This celebrity is absolutely wicked.

Chapter 499 Are you here to cause trouble?
On stage, Zhang He had already begun his introduction.

"The film 'Red Lion Boys' is rooted in the unique regional culture of Lingnan, showcasing the contemporary inheritance of traditional lion dance culture through the passionate growth story of a young lion dance team..."

Lu Ran leaned close to Pang Yuntian's ear and whispered, "Didn't you notice there's a problem with his character design?"

Upon hearing this, Pang Yuntian focused his attention on the large screen.

He soon noticed the problem with the character design.

He had worked abroad for a period of time before, and he was deeply impressed by squinty eyes.

To put it bluntly, this is a stereotype that foreigners have about the Chinese people, and it is an insult to the Chinese people.

Here, this film actually uses the guise of promoting traditional culture to create such a character.

Pang Yuntian frowned and said, "There is a problem."

Lu Ran: "How did this image pass the censors?"

Pang Yuntian thought for a moment: "This should be because it promotes traditional culture. It was approved by Guangdong Province. The director of Red Lion Boy, Zhang He, has some connections."

Lu Ran snorted coldly.

He feels uneasy whenever he sees that picture on the big screen.

He opened his phone and entered the live stream of the movie's premiere.

The number of viewers in the live stream of the movie premiere was not large, only tens of thousands.

But at this moment, after Zhang He went on stage, the number of comments in the live broadcast room had increased.

"Something's not right about this Red Lion boy. Why is the protagonist so ugly? It's a really weird kind of ugly."

"It's because the main character has a problem with his facial features. He's not a clown; his appearance was intentionally designed with squinty eyes!"

"What's wrong with this director? Is he trying to insult people?"

"This is animation! Why did you have to design this kind of character of all!"

"Promoting traditional culture? What a load of rubbish! Does using the banner of promoting traditional culture give us the right to insult the Chinese people?"

"Is this director a traitor? I suggest we investigate him!"

As more and more viewers in the live stream noticed this situation, netizens' anger grew stronger.

The number of viewers in the live stream is gradually increasing.

After seeing the discussions among netizens, Lu Ran went online to search for the meaning of squinty eyes.

This is because during the Qing Dynasty, everyone wore a braid that looked like a rat's tail. When someone pulled them by their braid, their scalp was pulled upwards, causing their eyes to become slanted and narrowed.

Pale and emaciated, half-dead, dragged along the ground by their hair, their scalps pulling back their eyes – these were the Chinese laborers known as "piglets."

Upon learning the origin of this slanted-eyed man, Lu Ran's fist hardened.

He didn't believe the director was unaware of the meaning this image represented.

He immediately picked up his phone, searched for photos of Zhang He online, and then started fiddling with them.

After a while, Zhang finished introducing the movie and it was time for the interactive session.

People at the scene can ask questions, and Zhang He will answer them.

On stage, Zhang He, full of confidence, smiled and said, "Everyone can ask questions now."

Just then, Lu Ran raised his hand.

In an instant, everyone's eyes turned to Lu Ran.

Although everyone present was not familiar with Lu Ran, they all recognized his face.

Zhang He smiled smugly to himself when he saw Lu Ran raise his hand.

"Lu Ran is quite sensible; he's taking the initiative to support me."

A movie press conference, though called a press conference, is also a place to network and make connections.

The entertainment industry, the entertainment industry, you have to be in that circle.

How can you improve if you don't participate in the community?

The others at the scene felt a little envious when they saw Lu Ran raise his hand.

Lu Ran is just using his popularity to promote "Red Lion Boy".

Only Pang Yuntian trembled, a bad premonition rising in his heart.

"Lu Ran, don't talk nonsense," Pang Yuntian said immediately.

"I won't speak carelessly; I'll just ask a few questions from an objective perspective."

Lu Ran remained calm. At that moment, a staff member brought him a microphone.

Lu Ran stood up abruptly.

"Hello, Director Zhang."

Zhang He smiled and said, "Hello."

Lu Ran: "After listening to Director Zhang's explanation, I would like to ask Director Zhang a few questions. My first question is, why is the main character of Red Lion Boy designed with slanted eyes? Doesn't Director Zhang know that this is an insult to the image of Chinese people by foreigners?"

The whole room was smiling, but when Lu Ran asked the question, everyone's smiles froze.

The host standing next to the stage was stunned.

The two hosts, a man and a woman, quickly huddled together to discuss the matter.

problem occurs!
What a big deal!

Pang Yuntian took a deep breath; he knew this would happen.

In the live stream, when Lu Ran asked this question, the audience immediately cheered.

"Good question! It has to be Director Lu!"

"I was wondering who was so brave as to ask this question at the press conference, and it turns out it was Director Lu!"

"I'm relieved to see Director Lu here!"

"Let's see how this director answers!"

At that moment, Zhang He on the stage showed a hint of panic after hearing the question.

But he soon calmed down.

He'd already done it; how could he not know the consequences?

He had a contingency plan!

But what angered him now was not the issue itself, but the fact that Lu Ran had raised it.

"What does he mean? Is he here to cause trouble? And you think you're the only one who knows?"

Movie press conferences are all about harmony and making money. If you say things that people don't like to hear in front of them, you're just ruining the event.

"Why are you even in the entertainment industry if you're so headstrong?"

Zhang He mentally complained, then smiled and said, "I need to explain this issue. This image might mislead many viewers. What I want to say is that our creators went to Guangdong Province and other places to gather inspiration multiple times when they were drawing it."

The simplest way is for everyone to take out a mirror or their phone, turn off the filter, and take a good look at themselves. Think about what the people around you look like. We don't mean to belittle anyone, but think about your friends and what they would look like if they were in the same situation as our movie's protagonist. Our animated film is realistic, not the idealized style of foreign animation.

As Zhang He finished speaking, Lu Ran looked at the crowd.

Many people nodded in agreement after hearing Zhang He's words.

But the live stream chat was already in an uproar.

"Damn it! So you're saying all Chinese people are ugly bastards?"

"He doesn't mean all Chinese people are ugly; he means all of us lowly, ordinary people are ugly!"

"This director is definitely suspicious!"

"I'm so angry! I'm absolutely not going to see this movie in theaters!"

Zhang He was quite satisfied with his answer.

You're still too green to expect him to fall into a trap, Lu Ran.

Lu Ran's expression remained calm: "My second question, Director Zhang, do you believe that a work of art is the creator's child?"

Seeing Lu Ran change the subject, Zhang He smiled and said, "Of course, every work is the creator's child."

Clearly, Lu Ran intended to let the matter drop.

What I just said had an effect.

Just then, Lu Ran raised his phone, which displayed a photo.

"Since a work is the creator's child, I'll Photoshop Director Zhang's image to resemble his work as a way of praising and paying tribute to the creator's aesthetic sense. Director Zhang shouldn't have any objections, right?"

The camera in the live stream then zoomed in on Lu Ran's phone screen, displaying the image shown above.

Those were photos of Zhang He, but his eyes had been photoshopped into slanted, narrow eyes.

The person was transformed from a normal person into someone with Down syndrome.

The viewers in the live stream burst out laughing.

(End of this chapter)