Chapter 792: Running the Train

At the end of April, Ma Zhiyuan exploded again.

The online film *Scandal-Ridden* he starred in was released and exploded.

Just as Zhou Ping'an had expected, this story was almost entirely based on Ma Zhiyuan's own life experience as a template, full of gimmicks, attracting a large number of gossip-loving crowds.

However, the large number of gossip-loving crowds, holding the attitude of "watching a show," clicked into this online film, but were shocked to find—

Huh, why is this film so good?!

It really wasn't an exaggeration, because this film—

wasn't "online film" at all.

It even shot out a bit of a documentary feel.

"Who is the director of this film? He shouldn't be professionally trained, but his sense of rhythm is very special."

Lu Yanhe also went to watch this film.

He watched it with Chen Ziyan at Shi Huo.

Lu Yanhe said: "Every plot twist has no foreshadowing. Directors from the academy shouldn't do this, but generally, films that do this make people feel abrupt, strange, or even feel like they're crazy. But this film, because every twist maintains a high, unified abruptness, instead, after getting used to the first one or two, one immediately accepts this style."

Chen Ziyan said: "I didn't expect that I would be dragged by you to watch an online film starring Ma Zhiyuan."

"Fu Kai told me, saying this film was shot very well." Lu Yanhe said, "He said, domestic film directors don't shoot films like this."

"This is an online film."

"This isn't an ordinary online film." Lu Yanhe said, "Actually, if this film were taken to a film festival, it would definitely be a topic of discussion. Its overall form is handled a bit roughly, obviously rushed, and the budget is insufficient, and the level of technical personnel in various departments is just so-so. But the more this is the case, the more it highlights the director's ability. Think about this film carefully, is there any place that makes you feel it's too good or too bad? The whole film, from actor performance to camera scheduling, from soundtrack to editing rhythm, all highly maintained on a precise level. Under the form of crudeness that is clearly an online film, it makes it seem like a graininess created for documentary. This director turned his very limited resources into an artwork within his reach."

"Artwork?"

"Ma Zhiyuan's acting is still the same, but I don't know if it's because it's a true-to-life performance, so it makes people feel very sincere and earnest. This point must be acknowledged." Lu Yanhe said, "Or rather, this director is too awesome, knows how to capture, so in such a story, every shot Ma Zhiyuan appears in makes one feel this actor is very sincere."

Chen Ziyan: "Do you mean you think he acted very well?"

"I said, his

acting is still the same, how could it be saying he acted very well?" Lu Yanhe said, "Oh, Sister Ziyan, don't distort every word I say just because you have a prejudice against Ma Zhiyuan. I am analyzing this online film with you."

"I want to remind you that Ma Zhiyuan is just currently left far behind by you. Back then, his threats and attacks against you were not few at all."

"I know." Lu Yanhe nodded, "But he's popular again now, what should we do?"

"I've already talked to Xu Qinyin." Chen Ziyan said suddenly.

"What?"

"After Xu Qinyin's contract with her original agency expires, she will sign with me." Chen Ziyan said, "Let the child's mother teach the child's father a lesson. Everyone should be very happy to see such a drama, right? And let everyone always remember that Ma Zhiyuan is a father who abandoned his own child."

Lu Yanhe: "…Sister Ziyan, don't innocently involve their child in these things."

"If I don't sign Xu Qinyin under my hand, their child will be innocently involved." Chen Ziyan said, "At least now everything is under my control. Do you think Xu Qinyin is the kind of person who would use her own child as a tool to attack Ma Zhiyuan?"

Lu Yanhe asked suspiciously: "But, the matter of Xu Qinyin's child's father being Ma Zhiyuan at that time—"

"Do you think Xu Qinyin exposed it?"

"Otherwise, no one else would know." Lu Yanhe said.

"It was someone from Xu Qinyin's company who betrayed her. At that time, Xu Qinyin was about to star in *Can't Even Fake Death* with Li Zhibai. Someone in her company hated her very much and took the opportunity to make a fuss."

Afterwards, the lead actress of *Can't Even Fake Death* was indeed changed to Ji Miao because of this.

