Restart life

Chapter 391 0381 [Third Master Han]

The dinner was held at Wutong Restaurant, recommended by Feng Kuzi.

The prices are reasonable, the atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable, and it doesn't feel overly businesslike, making it suitable for discussing cultural and artistic investments.

Master Han was very obliging and came to keep the appointment that Saturday.

"Chairman Han, I've long admired your name!" Chen Guiliang said in the Sichuan dialect as soon as they met.

This is useless for ordinary people to talk about, but if both parties have a certain social status, they can quickly close the distance by relying on their hometown ties.

As expected, Third Master Han was very enthusiastic: "I've long admired Mr. Chen. It's been a while since I spoke my hometown dialect. Do you think I'm speaking it correctly?"

Chen Guiliang laughed and said, "Anyway, it's not as strong as my accent."

Master Han laughed heartily: "Your accent is among the top three in all of Sichuan. When I hear you speak, I'm reminded of Wang Baochang from back then; his accent is exactly the same as yours."

Feng Kuzi also chimed in with a dialect phrase: "Is my Sichuan dialect standard or not?"

Third Master Han said, "Standard my ass. You can only fool people from other provinces. The flavor is too mixed, and it still has a Beijing accent."

The three of them sat down and began speaking Mandarin.

Chen Guiliang ordered a table full of Sichuan dishes, which were served one after another.

Feng Kuzi, acting as the middleman, was responsible for creating a lively atmosphere: "President Chen, have you seen my film 'Assembly'?"

"I watched it. The special effects are fantastic; it has the feel of a war epic," Chen Guiliang said, offering his compliments.

Feng Kuzi immediately laughed: "Third Master Han, did you hear that? President Chen doesn't like 'Assembly,' but he's too embarrassed to criticize it, so he only talks about the special effects."

Han Sanye said, "Even President Chen thinks 'Assembly' has flaws, so my investment in 'Red Cliff' will surely be met with a barrage of insults, won't it?"

"Actually, it was filmed quite well and is suitable for mass entertainment." Chen Guiliang has little impression of "Red Cliff" anymore, except for Mrs. Kurosawa's line: Mengmeng, stand up!

Feng Kuzi had only intended to lighten the mood and quickly steer the conversation towards the movie. But now, his smile vanished, and he asked seriously, "Mr. Chen, what problems do you see with 'Assembly'?"

Chen Guiliang said, "The filming was great, there were no problems."

“You’re not being honest with yourself,” Feng Kuzi said, genuinely wanting to get to the bottom of things. “There are no outsiders here, Mr. Chen, so please speak the truth. When I make movies, I’m good at summarizing experiences, and I especially enjoy hearing the opinions of cultured people.”

"I don't know much about movies, but 'Assembly' is really well made." Since Chen Guiliang had asked Feng Kuzi for help, he couldn't possibly embarrass him during a meal.

But the more Chen Guiliang said that, the more it meant there was a problem with the movie. Feng Kuzi was itching to hear it: "Just tell me directly, I promise I won't be emotional."

Chen Guiliang said very tactfully, "Actually, when Director Feng is making a movie, he could hire a military advisor."

“I’ll treat you,” Feng Kuzi said.

"Huh?" Chen Guiliang was particularly surprised.

Feng Kuzi asked, "What's wrong?"

Chen Guiliang said, "Before the Long March, our army had rich guerrilla experience, and it was common for troops to split up to cover retreats. Each time, we would first convene a meeting of middle and senior officers to explain the necessity of the tasks of each unit. These officers would then go back to the meeting, and the meetings would continue down to the grassroots level, so that even ordinary soldiers knew what they were supposed to do and why they had to do it."

"All sniper cover missions must first consider the problem of poor communication. The general orders are 'hold a certain position for a certain period of time' or 'prevent the enemy from reaching a certain position by a certain date.' There will not be any more specific orders. As long as the unit responsible for the cover completes the mission, it can make its own subsequent decisions."

