Chapter 112: Red Carpet Show

Not only Tu Jingwei thought so; many domestic film fans regarded "Lion Camel Ridge" as the pinnacle of Chinese-language mythological films. On forums such as the Ends of the Earth and Cat Paw, posts about "Lion Camel Ridge" exceeded two thousand, with total replies over one hundred thousand.

That's because back then there was no Bean Pod; otherwise the rating would definitely start at 8.5, and very likely exceed 9.

If "Splitting the Mountain to Save Mother" could surpass "Lion Camel Ridge", it would absolutely be a visual feast!

Although I don't know the plot, judging from Jiang Heng's consistent quality, the special effects scenes are surely fine, and with dozens of celebrity cameos, just thinking about it gets people excited.

Upon hearing Tang Yan praise "Splitting the Mountain to Save Mother", the reporters outside the barrier also seemed to get excited, their various cameras clicking nonstop.

Under the huge poster display, Tu Jingwei asked again: "So what do you think, Director Jiang, what kind of person is he?"

"Um, I think he is a very, very good person, also very, very talented!"

"How is he good?" Tu Jingwei asked, smiling broadly.

"He takes great care of me; even when I NG, he never scolded me. I'm truly fortunate to have met such a good person as Director Jiang on my first film."

"Wow, it seems Director Jiang really looks after you! Then Tangtang, you go into the venue first, and we can talk more about this later."

Li Lianjie first shook hands with Tu Jingwei, then turned toward the barrier on the other side of the red carpet and waved at the crowded reporters.

During filming of "Hero", rumors spread that Jiang Heng was a martial arts prodigy, and tabloid media even claimed the Jiang family was a martial arts lineage, saying how formidable the old master Jiang was.

"Teacher Li Lianjie, please wait a moment, wait a moment, could you answer two questions?"

The reporters nearby went practically crazy, their cameras flashing nonstop, and the video cameras went straight to close-ups of faces.

Thus, although the rumors were hot, their authenticity remained questionable.

Those who accepted tabloid interviews, speaking without restraint, were basically bit players and extras.

"Hello everyone, I'm Li Lianjie, playing a very powerful Heavenly Court expert in "Splitting the Mountain to Save Mother", and I have opposing scenes with Director Jiang. This film is wonderful; please give it your support!"

Yet although these rumors were rampant and widespread, neither Jiang Heng, Li Lianjie, nor Zhang Yimou and others ever discussed them in front of the media.

"Wow, really, Teacher Li Lianjie?" Tu Jingwei made an exaggerated expression.

"You speak!"

After Li Lianjie finished speaking and was about to leave, Tu Jingwei hurriedly pretended to block him.

Tang Yan smiled, nodded, and said okay, then walked toward the venue; Tu Jingwei continued interviewing here and soon welcomed a top-tier star, Li Lianjie.

"Of course it's true, of course it's true—literature has no first, martial arts has no second; how could this be faked? Whether someone is a martial arts master, you know as soon as they step onto the stage!"

"What do you think Director Jiang is like as a person?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the reporters on site nearly went crazy with excitement.

Even some of the notable figures from the "Hero" crew never spoke about this in media interviews.

Now, Li Lianjie, in such a highly anticipated setting, publicly acknowledged Jiang Heng's title as a martial arts master—truly even more official than an official certification!

"A natural-born martial arts prodigy!"

"Wow, Teacher Li Lianjie, I never expected to see you here; may I greet the media friends?"

"You say Director Jiang is a martial arts prodigy; what is the basis for that?"

"Many action routines clearly show that Director Jiang had never learned them before, but after a brief explanation and a few practice runs, he mastered them, performing better than many who train year-round; aside from being a natural martial arts genius, I can't think of any other words to describe him!"

"Wow, that's really impressive; will you two collaborate on an action film in the future?"

Li Lianjie smiled and said to the media at the barrier: "I'm really looking forward to it; I just don't know if you are."

The reporters naturally shouted their anticipation, but Li Lianjie had already strode forward toward the venue.

Tu Jingwei continued interviewing; as more and more stars walked the red carpet, sometimes a batch of four or five would pass, and she could only select those with high fame and hot topics for interview.

Such as Cheng Long, Zhou Runfa, Zhou Xingxing, etc.; they definitely needed to be stopped for a few words, and these few naturally had only praise for Jiang Heng.

However, compared to them, Cheng Long's demeanor was more natural.

"Rush Hour 2" had a North American box office of 2.26 billion US dollars, worldwide 3.29 billion; although it didn't surpass "Pacific Rim", compared to other Chinese-language films it remained far ahead.

Among Hollywood's big films, it could also rank among the notable ones.

Zhou Runfa's praise of Jiang Heng is somewhat exaggerated, because his standing in Hollywood is actually mediocre; although "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" made him known to many European and American audiences, in the eyes of Hollywood distributors, Zhou Runfa still cannot carry box office.

"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" has been off the screens for so long, yet there hasn't been any major production seeking him.

If one day he can't make it in Hollywood and returns home, he still hopes to land a leading role in Jiang Heng's films; of course he would have to speak highly of them.

Zhou Xingxing's answer was rather special, sounding both exaggerated and unpretentious.

"Um, I think Director Jiang Heng is very likely the best Chinese-language film director in a century!"

"Why would you say that!"

"Well, for the new film I'm planning, when we discuss the plot, his suggestions often hit you right in the heart, making you feel that you don't need to consider anything else—just this, and this effect will surely be good!"

"Really? That really shows great talent!"

"It's definitely true; many directors take one or two years, even two or three, to produce a masterpiece, but since Director Jiang Heng began directing, the classics he's turned out have been truly numerous..."

Although Tu Jingwei knew many of them were just pleasantries, hearing Zhou Xingxing's sincere tone made her unable to help thinking, "I'm actually assisting a film master in hosting this premiere red carpet show!"

After seeing off Zhou Xingxing, a while later a young, handsome figure appeared on the red carpet, instantly triggering a huge cheer.

"Director Jiang, Director Jiang!"

"Director Jiang, Director Jiang!"

Jiang Heng walked the red carpet as an actor, yet the reporters and fans still cheered him as "Director Jiang".

Seeing this person draw nearer, Tu Jingwei also couldn't help feeling nervous.

"Director Jiang, hello—I never expected to meet you here; you look much more handsome than before!"

"Really? I feel the same; you seem prettier than before!"

"Thank you, Director Jiang!" Although Tu Jingwei's tone was not usually affected, seeing Jiang Heng made her unintentionally adopt a cute, high-pitched voice.

"Just now, during the interview, hearing everyone's various comments about you, the impression that stuck most was Teacher Li Lianjie saying you are a martial arts genius; I wanted to ask, is that true?"

Jiang Heng nodded and said into the microphone: "It's true!"

"Waaah......!"

The scene instantly erupted with a huge gasp; reporters and fans looked at Jiang Heng with eyes of surprise mixed with a hint of doubt.

He actually admitted it—is it really like that?

(End of chapter)