Actor: Thank you.

"fine."

"You don't have to worry."

"What's our relationship?"

Continental Europe, France.

After hanging up with Zeng Jia, Zhang Yuan quickly received a call from Feng Xiaogang.

When Director Feng called, he was not only polite, but also somewhat cautious.

The reason was that Lu Chuan had brought him up when he was cursing at the press conference.

"There are bad movies because there are bad audiences."

Feng Xiaogang did indeed say that.

Moreover, this wasn't the only "outrageous statement" he made.

If you look closely, it's just like Chow Yun-fat repeatedly changing his mind and saying he's going to donate his entire fortune.

It always happens when a movie is about to be released.

Director Feng is the same; every time he releases a controversial statement, it's basically to promote his new film.

Later, during the promotion of "1942", he even criticized China's film censorship system in front of foreign media overseas.

Director Feng, just as Wang Shuo said, is a real scoundrel.

His words, besides being propaganda, also reflect an attitude of "eating with one hand on the bowl and cursing with the other."

Moreover, Director Feng's ability to rise from a mere follower of those privileged children to become one of China's three greatest directors is absolutely not due to stupidity.

He only complains when a movie doesn't do well at the box office, trying to get attention.

At the same time, this is also a way to filter the audience.

Some people are unhappy about being insulted by the audience.

But there are also people who support him and think he's right.

Those who agree with him will vote with their feet and spend money to support his movies.

But it's still unfair of him to say that, because he himself has made plenty of bad movies.

Whether this statement is correct or not is a matter of opinion.

After all, the quality and sales of a bunch of movies and TV series starring my brother are indeed problematic.

Director Feng called him politely, saying that he hadn't been in contact with Lu Chuan recently.

They also do not support his statement.

Feng Xiaogang was stunned when he saw this news!
If you're going crazy, just go crazy. Why are you dragging me into this?

You shouldn't provoke trouble on earth, but you're provoking trouble in the heavens!

Don't mess with anyone else, but you're the one who messed with this kid.

It seems you two aren't really close!

Besides, you've probably gone crazy from making movies all these years and don't really understand the industry anymore.

We all tried to avoid you, but you still went out of your way to provoke us. Wow, wow, wow...

Director Feng was furious.

Do you even know what kind of relationship we have? Yet you use my words to insult me.

To make his stance clear and prevent Zhang Yuan from messing with him, Director Feng shouted loudly on the phone.

"nausea!"

Even rabbits know not to eat the grass near their burrows.

"All the main actors, and in front of the media!"

"And they even had someone film it, pshaw!"

"nausea!"

"I'll say it all in private!"

"If you have any opinions about this, you can discuss it privately."

"Private messaging doesn't take much effort."

"Even asking someone to put in a good word for you would be helpful."

Even if it's done secretly?

"They're nothing but bandits!"

"They're not even as good as bandits!"

"You still want the audience to remember your good points?"

In short, it's disgusting!

Zhang Yuan listened quietly, and only spoke after Feng Dapao finished ranting.

He understood that what angered the other party was not that Lu Chuan had insulted him, but that the insults had dragged him into it.

There's a reason why Director Feng did this.

Ip Man is doing well at the box office, but Poet Chan is in trouble!
The more famous the equation became, the more a group of enthusiasts mocked "Mei Lanfang" as terrible and said that Director Chen was incompetent.

Those in the industry know those in the industry.

Feng Xiaogang knows that the poet Chen is quite capable.

"Mei Lanfang" wasn't that bad, and Chen Shiren's work wasn't that bad either... Of course, "The Promise" is an exception.

They've all been messed up so badly by this kid, with tons of people mocking them online, and they can't even talk back.

Even these old guys couldn't understand how this was accomplished or how it was connected.

Just like they can't understand topics like parody, spoof, and internet memes.

I don't understand it at all, and I'm about to be driven crazy.

You're not even as good as Lao Chen, how can you talk like that?

Do you know what it means to "offend the abbot and then try to run away"?

To say that the poet Chen had at least once traveled there.

However, crossing land has never been very successful.

Is "Looking for a Gun" any good?

pretty good.

But it has a ginger-like smell.

Nobody would believe it if you said Jiang Wen directed half of it.

Is "Kekexili" any good?

Great, they even won an award.

It turned out to be plagiarism.

Later works like "The Last Supper," "Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe," and "Bureau 749" further showcased the brilliance of these films.

