1978: Female educated youth, don’t want an illiterate husband

When the opening ceremony ended, the lights came back on!
As the crowd slowly left, Cheng Xuemin tightened his grip on Feng Jiayou's hand and whispered in her ear, "The opening gong has sounded! Wife, the real competition begins tomorrow!"

Feng Jiayou looked up at her man's profile, which appeared particularly deep and determined under the light, squeezed his hand tightly, and nodded gently.
She knew that tomorrow, "Redemption" would be unveiled to the world for the first time in Cannes!

And their war of resistance against Japan will officially begin!
however!
This contest seems to have come sooner than expected!
Just as they followed the flow of people out of the Lumière Hall and into the relatively spacious rest area, preparing to linger for a while before leaving!
A figure parted the crowd and walked straight toward Cheng Xuemin!
The newcomer was an Asian woman, about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old. She was wearing a well-tailored, high-quality dark gray women's suit, and her hair was neatly combed back, revealing her smooth forehead.

She wasn't tall, but she had a straight posture and walked with a gait that was unique to Japanese working women, a blend of respect and assertiveness.

Her makeup was exquisite, and her features were well-proportioned, but her brows revealed a shrewdness and an unapproachable coldness!
What was particularly eye-catching was the pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. Her gaze behind the lenses was sharp as an eagle's, and at this moment it was firmly locked on Cheng Xuemin!
When Cheng Xuemin saw the person who had arrived, he paused almost imperceptibly!
The usual polite smile on his face faded slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in the depths of his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure!

Feng Jiayou also noticed this woman with a unique temperament who was clearly there for her man. She subconsciously tightened her grip on Cheng Xuemin's arm, feeling a little uneasy.
Who is this woman?
"Cheng Sang, it's been a long time! I never expected to run into you here, it's quite a surprise."

The woman stopped about a meter in front of Cheng Xuemin, bowed slightly, her movements were impeccably standard, but there was little surprise or joy in her tone.

Instead, it carried a faint, almost provocative scrutiny!

She spoke Chinese with standard pronunciation, but with a noticeable Japanese accent!
"Miss Naoko, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Cheng Xuemin nodded slightly in return, his tone flat and devoid of emotion, as he said:

"I really didn't expect this! This is the Cannes Film Festival, Ms. Nako...did she come to the wrong venue? Or has Hitachi Heavy Industries expanded its business into the field of film investment?"

The visitor was none other than Nako Tsuchino, the head of Hitachi Heavy Industries' business division in Japan!
Upon hearing "Hitachi Heavy Industries" and "Miss Naoko," Feng Jiayou immediately understood!

He's Japanese!

He was an opponent that Xuemin had dealt with during the negotiations in Shanghai!

She immediately became alert, her body unconsciously moving closer to Cheng Xuemin, her eyes filled with wariness!

When Tsuchino Naoko heard Cheng Xuemin's words, the corner of her mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, a micro-expression that was a mixture of sarcasm and disdain!
She pushed up her glasses, her gaze behind the lenses becoming even sharper: "Mr. Cheng is joking. Cannes is a temple of art, open to all who love art!"

"But Mr. Cheng, I remember you as an outstanding technical engineer and negotiation expert. What brings you here?"
Does China's heavy industry development now require it to seek inspiration at film festivals?

These words were laced with barbs, implying that Cheng Xuemin was neglecting his duties and overstepping his bounds to seek personal gain.

Cheng Xuemin's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes turned cold: "Miss Naoko seems to know me very little."

"My main job is to be a cultured person. The previous discovery about the hidden heavy hot rolling mill was actually a completely accidental discovery!"

"So it was an accident, our main battleground is actually the cultural field! For example, the film we brought this time, 'Redemption,' happened to catch the judges' eye and was screened in the main competition section!"

"Ms. Naoko, it's amazing that you have such a passion for film art and came to support us in person. It seems that Hitachi Heavy Industries' corporate culture is truly diverse and full of sentiment!"

His words were a barbed tongue, meant to provoke the Japanese women in front of him. He had accidentally discovered the fatal flaw in the heavy hot rolling mills produced by Hitachi Heavy Industries while he was doing his job!

Sure enough, these words directly stimulated the muscles on Tsuchino Nako's face, which seemed to tense up instantly.

She clearly hadn't expected Cheng Xuemin to be so direct in his attacks, and that his verbal sparring was just as sharp!
She took a deep breath, seemingly adjusting her emotions, but the condescending tone in her voice became even stronger:
"Mr. Cheng, you've misunderstood. I do indeed have great respect for the art of film!"

"In fact, our Hitachi Group also has a cultural investment fund, and we have always spared no effort in supporting promising art projects!"

