Entertainment from Divorce

The late autumn sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the dazzling entertainment artist apartment, casting diamond-shaped patches of light on the floor. These patches of light slowly changed shape as the clouds moved.

Deng Gaofei stood in the center of the living room, his fingertips tracing the scrolling comments on the smart screen, the metal frame reflecting a soft light.

The final trailer for Interstellar is playing on a loop on the screen.

The accretion disk at the edge of the black hole resembles a burning halo, with each ray of light slowly flowing. The astronaut's figure flips gracefully and resolutely in zero gravity, and the reflection on the surface of the spacesuit changes constantly with his movements. This is the Cooper he is playing.

"Brother Deng, look at the number of reposts! It's already surpassed 30 million!" Agent Xiao Zhou rushed in, holding up his phone, his bangs slightly damp with sweat from running.

The trending search term on the screen, #DengGaofeiInterstellarTravel#, was followed by a bright red "Explosive" sign, and the numbers kept jumping up.

"Overseas forums are all discussing your line, 'Do not go gentle into that good night.' Some bloggers have analyzed your tone and pauses word by word, saying, 'This delivery of lines is truly worthy of being chosen by Tan Yue.' There are already over ten thousand comments agreeing with this."

Deng Gaofei's gaze lingered on the credits at the end of the trailer, where the words "Starring: Deng Gaofei" were surrounded by starlight effects, and the text slowly rotated against the backdrop of the universe.

He recalled that a year ago, he was still working as an extra in a small theater. The stage floor of that theater was a bit loose, and it would creak every time he stepped on it. Most of the messages stored on his phone went unanswered, and the occasional replies he received were just "You do not quite meet our requirements."

On the day of the audition, he saw Tan Yue's portfolio wall in the corridor of Brilliant Entertainment's headquarters.

The classic poster for "The Shawshank Redemption" is framed in a dark frame, and the prison barbed wire on the poster seems to exude a cold atmosphere.

In behind-the-scenes photos from the set of "Titanic," Tan Yue is seen squatting in front of an ice set, discussing scenes with the actors, his face covered in artificial snowflakes.

Next to the prop running shoes from Forrest Gump is a photo of Forrest Gump running in the movie.
……

Each film has left a significant mark on film history, and has been repeatedly interpreted by audiences from different countries, becoming a shared memory across cultures.

"Mr. Tan said that you have a kind of 'resilience honed by time'."

Xiao Zhou's voice pulled him back to reality.

The smart screen began playing a clip of Tan Yue's interview.

When asked why he chose Deng Gaofei, the reporter replied...
Tan Yue, dressed in a simple white shirt, sat in front of a bookshelf piled high with books and said with a smile, "Good actors are like diamonds buried deep in the ground. They need someone to brush away the dust on them. I just happened to dig one up."

Memories of the filming suddenly flooded back.

To simulate the weightlessness of an astronaut, he practiced underwater for two whole months, and every time he came out of the water, his skin was white from being soaked in water.

For the sake of the tone of a single line, Tan Yue stayed with him in the recording studio until 3 a.m., repeatedly comparing the simple yet firm performance rhythm in "Forrest Gump". Even the sound engineer joked that "you two are more meticulous than scientists studying data".

"Brother Deng, a director wants to cast you in a movie."

Deng Gaofei walked to the window and looked at the glass curtain wall of the Brilliant Entertainment headquarters in the distance.

"Let's wait until the movie is released before we talk about it."

Deng Gaofei continued softly, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the script cover, the texture of the fabric providing a subtle tactile experience. "President Tan said that an actor's work is their best calling card, and everything else is just icing on the cake."

At that moment, the smart screen suddenly pushed a news item: "Hollywood director Bartlett Colin's new film is scheduled for release on New Year's Day, with simultaneous global release."

The title is displayed in bold black font, making it particularly eye-catching.

Deng Gaofei's gaze darkened.

Xiao Zhou nervously opened the details page, his fingers scrolling faster than usual.

"He actually chose the same day as us! This is obviously aimed at Interstellar. Look at the promotional slogan, 'The most hardcore sci-fi blockbuster of the year,' isn't this targeting us?"

The sunset in Los Angeles turns the Pacific Ocean into molten gold, and the surface of the sea sparkles like it's covered with countless shattered diamonds.

Bartlett Colin stood on the terrace of his villa on Malibu Beach, a glass of chilled whiskey in his hand, the ice slowly melting in the glass with a soft sizzling sound.