"If Xu Qinyin wanted to use this child to hype, she could have done it years ago." Chen Ziyan said, "In fact, she never used this matter to hype from the beginning, including now, her career is a bit sluggish, and she never talks about Ma Zhiyuan and the child in front of the camera."

"Then—" Lu Yanhe asked, "Then what do you mean by letting the child's mother teach the child's father a lesson?"

"Ma Zhiyuan can toss and turn to become popular again, can't Xu Qinyin continue to struggle for her own career?" Chen Ziyan said, "I talked to Xu Qinyin very clearly. I won't have any requirements that violate principles for her. I will provide her with a large amount of resources, but there is only one point: when Ma Zhiyuan poses a threat to us, she must go and extinguish these threats."

"Her?" Lu Yanhe frowned, "Can she do it?"

Chen Ziyan said: "She agreed. I don't know if she can really do it, but I only have one point: Xu Qinyin is at Shi Huo. If Ma Zhiyuan has the ability, he really shouldn't have any scruples. Otherwise, no matter whether he has old feelings for Xu Qinyin or has scruples, no matter whether he has fatherly love for his son, under the nature of seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages, he should stay away from us."

"Sister Ziyan, why are you still so wary of Ma Zhiyuan now?"

"The barefooted are not afraid of those wearing shoes. Even Zhou Ping'an, that dog-skin plaster, couldn't shake off Ma Zhiyuan and was entangled by him to the point of having to help him make a comeback. Why should I underestimate him and treat him as having no threat?" Chen Ziyan pointed at Lu Yanhe with her eyes, "You are the same, why should you underestimate him and treat him as having no threat?"

A head-on blow.

Lu Yanhe realized… he really hadn't treated Ma Zhiyuan as a threat.

Chen Ziyan said: "I will contact the director of this film to see if I can dig him over. Since you think he is so talented, maybe you can sign him to Linghe."

Lu Yanhe nodded.

Chen Ziyan said: "For the film *Men in Black*, you left a cameo role for Yan Liang, Caina, and Minglan. Will they appear later? I know you are preparing to make this film into a trilogy."

Lu Yanhe said: "No, it's just a simple cameo. They are all taking the international route and need to show their faces. This film will be released and promoted in the global market, and their cameo scenes are not just one or two shots, but a segment."

"Good." Chen Ziyan nodded, "Minglan is quite popular in the French film circle. After filming a French film, several film scripts came looking for her. I'm a bit conflicted about whether to let her take on more French films to deepen her roots, or still go to Hollywood to find opportunities."

"Since the French film circle welcomes her, let her film French films first." Lu Yanhe said, "In recent years, many Chinese faces have appeared in Hollywood films. Actually, I think for the US side, it's a bit homogenized. Moreover, now the role of a young Asian female face in Hollywood films is Yuqian. The films Minglan can get in Hollywood now basically overlap with Yuqian. Minglan can actually add something unique to her actor label and characteristics. Being unique is always an actor's greatest weapon, not acting skills."

Chen Ziyan nodded.

"What you said is indeed correct."

Lu Yanhe asked: "However, the French film circle always wants actresses to take off their clothes, Minglan—"

"I won't take on roles that require taking off clothes." Chen Ziyan said, "It's not that I have taboos about this, but Minglan is a Chinese actress after all. Different cultural environments have different degrees of taboo about this. I can't ignore these just to make her famous overnight. Of course, if you tell me it's really an art film by a top director, and it really has that artistic value, you say can it be discussed? Of course OK, but it's impossible for Minglan to do it to the extent of European and American actresses. They don't have to bear moral and spiritual pressure, but Minglan does."

Lu Yanhe nodded.

"Indeed."

Chen Ziyan: "Of course, I hope such pressure will become smaller and smaller in the future, but in the final analysis, this is not a personal appeal, but a change in the entire social environment. I can't say that these things don't need to be managed and just insist on art."

There are all kinds of films in this world.

Naturally, there are all kinds of audiences.

Audiences also have all kinds of needs.

Actors working hard to satisfy the needs of the audience and serving the audience is admirable.

Actors ignoring the needs of the audience and insisting on their own artistic aesthetics is also admirable.

Lu Yanhe knows what kind of actor he wants to be, but he doesn't have a clear standard to handle the boundary between his persistence and satisfying the needs of the audience.

