[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr":3,"chapter-the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-chapter-109":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Academic Director: Reborn in the Film Industry",{"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},2297109,4493,"Chapter 109: Undermining Their Foundations","the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-chapter-109",109,"\u003Cp>\"Secret Sunshine\" has been very popular lately; thanks to the title of the first Chinese actress to win at Cannes, this buzz can be maintained for quite a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Zong from China Film Group came to discuss with Cao Yang a while ago, wanting to postpone \"Secret Sunshine\" further to release it during the summer vacation, saying it could increase the box office; he wants \"Secret Sunshine\" to aim for 40 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the concept of a summer movie season already existed abroad, it hadn't been officially proposed domestically; it wasn't until 2009 that the mainland film market ushered in a true summer season, creating a box office miracle of 1.65 billion within that period.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From that time on, this concept was officially confirmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In recent years, apart from the works of \"Little Steel Cannon,\" almost every film that could gross over 30 million at the mainland box office has been a winner at the three major European film festivals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main movie-going demographic is still the social elite; not to say they worship foreign things, but many still believe the moon is rounder abroad, and films that have won at the three major European festivals are considered worth watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Zong is really going all out to get more high-grossing films domestically, so a summer release is no problem; based on current trends, the buzz will certainly hold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many people online have long been asking when \"Secret Sunshine\" will be released; they can't wait to see this \"sweet\" romance film.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>China Film Group has already started releasing news to build hype, setting \"Secret Sunshine\" for a summer release.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, there's no need for hype at all; as the first domestic Cannes Best Actress, Gong Li has been receiving non-stop requests for appearances lately—TV shows, newspaper interviews, and video interviews on web portals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flying here and there every day, she is incredibly busy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She doesn't even have much time to discuss acting with Cao Yang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the award win for \"Secret Sunshine\" at Cannes, Gu Changwei has been quite happy lately; his status at home has risen significantly, and Jiang Wenli has become much gentler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, the thing that put Gu Changwei in a difficult position arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Jianye came to find him, saying Cao Yang is going to Hollywood to film a movie and asking if he is willing to go along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he had already come over, they definitely had to stay for a drink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changwei was truly hesitant; that godforsaken place called Hollywood is just not a place for humans to stay, with all sorts of messy things going on—he has a very deep impression of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After years of struggling, he hadn't made a name for himself, and if Cao Yang hadn't given him a hand, he wouldn't even know where his future lay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he returned from Hollywood in defeat, he had sworn that he would never go back to Hollywood in this life, and that going back would make him a grandson... those words still echoed in his ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Old Gu, are you going or not? If you aren't, I'll have to find someone else. Cao Dao said he wants to take two trusted crew members with him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Jianye clinked his glass with Gu Changwei, took a small sip, and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changwei just froze for a moment while holding his glass, then downed it in one gulp, smacked his lips, and slammed the glass onto the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go, of course I'm going!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it, isn't it just trying Hollywood again? Wherever you fall, you climb back up from there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I have to be a grandson, so be it; who the hell hasn't played the grandson before?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, with Cao Yang leading the way, his pressure won't be as great; at worst, he fails again, and after returning, Cao Dao will still be one of the three major domestic directors, and he will have gained more of Cao Yang's trust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing that Cao Yang was going to Hollywood, Li Xiaoran ended her activities early and returned to Jingcheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang was busy with things during the day and spent his nights with her, staying over for a few nights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He measured the size and experienced the whiteness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the heat of the moment, Li Xiaoran suddenly asked him if he had something going on with Gong Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang was stunned, and Li Xiaoran immediately laughed out loud, saying, \"I've already felt it; I know you best after all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did you feel?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang was very embarrassed; it's been so long, and this little hobby of yours hasn't changed, only the \"her\" from before has been replaced by Gong Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, he strove hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We'll talk about it later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the post-coital refractory period, Li Xiaoran lay in Cao Yang's arms and asked lazily, \"It's very hard for Chinese people to gain a foothold in Hollywood. What will you do if you get bullied there?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang thought seriously for a while and said very firmly, \"I'm not a magnanimous person. With the domestic market as a fallback, Hollywood isn't such a sacred place either. If I really get bullied, I'll just mess with their most basic foundations; no one will know anyway.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xiaoran was full of question marks—he can mess with Hollywood's basic foundations?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She just assumed Cao Yang was joking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang didn't stay to wait for the release of \"Secret Sunshine\"; Bellman had urged him several times, so he took Cheng Jianye and Gu Changwei and flew across the ocean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bellman was very thoughtful and had already rented an apartment in Los Angeles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After resting for a day, Bellman drove Cao Yang around Hollywood and introduced some famous attractions; upon returning, they couldn't wait to get into work mode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I personally took people to San Francisco to investigate and collect information. Cao, you are quite right; that guy was indeed the first openly gay politician.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bellman knew Cao Yang didn't understand this history, so he began to introduce it: \"At that time, society was still relatively conservative; this group was not accepted by society, and there was violence and discrimination everywhere, viewing these people as heretics.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Although Milk suffered suppression, he refused to compromise or escape his sexual orientation; instead, he rose up and spoke out, attempting to gain the support of this segment of the population.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He once emphasized one sentence many times: if gay men remain in the closet, they will never win legal rights.