Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 605 Suddenly, the heavenly drums sounded, urging the battle to begin; a sword pointed eastward, calming the sea waves.
The Tokyo International Film Festival was not broadcast live in China because it is not as representative or high-profile as the Oscars or the three major film festivals. Zhijie Video did not use its connections to arrange a separate live broadcast.

The limited information available to mainland netizens and movie fans comes only from sporadic reports from the media on the front lines.

For example, the Tokyo International Film Festival special report on Sina Entertainment, one of the most professional portals in China, features live text and photo coverage every ten minutes or so, starting from Roppongi Hills and Mori Tower in Tokyo, to educate and introduce the film to Chinese audiences.

Thus, this sudden farce was presented to netizens across mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong with only simple pictures and text descriptions.

The controversy began with a slightly blurry photo of a green carpet, accompanied by a brief caption mentioning that "the national delegation negotiated with the Tokyo Film Festival organizing committee over the title of the program booklet," which initially did not cause much of a stir.

Those who follow film festivals are already quite familiar with these kinds of underhanded tactics employed by foreign countries and the West in various international settings.

Like many brands that "unintentionally offend" the feelings of Chinese people, they make mistakes first, apologize later, and in the end, most of them let it go.

However, with a series of brief news flashes from reporters on the front lines, the plot unfolded rapidly:

"Director Lu Kuan lodged a formal protest on the spot," "Director Jiang Ping stated that he would not rule out withdrawing from the film festival," "Golden Horse Award winner Huang Jianye suddenly intervened in the argument," and "Japanese representative Tanaka also bowed and apologized on the spot."

Each piece of text is like a puzzle piece, quickly pieced together in the internet world to depict a fierce contest taking place on an international stage.

When the breaking news broke that "Lu Kuan used Netflix's global release as leverage to exert pressure" and "the organizing committee finally agreed to change the labeling," mainland social media platforms instantly cheered, regarding it as a triumphant victory.

Meanwhile, the forums in the Bay Area were filled with angry accusations and ridicule.

This live broadcast, which lacked real-time video, ignited a more intense flame of public opinion than the live event itself, thanks to its strong dramatic nature and clear opposing stances, presented in a simple text and image format.

Within limited channels, it has already fermented into a media storm sweeping across the film and entertainment industries on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

At the same time, the results of the Tokyo International Film Festival, which had just concluded, were also released, and more news came back to China. "Ball Lightning" achieved a historic sweep of the most important awards in the main competition section at this year's Tokyo International Film Festival.

Best Film (Golden Kirin Award), Best Director (Lu Kuan), Best Actress (Zhou Xun), Best Actor (Xin Baiqing).

The official award citation from the front lines stated the following:

This is a masterpiece that redefines the boundaries of science fiction cinema. With its grand visual narrative, rigorous scientific logic, and profound humanistic spirit, it perfectly blends the stunning experience of a commercial blockbuster with the intellectual depth of an auteur film, representing one of the highest achievements in contemporary film industry aesthetics.

With his extraordinary control, director Lu Kuan has created a science fiction world that is both awe-inspiring and thought-provoking.

He achieved an excellent balance between grand narrative scale and exquisite character portrayal. His philosophical directorial language and precise pacing demonstrate the outstanding auteur vision and powerful industrial implementation capabilities of a world-class director.

At the same time, Ms. Zhou Xun delivered one of the most groundbreaking performances of her career.

With an extremely restrained yet powerful performance, she perfectly portrayed the torn and steadfast struggle between rational faith and the storm of patriotism of a theoretical physicist and military scientist. Every glance and subtle expression was full of dramatic energy, making her unforgettable.

The other lead actor, Xin Baiqing, successfully portrayed a scientist struggling between ideals and reality with his solid acting skills.

He portrayed the character's cowardice and stubbornness with remarkable depth, delivering a powerful and nuanced performance that complemented Zhou Xun's character perfectly, together forming the film's solid emotional foundation.

Videos of Mr. Lu receiving the award at the scene were also transmitted back to China.

In addition to expressing his gratitude and sentiments about the film's award, the Chinese director repeatedly reiterated the long-standing friendly exchanges between the Chinese and Japanese film industries:

I express my respect and remembrance for director Akira Kurosawa, along with Takeshi Kitano, Ken Takakura, and Zhang Yimou, and acknowledge the film festival's actions in admitting its mistakes and upholding international justice.

Xiao Rizi is a very strange nation.