Chen Siqi said: "I think you will never think clearly about these problems. Once you think clearly, you are no longer an artist."

Lu Yanhe said: "You are so philosophical."

Chen Siqi laughed loudly.

Lu Yanhe said: "I suddenly thought of the matter of whether Minglan should take off her clothes in the film that I discussed with Sister Ziyan earlier."

"Hmm?"

"Some actors actually don't taboo taking off clothes, especially many European and American actors I know. They identify from the bottom of their hearts that the body is just a tool for expression, a container. Even if it is exposed on the screen, it doesn't matter."

"Different cultures have different definitions."

"And when I encounter such problems, my first reaction is that there is actually no need to touch it." Lu Yanhe said, "My first reaction is, what art must be expressed through nudity? Then, I suddenly realized that, actually, to put it bluntly, it is because I resist facing contradictions. It's not that I resist nudity, but I resist the controversy and contradictions caused by this matter. I would rather I resist nudity, because whether I accept or resist, it is my aesthetic attitude. But what I mind is controversy and contradictions. I actually care about other people's views, and then I—"

"I am always cleverly gaining the support of the audience."

"Is there any problem with creators wanting to gain the support of the audience?"

"No problem, however, wanting to gain the support of others, what about yourself?"

"What is yourself?" Chen Siqi said, "I actually want to say that I understand what you mean, but it's not that if you don't care about others, you must be yourself. The shaping of every person is different experiences and different environments. Like the earth, on one hand, it rotates, on the other hand, it revolves around the sun, slowly forming like this."

Lu Yanhe: "I know what you said makes a lot of sense

however, it is also just words to comfort yourself."

"It is comfort, but you once said a sentence to me, do you remember?"

"What sentence?"

"No answer is the valuable thinking."

"When did I say that?"

"I don't remember."

Lu Yanhe took a deep breath, tsk-tsked twice, "I actually said such philosophical words?"

Chen Siqi: "You have said many philosophical words, but you only said them, you didn't practice them. Your doubts are more than anyone else's."

Lu Yanhe: "Okay."

"Although I know it's useless to say it, I still want to say, why do you think so much?" Chen Siqi said, "Just do it. Anyway, there will always be all kinds of situations forcing you to make a choice. Once the choice is made, you will know the answer."

"Makes so much sense."

If the dark horse in early April was *Corpse Appearance*, the dark horse in late April was *Scandal-Ridden*.

This was the first online film to stir up huge discussion.

Even the discussion of several blockbusters during the May Day holiday was not as good as *Scandal-Ridden*.

The box office of the films during the May Day holiday almost all failed to meet expectations.

The box office champion was *Mountain Family*, filmed by director Shen Mofan and Xu Yiren again, still walking the thriller route, and it was another big heroine film.

Because the previous cooperation *The Home I Haven't Returned to for a Long Time* grossed 800 million, combined with the films Xu Yiren starred in over the past few years, the box office results were all very good, so the industry had high hopes for *Mountain Family*. However, even though it won the box office champion of the May Day holiday, in the five days of the May Day holiday, the film only grossed a total of 312 million at the box office, and the final box office might only fall around 500 million.

Actually, the box office was also very high.

It's just that for the box office champion of the May Day holiday, this number was a bit low.

The industry analyzed it and believed that the reason why the box office of the May Day holiday declined was mainly because the several films during this May Day holiday were all winning by subject matter, lacking industrial blockbusters, so the attraction was limited. After all, the competition between them was great, but the audience base was not expanded.

Lu Yanhe didn't know what was going on.

He also didn't pay attention to the May Day holiday.

Because during this time, he was in the US preparing for the film *Men in Black* with Fu Kai and others, and at the same time, he was looking at the post-production of the director of *Speed of Life and Death* and giving opinions.

Not only was *Speed of Life and Death* finished, but *Source Code* and *The Notebook* were also finished, all in the post-production stage.

Three films were on the way. Currently, only *The Notebook* had hope of being released this year. The post-production of the other two

was a bit time-consuming and not that fast.

Busy to death.

"Huang Tianlin's film, have you decided? Do you want to take it?" At night, back at the hotel to rest, Lu Yanhe received a call from Chen Ziyan.

