The only sun in Huayu

Chapter 18 No, no, no! (Fourth update, 11,000 words)

"Honey, don't say I'm keeping everything from you. Come with me to pick up the person."

Da Mimi was speechless: "Are you asking me to carry your bag and run errands?"

In the past few days, she has witnessed firsthand how inhuman Shen Shandeng can be at work.

Zhou Qifeng was constantly on the go, visiting China Film Group, Beijing Film Academy, and various universities, but he could hardly find anyone there.

Shen Shandeng said, "Never mind, I originally thought you were quite suitable for the female lead."

"Yes, Brother Shen, Brother Deng, let's go right away." Da Mimi gave in without even thinking.

Shen Shandeng frowned: "What should I address him as?"

"Yes, sir!" Da Mimi barely managed to suppress the urge to roll her eyes. What a twisted sense of humor.

Shen Shandeng gave Zhou Qifeng his used Accord, and rented a silver-gray Buick GL8 in the name of the film crew.

The province is the province, the flowers are the flowers.

A production costing tens of millions is considered mid-to-high range these days, and business receptions shouldn't be too shabby.

To show that he valued her, Shen Shandeng drove himself, with Da Mimi sitting in the passenger seat.

Shen Shandeng is a good driver, exuding a sense of ease and control. He habitually holds the steering wheel with one hand and rests the other on the gear shift.

Don't forget to find some fun.

"Xiao Yang, what's the most important thing about being my woman?"

Da Mimi opened her mouth several times, but ultimately chose to yield and said, "I will obey!"

Shen Shandeng: "Whom do you obey?"

Honey: "I will obey you, sir! I will do all the housework; I will wash the dishes and dishes at your beck and call; the air conditioning temperature will be exactly as you wish! The toilet seat? It will always be standing at attention in front of you, sir!"

Shen Shandeng nodded in satisfaction: "Good! Keep it up, soldier!"

Da Mimi looked out the window, her eyes practically rolling to the sky.

It was almost six o'clock when I picked up Wu Jing.

The hustle and bustle of the arrival hall at Beijing Capital International Airport, mixed with announcements, hit me immediately.

Shen Shandeng's sharp eyes searched through the crowd.

Two familiar figures were quickly identified: Ma Youde and the young Wu Jing from Wolf Warrior.

Carrying a travel bag, he looked around somewhat blankly.

"Brother Jing! Over here!"

Shen Shandeng called out and quickened his pace, almost jogging, to meet Wu Jing and help him with his luggage.

Yang Mi, who was following behind him, secretly pursed her lips. Her expression changed faster than turning the pages of a book.

"Director Shen! You're too kind! You're too kind!"

Upon confirming that the person was Shen Shandeng, Wu Jing quickly waved his hand, trying to hide his luggage behind his back.

Ma Youde quickly said, "Boss, I'll do it, I'll do it."

Shen Shandeng insisted on carrying Wu Jing's bag: "Brother Jing, don't call me Director Shen anymore, just call me Little Shen. Don't say anything, you're a lifesaver for your brother."

“I’m carrying this bag not just for you, but for the future of our domestic action films, for the future of Chinese cinema. Your arrival is also a support for Director Han’s work.”

Wu Jing was overwhelmed by Shen Shandeng's enthusiasm and flattery, and could only thank him repeatedly.

A surge of emotion welled up inside him; even if it was just acting, it was a level of respect he hadn't experienced in years.

The warmth in my heart and the long-lost sense of being valued grew stronger.

A man will die for one who understands him; Wu Jing was determined to do his part for Shen Shandeng's film.

The group walked towards the parking lot.

Shen Shandeng opened the car door and gestured for Wu Jing to sit in the spacious and comfortable second row: "Brother Wu, please take a seat! Honey, you go to the passenger seat."

He personally accompanied Wu Jing, while Ma Youde drove.

Shen Shandeng suggested, "Brother Jing, let's eat something first. We've already prepared food at home, but we're caught in the evening rush hour, so we probably won't get back until eight or nine o'clock."

"No, no, no, Brother Shen, I'm really not hungry. I ate on the plane." Wu Jing quickly said, "Brother Shen, don't be so polite. You can call me Ah Jing or Jingzai."