The assistant had just projected the trailer for "Interstellar" onto a giant water screen. The special effects of a black hole swallowing light shattered and reformed on the waves, like a flowing dream, constantly changing shape with the rise and fall of the waves.

"Just cut it." Colin waved his hand impatiently, his tone filled with barely concealed frustration. The water curtain instantly darkened, leaving only the rhythmic, monotonous sound of waves crashing against the rocks.

"Tan Yue's influence over the past few years has been astonishing." The assistant handed over a report, the paper trembling slightly. It listed Tan Yue's works—"The Shawshank Redemption" has been used as teaching material in film schools in more than twenty countries, with professors analyzing its cinematic language and narrative structure in class.

Colin slammed his glass down on the railing, spilling wine onto his expensive casual trousers and leaving dark stains, but he didn't seem to care.

"The Shawshank Redemption replicates the classic framework of prison films, only adding a touch of Eastern forbearance; Titanic relies on disaster scenes to gain sympathy, and its love story is so clichéd it's sickening; The Godfather directly borrows the narrative logic of gangster films—does he know what original breakthroughs are? He was just lucky to catch the market when it needed fresh faces."

The assistant said cautiously, "But the special effects team for Interstellar... I heard they used a completely new gravity model, and even NASA scientists publicly praised its rigor, saying it reached a scientific research level."

"What do scientists know about cinematic language?" Colin sneered, his lips twitching as he grabbed his tablet and pulled out the poster for his new film.

The wreckage of the exploded spaceship burned on the Martian surface, the flames so vivid they seemed unreal. The title, "Red Planet," was printed in bold font in the center, against a backdrop of a red planetary surface. "I spent three hundred million US dollars hiring a special effects team. In terms of industrial standards, Tan Yue isn't even worthy of carrying my shoes. His so-called independent research and development is nothing more than making some superficial modifications to someone else's technology."

His gaze fell on Tan Yue's photo on the screen.

The director, a man in his thirties from the East, wore a simple black shirt. His smile was gentle yet carried an undeniable sharpness, and his eyes were clear and firm.

"How's the progress?" Colin suddenly asked, his tone anxious, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the railing.

To meet the New Year's Day release date, he compressed the original six-month shooting schedule into three months. The actors' lines were all delivered via teleprompter, and sometimes even dubbed in post-production. The exterior shots relied on post-production compositing, many scenes used green screens, and even the soundtrack was taken directly from his own ten-year-old archive. There was absolutely no room for innovation. "There are still three sets of Martian dust storm shots that haven't been rendered yet," the assistant's voice trembled with tears, his eyes red. "The visual effects supervisor said it was too rushed, the particle density parameters are easy to give away, and it's too late to fix them now."

"A continuity error? Then let Tan Yue's movie take the fall for us!"

Colin turned around abruptly, his eyes flashing with madness, and the veins on his forehead bulging slightly: "Spread the word that our 'Red Planet' is the 'real hard science fiction,' a true recreation of space exploration. By the way, Tan Yue's 'Interstellar' is nothing but a 'family drama disguised as science fiction,' full of scientific loopholes."

He walked to the edge of the terrace and looked at the Hollywood sign in the distance, where the letters gleamed white in the twilight, like cold mockery.

“I want to show the world who is the king of space-themed films.” Colin’s voice was carried away by the sea breeze, with a slight tremor. “Isn’t Tan Yue good at moving audiences with emotional resonance? I’ll tear his halo in his most proud field and let everyone know that Chinese filmmakers can only follow Hollywood step by step and have no ability to lead the trend.”

In Tan Yue's office, Chen Ye was placing a global market analysis report on the table, moving gently so as not to disturb Tan Yue, who was deep in thought.

The document bag was printed with the logo of "Interstellar," a simple yet stylish black hole design.

"Colin's 'Red Planet' is scheduled for release on New Year's Day." Chen Ye's voice was very soft, as if afraid of disturbing the air. "In their press release, your name was mentioned three times, and the wording was obviously provocative, saying that 'some directors should not cross over to make science fiction films, but should stick to the subjects they are good at.'"

Tan Yue opened the report, his finger pausing on the "North American Market Audience Profile" section, which provided a detailed analysis of the preferences of audiences of different ages and professions for science fiction films.

The setting sun outside the window shone on the bookshelf behind him, where the screenplays of the films he had directed were neatly arranged.

From the yellowed first draft of "The Shawshank Redemption," with slightly curled edges and coffee stains, to the final draft of "Interstellar," still smelling of ink and exquisitely bound, it bears witness to his journey from emerging talent to becoming an international film icon.