It's enough to make anyone numb.

His career peak is now with this film, "Nanjing Nanjing".

So why was "City of Life and Death" so good?

Just like the success of "Looking for a Gun," it wasn't solely Lu Chuan's achievement.

Besides Lao Han, Qin Hong, the boss of Xingmei, was also involved in this film, along with foreign investors, all of whom were pressuring him.

In addition, given the historical setting, Lu Chuan didn't dare to act recklessly and did thorough research beforehand.

There is another very important point.

The film "Nanjing Nanjing" was specially shot on black and white film.

This project was initiated by American investors who approached him after watching "Kekexili" and wanted to invest money to make a Chinese version of "Schindler's List".

Schindler's List was also deliberately shot on black and white film to convey the weight of history.

He imitated this performance style.

Lu Chuan's visual taste isn't great, and his color sense doesn't seem very sophisticated.

Not to mention comparing him to Zhang Yimou, he's far inferior even to Chen Shishi.

The black and white image effectively concealed this weakness of his.

A director loves his work as much as a parent loves their child.

Moreover, it is a work that took several years of effort to create.

It's understandable that they're anxious and can't say anything.

However, one must pay attention to the manner and method of expressing one's attitude.

Director Lu, on the other hand, occasionally has rabies episodes, sometimes and sometimes.

He is a typical petty person with a narrow mind.

In terms of personality, he actually has many similarities with the poet Chen.

Later, because "Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe" was outperformed at the box office by "Goodbye Mr. Loser" at the same time, they relentlessly criticized and attacked the other film for many years.

When "Claw Machine" was released, he publicly stated on Weibo that the film was "a mentally retarded, highly alkaline film, and a cultural tragedy."

He got hammered and then claimed his account was hacked, but that wasn't him who said that.

They dare to do it, but dare not take responsibility.

They're just taking advantage of the fact that Shen Teng doesn't have a powerful background.

Why don't you dare to criticize poet Chen and his ilk?
Because you guys in the imperial circle are all the same group.

In addition, relying on being Han Han's darling and having a good father, he has a deep relationship with China Film Group and has never lacked projects.

They became even more fearless.

He always acts like a "mainstream" director, high and mighty, trying to educate the audience.

Zhang Yuan and he didn't have much interaction. When they met at the movie theater last time, Zhang Yuan treated him very politely.

So I never expected this to happen.

This left him somewhat bewildered.

I have no grudge against you.

Just because the box office isn't as good as mine, you're acting like a rabid dog?
Unfortunately, I am not Shen Teng.

"Director Feng, what kind of relationship do we have? How familiar are we? How could I not understand your personality?"

"You wouldn't get involved in this, someone must be out of their mind."

"That's absolutely right!" Director Feng felt much more relieved after hearing him say that.

"There's something else, Mr. Wang asked me to pass on a message."

"He said that Ip Man did very well at the box office, and you should be able to make a lot of money."

"If you have substance, don't be too demanding about appearances."

"Because this matter was difficult to handle, the film 'Nanjing Nanjing' is very special."

He said you're smart and should understand what he means.

Xiao Wang specifically asked Feng Xiaogang to pass on a message to him.

Zhang Yuan nodded to indicate that he understood, thanked them, and then hung up the phone.

Was Hua Yi reminding him because she cared about him?
Not so much.

The main reason is that he had just finished filming "The Message," and Hua Yi was also worried that if something happened to him, it would affect her own work.

The Wang brothers knew Lu Chuan.

Because of his debut novel, "Looking for a Gun," Lao Han brought Hua Yi along to invest money in it.

But just like the film "The Emperor's Shadow" that Lao Han persuaded them to invest in, it lost money.

It can be said that Lu Chuan and Chen Shiren, those two troublemakers, were the driving force behind Huayi's decision to stop using directors with different surnames and focus on cultivating its own people.

These cronies in the imperial circle are really no good.

Lu Chuan, in particular, was brought to tears by Jiang Wen's sharp rebuke while filming "Looking for a Gun".

When filming "Red Sorghum," Jiang Wen was constantly arguing with Zhang Yimou.

He even confronted Zhang Yimou, saying it was his first time making a movie and he didn't know anything about it.

But Zhang Yimou didn't cry; on the contrary, the more he criticized the film, the better it became.

If you're capable and have a reason, you won't cry.

“What Huayi said makes sense.”

