Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 664 Analyzing *Water Margin*

Before Zhang Chen had even finished his meal, the internet was already flooded with news about him visiting the set of "Ghost Blows Out the Light".

The headlines of all major entertainment media outlets have been replaced with freshly released content—

Director Zhang Chen appeared on the set of "Ghost Blows Out the Light"~
When filming of "Ghost Blows Out the Light" encountered obstacles, Zhang Chen personally went to resolve them.
Zhang Chen visits the set of "Candle in the Tomb," raising concerns about Ning Hao's directorial position.
The media are saying all sorts of things. Zhang Chen has never been interviewed by any media outlet, but these media outlets are all insisting that they have exclusive news, and their only evidence is a picture.

Anyway, it's always the same: start with a picture, and the rest is all made up.

When Zhong Lifang saw the news online, her lips unconsciously curved into a smile.

This is why he insisted on having Zhang Chen visit the set in Inner Mongolia; Zhang Chen's popularity is simply too high.

As a director with multiple blockbuster works and a reputation for "box office success," Zhang Chen is no longer just a film and television creator, but a walking traffic generator.

Wherever he goes, the media cameras and the public follow him. Even if he just appears randomly on a street corner, he can easily dominate the trending topics list.

The TV series "Ghost Blows Out the Light" desperately needs a boost in popularity, and Zhang Chen's "friendly visit to the set" is several times more effective than spending millions on publicity.

……

The "Ghost Blows Out the Light" crew had a private room, and everyone there was used to it, since they were all insiders and knew the logic behind how traffic was generated.

After the waiter refilled the tea and left, the conversation naturally turned to the "drastically altered classic works" incident that had caused a stir some time ago.

"Chenzi, to be honest, I was really afraid you'd be called out, but thankfully, the official media ultimately stood up for you~"

Ning Hao made no attempt to hide his lingering fear, which was also filled with deep concern. Upon hearing the nickname "Chenzi," the people around him couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.

In the entire entertainment industry, only two people can address Zhang Chen like that: Ning Hao and Cao Bingkun.

"Don't worry too much. Actually, it was a misunderstanding. The new 'Water Margin' series co-developed by Shandong TV and Bona Film Group will wrap up filming at the end of this year. Bona wanted to use 'Summer of Prison Break' to promote the 'Water Margin' theme, but they didn't expect it to turn out like that..."

Zhang Chen's seemingly casual explanation.

He knew, of course, that there were other people behind this, but with so many people around, saying too much might get out and alert Huayi Brothers, so Zhang Chen simply pretended not to know.

Yu Dong of Bona Film Group is indeed using this to promote the new "Water Margin".

This drama was a joint production by Bona Film Group, Shandong Television, Tianjin Northern Film Group, BJ Dahua Global Film & Television Development Co., Ltd., and Juli Film & Television Media Co., Ltd. Planning began well before filming started, with a huge production involving casting and hiring numerous online trolls to create buzz on various social media platforms, with discussions ranging from "Which of the 108 heroes is most suitable for today's workplace" to "Who has higher martial arts skills, Lin Chong or Wu Song?"

Unfortunately, this topic never really gained traction, and then, "The Summer of Prison Break" suddenly appeared.

The most popular program on the Spring Festival Gala, with a background of "Water Margin," is like a godsend.

Bona Film Group hyped things up wildly, but was taken aback by how things turned out.

How did it suddenly become a 'drastically altered classic'?
He quickly realized that someone was targeting Zhang Chen.

Yu Dong didn't care who was targeting Zhang Chen, but he did care about the attitude of those above him.

If negative comments were to emerge, and the authorities were to implement a blanket ban on the "Water Margin" theme, that would be a case of more harm than good.

"Speaking of 'Water Margin,' has everyone read the original novel?"

Zhang Chen didn't want to continue this topic, so he simply started talking about "Water Margin".

"I've seen it~"

The people opposite almost spoke in unison.

Of the Four Great Classical Novels, Journey to the West has probably had the widest influence, but most people's understanding of this novel comes from the 82 TV series, and not many have read the original text.

Next up are "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Water Margin," especially for boys, who are very interested in these two works, since they contain the heroic sentiments and brotherhood that boys find appealing.

"What do you think?"

Xia Yu smiled wryly: "As a native of Shandong, my biggest takeaway from reading *Water Margin* is how serious the obsession with taking the civil service exam is among Shandong people!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a burst of laughter erupted in the private room.

Everyone knows who he's talking about, of course—Song Jiang, the "Timely Rain."

Xia Yu continued, "Think about it, how many of the 108 heroes were after 'being granted amnesty'? Song Jiang's constant talk of 'acting on behalf of Heaven' was ultimately just a way for his brothers to 'clean up their identities' and get some official positions. Isn't this essentially the same mentality as young people today scrambling to take the civil service exam and pursuing stable government jobs?"

