Chapter 212 Release

**Chapter 212 – The Release**

Wu Ming had been discussing follow-up promotional plans with the theaters when he heard that Lu Xu had fallen ill. He thought, *This isn’t good*, but clearly, Lu Xu’s health came first.

This was the most intense period of promotion for *Number A77*, with every film crew ramping up their efforts. Reluctantly, the team had to announce that Lu Xu would be resting for a day.

Wu Ming worried fans might be upset about his absence, but surprisingly, the comment section was filled only with supportive messages urging Lu Xu to rest and recover.

"I’ve followed Lu Xu for years—this is seriously the first time he's ever missed an event."

"+1. I only attended one fan event, but I was completely blown away by how friendly and down-to-earth Lu Xu was—he smiled the whole time, no star attitude at all."

"Totally agree. I defected from another actor’s fandom before. That guy had way less fame than Lu Xu, but acted totally different on and off camera. His assistant was super rude too. But at the same event, Lu Xu actually had his assistant drive me home."

"Wait, really?! Never heard that story before!"

"Lu Xu’s just genuinely dedicated. Other than shutting down creeps who try to latch onto him, he’s always focused on making great movies and showing up for promotions whenever possible. Just take care of yourself this time!"

"Rest well and get better!"

"Don't worry about the box office—we've got it covered!"

"I already bought my ticket for *Number A77*—watching it tomorrow! Nothing could drag me out this summer except Lu Xu’s movie!!!"

On the first Friday in August, *Number A77* hit theaters, with the production team hosting a premiere screening.

Unfortunately, Lu Xu didn’t attend the screenings on the first two days, only recording a thank-you video for his fans.

In the clip, he looked clearly exhausted, his voice hoarse, and fans wondered if he could even swallow properly. Though he wasn’t there in person, he shared the film’s promo posts across social media.

Fans weren’t sure whether he or his manager handled the updates—but secretly hoped it was the latter.

Without Lu Xu, the premiere felt dim without its star, casting a shadow over *Number A77*’s future.

Yet—when the opening-day box office numbers dropped, they blew everyone away!

Including pre-sales, *Number A77* raked in over 800 million (~$110 million USD)—box office gold!

"How much...?!"

"800 million!!!"

"I understand *Night Sky Observations* hitting 800 million—it had both Lu Xu and Li Yan. But *Number A77*? Explain this!"

The answer was simple—just search #NumberA77. Two words dominated: “hot” and “thrilling.”

"Woah, wildly thrilling, Lu Xu wildly hot—no regrets!"

"The director made Lu Xu look ridiculously handsome. Totally worth the price of admission!"

"This is peak Lu Xu—grown-up sexy, and the plot? Shockingly smooth. Honestly, just looking at him is enough, but the story surprised me in the best way."

"In the theater, you literally drown in Lu Xu’s face—non-fans included."

"Stunning visuals, a super-hot lead, flawless pacing—what’s not to love?"

Before reviews even came out, fans rushed to cinemas.

Lu Xu now had seven movies to his name. While not every one was a classic, fans never felt ripped off.

The mere mention of Lu Xu’s name has become an automatic assumption that the film won’t be bad—this is now a common belief among many movie fans.

Even if *Number A77* is just a vehicle for his looks, audiences are still willing to pay for his good looks.

...

With a box office take of 800 million yuan, *Number A77* easily took the top spot for opening-day earnings during the summer blockbuster season.

Director Wu Ming stared blankly at the jaw-dropping nine-digit number, unable to snap out of his shock for quite some time.

It was completely beyond his expectations. During the premiere event, with Lu Xu absent and the lead missing, Wu Ming even felt the venue was strangely empty. Though he knew he might be being paranoid, he couldn’t help but feel worried about how *Number A77* would perform.

As soon as the event ended, Wu Ming immediately checked the live box office numbers on his phone.

The result… the surge in revenue made him question whether he was hallucinating.

It was insanely high.

So high, in fact, that he couldn’t believe his own name was listed under “Director” in the credits.

It was simply a figure that felt completely out of sync with his career.

When *Number A77* first landed Lu Xu as its star, Wu Ming had already received countless congratulations from peers and friends. At the time, he thought, “It’s not that big a deal.” But now, he realized reality could be way more insane than imagination.

Once the opening-day figures were released, Wu Ming’s phone started blowing up again—some calls were genuine congratulations, while others carried a tinge of jealousy beneath the praise.

Regardless, *Number A77*’s opening-day performance spoke for itself, ensuring the final total wouldn’t be disappointing.

Perhaps the film’s appeal was purely surface-level, lacking the depth of *Night Sky Observations*. By day two, *Number A77* saw a steeper drop, earning only 376 million yuan.

In terms of screenings, *Number A77* got over 30%, far surpassing *Night Sky Observations*. However, summer audiences are far less concentrated than those during the Spring Festival season.

Still, *Number A77*’s box office had already hit 1 billion yuan.

