Chapter 716: Cold Treatment

As Lin Nan left the General Bureau's conference room, he was still pondering Tong Gang's words about "stopping just short."

There are many departments far more powerful than the troupe; in the end, which department will take action?

Or perhaps it won't be just one department, but several powerful ones acting together?

As for the specific timing of the move, it probably won't be long before it happens.

"Stop zoning out, watch the road, you're about to hit me." Han Han Sanping's reminder brought Lin Nan back to his senses.

He looked up at the teasing expression on Third Master Han's face and immediately changed the subject with a smile: "You were walking, so why did you stop?"

"Waiting for you, to say a few things."

Under the gaze of La La Peikang, Ren Ren Zhonglun, and others behind them, Han Han Sanping got into Lin Nan's car, but the vehicle did not start.

"This Zuo Zuo Shandiao truly treats Lin Nan like his own nephew; if Lin Nan hadn't already had Yi Fei back then, I would have thought he was looking for Lin Nan as a son-in-law."

"Speaking of Chairman La, I feel 'regret' on behalf of China Film; Old Han's 'legacy' has been squandered almost entirely, hasn't it?"

Ren Ren Zhonglun instinctively started stirring up trouble for La La Peikang, mostly out of habit.

And as expected, the latter's expression immediately turned gloomy and frosty.

He glanced at Ren Ren Zhonglun and coldly retorted: "Chairman Ren should worry about his own affairs; the New Year's season isn't far off!"

After a brief exchange of fire, the two parted on bad terms.

Meanwhile, inside the car, Han Han Sanping also warned Lin Nan about this matter:

"You need to be mentally prepared; once the higher-ups set the tone this time, you will have thoroughly offended many people. Most from Hong Kong and Taiwan, and even, even a very few from the mainland..."

Hearing Han Han Sanping's rather stern words, Lin Nan finally realized belatedly and sighed:

"No wonder more powerful departments are involved. I am mentally prepared; I always have been."

"Good. Additionally, I can tell you with certainty:

Even if this movie eventually addresses the relevant issues, it will never be released; and she, the director herself, will be implicitly 'blocked' from this industry by the Bureau."

"Blacklisted?" Lin Nan nodded; this outcome was inevitable because the higher-ups were truly angry.

"Using the terms 'cold treatment' and 'blocking' is better; more accurate, and more artistic.

Not only did she knowingly break the rules, but she also insisted on being stubborn online; such a person is either an idiot or a 'great thief' with not a shred of conscience or sense of nation and family! Obviously, she is not an idiot!"

Han Han Sanping corrected Lin Nan's wording, commenting on a certain director, with a tone of helplessness.

Because the current laws, regulations, and documents contain no clauses supporting "blacklisting."

Furthermore, her mainland identity serves as a buffer; after all, she never publicly expressed supportive views, and if she later claims ignorance, the higher-ups have absolutely no way to deal with her!

As for that Guan fellow with twisted values who spoke in a passive-aggressive, yin-yang manner to support her, one must admit the higher-ups are equally powerless against him.

"I will keep it confidential, Chairman Han. Speaking of which, she is a perfect example of 'heaven's punishment is avoidable, but self-inflicted ruin is not!'"

Lin Nan said with a cold sneer, feeling strangely pleased.

Han Han Sanping opened the car door and stepped out with one stride. "Alright, that's it for the morning; everyone go back to their own homes."

Before Lin Nan could call out again, he saw Third Master Han walking towards his own car with the vigorous gait of a dragon and tiger; with such spirit and physical fitness, how could he be someone nearing 63? Saying he was under 50 would be no problem!

Moments later, Lin Nan stepped on the accelerator and drove away from the General Bureau.

He did not intend to pay any more attention to the roaring public opinion online; the next time it boiled over, barring unexpected events, it should be when the higher-ups' "iron rod" came down.

The summer movie season has officially begun.

A large number of domestic films waiting for release are on high alert for the final countdown, and the propaganda war is in full swing.

And the external promotional slogan for that film, "Big Fish & Begonia," has always been claiming to benchmark "Monkey King: Hero Is Back."

