Chapter 579: A Misunderstanding

To be honest, when Wei Jin received the news, he was completely numb.

His first thought was: have these old fogies lost their minds? They actually dared to touch a script approved by the Golden Shield? Are they trying to defy the heavens?

However, he quickly realized there must be some misunderstanding, so he immediately called his little Assistant, Huang Mengying.

The latter also knew the severity of the situation and brought along Xiao Chen from the Screenwriting Department, who had delivered the script, when she came over.

"Xiao Chen, didn't you explain things clearly to the window when you went over?"

Seeing the big boss's gentle expression, Xiao Chen, who had been nervous the whole way, relaxed a little at this moment.

He swallowed hard, organized his thoughts, and began to explain: "President Wei, I told the window that I was from Shanhe Media. As soon as that lady heard that, she smiled and said no problem, then sent me away directly. I saw there were a lot of people, so I..."

"..."

Wei Jin was silent for a moment; this damn thing was just a misunderstanding.

But it was also normal; Shanhe Media's scripts usually had no issues, so there was no need for special explanation.

Those with content issues were generally sent directly to Department Head Tong's office.

Oh, it wasn't Department Head Tong anymore, but Department Head Zhang.

In March of this year, after the SARFT and the General Administration of Press and Publication merged, Department Head Tong had already stepped down from his concurrent position as head of the Film Bureau and only served as deputy director of the SARFT.

"Boss, is the problem serious?"

Watching Wei Jin remain silent, Huang Mengying and Xiao Chen on the side were breaking out in cold sweat, feeling extremely regretful.

But just as the two were feeling anxious, they actually saw a smile appear on their boss's face.

"Alright, I know the situation. Xiao Chen, Meng Ying, you two go get busy first, it's nothing..."

Although they didn't understand why, the two nodded and exited the office.

And Wei Jin sat in the boss's chair, a strange smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

"Hehe, since you threw yourselves at me, don't blame me..."

A night passed, and the news fermented from within the circle to being known across the entire internet, reaching the point of heated public discussion.

"It seems the censorship standards are still very strict. A big director like Wei Jin, touching this kind of special subject matter, is still going to crash and burn."

"By the way, what kind of case is the Mekong Case?"

"To the person above, is your village not connected to the internet? Go look it up yourself."

"Sharing a piece of trivia: the vast majority of rejected film scripts, especially those from big directors and gold-medal screenwriters like Wei Jin, can be safely assumed to be good scripts!"

"Honestly, I'm quite looking forward to it. The Mekong Case involves border conflicts, transnational pursuit, police-thief dynamics, anti-drug elements, etc. It's definitely not your average mainstream film."

"..."

Netizens discussed the script more from their own perspective, while those in the industry considered more.

"This secrecy was handled well enough that not a single whisper leaked out. If the script hadn't been rejected, I really wouldn't have known he was starting a new movie."

"A mainstream-themed film, how does he plan to do it? Does he really think he's an all-rounder? Especially with a case like this, media coverage is scarce. What is he thinking? Is he stubborn?"

"I'm curious, will Wei Jin back down this time, or does he plan to make it a co-production? Or will he be tough and just not film it at all?"

"..."

Most filmmakers held an attitude of watching the show, but Wei Jin's few good allies were anxious.

Wang Changtian, Ye Ning, Ren Zhonglun, and others called one after another, but Wei Jin didn't answer any of them.

These people couldn't get involved in what he was about to do.

Including his mentor Tian Zhuangzhuang and many familiar faces in the circle, they all called or sent messages, but Wei Jin didn't reply to them either.

Han Sanping, however, was truly persistent; he called seven or eight times in a row, and Wei Jin really had no choice.

"Han Dong, is it necessary to be this life-threateningly urgent?"

"Can I not be anxious? What exactly is going on? Didn't you say the Golden Shield had already reviewed the script?"

"What could be going on? It's just..."

Wei Jin immediately introduced the ins and outs of the matter, and Han Sanping spoke up immediately.

"That's easy to handle. Bring the script and come with me to the Bureau..."

"Don't, Han Dong."

Before Han Sanping could finish, Wei Jin interrupted him directly, "I have my own considerations, just wait..."

"You brat, don't be reckless. What are you trying to do?"

"Hehe, Han Dong, don't you think those old fogies have been sitting in their offices for too long? You've already retired, but they're still hanging on."

To be honest, Wei Jin hadn't thought about targeting them; after all, since *The Hunt*, with Department Head Tong's protection, both sides could be considered to have been "harmonious."

But with the new department head taking office and Department Head Tong stepping down as the head of the review group, this group seemed to have a tendency to raise their heads again.

This could be seen from the fact that they rejected the script directly without communicating.

Clearly, "the imperialists have not given up their intention to destroy us."