Current forecasts still have *Number A77* reaching 3.5 billion yuan. As long as the film doesn’t suffer a steep drop or collapse, its final results should remain solid.

“Seriously, is a nosedive even possible?”

“This summer’s movie season has been really strong—three films have already surpassed 3 billion. Now it’s just a matter of who takes the crown.”

Those three films have made huge splashes, but so far none have exceeded 4 billion. Based on current trends, hitting that mark seems unlikely.

Naturally, the industry’s attention has turned to *Number A77*.

However, industry watchers are bullish on its final earnings. Shortly after *Number A77* debuted in the summer season, an entertainment headline read: *Lu Xu—The Golden Ticket of the Box Office.*

During the first two days, audiences went for Lu Xu’s looks. But as the days passed, they gradually started getting into the story.

As a commercial film, *Number A77* is solidly above average in terms of plot.

...

Li Yan made time for a day off to support *Number A77* in theaters.

He had been invited to the premiere, but was overseas at the time and couldn’t return. Li Yan is a low-key person, not one to put his friendship on display, so he generally avoids such events anyway.

After *Night Sky Observations* became a massive hit, some predicted that Li Yan and Lu Xu would become direct competitors—competing for overlapping resources and facing off at the box office across different seasons.

Li Yan acknowledges this possibility, but believes Lu Xu’s success doesn’t necessarily mean his own films will lose. There’s always room for both to win.

Lu Xu is definitely impressive, but Li Yan has just as much confidence in himself as Lu Xu.

Besides, they might still work together someday.

Li Yan has been making movies long enough to know that *Number A77*'s box office performance was normal for a hit film. The theater he went to had decent attendance—while screenings of other films were nearly empty, fans were lining up the moment it was time to check tickets for *Number A77*.

Once the movie started, Li Yan realized that although the hype accounts had made it out to be mediocre, this kind of sci-fi was hard to come by. It had handsome leads and beautiful female stars, a plot packed with tension and excitement—the visceral thrill of headshots and the adrenaline rush of a hero's revenge path. Even if *Number A77* only got one thing right, it would still dominate the summer season.

The story was simple, following just one narrative thread. For an eye-candy flick like this, there was no need for a complicated plot—too complex and the audience would get lost.

It wasn’t deep or full of sappy moments. The main character just wrecked people while looking badass, giving viewers that satisfying, non-stop action-packed experience.

That’s exactly how a blockbuster should be.

"Number A77" was originally an emotionless killing machine—an experimental subject. An unexpected incident gave him human emotions, setting him on a mission of vengeance against the organization.

When Lu Xu’s character first appeared on screen, even Li Yan couldn't help but widen his eyes.

Objectively speaking, Lu Xu already looked great in *Night Sky Observations*, but "Number A77" radiated next-level sex appeal.

Even though "Number A77" kept that stone-cold expression throughout, not blinking once while carrying out his revenge plan, there was a scene where he headshot the leader of the organization. Blood sprayed across his face, staining his eyelashes, yet his eyes remained eerily calm, watching the death unfold like a snowflake melting—completely indifferent.

The special effects were nothing short of spectacular. Whether flying through the air, diving underground, climbing cliffs, jumping from planes, or scaling speeding trains—Lu Xu was the definition of badass in every frame.

You couldn’t miss the audience going wild in the theater. When Lu Xu casually brushed his hair back, gasps erupted all around Li Yan.

And when he jumped from the plane, pulling on his mask while the camera zoomed in on his face, the entire theater was losing it.

From an actor’s perspective, *Number A77* was a kickass movie that knew exactly what it was. The production team clearly understood its strengths, using every minute of its runtime to highlight them and proudly show them off to the audience.

And the crowd absolutely ate it up.

Li Yan wasn’t about to fangirl over Lu Xu like younger fans, but he had to admit—the director knew how to make him look incredible.

Years from now, when fans look back at Lu Xu in his prime, *Number A77* will be a must-watch.

This was the movie that showed Lu Xu in his absolute prime.

Li Yan shot off a quick text to Lu Xu, sharing his thoughts on the film.

Lu Xu was clearly busy, only replying with a "?" in the evening: "Bro Li, you watched it too?"

Li Yan posted a photo of his ticket online and tweeted a recommendation for *Number A77*.

"*Night Sky Observations* cast hangout!"

"Hehehe, riding that *Night Sky Observations* hype train!"

"!! Who said Li Yan and Lu Xu are box office rivals who never interact? Quit making stuff up!"

"He actually wrote a super-long review! Both Li Yan and Lu Xu are so dedicated! Li Yan kept praising *Number A77*'s visual effects—I think *Night Sky Observations* and *Number A77* have totally different styles, but both are amazing visually."

As Li Yan posted his tweet, new stills of Lu Xu’s various looks in *Number A77* surfaced. Though his main outfit was a tight suit, accessories like helmets and masks gave each look a completely different vibe.

A set of promotional images quickly blew up online, sending hype for *Number A77* through the roof.