In politics and geopolitics, they believe in opportunism and like to make small moves in inconspicuous but sensitive places as bargaining chips, trying to gain a subtle advantage or sense of presence for themselves in the complex geopolitical landscape. This is a cowardly yet unwilling "provocation".
However, in the arts and professional fields, there is usually a strong respect for the strong. If you are stronger than me, I will give you the honor and respect you deserve, because it is about their own dignity and reputation.

This is a pragmatic, even somewhat admiring, form of "fairness."

Just like "Ball Lightning" at this year's Tokyo Film Festival, its award and Tatsumi Yoda's underhanded tactics are not contradictory; this contradiction is the "chrysanthemum and the sword" of everyday life:
Chrysanthemums represent their utmost respect for Lu Kuan, a top international director, and for his art, professionalism, and aesthetics.

A knife is a shrewd, calculating, and pragmatic tool that seeks to make its mark in the cracks.

Of course, many practical factors were also involved, such as Huang Jianye's previous scheming and despicable behavior.

Regardless, the repeated "deliberate provocations" against Jinma initiated by Boss Lu beforehand, as well as the perfect resolution of the crisis in a foreign country, have achieved temporary success. However, the harsh words Jinma made before leaving were not just empty boasts. Seeing the rampant abuse on the internet, they decided to continue to pretend to be victims.

Just like in the previous life, after the group's anti-dynamic behavior and toxic slogans at the film festival were spread online, Xu Ruoxuan and others were quickly arranged to hold a press conference to play the victim and claim that they had been persecuted.

They claimed that the expectations of their "two kings and two queens"—Ruan Jingtian, Zhao Youting, Xu Ruoxuan, Zhang Junning, and others—were dashed, and many Japanese girls left disappointed, holding up "Xiaotian" fan signs.

On the 23rd, while Lu Kuan, Jiang Ping, and others were holding a celebration banquet for the film festival's great victory and the victory of justice, the video fabricated by Huang Jianye and others was also circulated on the Internet.

In the video, Huang Jianye looks haggard. The background appears to be a temporary conference room in a hotel. He speaks to the camera with a heavy tone, tinged with grief and indignation.
"We came to Tokyo with great sincerity, hoping to exchange ideas with our counterparts from various countries through the art of film. But unfortunately, we have encountered unprecedented systemic suppression from certain capitalist and cultural hegemons." He paused deliberately to make the accusation seem more weighty.

"Mr. Lu Kuan, and the vast capital and ideological machine he represents, have used their influence on the international stage to launch a comprehensive attack on us who hold different cultural beliefs. From boycotting film companies and pressuring distribution channels, to publicly humiliating and coercing filmmakers at film festivals with a strong sense of great-power chauvinism... they have given filmmakers on the island absolutely no opportunity for fair competition and exhibition. This is not an artistic contest; it is a naked cultural bullying!"

The camera then turned to Xu Ruoxuan, who was sitting next to him.

She had clearly put a lot of effort into her "makeup," with slightly red eyes, her long hair disheveled, and a simple dress, making her look fragile and helpless.

Before she could speak, tears streamed down her face. She picked up a tissue and gently wiped her eyes, sobbing a few times before finally speaking in her distinctive, delicate Mandarin with a Taiwanese accent, her voice choked with emotion:

"What Director Jianye said is true, we are really heartbroken..."

She raised her teary eyes and looked pitifully at the camera, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

“The things they said were really awful… They even attacked the movies I’ve made in the past. Director Lu Kuan led the way and publicly slut-shaming me, sob sob!” She seemed unable to speak at this point, and lowered her head to sob again, her shoulders trembling slightly, perfectly portraying the image of a helpless and vulnerable woman.

Huang Jianye, looking dejected, patted him on the back. After a moment, Xu Ruoxuan mustered his courage and continued:

"This is not only an insult to me personally, but also a disrespect to our entire team and all our colleagues who love film. Jing Tian has been preparing for 'Monga' for so long, and You Ting and Jun Ning were also full of expectations for this film festival... But now, all our efforts and dreams have been destroyed by this... unreasonable and domineering manipulation by Zhengzhi..."

She cleverly dragged several other Taiwanese artists into the "victim" camp, attempting to create a tragic atmosphere of collective persecution.

The video interspersed scenes of Ruan, Zhao, and others being welcomed by their so-called fans in Tokyo, echoing Xu Ruoxuan's tearful eyes and suggesting how their expectations were "ruthlessly crushed."

Unsurprisingly, this sob story resonated strongly in this tiny island nation. Not only film industry figures but also many government officials joined in the condemnation, urging the authorities to treat certain directors as unfriendly individuals, just as they had treated Leung Chia-hui, and ban them from visiting Taiwan for five or ten years.

