Chapter 369: Different Demands

Cao Yang and the group led by Old Tian returned to Jingcheng. To his surprise, the first person to call with congratulations and an invitation to dinner was none other than Little Cannon.

It was as if Little Cannon had been timing it; not long after the plane Cao Yang and his group were on landed, and before they had even returned to their residence after getting into the car, he had already called.

Listening to Little Cannon’s somewhat raspy voice, Cao Yang didn't think much of it. He declined the invitation while in the car, accepting the congratulations but skipping the meal.

"I’ve just flown for so long all the way from Venice and haven't even recovered from the jet lag or rested yet, and you want to take me out to dinner tonight?"

"What kind of earth-shattering matter has you so impatient?"

Unexpectedly, Little Cannon fell silent for a long moment before stammering, "Brother Cao, it’s like this. I’ve been working on the post-production for *Assembly* recently, right? There’s a part I feel contradicts history, so I wanted to discuss it with you."

Then, he changed his tone and continued:

"Of course, I know you just got back and had a tiring journey. Isn't there still six or seven hours until dinner time? You go back and rest first; when you wake up, we can just have a casual meal together and discuss the film while we're at it."

Little Cannon was lying. He had filmed it exactly according to the materials he and Cao Yang had found together, without the slightest deviation. There was no such thing as a plot point that contradicted history; it was entirely made up on the spot.

His main goal was simply to get Cao Yang out to talk.

Little Cannon truly couldn't wait another moment; he was desperate to know if *Assembly* had any chance of participating in the three major European film festivals next year.

If there was a possibility of winning an award, the film would definitely need to be re-edited to make it look less commercial.

Or perhaps they could reshoot some scenes and plot points that delved deeper into human nature. This was something that needed careful consideration—how to add them in a way that was more reasonable and artistic.

Furthermore, the release date would certainly have to be adjusted accordingly.

The three major European film festivals had an unwritten rule: films selected for the main competition section had to hold their world premiere there.

Of course, it didn't matter for sections other than the main competition; there was no such requirement.

Cao Yang thought about it. Since he would have to eat dinner anyway after resting, he agreed to Little Cannon’s request.

"Fine, let's just find a place nearby to eat tonight. You can tell me then what this business about the historical contradiction is."

"Alright, I’ll come pick you up then."

Little Cannon was so happy he even used the honorific "you."

"Who was that? You’ve got dinner plans? How about you take me along?"

Old Tian teased with a smile.

"Take me along too."

Hou Ke, sitting in the passenger seat, chimed in as well.

It must be said that Old Hou knew how to handle things. As a high-ranking leader, he had come to the airport in person to show the school's and his own regard for Cao Yang and Old Tian.

"It was a call from Little Cannon. We collaborated on *Assembly* with him, right? He said there’s a bit of an issue with the plot, so we’re having dinner tonight to discuss it."

Cao Yang smiled and said, "Are you two sure you want to tag along for a free meal?"

He was certain that it was absolutely impossible for the two of them to eat with Little Cannon.

Well, although it was already 2007, the academic school still naturally harbored a sense of exclusion toward commercial film directors like Little Cannon who came from an unconventional background.

Old Hou waved his hand and refused outright.

Old Tian, however, looked at Cao Yang thoughtfully, then asked as if casually, "Just the two of you? No female companions?"

Cao Yang looked at Old Tian, who wore a calm expression as if nothing had happened, and was simply astonished.

Big brother, you can't be serious, right?

The man is already married.

Besides, you two were just fooling around on set back then; didn't you just turn your back and refuse to acknowledge her once the film was finished?

Boss, your way of thinking is very dangerous.

Wait, don't tell me you two have been maintaining a relationship all this time?

That shouldn't be the case, right?

Although I know you so-called Fifth Generation directors love this sort of thing, a person shouldn't... at least, they shouldn't... right?

Uh, Cao Yang suddenly felt that he wasn't in a position to judge Old Tian.

Forget it, never mind. In any case, the Fifth Generation is just messy and complicated when it comes to relationships.

Then, Cao Yang thought of when his senior, Old Chen, married Sister Hong, and the witness was Teng Wenji... Did Old Chen not know about the relationship between Sister Hong and Teng Wenji?