You have to know, not every script can win awards like *The Hunt* and rely on public opinion to suppress them; or like *Operation Mekong*, which could pull in relevant units to provide protection.

So Wei Jin didn't think about letting the matter rest; instead, he wanted to find a way to blow the matter up and poke it all the way to the heavens.

After all, the script had been reviewed by the Golden Shield and filed with the GA Department; no matter how you look at it, he was in the right! As the saying goes, if heaven gives it and you don't take it, you will suffer the consequences!

Han Sanping was also someone who had mixed in the system; he understood Wei Jin's meaning instantly, and after a moment of silence, he suddenly laughed.

"Fine, I'm almost a retired person anyway, so I won't get involved. I'll wait for your news."

After saying that, he hung up the phone directly. Wei Jin knew that Han Sanping also had grievances against this group. Presumably, Department Head Tong and Department Head Zhang would also push the boat along with the current, right? "This way, the certainty is even greater."

Thinking of this, Wei Jin picked up the phone again and dialed a number... Department Head Tong had learned that Wei Jin's script was rejected in the morning, but thinking he would come to find him soon, he didn't take it to heart.

So when his secretary informed him in the afternoon that his successor, the little brother, was receiving people from the Golden Shield, Department Head Tong laughed directly.

"I was wondering how this kid could stay so calm; turns out he pulled in the Golden Shield. Hmm, this kind of film should pull in the Golden Shield; this kid finally has some progress." "Department Head Tong, it's not just the Golden Shield. This film has already been registered at the Ministry. The Ministry leaders personally spoke up, letting the Golden Shield come over to handle this matter, so Department Head Zhang said, if it's convenient for you, he would like to invite you over."

"The Ministry?"

Upon hearing this, Bureau Chief Tong instantly realized that Wei Jin was not simply trying to handle a matter, but was borrowing a knife to kill someone.

"Let's go, Old Zhang might really have a hard time handling this."

Having said that, Bureau Chief Tong immediately stood up and left the office.

A few minutes later, he arrived at the Film Bureau and knocked on the door symbolically.

"Bureau Chief Tong."

Seeing his direct superior, Bureau Chief Zhang looked as if he had seen a savior; these people from Golden Shield were making a mountain out of a molehill and using their status to bully others, making them truly impossible to provoke, not to mention that their background was indeed much tougher.

"Bureau Chief Tong."

Department Head Zhong of Golden Shield also stood up to greet him; although they were not under each other's jurisdiction, the respect due to the second-in-command of a ministerial-level unit still had to be shown.

"Chatting about Wei Jin's script?"

Bureau Chief Tong asked a question he already knew the answer to; otherwise, for a high-ranking leader like him to run over here eagerly would be too lacking in prestige.

"Yes, Bureau Chief Tong. I don't know how the Film Bureau's review department does its work; we had already reviewed this script long ago, and there were absolutely no problems. We also filed it with the Ministry at the first opportunity."

"Bureau Chief Ma of the Ministry's Propaganda Department even specially sent a copy to the top leader. After reading it, the top leader liked it very much, praising the script for 'seeking truth from facts and displaying the demeanor of a great nation,' and said he would properly enjoy it once it is released."

If this were said about someone else, Bureau Chief Tong might not quite believe it, but if it were Wei Jin, it was truly possible; it is said that *Lurking* was very much liked by the leaders above back then.

Moreover, this case itself was a medal for the GA Department; it is normal for the top leader to be happy that an internationally renowned director like Wei Jin wants to turn it into a film.

Department Head Zhong did not know what Bureau Chief Tong was thinking, and he continued.

"But this noon, we received a call from the Secretariat, and the information about the Film Bureau rejecting the script was hanging brightly on the internet. This is not just slapping Golden Shield in the face, it is slapping the Ministry in the face! It is even... In short, for the Film Bureau to act like this, there is a problem with their ideological attitude! Could it be that we handled this case wrongly and it cannot be seen by others? Oh, Bureau Chief Tong, I didn't say the previous words..."

Department Head Zhong's continuous output did not give the Film Bureau any face at all, because Golden Shield was completely implicated and criticized, and he also had a temper.

Bureau Chief Tong and Bureau Chief Zhang were a bit embarrassed; in the past, they were the ones who used the phrase "problem with ideological attitude" to criticize and educate subordinates or industry companies.

This boomerang hitting them for the first time—damn, it felt quite uncomfortable.

However, from the perspective of the GA Department, what was said was also flawless.

The arrest operation was reasonable and legal, and the trial and execution were open and aboveboard; if such subject matter cannot pass the review, isn't it just that some people have a problem with their thinking?

Moreover, times are different now, and the country has the confidence to speak.

"Hmm, I know about the matter, don't be anxious, Bureau Chief Zhang will handle it as soon as possible. The relevant procedures and permits will certainly not have any problems."