This has caused the animated film to attract the focus and anticipation of countless viewers across the entire internet, leading to a continuous surge in the number of potential audience members.

Because Light Chaser participated in investing in this film, they had contacted Lin Nan's studio regarding the promotion plan very early on.

In response, Yue Jun, representing the company, naturally replied that there was no problem and they could use "Monkey King: Hero Is Back" for marketing.

But if they wanted Shiyue Culture to help "show support," that was absolutely impossible!

Since Liu Liu Yifei was not at home, Lin Nan did not return there but went directly to the company.

However, he had barely sat down for a few minutes when Wang Wang Changtian's call came in.

"I am reserving this time for rest before filming my next movie; it is for getting out of character and adjusting my state. But you, you insist on asking me to attend an event? With that time, wouldn't it be better for me to sleep at home?"

"How can you be so lazy at such a young age? On the 4th, come attend the premiere of 'Big Fish & Begonia.' Supporting domestic animated films, you cannot drop the ball."

Hearing Wang Wang Changtian's teasing provocation, Lin Nan couldn't help but want to laugh, but he resolutely refused anyway.

"I have always been strongly supporting domestic animated films. Shiyue Culture is currently working on two major animated films simultaneously; the project timelines are measured in two to three years, with money flowing like water... Chairman Wang, I truly cannot make it on the 4th; it is better to appear less frequently recently."

"Hmm? What happened?" Wang Wang Changtian instantly heard the subtext in the last sentence.

"I went to the Bureau this morning to observe a meeting; they told me to keep a low profile recently."

"That matter online?"

"Yes."

Silence fell on both ends of the phone for a few seconds.

"I understand; this means big moves are coming? Then I will only make an appearance on the 5th, to avoid running into brainless reporters asking me other questions."

Good lord, at that moment Lin Nan almost cursed; Wang Wang Changtian had truly become a cunning fox. That sense of smell, that sharpness, amazing!

Before Lin Nan had even hung up the phone, Jiang Jiang Xuerou knocked and entered immediately after.

"Director Lin, Hongxingyu just called. Several satellite TV stations are inquiring about the first-run broadcast rights for 'Eternal Love of Dream' and have scheduled a meeting for mid-month."

"So urgent? The finished film is still far from ready." Lin Nan said with great surprise.

"The current TV drama market is showing some signs of pathological development; for a drama like ours that is bound to be a hit, TV stations try to act as early as possible. 'Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace' wasn't it sold even before filming began?"

Jiang Jiang Xuerou explained with a smile. In her view, the more pathological the market, the better; after all, as the production company, they are making money, and no actor dares to demand absurdly high fees from Lin Nan's studio or Hongxingyu!

"Then I'll trouble you; go negotiate with Hongxingyu when the time comes, and have Tiangong Color cooperate by providing a short segment of the finished film." Lin Nan nodded and gave the order.

"Mm, good. I will do my best to secure the highest price."

While Lin Nan began processing the backlog of documents requiring his signature, Zhao Zhao Yanzi was having a meal with Director Guan Hu.

"Not deleting posts and not responding is fine; from now on, we will just maintain silence.

Additionally, a large volume of new film and television information and entertainment gossip will continuously hit the headlines and trending searches, keeping the screen flooded to attract the online public's attention and divert public opinion pressure.

Director Guan knows this; netizens are always forgetful."

Zhao Ya smiled, raised her glass, and comforted Director Guan Hu.

Dai Moumou, seated nearby and deeply embroiled in the public opinion storm, also raised his glass: "Thank you, Director Guan, for your righteous words. I will finish this cup; you drink as you please."

"Handling it well is naturally a good thing, but I don't know if someone will jump out later to cause trouble? Like Lin Nan and these people." Director Guan frowned and said worriedly.

"He shouldn't have that much energy. I heard Lin Nan Pictures' second film is about to start filming, the one called 'The Second Generation of Elves'.

See, after the 29th, two days have passed, and there hasn't been any movement, has there?"

Zhao Ya spoke with considerable confidence, mainly because she had received Zhang Zhang Qiang's promise that the group would help her weather this public opinion crisis.

