Chapter 259

Old Situ was happy today, so he called Xie Xiaojing and Tian Zhuangzhuang to his home in the evening, and the three master and disciples had a home-cooked meal together.

He was clearly in high spirits tonight and even broke the rules to take out a bottle of special-supply liquor to have a few drinks with the two.

After the meal, taking advantage of Old Situ going to the bathroom, Old Tian took the opportunity to put the remaining half bottle of liquor into his bag.

Xie Xiaojing sneered and said, "Classy."

Old Tian had been suppressing a fire in his heart. After all, this was at his teacher's house, and he hadn't intended to flare up, but since Xie Xiaojing had spoken, he could no longer suppress the anger in his heart.

Glaring at Xie Xiaojing, Old Tian said sarcastically: "I'm certainly not as classy as you, Old Xie. You haven't done anything in the position of Director Department head, but you rode on Cao Yang's coattails to ascend to the throne of vice dean and head of the Youth Film Studio."

Old Xie looked toward the bathroom and lowered his voice: "Tian, what do you mean? Since seeing me today, you've been acting all sour. Did I offend you?"

"Heh, you scared me to death. I, Tian Zhuangzhuang, am a small person, and I can't hide from you, the dean, fast enough. I wouldn't dare to hold a grudge against you."

Tian Zhuangzhuang snorted and said with a cold laugh.

Xie Xiaojing moved to sit next to Old Tian, glared at him, and said in a low voice: "Tian Zhuangzhuang, explain it clearly to me, where exactly did I offend you?"

Tian Zhuangzhuang lay back on the sofa, put his legs on the coffee table, crossed his arms, and looked at Xie Xiaojing with a reckless attitude.

"Some people are born timid as mice. I used to despise that guy Hou Keming, but now I think Old Hou is actually quite manly and loyal, unlike some people, heh..."

Xie Xiaojing was a shrewd person; he had vaguely guessed it was because of Cao Yang's matter just now, and now he was even more certain.

He sneered. He hadn't intended to talk to the impulsive and vulgar Old Tian anymore, but at this moment, he vaguely heard the sound of flushing from the bathroom, and he silently counted to ten in his heart.

"Old Tian, do you have such a big opinion of me?"

Xie Xiaojing spoke after counting to ten to distract Old Tian.

"Heh, you are the great dean of the school and also the head of the Youth Film Studio, how would I dare..."

"Put your legs down and sit properly. This is the teacher's house. Your status is different now. As a department head, you should be a role model, pay attention to your words and actions at all times, and you can't be as casual as before. You must break your bad habits."

Xie Xiaojing suddenly spoke, interrupting Old Tian's words.

"Ha, you're really overstepping. Don't talk about here; even in the office, I sit however I want. You... oh!"

Old Tian was just speaking when he was suddenly slapped on the head.

"Sit, I told you to sit. I told you to have no proper demeanor. You're a role model like this? Why do you, you bastard, always force me to get angry when I'm happy?"

Xie Xiaojing watched Old Tian, who had been slapped on the back of the head three or four times by Old Situ, and felt his anger subside quite a bit. He silently moved away, and didn't forget to advise:

"Teacher, don't lower yourself to his level. He's used to being casual, and it will definitely take time to change."

When Old Situ heard this, his anger, which had just subsided, flared up again, and he gave Old Tian two more slaps on the head.

"Tell me yourself, how many years has it been since you transferred from the Beijing Film Studio? This is a school. Remember this for me. If you're sloppy like this again, I'll slap you again."

Old Tian was so angry. Damn Old Xie, still so despicable, a villain, just a shameless villain!

He glared fiercely at Old Xie. Since you, damn it, don't talk about martial ethics, then don't blame me for snitching on you.

"Teacher, have you heard about the matter of Jiang Shixiong's student?"

Old Situ frowned, sighed after a long while, and said: "Kaige called me today. He told me about Hou Keming calling him, explained the matter to me, and asked what I thought."

He paused, picked up his teacup, gulped it down, moved his mouth, and spat out a tea leaf that had gotten into his mouth.

If this tea leaf were still in the cup, it might still be able to brew tea, but once it was in his mouth, it was useless waste.

"You all know that in 1995, the Director Department recruited 6 graduate students: 2 from Taiwan, 1 from Malaysia, and 3 from the mainland. Jiang Shixiong and I were the mentors."

Old Situ seemed to fall into memories, and it took a long time before he continued:

"These people were nominally brought by Jiang Shixiong and me separately, but it was similar to joint training. To some extent, they can be considered my students, which is why Kaige called to ask me."

He looked at Old Tian and Xie Xiaojing. Old Tian was at the Beijing Film Studio at the time, having just been banned from directing for a few years, and was in a decadent period, so he might not be very clear about this matter, but Xie Xiaojing certainly knew.

"Jiang Shixiong also came to see me today and mentioned this matter. I said, we are all retired people, so we should just enjoy our retirement life. If we're bored, we can go to the Beijing Film Academy to teach students and give lectures, and leave the rest to the young people to handle themselves."

Old Tian laughed, raised his eyebrows at Xie Xiaojing, and said pretentiously:

"Hou Keming is a little... cough, Dean Hou is still too impulsive. How can a great dean do this personally? Isn't this like using a cannon to hit a mosquito? It's a bit beneath his status. He originally had many better ways to handle it."

Old Situ smiled and nodded:

"In his position, the handling of this matter was indeed a bit rough. How can things be done this way? If the higher-ups know, they will definitely have many complaints about him. Look at Han Zong; he does things flawlessly."

Then his tone changed. "However, this also shows that he is a person of true character; he is just a bit straightforward in doing things, which is not good."

