridiculously good. Zero regrets!]
[This is Lu Xu’s most visually stunning film to date. There’s this mix of mature and sexy charm. Honestly, just watching his face is enough—but the plot is surprisingly smooth too. So stylish.]
[In the cinema, you literally feel like you’re drowning in his handsomeness. It’s overwhelming. Even non-fans will be mesmerized.]
[Slick effects, a ridiculously handsome lead, and a well-paced story—what more could you ask for?]
Even before the reviews were out, countless fans were already rushing to the theaters.
Lu Xu had already starred in seven films. While not every single one was a classic, his movies always made fans feel like their tickets were worth the price.
At this point, seeing Lu Xu’s name on a movie poster had become a guarantee of quality for many moviegoers.
Even if Code A77 was just a film built around his looks, audiences were still willing to pay to see him on the big screen.
…
With an opening-day box office of 800 million, Code A77 effortlessly claimed the top spot for summer movie premieres.
Director Wu Ming stared at the nine-digit figure on the screen, stunned into silence.
This result was beyond anything he had expected. Without Lu Xu at the event, the premiere had felt noticeably duller. Though he knew he was overthinking things, he couldn’t help but worry about Code A77’s performance.
The moment the event ended, Wu Ming grabbed his phone and checked the real-time box office numbers.
And what he saw… made him wonder if he was hallucinating.
The numbers were rising at an almost terrifying pace.
It was hard to believe that the name listed under “Director” on the credits belonged to him.
This kind of box office success felt completely out of sync with his career so far.
Back when Code A77 had successfully cast Lu Xu as the lead, Wu Ming had received a flood of congratulations from colleagues and friends. At the time, he had thought, ‘Isn’t this a bit overblown?’ But now, he realized—reality could be far more overwhelming than imagination.
With the first-day numbers out, Wu Ming’s phone was once again ringing non-stop. Some calls were from people genuinely congratulating him, while others carried a thinly veiled tone of envy.
Regardless, Code A77’s opening numbers were set in stone, and its final box office performance was bound to be impressive.
Perhaps the film’s plot was all about thrills and action, lacking the depth of Observing the Stars at Night. As a result, Code A77 saw a steeper drop on its second day, with ticket sales falling to 376 million.
In terms of screening slots, Code A77 dominated with over 30%, far surpassing Observing the Stars at Night. However, the summer movie season didn’t have the same concentrated audience as the Spring Festival season.
Even so, Code A77 still managed to surpass 1 billion at the box office.
The current industry forecast for its total box office remained at 3.5 billion. As long as the numbers didn’t collapse midway, the final result wouldn’t be too bad.
[So, is there a chance of a total collapse?]
[This summer’s box office numbers are already impressive—three films have crossed 3 billion. Now it’s just a matter of seeing who takes the crown.]
Though these three films had made a huge impact, none had yet broken 4 billion. Judging by their current trajectory, it seemed unlikely that any would reach that milestone.
Naturally, the industry’s focus turned to Code A77.
When it came to predictions, insiders remained optimistic. Shortly after Code A77 hit theaters, an article titled [Lu Xu: The Golden Name of the Box Office] landed on the front page of an entertainment media outlet.
During the first two days of release, audiences had been fixated on Lu Xu’s stunning visuals. But as time went on, viewers began to pay more attention to the storyline.
As a commercial film, Code A77 had a plot that was, at the very least, solidly above the passing mark.
…
Li Yan managed to free up a day to go to the theater and watch Code A77.
He had originally been invited to the film’s premiere, but at the time, he was overseas and couldn’t attend. Known for his low-key nature, Li Yan wasn’t the type to publicly showcase “brotherhood” either. Events like these weren’t really his thing.
After the massive success of Observing the Stars at Night, some industry insiders predicted that Li Yan and Lu Xu would become direct competitors in the future. Their projects overlapped in terms of resources, and their films would likely go head-to-head in various box office seasons.
Li Yan acknowledged that this was a possibility, but he didn’t believe that Lu Xu’s box office success necessarily meant his own failure. There was plenty of room for both of them to win.
Lu Xu was undeniably impressive, but Li Yan had confidence that he wouldn’t lose to him.