"How about this, how about calling me Brother Wu?" Shen Shandeng could tell that Jingzi had a rather honest personality.

Wu Jing said, "That's excellent."

Da Mimi watched from the side, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

Wu Jing, this greenhorn, will probably not escape the clutches of the villain.

Shen Shandeng is too good at deceiving people; he has everyone around him completely under his control.

Without wasting any time, Shen Shandeng chatted with Wu Jing about the "Supervisor" project on the way.

"I caught the factory director's eye because of an article I wrote, and he's ready to hear my opinion as a junior colleague."

Wu Jing asked, "Is that Master Han?"

"Mm." Shen Shandeng nodded gently.

Wu Jing was secretly shocked.

Shen Shandeng continued, "Let me make this clear: all three major directors have gone cold, Hong Kong and Taiwan directors can't capture the grandeur of history, period epics are in a critical moment, action movies are in a critical moment, and Chinese cinema is in a critical moment!"

"The factory director felt this deeply. When it was time for change, he inquired about the 'Brotherhood of Blades' project that I was preparing. It had a budget of 100 million yuan. I introduced it as a period epic that closely follows Chinese history and is imbued with the spirit of China."

"At the time, the factory manager expressed his full support."

This is the first time I've heard the details of this story. It feels like something out of a TV drama.
Why would someone like Han Sanping meet with Shen Shandeng?

After seeing it, why did you attach so much importance to it?
The key details were not mentioned.

Wu Jing was once again deeply shocked. If it's true, then that's incredibly amazing.

"But it seems 'Brotherhood of Blades' has been shelved?" Wu Jing asked curiously, his tone tinged with inquiry. Shen Shandeng was simply too talkative, and Wu Jing, having gone through the ups and downs of the industry himself, was beginning to doubt the project's authenticity.

Shen Shandeng's tone became indignant: "Because there are bad people in China Film Group and bad people in Beijing Film Studio. A bunch of good-for-nothings who do nothing themselves and can't stand seeing others do anything."

"Brother Wu is so skilled in martial arts, has great acting skills, and is also handsome, yet he can only leave his hometown. It's all because of these people."

Wu Jing couldn't help but sigh inwardly; Shen Shandeng's words had struck a chord with him.

Given the chance, who would choose to live under someone else's roof?
Shen Shandeng brought up the project, which was the key to whether Wu Jing could truly settle down and put in his best effort: "Under the obstruction of these people, the factory director is under tremendous pressure. I felt that I couldn't add to the factory director's worries, so I took the initiative to put the project on hold."

"Fortunately, I still have a script, which was created for 'Brotherhood of Blades'. It tells the story of a eunuch from the perspective of system design, which can also be considered as preparation for 'Brotherhood of Blades', namely 'The Eunuch'."

With the project confirmed, Wu Jing breathed a sigh of relief: "Brother Shen, in that letter you gave me, you mentioned different directions for action movies?"

Shen Shandeng pulled out a storyboard he had prepared long ago: "I think 'A Den of Snakes and Rats' has misled Chinese Kung Fu. The direction that Chinese Kung Fu should take should be the Chinese martial arts concept of 'the greatest heroes are those who serve the country and the people'."

"In terms of action design, we need to incorporate both Eastern martial arts routines and Hollywood experience, while ensuring that the action actors don't risk their lives."

"I don't agree with the idea that the show is more important than anything else. Working hard is work, but treating people like they're not human is not work, it's harming people."

"Through materials science, mechanics, mechanical design, and so on, we can empower prop and action design, calculate the impact of attack force, and improve the realism of special effects."

"Combining science and engineering knowledge with the practical experience of action actors and stuntmen, and then combining it with post-production special effects."

"We must acknowledge the current situation. We are very weak in special effects right now, so let's focus on improving those first."

"Like in Mission: Impossible, Tom Cruise's action scenes are also very daring, but they are less strenuous and less harmful to the body than Jackie Chan's. This is the direction we should learn from."

"We have excellent movement techniques and rich martial arts experience. As long as we calm down, we will do even better."

Wu Jing felt a sense of shame, a sense of shame regarding his lack of formal education.

The direction Shen Shandeng provided was something he had never considered.