Each book carries the fruits of countless days and nights of hard work.

"As expected." Tan Yue's tone was calm, as if he had anticipated all of this.

“The technical team said that the Martian gravity parameters in the trailer for ‘Red Planet’ are ridiculously wrong.” Chen Ye handed over a comparison chart, which clearly marked two sets of data. “Our physics consultant said that according to their setting, astronauts would walk as if they were floating on the moon, which is completely inconsistent with the gravitational acceleration of Mars. This is a very basic mistake.”

Tan Yue smiled, picked up the celadon cup on the table. The crackle patterns on the cup were particularly clear under the light. The Longjing tea brewing inside was emitting a delicate fragrance, and the tea leaves were slowly unfurling in the water.

"Ignore it."

Tan Yue suddenly remembered something and said to Chen Ye, "Raise Deng Gaofei's salary another level, to the standard of a first-tier actor."

He turned to the last page of the report.

The poster features a photo of Deng Gaofei on set, wearing a heavy spacesuit.

In the sweltering heat of 40 degrees Celsius, they rehearsed their scenes repeatedly, sweat streaming down their faces and soaking their costumes, which clung tightly to their bodies.

“He deserves it. The effort he has put in over the past few months far exceeds this compensation.”

Just as Chen Ye reached the door, he heard Tan Yue add, "Tell the publicity team to provide a more detailed analysis of the scientific settings in 'Interstellar,' explaining everything from the formation principles of black holes to the theoretical basis of wormholes."

Tan Yue's voice came through the crack in the door, with his usual certainty: "Good movies are not afraid of comparison, true gold is never afraid of being tested by fire, and the audience has its own judgment."

Deng Gaofei received a message from Tan Yue in his apartment: "Come to the company at nine o'clock tomorrow morning to see the final cut." The message was concise and clear, yet it carried a reassuring power.

He stared at the words for a long time, tapped the screen lightly with his fingertip, got up and walked to the balcony, looking at the city lights at night, twinkling like stars fallen to the ground.

On the distant billboards, the poster for "Interstellar" and the huge promotional image for "Red Planet" stand facing each other, like two stars about to collide, each radiating its own light.

A news article sent by Xiao Zhou popped up on my phone, titled "Colin: Tan Yue's Sci-Fi Films Lack Industrial Foundation," with the following content being extremely sarcastic.

Deng Gaofei's finger paused on the screen for a moment before he finally closed the page and put his phone back in his pocket.

He recalled what Tan Yue had said on set: "Box office and reviews are temporary, like clouds in the sky that will drift away. Only the stories that remain in the hearts of the audience and the emotions that resonate with them are eternal."

The next morning.

When Deng Gaofei entered the screening room of Brilliant Entertainment, Tan Yue was already sitting in the first row, with a cup of hot tea in front of him, steaming gently rising from it.

The theater was dimly lit, with only the screen emitting a faint glow.

The finished film "Interstellar" was playing on the screen. The scene of Cooper traveling through the wormhole was breathtakingly beautiful, with ever-changing light and shadow, making it feel as if you were really in that mysterious universe. When the line "Love is the only force that can travel through time" was played, Deng Gaofei saw Tan Yue's lips curl into a familiar smile, his eyes sparkling with satisfaction.

After the screening ended and the lights came on, Tan Yue turned his head, his gaze falling on Deng Gaofei, his eyes asking, "How did you feel?"

Deng Gaofei's Adam's apple bobbed, and a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him—excitement,感慨 (gǎnkǎi, deep feelings), which ultimately culminated in a sincere statement: "President Tan, this movie... will be remembered."

He could sense that the power contained in this film—the exploration of the unknown and the cherishing of family ties—would surely touch countless people.

Tan Yue stood up, patted his shoulder with moderate force, and offered encouragement.

The sunlight streaming through the window cast long shadows on the two of them, like two paths walking side by side, firm and powerful.

“On New Year’s Day,” Tan Yue said with a smile and bright eyes, “let Colin see how bright the starry sky of Chinese filmmakers is. We can not only illuminate ourselves, but also bring a different kind of brilliance to the world film industry.”

With thirty days to go until New Year's Day, a cinematic competition spanning the Eastern and Western Hemispheres has quietly begun. The air is thick with tension, yet also with anticipation.

The vast ocean of stars belonging to Tan Yue and Brilliant Entertainment has just ushered in its most magnificent wave. The road ahead may be fraught with storms, but they are already prepared and ready to set sail. (End of Chapter)