Box Office Frenzy

Alex had witnessed the blockbuster craze of the twenty-first century. With the resources and ability at his disposal, he had pushed the grand spectacle of Tarzan to the limit. Every frame was majestic and magnificent, incredibly cool; it would have been strange if stills from the film had not caused a sensation.

After the premiere ended, the applause outside the Floating Temple lasted a full ten minutes without fading.

Alex had been standing onstage for some time. Only when the applause gradually subsided did he speak. "Was the movie good?"

"It was!" came the deafening response.

"Did you like it?"

"We loved it!" The voices grew even louder.

"Do you know who made it?"

Everyone froze for a moment, then began shouting. This time, the answers were all over the place: "Vivien Leigh!" "Remy!" and countless others.

"You all got it wrong!" Alex wagged a finger, his face full of pride. "Aside from Miss Vivien Leigh, everyone involved in this entire film, both in front of and behind the camera, was a mutant. Do you know the answer now?"

The voices suddenly vanished, only to erupt again even louder than before. "Mutants! We mutants!"

Alex looked down at the crowd with satisfaction. He cleared his throat and waited for the noise to die down again before continuing. He spoke of the film, then X-Film Company, and finally the future of mutants. "…So I hope more people will join X-Film Company and contribute their strength to the future of mutants!"

A film was not the work of one person, and expanding X-Film Company was not something a single production crew could accomplish. Alex needed more people to join the team: actors, screenwriters, directors, cinematographers, lighting technicians, set designers—every area needed manpower.

With a premiere event and a speech from the guardian in everyone’s hearts—Alex—the mutants on the Floating Giant Island were fired up. The temporary X-Film Company recruitment booths were swarmed by applicants, keeping the crew members who had only just stepped away from Tarzan busy beyond belief. In just one day, more than a thousand people passed the initial screening, and at least two hundred of them could ultimately join X-Film Company.

"You’re playing favorites, Alex!" Emma stood with Alex and Vivien Leigh atop one of the Floating Temple’s towers, looking down at the crowds flooding the recruitment booths. She could not help sounding a little jealous. "A lot of my students are getting restless too. They keep clamoring about wanting to make movies!"

Alex and Vivien Leigh were both embarrassed. Neither knew what to say, so they could only give awkward smiles and remain silent.

Emma shot Alex a glare and said irritably, "No, you have to give a speech at the academy too. We can’t let all the students run off to make movies. Movies are important, but the academy can’t be neglected either."

Emma had put it that way, so Alex could not refuse. He nodded in agreement, then immediately turned to Vivien Leigh and slyly changed the subject. "When will the movie be released?"

"Everything has been settled. It will be released in a week, simultaneously in theaters across the country." A faint smile appeared on Vivien Leigh’s lips. She raised a hand to tuck back the hair the wind had blown across her ear and said softly, "We have Mr. Howard to thank for that. Without his help, so many theaters would never have agreed."

"No need to stand on ceremony with Howard. If you need anything, just go to him." Brothers did not need such formalities, and Alex certainly was not being polite about it.

A week later, Tarzan was finally released amid tremendous anticipation.

On the first day, theaters everywhere were packed to capacity.

On the second day, the frenzy remained just as intense.

On the fifth day, it happened to be a holiday, and tickets were nearly impossible to get.

On the sixth day, some theaters pulled their other films and screened Tarzan all day long. Even so, they could not contain the overwhelming wave of moviegoers.

On the seventh day, the craze continued.

After a week, the entire United States had fallen under Tarzan’s spell—captivated by its breathtaking scenery, its grand and spectacular scenes, and the love between Tarzan and Jane. X-Film Company became widely known as well. As X-Film Company’s chairman and president, Vivien Leigh became one of Hollywood’s hottest rising stars, no longer merely a female actress.

When the second week began, Tarzan’s viewing frenzy showed no signs of slowing down. At that point, the previous week’s box office figures arrived in Vivien Leigh’s hands. Before Alex could even lean over to look, the excited Vivien Leigh threw her arms tightly around him and passionately kissed him.

Knowing it was a special day, Howard had specifically come to X-Film Company. Watching the two kiss, he said in a strange, sarcastic tone, "Vivien Leigh, I put in some effort too. Shouldn’t I get a reward as well?"

"Get lost!" Alex glared at Howard, casually tossed the report in his hand to him, and pulled Vivien Leigh aside to sit down.

Howard took the report and looked at it. His eyes widened enormously, and it took him a long while to recover before he sighed. "Making movies really is profitable!"

"Speaking of movies, Alex, what are we filming next? And when do we start?" Having become the head of X-Film Company, Vivien Leigh quickly settled into her role and actually began urging Alex on.

Alex turned to look at Vivien Leigh, who was showing signs of becoming a career woman, and hurriedly shook his head. "Don’t come to me about making movies anymore. This film company is under your management. Do whatever you think is best."

"You’re the one who makes movies. Of course I have to ask you, don’t I?" Vivien Leigh smiled gently and said in a soft voice.

Alex shook his head repeatedly and refused without hesitation. "I can’t make movies. Tarzan alone tortured me badly enough. Find someone else!" Seeing Vivien Leigh’s expression turn slightly cold, he hurriedly tried to soothe her. "Didn’t we recruit a lot of people recently? There must be someone suitable among them."

Vivien Leigh pursed her lips. As though she had expected this all along, she did not look angry, merely complaining, "Emma was right. You’re abandoning your responsibilities again!"

The room froze for one second, then a burst of loud laughter rang out.

Alex was both embarrassed and furious. He glared resentfully at Vivien Leigh, then turned to Howard, who was shaking all over with laughter, and roared, "Laugh, laugh, laugh! What the hell are you laughing at?!"

Howard’s laughter seemed impossible to stop. He beat his chest and stamped his feet, only growing louder and louder.

Alex could not stand it any longer. He grabbed Howard, used Teleportation, and left X-Film Company at once. Alex feared that if he stayed any longer, he would have to find a hole to crawl into.

"This is…?" Looking at the lush trees all around them, Howard finally stopped laughing. He turned to Alex and asked in astonishment, "Is this the primeval jungle from the movie?"

Alex nodded. Just as he was about to speak, a strange roar suddenly sounded beside his ear. Then a massive figure emerged from behind the towering trees.

"A dinosaur?!" Howard’s voice cracked as he pointed at the Tyrannosaurus Rex in the distance, his face turning stiff.

Alex had not expected a dinosaur to wander over either. He grabbed Howard and was about to leave when Howard stopped him. "Don’t! Let me look a little longer. That’s a Tyrannosaurus Rex!"

The Tyrannosaurus Rex noticed them too, but wisely did not charge forward because it could sense the faint aura emanating from Alex.

After a brief standoff, the Tyrannosaurus Rex chose to retreat, leaving Howard somewhat disappointed.

"Alex, what exactly is this place?" After watching the Tyrannosaurus Rex disappear completely, Howard turned to Alex and asked solemnly.

After thinking it over, Alex decided not to hide it any longer. He brought Howard to the Floating Temple and revealed the secret of the Savage Land.

"Oh, this is truly magnificent!" Howard spread his arms wide as if he wanted to embrace the entire Floating Temple. "I’m moving my laboratory here! I’m going to conduct my research and inventions here!"

After loudly declaring his intentions, Howard seemed to remember something. He turned to Alex. "Right, is this place safe?"