How could he not know?

These sordid affairs in the circle are only guessed at by outsiders; who inside the circle doesn't know?

What's more, these affairs were conducted openly on set. These so-called "set couples" never meant to hide anything; it's just that while the staff might gossip among themselves, no one would talk about it to those outside the circle.

The reason Cao Yang was so wary of messing around with actresses during filming was precisely because of this; he didn't want to become fodder for the staff's after-dinner conversation.

Old Chen certainly knew about the relationship between Sister Hong and Old Teng.

Since he knew, and still let Old Teng be the witness... that truly requires a broad mind, or perhaps a small, peculiar hobby.

Cao Yang felt again that he should warn Old Tian. After all, he was very careful about these things domestically—well, domestically.

"Ahem, well, Old Tian, do you know that when you were filming *Li Lianying: The Imperial Eunuch*, Xu Fan hadn't broken up with her Central Academy of Drama acting teacher Wang Zhiwen yet? They were still living together."

Cao Yang whispered a subtle reminder.

"I know that."

Old Tian looked at Cao Yang with a puzzled expression, not knowing why Cao Yang would ask such a question.

Fine, fine, whatever.

Cao Yang waved his hand, feeling a bit exhausted. He was tired.

I know you Fifth Generation types are avant-garde—not only are your film ideologies avant-garde, but your personal philosophies are too—but I didn't expect you to be *this* avant-garde.

As a filmmaker of the new era, I am still too conservative.

Go home, sleep.

After sleeping for five hours, Cao Yang tidied up and was preparing to go eat with Little Cannon when he received a call from him, saying he was already waiting in his car at the entrance of Ziyu Shanzhuang.

Isn't Little Cannon being a bit too proactive?

He got into Little Cannon's car.

"Brother, congratulations."

Little Cannon said with a grin.

He was sitting in the driver's seat, having driven over himself.

Cao Yang smiled and asked, "Old Feng, where are we going to eat? A casual meal is fine."

"Yes, yes, don't worry. I know a private kitchen restaurant; the food is excellent and it's not far from here. Let's go try it today."

Little Cannon started the car and explained quite eagerly.

"This place is very hard to book. They only serve a fixed number of tables every day and no more. It's quite eccentric. It's said their ancestors were imperial chefs, though I don't know if it's true. Regardless, the boss is quite pretentious."

He had still had to pull strings and make several calls before securing a spot for today.

When they arrived, Cao Yang realized this place... was very familiar.

He had been here several times.

The first time was when a deputy leader from Jingcheng who was seconded to the Olympic Organizing Committee brought him here. At that time, the boss had come out personally, cooked personally, drank with them personally, and seen them off personally.

Furthermore, he had given everyone present, except for that deputy leader, a business card.

Cao Yang had later brought Old Tian and several female friends here a few times. Whenever he called, there was always a table, and he had never seen the need for a reservation like Little Cannon mentioned.

This private kitchen was located in a quaint courtyard house. Cars couldn't drive in, so one had to park far away and walk through a narrow alley to reach it.

That was why Cao Yang only brought those people here a few times for the novelty; he didn't come often, mainly because parking was a hassle and one had to walk eight or nine hundred meters to get inside.

Additionally, the gate of the courtyard was locked from the inside, so one had to knock when arriving at the entrance.

"I don't know what's so special about this place."

Little Cannon muttered, reached out to knock on the door, and explained to Cao Yang, "When they hear the knocking, they open a small door and ask for the reservation number. Only if it matches do they let you in. It's like an underground rendezvous."

The small door opened, and the person was just about to ask for the reservation number when they caught sight of Cao Yang and froze. Immediately, they were all smiles and said to Cao Yang:

"You're here! Please, come in, please come in."

"You know me?"

Cao Yang asked, feeling a bit strange. He only knew the boss here, not the person opening the door.

Of course, it wasn't about whether the other party recognized him as a director, but rather that they recognized his "status" at this private kitchen.

The person smiled without explaining, opened the main gate, and gestured for them to enter.

Little Cannon, standing to the side, was stunned. He hadn't even had a chance to report his reservation number; how did they already "connect"?