Besides, it wasn’t as if collaboration between them was out of the question in the future.
Having been in the film industry for years, Li Yan viewed Code A77’s momentum as typical for a high-grossing movie. The theater he visited had solid attendance—while screenings of other films had sparse ticket checks, Code A77 drew a packed queue as soon as it was time for admission.
Once the movie started, Li Yan realized that despite online marketing accounts describing Code A77 as generic, the reality was quite different. There simply weren’t many sci-fi films of this kind—ones with handsome men, beautiful women, intense action, and the exhilarating mix of bloody headshots and a protagonist embarking on a revenge spree. Even if Code A77 only nailed one of these aspects, it was more than enough to dominate the summer box office.
The storyline was straightforward, with a single narrative thread. But for a film focused on visual spectacle, a complex plot wasn’t necessary—if anything, an overly intricate story could alienate audiences.
It wasn’t deep, nor did it indulge in unnecessary melodrama. The protagonist simply fought, looked cool, and kept moving forward—delivering an unrelenting sense of satisfaction for the viewers.
This was exactly what a commercial blockbuster was meant to be.
Code A77 was originally an experimental subject—a heartless killing machine. However, an unexpected incident granted him human emotions, setting him on a path of vengeance against the organization that created him.
The moment Lu Xu’s character appeared on screen, even Li Yan couldn’t help but widen his eyes.
Objectively speaking, Lu Xu’s look in Observing the Stars at Night was already refined to perfection, but his portrayal of Code A77 exuded an unparalleled, electrifying sensuality.
Even though Code A77 maintained an icy expression throughout most of the film, executing his revenge plan without so much as a blink, the intensity in his presence was undeniable.
One particular scene left a deep impression—when Code A77 executed the organization’s leader with a headshot, the splattered blood streaked across his face, staining his eyelashes a vivid red. Yet, his gaze remained tranquil, reflecting only the sight of the leader’s death, as if he were merely watching a snowflake melt.
The special effects were nothing short of spectacular. Whether it was soaring through the air, vanishing underground, rock climbing, leaping from a plane, or landing atop a speeding train—Lu Xu embodied the very definition of cool with unwavering commitment.
The audience’s reactions in the theater were the clearest testament to his impact. The mere act of Lu Xu casually running his fingers through his hair elicited audible gasps from every direction around Li Yan.
When he jumped out of the plane and put on his mask mid-air, the camera zoomed in for a close-up of his face—at that moment, the collective intake of breath in the theater became even more pronounced.
From an actor’s perspective, Code A77 was a film that delivered relentless exhilaration, with its strengths displayed in full force.
The filmmakers clearly knew exactly what their selling points were. The entire two-hour runtime focused on amplifying those strengths, unabashedly showcasing them to the audience.
And the audience was eating it up.
Li Yan wasn’t the type to gush over Lu Xu’s looks like young fans, but he had to admit—the director knew exactly how to shoot a star.
Years from now, when fans look back on Lu Xu’s younger days, Code A77 will undoubtedly be one of the defining films they remember.
It was the movie that captured Lu Xu at the peak of his looks.
Li Yan quietly sent Lu Xu a message, sharing his thoughts on the film.
Lu Xu was clearly busy and didn’t respond until the evening, replying with a simple question mark: [Brother Li, you watched it too?]
Li Yan then posted a photo of his movie ticket and took the opportunity to promote Code A77 on Weibo.
[The Observing the Stars at Night crew outing!]
[Hehehe, borrowing a bit of Observing the Stars at Night’s good luck!]
[?? Who said Li Yan and Lu Xu are locked in a box office rivalry and don’t acknowledge each other? Stop making things up!]
[He even wrote a detailed review! Both Li Yan and Lu Xu are super serious about films! Li Yan kept praising Code A77’s special effects. I feel like Observing the Stars at Night and Code A77 have completely different styles, but both are visually impressive!]
As Li Yan’s post gained traction, more stills of Lu Xu’s various looks in Code A77 also started circulating online. Though his primary outfit was a sleek bodysuit, the addition of helmets, masks, and other accessories created distinct visual variations, giving audiences a fresh experience each time.
A set of behind-the-scenes photos quickly went viral, boosting Code A77’s popularity even further.