"True, that makes me feel much more at ease."

In Director Guan's eyes, where was there any stance? It was all about interests and circles, and the stance in his own heart...

Before three o'clock in the afternoon, Lin Nan left the company. Feeling sleepy in the office was no better than going straight home to sleep.

Mm, he had originally wanted to call Liu Liu Yifei and ask her to bring some food when she came back. But unexpectedly, Miss Liu had already arrived home.

Not only that, after hearing his meaning, she actually asked him to bring back snacks; she said the household stock was running low, as Han Jia and Watching Shu Chang had taken a lot last time.

When Lin Nan drove home, Watching Shu Chang was indeed there. Liu Liu Yifei led her, and the two of them carried out all the big and small bags of nut snacks from the back seat.

"I'm curious, why did you finish so early today?"

"Because we were blocked by many reporters. Before, they only followed from a distance, but today they actually came up to interview, so Liu Qianqian took me and slipped away." Watching Shu Chang immediately shouted.

The smile on Liu Liu Yifei's face also vanished, looking somewhat helpless:

"They were asking about your matter, the Weibo post from before, and they also asked what you thought about the posts in the group being blocked these past two days, as well as our opinions.

I felt we shouldn't have answered at the time; we didn't have the right words at that moment, so I just brushed it off, pulled her into the car, and ran back."

Hearing this, Lin Nan nodded. "No problem, that is how it should be handled. You two women don't need to get involved in this topic, to avoid another round of chaos online."

At this moment, Lin Nan only hoped that the so-called heavyweight department above would act quickly. This broken matter was actually affecting Miss Liu's shopping!

Hai Zheng.

In the conference room, the project team was meeting again. Because the first draft of the script for 'Operation Red Sea' finally had some shape.

"Commander, the first draft of the script will be completed by next month at the latest. After proofreading it, we can begin the preliminary preparations for the project."

"Mm, as soon as possible."

The leader sitting in the main seat nodded, then changed the topic:

"The training abroad by the film crew and the adaptation phase on the warships must be carried out; we don't need those soft, weak actors. Didn't 'Wolf Warrior 2' go on a trip to Africa?

According to the plan, the investment of manpower, material resources, and military force for 'Operation Red Sea' will naturally far exceed that film; the training in actual foreign environments will last at least three months..."

"Actually, our first choice for the director this time was quite correct." The supervising leader sitting in the second seat said with a smile.

"It is quite good; those actors and artists should all be banned.

I just didn't expect some people's hands to be so long; they must be so arrogant they don't even know their own surname!"

"The topic has gone too far; let's continue talking about 'Operation Red Sea'.

The surrounding pressure has been too great recently... The image of the Navy must be established in the hearts of the broad masses; we cannot keep being nameless heroes. We also need applause and cheers.

Spreading the deeds is also beneficial for strengthening national confidence, national honor, and unity..."

"I heard the Ministry will also speak out personally this time?"

"Off-topic again..."

Time arrived at the 2nd. Early in the morning, the internet was flooded with film information.

"Produced by Paramount Pictures, the imported sci-fi blockbuster 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out of the Shadows' landed in theaters nationwide at dawn today and officially premiered."

"The Sino-Korean co-production 'The Bounty Hunter' opened on its first day with a box office of over 42 million, achieving a successful start for the summer season."

"Produced and controlled by Edko Films, with China Film participating in the investment, and starring Aaron Kwok, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Chow Yun-fat, Janice Man, and Shawn Yue, the movie 'Cold War 2' held its premiere ceremony in Beijing today..."

"The imported blockbuster 'Warcraft', after nearly a month of screening, concluded with a final box office of 1.47 billion. Unlike in the domestic market, its North American box office performance was poor, encountering a Waterloo."

Lin Nan originally wanted to sleep a bit longer, but he couldn't help it; he had forgotten to turn off his phone.

Then Liu Liu Yifei, wearing a white tank top and sleeping drowsily, was woken up by the noise.

She sat there, squinting at Lin Nan, wanting to move but too lazy to lift her arm, humming continuously in her mouth.

