A widower's entertainment

The screening room at the Cannes Film Festival was very quiet.

The audience watched Lin Zhaomei's film "Our Millionaire" intently, already amazed by it.

As the movie continues, Xu Qingshan manages to escape amidst the chaos of the mine blast, while Lao Tang and Lao Song, who are still inside the mine, are ultimately ruled to have died in a mining accident.

When the blood-stained compensation was handed to him, Xu Qingshan felt bewildered. He felt fortunate to have escaped, but also apprehensive about the bloody battle.

The camera cuts to the police station interrogation room, where the air seems to freeze.

Clearly, the police captain and his colleagues were stunned by Xu Qingshan's account, their hands hovering over the notebook, unable to fall for a long time.

The captain didn't press Xu Qingshan about why he watched helplessly as his "second uncle," Lao Song, who had been looking after him, died. He couldn't bring himself to speak, because he knew very well that the young man was facing two souls who had fallen into evil: one was a demon with a cruel nature, and the other was a masked relative who had temporarily shed his pretense of kindness but ultimately sided with darkness.

Even with such a deep friendship as Lao Tang and Lao Song, they could still turn against each other with swords drawn; how much more so would Lao Song's false identity as "Second Uncle"?

The captain looked at Xu Qingshan with an unreadable expression; they knew that Xu Qingshan was telling the truth.

Now, viewers are wondering if this once innocent and kind young man, who has witnessed the darkest battles of humanity beneath the dark mines, can still hold onto the goodness in his heart.
In the scene, Xu Qingshan looks back, his eyes deep as an abyss, filled with fragments of the past. He stares at the captain quietly, as if through the light of the interrogation room, he sees again the fake second uncle lying in a pool of blood deep in the mine.

This shot is absolutely amazing!
The bloody battle in the mine and the complex look in Old Song's eyes before his death alternated in the scene. In the darkness, the eyes of the young man and the hypocrite briefly met before being swallowed up by the collapsing rocks and the thick darkness.

Film critics and filmmakers were excited, and Hou Xiaoxian, upon seeing this shot, was also full of praise, considering it a stroke of genius.

The filmmakers present were all shocked.

Of course, the story continues, and the answer to this third question has long transcended the answer itself. Like a sharp scalpel, it dissects the complexity and cruelty of human nature, leaving all viewers and film critics in awe.

In fact, every narrative segment of this film tells a chilling truth with extreme restraint, making everyone even more curious about the future of Xu Qingshan.

The camera pans to the Q&A session, and the host's voice clearly carries the next question—

Which actress starred in the film "The Reader"?

Then, the names of the four actresses were announced one by one.

A. Zhang Manyu, B. Pan Hong, C. Gong Li, D. Liu Xiaoqing
Have you thought of an answer?

The host wore a gentle smile, but his tone was somewhat tentative.

Xu Qingshan remained silent, his gaze shifting between the host and the answer screen, as if deep in thought, or perhaps lost in distant memories.

"What, don't you know the answer?"

The host followed up by asking why the previous question, which was extremely obscure, had surprised the production team so much that Xu Qingshan could answer it correctly. They didn't want to continue with difficult questions, as that would seem deliberate. This question wasn't actually that hard; it's just that no one could be sure whether Xu Qingshan, an ordinary waiter, had seen the film "The Reader."

The camera pans backstage, where the director of photography speaks confidently, saying, "It seems that's the end of it; he can't answer."

The person next to him nodded in agreement: "That's right, he definitely doesn't know."

With these two conclusions, Xu Qingshan seemed to be truly trapped in an unsolvable dilemma, and the atmosphere at the scene became subtle.

The next second, the camera cuts back to the past, continuing the previous narrative style of reminiscence. The artistic expression is extremely restrained and simple, without the support of gorgeous special effects. It slowly unfolds the story with only a frame full of information and precise and neat editing.

The camera work remains simple and unadorned, exuding a documentary-like authenticity that seems to pull the audience directly into that real memory.

The transitions between shots are smooth, the background music is minimalist and upbeat, and the profound story, presented with extreme realism, is presented on the screen in an unadorned and unfiltered way, which is the most moving power.

Xu Qingshan embarked on his journey home with the compensation money tainted by a murder. The journey was long and remote, and he trudged along the roadside for a long time before finally hailing a No. 44 bus.

The camera focuses on the bus scene. A simple fixed shot perfectly captures the dull atmosphere of the remote road. The camera pans quickly across the bus, showing Xu Qingshan bending down to get on, his movements conveying the fatigue of a long journey.

Jiang Shan, who plays the female driver in the driver's seat, is undoubtedly very beautiful. She wears a bright red dress, has long hair, delicate features, and an exceptionally striking temperament.

Undoubtedly, the red clothing stood out starkly against the otherwise somber colors of the car, and astute filmmakers had already realized what red represented.