Little Cannon wasn't stupid. Seeing the person's attitude toward Cao Yang, even a fool could see something was up.

So, he followed Cao Yang inside, feeling as depressed as one could possibly be.

Damn you, Cao Yang. I originally wanted to show off in front of you, but I didn't expect you to be the one doing the showing off!

Damn you, Cao Yang. You could have just said you could come here to eat without a reservation! Do you know how big a favor I owed just to get this "spot"?

Damn you, Cao Yang. Sigh, what a damn day!

The food was served, and they ate.

At first, Little Cannon just ate in silence. It must be said that although the portions weren't large, the taste was indeed quite decent.

As he ate, Little Cannon began to recover his senses.

So, he smacked his lips, feigning an aftertaste of pure delight, and gave a fawning smile to Cao Yang, saying:

"Ah, no wonder they require reservations. This taste is truly superb. I couldn't help but eat so much in one go. Brother Cao, excuse my lack of manners."

"The food here is indeed quite good."

Cao Yang replied with a smile.

Little Cannon laughed along, but inside he was calculating: since he hadn't managed to show off today, should he just be direct with Cao Yang and ask what he was thinking?

After thinking it over, Cao Yang, despite his youth, was the type who didn't tolerate any nonsense. It was better to be direct about his thoughts to avoid any misunderstandings.

"Little brother, you know I’ve always had an obsession in my heart; I also want to lean toward art! I, too, have a heart that deeply loves art."

Glancing at Cao Yang and seeing that Cao Yang had no strange expression or disdain, Little Cannon felt much more at ease.

He truly couldn't stand the strange looks of others; every time he saw that high-and-mighty, condescending, or indifferent attitude from others, he felt both inferior and wanted to curse.

Fortunately, Cao Yang did not have those expressions.

Little Cannon perked up and continued: "Little brother, tell me the truth, can the *Assembly* that we partnered to make also go to Europe to try its luck next year?"

After speaking, Little Cannon looked at Cao Yang, not blinking his eyes once.

Cao Yang actually considered the possibility for a moment, then asked: "Old Feng, let me ask you, according to tradition, what category of film does *Assembly* belong to?"

"Tradition?"

Little Cannon pondered for a moment, then frowned; he understood what Cao Yang meant.

However, he still defended himself: "Although *Assembly* can be classified as a mainstream melody film, ours is... ours is commercialized... no, ours is a variant, it's different from traditional mainstream melody..."

Little Cannon’s voice grew quieter as he spoke.

Yes, no matter how one argued, *Assembly* was still a type of mainstream melody film, and for domestic mainstream melody films to want to go to the three major European film festivals to win awards... what kind of daydream was that!

Unless the three major European festivals had gone crazy, or collectively defected, and started vigorously promoting and glorifying...

Or perhaps the Berlin Film Festival, which was held exclusively for East Germany during the East German era, then it might be possible.

"I understand."

After Little Cannon finished speaking, he was momentarily lost in thought.

"I set my heart on the bright moon, but the moon shines upon the ditch. The falling flowers have the intention to follow the flowing water, but the flowing water has no heart to love the falling flowers."

Little Cannon couldn't help but chant softly.

Cao Yang almost laughed out loud.

"Alright, alright."

Cao Yang waved his hand, " *Assembly* is a new form of mainstream melody; as long as you film it according to the materials without making reckless changes, it has artistry and lacks no commercial appeal. Domestic awards should recognize this new form."

"Not only that, I estimate the audience will also buy it; it might even become a new box office high for your films. What else are you dissatisfied with?"

"Ah?"

Little Cannon was stunned, thinking he had misheard, but seeing that Cao Yang had no intention of joking, he suddenly felt energized.

Recognition from domestic awards, a new box office high for himself!

Ha!

What else was there to be dissatisfied with?

"Little Brother Cao... no, Boss Cao, if it really is as you say, from now on you are my boss! I will absolutely follow your lead from now on..."

Little Cannon became more excited as he spoke, beginning to express his determination.

Cao Yang waved his hand, "Alright, hurry up and eat; the food is about to get cold."

In the evening, Cao Yang went to see Yu Feihong.

