[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-that-year-in-huayu":3,"chapter-that-year-in-huayu-that-year-in-huayu-chapter-76":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},2286912,4473,"Chapter 76: Zhang Yimou Deified, The Graduation Play","that-year-in-huayu-chapter-76",76,"\u003Cp>The Olympic opening ceremony is right before our eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A large number of reporters are staked out at the airport.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>News and photos on the web portals are updating every second, all of them featuring domestic and international stars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Dehua did not choose to keep a low profile this time; instead, he braved the pressure and brought a female companion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I have to say, the wife of Liu Dehua looks quite gentle and graceful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jackie Chan’s treatment is very high; he held an album launch event in the Olympic central zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He is also the only male artist among global Chinese to be officially invited to release an Olympic album, and his influence is unparalleled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the afternoon, Lin Nan waited early in the garden at Liu Yifei’s place, chatting idly with Zhu Yawen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few cats and dogs circled around the two of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei and Shu Chang had originally planned to just tidy up a bit before heading out; people with natural beauty don't need to dress up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they were firmly stopped by Liu Yifei’s mother; there will be many industry insiders at the Bird's Nest tonight, so they cannot be so casual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After more than half an hour, Liu Xiaoli finally came out with the two girls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Loose jeans, pure white T-shirts with patterns, palm-sized wine-red sunglasses on their delicate faces, and their hair braided in complex and beautiful styles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fresh and bright look that could absolutely be shot for a fashion magazine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two girls were dressed almost identically, while Liu Yifei’s mother wore elegant casual clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you don't look closely, you'd really think you two are sisters,\" Zhu Yawen teased as he looked at Liu Yifei and the other girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, let's head out. There will be a lot of people today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yawen had already accepted his role as the driver, consciously moving to the driver's seat, with Lin Nan in the passenger seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the Bird's Nest, it is incredibly lively; stars from all walks of life are stopping here, and a large number of media reporters are busy interviewing and taking photos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Ziyi and her foreign fiancé.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Music industry figures like Wang Feng, Han Hong, Cui Jian, and Zhou Jielun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jackie Chan’s family, Xie Tingfeng, Rong Zu'er, Zhang Manyu, and other representative delegations of Hong Kong stars, as well as those from Europe, America, and Southeast Asia...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A star-studded lineup of hundreds of people, from first-tier to second-tier, making one’s eyes dazzle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, one could also vaguely see that various circles had been drawn among the celebrities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan separated from Liu Yifei and the others because Tian Zhuangzhuang was waving at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teacher.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Seeing you here, I’ll mention this while I’m at it. Remember to find time to go back to school and finalize your graduation project.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among so many graduating next year, you are the one the academy is most concerned about.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan felt a moment of daze; is he graduating so soon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A school leader nearby smiled, \"The Martian cannot be your graduation play.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s for sure, haha.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he said that, Lin Nan had actually considered that idea in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now that he had been reminded to his face, there was no way around it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lin Nan walked away, seeing from afar that Liu Yifei and the other two were being interviewed, while Zhu Yawen was with Wang Jinghua and the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Lin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Big Brother Lin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Zheng walked over with a smiling Jing Tian, and Lin Nan subconsciously looked into the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Lin Nan could speak, he heard Lu Zheng say: \"Director Lin, my company recently invested in a major drama. When the press conference happens, you should come and sit in.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What drama?\" Lin Nan was a bit curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A historical film, The Art of War.\" Lu Zheng’s tone carried confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The female lead?\" Lin Nan glanced at Jing Tian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, Tiantian is playing the female lead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s see the schedule; I’m going to be very busy next,\" Lin Nan said evasively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Zheng could hear what Lin Nan meant and did not press the issue further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just that Jing Tian was a bit disappointed not to have received a definite answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Lin Nan’s retreating figure, Lu Zheng finally spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tiantian, your development path can completely replicate that of Liu Yifei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We can even use resources to shorten this process.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uncle Lu, are you sure this will be effective?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Believe me, no problem. Isn't the film and television circle just like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Acting skills and experience—we can pile on resources; isn't that faster than you learning slowly at school?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Lu Zheng said this, he looked completely confident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tonight’s Bird's Nest is said to have one hundred thousand spectators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who managed to buy tickets to get in cherish them deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The best core seats do not go through sales channels; Lin Nan’s five tickets are of this kind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the very few VIP boxes are a different matter; those are for hosting foreign dignitaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the sky darkened, the Bird's Nest was packed with people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan and the other four found their seats; looking left, right, front, and back, they were all big shots in the industry, led by Han Sanping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That makes sense; they were using tickets from the China Film Group anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei and Shu Chang were a little excited, chattering non-stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The opening ceremony performance officially began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Olympic opening design, kept secret for so long, met the global audience for the first time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was the 2,008 people beating the drums in the \"Ritual\" segment or the 29 footprints in the \"Fireworks\" segment, they were all eye-catching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't until that ink painting scroll unfolded that the five thousand years of heritage truly unveiled its veil, leaving people breathless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the remaining performances would unfold and bloom within this scroll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So beautiful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei and Shu Chang were exclaiming in wonder beside him, while Liu Xiaoli looked at the dancers on the scroll, her eyes filled with memories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn, Director Zhang is awesome.\" Zhu Yawen appeared vulgar by comparison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next came \"Characters,\" \"Opera,\" \"Silk Road,\" \"Ritual and Music\"...