The only sun in Huayu

Chapter 73 Zhou Qifeng's Question (44, still 12,000 words, please continue to vote!)

"Qifeng, don't speak later," Shen Shandeng said.

Zhou Qifeng asked in surprise, "Why?"

"I have a London accent, but you don't, so as not to spoil the mood. We're here to watch a movie."

Reborn, Shen Shandeng's physical strength and learning ability have been enhanced, and he can switch between several accents in his spoken English, enjoying luxury from London to New York.

Zhou Qifeng asked, puzzled, "Why are we speaking English?"

"Okay, I'll let you try."

This question stumped Shen Shandeng.

Shen Shandeng and Zhou Qifeng walked out of the arrival hall with their bags on their backs.

Shen Shandeng glanced at the sign and gestured to Zhou Qifeng with his chin: "Take a taxi, you come."

I originally wanted to take the Chek Lap Kok Airport Express, which has been in operation for nine years and costs HK$100 one way.

There are also comfortable and spacious airline seats.

But how should I put it, Zhou Qifeng wanted to experience the unique features of Hong Kong Island, and Shen Shandeng didn't mind letting him experience it.

Zhou Qifeng's first impression of Hong Kong Island was its speed; a hurried atmosphere was palpable.

Zhou Qifeng hailed a taxi, and as soon as he spoke Mandarin, the driver's expression changed slightly.

Shen Shandeng glanced at it without showing any emotion, then sat down by the window.

Zhou Qifeng initially didn't take it seriously, but he was looking forward to the rest of the trip.

"The Creation" has not been released yet, but it has already whetted everyone's appetite.

There has been a lot of discussion on Douban and other online communities. He read the synopsis of the original work and learned about the prototype. He felt that the film would not be made according to the original work.

Soon, Zhou Qifeng's face darkened because the driver took a detour.

Zhou Qifeng tried to communicate, but the driver ignored him and even turned off the air conditioning.

Shen Shandeng glanced at his junior brother and spoke a few words in perfect London accent.

The driver immediately jumped.

He doesn't understand English, but his accent is so pure and authentic.

Next.

Calm and still, the air conditioning is on full blast.

After getting off the bus, the driver even helped Shen Shandeng carry his bag.

"Don't be discouraged, there's nothing to be discouraged about."

Upon arriving at the Queen's Theatre, the oldest existing cinema in Hong Kong, Shen Shandeng saw that Zhou Qifeng was somewhat dejected and said with a smile, "The elites of Hong Kong Island all need to learn Chinese."

Zhou Qifeng was stunned.

Shen Shandeng said, "It's not just Hong Kong; elites in Japan and South Korea also learn Chinese characters, as do those in Britain and the United States."

The streets of Central remained busy during the National Day holiday, with well-dressed financial professionals and tourists carrying cameras constantly moving about.

The air was thick with restlessness.

Turning onto Des Voeux Road Central and then into the theater, the sign of the Queen's Theatre, which carries countless memories of light and shadow, comes into view.

At the entrance of the theater, a huge poster for "The Sin" occupies the center position on the poster board.

The mainland release date has not yet been set, but the Hong Kong Island version was released on Wednesday, September 26th last month, and the Taiwanese Island version was released on Monday, September 24th.

The ticket booths were packed with long queues and bustling crowds, far exceeding those of other films showing at the same time.

The air was filled with a mixture of anticipation, excitement, and a hint of secret voyeurism.

Shen Shandeng didn't make Zhou Qifeng wait in line; he arrived even faster.

"Why are there tickets available for his 2:30 show in Mandarin?" a tourist in front of him asked eagerly.

"Sorry, the 3:30 show is sold out. There are still a few seats available for the next show at 7:00."

The ticket seller casually handed the two tickets to Shen Shandeng with both hands, communicating in broken English.

"Wow, that's incredible, it's packed every day." Two local young people next to me said.

"Of course, Leung Chiu-wai's movie also features a newcomer, Tong Wai, who I've heard is quite daring."

"It's completely unavailable in mainland China, no wonder so many people make a special trip here."

Shen Shandeng frowned slightly, casually draping his dark suit jacket over his arm.

The two local youths immediately quieted down.

Zhou Qifeng's brows were already furrowed. He noticed that there were clippings of film reviews from local newspapers next to the poster.

The headline is sensational.

Breaking through the limits of scale.

"What's wrong?" Shen Shandeng asked.

Zhou Qifeng said, "I just feel a little uncomfortable." Shen Shandeng comforted him, "You have to trust the director's abilities."

Zhou Qifeng muttered, "It's not a real battle yet."

The sound was too soft for Shen Shandeng to hear.

The movie, which lasted more than two hours, ended, and the lights came on.

The two walked out of the screening room in silence, their faces revealing little emotion, and neither of them spoke.

"Senior brother, I don't want to spend the night here," Zhou Qifeng said.

Shen Shandeng glanced at his watch: "Let's go to the airport."

