Generation Z Artists

Chapter 278 I am your sky
"First of all, 'Hero' is not my work, and I am not the mountain pressing down on your heads."

What truly oppresses you is destiny, the will of the people, the Chinese people, and the vast blue sky that all these things together constitute!

Secondly, your anger, regret, and blame do have some merit, because…

Fang Xinghe paused slightly, then exhaled with a decisive, sword-like breath.

"Right now, I truly represent that sky!"

The room suddenly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone's feelings were almost unanimous—"I knew you were crazy, but I never imagined you could be so crazy!"

What did that mean?
Warnings, intimidation, threats—they treat everyone like pigs, dogs, cattle, and sheep!
The shock was so great that it caused widespread speechlessness.

That deathly silence sent chills down many people's spines, made them break out in a cold sweat, and made their hearts leap into their throats.

But soon, Fang Xinghe threw down the pen in his hand, and the pen hit the notebook with a soft thud. Ms. Chai suddenly felt as if she had come back to life.

Fang Xinghe leaned back in his chair and said coldly, "My summary of 'Hero' itself has been compiled into a document, which will be presented and explained by my agent below."

He crossed his arms and stopped talking, while Wang Charlie ignored the strange atmosphere in the room and began reading his manuscript in silence.

It was a rather official, formulaic manuscript that was completely out of Fang Xinghe's league.

The nonsense went on for almost a minute before the atmosphere finally eased, and whispers filled the room.

"He compares himself to the heavens? What does he take us for?!"

Ms. Chai was furious. Her lips trembled uncontrollably, and her uncontrollable anger poured out from her eyes, the corners of her mouth, and her eyebrows. However, she managed to control her volume.

Because of fear.

Where does anger come from? It comes from fear.

General Manager Yang gave a wry smile and sighed, "It's the will of the people, the trend is set, isn't he now the god of the film industry? Putting everything else aside, if he wants to sabotage our project, who can stand against it?"

Mr. Xiang's eyes were sinister as he gritted his teeth and said, "No matter who wants to make a blockbuster, they'll definitely have to appease him. He's the boss, after all, so he's powerful! But I don't believe someone so arrogant can be powerful for long!"

Yuen Woo-ping, standing beside him, remained calm and composed.

"If he wants to act tough, let him act tough. Just bowing down and admitting defeat doesn't necessarily mean we can't cooperate at all... The higher-ups won't allow it anyway."

Liu Jialiang, who was most annoyed by Fang Xinghe, seemed to have grasped at the last straw and nodded hastily.

"Yes, yes, the country won't allow him to act so recklessly. Trying to shut us down? He's dreaming!"

Albert Yeung scoffed lightly, not bothering to pay him any attention.

Indeed, given Fang Xinghe's current influence, his superiors will definitely talk to him and demand that the ban on Hong Kong and Taiwan be lifted—or at least it can't be so blatant and cruel anymore.

But can this change the actual environment that filmmakers in Hong Kong and Taiwan have to face?
impossible!
Master Fang Xinghe, who has "Hero" in hand, is a completely different person from the newcomer director Fang, who doesn't have "Hero".

Given the current trend, China Film Group must take Fang Xinghe's opinion seriously, mainland stars, directors, and staff must respect his attitude, audiences must care about his views, and production companies must fear his power...

What makes you think you can fight him?!
Most of the attendees in the room were fully aware of the situation.

For example, Xiao Gangpao and Liu Zhenyun's group of Beijing elites watched this scene with mocking eyes while quietly discussing the future of Hong Kong and Taiwan.

"These arrogant, superior citizens are in big trouble!"

"Although Director Fang didn't say anything harsh, his meaning was clear—from now on, you all have to keep a low profile."

"Yes, without offering sacrifices to Heaven, one cannot obtain the Mandate of Heaven. Without the Mandate of Heaven, one's actions will be fraught with difficulties. After all, he is the Ziwei Star, whose literary talent will last for thousands of years. Even his threats are made in such an artistic way."

"Hey, how much influence do you think he has over domestic audiences?"

"It's not that he should make the decision, but if he just stands up and says something, that movie will be in big trouble. He has that kind of prestige now."

"Hiss... That can't be right?!"

"No?" Liu Zhenyun raised an eyelid and smirked. "What, do you think Director Fang is planning to start cultivating his character?"

The people in Beijing's elite circle felt their scalps tingle upon hearing this.

Thinking about it carefully, it seems really hard to find anything that Fang Xinghe wouldn't dare to do.

Therefore, it's a major taboo for people to make money through shady means, and others certainly wouldn't mess with it, but he really can't be trusted.

……

While the Beijing elites were both gloating and feeling a pang of sympathy, the poet also started nagging his wife.

"Self-righteous! Disrespectful to elders! Arrogant and conceited!"

"Heaven? Whose heaven is he?"

"He was still wetting the bed when I was filming the movie!"

Kai Zi had a lot of complaints. This guy couldn't stand being ignored, and he couldn't stand anyone going against him. Fang Xinghe had violated both of those rules, and it was his husband who had violated them.

