[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-that-year-in-huayu":3,"chapter-that-year-in-huayu-that-year-in-huayu-chapter-48":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","That Year in Huayu",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2286884,4473,"Chapter 48: Speaking","that-year-in-huayu-chapter-48",48,"\u003Cp>Liu Yifei has been traveling between school and home during this period, staying at school on Saturdays and Sundays and at home during the week. She has professional teachers training her on both sides, making her seem very busy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's rare to see you during the week. Why are you so down?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan looked at the somewhat dejected Liu Yifei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"During my training recently, I can't hit slightly higher notes, or if I do, it's hard to maintain them. I wanted to come and ask my teacher; she is an associate professor, after all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that all? The teacher is stumped, right? How many people who release records and albums nowadays are all-rounders? And high notes? Don't you know your own talent?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Lin Nan's view, Liu Yifei was applying the same attitude she had toward acting to singing, but high notes were truly a matter of talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But I just want to do better. Is that wrong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei looked at Lin Nan with her dark, beautiful eyes; clearly, the latter had guessed correctly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, it's worth encouraging. But don't let it affect your mood. Look at how popular Jay Chou is. If you asked him to try high notes, he wouldn't be able to hit them either.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan gave an example to illustrate his point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's a terrible example.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Liu Yifei said this, there was already a smile on her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By the way, Mr. Wang from Huayi contacted my mother again recently. They want to sign me. They've asked before.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I guess your mother still didn't give them a definite answer?\" Lin Nan asked with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei nodded. \"My mother and godfather plan for me to stop filming TV dramas later and develop toward the big screen, but Director Feng doesn't have a suitable role for me at the moment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's true. I heard he's busy tinkering with a big production, so there won't be any other news for a while.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aren't you very busy? How do you have time to come to school?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei thought of something and asked back. She had sent Lin Nan text messages those two days, but he hadn't replied, only saying a few days later that he was too busy and had forgotten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I just felt like I should come, and look, I ran into you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan didn't mind Liu Yifei's sarcasm at all and said with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmph, I'll spare you this time for the sake of your box office success.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two walked around the school while they were at it. Liu Yifei was full of anticipation for the big screen and had even started thinking about filming movies for Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige. Lin Nan admired her imagination; she really dared to dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The daily box office for *Crazy Stone* gradually declined, dropping to six digits on the 18th as Lin Nan had expected, which also signaled that it was time to prepare for its withdrawal from theaters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan was very decisive and decided to pull it from theaters after the 20th. He had already made the bulk of the profit, so there was no need to dwell on the minor details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the 1st to the 20th, *Crazy Stone* was lucky to have chosen a good release window with almost no competitors, and the final box office was locked at 154.68 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Hong Kong, it was pulled two days earlier than on the mainland, totaling sixteen days and grossing 11.6 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When these two figures were plastered across the headlines of various media outlets, everyone's first reaction was almost identical: Lin Nan had made a fortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many bored insiders had already calculated Lin Nan's profits; the damn Lin Nan had made about seven times his costs!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Lin, does your company need investment?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The day after the film was pulled from theaters, Lin Nan started hearing this question. Even Ning Hao's Bad Monkey had many people wanting to buy shares, but he and Xing Ai had thought it over carefully and turned them all down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along with the box office of *Crazy Stone*, the awards ceremony for the Cannes closing ceremony was also hanging on the entertainment news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chang's *Shanghai Dreams* was nominated for both the Palme d'Or and Best Actor, but in the end, it only received the Jury Prize, and the Best Actor award went elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What interested Lin Nan was this lead actor. He first encountered film at eighteen or nineteen, and without formal training, he won the Best Newcomer award in Berlin for *Beijing Bicycle*. His fourth film was directly nominated for Best Actor at Cannes; although he didn't win, it was already very impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Wang Chang's Jury Prize again, Lin Nan remembered Gu Changwei's *Peacock*. He didn't remember who said it, but someone once remarked: the runner-up is the biggest loser.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What's the point of the Jury Prize if it's just a foil for the Palme d'Or?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are quite a few directors in the country who have won the Jury Prize, but why is it that only Chen Kaige stood on the altar after coming out of Cannes?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because *Farewell My Concubine* was the Palme d'Or winner; the film and the award achieved each other, jointly establishing his status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The box office revenue sharing for *Crazy Stone* this time would require Lin Nan's company staff to keep an eye on it, but he figured the theater chains wouldn't deliberately delay it. After all, Lin Nan had let them make a lot of money, and there was still his *Return to Dust*, which helped him win the Silver Bear, coming up later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the usual habits of the higher-ups, a round of seminars was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan and Ning Hao had already received the notice to hold it together once the *Shanghai Dreams* crew returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One had won an award, and the other had just achieved a high box office; it was just right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there were also directors and producers of other films to be released this year, as well as heads of major theater chains and film companies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan hadn't been able to avoid it when he returned from Berlin with Gu Changwei, but he didn't expect to be back three months later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The notice was conveyed by Han Dong, who was also one of the attendees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is a good thing. Don't always complain about the trouble. Showing your face in front of the leaders is something many people can't even beg for.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regarding his attitude, Han Dong's lecture was exactly the same as Director Tian's.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, alright, don't worry. I guarantee I will participate actively and won't be slack.