"It's impossible to wait for some kind of assembly call. The story of 'Assembly' is unlikely to happen in our army."

Feng Kuzi said, "But this is based on a true story."

Chen Guiliang said, "The problem lies in the adaptation. The screenwriter doesn't understand our army's combat style. And that film's military consultant isn't from our army either, is he?"

Feng Kuzi remained silent.

The military advisor for "Assembly" seems to be South Korean...

How to put it? From its theme to its details, this film is nothing short of slandering and defaming our army.

Chen Guiliang laughed heartily: "Actually, I don't know either, I was just talking nonsense. Let me fill Director Feng's glass. Let's drink!"

Feng Kuzi raised his glass to Third Master Han, and they all clinked glasses.

Chen Guiliang was often unwilling to tell lies.

Since Feng Kuzi insisted on listening, Chen Guiliang would tell him the truth. If he was unhappy with what he heard, so be it.

Master Han found their conversation particularly interesting.

In Han Sanye's eyes, Chen Guiliang still had a bit of a hothead about him. He was not like a mature and shrewd businessman who could say such offensive things to people's faces.

Everyone is tactful.

But as long as it's not directed at them personally, everyone likes it when others aren't tactful.

Master Han quite liked Chen Guiliang's speaking style at this moment, because dealing with someone like Chen Guiliang was effortless and worry-free!
Third Master Han proactively changed the subject: "I read in the newspaper a few days ago that President Chen is investing 10 billion yuan in Chengdu. What kind of cloud center is he building? The technological description is quite impressive."

“Cloud computing centers,” Chen Guiliang said, “will have a huge impact on the entire film industry once cloud technology makes a breakthrough.”

"This thing is related to movies?" Feng Kuzi asked in surprise, no longer thinking about what had happened before. Chen Guiliang said, "First, it can significantly reduce the cost of movie special effects. Second, it can support real-time remote collaboration between global teams. Third, it optimizes film project management, enabling centralized storage and analysis of massive amounts of data. In the future, small and medium-sized studios and independent producers will be able to use cloud technology to obtain world-class computing resources and collaboration platforms. These are just the conveniences in film production; there's also the benefit of early-stage market research and analysis, as well as theater management and distribution—all of which can utilize cloud technology."

As Han Sanye reached for a cigarette, Feng Kuzi quickly handed it to him, also offering him a lighter. He then offered Chen Guiliang a cigarette as well, as if he had three hands.

Master Han, puffing on his cigarette, said, "Although I don't understand this technology, it sounds like it has a huge impact. Can China Film Group make arrangements in advance?"

Chen Guiliang said, "China Film Group doesn't need to plan ahead; it just needs to keep an eye on the development of cloud technology. Cloud technology is still in the research and development stage and can only be used commercially in some IT companies at present. In the future, it will gradually reach other fields. Different fields require different application development."

"Technology is developing so fast these days, it's almost overwhelming," Han Sanye remarked.

Chen Guiliang laughed and said, "In fact, when cloud technology develops to a certain level, it can also be used to quickly and cheaply restore old films. Movies that the Central Committee made decades ago can also be dug out of the warehouse and made into high definition."

"Such technology exists?" Master Han exclaimed in surprise.

Chen Guiliang said, "It is estimated that it will take about ten years to achieve."

Feng Kuzi raised his glass and said, "Awesome!"

Chen Guiliang took out his phone and played "Summer of Little Monsters": "Han Dong, have you seen this animated short film?"

Han Sanye hadn't seen it before, but he took the phone and watched it while chatting. He quickly laughed and said, "This movie is quite interesting. It's suitable for adults and children alike."

Chen Guiliang said, "I plan to make it into a theatrical animation. Would Chairman Han be interested in investing?"

“It’s okay to invest; it’s also a way of responding to the country’s call,” Han Sanye immediately agreed.