Why are you stopping cars here?

The female driver, Jiang Shan, turned her head and asked in a gentle tone.

Xu Qingshan looked at her with great gratitude and said, "Thank you. I've walked a long way and didn't know there were no stops along this route."

"You're too kind. Are you from out of town? This road is remote, and there are very few buses."

Xu Qingshan subconsciously glanced back at the passengers in the car, then his gaze fell back on the employee badge hanging in front of the driver's seat. A sense of doubt arose in his heart. The photo on the employee badge was not of the female driver in front of him, but of another beautiful woman.

The female driver noticed his gaze and took the initiative to explain, "That's Pan Hong, an actress I really like."

Xu Qingshan looked completely bewildered, clearly having never heard of this name before.

The female driver looked slightly surprised and said, "Haven't you heard of her? She acted in 'The Reader' and won the Best Actress award at the Berlin Film Festival."

"Don't stand, go find a seat in the back, this road is still very long."

Xu Qingshan nodded in agreement and slowly walked towards the back of the carriage.

The carriage remained deathly silent, except for the conversation between Xu Qingshan and the female driver, which exuded a touch of vibrant life. The bus moved forward smoothly, and a series of mundane shots were seamlessly connected, with no redundant scenes. Each frame contained a wealth of potential information, which not only did not make people feel bored, but also made them subconsciously hold their breath and look forward to the story to come.

At this moment, all the audience members understood the answer to the question, and this answer was the one that the female driver had unintentionally told Xu Qingshan.

But a new question arose in everyone's mind: why could Xu Qingshan still clearly remember the female driver's words after so many years?

Why was this woman, whom he had only met by chance, able to leave such a deep impression on him, so that even a few words from her could not be forgotten?

Without any preamble, the conflict erupted suddenly. Two men carrying briefcases boarded the bus, instantly shattering the peace in the carriage. They pulled out sharp knives and shouted at the passengers to hand over their money and valuables.

Passengers who resisted even slightly were severely beaten. Seeing this, the female driver, in order to prevent more people from being injured, took the initiative to stand up and persuade them: "Everyone, just hand over your money. It's better to lose money than to suffer any more trouble."

But losing money did not avert disaster. After robbing all the passengers of their belongings, the robbers' eyes were fixed on the beautiful female driver, and they harbored evil intentions.

The passengers on the bus all lowered their heads and remained silent, none daring to step forward to stop them. Xu Qingshan's compensation money was also stolen by the robbers. Faced with the gleaming knives, he resisted but ultimately dared not make a move.

But when he saw the robber dragging the female driver and attempting to assault her, beyond fear, an inexplicable urge made him struggle to stand up. "Let me go! Help! Someone help me!"

The female driver's desperate and piercing cries for help echoed inside the car.

Xu Qingshan looked around, but the passengers around him remained unmoved, their heads bowed as if it were none of their business.

The close-up shot slowly zooms in, clearly magnifying the shock and disbelief in his eyes. He is shocked by the indifference of the crowd and even more confused by the numbness of human nature.

Fear, hesitation, and tension seemed to intertwine in Duan Long's eyes. His father had warned him not to act recklessly like Bai Xuemei had, and the bloody battle in the mine was still vivid in his mind. Yet, the female driver's cries for help were like a needle, constantly pricking him.

At this moment, Xu Qingshan is facing a multiple-choice question with no options.

There are no alternatives like A, B, C, or D; there are only two paths to choose from—to go with the flow and remain a silent bystander, or to stand up.

That's the problem!
A very straightforward question!

The camera work is extremely realistic, as if bringing the real scene to the screen. The passengers on the bus have already made their choice: to stand by and watch indifferently.

Having experienced the darkness of the mines and witnessed the evil of humanity, what answer will Xu Qingshan, this once innocent and kind young man, give? All the viewers held their breath, eager to know the outcome. This is Xu Qingshan's most cruel choice.

Amid the increasingly desperate cries for help from the female driver, Xu Qingshan finally stood up slowly.

At that moment, the audience's expectations seemed to find a place to rest.

Why are you all sitting still?

His voice trembled with youthful energy, as if he were questioning the passengers on the bus, or perhaps everyone watching on screen.

He tried to rally the crowd to help save people, but all he received was deathly silence. A middle-aged man in the back seat tried to get up, but his wife held him down tightly, and the carriage fell silent again.

Helpless, Xu Qingshan could only push open the car door and walk towards the direction where the robbers were dragging the female driver.

This scene evoked an indescribable heaviness in the hearts of the audience, a reflection of human nature: when faced with danger, most people choose to protect themselves.

Xu Qingshan walked alone to the scene of the incident. Before getting off the bus, he looked back at the people in the carriage. The helplessness and sorrow in the young man's eyes seemed to reach the hearts of every viewer through the screen.