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every new segment made the nearly one hundred thousand spectators at the scene boil with excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan knew that after tonight, Zhang Yimou would be deified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sarah Brightman’s singing was truly ethereal, and she completed the performance of the theme song with Liu Huan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s just that the lighting segment was not quite spectacular enough; after all, the lighting method of the Barcelona Olympics was truly too classic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three-and-a-half-hour opening ceremony performance concluded successfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I believe there must be many, many people who couldn't sleep tonight because they were too excited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, the next day’s news was all about the opening ceremony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yimou’s prestige reached an unprecedented height.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A large number of stars who watched the opening ceremony became fans of Zhang Yimou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director’s fee of twenty million...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is the latest quote for Zhang Yimou in the film and television industry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Zhang Weiping flatly denied it and refused to disclose the amount of salary he had given Zhang Yimou over the years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The salaries of several major directors in the film and television circle were also brought up for discussion by the media and netizens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan’s market value as a director was ranked in the top small group, second only to Zhang Yimou, Li An, and others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new record for domestic films was born; Red Cliff Part I stopped at 322 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this was only the domestic box office; in Japan, it was nearly 6 million USD more than this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The word-of-mouth for this film wasn't great, but it was definitely profitable, and domestic films have officially entered the 300-million era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lin Nan, the next step depends on your The Martian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Red Cliff broke the record, the word-of-mouth is really too poor...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Sanping was right; many netizens were complaining about Red Cliff, regretting going to the cinema.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And they began to look forward to the upcoming The Martian being able to surpass Red Cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Yusen is now the first and only director with a 300-million box office in the country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But having a film like Red Cliff carry such an honor makes both industry insiders and fans feel it’s not a good look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Various competitions unfolded one after another, and the emotions of the people were infinitely high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan is planning to send screening invitations to European and American film distributors; these are the contact details left over from the Berlin Film Festival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The copyright sale for The Martian must be conducted in advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei has been watching the Olympic games recently and rushed over in a hurry to tell Lin Nan something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cyberbullying is a knife that kills without blood; Miss Liu has deep personal experience with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four years ago, what Zhang Yimou experienced after returning from Athens was endless abuse, while the \"Flying Man\" Liu received infinite praise and honor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the two have been reversed, only the abuse is more, harsher, and uglier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reading some of the comments online, it felt like those people wished for someone to die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many celebrities and public figures supported Liu Feiren, but public opinion was almost entirely one-sided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All those championships and gold medals were ignored, and they just kept harping on this one withdrawal from the race.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He apologized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is truly ironic that the person who was hurt is the one who has to apologize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan returned to the Beijing Film Academy; he wanted to graduate on time, and according to the requirements, he had to submit his graduation thesis film before June of next year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before \"The Martian\" finished its theatrical run, he certainly wouldn't have the time to do this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And a film takes quite a bit of time from the start of shooting to the completion of post-production, so the choice of subject matter is very important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're the only one who's so unhurried, needing Teacher Tian to remind you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone else started preparing over a year ago. Come on, fill out this form.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lao Jiang held his thermos, taking a sip from time to time, and complained about Lin Nan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Red goji berries are useless; you need to get some black goji berries,\" Lin Nan said with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like he had touched a sore spot for Lao Jiang, as his face darkened instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Picking up a pen, Lin Nan began to fill out the commitments regarding his graduation thesis film: to be completed independently, with a duration of no less than...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me, this doesn't look like a commercial film, does it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With so little time left, what kind of commercial film could I shoot?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can't just cut down on post-production time to rush graduation; that would be worse than not shooting it at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan said without looking up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm, that makes sense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the two were talking, Zhao Yanzi arrived at the Graduate School of the Directing Department.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Instructor Jiang, Director Lin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan nodded politely, and Lao Jiang pointed inside, \"He's in there, go ahead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yanzi knocked on an office door and went in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was lucky that Teacher Tian didn't take her on back then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What happened?\" Lin Nan asked curiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you know what she came here for today?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To apply for a graduation extension.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Lin Nan could speak, Lao Jiang answered his own question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A graduation extension?\" Lin Nan was a bit dazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The professor inside must be quite depressed; he praised Zhao Yanzi quite a bit during the department meetings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that his student is applying for an extension, his reputation as a mentor is completely ruined.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lao Jiang was somewhat gloating; he was a direct protégé of Tian Zhuangzhuang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan was also happy to watch the spectacle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That afternoon, the news from the Beijing Film Academy's Graduate School of the Directing Department was released.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As an A-list actor, Zhao Yanzi applying for a graduation extension was quite a slap in the face—she had time to film movies but no time to complete her graduation project? It was said that her mentor was furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, what the industry was more concerned about was Lin Nan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was his graduation thesis film? Did he need actors? When would it start filming? Was there a chance to audition?\u003C\u002Fp>",2087,"2026-06-20T03:22:09.099Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","a6f64f15af355ce34f9d9f9c2dc3352ff0a940438e0b1925c75b76cee335b44c","that-year-in-huayu-chapter-77","that-year-in-huayu-chapter-75",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-in-huayu-cover.jpg"]