"Since you're up, don't sleep anymore. Go out for breakfast to wake up." Director Lin Da finally succeeded in dragging Liu Liu Qianqian up.

The call was from Yue Jun; paper cannot cover fire. The news that the China Securities Regulatory Commission had entered LeEco spread through the film and television industry overnight.

Regarding this, the CSRC gave no statement, so the industry was buzzing with all sorts of rumors.

In short, the negative impact was definitely unstoppable; it was fermenting and brewing at all times, with rumors becoming more and more absurd.

But one thing everyone firmly believed was that even if LeEco had some violations, it would not result in a situation that damaged its very foundation; because this was after all an internet listed company with a market value of tens of billions!

Regarding this view held by many in the industry, Lin Nan could only chuckle;

The instincts of many pure film industry filmmakers and stars were still too dull; they needed to step out and look. Why did the CSRC enter LeEco at this specific time point?

While eating breakfast, the phone didn't stop ringing. Even Wang Wang Changtian called over in a rush, and the moment he spoke, he said:

"After the A-share market opened today, LeEco plummeted straight down. After so many years of listing, this is the first time it has dropped like this; during last year's stock market crash, it was very resilient!"

"So there were many people selling off?"

"Mm, but plenty of people are buying. Everyone thinks this is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity, that LeTV won't have any problems, won't collapse."

"Just ordinary people, right?"

"This… you hit the nail on the head. No big capital has stepped in."

"Stay further away." Lin Nan took the egg Liu Liu Yifei handed over, and casually said to Wang Wang Changtian.

"I'm even tempted to try shorting it."

"Stay further away, you're not short that little bit of money."

After finishing his words, Lin Nan inexplicably thought of Zhang Zhang Yimou; he doesn't pity Huang Huang Xiaoming, because the latter himself is capital, he's rich!

After breakfast, Liu Liu Yifei stayed home reading the script. Although it was a movie meant to soothe the mood, be sweet, and have fun, she was still very serious about it. She felt the female lead's silly, slightly goofy personality was actually quite similar to her!

And Lin Nan was forced out the door; the agreed-upon low-key, no public appearances could only be managed as best as possible.

On the other side, yawning Han Jianü had also just gotten up.

A job that gives a real sense of accomplishment — the closer to the end, the more it keeps you so excited you can't sleep, working through the night; only when you can't take it anymore in the small hours do you drop your head and fall asleep. This describes her, Han · Big Screenwriter · Jianü!

That script she hadn't yet named had already completed half of its fine proofreading and accompanying revisions; she was planning to proofread it three times.

Speaking of scripts, every time she went to Liu Liu Yifei's place, she was envious of that Best Original Screenplay Oscar statuette — it really is gorgeous!

Right now this was her first feature-length narrative screenplay; who knows, maybe it could snag a Best Screenplay award too.

"Mm, really looking forward to it, hehe…"

"What's so funny?" Han Han Sanping came out of the study in cloth shoes, apparently getting ready to head out.

"Nothing, where are you headed?"

"The General Administration. There's a big meeting today. Want to go listen in? I'll have someone arrange for you to sit in the last empty seat. Listen more, no harm in it."

"Then forget it, I'm not interested in that stuff, listening too much makes me drowsy!" Han Jianü refused outright.

Han Han Sanping wasn't annoyed either, just instructing as he walked out: "There's food the housekeeper left for you in the kitchen, go eat it right away. A girl, staying up late every day — it'll make you look way older."

The moment his words landed, Han Jianü was like a bristling cat, darting to the bathroom in a few quick steps; only after a moment did a voice faintly drift out: "Good, good…"

……

Standing at the main entrance of the General Administration, Lin Nan was still yawning — he'd gotten up too early today.

This meeting thing was a notice he received temporarily last night. If his guess was right, there'd be no shortage of familiar faces this morning.

Sure enough, after standing outside for just a short while, someone behind him called his name.

"Not planning to keep it under wraps anymore, going straight to a full meeting?" Ning Hao sidled up and muttered quietly.