In the mainland internet sphere, the feedback on the video was roughly 80/20, with the vast majority of netizens reacting with a simple sense of justice, fervent patriotism, and unreserved trust and support for their own people.

Based on the most direct emotional logic and judgment of right and wrong, they quickly occupied the comment sections of major social media platforms:

"The wicked accuse first! They're biased themselves and then turn around and accuse others!"

"Director Lu did a great job! We can't be lenient with people like this who forget their roots!"

"Slut-shaming? Doesn't Xu Ruoxuan know what kind of films she made her way in back then? Now she's pretending to be an innocent and pure girl?"

"The Golden Horse Awards are dead, the Beijing Film Academy should rise! Support Boss Lu's horse to conquer Tokyo and uphold our national prestige!"

"Seeing how furious they were, I knew we did the right thing! Awesome!"

This surging wave of public opinion is filled with pride in their own works and filmmakers, as well as a sense of righteous indignation at those who challenge them.

With their overwhelming support and meme-filled mockery, they firmly pinned topics like "the road is wide and tough" and "the ball is awesome" to the top of the trending search list, creating an overwhelming mainstream voice.

However, just as with the complexity of online public opinion in this era, there has always been a small group of voices attempting to rationally analyze and calmly reflect on the issue from various perspectives.

These voices usually come from new experts, scholars, and returnees who have become familiar to us over the years, but who keep emerging with NGO funding, or from film critics and cultural figures who claim to be "independent thinkers."

Although their arguments are not mainstream, they have a considerable market in certain circles, mainly focusing on "whitewashing" and "muddying the waters" in several aspects.

The argument that "art is art, and reason is reason":

Film festivals are supposed to be temples of art; why let the dust of truth and wisdom taint them? Director Lu Kuan could have won an undisputed victory based on his artistic achievements. Now, by using capital and international relations to exert pressure, he may have won the spectacle but lost the moral compass, giving others an excuse to accuse him of 'cultural hegemony.' We should demonstrate the cultural confidence and magnanimity of a great power.

The "big picture" perspective of "being forgiving even when you're in the right":
Even if the other party was at fault first, shouldn't we, as a rising power, show more tolerance and patience? Is such a strong reaction detrimental to creating a peaceful atmosphere?
While struggle is necessary, could we consider more tactful and wiser methods? Cornering the other side may escalate the conflict and hinder long-term cultural exchange.

However, the majority of empathy is limited to vulnerable groups like Xu Ruoxuan.

It's true that Ms. Xu's tears were partly acted, but in the video we received from the scene, we could indeed hear insults directed at her, such as "you don't recognize me when I put on clothes." Even if Mr. Lu Kuan didn't say it himself, he didn't seem to have any intention or thought of stopping it.

Is it not an excessive form of cyberbullying to publicly expose such a disgraceful act in front of all Asian media on an international stage and then allow netizens to follow suit and humiliate it?

I can't help but think of the disdain and contempt for women that this person possesses, just like other great directors, which is truly regrettable.

……

See, even though Lu Kuan, the person involved, had already dissuaded Jiang Ping from arguing and declared justice and fairness on the spot, and ultimately achieved the best results, there are always people who can find fault and reflect from unexpected angles.

They are different from Zhu Dake and others who were previously dismissed; they all use highly inflammatory language but lack aggressiveness, praising while criticizing.

He completely disguised himself as a neutral bystander, as if he were simply participating in the discussion rationally.

However, the anti-public intellectual movement initiated by Weibo and Lu Kuan himself in recent years has been remarkably effective, and the old model of using the simplest arguments to set the tone has become ineffective.

Even Nanfang suffered a major blow and had to frequently go underground to work. As a result, netizens became more aware of such remarks and were not afraid to refute them under the guise of professors and scholars.

Among them was Director Liu, who joined the vast ocean of people's war.

Xiao Liu has moved his entire family to the Yulongwan Lakeside Villa in Hengdian, but he continues to keep a close eye on the situation in Tokyo.

She couldn't be bothered to refute the other comments; doing so would only embolden those foul-mouthed bastards.

However, these attacks, which use her husband's past nicknames as a basis and combine them with Xu Ruoxuan's tearful appearance to accuse him of disrespecting women, are really unpleasant to watch.

[Vitamin Cyan]:
Based on the limited video footage from the front lines, I did not see any eye contact, verbal communication, or physical interaction between my husband, Lu Kuan, and Ms. Xu Ruoxuan. Why is he being labeled as disrespectful to women?