Ever since receiving that script from Huang Tianlin, Lu Yanhe had been hesitating and hadn't decided whether to take it.

Lu Yanhe asked: "Sister Ziyan, do you think I should take it?"

"I don't know." Chen Ziyan said, "This requires you to make a decision yourself."

Lu Yanhe said: "I have been unable to make up my mind."

Chen Ziyan said: "So I am even less likely to help you make this decision. Yan He, this is a decision you need to make yourself."

Lu Yanhe sighed.

"So hesitant."

Chen Ziyan asked: "Setting aside your personal reasons, how do you think this script is written?"

Lu Yanhe said: "Very good."

"How good?"

"It made me feel something similar to the script of *Tropical Rainy Season*, a very pure, private emotion."

Chen Ziyan: "Can you elaborate?"

Lu Yanhe said: "Many scripts have good storytelling, many scripts have very three-dimensional characters, and a very small number of scripts are an emotion. *Tropical Rainy Season* is an emotion of growth and confusion, while this script is an emotion of a fire deep in the heart that needs to be released."

Chen Ziyan: "Does it have anything to do with your personal experience? Does such a judgment whether it is influenced by your own experience?"

"Then I really can't say righteously that it is not influenced." Lu Yanhe smiled bitterly.

Chen Ziyan: "Director Wang Zhong's *Seeking Pleasure*, he has been changing the script, not satisfied. If you don't take Huang Tianlin's script, I indeed have to help you find another art film script, or you write one yourself. You have too many commercial films on hand, I must leave you a stock of art films."

Lu Yanhe said: "*Storm Calmer No. 1* will be released in China and Europe and America this July."

"*Storm Calmer No. 1* is the only non-commercial film you have on hand that has not been released." Chen Ziyan said, "After this film is released, there will be none."

Lu Yanhe: "I think you are indirectly persuading me to take Huang Tianlin's film."

"Whatever you think in your heart, you will hear what you think." Chen Ziyan asked back, "Is it that I want to persuade you to take it, or do you subconsciously want to take it?"

Lu Yanhe was silent.

There is a word called "fear of returning home."

Lu Yanhe knew that his situation had nothing to do with "fear of returning home," but to some extent, the truth was the same.

Lu Yanhe knew

why he was hesitant, but knowing didn't mean he could solve it.

Yu Mengling brought a script to find him at this time.

"Yan He, I received a script here, do you want to see it?"

Ever since Yu Mengling cooperated with him on the drama version of *Rouge*, they had relatively close communication.

For that program on the Spring Festival Gala this year, Yu Mengling also didn't hesitate at all after receiving his call and agreed directly.

However, Yu Mengling bringing him a script was the first time ever.

Yu Mengling was a very clear and graceful woman.

Her emotions were intense, but her presentation carried a kind of detachment of a high-door woman.

It was precisely this temperament that made her unique.

Lu Yanhe said okay, and asked: "Sister Mengling, is this script short of investment, or is there a role you think is suitable for me to play?"

"You see it first." Yu Mengling said.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yanhe didn't ask anymore. As she said, see it first.

The film was called *The Boat*, telling the story of a family in ancient times that specialized in making boats.

The script was written very daily, solid but moving, with a taste of Kore-eda Hirokazu's films.

Until the end of the script, when the boat was made, and it seemed to be a big happy ending, the son in the script suddenly killed the father.

Lu Yanhe's heartbeat missed a beat.

Why was it such a plot again?

The end of the film was not deliberately reversing the plot.

On the contrary, it didn't explain why the son wanted to kill the father, just that the person who delivered the goods at the end became this son.

Lu Yanhe suspiciously sent a message to Yu Mengling, asking: I didn't understand the ending of this script.

Yu Mengling said: What do you think of the writing?

Lu Yanhe: Setting aside this ending, the front is written very movingly, very good.

Yu Mengling said: Can you read it again? Actually, several places in the front have already hinted at why there is such an ending. ===== CHAPTER 793 =====

Lu Yanhe: Setting aside this ending, the preceding part is written very movingly; it is very good.

Yu Mengling said: Could you read it again? Actually, several places earlier already hinted at why there would be such an ending.