As early as 2006, the central government conveyed its opinion on promoting the development of the animation industry. Subsequently, the Ministry of Culture took the lead in forming an inter-ministerial joint conference to support the development of the animation industry, and established a special fund from the central government to support the development of the animation industry.

As a state-owned enterprise, China Film Group naturally had to actively respond to the call.

Regardless of whether Han Sanye values ​​animation or not, China Film Group invests in one or two animated films every year. Whether they make money or not is irrelevant; the important thing is to demonstrate their commitment, and achieving results would be even better.

Investing in "Summer of Little Monsters" is a win-win situation for Han Sanye, both professionally and personally.

He could both respond to the national call and establish contact with Chen Guiliang. Once the box office took off, he would also have corresponding political achievements, which would bring honor to his superiors.

As for falling flat on one's face?

So be it if it flops. Two or three animated films invested in by China Film Group have already flopped.

Even if it means further losses, we must continue to invest; it's a political task.

After thinking for a moment, Han Sanye said, "China Film Group can invest 500 million, and I'll help you bring in another 200 million in animation support funds."

"With the support of Chairman Han and China Film Group, this animated film is sure to be a huge success. I'd like to raise a glass to Chairman Han," Chen Guiliang said, raising his glass.

Feng Kuzi chimed in, "How about I get a role too? I can be a voice actor."

Chen Guiliang laughed and said, "Great! Welcome Director Feng to join us."

Third Master Han said, "If you want to go bigger, I can help you get Jackie Chan and Zhang Ziyi to do the voice acting."

Chen Guiliang said, "I appreciate Chairman Han's kindness, but there's no need for it for now. They are all international movie stars with very distinctive voices. However, 'Summer of Little Monsters' embodies the spirit of grassroots people, which conflicts somewhat with their international movie star image."

Feng Kuzi joked, "That's true. I'm just an ordinary person, which makes me very suitable for this movie."

Chen Guiliang burst into laughter.

The main reason is that Feng Xiaogang followed his advice and frequently posted photos of himself as an elderly man in a hutong (traditional alleyway) on his Haiwainet account. His comments were also consistently down-to-earth, allowing him to connect with netizens and thus maintaining a very positive online image.

Having tasted success, Feng Kuzi became increasingly enamored with this persona and frequently spoke up for vulnerable groups such as migrant workers.

This guy is incredibly smart; he's figured out what netizens like.

Zhang Guoli was a bit aloof, and his online persona was that of a "cultured person." He even got Heshen to register an account on HaiNei.com, and they would engage in various interactions together, showcasing calligraphy and painting works, and occasionally posting pictures of books, antiques, and the like.

Feng Kuzi said smugly, "My HaiNei.com account now has over 90 followers, and I estimate it will break 100 million before the Spring Festival. I can easily get hundreds or thousands of comments a day just by posting a picture of myself eating noodles with soybean paste. Last time, for the premiere of 'Assembly,' I posted a picture on HaiNei.com, and several thousand fans rushed to buy tickets to attend."

"This is great! It will be very helpful for promoting the movie," Han Sanye exclaimed.

Chen Guiliang suddenly remembered something: "Chairman Han, next year is the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. China Film Group should be making a tribute film, right? Could I have a cameo role? I don't need many lines, just a brief appearance will do."

Master Han said, "The project has already been approved. It's called 'The Founding of a Republic,' and filming will begin after the Spring Festival. I'll try my best to help you find a role."

This situation caused Han Sanye even more trouble, because there were too many people who wanted the role, and most of them were willing to act for free.

Feng Kuzi said, "I also want to act. I'm particularly suited to playing villains."

Third Master Han said, "I will try my best to coordinate."

Chen Guiliang smiled and said, "Director Feng and Du Yuesheng are quite good."

Feng Kuzi slapped his thigh: "That's right! I played a gang leader in 'Kung Fu Hustle,' so I have experience in this area."

Master Han was both amused and exasperated.

(End of this chapter)