The two took the airport express this time.

The carriage was well-cooled, and the airline-style seats were comfortable and spacious.

The clouds on the horizon left the carriage behind. Shen Shandeng's gaze was drawn to the sea view rushing past the window and the steel framework of the Tsing Ma Bridge. His fingertips tapped unconsciously on his knees, lost in thought.

Zhou Qifeng looked slightly tired, staring blankly at the scenery rushing past the window.

Arrive at the airport, check in, and go through security.

As the plane roared into the sky, the sunset was breathtakingly beautiful.

Zhou Qifeng, oblivious to the scenery, finally couldn't help but ask, "Senior brother, what if a play, whose tone is to embellish the private lives of those with ambiguous stances as a pilgrimage to humanity; and to dilute the pain of national and familial suffering into an emotional predicament?"

"Is there no right or wrong left?"

Shen Shandeng remained silent.

Zhou Qifeng then asked, "What if a play's theme is using love as a curtain to obscure the truth?"

"Through several intimate scenes, a female student who was originally firm in her beliefs is transformed from steadfast to hesitant, becoming emotionally dependent on the other party."

"It attempts to use the awakening of humanity and the power of love to make us believe that a person who was originally firm could abandon his position because of personal feelings, and that a key action could be disintegrated by the word 'hurry up'."

Is this not tragic?

Shen Shandeng remained silent.

Zhou Qifeng asked again: "If a play uses physical entanglements to confuse right and wrong, uses whispered conversations to dilute the deep past; uses the phrase 'He treats me very well' to cover up countless silent cries; uses superficial tenderness to replace passion and courage; uses seemingly affectionate confessions to distort a story that should be awe-inspiring"

"The cruelty is concealed through complex perspectives, human weaknesses, and solitary choices; close-ups magnify the tears of traitors and lackeys, and love is used to deconstruct the sacrifices of righteous men."

Is this absurd?

Shen Shandeng remained silent.

Zhou Qifeng continued, “If a play allows negative characters to don the cloak of humanity, disguised as sympathetic figures; weaves narrative traps with exquisite visuals, interpreting betrayal as loyalty to oneself; and packages compromise as spiritual awakening, then someone who has hurt others and climbed to the top by stepping on others is gilded with the so-called complex humanity simply because they showed a moment of tenderness in their emotions.”

"Can this be called art? Is this really exploring human nature? Or is it just a performance designed to confuse and mislead?!"

"If mistakes can be forgiven with a single tear, if guilt can be completely washed away with a touch of warmth, then how can justice and righteousness stand up to themselves?"

Shen Shandeng remained silent.

Zhou Qifeng then asked: "What if a play replaces grand moral dilemmas with emotional choices; reduces national and familial conflicts to a power struggle between men and women; and has characters whose beliefs are shaken by a gift, and whose life-or-death situations are simplified into a psychological game of 'Does he love me?'"

"Using superb cinematic language, the film guides the audience to downplay the opposition and blur the boundaries between good and evil, thereby shifting the focus to the core issues that are truly worth paying attention to."

"When faced with the so-called 'love' of the stronger party, does the weaker party really have a choice?"

"If a movie suggests to young people that their beliefs can be shaken by material gifts and that profound memories can be erased by fleeting warmth, isn't that like putting sugar on poison?"

Shen Shandeng remained silent.

Zhou Qifeng closed his eyes in anguish: "What I'm questioning is not creative freedom, but the basic bottom line of humanity."

"A painful history has been filmed as an emotional epic, and the perseverance of the righteous men has been defeated by the tricks of their opponents."

"If there is any justice in this world, those who uphold their beliefs should not be silently forgotten, while those with evil intentions should be made to shine!"

"If there is any justice in this world, then traitors should not be crowned, and victims should not be reduced to mere fodder for gossip!"

"Is this art, or just an empty shell with fancy decorations?"

"Senior brother, it's not dark yet, but why do I feel like it's already dark?"

Shen Shandeng pointed to the porthole and said, "You've said so much, and it's already dark."

Zhou Qifeng opened his eyes in a daze, tears blurring his vision.

I could vaguely see the dappled lights below, the lights of countless homes.

Shen Shandeng said, "It gets dark. It gets dark when the time comes. This is the Earth's rotation from west to east, which creates the astronomical phenomenon of day and night."

"As an opaque sphere, only about 50% of the Earth's surface is directly illuminated by the sun at any given time, while the unilluminated areas are in darkness. Its rotation period of 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds causes different regions of the Earth's surface to alternate between the day hemisphere and the night hemisphere."

"Cognition can be distorted, emotions can be stirred up, stories can be turned over, and characters can be replaced, but physical laws, mathematical axioms, and economic principles cannot be distorted."

Zhou Qifeng was startled.

Shen Shandeng countered, "Do you know how difficult it is to cultivate a master? It's not just about resources; it also depends on timing and luck."

(End of this chapter)