"Yes, yes, Department Head Zhong, we will handle it properly as soon as possible."

Hearing Bureau Chief Tong express his stance, Bureau Chief Zhang immediately followed up, but he had been sprayed for ten minutes and was truly a bit resentful, so he expressed his dissatisfaction slightly.

"It's just that this matter could have been solved with a phone call; there was no need for you to make a special trip."

Department Head Zhong shook his head: "Bureau Chief Zhang, honestly, it doesn't matter if we take a few steps, as long as the matter is handled well. I'm just afraid that some people will still follow in appearance but oppose in secret; at that time, will we have to trouble the leader to come and explain in person?"

These words were a bit heart-piercing, and Bureau Chief Zhang hurriedly waved his hands: "That won't happen, that won't happen."

"That's not necessarily true. Bureau Chief Tong and Bureau Chief Zhang should also know how much the Film Bureau's reviews have been scolded over the years? Not to mention the distant ones, just take last year's *Qian Xuesen* for example; that kind of review requirement involving suspected leaks, asking the production team to prove their own innocence—is that something a human would do?"

"Including the previous matter of *The Patriot Yue Fei*, the ratings were so good, it was clearly a TV series that the audience loved to see, and there was absolutely no problem with the content, yet someone still jumped out and called for it to be taken off the shelves."

"And there's *A Touch of Sin*, a film that had already received the Dragon Mark and even won awards abroad, yet it was still being throttled. Oh, I heard that they loosened up in the last two days, but they didn't give anyone a definite answer?"

"Repeating this, what are they doing? Playing that 'if the law is unpredictable, the power is unknowable' game? What era is this now? Doing this, what credibility does the review department even have left?"

"Additionally, I have reason to suspect that someone is taking personal revenge; otherwise, a script from a great director like Wei Jin wouldn't have been rejected directly without even communicating with Bureau Chief Zhang. Tsk tsk... they really are 'enforcing the law impartially'."

Department Head Zhong was unforgiving; he had heard plenty of the messy things coming out of the reviews, even if he wasn't in the film circle.

But this series of his "interrogations" each sounded like it was hitting the Film Bureau in the face.

The key was that there was no way to refute it; it was all fact, which made it very hard for Bureau Chief Tong and Bureau Chief Zhang to keep their faces.

Perhaps feeling that the heat was about right, Department Head Zhong did not continue to be aggressive and softened his tone: "Bureau Chief Tong, Bureau Chief Zhang, the Ministry's attitude is very clear. For a film like *Operation Mekong* that shows the style of our Huaxia military and police, Golden Shield must provide escort."

"But now the public notice document of the script rejection is hanging on the official website, and it has even reached the point where the whole internet knows about it; the impact is too great. So if there was any offense in my words just now, I ask you both to be more understanding."

Speaking of this, Department Head Zhong looked at his wrist: "It's getting late. I believe you two will definitely resolve the subsequent handling properly. I won't disturb your work; there is still a pile of things to do over at Golden Shield, haha."

"Good, Old Zhang, let's see them off."

After seeing off the people from Golden Shield, Bureau Chief Zhang returned to the latter's office with Bureau Chief Tong, feeling a bit of a headache.

"Bureau Chief Tong, how do you think this matter should be handled? The public notice has already been issued; should we ask Wei Jin to resubmit the script? Then should we change it or not? Or should we just issue the Film Shooting Permit directly when it's time for project approval?"

The meaning in Bureau Chief Zhang's words was very clear: changing the script would be slapping Golden Shield in the face, slapping the GA Department in the face, and showing that their review work was not done properly.

If only Golden Shield had come to coordinate, then the two sides could communicate, modify a few details at will, resubmit it, and it would be passed.

The key is that they have already filed it with the Ministry; you can't go to the Ministry and say that the Film Bureau needs some cooperation, right?

But if the script is not changed, whether it is directly passing the script or directly issuing the Film Shooting Permit, it is slapping their own faces, and the Film Bureau's credibility will collapse further.

As a top leader who had just taken office not long ago, his face was quite lusterless.

Bureau Chief Tong naturally understood this principle, but he proposed another way to solve it.

"Old Zhang, haven't you thought about admitting that it was a work error by the bureau?"

"Uh..."

Looking at his younger brother who was speechless for a moment and seemed not to understand, a look of severity appeared on Bureau Chief Tong's face.

"Some people are occupying positions without doing their jobs and have problems with their ideological attitude; shouldn't they stand up and take responsibility?"

Bureau Chief Zhang nodded slowly, "Bureau Chief Tong is right. Although family shame should not be spread abroad, there are benefits to taking out a damp quilt to dry in the sun."

"Hmm, that is the principle. Let's go, let's go to the review department now. I want to see what those 'masters' have to say."

"Good, with Bureau Chief Tong holding the line, I can handle it, haha."

(End of chapter)