"Let's go, talk inside." Lin Nan muttered.

Yesterday at noon, word leaked out from South Korea.

They and their overlord had already reached a preliminary agreement — the latter would deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, i. e., a land-based theater anti-missile system, in South Korea.

With that, even an idiot could guess the specific reason and content of today's General Administration meeting.

After all, just the other day there had been informal word: temporarily terminate all exchanges with South Korea in film, culture, and entertainment. Unless necessary, no cooperation!

Once seated in the main conference hall, Lin Nan and Ning Hao immediately felt the long-missed sense of "formality."

Bosses of the industry's major film and entertainment companies, leaders at every level of the broadcasting system, heads of various state-owned enterprises and public institutions — they filed into their seats one after another, seemingly none absent.

"Today's meeting might not be chaired by Director Tong." Wang Wang Changtian sat to Lin Nan's left, his voice lowered.

"Then it really is a big deal — the higher-ups are pissed."

Lin Nan eased the tense atmosphere a bit. Director Tong was the deputy with real power; if he wasn't chairing, then the principal himself had come.

Sure enough, half an hour or so later, a procession of leaders entered. Tong Gang fell in second place; the first was the principal, who didn't usually work out of this office.

"This morning's meeting is starting a bit late — we may have to trouble everyone to grab lunch at the General Administration cafeteria."

After taking his seat, the Director spoke with a genial smile. The establishment leaders in the front rows immediately laughed along.

"The news these past couple of days — I assume everyone's been following it, so I won't elaborate further. Here today…"

Lin Nan exchanged glances with Ning Hao and Wang Wang Changtian beside him — the Director being this direct? Going straight into the topic right off the bat?

"The film and cultural industry is a frontline of propaganda, and also a platform and bridge bearing the responsibility of cultural exchange and communication with the outside world. At particular moments, it is also an embodiment of national will. Now, we need the film and cultural industry to play its unique role — to declare our will, to make our stance clear…"

"The General Administration will not issue any documents, nor will it issue any documents. Today's meeting is merely a proposal — a proposal that the film and cultural industry voluntarily and proactively take on its own responsibilities and fulfill the obligations of the industry…"

……

The leaders up top were speaking; below, all was quiet — deathly still.

No documents would be issued; the "Korean ban" was merely a tacit consensus reached by the industry itself!

Lin Nan, Wang Wang Changtian, and Ning Hao all understood what was meant up there, and everyone present understood it too:

From today onward, there was no longer any "temporary" termination of cooperation with South Korea. It was a "formal" termination of cooperation with that side in film, culture, entertainment, and related industries — banning all South Korean artists from performing or making money in the mainland…

After all, in the past two years, the film and entertainment companies and artists over there had been raking it in like crazy in the mainland — profits a hundred, a thousand, even more times higher than in South Korea itself!

And the term of this "termination" of cooperation — as long as the higher-ups stayed silent, it was indefinite!

"See the face on the Mango TV boss? Their ace shows are basically going to be wiped out!" Wang Wang Changtian joked with a smile, his voice very low.

"Can only say they're the most affected. But look — any company that had business with South Korean companies, which one of them isn't grieving? This is directly cutting off a major money-maker. Plenty of peers were probably still holding onto fantasies before — well, those fantasies are thoroughly shattered now."

Lin Nan replied in a low voice, smiling.

He recalled that actors like Song Hye-kyo all had signed with performance and talent agencies in the country, specifically targeting the Chinese market.

Once today's meeting was held and the invisible "Korean ban" came out, this batch of South Korean artists was done for.

But contractually speaking, the talent and entertainment agencies these South Korean artists had signed with were all in breach. The artists themselves were the "injured party."

And depending on the specific terms of the contracts signed between the two sides, some companies might even have to pay compensation to the South Korean artists — because whose fault was it that your company didn't arrange work for them?!

……

Outside, certain heavyweight departments had already begun a comprehensive review of all the events surrounding the film "No Other Love," from start to finish;

Going further back, tracing certain behaviors and activities of a certain actor from years ago — behaviors and activities that clearly represented certain stances…