He had always thought that Hong Kong Island was the last pure land for kung fu movies, but today his understanding has been changed.

Shen Shandeng said, "Besides that, I think the most important thing is to give full play to our unique characteristics and continue to follow the path of kung fu."

"To deepen and solidify this, one important direction is to standardize and rank martial arts combat power, with clearer cultivation steps and clearer division of combat power."

Upon hearing this, Wu Jing instinctively pulled out his notebook.

Ma Youde, who was driving, glanced at the rearview mirror and nodded secretly.

It seems Wu Jing has also realized the boss's greatness; this guy is no ordinary person!
Wu Jing asked curiously, "How should I put this?"

Shen Shandeng said, "In the 'Supervisor' book, I have already designed a professional table, which is divided into five major realms."

"A master of martial arts: Sensing Qi, condensing Qi, strengthening Qi. Sensing internal Qi, then condensing internal Qi, and then strengthening internal Qi."

"Third-rate individuals: Once their internal energy grows strong and they open the twelve meridians, they have entered the path of cultivation. After that, they continue to open the twelve meridians until they are fully opened, which is the peak of the third-rate, half a step into the second-rate."

"Second-rate master: Opening up the eight extraordinary meridians makes one a second-rate master. Continuously opening up the eight extraordinary meridians, and fully opening up the regular meridians and extraordinary meridians to form a double cycle, makes one a half-step first-rate, or near-first-rate."

"Top-tier in the world: Opening up the Ren and Du meridians, connecting the eight extraordinary meridians and the twelve regular meridians, achieving the Great Circulation, thus becoming top-tier in the world."

"Grandmaster: A legendary being who comprehended the concept of 'intention' above 'qi'."

Shen Shandeng was referring to the development direction of martial arts novels in later generations.

Early martial arts novels did not have clear hierarchical divisions; if they were not divided into levels, readers would not read them.

This fully demonstrates that this direction represents progress.

And that should be the case; to put it more broadly, this further refines the rules of martial arts.

Shen Shandeng asked, "Brother Wu, do you know anything about D&D?"

Wu Jing shook his head.

Shen Shandeng said, "It's Dungeons & Dragons. The rulebook is very interestingly designed. You can take a look. We are perfecting the rules of martial arts and kung fu."

"Of course, that's not the key point. The most important thing is how to present it clearly and concisely."

"Brother Wu, have you seen 'The Terminator'?"

Wu Jing nodded: "I was shocked, absolutely amazed. Schwarzenegger's mechanical skeleton really startled me."

"Me too, I still remember the shock I felt when I first saw it."

Shen Shandeng said, "I think this is the direction of kung fu. It's not about slow motion, but about developing towards realism. We're going to showcase 'internal strength,' which is also known as 'qi,' similar to the T-800 internal skeleton."

"I want the audience to feel this sense of awe from our martial arts stories. I think that when we saw Terminator, we were very impressed and became interested in science fiction."

"We should also use Chinese films to make audiences interested in martial arts, chivalry, and our culture."

Wu Jing briefly imagined the scene Shen Shandeng described, and his breathing became heavy.

I got home after eight o'clock.

The car eventually turned onto Xueyuan Road and headed towards the Jinxiu Zhichun residential area.

Zhou Qifeng bought the groceries just in time, and they were still hot when he ate them.

Wu Jing drank quite a lot, and Shen Shandeng discovered that his alcohol tolerance was terrifying.

"Brother Shen, I heard our production team has a limited budget. After hearing what you said, I finally understand. This is what making a movie is all about. I'll even forgo my salary. I've saved up some money over the years; I'll invest a million."

Wu Jing is preparing to take out his savings for his wife.

Da Mimi kicked Shen Shandeng under the table; she couldn't stand it anymore.

Shen Shandeng's expression also changed slightly. No, the young Wolf Warrior was too honest.

Although the possibility of losing money is slim, if he does lose money, Shen Shandeng feels he is heading in a direction that is no longer human.

He refused repeatedly.

"No, no, no!"

　Rewriting is too difficult, and my book has plummeted on the new book charts. I've wasted twenty days. Back to work.

　　We will gradually delete relevant chapters of the work to avoid affecting new readers.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)