Everyone nodded in agreement, but Jiang Chao frowned and retorted: "If you're talking about acting on behalf of Heaven, I think that among the 108 heroes, the only one who can truly be called a 'hero' is probably Lu Zhishen."

His words immediately piqued everyone's interest.

Jiang Chao is a well-known "Water Margin fan" in the industry. Although the character Li Dazui he played in "My Own Swordsman" was a comedic role, he was quite knowledgeable about classical literature in private.

He started by counting on his fingers and analyzing: "Let's start with Wu Song, who is the most popular. He is indeed brave, but can he be considered a good person? When the blood splattered at the Mandarin Duck Tower, he killed Zhang Dujian's entire family, including the maids and servants. That's dozens of lives. How many of them were innocent? He can at most be considered to have 'taken revenge,' but he doesn't deserve the title of 'hero.'"

He paused, then spoke of Lin Chong: "Look at Leopard Head Lin Chong, he's highly skilled in martial arts and not a bad person, but he's a complete coward. He tolerated his wife being harassed by Gao Yanei; he tolerated being falsely accused and exiled to Cangzhou; he only finally snapped when he was driven to desperation in the snowstorm at the Mountain God Temple. How can someone who was so subservient in the first half of his life, unable even to protect himself, deserve the title of 'hero'?"

"So you're saying Lu Zhishen is a hero, but he has no flaws?" someone pressed.

"Lu Zhishen certainly had his flaws; he was reckless and impulsive, but he had a truly compassionate heart."

Jiang Chao said with certainty, "He punched Zhen Guanxi to save Jin Cuilian and her father, and he made a scene in Wild Boar Forest to save Lin Chong. Even after he became an outlaw, he never killed an innocent person indiscriminately. His last words before his death, 'The tide comes on the Qiantang River, and only today do I know who I am,' perfectly capture his clarity and detachment. Only someone like him deserves to be called a hero."

Ning Hao, who was standing to the side, hesitated for a moment, but finally interjected: "You've all got one thing wrong. You've confused 'hero' with the 'good man' we usually talk about. Do you think 'hero' back then was a good word? In the Northern Song Dynasty, 'hero' didn't refer to a person of upright character at all. It was used to describe those 'strongmen' who could control the situation. To put it bluntly, it was a synonym for a formidable character. It's completely different from the 'good man' we understand today."

Ning Hao's words caused a brief silence in the private room.

Liu Ye chimed in, "Anyway, I don't think the Liangshan heroes have anything to do with 'acting on behalf of Heaven,' they're not heroes at all, they're just a bunch of vicious criminals."

Zhang Chen picked up his teacup and took a sip. If it were the old him, he would definitely think that Liu Ye made sense. He had discussed this with Ning Hao more than once before, and felt that "Water Margin" was overrated.

He had read all four classic novels. The subtlety of "Dream of the Red Chamber," the political intrigue of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," and the fantasy of "Journey to the West" all left a deep impression on him. However, when he read "Water Margin," he always felt a tightness in his chest and even felt disgusted. They were clearly a group of robbers who robbed and killed people, but they were packaged as chivalrous heroes who "acted on behalf of Heaven," which was really hard to accept.

Take those heroes who were "forced to join the Liangshan bandits" for example. Zhu Tong was working in the county government and living a peaceful life. However, his son was brutally killed by Li Kui, leaving him with no other choice but to become an outlaw. Qin Ming was even more wronged. In order to force him to join the Liangshan bandits, they not only sent someone to impersonate him and kill hundreds of people outside Qingzhou City, but also burned down his house, leaving him with a bad reputation for all time. Then there was Lu Junyi, who was originally a famous wealthy man in Hebei. He was framed by Wu Yong, his property was confiscated, and his wife was taken by someone else. In the end, he had no choice but to join the Liangshan bandits.

The methods of these people in Liangshankeng are so dark that they are dark to the core. Where is there even a trace of "acting on behalf of Heaven"?

However, now, with age and experience, Zhang Chen has gradually come to believe that there is indeed a reason why "Water Margin" became one of the Four Great Classical Novels.

He put down his teacup and said slowly, "Actually, from another perspective, the reason why the Four Great Classical Novels have been passed down for hundreds of years is because they have thoroughly explained human nature."

"Water Margin teaches you how fake brotherhood can be."

On the surface, the Liangshan brothers seemed like one big family, but what was the reality? How many brothers' lives did Song Jiang sacrifice for his plan to surrender to the imperial court? Li Kui was utterly loyal to Song Jiang, yet in the end, wasn't he poisoned to death by him? The so-called 'loyalty' was nothing more than a fig leaf covering up their intertwined interests.

"And what about 'Dream of the Red Chamber'?"

