Lord of Entertainment

Chapter 100: Happy Birthday!

Despite their earlier sympathy, the audience was reminded of Tuco's true nature. His bathtub scene drove this home, with the ugly dwarf brazenly cleaning his teeth with bubbles.

Tension mounted as a confident man aimed a gun at the seemingly vulnerable Tuco. The audience jolted in surprise when Tuco suddenly fired, his hidden gun concealed beneath the bubbling water.

As his opponent tumbled to the ground, Tuco rose from the bath and fired again, coldly stating, "When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk."

This line, delivered with Tuco's characteristic bluntness, resonated with the audience. Many found themselves secretly cheering for Tuco, appreciating how he remained true to his nature even when appearing defenseless.

The scene showcased the film's ability to continuously surprise the viewers, subverting expectations and keeping them engaged. It reinforced Tuco's complex character - capable of evoking both sympathy and admiration for his ruthless survival instincts.

Before they knew it, the film approached its climax with the three men in a standoff.

Many viewers anticipated Tuco and Angel Eyes teaming up against Blondie, given Tuco's alliance with Angel Eyes and his complicated relationship with Blondie. The audience was uncertain which partnership was stronger - Blondie and Tuco's or Tuco and Angel Eyes'.

Relief washed over the crowd when Blondie and Tuco jointly shot Angel Eyes. A collective sigh echoed through the theater.

The film's conclusion, with Blondie once again saving Tuco from hanging, brought the story full circle. The audience recognized the return of Blondie and Tuco's authority-scamming partnership.

Only as the credits rolled did viewers realize the film had ended. Many found themselves wanting more, surprised by how quickly the time had passed.

As they left the theater, conversations buzzed:

"I can't believe I sat through an entire western film."

"Sat through? We watched the whole thing without getting bored!"

"Ha! All I can say is it was way better than that Titan Pictures film!"

The unexpected enjoyment of "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" left the audience pleasantly surprised, especially in comparison to their earlier disappointment with "The Desired Crown".

***

(Arthur POV)

Another birthday, another solitary celebration. I'm thinking of whipping up some favorites from my previous life - burgers, pizza, 'elf fries' (this world's version of French fries, named after the Moonlight Kingdom's first elf king who invented them), carbonara, the works.

Back when the royal family kept my allowance tight, I could only manage burgers and fries. Now, the world's my oyster, culinarily speaking.

But before I can indulge, there's studio business to handle - namely, my third movie's release.

In my new office, Rayleigh Wang and Jerry Yan present the box office results. The paper shows we've sold a mere fifty thousand dollars worth of tickets.

"Hmm... Not bad..." I muse.

Rayleigh's not having it. "Not bad?" he sneers. "It's abysmal! We're in hundreds of theaters and this is all we've got?" Blunt as ever, this one.

I set the paper aside. "Don't worry, Mr. Wang. Our film will pick up steam."

"How can you be sure?" Rayleigh practically lunges at me, thankfully intercepted by Jerry.

"I've sunk a fortune into this, Your Highness! Do something!" Rayleigh's actually tearing up now.

Weird demon, indeed.

"Uh... Your high- I mean, Mr. Morningstar," Jerry interjects, restraining Rayleigh. "My apologies. We should be going."

He drags the tantrum-throwing Rayleigh out, looking utterly helpless.

As the door closes behind them, I can't help but chuckle. The day's been... interesting, to say the least. Now, about that birthday feast...

***

After buying ingredients, I returned to my penthouse. Opening the door, I was met with darkness.

"Hmm?" Before I could process this, the room suddenly blazed with fire magic. My eyes widened as I saw George, Firfel, Vivienne, Shafel, Imkrag, and others gathered there.

"Happy Birthday!!!" They shouted, accompanied by a flashy magical light show. A big cake and various meals adorned the table.

"What the..." I was genuinely surprised. It's the first time anyone's done this for me.

In my previous life, I celebrated alone. In this one, my demon family was too cold to care, with probably only my youngest sister Apollonia showing any genuine concern.

George chuckled, "Did you think we'd forget your birthday?"

I could only smile in response.

Firfel approached with a gift. "Happy birthday," she said warmly.

"Oh, what's this?" I opened it to find an expensive watch. "You shouldn't have."

"I know you like watches. I hope you like it," Firfel smiled.

"I do. Thank you," I replied sincerely.

Vivienne butted in, "Hey, don't forget my gift." She thrust a package at me.

"Okay, okay. Geez," I said, opening it to reveal a cute headband. "Do you take me for a girl or something?"

Vivienne just laughed at my reaction.

Then there was George, presenting me with one of his weird inventions.

As I looked around at these people who'd gone out of their way to celebrate me, I felt a warmth I hadn't experienced in either of my lives. Maybe birthdays weren't so bad after all.

***

Media outlets were having a field day with the box office results of "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" and its rival "The Desired Crown."

"The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" pulled in a mere fifty thousand dollars, promptly labeled a failure by newspaper articles. Smug experts who predicted its downfall wrote: "This was no surprise - western-style movies have never found success in Horn Kingdom or the wider Anatolia region."

In contrast, Titan Pictures' "The Desired Crown" boasted a four million dollar box office. Headlines trumpeted: "The Desired Crown performs spectacularly on opening day! Viewers claim it surpasses Lord of the Rings!"

The narrative was clear: "The Desired Crown" was a roaring success, while Hellfire Studio's "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" was deemed an epic failure.

However, a different story circulated among actual viewers. Many warned friends and family: "Don't bother with 'The Desired Crown.' It's so bad, people are walking out before it ends."

Indeed, reports of mid-screening exits were numerous, but largely suppressed. Only newspapers like "Powerful Times" dared to publish these accounts.

Meanwhile, those who'd seen "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" were recommending it: "You won't believe it! The film's actually good! I never thought I'd sit through an entire western style movie, but I did!"

The word-of-mouth for "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" spread slowly at first. On its second day, the box office only reached about two hundred thousand dollars.

Meanwhile, "The Desired Crown" raked in 2 million dollars. Though a significant decline from its opening day, it still outperformed "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly".

However, the third day brought a shocking twist. "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" box office skyrocketed to six million dollars! Even more surprising, "The Desired Crown" plummeted to a mere five hundred thousand.

This dramatic shift left the media and those who hadn't yet seen "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" stunned and confused.

Many felt betrayed by the initial media reports. Comments like, "The Desired Crown was awful. I can't believe I trusted those newspapers claiming it surpassed Lord of the Rings," became common.

Others chimed in, "The ex-prince's western style movie was actually entertaining and more interesting."

"Yeah, it was refreshingly different," another agreed.

The tables had turned. Public opinion now favored "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly," while "The Desired Crown" faced mounting criticism.

This reversal highlighted the power of genuine audience reactions over initial hype and misleading media reports. It showed how word-of-mouth could dramatically impact a film's success, even when starting from a seemingly disadvantaged position.