That day, he pondered the other person's words during breaks in filming. This was different from usual.

Meanwhile, things weren't as peaceful in China as they were in France.

Everyone's in an uproar!

Zhang Yuan is not in the country, and someone said this about him in public.

His colleagues and friends were all terrified.

They exchanged messages, and some even called him.

Most of them automatically keep a low profile, fearing that something serious might happen and they would be implicated.

Enlight Media's "Entertainment Live" provided in-depth coverage of the remarks made at this press conference.

This program was created by Enlight Media and was the earliest television program in China to separate production and broadcasting.

Because most television programs, whether legal or variety shows, are either self-produced or co-produced by the television station.

"Entertainment Live" was produced by Enlight Media and then sold to various television stations like a TV series.

What makes this program so impressive is that Enlight Media has set up studios and work teams in six locations: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Taipei, Hong Kong, and Seoul, to obtain and report on entertainment news from these cities.

Because of its timeliness and accuracy, TV stations that don't have much time to spend on entertainment news have bought this program.

In the three northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning alone, more than 30 local TV stations broadcast "Entertainment Live".

There are as many as 6 or 70 local TV stations broadcasting the program nationwide.

It has a very large influence.

Huayi's main source of income is movies.

At this time, the revenue from program production and related advertising accounted for 7% of the company's income.

This is also why he was willing to get in touch with Zhang Yuan; the two had few areas of business conflict and many areas of complementarity.

Because President Wang had already shown interest in befriending Zhang Yuan, the most popular entertainment program in the country completely sided with him when reporting on the incident.

"It is undignified for a veteran director to insult the audience in this way."

"He criticizes younger artists as idols, not actors, as if he sets the rules for defining idols and actors."

"Moreover, how could an actor who has won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor be an idol?"

"They criticize other films released at the same time for being poorly made, but we haven't seen any poorly made aspects in 'Ip Man'..."

Like people, the media cannot be completely neutral and will always have a stance.

Fortunately, he received much support, and this time his side was on their side.

Therefore, the public opinion in the market has not yet turned out to be overwhelmingly unfavorable to him; in fact, he is in a favorable position.

Some people are happy about this situation, while others are sad.

Zhen Zidan was very worried.

I was stunned when I saw that "Ip Man" had grossed over 100 million yuan a few days ago.

"His judgment can't really be that accurate!"

International Dan always thought that Zhang Yuan stole this role from him, mostly because he wanted to mess with him, a senior actor.

At most, I just like the character.

Who knew the box office would be so high!
Does this mean I missed out on a movie that grossed over 100 million yuan?

He missed a chance to become famous.

One's own failure is regrettable, but the success of others is the most hateful.

He made me so angry.

So after seeing Lu Chuan's furious rebuke, International Dan felt much better.

It's like in the countryside, being poor is fine, but if you lease a fishpond and earn over 100,000 yuan a year, I'll definitely pour pesticide on you in the middle of the night and kill all those fish.

I'm not doing well, and I can't make you well either!

It's frustrating to see so many media outlets speaking up for him.

In contrast, Lao Han was much calmer.

After all, the palms and backs of your hands are all made of flesh.

Zhang Yuan is capable of both taking risks and making money.

He called him, just like Director Feng did.

"I'm telling you, you can finally settle down."

“I’ve already called Lu Chuan and criticized him.”

"We're all on the same side, why are you making such a fuss?"

Zhang Yuan sneered inwardly.

own people?
Just kidding.

He doesn't acknowledge me, and I certainly won't acknowledge him either.

I'm not part of the imperial circle; he doesn't consider me one of his own.

He's too incompetent; I wouldn't work with him.

"Xiao Lu put a lot of effort into that film, so he's in a bad mood."

"He has realized his mistake."

Old Han tried his best to comfort him.

Because he was well aware of Zhang Yuan's "destructive power".

Realizing his mistake... Zhang Yuan scratched his head.

Just like Zhang Ziyi's older brother, he didn't even apologize in person. Is that what you call knowing you're wrong?

Old Han is definitely lying; the other party is probably cursing him out.

Zhang Yuan guessed correctly. Not only did Lu Chuan not back out, but when Lao Han called him, he even complained about the film scheduling.

They say Lao Han is biased towards Zhang Yuan.

China Film Group invested a lot of money in "Nanjing Nanjing", so Lao Han certainly couldn't undermine him.