To be honest, he did have a carefree and unrestrained artistic style in the past, that's true, and it's a topic I often joke about with him now.

However, this does not mean disrespecting women.

I'd like to tell you something very interesting.

From the time I met him in 2001 until he quit smoking a few years ago, he was a heavy smoker because of his frequent mental work, including thinking and staying up late. He would often smoke one cigarette after another on set.

However, the first measure to implement "film industrialization" in a domestic film crew was actually the "smoking area" set up on the set of "Whiplash".

He never smokes in front of actresses or female staff. Sometimes when everyone goes to his room to discuss the script, if he has just finished smoking a cigarette, he will open the window to air it out.

At the time, I was only fifteen years old. In my eyes, he might have been a very "fierce" director, but in terms of professional competence and how he got along with everyone on the crew, he was a very magnanimous, elegant, and detail-oriented person.

These seemingly insignificant details precisely illustrate a fundamental issue:
True respect is rooted in a sense of propriety and empathy in everyday behavior.

It's hard to say that a man who would open the window to let out the smoke in front of a 15-year-old female actress and establish crew rules is fundamentally incapable of respecting women.

Furthermore, please think about the female characters in his movies.

Iris Chang, a patriotic female scholar full of scholarly integrity and historical responsibility, is featured in "The Sky of History".

Lin Yun, a complex female scientist in "Ball Lightning," embodies rationality, obsession, patriotism, and tragic elements.

The foster mother and Lucy in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" showcase the elegance, resilience, and unique understanding of life's meaning in women as time flows backward.

Then there are the women played by Zhou Xun and Bingbing in "Shoplifters," who struggle at the bottom of society but still shine with the glimmer of humanity;
The mothers in "Tangshan Earthquake" who shouldered their families amidst the disaster ruins, demonstrating astonishing resilience and vitality...

If he harbored disdain and contempt for women at heart, how could he have depicted their struggles, glory, beauty, and vulnerability with such depth and empathy?

How could anyone have bestowed upon them such dazzling brilliance and profound soul?
As women, my daughter and I will always be proud of him.

……

The official document on the establishment of designated smoking areas in China was issued by the former Ministry of Health in 2011. Since then, there has been a legal basis for banning smoking in public places, and public awareness of tobacco control has begun to rise.

Director Liu has now revealed another side of the artist, the richest man, and even the washing machine icon, Boss Lu, which is quite interesting to the public.

Director Liu's short essays are becoming more and more fluent. People often reconstruct the details and events of their time together from her words, as if they are gradually understanding a novel.

At the same time, her methods of abusing dogs became increasingly drastic, causing many angry fans to go to Gongzhi's Weibo to hurl insults!

If you're going to criticize me, then criticize me. Stop with the nonsense. Every time you spread these kinds of rumors, I have to clarify the facts before I can show off my love again, which is really upsetting to watch.

The delegation led by Huang Jianye left in tears and dejection, while the Chinese delegation led by Lu Kuan and Jiang Ping received a grand welcome.

The main reason is the enthusiastic response to the Chinese Film Week. At the opening ceremony in Yurakucho, Tokyo, not only did the film festival chairman, Tatsumi Yoda, who is known for his willingness to admit and correct his mistakes, personally attend, but Ambassador Cheng from the University of Tokyo also came to show his support and delivered a speech.

The opening film of the film week was "Kangding Love Song," starring Ju Wenpei, who had previously joked with Boss Lu that she was about to retire from journalism. Representatives from the delegation, including Zhang Guangbei and Zhang Yuqi, also made an appearance.

At the dinner, officials from Tokyo approached Bingbing to discuss the possibility of filming "If You Are the One 2" in Tokyo, as the previous season's popularity had greatly benefited tourism in Hokkaido.

In the constant stream of news reports, the Chinese delegation seemed to have had a pleasant time after the "storm," a stark contrast to Huang Jianye and others who fled with their tails between their legs.

This made the latter cry out in anguish.

First, he colluded with Yitian Xun to commit illicit acts. After being exposed by Boss Lu, he complained bitterly and continued to pretend to be a victim. He even had Xu Ruoxuan appear in a video to testify.

But the current result is that mainland netizens don't buy it at all, and the public intellectuals who spoke up for them were also fiercely criticized by netizens despite the support of celebrities and public figures like Xiao Liu.

Now even Twitter's Asian region is almost overrun. There are too many fans of Lu Kuan in South Korea and Japan. All of Asia is currently in a "honeymoon period" of perception towards Wen Jie and Lu and Liu because of the popularity of "Ball Flash" and "Taiping Book". They won't tolerate the "cacophony of frogs".