"Our Japanese film 'Kagemusha,' which we submitted to Cannes this year, received part of its production funding from our foundation. As one of the representatives of the production company, it is only natural that I was invited to attend!"

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the slightly tense members of the "Redemption" team behind Cheng Xuemin, before finally settling back on Cheng Xuemin's face. Her tone carried an undisguised, almost pitying, regret:
"However, what surprises and disappoints me is that, Mr. Cheng, what you brought this time doesn't seem to be your two previous works that caused a sensation in Asia, either 'Tai Chi' or 'Shaolin Temple'?"

"Those two films, at least, showcase ancient Chinese culture and... well, a certain degree of aesthetics of power. If Cheng Sang had brought them to Cannes, perhaps there would have been some... possibility of exchange with our Japanese film 'Kagemusha' on the level of Eastern aesthetics!"

Her wording was polite, but the meaning couldn't be clearer:

If you, Cheng Xuemin, had brought films like "Tai Chi" and "Shaolin Temple" that showcase Chinese kung fu, you might have been able to put up a fight against their Bushido-themed film, "Kagemusha"!
But you brought along some obscure book called "Redemption"?
What is that?

Competing on the same stage with their master Akira Kurosawa's epic masterpiece?

They're utterly inadequate; they've brought shame upon themselves!
Upon hearing this, Huang Jianzhong and Feng Jiazhao behind Cheng Xuemin changed their expressions. Although Andy and Reid couldn't understand everything, they could sense the strong contempt from Tsuchino Naoko's expression and tone, and they couldn't help but clench their fists!

Feng Jiayou was so angry that her face turned white. This Japanese woman was so disrespectful!
She opened her mouth to say something, but Cheng Xuemin gently squeezed the back of her hand, stopping her!

Cheng Xuemin's smile deepened, but the smile didn't reach his eyes!

He looked at Tsuchino Naoko with a calm and unwavering gaze, as if what she had just said was merely an insignificant weather comment.

"It seems Ms. Naoko's understanding of film is still superficial." Cheng Xuemin's voice was not loud, but each word was clear, carrying an undeniable, steady strength as he continued:
"The value of a film lies not in whether it tells a story from ancient or modern times, or whether it's about kung fu or something else. It lies in whether it can touch people's hearts, provoke thought, and resonate with audiences across different cultural backgrounds!"

"Kagemusha is a masterpiece, and we have great respect for it! But Redemption tells a story of common human emotions and predicaments, of hope in despair, and of the brilliance of humanity under the oppression of the system!"

I believe that good films transcend national borders and eras. As for whether it's good enough, or whether it deserves to stand on this stage…

He paused, his gaze meeting Tsuchino Naoko's sharp eyes behind her glasses, his tone suddenly taking on a sharp edge:
"How about we wait until after the screening tomorrow and let the audience and professional judges answer the questions?"

Tsuchiya Naoko was speechless after Cheng Xuemin’s words, which were neither humble nor arrogant, yet subtly sharp!
She hadn't expected Cheng Xuemin to be so calm and collected, and to retaliate so forcefully!
The condescending mask on her face began to crumble, and she sneered, "Cheng Sang is quite confident!"

"However, there is often a huge gap between confidence and reality. 'Kagemusha' has been promoting itself in Cannes for nearly half a month, and the media reviews and audience expectations are extremely high. It is one of the strongest contenders for this year's Palme d'Or!"

"And Cheng Sang's 'Redemption'... please forgive my bluntness, but it seems that apart from Cheng Sang herself, not many people have heard of it. This contest, I'm afraid, was never on the same level from the very beginning!" Her words were almost a naked insult and provocation!
Some filmmakers who noticed the conversation began to cast curious and inquisitive glances at them!
The smile on Cheng Xuemin's face vanished completely!

He looked at Tsuchino Naoko, his eyes becoming deep and sharp, like two swords about to be drawn.

"Ms. Nako seems to like measuring everything in terms of magnitude. This applies to business negotiations as well as to the art of film."

Cheng Xuemin continued slowly, "But sometimes in this world, it is precisely when the small achieves great things and the weak overcomes the strong that things are more exciting and truly test one's strength and wisdom!"

Upon hearing this, the Japanese woman raised an eyebrow again and said directly, "Since Mr. Cheng thinks so highly of your movie, how about... we make a bet?"

"bet?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xuemin's expression faltered, clearly not expecting this Japanese woman to be so gambler-like and suddenly bring this up!

However, he asked casually out of curiosity, "So, what does Miss Naoko want to bet on?"

The Japanese devils, not wanting to be too smug, provocatively said, "Let's bet on the final results of our respective films at this year's Cannes Film Festival!"

"Whoever's film wins a higher-level award or has a greater impact wins!"