Then he looked at Xie Xiaojing, glared at Old Tian again, and said: "You, one as vice dean and one as department head, must do your duties well, cooperate well with the leadership, and build the Beijing Film Academy better."

"Especially you."

Old Situ said to Old Tian: "Hou Keming is a school leader. Don't call people by their names at every turn. Learn to respect the leadership, you know?"

"Don't you also call him by his name?" Old Tian muttered softly.

"Hmm?"

"You are right, I totally agree," Old Tian said quickly.

"Teacher, this is a matter decided by the Youth Film Studio's meeting. In view of the increasing 'take-ism' of film and television workers such as directors and screenwriters in recent years, which has seriously damaged the interests and creative enthusiasm of original works and is a cancerous existence for the film and television industry.

As a school-run enterprise, the Youth Film Studio must set a good example for students and resolutely not let this crooked trend affect the pure campus and affect students whose minds are not yet mature.

Therefore, the Youth Film Studio will resolutely not cooperate with film and television personnel with stains in the future. Once discovered, the project will be terminated immediately, and individuals will be held accountable, compensating for all losses of the Youth Film Studio... these will all be written into the contract."

Xie Xiaojing took out a copied document and handed it to Old Situ.

This kind of document was to be distributed to every department of the Youth Film Studio and would also be copied to every department of the Beijing Film Academy. It was not a confidential document, and taking it out for Old Situ to see did not violate principles.

Old Situ took it and scanned it casually, then said with a smile: "Not bad, this kind of thing should have been stopped long ago. The Youth Film Studio is a place for students to intern, so it is even more necessary to put an end to this crooked trend. You did the right thing."

Old Tian was furious.

Of course, he understood the meaning of Xie Xiaojing's document. This had the same effect as Han Zong's words. It looked like a very normal document, and no one could pick any faults, but it was extremely targeted.

Good for you, Old Xie. When I was being sarcastic toward you, why didn't you say anything? You made me angry for nothing, making me look as impulsive and reckless as the teacher.

Am I that kind of person?

Pfft, you old silver coin!

On the day the Venice Film Festival closed, which was September 10th, Xiao Gangpao's annual costume blockbuster "The Banquet" kicked off its filming in Arxan City, Inner Mongolia.

However, this was just a location, and filming would end in about ten days. There were no actors' scenes, so it didn't count as an official start.

Therefore, his wife also came along, saying she wanted to come and see the beautiful scenery outside the Great Wall.

Xiao Gangpao muttered in his heart: did she hear some rumors? He hadn't had any affairs spread out recently, had he?

Fine, he wasn't feeling guilty this time, so let her come if she wants.

The scenery of Arxan was still very beautiful, otherwise, they wouldn't have chosen this place as a location.

After a busy day, returning to the hotel in the evening, Xu Fan looked at Xiao Gangpao, wanting to say something but stopping.

"What's wrong?"

Xiao Gangpao washed up simply and asked with some confusion.

Xu Fan hesitated. This matter couldn't be hidden anyway, so she said: "Director Cao Yang's 'Black Swan' won the Golden Lion again."

Xiao Gangpao's hand paused, then he lit a cigarette, slumped on the sofa, took a big puff, let it circulate through his mouth into his lungs, and then squinted his eyes and exhaled.

In the swirling smoke, he seemed to see the Golden Lion beckoning to him.

"Fuck!"

Xiao Gangpao shook his head. This is truly fucking unexpected!

Xu Fan continued: "He also brought out another Venice Best Actress. That little girl named Dong Xuan won the Venice Best Actress."

Venice Best Actress, that's the Venice Best Actress!

Xu Fan's words were full of envy.

In this era, which actress wouldn't want to win Best Actress at the three major European film festivals?

"Cough, cough..."

The smoke Xiao Gangpao had just inhaled into his lungs couldn't be exhaled, and he choked, coughing incessantly, with tears streaming down his face.

It took a while for him to recover.

Although he had already given up the idea of winning an award at the three major European film festivals, seeing someone he was familiar with win an award again, and two such important awards, how could he not be envious and jealous?

How could he be indifferent!

Damn it, he had even believed the analysis in that article on the "Cao Yang Bar" a while ago, and was even prepared to call that kid Cao Yang tonight or tomorrow to comfort (gloat) him.

Especially today, when the photographer Zhang Li received a call from Hou Keming and told Xiao Gangpao a dog-blood drama from the Beijing Film Academy—a certain director was ungrateful and backstabbed Cao Yang.

Xiao Gangpao felt a bit sorry for Cao Yang at the time.

Zhang Li also told Xiao Gangpao how the Beijing Film Academy produced such a bastard. Such a person would never be worth cooperating with in this lifetime.

Xiao Gangpao felt Zhang Li was right and agreed on the spot.

Cao Yang, oh Cao Yang, your eye for people is not good. You even recommended such a person to be a film critic for the official Venice Film Festival program?

As an old man who graduated from the 1978 Photography Department, Zhang Li was a classmate of Zhang Yimou and Gu Changwei. As the most famous class, they still had deep feelings for the Beijing Film Academy.

Especially after the school produced a Cao Yang and also turned Gu Changwei into a world-class photographer, everyone's feelings for the Beijing Film Academy became even more special.

Now, Xiao Gangpao suddenly felt that he had really wasted his emotions. Sympathizing with Cao Yang? Bullshit! That kid had both a Golden Lion and a Best Actress; he himself was the most pitiful one.

Yes, it was all that article's fault. Damn it, and "new director," and "special guest film critic for the official program," bullshit!

A bastard who is worth nothing!

This kind of goods should have been kicked out of the directors' ranks long ago.

I, Xiao Gangpao, am ashamed to be associated with them!

It is definitely not because of being embarrassed into anger.

(End of chapter)