Currently, only Yu Feihong, who had almost no pursuits, was staying in Jingcheng; the others were either filming or running errands, all having their own careers.

The next day, Cao Yang arrived at the Beijing Film Academy. Just as he sat down in his office, Hou Keming followed him in as if he had timed it perfectly.

Cao Yang knew that as long as Old Hou timed his arrival to find him, there must be something going on.

"Dean Hou, where has something gone wrong again?"

Hou Keming smiled and pointed his finger at Cao Yang, saying: "You kid, can't you hope for something good?"

Then he gave a wry smile, poured himself a glass of water, and continued:

"There is indeed a small matter. Before you returned from Venice, someone had already brought it up. I kept dragging it out, thinking the other party would understand what that meant, but in the end... I was still urged."

Cao Yang frowned. Even Old Hou couldn't solve it? It didn't seem simple.

"What matter is so thorny?"

Old Hou blew on his cup, took a sip of water, and said: "Isn't this year's Golden Rooster being held in Gusu? Liu Jialing's agency persuaded some local people, and they stepped forward, wanting to secure the Golden Rooster Best Actress award for Liu Jialing."

"Liu Jialing's agency?"

Cao Yang asked: "Didn't she come out of Huayi Brothers with Wang Jinghua at the time? Was it Wang Jinghua who put in the effort?"

Old Hou shook his head and explained: "I specifically asked around. She did come out with Wang Jinghua at the time. Back then, Wang Jinghua received an invitation from Orange Sky Entertainment, but Wang Jinghua didn't go."

"She and several major artists set up their own business and established a specialized agency."

"However, several actors from Xiangjiang who came out with her didn't think highly of a specialized agency; they felt such a company would have difficulty obtaining resources. Therefore, most of the people from Xiangjiang who came out with Wang Jinghua joined Orange Sky Entertainment."

"Why would Gusu stand up for Liu Jialing?"

Cao Yang had some questions. Even if someone had "taken a fancy" to Liu Jialing, at most they would find resources for her. This kind of behavior of trying to get ahead in awards was crossing the line.

"Liu Jialing was born in Gusu and lived in Gusu for fifteen years before following her parents to Xiangjiang."

Old Hou replied; he had inquired clearly about these matters.

"Oh, so that's the reason."

Cao Yang understood; this was the host city wanting to promote one of their own as Best Actress.

"What movie did she act in?"

Old Hou smiled and said: "Zhang Yibai's *Curiosity Kills the Cat*; she is the female lead. I specifically watched this movie. How should I put it? Zhang Yibai failed to break free from the bottleneck of a TV director turning to film."

"His handling of clues, visual coordination, and event narration is very unnatural, and his management of the actors is not satisfactory. I actually feel that the other female lead, named Song Xiaojia, gave a performance that completely overshadowed Liu Jialing."

"In other words, giving Liu Jialing the Golden Rooster Best Actress award has absolutely no persuasive power?"

Cao Yang asked.

Old Hou nodded, "This movie was already mediocre to begin with; giving Liu Jialing Best Actress is even more unjustifiable."

"Then ignore it and proceed according to what we discussed beforehand."

Cao Yang said directly.

Looking at Old Hou, who still had a wry smile, Cao Yang thought for a moment and understood Old Hou's concerns. He was afraid that when the film festival was held, the other party would cause trouble on their turf.

For example, by making things difficult with transportation, security checks, hotels, and so on; this year's Golden Rooster Awards would be criticized for a long time.

Cao Yang thought for a moment and said to Old Hou: "I'll find a way to deal with this. Isn't there a domestic city torch relay application before the Olympics? As the chief consultant for the Organizing Committee, I am qualified to conduct on-site inspections."

"I remember Gusu also applied. You let the relevant people in Gusu know that I might go there for an inspection. They will naturally figure out why I want to go. People who can reach that position certainly know what to do."

Old Hou's eyes lit up, and he nodded with a smile.

Cao Yang and Old Hou both knew that this precedent was actually not good to set.

The Golden Rooster currently rotates among cities across the country. If this precedent is set, what if other cities make similar demands?

Then there's no point in holding it at all!

(End of chapter)