Chapter 222: Preview

At this point, Tang Linton paused for a moment, and then continued, 'Mr. Zhou Ming, may I ask if you really allow them to invest and participate in the investment operations of your next few projects? I'm not asking this out of concern for my own interests, but I just feel that they have ulterior motives.'

Tang Lin then briefly repeated the content of the conversation he had just had with Tang Yi and Tang Wan'er in the coffee shop to Zhou Ming: 'It's just like that. They just want to develop their own industry through investing in you and since neither US law nor the Don family rules allow for the emergence of large conglomerates, even if they inherit the family headship, they can only rely on the appeal of controlling the shares of the Don Bank in their possession at most. If they have their own industry, they have nothing to fear.'

'Isn't that great? Everyone gets what they want. After all, you are a plutocratic family with a 150-year heritage. I guess it's impossible for me to gain control, isn't it? Unless I risk the Tang family falling apart, but unfortunately, I don't want to do that,' said Zhou Ming.

'Why?' Tang Lin asked.

Zhou Ming laughed at this question: 'What's there to why? Don't you think I want to control the Tang family and make sure the Tang family's future belongs to the Zhou family? Aren't you happy?'

Tang Lin felt very embarrassed by Zhou Ming's words: 'Of course not, but I feel that such an opportunity to own the wealth of a large family is placed in front of me, and there is no reason not to cherish it. After all, the situation is like this, as long as you can smoothly help Tang Ran inherit the family, and then you marry her, even though she only has the controlling interest in Tang Bank, with your abilities, as long as you spend time, you can definitely make the Tang family take the surname Zhou, right?

'I think if it were anyone else, they would definitely think the same way. In fact, the idea is very tempting, but there is a most important problem here, and that is your attitude,' Zhou Ming said, 'Now that I'm just fighting for Tang Ran's inheritance rights, you're already targeting us like this, so if we really want to change the Tang family name to Zhou, then I wonder how many more people will come out against us.'

Zhou Ming laughed a little and then said, 'And I am a rather lazy person who hates fighting, so instead of me constantly fighting with this and that to gain control of the family, it would be better to cooperate and make money together.'

'Cooperation? You mean cooperate with everyone in the entire Down family?' Tang Lin noticed the key point in Zhou Ming's words.

'I wouldn't mind if it were possible, but I don't think it's going to happen. After all, the project I'm working on is just internet technology, and it would be crazy to collaborate with everyone in the Down family,' said Zhou Ming. 'Anyway, thanks for your hard work this time. I'll buy you dinner sometime. Bye.'

Zhou Ming hung up the phone after saying that, but Tang Lin just stood there for a long time, unable to come back to her senses. After a long while, she smiled helplessly, 'This is a real big shot! It's laughable that Tang Yi and Tang Wan'er still harbour the delusion of creating their own business through investment projects, and then gradually taking over the Tang family by forcing their way into the palace step by step, but they never imagined that Zhou Ming simply didn't take any of this seriously.'

(This chapter is incomplete, please turn the page) Tang Lin turned his head to look at the nearby commercial building: 'I'm afraid Zhou Ming's ambitions are far more than just the Tang family. Otherwise, he wouldn't have opposed the oppose the Blayton and Adams families. He is like a department store, tall and magnificent, commanding respect, and all-encompassing.'

In the office of Jieke Company in Palo Alto, Zhou Ming looked at Tang Ran in front of him with some helplessness. She was wearing a pink down jacket, with skinny jeans and snow boots underneath, radiating her youthful vitality.

This is a very youthful and pretty look. You can imagine that if Zhou Ming walked out holding her hand, he would definitely arouse the crazy jealousy of other men on the street. But the problem is that they are still at the company, and Tang Ran is the president of this company. Just imagine, how can the president of such a young and fashionable young lady still be able to keep a cool head? But Zhou Ming can understand her. After all, they are going to the movies today, and she has specially prepared for her date with him.

Zhou Ming had no choice. Tang Ran, however, was oblivious to his feelings and took Zhou Ming's hand affectionately, saying, 'Brother Ming, it's already past four o'clock. The movie starts in an hour, so we have to hurry to the cinema, otherwise we'll be in trouble if there's traffic on the way!'

Since Tang Ran had said that, what could Zhou Ming do? So Zhou Ming had to give himself early leave too. After giving Cheng Qian a briefing, he and Tang Ran left the company.

They got into the car, and Tang Ran was so happy that she started dancing. 'This is great! Ming and I are going to the movies together! I heard that couples in the US like to go to the movies on dates. So am I on a date with Ming now? But we've been dating for a while now, so it seems like we've got the order of things a bit wrong. Is this a bit... Oops!'

Before Tang Ran could finish speaking, Zhou Ming gave her a tap on the head. He really was a bit of a loose cannon.

Tang Ran also knew that she had said the wrong thing, so she was honest after being tapped by Zhou Ming, but her lips were still pouting, showing that she was very unhappy.