Xu Ruoxuan did not calm down after returning to the mainland. Under the instigation of Huang Jianye and the authorities behind him, he continued to give interviews, accumulating "hatred" for Boss Lu. Ruan Jingtian and Zhao Youting, the lead actors of the movie "Monga" which represented the hope of the whole island, were also pushed to complain about the unfair treatment they received on various programs.

However, unlike Xu Ruoxuan, a washed-up actress, they didn't have any support and could only rely on this method to gain opportunities.

It's worth noting that one of the directors and producers of "Naked Angel," the film that made her famous, was Zhu Yanping, who also made Lin Chi-ling and others famous. The method used was the same: "Mainland stars as supporting actors to elevate the star power."

On the evening of October 27, 2010, Lu Kuan, who had already returned to China, continued to enjoy his work as a super dad at Hengdian Yulong Bay, experiencing both pain and joy.

His wife works tirelessly for the family, leaving early and returning late every day to film on set, while he stays home taking care of the children and handling official business. Recently, due to the extended stay abroad for "Ball Flash," the script for his next film needs further refinement. The competition between WeChat and QQ is intensifying, and there's the second "Double Eleven" shopping festival this month, as well as the upcoming IPO of Zhijie Video and its online store next month.

The teaching work for the second Pan-Asian Film Academy, which officially begins next month, also needs to be put on the agenda.

Of course, when it comes to specific business segments, the managers of Wenjie's various subsidiaries no longer need to worry him too much. These are all tasks that have been planned and prepared for several years, and can be carried out step by step.

As dusk settled, the surface of Yulong Bay was bathed in a warm golden light.

Lu Kuan carried the two little ones steadily along the wooden boardwalk away from the water's edge, one in each arm, his arms strong and sturdy.

Unlike his own courtyard in Wenyuhe Prefecture, this place was not clearly defined and absolutely controllable. He dared not be careless at all. The two little bundles of flesh were bursting with curiosity, but had no concept of danger.

However, regarding water safety awareness, Liu Yifei had already taught them a profound lesson in her unique, slightly "rough" but extremely effective way.

Just a few days ago, during her bath time, while Youyou and Tiedan were happily playing in the water, she quickly scooped up a little warm water with her palm and gently brushed it over their mouths and noses.

The little ones were instantly frightened by the slight feeling of suffocation and started coughing violently. Although they were immediately surrounded by their mother's warm embrace and gentle comfort, the feeling that "water can be choking and is not to be trifled with" was deeply ingrained in their hearts at that moment.

At this moment, facing the open lake, they simply gazed at it curiously, without struggling to rush towards it.

"It's getting dark, Daddy will take you to see the stars." Lu Kuan picked them up and turned to walk towards the large terrace with a great view.

Unlike Beijing, there is no severe light pollution or often hazy atmosphere in this metropolis. The autumn nights in the hilly areas of central Zhejiang are surprisingly clear.

In addition, the lighting in the villa area is well controlled, so once night falls completely, some of the iconic stars on the velvety night sky are still quite visible.

He adjusted the telescope, and regardless of how much the children could understand, he simply used his deep, gentle voice to create an atmosphere of exploring the unknown in their ears.

Tie Dan and You You, bundled up in thick clothes, nestled in their father's arms like two warm little bear cubs, listening to his gentle, captivating whispers:
"Look, that brightest one in the west, twinkling like a big diamond, isn't it? That's Venus. Every night it's the first one to come out and greet us."

"In a little while, another more majestic star will rise in the southeast. That's Grandpa Jupiter. If you look at it with this big telescope, you'll see a few shy little ones following him. Those are his star babies."

Lu Kuan held up his phone to show the children the star map, comparing it to the deep night sky:
"Look up again and you'll see a huge triangle in the sky. That's the 'Summer Triangle' formed by Altair, Vega, and Deneb. Even though summer is over, they're still reluctant to leave and will stay with us to watch the stars in autumn."

Tie Dan was so excited that he almost danced with joy. His father always managed to bring him all sorts of novel experiences.
Youyou was quieter, tilting her little face up, her big, dark eyes following the direction of her father's finger without blinking, trying to understand the mystery in the deep night.

Ah Fei suddenly approached from behind with slightly hurried steps, silently handing a vibrating cell phone to Lu Kuan.

Lu Kuan glanced at the caller ID, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly. He gestured for the latter to keep an eye on the two children, then walked away.

"Uncle will stay with you. Dad will be back soon."

Even though he had some suspicions, Lu Kuan still calmly smiled and said, "Leader Cai, what advice do you have?"

