Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 659 The dust has settled
While Harvey Weinstein was being "publicly executed" by netizens around the world on Twitter, the CCTV Spring Festival Gala stage was filled with jubilation on the other side of the Pacific Ocean in China.

The play "Summer of Prison Break" has already started, but Lao Zhao and Zhang Chen haven't appeared yet. Their scenes are in the later part of the play, and the earlier scenes are mainly filled by their apprentices.

This can be considered an attempt by Lao Zhao, and it's clear that he's consciously trying to reduce his presence.

Jailer (Wang Xiaoli): "You two, time to eat! Er Gou, steamed buns and pickled vegetables~"

Er Gou (Song Xiaobao): "That bad?"

The jailer angrily shouted, "What else do you want to eat in prison?"

Then he turned to Song Jiang and said, "Here you go, eight dishes and a soup, a hot pot, a bowl of Moutai, and a whole roasted lamb will be served to you in a bit!"

The audience burst into laughter, and a smile appeared on Lao Zhao's face. The first joke landed, and the anxiety that had been hanging in the air was greatly relieved.

If it were him, he wouldn't be worried at all. As soon as he stepped on stage, the audience would applaud as soon as they saw his face.

But it might not work if you replace them with a few apprentices. Judging from the results so far, they're not bad.

After that, the little tricks like "king crab" and "last meal" all came true, and Zhao Benshan became more and more at ease.

Zhang Chen's script was packed with jokes, and the audience laughed in waves.

This is the Spring Festival Gala. Old Zhao knows that there are people in the audience who are leading the applause and others who are leading the laughter, but he can still tell the difference between genuine laughter and fake laughter.

Soon, the first golden quote appeared: "To spend one's whole life saving all people and to spend one's whole life saving only one person..."

Upon hearing this, many viewers were immediately struck by the thought-provoking line, as they hadn't expected to hear such a profound statement in a skit primarily intended for entertainment.

But before this deep thought could be fully considered, it was replaced by laughter.

Song Jiang: "Today, I will rescue you!"

Er Gou: "No need, I'll release them tomorrow."

Song Jiang: "My brothers will be breaking into the prison soon, and we'll rescue you too!"

Er Gou: "No need, I'll release them tomorrow."

Song Jiang: "Since you'll be released tomorrow, I'll rescue you today!"

Er Gou: "No need, I'll release them tomorrow."

Song Jiang: "If you leave tomorrow, that's the freedom you've been waiting for; but if you leave today, that's the freedom you've fought for."

The second memorable line not only made the show funny but also elevated its overall quality.

His apprentices did not disappoint him; their jokes all landed perfectly, one after another.

By this time, some astute viewers had already noticed that Zhao Benshan's sketches this year were completely different in style from those of previous years.

In the past, Lao Zhao's sketches, although they had some memorable lines, were never this literary.

At this moment, the jailer played by Wang Xiaoli reappears, shouting, "What's all the noise about? Hey, who wrote a rebellious poem on the wall?"

Song Jiang volunteered: "I wrote it!"

But the jailer shoved him aside: "Do you think I'm blind? Isn't there a signature here, Er Gou?"

At this point, the audience's laughter reached its first climax.

Comedy shows like sketches rarely use foreshadowing; they usually achieve their effect with just a sentence or two—either you laugh or you don't.

At the beginning of the skit, Song Jiang asked for names, and Er Gou wrote his name on the wall. The audience thought it was just an introduction of the characters, but it turned out to be a foreshadowing of the joke about "rebellious poetry".

This method is too advanced.

That's why the bursts of laughter at the scene reached the first climax, which was really unexpected.

The later appearances of Shi Qian and Wu Song, along with references to Water Margin cards and shuriken, may not be understood by older generations, but those born in the 80s and 90s will definitely get it – that's a part of their youth.

Finally, with the announcement of "Grand Commandant Gao has arrived," Zhang Chen made his dazzling entrance.

Zhang Chen is not Wang Meng and does not have the status of an Olympic champion, so the world record-related elements were removed from Zhang Chen's portrayal, but the few that were retained were enough to make the character stand out.

Zhang Chen's appearance immediately drew gasps and applause.

After all, he's a famous director, so the audience is quite respectful when he appears in a skit.

But soon, Zhang Chen learned what it meant to have mountains beyond mountains and people beyond people.

When Zhao Benshan, who played the Grand Commandant Gao, appeared on the scene, he was immediately greeted with thunderous applause.

Old Zhao didn't say anything, didn't deliver a single joke, but just standing there, many audience members couldn't help but laugh.

This is the power of the King of Comedy.

Old Zhao seems to have become synonymous with comedy.

The plot continues.
Grand Commandant Gao: "You audacious Song Jiang, why do you not kneel before me?"

Song Jiang: "Hmph~"

Historian (Zhang Chen): "Song Jiang despises Grand Commandant Gao from the bottom of his heart."