I gave him a few words of advice and told him not to talk nonsense anymore.

The punishment was three cups of wine, and that was it.

This is what happens when someone has connections.

Now that I've suffered a loss, you're telling me to keep quiet... Zhang Yuan is definitely unwilling.

But you can't take your anger out on Lao Han.

"I understand what you mean."

"But you can't bully people like this, can you?"

“I didn’t provoke him or provoke him.”

“I know, but both your movies and his are showing recently, so you need to think about the bigger picture.”

"Personal grudges should not affect the film and television market."

Zhang Yuan listened, and seemed to understand somewhat.

Old Han was mainly thinking of himself.

Both films are performing well, making history for the Labor Day holiday, which is considered a relatively quiet release period.

As the person in charge, he felt proud.

Naturally, no one wants to ruin this promising future and cause unnecessary trouble.

Zhang Yuan thought for a moment, and then spoke.

"In that case, I assure you that I will absolutely not do anything to the film 'Nanjing Nanjing'."

"Yes, I'm glad you said that."

Old Han hung up the phone with a smile.

I only said that I would not do anything about the film "Nanjing Nanjing".

But it didn't say that it wouldn't do anything to Lu Chuan.

Anyway, I said I would agree, and you agreed.

Zhang Yuan browsed through the information online.

Wang Zhonglei also wrote a film review for "Nanjing Nanjing".

Some say the portrayal of Mr. Rabe in this play is not objective enough.

Because Mr. Rabe protected many refugees, he was known as the Schindler of the East.

However, the Chinese are much better than the Jewish people.

Even the bald man continued to send money to Mr. Rabe every month until the latter passed away.

Moreover, in 97, Mr. Rabe's tombstone was moved to Nanjing with a grand ceremony, attended by all local leaders, and treated as a sacred relic.

The Chinese people will never forget those who have helped them.

But the old Jewish men were different.

Schindler once provided a sum of his wartime relief funds to elderly Jews in North America, amounting to as much as $100 million.

That was $100 million back then.

Finally, the Old Jewish Group sent him $15000.

Moreover, this 15,000 yuan is not a donation, but a loan.

This perfectly matches the style of the old Jewish man who started out as a loan shark.

After Spielberg finished filming "Schindler's List," the film grossed over $3 million at the box office, and the copyright and DVD sales also generated countless revenues.

As a result, they sent $5 to Schindler's widow as a token of their appreciation.

They won't be grateful.

Because you don't help them, you are a bad person, you are a heretic, and my God will judge you.

You helped them, not because you are a good person, but because my God saved His people through your hand.

That's their logic.

Mr. Rabe was a Nazi and also the general agent of Siemens at the time.

Ultimately, they were forced to leave Nanjing and withdraw from the safety zone protecting Chinese refugees.

The ending is the same, but the process is different.

The real John Rabe was warmly received by the Chinese people, but left Nanjing in great disappointment.

In the film *City of Life and Death*, to evoke emotion, Rabe was depicted kneeling before the safety zone.

They are our country's benefactors, after all. It's inappropriate to fabricate them kneeling for the sake of movie effects.

But that was all Xiao Wang said.

He would say that because "The Diary of John Rabe" was invested in by Huayi.

However, its box office performance was crushed by "City of Life and Death".

So I complained a little.

But he didn't say anything excessive, showing considerable restraint.

Just like his attitude when he asked Feng Xiaogang to pass on a message to him, he was restrained.

His restraint was unusual.

The reason for his unusual behavior was also the reason why Zhang Yuan found it troublesome.

That is stance.

The film "Nanjing Nanjing" holds an absolute superior position from the perspective of the nation.

If a public figure criticizes or slanders a film about the Nanjing Massacre, they are likely to face backlash.

If you're labeled a traitor or a national villain, you're finished.

Lu Chuan has an "invincible body"!

So even someone as arrogant as Xiao Wang is wary of him and doesn't dare to speak recklessly.

Moreover, attacking Lu Chuan now will also get you labeled a traitor because of this drama.

Unless his next film comes out, or a year or two passes and the hype surrounding "Nanjing Nanjing" fades.

This film is like a shield for Director Lu.

Charging at him too easily will not only fail to break his shield, but will also cause him to take damage back.

"So," Zhang Yuan pondered, "I need to find a way that won't leave me vulnerable to criticism on my stance, but will also teach Director Lu how to behave properly..." (End of Chapter)