"The Kinmen and Taiwan provinces..."

On the phone, Lao Cai gave a concise briefing on the sanctions that the other party had formally issued, given that the situation had already escalated to an unbearable level.

Regarding the protest and condemnation of Lu Kuan, the vice chairman of the Beijing Film Festival, through official channels;
Of course, it also concerns the attitude on the surface:

"In any case, you represent the Beijing Film Festival and the city's stance." Old Cai said solemnly, "Due to reasons that everyone understands, we cannot go to great lengths to give you any public support."

"But don't worry, you'll get all the benefits and conveniences you deserve. Just go for it! The leaders trust your ability and judgment..."

The call was short, but the twins, anxiously waiting for their dad to tell them about the stars, seemed very impatient.

Youyou's little body was gently held in her arms to ensure her safety, but she couldn't help looking back. She pointed her little finger at the sky and said in a childish voice with some difficulty, "Daddy, bright, stars..."

The two little pigtails on her head swayed gently as she tilted her head back, looking especially adorable in the hazy night.

"Ah! The stars are shining, right? Daddy's here!"

……

Meanwhile, the Qin Palace scenic area was brightly lit, and the crew of the TV series "Taiping Shu: The Great Wind" was filming an important night scene.

Liu Yifei, who plays Gu Nan, is wearing a black cloak and stands on the palace wall that simulates the embers of war, with flickering torchlight in the distance.

She was having a heated exchange with Peter Ho, who plays Xiang Yu, about the state of the world and personal choices. Her main goal was to dissuade him from burning documents and books, and the atmosphere was tense.

"Cut! That take is done." Zhang Li, the director of the second season, called for a stop, but frowned slightly, as if he was considering the emotional nuances of the previous take.

Xiao Liu immediately snapped out of character, strode to the monitor, and watched the playback intently.

"Actually, I think Gu Nan's reaction just now could have been a little more restrained, or else..."

"Yifei!"

Director Zheng Xiaolong suddenly rushed in from outside the studio, interrupting the filming process in a rare manner.

Everyone was completely confused, but Lao Zheng, the former director of the Beijing film circle who has now risen to the top again because of "The Book of Peace", didn't waste any words and directly handed over his phone.

Liu Yifei's gaze swept across the phone screen, her expression barely changing under the light of the palace lanterns, only her eyes instantly sharpened like knives before quickly settling into a deep pool.

She turned to Zhang Li: "Director Zhang, I have something I need to take care of. Let's work on this scene again tomorrow."

The latter was a little confused, but seeing Zheng Xiaolong's serious expression, she could only get up and urge him to hurry up and get busy: "Okay, okay, we were going to finish work today anyway."

Liu Yifei showed no extra emotion and quickly returned to the dressing room to prepare to go home.

On the other side of the set, director Zhang Li and several main actors also saw the news almost simultaneously from their respective assistants or mobile phone notifications. They exchanged glances and began to discuss it in hushed tones.

"This matter is really getting bigger and bigger..." Zhang Li, who had already learned the details from Zheng Xiaolong, looked at Liu Yifei's departing figure and sighed with a complicated tone.

The van drove out of Hengdian World Studios, followed by bodyguards. Liu Yifei also saw the full picture of the "ban" in the car. It was the final response from Jinma and Wanfang to Boss Lu's provocations and rudeness against Jinma, which had started two or even seven years ago.

Finally, thanks to the efforts of certain individuals, the situation has escalated to its current fever pitch.

The relevant cultural authorities issued a notice under the pretext of "maintaining the order of local cultural industry development and preventing improper capital and positive interference in cultural exchanges," directly targeting Lu Kuan and his associated business empire.

The core content of the sanctions order quickly spread within the industry:
Lu Kuan himself has been officially listed as an "unfriendly person" and is banned from entering the country indefinitely. All films associated with him are banned from being shown locally indefinitely.

The approval of all business activities of Wenjie, which it leads, and its related subsidiaries has been suspended on the island, and all Internet domain names such as Zhijie Video and Wenjie Mall have been blocked.

The most direct impact is that Wenjie, through its early acquisition of Golden Harvest, which controlled dozens of cinemas in the local area, has been ordered to undergo an unprecedented "special compliance investigation," facing severe challenges such as limited screenings, film supply disruptions, and even the continued existence of its license.

This goes far beyond cultural friction; it's a comprehensive strangulation aimed at cutting off market channels and achieving economic isolation.

Simply put, they can't afford to play games anymore and have started using legitimate means to confront a private enterprise, which is inherently an unequal confrontation.