The audience burst into laughter; no one had expected the subtext to be read out so bluntly.

The effect was phenomenal.

Grand Commandant Gao was somewhat on edge, but his status as a historian allowed him to hold back for the time being, and he continued to maintain his official demeanor: "Writing seditious poems is punishable by death according to the law."

Song Jiang snorted again!
The historian Zhang Chen once again recorded according to his own understanding: "Song Jiang cursed, 'That corrupt official!'"

The audience burst into laughter again, and even Zhao Benshan almost couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

At this point, the audience's attention had completely shifted to Zhang Chen and Grand Commandant Gao. It must be said that the historian's character was truly outstanding. Although he didn't have many lines, every single one of them was a brilliant touch, stealing the spotlight.

Grand Commandant Gao was somewhat embarrassed, so he could only resort to threats to save face: "Believe it or not, I can wipe out Liangshan with just a flick of my little finger, leaving not a single soldier alive, hmph hmph hmph~"

To everyone's surprise, Zhang Chen immediately jotted it down in his notebook: "Gao Qiu, bragged a load of nonsense~"

Hahaha~
The audience at the Spring Festival Gala burst into laughter once again, with many laughing until tears streamed down their faces, finding the historian character truly fascinating.

Even Lao Zhao's apprentices were envious. Although Tang Jianjun (Song Jiang), Yang Shulin (Shi Qian), Wen Song (Wu Song), and Song Xiaobao (Er Gou) appeared earlier and had more screen time, Zhang Chen's historian was definitely the most outstanding.

But as envious as they were, they knew they wouldn't get the role.

The script was written by Zhang Chen, and the reason this skit was able to be featured on the Spring Festival Gala was because Zhang Chen decided to play the historian. If it had been someone else, it's uncertain whether it would have passed the review.

The mere fact that it parodies a classic work is enough to make it hard to escape criticism, not to mention the use of words like "bragging" in the dialogue, which would easily lead to it being rejected by the guidance team.

It's only because Zhang Chen's fame is currently at its peak that the guidance team gave him the green light. Old Zhao's delivery of lines is truly excellent, and his acting is superb; he can convincingly portray any character.

When he played farmers before, you thought he was a real farmer; now that he plays a corrupt official, the audience actually finds him kind of cute.

After the climax, it gets a little boring, with place name references and Water Margin cards.

The final climax is approaching, and before the climax, there must be a build-up followed by a decline.

Er Gou was used as Song Jiang's stand-in, but Song Jiang and his two companions, who had been shouting about loyalty, turned away.

This scene cast a shadow of sadness over the otherwise cheerful skit, but just before Er Gou was about to be beheaded, the three of them broke through the wall again to save him.

When Er Gou played the suona and the familiar melody of "Water Margin" began, the skit reached its climax.

"Song Jiang, the timely rain hero of Liangshan, is here!"

"The Pilgrim Wu Song is here!"

"Shi Qian, the flea on the drum, is here~"

"Little Gou Er Gou is here~"

"Black Whirlwind Li Kui is here!"

"Hu Sanniang, the One-Zhang-Qing, is here!"

"Liu Huan, the hero, is here!"

Even at the climax of the show, Zhang Chen didn't forget to crack a joke, with his line "Liu Huan is here in the Heroes Song" eliciting laughter from the audience. Even Liu Huan, sitting in the audience, laughed along, surprised that he was involved in something here.

Amidst thunderous applause, everyone took their bows.

Backstage, Zhao Benshan's other apprentices came up to him with warm greetings: "Master, the effect was absolutely amazing! Your skit was definitely the best of the night!"

Old Zhao was also very satisfied with the performance, and patted Zhang Chen on the shoulder with a smile: "Thanks to our great director Zhang, for contributing such an excellent script!"

"Alright, Teacher Zhao, if it weren't for you willingly playing a supporting role, we wouldn't have had a chance to shine!"

Zhang Chen wasn't exaggerating. For the historian's lines to achieve the best effect, Grand Commandant Gao had to lay the groundwork well.

The more thorough the foreshadowing, the more obvious the contrast between Zhang Chen's performance and his unexpected charm will be when he delivers his lines.

If Lao Zhao had bad intentions, none of his jokes would have been effective.

At this moment, Dong Jianqiang excitedly handed over his phone. Zhang Chen already knew the result from the other party's expression. Then, he saw the text message from Zhong Lifang—"The response is good, Harvey is finished!"
Just then, the music for the next program started playing—"Today is a good day, all your wishes will come true!"
Hearing the familiar melody of "Good Days," a staple of the Spring Festival Gala, Zhang Chen couldn't help but hum along—"Today is a good day, all my wishes will come true~"
……

The next day, February 14th, is the traditional Western Valentine's Day, which is also the first day of the Lunar New Year in China, the first day of the new year.