"How about we base our judging criteria on the official list of winners published by the film festival, as well as the comprehensive evaluations from mainstream international media after the festival?"

Cheng Xuemin's "Redemption"?
Is a little-known Chinese director, with two unknown Hollywood actors, trying to compete with Akira Kurosawa's "Kagemusha" in terms of awards and influence with a strange background?

This is simply a fantasy!

It is the ultimate form of self-humiliation!
Therefore, Tsuchino Nako is almost certain that in this unequal bet, their Japanese "Kagemusha" will win by a crushing margin!
Cheng Xuemin looked into the eyes of the Japanese women behind their glasses, which gleamed with smugness, provocation, and a barely perceptible greed, and instantly understood!
This woman's conversation wasn't just a chance encounter; she was clearly plotting something, waiting for this moment to set a trap!

From her precise identification of herself, using the hype of "Kagemusha" and the obscurity of "Redemption" to belittle and provoke, to her casually proposing a bet, everything was well-prepared and had a clear purpose!
Sure enough, these Japanese devils were at their wits' end, or rather, they were still determined to make a big gamble at the last moment!
That $200 million technology transfer fee must be a real thorn in the side for Hitachi Heavy Industries, especially for the Hitachi executive who suffered a huge loss at the negotiating table, keeping him up at night!

With the final negotiations and signing scheduled for late July in Hong Kong, and everything seemingly settled, she's getting anxious!

She wanted to use the Cannes stage to turn the tide with what she considered a sure-fire film gamble, and win back the technology that they should have paid the price for!
Interesting, really interesting!
Cheng Xuemin sneered inwardly, but his face remained impassive. He even cooperated by showing a perfectly timed hesitation and contemplation, as if he had been provoked!

"A bet? A bet on the film's awards and influence?" Cheng Xuemin repeated, his brows furrowing slightly, as if he were seriously considering the feasibility of the proposal, or perhaps assessing the risks.

He continued, "Miss Naoko, this... seems a bit frivolous. Film is art; gambling with awards, doesn't that tarnish the purity of art?"

To Naoko Tsuchino, his concerns were a sign of his guilty conscience and cowardice!

She felt much more at ease, and the mixture of regret and condescension on her face became even more pronounced, her tone becoming increasingly sincere and seductive:

“Cheng Sang, this is not child's play, nor is it about artistic purity. It's more like a... gentleman's agreement, a public contest of confidence in each other's work!”

Artistic evaluations may be subjective, but the Cannes awards represent the most professional and authoritative recognition in the global film industry!
Is there anything wrong with using this result to validate our judgment of our own work? Or is it that…?

She deliberately dragged out her words, her gaze behind her glasses piercing Cheng Xuemin with undisguised provocation: "Cheng Sang, you don't have as much confidence in your 'Redemption' as you just said?"

"I feel that it... is simply not comparable to 'Kagemusha,' let alone compete with it in terms of awards?"

"If that's the case, then wasn't your impassioned speech just now... a bit of an exaggeration?"

The air around them seemed to freeze because of Tsuchino Nako's relentless and incisive words!

Feng Jiayou was so angry that she trembled all over. She had never seen such an arrogant and aggressive woman!
Huang Jianzhong, Feng Jiazhao, and others also looked ashen-faced!

Fu Qi and Shi Hui exchanged a worried look!

Aunt Gu Qiuna narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze shifting between Cheng Xuemin and Tsuchino Naoko!

Cheng Xuemin fell silent!

He lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the cuffs of his suit, as if he were engaged in a fierce internal struggle!

Seeing this struggling look made the smile on Tsuchino Naoko's face even wider; she could almost foresee what was going to happen next!

The other party either becomes angry and refuses, appearing exasperated;
Either bite the bullet and agree, then back down again in the face of the bet she proposes that is sure to benefit you, and completely lose face!

However, when Cheng Xuemin looked up, the expression on his face made Tsuchino Naoko's heart skip a beat for some reason!
It wasn't the anger or fear she had expected, but a calm mixed with amusement, scrutiny, and a hint of profound meaning that she couldn't quite decipher.

"Miss Naoko is right, confidence needs to be proven with facts!"

Cheng Xuemin spoke slowly, his voice returning to its previous calmness, even carrying a hint of ease, "Since Miss Naiko has such an interest, then... I might as well oblige and join in the bet!"

He paused, his gaze fixed on Naoko Tsuchiya, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry:
"But since it's a betting game, there has to be a stake! Miss Nako, what would you like to use as the prize? It can't just be a verbal contest or a cup of coffee, can it?"

coming!

Naoko Tsuchino's spirits lifted, her heart pounding with excitement and anticipation!
The fish is finally about to bite!
...(End of chapter)