The first preview screening event for "Law of the Jungle" was arranged at Shanghai's Never Sleep City Cinema.
It was almost nine o'clock now, and crowds flowed like weaving threads at the cinema entrance. Many people participating in the screening had already entered in succession. Those still waiting outside were mostly fans of either Liu Zehang or Xiao He. Even though they hadn't managed to get admission qualifications for the preview event, they were still willing to wait at the entrance.
Zhou Bowen and Lin Zhuwan weren't among these queues.
"Sorry I'm late!"
Zhou Bowen glanced at the time on his phone and breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Fortunately, he'd finally made it.
Lin Zhuwan, who had waited over thirty minutes longer, remained pleasant and gentle, showing no impatience from the wait. She even proactively linked arms with Zhou Bowen: "You worked hard, baby! Let's hurry inside!"
Zhou Bowen looked at his "understanding" girlfriend and couldn't help puffing out his chest.
For no other reason than this—the admission tickets for this preview event were ones Zhou Bowen had snagged by lurking in fan groups.
A major fan in the group had something come up last minute and couldn't attend this preview, so they planned to transfer two tickets at original price to other fans in the group.
Zhou Bowen happened to see this message. With quick eyes and fast hands, relying on superhuman speed, he was the first to grab this opportunity.
When Lin Zhuwan learned this news, she naturally happily covered her boyfriend with enthusiastic kisses. Thus, this young couple successfully secured admission to the first preview screening event for "Law of the Jungle."
Entering the lobby, they first saw the Law of the Jungle poster.
Current movie posters are actually quite similar overall. At the very center of this poster were the two main protagonists of "Law of the Jungle"—
Liu Zehang playing Lin Yu'an stood in the center of the jungle, holding a handful of playing cards. Some had fallen to the ground, revealing the three major jungle card factions from the "Jungle Game": Wolf, Fox, and Rabbit. Meanwhile, Xiao He playing Xu Ning stood sideways holding a Tang sword, positioned behind Lin Yu'an, his gaze icy cold as he stared at the camera.
In the dark jungle behind them, scattered figures of other characters stood, most hidden in shadows, their burning eyes fixed on those ahead, like jungle predators watching their prey, concealed in darkness ready at any moment to devour their quarry.
At this moment, standing in the jungle's center, having fallen into this human abyss crueler than the law of the jungle, what would their final outcome be?
Would they sit waiting for death, or transform into fierce beasts to devour the other prey?
Lin Zhuwan couldn't help clenching her fingers, her heart filled with anticipation.
"Hurry, we're entering now."
Zhou Bowen quietly reminded her from the side.
"Okay."
Lin Zhuwan was already eagerly wanting to start watching the story.
The seats they managed to get this time were fairly good—at the edge of the 14th row. Though not directly centered on the big screen, the viewing distance was just right.
Lin Zhuwan took the opportunity to glance toward the front seats, hoping to see if Xiao He and others were seated up front. But unfortunately, many specially arranged media seats and filming areas were set up ahead, now gradually filling with people. She didn't see any appearance by the production team's main creative team.
Lin Zhuwan felt somewhat disappointed, but could understand. She simply settled down and prepared to start watching.
---------------------
About ten minutes later, the screening room's main lights went out.
The familiar dragon emblem roamed across the big screen, ultimately fixing on the center of the frame—
The light dimmed, revealing a gray rabbit quietly sitting in a cage, occasionally grooming its fur.
The surroundings were very quiet, except for occasional rustling sounds of something, the sensation growing increasingly closer, as if some danger was approaching.
"Boss, this one—"
A finger coated with red nail polish suddenly appeared on screen, pointing at the gray rabbit. The next moment, the entire world gained background white noise and the clamor of passing pedestrians.
The caged rabbit was expressionlessly grabbed by the boss, then with swift blade work—skin peeled, bones cleaned—the entire process flowed smoothly.