Kai Zi's symptoms likely stemmed from "Farewell My Concubine," a huge artistic achievement that turned him into a master of technique who had gone to extremes.

Actually, it's not that he doesn't understand the story, it's just that he disdains to follow the script properly and insists on adding his own superior "artistic core".

Back then, at the Olympic opening ceremony director's concept presentation meeting, he dared to use poetry to demonstrate his superb skills. What made Fang Xinghe so convincing?
The young and beautiful lady couldn't dissuade him; instead, she made him even more agitated.

Don't think that this kind of meeting is very disciplined. There are always arguments at arts and literature seminars. We're only at the beginning.

The leaders in the front row pretended not to hear his complaints, since they weren't loud anyway.

However, the king, who was standing to the side, rolled his eyes and quietly echoed his sentiment.

"Of course! That's so disrespectful to you."

"Yes, yes, only his action scenes are alright, but in other aspects he's nowhere near your level!"

"If he's the sky, then you're the golden cudgel that can poke a hole in the sky. Does he think he can suppress you?!"

In fact, Kai Zi wasn't stupid; he saw through the king's provocation.

But he doesn't care.

The king was also clever; he positioned himself as someone in a vulnerable position.

"People like us who need to make a living can't afford to offend him, so I only dare to chat with you briefly. To your face, I'd definitely have to flatter you. You're different; you're a world-class director, you can command a huge following, and you're not afraid of being blacklisted by him..."

Kai Zi immediately felt relieved and casually blurted out, "Isn't it just a commercial kung fu blockbuster? It's not like anyone can't make it. Just you wait and see, I'm not doing anything this year, I'll just focus on researching new projects!"

The king was overjoyed: "Oh, that's great! Go ahead and go all out, I'll help you with the investment!"

Kai Zizhi said with great pride: "He's making 'Hero,' right? I'll make a film about the God King of Wuji! Humans have limits, no matter how you film them, they'll all look the same. Gods don't, so I can definitely create even more brilliant artistic sparks!"

The king was even happier. There were only two and a half directors in mainland China who could film big scenes well. Zhang Yimou was kept under tight control by Wei Ping, and Kai Zi was definitely a hot commodity. Now that he had obtained the project's entry ticket in advance, wouldn't he make a fortune?!
When you're in a good mood, inspiration flows freely.

"Isn't he trying to blacklist Hong Kong and Taiwan? Let's use that! We can take advantage of his pressure, unite as one, and invite everyone we can, including Jin Chengwu, Liu Dehua, and Maggie Cheung. Let's pool the resources of both sides of the strait and Hong Kong to create an even more magnificent Chinese blockbuster!"

We can also benefit from the global market he opened up. We don't need $6 million; $3-4 million would be more than enough. Then we can hold another seminar, and you can ask him again: "Is he still going to be a superstar?"

"Hahahahaha..."

Kai Zi felt flattered and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The sound was so abrupt that many people couldn't help but turn their heads to look.

Fang Xinghe was no exception, but he displayed even greater aggression—his expression turned cold, his glasses narrowed, and his eyes flashed with a chilling light.

"Director Chen, what's so funny?" Kai Zi immediately lost face.

He immediately retorted, "Although this is a seminar on 'Heroes,' do you even know who the seniors are?"

"Yes, senior, may I ask for your guidance?"

Fang Xinghe revealed his sharp edge and confronted him head-on, immediately silencing the meeting room once again.

Everyone's thinking: "Are you a hedgehog? You're really prickly..."

The leaders of the Film Bureau realized what was happening and immediately tried to change the subject, but Kai Zi, who was completely enraged, didn't give them the chance.

"I've already given you all the advice you needed. I still think 'Hero' is nothing special and doesn't live up to its name. Young man, don't be so arrogant! Your small achievements are far from enough to qualify you to spout nonsense in front of so many seniors!"

The situation took a sharp turn for the worse, but not so unexpectedly.

Everyone knows Kai Zi's personality, and Fang Xinghe isn't exactly magnanimous either, so it seems perfectly natural for the two of them to argue.

The room was slightly buzzing with excitement, and many people's faces showed their excitement.

My desire to watch the spectacle was irresistible.

However, almost no one noticed that Fang Xinghe casually glanced at the group of people from the Hong Kong and Taiwan circles, then slightly curled the corners of his mouth before launching his counterattack against Kai Zi.

"Hero is an artistic spectacle born from a collective creative model."

Director Zhang's visuals and colors, Teacher Gu's camerawork and composition, my analysis of the script, Teacher Li Lianjie's action scenes, and the performances of Teacher Gong, Teacher Chen, and others...

All of these elements together constitute the present-day "Hero".

I won't take more of the glory from the success of "Hero".

I will not take more credit for the harm that "Hero" has caused you.

Let's say 30% for each item.

"30% of $650 million, that's $200 million, or 16 billion RMB. I'll give you five years. Let's see how you catch up!"

That's really insulting.

It's difficult to give an appropriate analogy to describe how unpleasant it is.