Of course, the fact that they were able to provoke someone to this extent demonstrates the immense power of Wenjie and Boss Lu themselves. In the past, they fought against individuals and companies, but now they've even become fighting against...

Without resorting to mysterious forces, they are already powerless against this cultural aircraft carrier that has set sail.

The news has once again divided public opinion.

Mainland netizens were outraged, viewing this as a despicable act of revenge by the other side out of a sore loser, and a blatant trampling on market rules and the spirit of cultural exchange. The outcry for "supporting Mr. Lu to stand firm to the end" grew louder.

Meanwhile, a certain horse and its backers, along with the media and pundits, celebrated the victory, touting it as a triumph in "defending local cultural sovereignty" and a heavy blow to "arrogant cultural hegemony." Xu Ruoxuan also opportunely posted interviews and program announcements for the coming week on his personal Twitter account, showing a trend of the old cucumber making a comeback.

Meanwhile, after Huang Jianye vented his frustrations on Twitter, he made numerous phone calls to urge directors and actors with whom he had close relationships to speak out in unison and forward the sanctions statement, demonstrating the unity of the island's film industry, with the Golden Horse Awards at its core.

Zhao Youting, who was attending an event in Hong Kong, hung up the phone and immediately looked at the young man beside him with a bitter face, "Xiao Tian, ​​I also received a call from Chairman Huang, what should I do?"

Ruan Jingtian scoffed, "Serves him right! What nonsense he's spouting, making it impossible for us to even make an appearance in Tokyo. What an impolite guy!"

Faced with the urging of Huang Jianye, who was promoting him, he was actually somewhat blustering but weak inside. He kept shouting, but he couldn't make up his mind to accept the alliance.

Although he knew he could never have any cooperation with that person, who was rumored to ignore even Hendrik Willem Van Loon in Hong Kong, he still controlled so many cinema and media resources in mainland China. Was his generation destined to be trapped on a small island forever?
Ruan Jingtian glanced at Zhao Youting, who looked sincere. The two of them were the young generation who benefited the most from the success of the movie "Monga." Suddenly, a plan came to her mind...

"Ah Ting, how about we join forces? Let's condemn it as Chairman Huang requested, what do you say?"

Zhao Youting looked at him with a constipated expression: "Is...is this really okay? Should we ask Sister Lie?"

He mentioned that this "Sister Lie" is Li Lie, a famous local agent who starred in films such as "A Day at the Beach" and "Small Town Story" in her early years. She was married to Lo Ta-yu for a year before they separated.

She went to the mainland to do business in the late 1980s, but her business failed and she returned to her old profession and became very successful. She was in charge of projects such as "The Boy Who Leapt Through Time", "Monga", "Jump Ashin!" and "Zhou Chu Eliminates the Three Evils" in her previous life.

Ruan Jingtian, Zhao Youting, Peng Yuyan and others are all artists personally managed by Li Lie. Through Golden Horse Award winners Huang Jianye and Zhu Yanping, they took advantage of the "superiority" of Hong Kong and Taiwan artists since the millennium and used their usual methods to promote the mainland film and entertainment industry to make money.

"Why ask her? She's a woman, and she's always been timid. What's the point of asking?" Ruan Jingtian said impatiently. "My suggestion is that we post it first! If there are any problems, we can just delete it and apologize. It's that simple, isn't it?"

"But what if we don't issue them? What if they suddenly call us for military service? We all paid for these medical records!"

Zhao paused for a long time, weighing the pros and cons, and said, "Okay! I'll just post it first. Anyway, not many people in mainland China can see it on Twitter."

"Don't worry, it's alright!" Ruan Jingtian was overjoyed.

For a time, it seemed as if the entire "Golden Horse World" had been mobilized to support the official ban. However, the main response so far came from die-hard Golden Horse supporters, and even "veteran players" like Chu Yen-ping did not dare to personally take the stage.

It's not that he doesn't want to participate; he's waiting, waiting to see if his competitors in the mainland can handle the spillover of resources from Taiwan.

Since the outside world will inevitably retaliate, can Wanda provide some convenience in terms of cinema resources, Tencent's Nanfang and others in terms of publicity resources, and LeTV Culture in the streaming media field?

With their support, we are even more confident in facing the "evil capital" of Wenjie this time.

It can both curry favor with the authorities and slap the despicable richest man in the mainland hard in the face, making him feel embarrassed.

……

Just after 7 p.m., Liu Yifei's car hurriedly drove into the Royal Bay Manor.