As the camera shifted, standing before the boss's stall was a woman with somewhat harsh features.
She was currently cracking melon seeds, occasionally spitting them toward the ground, then speaking to the shabbily dressed young man before her: "Money money money, you suddenly asking me for money puts me in a difficult position too. And that director was usually perfectly fine, how did she suddenly become incapacitated?"
"Ptooey—"
She spat another melon seed. The burly boss shifted his cutting board and bluntly reminded: "Don't spit melon seeds here! If saliva splashes over, how can I sell?"
"Ah, sorry sorry."
The woman immediately changed her expression, offering an ingratiating apology to the fierce-faced boss. Then stuffing the melon seeds in her hand away, she continued unceremoniously squinting disdainfully at the young man: "Anyway, let me make this clear—I have no money. If you want money, have her come ask me herself! Besides, that boss next door owes way more than me. Don't think you can bully me and come to me. If you've got ability, go ask the big bosses for money."
Lin Yu'an pressed his lips tightly together, watching as the boss behind the cutting board finished preparing the rabbit, packed it in a plastic bag, and handed it to the woman before him.
"67.5 yuan."
"Boss, you're charging even 5 mao? Can't you round it down?"
"Take it or leave it."
Lin Zhuwan was already eagerly wanting to start watching the story.
"Hey, I'll pay, I'll pay."
The woman immediately took the bag with an embarrassed laugh, paying the boss exactly what was owed.
Then turning around, she rolled her eyes at Lin Yu'an, raising her hand to push him aside: "Move aside, don't block the way! And you call yourself a college student? Your manners are just like this—"
Then the woman picked up the prepared rabbit and walked away without looking back.
Lin Yu'an watched the woman leave, his figure looking wretched.
Lin Zhuwan felt somewhat disappointed, but could understand. She simply settled down and prepared to start watching.
"Sorry—sorry—"
Lin Yu'an instinctively apologized, then turned to leave...
As his figure gradually receded into the distance, the camera shifted back to the cage of rabbits behind the boss.
The protagonist's narration voice came—
"This world is one giant hunting ground."
"So-called rule-following is merely a trap they've demarcated for the prey, to better discipline the weak."
"—And as caged prey, we've never had a say."
"The survival of the fittest is this world's true law of the jungle..."
Lin Yu'an, a college student raised in an orphanage, to raise medical fees for the director mother, embarks together with the mysteriously identified Xu Ning on a dangerous and mysterious path of no return.
Lin Yu'an seemed naturally out of place here.
He was kind-hearted, somewhat cowardly, easily trusting others.
In contrast, Xu Ning seemed like a natural hunter in this hunting ground—mysterious and powerful, decisive and cruel.
Their combination was like two extremes among the cards—one a rabbit, one a vicious wolf.
In this jungle game built upon human civilization, Lin Yu'an's existence seemed so fragile.
The only slightly reassuring thing was that Lin Yu'an possessed a clever brain and a reliable teammate.
Relying on these two crucial assets, Lin Yu'an repeatedly escaped danger, continuing with Xu Ning to explore this "game" island.
Watching the plot unfold, Lin Zhuwan couldn't help sweating nervously for Lin Yu'an.
But just at this moment, her boyfriend had to lean over and whisper in her ear: "I kinda feel like this Xu Ning is the bad guy."
Lin Zhuwan: ?!
Don't say that! If Xu Ning turns traitor, wouldn't Lin Yu'an be doomed?
Lin Zhuwan immediately started viewing Xu Ning through a villain filter, but still couldn't help stubbornly saying: "No... that can't be right, can it?"
Right now Lin Yu'an was preparing to use himself as bait to massively accumulate Rabbit cards on the island. If Xu Ning turned traitor midway...
"Mainly... Xiao He hasn't played many good guys."
Zhou Bowen's words made Lin Zhuwan's heart turn half-cold.
Don't do this! Don't mess it up!