Kai Zi, who was not very broad-minded to begin with, was so angry that he exploded on the spot. However, when he heard the number 16 billion, he was really unsure of himself, so he subconsciously swung his Thor's hammer.

"Vulgar! How can the ideological value of film art be measured by box office revenue?!"
"Farewell My Concubine" didn't win many awards, only the Palme d'Or at Cannes, the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, the Academy Award for Best Film Not in the English Language, and the Hong Kong Film Awards and Golden Rooster Awards!

I'll give you five years. Come back and show off to me after you've won a third of the awards!

"Hey, hey, hey, you two great directors, calm down!"

The film bureau leaders finally couldn't sit still any longer and forcibly intervened to ease the tension.

"Time is limited, so let's just talk about 'Hero' itself today and not go into further topics. Mr. Wang, please continue."

Wang Chali turned to look at his junior apprentice, and only after receiving instructions did he continue reading the script.

The atmosphere did ease, but in reality, it was more tense than before.

Kai Zi sat there panting heavily, his teeth almost grinding to powder. Whispers filled the hall, discussing the potential impact of the battle between the two gentlemen.

Actually, it doesn't have much impact. It's normal for people to argue within the film industry. Who can really do anything to whom?

Especially for figures like Fang Xinghe and Chen Kaige, there's no way they could be blocked, tripped up, or subjected to underhanded tactics. The higher-ups would never agree to that, and it's practically impossible to do so.

However, these two banter ultimately helped Brother Fang achieve his goal.

On the one hand, there are no more troublemakers on site.

In the subsequent proceedings, neither the Hong Kong and Taiwan filmmakers who hated him to the bone, nor the Beijing film circle who were extremely jealous, dared to speak ill of Brother Fang or point the finger at him again.

It's useless, not worth it. You might as well save your energy to cry to your boss.

During their speeches, including Ms. Chai's, everyone was extremely polite when talking about Fang Xinghe.

Nobody wants to be verbally attacked by this madman to their face.

—You can't win an argument, and you can't win by presenting facts. These days, $6.5 million is enough to crush the entire entertainment industry.

As a result, the seminar was basically filled with nothing but compliments.

No matter how disgusting it is, you have to endure it and praise me!

Another benefit was the sudden convergence of the Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Beijing circles after the meeting.

The group chased each other and soon gathered together, forming a small group centered around Kai Zi, Da Wang, President Xiang, and Ms. Chai. Chairman Ren and several other leaders were also nearby, exchanging greetings and pleasantries.

What to talk about?
They stick together for warmth.

Chairman Han walked up to Fang Xinghe, both angry and helpless, and shook his head with a wry smile: "You, you... I feel restless if you don't cause me trouble every day!"

"It's not a big problem, you can handle it."

Fang Xinghe regained his composure and said with a smile, "It's good to have them together, don't you think?"

This is the truth.

From China Film Group's perspective, it's impossible to truly sever ties with Hong Kong and Taiwan and never use their capital, stars, directors, or projects again.

How can we treat the overall situation of the industry so lightly?
Therefore, Chairman Han still needs to continue dealing with them. "Heroes" only gave him more initiative, not the ability to shut himself away and play by himself.

Even Zhang Yimou took the initiative to mention to Fang Xinghe: "Xiao Fang, for my next film, I definitely can't stand on your side anymore. I hope you understand..."

"I understand." Fang Xinghe nodded magnanimously. "Use it if you need it, and come back to me if it doesn't work."

That would definitely not work well.

Aside from Fang Ge, who else has such a strong international influence?

Currently, Fang Xinghe is in a league of his own. Two levels below him are Fang Li, and one level below that are Jin Chengwu, Liu Dehua, and Liang Chaowei—these are all beyond the fifth level, and they only have some strength in Asia.

So Fang Xinghe didn't care at all. He told Fang Xinghe to use him as he pleased, since Fang Xinghe would come back to fawn over him sooner or later anyway.

By then, whether my friend has time is one thing, the price is another—and attitude is a separate matter.

The heavens are all-encompassing and impartial; whether one worships or not, they remain suspended there, indifferently overlooking all.

Fang Xinghe didn't say it directly, but that's alright, they'll understand soon enough...

Old Han didn't understand; he was even still thinking about Kai Zi's new project.

Fang Xinghe didn't try to persuade him, just smiled calmly and let Zuo Shandiao do whatever he wanted.

Not long after, he received news that "Mantou" would be published ahead of schedule.

Upon looking at the production company and distributor, Brother Fang finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Besides Shanghai Film Group, which narrowly beat China Film Group, the main investors included poets, half of the Beijing film circle, and the entire Hong Kong and Taiwan film industry, pooling together a total of 2.5 million RMB. They brought in all the current top stars, determined to make a Chinese blockbuster that could rival "Hero".

When the media was promoting the project, they even revealed some details of the seminar that day.

It includes tearful accusations from Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as the conflict between Fang Xinghe and Chen Kaige.

In an instant, the public opinion world erupted once again...

(End of this chapter)