Harvey Weinstein's empire collapsed amidst a torrent of public opinion.

This once-powerful producer, who held sway over the Oscars and wielded immense influence in Hollywood, is now utterly powerless to reverse the tide.

As more and more victims broke their silence, an unprecedented wave of condemnation swept through the entire film and television industry—almost half of Hollywood's artists broke their silence and stood on the side of justice.

From fledgling actors to seasoned veterans with numerous awards, they either publish lengthy articles on social media or choke up in public interviews.

Some people expressed their support and solidarity for the victims with resounding words, saying, "Your courage has illuminated the darkness."

Some people decisively distanced themselves from Harvey, announcing the termination of all unfinished collaborations and even removing previous honors and awards associated with him from the display shelves.

What's even more heartbreaking is that more and more female celebrities are bravely speaking out to the public, risking "secondary harm" and retaliation from industry unspoken rules, to admit that they have been assaulted or harassed by Harvey.

Their testimonies are shockingly detailed, piecing together the ugly face beneath the glamorous exterior of this "Godfather of Hollywood."

Public pressure quickly translated into judicial action.

The New York Police Department was the first to announce that it had officially launched a criminal investigation into multiple sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein, covering cases from the past two decades.

At almost the same time, London police also announced that they would initiate verification procedures for the allegations involving the UK.

The fall of the legal sword became the final straw that broke Harvey's back.

His meticulously built business empire, built over decades, began to crumble completely, and signs of his impending doom became increasingly apparent.

The Weinstein Company, which he founded, was the first to be affected.

On the third day after the uproar, the company's board of directors held an emergency meeting and ultimately passed a resolution unanimously to dismiss the founder with a long history of misconduct.

Even though Harvey roared, and even though he still held 20% of the company's shares, he was still completely stripped of all management and decision-making power.

Even more fatally, nearly ten collaborative projects that the company had previously planned or was in the process of pursuing, including co-production plans with top American film and television companies such as Disney, Fox, and Universal, were all halted by the other parties in a short period of time on the grounds of "brand risk".

Some of the signed contracts are even facing breach of contract claims, and the company's stock price has plummeted by more than 60% in a few days, bringing it to the brink of bankruptcy.

This upheaval quickly spread from the United States to the entire European and American film and television industry, prompting major authoritative institutions to react strongly.

The Cannes Film Festival committee issued a strongly worded statement, saying that Harvey's behavior "seriously violated the spirit and moral bottom line of film art" and announced a permanent ban on him from participating in any future film festival activities.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) not only publicly condemned his "despicable and disgraceful behavior," but also immediately initiated procedures to terminate his lifetime membership.

The French government has also stated that it has formally initiated the legal process to revoke Harvey's "Knight of the Legion of Honour" and to completely reclaim the honor that was once bestowed upon him.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the organization that receives the most global attention for the Oscars, was initially slow to respond due to the need for "careful evaluation." However, at the joint request of 54 heavyweight committee members, including Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Whoopi Goldberg, and Kathleen Kennedy, it urgently convened a special meeting.

Ultimately, the Academy's board of trustees, "far more than two-thirds" of the members, voted to pass a rare and stern decision: to immediately revoke Harvey Weinstein's membership in the Academy.

This is the first time in the academy's 90-year history that such a severe punishment has been imposed on a living member.

Harvey has too many enemies. His success at the Oscars has harmed the interests of too many people. These people may not have attacked Harvey before because they cherished their reputation, but when Harvey was imprisoned, they didn't mind giving him a push or even kicking him when he was down.

The speed at which Harvey fell from grace shocked Hollywood. When people thought of Harvey, they would unconsciously think of another name—Zhang Chen.

No one expected that this young filmmaker would actually bring down Harvey Weinstein, this "mountain," just before the Oscars season, by adhering to the truth and supporting the victims.

Prior to this, he had already brought down a vice president of Universal and the MPAA.

As expected, it's 'Battle Chen'!
The celebrities who had previously been instructed by Harvey to publicly smear Zhang Chen are now silent and have deleted their previous inappropriate remarks, fearing that they will be implicated in this storm and get into trouble, and even more afraid that they will become the target of 'Fighting Chen'.

Especially the bald guy from "Fast & Furious," he was the most famous among those celebrities who slandered Zhang Chen, and at this moment he was also the most embarrassed, being chased by reporters asking questions.

But Zhang Chen showed him no sympathy whatsoever. Fast & Furious seemed to be a well-known IP of Universal: "Since you made the first move, don't blame me for not leaving any room for maneuver."

He has made up his mind to capture all the iconic scenes from the Fast & Furious series and create a brand new action blockbuster with better production and a tighter plot.

In Xiao Shenyang's words, it's about taking the path of "Fast & Furious" and leaving "Fast & Furious" with nowhere to go.

……

Last day! Please vote with your monthly tickets!
(End of this chapter)