Chapter 186: A Conversation with Han Shanping

At three in the afternoon, in the Jingcheng Film Studio building, Xiang Fei stood before Han Shanping's office door and knocked lightly.

"Come in." Han Shanping's steady voice came from inside.

Pushing the door open, he saw Han Shanping bent over his desk reviewing documents; the man looked up, saw it was Xiang Fei, immediately set down his fountain pen, and stood up with a smile: "A-Fei's here! Sit, sit."

Xiang Fei placed the script outline in his hand on the desk and smiled: "Uncle Han, this is the new script—please give it a look."

Han Shanping picked up the script, his eyes lighting up: "Drive My Car? That's an interesting title."

He called to his secretary: "Xiao Li, bring me that tin of Da Hong Pao."

The secretary brought in the tea set, and Han Shanping brewed the tea himself, his movements practiced.

"Try it—Da Hong Pao from Wuyi Mountain, freshly picked this year." Han Shanping pushed the teacup toward Xiang Fei.

Xiang Fei took a small sip and praised: "Excellent tea! The aftertaste lingers long."

Han Shanping nodded in satisfaction and opened the script: "Tell me about this script."

Xiang Fei set down his teacup, his gaze focused: "It tells the story of an actor who, after his wife's death, hires a female driver, and the two engage in a spiritual dialogue inside the car."

"Interesting." Han Shanping continued flipping through it. "Plenty of psychological drama."

Xiang Fei nodded: "The focus is on the inner portrayal of the characters. There isn't much dialogue, but every line carries weight."

Twenty minutes later, Han Shanping closed the script and slammed the table: "Good!"

The teacup rattled from the impact, and the secretary poked his head in: "Sir?"

Han Shanping waved him off: "Nothing!" He turned to Xiang Fei, his eyes gleaming: "This script can absolutely win an Oscar!"

Xiang Fei laughed: "Uncle Han, you're that confident?"

"Of course!" Han Shanping stood up excitedly and began pacing. "It combines artistry with humanistic concern—exactly the type the Oscar judges love."

He suddenly stopped pacing and stared at Xiang Fei: "Do you know what that means?"

Xiang Fei raised an eyebrow: "Hmm?"

"If you win an Oscar," Han Shanping said, word by word, "you'll be the first director in all of Asia—no, the entire world—to collect the top prizes of the three major international film festivals."

Han Shanping continued: "Unprecedented!"

The office fell quiet for a moment, only the curling fragrance of the tea remaining.

Xiang Fei suddenly laughed: "The pressure just got bigger."

Han Shanping sat back down on the sofa, his tone meaningful: "With greater ability comes greater responsibility. Huaxia cinema needs you."

He refilled Xiang Fei's tea: "Tell me your thoughts—how should Huaxia cinema move forward in the future?"

Xiang Fei thought for a moment: "I believe we should hold to three points."

"First, take root in local culture and tell Huaxia stories well."

"Second, align our technology with international standards, but never lose our own character."

"Third, cultivate the new generation and build a complete film industry system."

Han Shanping nodded repeatedly: "Well said! Especially the third point—talent cultivation is key."

Xiang Fei's eyes lit up: "I was just about to propose establishing a Young Director Support Program, where experienced directors mentor newcomers one-on-one."

"That's a great proposal!" Han Shanping slapped his thigh. "I'll bring it up at next week's meeting."

Xiang Fei said sincerely: "Thank you, Uncle Han."

At the doorway, Han Shanping suddenly called out to him: "A-Fei."

Xiang Fei turned back: "Hmm?"

The old minister's gaze was piercing: "Remember—you're not only fighting for yourself, but for Huaxia cinema."

Xiang Fei nodded solemnly: "I understand."

As the sun set, Xiang Fei walked out of the Ministry of Culture building.

Zhou Huimin, waiting in the car, rolled down the window: "How did the talk go?"

Xiang Fei pulled open the car door, his smile radiant: "Uncle Han says this script can win an Oscar."

Zhou Huimin's eyes curved into crescents: "I knew you could do it."

The car merged into the traffic on Chang'an Avenue, the red flags on either side especially vivid in the setting sun.

Xiang Fei gazed out the window and said softly: "Time to head back to Xiangjiang and prepare for the start of filming."

Zhou Huimin held his hand: "I'll go with you."