This was Xu Qingshan's choice; amidst fear and struggle, he ultimately preserved the kindness in his heart.

But he wasn't an omnipotent superhero; instead of saving the female driver, he was brutally beaten by the robbers.

He tried to grab one of the robbers' legs to stop him, but the robber stabbed him in the thigh with a knife. The intense pain caused him to fall to the ground, unable to move.

The female driver's screams grew increasingly shrill, but her resistance became increasingly futile.

Not a single passenger in the carriage was willing to get off and help. Instead, after seeing Xu Qingshan injured and lying on the ground, they all moved to the windows, as if watching a farce that had nothing to do with them, merely watching the spectacle.

Immediately following, a highly impactful scene appeared, leaving the film critics and filmmakers present speechless and amazed.

In their eyes, this was undoubtedly the highlight of the film and the most naked interpretation of the theme. The camera used a wide-angle view from outside the car and a long shot to fully present the whole process of the robber's violence, as well as the young man who was injured and unable to move not far away.

Completely abandoning conventional close-up shots, without deliberately exaggerating the brutality of the robbers or focusing on the female driver's despair, the film uses a detached, almost indifferent perspective and long, uninterrupted shots to record the tragedy.

Behind this calm visual language lies extreme indifference, and a silent indictment of the moral decay of a group of bystanders.

What's even more remarkable is that Lin Zhaomei didn't use over-the-shoulder shots of passengers to highlight indifference, because at this moment, the audience in front of the screen are also "bystanders".

The design of this shot is both the subjective perspective of the passengers inside the car and cleverly transformed into the subjective perspective of the audience, forcing each viewer to empathize with the numbness of the bystanders and prompting deep reflection, rather than simply criticizing the passengers inside the car.

The filmmakers present were all amazed by Lin Zhaomei's exquisite control of the camera. In their eyes, the 21-year-old Lin Zhaomei was simply amazing!

The plot continues. The injured Xu Qingshan is curled up in pain on the ground. After the robbery, he quickly flees along the path, leaving only the female driver's desperate cries echoing in the empty wilderness. She returns to the car, disheveled, and glances at the still indifferent passengers. Everyone looks away, still acting as if it's none of her business.

The female driver wiped away her tears, slumped over the steering wheel, her shoulders trembling violently as if suppressing immense grief. But the next second, her movements abruptly stopped, as if she had remembered something. The camera then zoomed in on a toy dog ​​inside the car, its head nodding and swaying mechanically, cold and numb.

"Are you OK?"

Xu Qingshan limped to the car door, his voice full of guilt, and said, "I'm sorry, I couldn't save you."

The female driver glanced at him, wiped away her tears again, and slammed the car door shut just as Xu Qingshan was about to get in. She said coldly, "Get out! Get out of here!"

"why?"

Xu Qingshan was stunned, his eyes filled with confusion. He didn't understand why he, the only one who got out of the car to try to save her, would be treated this way.

Viewers in front of the screen were equally confused, with huge questions lingering in their minds. Even if he failed to save the person, his courage deserved to be treated kindly. Why was the female driver so resolute?

But the female driver, played by Jiang Shan, remained unmoved. She not only locked the car doors but also threw Xu Qingshan's luggage out of the window. Then, she stepped on the gas, and the bus sped away, leaving Xu Qingshan sitting alone on the roadside, bruised and battered, looking utterly disheveled.

The car gradually disappeared from sight, and the female driver's actions became a mystery in everyone's minds, with the unsolvable doubts growing stronger.

Xu Qingshan limped along the roadside with difficulty, and after walking for an unknown amount of time, he finally managed to flag down another car.

The scene depicts a sky shrouded in thick fog, obscuring the road ahead. This is both a realistic depiction and a metaphor, symbolizing Xu Qingshan's incomprehension of the female driver's behavior. It reflects the confusion in the hearts of young people and the bewilderment of all viewers.

A police car sped past, kicking up a little dust as it overtook another vehicle.

Soon, the answers to the confusion and bewilderment were revealed.

The police car stopped a short distance ahead. Xu Qingshan got out and walked closer, just in time to hear the police officers' conversation: "Confirmation complete. All passengers and the driver on board have no vital signs. The license plate number is 44."

It turned out that the No. 44 bus plunged straight down the ravine, killing all the people on board; there was no survivor.

The audience in front of the screen suddenly realized what was happening, were shocked, and felt their scalps tingle!

This is actually the case!
Nobody expected this!
All the doubts were answered. The passengers' indifference completely broke the female driver, plunging her into the abyss of despair. She chose to destroy herself, taking these numb bystanders with her to the end. Kicking Xu Qingshan off the bus was her way of repaying this only kindness, a glimmer of redemption left for the young man in the darkness.

The camera focused on Xu Qingshan's face; he slightly raised the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile—

Well, now he knows the answer to the question that had been puzzling him. (End of Chapter)