Even though she knew he should have anticipated this from the very first time he "provoked" Jinma, Xiao Liu still wanted to return to her husband's side as soon as possible.

As a family, we should always spend time together, whether it's happy or troublesome.

She got out of the car before it had even come to a complete stop, and the chill of the autumn night instantly enveloped her.

The female celebrity walked quickly through the porch, but stopped the moment her eyes fell on the large terrace. Her slight anxiety seemed to be instantly soothed by an invisible warm current.

What a heartwarming scene this is!

There were no glaring main lights on the terrace; only a few ground lights embedded in the ground emitted a hazy glow, outlining the railings and the contours of the distant lake and mountains.

In the center of that place, gently enveloped by the autumn night's starry sky, lies the person she cherishes.

As she had imagined, her husband was calm and composed. He was squatting on the ground, holding the twins, who were a year and a half old. The two little ones were gently embraced by his strong arms, one on each side, nestled against the man.

In front of them was a set-up astronomical telescope. The new father tilted his head slightly and patiently adjusted the angle of the telescope tube, while holding his daughter Youyou with one hand, guiding her on how to carefully bring her eyes close to the eyepiece.
With her other hand, she pointed to the deep night sky, indicating that Tie Dan should first scan the sky with his naked eye, just like his sister had done, so as to verify it with the observation later.

Youyou's little face was full of focus as she tried her best under her father's guidance, making curious "hmm? hmm?" sounds from her little mouth.

Tie Dan, on the other hand, was a little impatient. He wiggled in his father's arms, and his chubby fingers pointed randomly at the sky in the direction his father was pointing, while he called out "stars, stars" in his mouth.

After more than an hour of playing astronomy games, I'm already very familiar with the pronunciation of this word.

The evening breeze swept across the lake, bringing the crispness unique to late October and a lingering fragrance of osmanthus, stirring the late-blooming chrysanthemums on the terrace.

The starry sky hung low, seemingly suspended above the heads of the father and his two sons, so clear that the faint band of light of the Milky Way could be seen.

Liu Yifei stood in the shadows not far away, quietly watching the scene. The clamor of "ban," "condemnation," and "cultural bullying" from the outside world, the Golden Horse Awards' exasperation, and the online verbal battles were all completely shut out at this moment.

She approached with light steps, her voice gentle: "Baby, Mommy's home!"

"mom!"

"Star!"

Of the three children, the first to turn around was "Tiedan, the ever-loyal son of Little Donkey Mother." He exclaimed in surprise and excitedly pointed to the telescope and the sky, showing off his new discovery and new skills.

The remaining father and daughter finished observing the objects in their field of vision. Still somewhat bewildered, Youyou gave her mother a sweet smile, then nudged her father's cheek with her little hand, indicating that she wanted to continue.

Unfortunately, her father didn't grant her wish this time either. He stood up with a smile, "You're back just in time. My legs are about to go numb from squatting. You can take over the little ones."

"Are you going to settle scores with them?" Xiao Liu was full of confidence in her husband, and with a hint of knowing the answer, she teased him: "Can we finish this sooner? I also want you to watch the stars with me. The last time was in Mao County."

This tells the story of a couple who relied on each other for survival during the earthquake, and the night they decided to get married. (Chapter 432)
"Then you're in trouble." Boss Lu smiled with narrowed eyes. "You'll probably have a lot of time tonight."

He walked past his wife, avoiding the gazes of the two little ones, and gave her a hard pinch on her pert little bottom before returning to the room.

After deliberately provoking and teasing the Golden Horse Awards several times, the Tokyo International Film Festival finally ignited the fire.

After building a cultural and entertainment empire in seven years, whose annual film production value even exceeded that of the entire Bay Area film market;

After Wenjie, this cultural flagship, embarked on its journey overseas with the Taiping Shu project, it initially explored cultural project templates worldwide.

The time traveler finally began the work of setting standards for the domestic entertainment industry and removing the "toxic culture and toxic artists" and other malignant tumors that were bound to erupt sooner or later, something that no private capital or force had ever been able to do before.

This also marked the beginning of Wenjie's expansion from a cultural behemoth capital group in mainland China into the Greater China region, thereby establishing Wenjie's pinnacle position throughout Asia and in the future worldwide.

Tie Dan and You You, who are still in their mother's arms, may one day in the future forget that it was this late autumn night:

When they first looked up at the stars, their father had already launched a business to confront and subdue a region’s cultural sector and industry.

Suddenly, the heavenly drums sounded, urging the battle to begin; a sword pointed eastward, calming the sea waves!

(End of this chapter)