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bellman shrugged his shoulders and then laughed. \"Well, that's what he said after his own successful election. Wait until you see the information I got from the investigation firm, and you'll understand—the above is pure nonsense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This guy was a successful businessman. He first ran for state assemblyman, but failed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Next, he ran for local supervisor, and failed again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then he discovered that the local gay community on Castro Street was generally discriminated against and had low social status, but there was one overlooked aspect about this group: they held a large number of votes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He moved to Castro Street, claimed he was also gay, saw that this group was being discriminated against, and decided he would clear their names, run for their rights, and make their status legal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since someone finally came out to support them, this group was naturally happy and certainly spared no effort to support Milk.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Obviously, having obtained the large number of votes in the hands of this group, this guy naturally successfully entered the local government and became a supervisor on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang nodded; well, in America, no matter the level of the election, all sorts of methods are used. The winner is king—that is the greatest truth; there's nothing strange about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you know how he died?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wasn't he shot to death?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, but what you don't know is that this guy was too restless. He teamed up with the mayor, which threatened the interests of the conservatives, so the conservatives teamed up with the police department and shot him in the back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bellman laughed very happily, a bit gleefully; it seems this guy might also be a conservative.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, Bellman added: \"You definitely won't guess what happened to Dan White, who shot him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Life imprisonment?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha, I knew you couldn't guess. In court, all the jurors believed that Dan White was a good person, an excellent person, a person with a good background, and would never kill someone cold-bloodedly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because he felt extremely frustrated with the crime and politics in this city, to the point of sleep deprivation and eating a lot of junk food... a large amount of evidence suggests that individual intake of large amounts of junk food, that is, high-sugar foods containing many preservatives, may trigger antisocial or even violent behavior.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Psychiatrists also pointed out that White suffered from depression; when a person is in a state of severe depression, they lack the capacity for mature and meaningful reflection... then White was sentenced to seven years in prison and was paroled in less than five.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang nodded; this is very American.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Guess what happened to Dan White after he was paroled?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang thought about it; for such a \"hero\" who took the fall, logically speaking, he should be well-provided for for the rest of his life, right? Otherwise, who else would do this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But thinking that this is America, Cao Yang wasn't sure, so he shook his head, indicating he couldn't guess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A year later, Dan White was found dead in the garage of his San Francisco home. He was sitting in the car with his eyes wide open, and a hose was connected from the car's exhaust pipe into the car.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang was silent for a moment; if it were suicide, shouldn't he be lying peacefully in the car? Why would his eyes be wide open? Well, this is still very American.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being shot in the back and committing suicide can happen; this is just the beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When it comes down to it, isn't it just that same old routine of factionalism?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bellman thought for a moment and tentatively asked: \"Cao, do you already have a rough framework? What are you planning to shape this person into? An opportunist? A pioneer fighting for gay rights? Or do you want to restore the character more realistically?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Literary directors all fancy themselves artists and have somewhat eccentric personalities. Bellman understands Cao Yang a bit, but he is still afraid that Cao Yang will be stubborn and insist on making it \"great, glorious, and correct\" or purely character-driven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then there's no point in filming it; controversial figures need a bit of controversy to be good. It's not like he's a great historical figure; \"great, glorious, and correct\" is actually less likely to win awards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But character restoration has no benefits either; this guy is just an opportunistic businessman. Such people are everywhere in politics, and a realistic restoration wouldn't be brilliant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps those in Europe who want to see American jokes would be more willing to see a film full of satire and would be willing to award such a film.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this isn't what Bellman wants. He wants to cooperate with Cao Yang to make waves in Hollywood, not to please Europeans at the three major European festivals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang looked at Bellman and said: \"Here is what I think. What is the core of this film winning an award? It's not his sexual orientation, nor the personal charm of the prototype character.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is that what he did at the time has become the political correctness of today's America—at least in Hollywood, the stronghold of the left, it is political correctness.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bellman thought about it; that's also true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hollywood has always been a gathering place for left-wing thought. Hollywood usually supports left-wing positions, such as humanitarianism, anti-war, anti-discrimination, anti-oppression, and caring for vulnerable groups—at least that's how the slogans go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Bellman nod, Cao Yang continued: \"So on this basis, everything else is trivial; it mainly depends on the actor's performance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang had one more thing he didn't say: what can increase the probability of the film winning an Oscar is that the protagonist is gay. What can increase the probability of winning at the three major European festivals is that the protagonist is a hypocrite, a typical American-style politician.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, thinking about it, Old Tian is right; sometimes making two versions really can increase the probability of winning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps he could try some advanced domestic experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My dear Mr. Director, working with you, you never disappoint.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bellman smiled and flattered Cao Yang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then let's initiate the project, raise investment, and select actors.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bellman smiled and nodded, saying: \"No problem. Don't you want to control the project? Let's adjust the order this time: initiate the project first, and once big stars who want to win awards join, investment will become very simple.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Golden Lion-winning director wants to film a movie to win awards, and this director has also cultivated three European Best Actresses; what are the stars who want to win awards waiting for? Hurry up and take action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2200,"2026-06-20T05:36:32.009Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","c0db741652917fb11311407f832a8519d01b875b3f0df9eb849c72513db3a651","the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-chapter-110","the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-chapter-108",411,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-cover.jpg"]