The Garden of Sinners
Ren didn't stay long in Japan. After finalizing the deal with Chiara Rinjin, he hurried back home.
He would be very busy in the upcoming period. He needed to work on the script for "Naruto" and ensure that their animation company's production of "The Garden of Sinners" was ready for the New Year holiday release. There were numerous tasks to complete, including finishing the production, passing the review for approval, and handling various other details.
Of course, another major task was wrapping up "Seven Heroes," which was nearing its grand finale. For the next few weeks, Ren would be working overtime, increasing the release frequency from twice a week to three times a week.
In the previous episodes, the storyline had reached a climax. Believing he had controlled the six swords disguised as Hong Feihong, Situ Qing notified Black Hearted Tiger, Situ Feng. Situ Feng was ecstatic and rushed over, eager to drink the Kirin blood. However, he was unaware that Lan Yun had cleverly swapped out the Long Rainbow Sword of Hong Feihong and secured the antidote to bring back Hong Feihong. Moreover, Hong Feihong's skills had improved significantly, reaching the tenth level of the Fire Dance Whirlwind Sword's "No Self" state. He defeated Situ Qing, causing Situ Kong's plan to fail.
"Heroes are indeed vulnerable to love," Daniel muttered to himself, holding the latest issue of the manga.
To be honest, Daniel quite liked Situ Qing's character. He was brave, intelligent, and deeply in love with Lan Yun, but unfortunately, he was a villain. Ultimately, he lost his mind over Lan Yun, who only had eyes for Hong Feihong.
Opening the new issue of "Seven Heroes," Daniel saw the story unfold further. Feeling betrayed by Lan Yun, Situ Qing went mad and set off explosives, intending to die with the seven heroes. However, he accidentally triggered the mine himself. Situ Feng was devastated and tried to heal the Black Tiger, but it was too late. Black Hearted Tiger Situ Feng, heartbroken, decided to abandon his quest for the Kirin and instead seek revenge on the seven swords.
Seeing this, Daniel's perception of Situ Feng changed. While the leader of the Demon Sect was indeed a villain with great ambition, the manga also depicted him as a good father willing to give up his dreams for his son. The latest chapter added depth to the antagonists, making the final battle more tragic.
To avenge his son, Situ Feng trapped Hong Feihong and the others on a high peak. Both sides were at a standoff. Situ Feng attacked with cannons, but fortunately, his ammunition ran out, forcing him to return to the Ten Mile Gallery for more. Hong Feihong took this opportunity to heal Panda and prepare the seven swords for a combined attack.
Meanwhile, Ma Sanniang continued her schemes.
"Wow, Ma Sanniang is the ultimate boss?!" Daniel exclaimed upon realizing her true nature.
Initially, when Hou Junbao was the Demon Sect's protector, Daniel suspected he was using Hong Feihong's group to overthrow Situ Feng and take his place. However, when Hou Junbao's true identity was revealed, this thought faded. It turned out he was partially right, but the mastermind was Ma Sanniang!
She devised a triple-plot, planning to use the Seven Swords' combined attack to kill Situ Qing and weaken the seven swords, making it easy to kill Hong Feihong and seize the Kirin to dominate the martial arts world. Fortunately, Hou Junbao discovered her scheme and sent Shali to prepare.
Hong Feihong's group used Ma Sanniang's plan to their advantage, successfully executing the Seven Swords combination to kill Black Hearted Tiger Situ Feng. Just as Ma Sanniang thought her plan had succeeded and prepared to kill Hong Feihong's group, the real Purple Cloud Sword Master Shali appeared and foiled her plot, killing Ma Sanniang and preserving peace in the martial world.
Thus, after a year of serialization, "Seven Heroes" concluded.
"Finally, Ma Sanniang is dead!"
"Yes! I hated her ever since she mistreated Shali. It's satisfying to see her meet her end!"
"Poor Situ Qing. Such a handsome character but he chose the wrong person. What's so great about Lan Yun?"
"Exactly! He should've been with me instead. We could've had great conversations, traveled together, and practiced swordplay in our free time."
Shortly after "Seven Heroes" ended, good news arrived: the first part of "The Garden of Sinners" had completed production and passed the review, ready for release. The story couldn't be told in one film, even in the original world. The plot revolves around a girl named Shiki Ryougi who awakens from a two-year coma, during which she approached the edge of death and acquired the "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception." Due to these eyes, Shiki, her classmate, and Touko Aozaki get involved in a series of incidents involving floating ghosts and strange architects.
Ren put considerable effort into "The Garden of Sinners: Overlooking View," especially its theme song. In his previous life, the song "Oblivious" perfectly complemented the melancholic atmosphere of the movie. In this world, Ren spent significant resources to find a suitable Chinese song.
Ren and his team began negotiations with major theaters to arrange the movie's New Year holiday release, discussing screening rates and box office shares. Although Picca Comics was new to producing animated films, their negotiation team was competent. Previous collaborations with Leo had established a good foundation, making negotiations with the theaters under his influence smooth.
However, negotiating with the largest real estate company, Jiarong, encountered minor setbacks. They had to concede some profits but nothing unmanageable.
The biggest challenge was with the remaining theaters, where negotiations hit a wall. These theaters belonged to the "Big Five."
These Big Five were not just comic companies but part of massive conglomerates with significant influence in various industries. Without their backing, the comic industry wouldn't be so monopolistic. These conglomerates controlled 49% of the theater market, making them powerful adversaries.
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