As Su Yan's promotional budget was distributed through various channels to all parties,
content related to 'Rurouni Kenshin: Movie' and the swordsmanship "training" videos he filmed spread rapidly among the general public of the Xia Nation in an extremely short time.
Although Su Yan was quite famous in the Xia Nation's film and television industry, there were still vast numbers of people who didn't usually watch dramas. They had only heard of someone named Su Yan in the industry, but were still unfamiliar with his works.
This was perfectly normal. The Xia Nation had too many people. In his previous life, figures like Tyson and Ronaldo were incredibly famous, yet for those who didn't watch boxing or football, they were at most just familiar names.
But movies were different—almost everyone watched them to some extent. The real question was how to push a work's information in front of these ordinary viewers. The answer was simple: spend money.
The movie versions of 'Rurouni Kenshin: Movie' and 'Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal' had differences in their storytelling. The former emphasized action, while the latter focused more on human emotions and the romance between the male and female leads.
And action films, by coincidence, had the lowest barrier to entry for audiences.
A large number of people who had only vaguely heard of Su Yan, after being exposed to the promotional push, developed a strong interest in 'Rurouni Kenshin: Movie'.
Major forums were soon flooded with heated discussions.
["It's really that impressive?"]
["What's that old sadist trying to do with these tutorial videos? Does he think we can actually learn this?"]
["Anyone knowledgeable care to explain—are these just flashy moves or the real deal?"]
["I've practiced this stuff since I was a kid. Let me be clear: the moves in his tutorial videos are more for show. If you tried to use them exactly as shown in a real fight, they wouldn't be practical. But the fact that he can execute them so beautifully means he definitely has real skill… I think the videos leave out certain explosive power techniques. If those were included, it wouldn't be a sword tutorial anymore—it'd be a lesson in killing."]
["I don't understand it, but I'm seriously impressed. My daughter has always liked this young guy named Su Yan. I thought he was just a pretty-boy actor living off his looks… but today I saw his sword videos, and they got my blood pumping. I tried it myself and twisted my ankle immediately!"]
["I always thought I was stronger than that old sadist. Ten years of fitness training, solid muscles—but after watching his moves, if we actually fought, I probably wouldn't even be able to hit him. His speed is ridiculously fast."]
["Does anyone know who his parents are? He's only 25—how can he know screenwriting, music, acting, and martial arts?"]
["That's what you call a genius! Just from an ordinary working-class family. He probably taught himself everything. Don't judge him by normal standards—what normal person can create so many hit works in just a few years, every single one a smash success? Who can go from nothing to a net worth of billions in that time?"]
["Billions? Isn't that exaggerated?"]
["Go look at the streaming sales, box office numbers, and overseas licensing data for his works—you'll understand. There's practically an entire industry chain in the Xia Nation that lives off Su Yan's productions."]
["Actors really make money. Being good-looking lets you do whatever you want."]
["Stop being salty. Even if he didn't rely on his looks or star in his own productions, do you think his achievements would be any lower? His acting and appearance are honestly the least noteworthy among his many talents."]
["After watching his tutorial videos, my martial arts dream has been reignited."]
["Only one word: amazing. I've never watched any of Su Yan's works before, but I love action films. If the fight scenes in this movie are as smooth as in the videos, I'll definitely support it during the Spring Festival regardless of the plot!"]
["Awesome! Definitely supporting it during Spring Festival."]
["Romance and action—this old sadist has incredible range!"]
["I don't ask for much. I just hope this movie doesn't end in tragedy. Tomoe is already dead—please don't let Shen Liqian's Kaoru die in the movie version too."]
["He wouldn't go that far, right? There's no way he'd turn Kenshin into some kind of 'wife-killer' character with that handsome setup."]
["Anyway, I've already planned to take my whole family to watch it on the first day of Spring Festival. Maybe we'll run into each other at the cinema!"]
["Same here. I can skip other movies, but even if Su Yan completely messes up the story, I'll still support 'Rurouni Kenshin: Movie'—this is my gateway work."]
After this wave of promotional pushes, by early February, 'Rurouni Kenshin: Movie' had remained at or near the top of trending charts across major websites for two consecutive days.
Naturally, its competitors for the Spring Festival slot weren't just going to sit back and watch.
They ramped up their own promotional efforts across all channels. During this period, anyone in the Xia Nation who used the internet or watched TV would inevitably come across related promotions.
As for major cinemas across the country, they had already put up posters for several blockbuster films half a month in advance. Before the movies even premiered, audiences entering theaters would be shown trailers for all of them—whether they wanted to watch them or not.
At the same time, Su Yan held offline fan meetings in Shanghai, the capital, and several major coastal cities. Bringing along Gu Qingyuan and other key cast members, they traveled to a new city almost every day for promotions. Wherever they went, massive crowds of fans gathered, packing the venues to the brim.
Before this year's Spring Festival season, capital from all major film industry players in the Xia Nation poured into the market like a flood.
If Su Yan hadn't made enormous profits in the television industry over the past few years, there was no way a private film company owner like him could sustain such a level of promotion.
Just the production costs alone amounted to several hundred million—how many people in the Xia Nation could afford that kind of cash? And among those who could, how many would dare invest it all into a single film?
For wealthy individuals, the first consideration wasn't profit—it was risk.
Su Yan's competitors all had multiple backers sharing both success and failure, reducing risk. Only Su Yan operated as a sole investor, funding everything himself, including most of the promotional budget.
The distributors he worked with merely provided connections and channels—they didn't dare invest heavily into 'Rurouni Kenshin' as he did. Of course, this also meant Su Yan would take a larger share of the box office profits later.
Every day, Shinozaki Ikumi looked at the company's financial records, watching money flow in and out. Gradually, she grew increasingly anxious.
"Su Yan, what if 'Rurouni Kenshin: Movie' gets poor reviews after its Spring Festival release and ends up bombing at the box office?" Shinozaki Ikumi suddenly blurted out one day in the car after attending an offline fan meeting.
But the moment she said it, she realized something was wrong. What kind of producer would say something like that before their own film's release?
"Forget what I just said. That's impossible."
Su Yan, however, didn't mind. He simply smiled.
"That kind of thing is definitely possible. It's just that, given the current situation, the probability is very low. But…" He looked at Shinozaki Ikumi.
"If it really does happen, then we'll just make a comeback next year. Dimensional Pictures isn't what it used to be."
"Even if 'Rurouni Kenshin: Movie' makes zero at the box office, our foundation is still strong enough for us to take a few more hits like this. So what's there to worry about?"
Shinozaki Ikumi looked at him for a long moment before speaking.
"I really can't learn that kind of mindset from you."
"You wouldn't be able to truly understand it even if you tried," Su Yan said with a smile.
After all, Shinozaki Ikumi was an ordinary person—her view of the future was filled with uncertainty.
But Su Yan was a transmigrator. He knew exactly what level the works he brought out were at. With the backing of massive data from their previous life, how could their mindsets possibly be the same?