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan quickly lowered his head and conceded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two days later, the seminar began. The Bureau took the lead, and the Association organized the personnel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon arriving at the scene, everyone saw that there were also many actors in attendance, mainly big directors, with the crews more or less bringing along a few main actors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, Ning Hao and Lin Nan ran into Wang Chang, with his lead actor and actress by his side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Congratulations to Director Wang for winning the award at Cannes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two stepped forward to greet him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you, and congratulations to you both. *Crazy Stone* had a great box office.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chang seemed to be in a good mood; although he missed the Palme d'Or, he was already content.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let me introduce you. These are the leads of *Shanghai Dreams*, Gao Yuanyuan and Li Bin. These are Director Lin Nan and Director Ning Hao.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chang introduced both sides respectively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello, Director Lin. Hello, Ning Hao.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello. Although *Shanghai Dreams* hasn't been released in the country yet, I still have a fresh memory of your Zhou Zhiruo.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Hao shook hands with Gao Yuanyuan and said in passing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan stood beside Ning Hao and smiled; this guy was quite good at chatting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's go in quickly,\" Wang Chang suggested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While they were talking, a few more cars arrived, all members of the Association and actors who frequently appeared on screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the leaders, they were definitely the last to arrive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One-third of the venue consisted of actors, directors, and practitioners with official positions, and the rest were private enterprises and filmmakers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Director Chen's speech was filled with his own agenda, and as he spoke, he drifted toward his film *The Promise*. From art and fantasy to big productions and market prospects—you have to admit, it made the listeners feel fired up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles* seemed to have finished filming, but that wasn't a commercial film.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yimou spoke very tactfully. He believed that what could make the industry flourish rapidly was still high-grossing films. Only when audiences enjoyed themselves would they continue to spend money on tickets. Only when theater chains and production companies could make money would they continue to invest, and it would also attract more capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once high-grossing films were mentioned, it undoubtedly offended some of the older directors present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan suddenly felt that Chen Kaige was quite cunning; he managed to include his own agenda without offending anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speeches from film companies and theater chains were very professional; after all, they were the upstream and downstream of the industry and were closest to the money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today's theme was industry development, or to put it bluntly, money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ones named most often were the film companies and theater chains. The major film groups were fine; they had always contributed, but there were too many people and films that needed support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although film is a high-return industry, it is also high-risk. The major state-owned groups were often strapped for cash, so they also began to lay out their plans for the entire industry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speeches from the theater chains were much bolder, especially the private ones, particularly Wanda. They explicitly stated that the company would continuously expand its theater scale, how many theaters they would build each year, and how much capital they would invest. The leaders listened with smiles on their faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They're really rich.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Hao whispered to Lin Nan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Ning Hao could say a second sentence, he was called upon. As the director of *Crazy Stone*, he couldn't escape this ordeal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan sat next to Ning Hao, motionless, trying to be as low-key as possible and not attract attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This guy also had an agenda when he spoke, saying that there was too little support for new directors. Everything relied on old directors and big directors. There were only a few who could sell tickets, and they were too busy to handle everything. There should be more support for new directors, and they should be allowed to fail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had once put his entire net worth into filming *Incense*, and it had flopped miserably. If Lin Nan hadn't given him a chance, he would probably be working on someone else's crew right now, at most as an assistant director.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm, supporting newcomers is a good suggestion. For the industry to develop well, it needs a constant influx of new blood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader above nodded and said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After being sold out by Ning Hao, the higher-ups naturally called Lin Nan's name next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this kind of setting, Lin Nan couldn't make jokes about how big companies and the wealthy only took care of their own people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The success of *Crazy Stone* has had a very positive impact on the market. I believe all theater chains have benefited a lot. There aren't many films like this that are low-cost and can become huge hits. Regarding the benefits to the industry market, Lin Nan, what suggestions do you have? Speak boldly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader had completely blocked his retreat. What could Lin Nan say?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should he suggest replacing those old pedants at film festivals? The authorities wanted high-grossing commercial films to drive the market, yet they were squeezing out commercial films in the awards?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying that directly would be a path to self-destruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think what Director Zhang Yimou just said is right. First of all, we should support the development of commercial films. When foreign blockbusters come in, the only ones that can stand at the forefront are domestic commercial films.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan could only apologize to Director Zhang in his heart; he had to use him as a shield. Who told him his own seniority was too low?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Secondly, what Ning Hao said is really right. There is too little help for new directors now. For my first film, I put up part of the funds myself, and Shanghai Film helped me out. My own portion of the funds was earned from selling the copyright of Director Li Yang's *Blind Shaft*.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At that time, Shanghai Film had the intention of helping; they only wanted a share of the box office and left the copyright to me. I am very grateful for that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he said this, the people from Shanghai Film all had smiles on their faces, whereas Han Dong's smile was a bit strained. Many people knew that at that time, China Film had rejected Lin Nan's investment request.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Finally, I don't know if everyone has noticed, but our domestic film festivals don't seem very friendly to commercial films. Apart from the first big production, *Hero*, it's very difficult for other commercial films to win awards at domestic film festivals.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if you go to a film festival and receive a lot of attention, there's a high probability that you'll end up as a foil for some obscure film.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan had wanted to keep his head down and get through it, but he couldn't help himself and said the last point. Ning Hao was already tugging at his clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>",2296,"2026-06-20T03:22:09.099Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","b6920b86a1b76f734a837a368c0eec8cc4b1122460a3256bcce75e58a839998b","that-year-in-huayu-chapter-49","that-year-in-huayu-chapter-47",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-in-huayu-cover.jpg"]