But after a while, Tang Ran forgot about what had happened and took the initiative to talk to Zhou Ming again, saying, 'Brother Ming, I really didn't expect that Jobs was as fast as Disney. Now we can go see Toy Story, remember when you said it would take at least a month?'

'Actually, it still takes a month, but today is a special preview event,' Zhou Ming explained.

Tang Ran blinked her big, watery eyes at Zhou Ming, obviously not understanding what a preview event was.

Zhou Ming explained to her: 'You know that a public screening is when a movie is released in all cinemas for scheduled broadcast, while a preview is a special broadcast event in individual cinemas in individual cities before the public screening.'

'For Toy Story, this preview is very necessary. Although the release is confirmed to be in five days, the online discussion about the soul of toys has already brought everyone's reached a fever pitch, and if it continues to rise, it will only go downhill. Coupled with the malicious rumours being spread by some people, if we don't let Toy Story out in time, the result will only be counterproductive.'

Zhou Ming continued, 'That's why we need to hold a preview screening now to warm things up a bit and keep people's enthusiasm going.'

Tang Ran nodded silently to remember Zhou Ming's words. Although she was still a bit confused, she would definitely try to remember them herself and understand them slowly in the future.

After about 20 minutes, they arrived at the cinema where the preview was being held. Tang Ran was very excited and dragged Zhou Ming in. Then, in a corner of the cinema lobby, she found a poster for Toy Story and waved at Zhou Ming, saying, 'Come look, Ming, the Toy Story poster is so cool!'

Zhou Ming hurried over and sure enough, he saw the promotional poster.

(This chapter is incomplete, please turn the page) The poster shows a picture of the Space Rangers pulling Sheriff Woody into space. The title of the Toy Story movie is written in large, eye-catching letters, along with a provocative line: Do you want to know what your toys are doing when you're not home, when you're asleep?

Finally, at the bottom right corner of the poster, the logos of Pixar Animation Studios and Disney are displayed.

'This cinema is really outrageous! How can such a good-looking movie only have a poster on display?' Tang Ran complained sulkily.

Zhou Ming affectionately rubbed his little head and said, 'It's okay, after all, it's just a preview. Simply put, it's to test the effect first. If the response is strong, are we afraid that the cinema owner won't add promotional posters for us?'

'That's right, as long as we're good enough, we're not afraid of anything!' Tang Ran said proudly, pouting her small breasts.

Zhou Ming and Tang Ran then went to buy the tickets. The ticket seller was a black woman in her thirties. She was very surprised when she heard that Zhou Ming wanted to buy tickets for Toy Story: 'Where did you hear about this movie from God? Why don't I know about it as the ticket seller? If I wasn't sure that today wasn't April Fools' Day, I'd think you were joking with me.'

Zhou Ming shrugged at the ticket seller's teasing, but Tang Ran pointed at the poster next to him and said, 'But there is a poster there, so why would you say you didn't know about it?'

The ticket seller helplessly folded his arms: 'Okay, I can only say that you are very good at treasure hunting.'

In those days, unlike the present age, tickets were issued by various kinds of instant computers, and they were all pre-printed. While the ticket seller was bowing her head looking for the ticket, Zhou Ming asked her, 'I think no one will watch this movie, right?'

'That's right. If someone hadn't asked about this movie five minutes ago, I really don't think I would have known,' the ticket seller said to Zhou Ming.

'It's okay, Ming. This is only the first day of the screening, and there's still half an hour until the movie starts. It's normal that the movie fans haven't come yet. Your movie is sure to do well at the box office!' Tang Ran encouraged Zhou Ming.

'Do you want me to get you two seats in the back row?'

The sudden question from the ticket seller made both Ming and Ran flinch, before they realised that it was for couples to do that thing.

Ming blushed and said no, then paid for and took the tickets and left.

'What kind of people are these? How dirty is their thinking? I really hate it!' Tang Ran muttered discontentedly.

Zhou Ming could understand this, after all, in a dark place like a cinema, and with something as boring as an animated film, naturally she assumed that they were there to 'do things' when she saw Tang Ran, who was young and pretty.

Subsequently, Zhou Ming and Tang Ran waited here for half an hour. Finally, it was time to start the movie. Zhou Ming took Tang Ran to the entrance to check in. There were still only a few people here, and including Zhou Ming and Tang Ran, there were just over ten people in the audience.

'Why are there so few people? Is it because the publicity wasn't good?' Tang Ran asked with some concern.

Facing this situation, Zhou Ming was also a little unsure. Although he remembered that Toy Story 3 had a very pleasing final box office, that was four years later. Now, due to his own appearance, many things had changed. In particular, the film was rushed out, and God knows how it will turn out. A preview is only a preview if there are people watching it. If no one is watching, it's not a preview at all!

With this in mind, Zhou Ming shook his head and said, 'I don't know. Let's go in and take a look first.