"Dream of the Red Chamber" lets you know how scum the upper class can be.

On the surface, the Rongguo and Ningguo mansions appeared to be places of wealth and refinement, but how many sordid and despicable things did they conceal within? Fathers and sons turned against each other, brothers killed one another, and maids were bought, sold, and abused at will. Their so-called 'high society' was nothing but an empty shell, rotten inside.

"The Romance of the Three Kingdoms teaches you to go with the flow in life and in your work."

Before anyone could ask, Zhang Chen continued speaking to himself:
"Zhuge Liang was resourceful and wise, and Guan Yu was loyal and brave, but Shu Han ultimately failed to unify the country. Why? Because they went against the trend and violated the general trend that the world will eventually unite after a long period of division. On the other hand, Sima Yi knew how to be patient and bide his time, and then seized the opportunity to strike a fatal blow, which ultimately laid the foundation for the Jin Dynasty. This is the importance of going with the flow."

"Journey to the West tells us that even if you have a head of bronze and bones of iron and seventy-two transformations, you still have to pull strings and use connections."

“Sun Wukong is so powerful that even the Jade Emperor couldn’t do anything to him when he wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace. But when he was on the journey to the West, he was helpless when he encountered a monster with a slightly powerful background. He had to ask this Bodhisattva or that Buddha for help. To put it bluntly, no matter how capable you are, you can’t escape the web of human relationships.”

"So, the reason why classics are classics is not because they depict a wonderful world, but because they dare to confront the complexity and darkness of human nature, and expose the real and bloody truth hidden beneath the glamorous exterior."

Zhang Chen's words made everyone fall into deep thought. After a while, Xia Yu smiled and said, "Now that you mention it, I suddenly realize that my understanding of classic works was too superficial before. In fact, many things that seemed serious before are not a big deal to us modern people."

"you do not say."

Someone chimed in, "If you put Ximen Qing in today's world, he wouldn't even be considered a womanizer. There are plenty of people who are worse than him. Nowadays, so many people juggle multiple partners and even call themselves 'playboys' or 'players.' Ximen Qing's affairs are at best 'entry-level.'"

"If you put Pan Jinlian in today's world, you wouldn't think she was that promiscuous, after all, she only slept with two men."

Jiang Chao also joked, "Nowadays, some people change partners more often than they change clothes in pursuit of excitement. If Pan Jinlian were born today, she might be described as 'daring to love and hate'."

"And then there's Chen Shimei. Even now, you wouldn't think he was that bad, since he was just trying to get ahead in society."

Ning Hao added, "Nowadays, many people change their fate through marriage and currying favor with the powerful. Chen Shimei was just practicing this logic hundreds of years ahead of time. It's just that he was unlucky enough to encounter Bao Zheng."

"If Heshen were alive today, no one would think he was that greedy, since he kept his money in China."

Zhang Chen couldn't help but make a joke, which immediately caused a burst of laughter in the private room. It was unclear whether they understood or not.

Everyone burst into laughter, but Maggie Q, sitting in the corner, looked somewhat bewildered.

She is American, born in Honolulu, and is of mixed American and Vietnamese descent.

Although he learned Mandarin and Cantonese when he worked in Hong Kong in his early years and could handle ordinary daily communication, he knew nothing about classic Chinese novels such as "Water Margin".

The words "Wu Song," "Lu Zhishen," and "recruitment" that everyone was talking about sounded like gibberish to her; she had no idea what they were discussing.

But this did not prevent her from keenly perceiving the atmosphere at the scene. Everyone's eyes were more or less focused on Zhang Chen; every word Zhang Chen said could easily stir up everyone's emotions.

As an actress who has primarily worked her way up in Hollywood, Maggie Q understands Zhang Chen's energy better than anyone else present.

She had personally witnessed how Zhang Chen, a foreign director, brought down Harvey, this local tyrant. His actions directly nailed Harvey, who was once a powerful figure in Hollywood, to the pillar of shame, causing him to fall from grace. Such ability is extremely rare in the entire film and television industry.

The reason she took on the role of "Shirley Yang" in the "Ghost Blows Out the Light" series was largely because she wanted to befriend Zhang Chen.

After all, Zhang Chen is not only a director, but also a top investor in the industry. Having a good relationship with him means being able to obtain more high-quality resources and opportunities.

However, since joining the crew, Zhang Chen has not shown up, which has delayed her plans.

Now that they've finally met, she naturally wants to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

But right now, she just doesn't understand what everyone is talking about.

During the meal, she frequently cast friendly glances at Zhang Chen and occasionally tried to find opportunities to talk about Mission: Impossible or Tom Cruise.

Shared experiences or friends can help to start conversations more easily.

Unfortunately, Zhang Chen was engrossed in analyzing "Water Margin" and paid no attention to her hints.

(End of this chapter)