Chapter 136

November 10, 2002, Taoyuan City, Taiwan, "Shoplifters" crew.

Lu Kuan's filming in Taoyuan, Taiwan, had been going on for a week.

The original film had a Japanese background, but Lu Kuan's adaptation of the script set it in Taiwan during an economic downturn to pass censorship.

Therefore, he chose Taoyuan, which was also the economic and political center of the Japanese during that special period, and it retained many buildings from that era.

This week was a week for the crew to adapt to the venue and climate.

It was also a week for cast and crew members like Zhou Xun, Yu Feihong, and Fan Bingbing to get along with Lu Kuan and the crew.

Everyone had learned from interviews with Zhou Jielun and Liu Yifei about Boss Lu's dictatorship and strictness during filming, as well as the high standards set by the crew.

But once they truly entered the crew, the actors still couldn't help but be secretly shocked by the iron-fisted style of Lu Kuan.

It could be said that except for the youngest, Guan Xiaotong, even actresses with mature acting skills like Zhou Xun had to be subjected to multiple NGs and stern instructions.

Today, Hou Hsiao-hsien was also present. His last exchange with Lu Kuan had made him develop a keen interest in this young director.

Even if there were some differences in film style and subject matter, he was a pure filmmaker.

As the president of the Taiwan Film Association, he naturally had to give some support to his compatriots and younger filmmakers.

He was sitting on the set, concentrating on the script.

Grandma Li's family lived in a dilapidated bungalow in Taoyuan City, Taiwan, and everyone lived off Li Mingqi's pension.

Zhou Xun and Feng Yuanzheng were a "couple," Zhang Yishan was a child they had picked up, and Fan Bingbing was Zhou Xun's "younger sister."

As can be seen from the quotation marks, these family relationships were all fictional; they were a bunch of miserable people who had come together to live during the economic downturn.

Feng Yuanzheng would take his "son" Zhang Yishan to steal daily necessities from supermarkets, one attracting attention while the other stole;

Fan Bingbing worked as a hostess and singer in bars and karaoke halls;

Zhou Xun did odd jobs in wealthy areas, washing clothes, cleaning, etc.

The turning point of the story appeared when 6-year-old Guan Xiaotong was discovered and brought back by Feng Yuanzheng and his son, and when Zhang Yishan's theft at the fruit shop was exposed, revealing the true face of this "Shoplifters" family.

Depressing, gentle, and cruel.

"Director Lu, it's truly an excellent work."

Hou Hsiao-hsien closed the script, his evaluation of Lu Kuan rising a few notches in his heart.

The story was actually very plain, but it fully embodied the complexity of human nature.

The warmth in the daily life of a family without blood ties redefined the connotation of "family."

And their theft and violation of mainstream public order and good customs highlighted the ugliness of human nature.

This was a contradiction and struggle between the pursuit of profit and the satisfaction of human needs.

"You're too kind. After communicating with Director Hou last time, I was also greatly inspired. This film is prepared to make more attempts in lens language."

Hou Hsiao-hsien said with gratification: "Good! I'm looking forward to it very much."

His tone held both admiration and regret.

The mainland film industry had a rising star like Lu Kuan, while he, as the president of the Taiwan Film Association, had not yet discovered any younger generation worth cultivating within the province.

"Director, shall we continue?"

After sending off Hou Hsiao-hsien, assistant director Yu Feihong came over to ask for work instructions.

She casually tied her long hair with a hair tie, wore a black baseball cap, wore outdoor work clothes, and had some fine dirt on her face.

That was left behind when she took the initiative to learn the large jib camera track.

No matter how you looked at it, she didn't look like a charming young woman of thirty-two.

Boss Lu didn't even raise his head: "Hmm, continue."

On the monitor was a scene of warmth between Zhou Xun and the Guan Xiaotong she had picked up.

"Come over and look at this frame."

Boss Lu beckoned to his assistant director, who also leaned her head over without any affectation, staring closely at the monitor in front of her.

This was her precious learning opportunity.

Spending a few months working in the crew almost for free, and helping to contact some censorship issues for later films—wasn't this what it was for?

"For this kind of warm scene, you generally need to use static shots, with a stable frame and long white space."

"This way, in the final film, the audience can have time to think and grasp the character's inner world and emotional state."

Yu Feihong nodded continuously. Although she was a novice, she could still draw inferences about such shallow lens language.

If the screen switched dynamically, the audience's attention would fly away with it; where would there be time to think about the plot and feel the characters?

There were many such static frames in "Shoplifters," which also gave the audience time to observe background details and further feel the pressure of the environment and society.

Zhou Xun in the lens fully interpreted the role of a kind middle-aged mother. After a few hints from him, she could enter the state very well, shaping an image that was actually a few years older than her, which was already very talented.

Liu Yifei couldn't compare in this regard; only diligence could make up for clumsiness. Fan Bingbing was above the standard line, but she also needed to make some breakthroughs in character types.

She couldn't always play female characters who were inclined to be flashy and vulgar.

Yu Feihong lowered her head, and a few strands of hair that weren't tied tightly were blown onto Lu Kuan's face by the wind, feeling both itchy and numb.

Boss Lu wasn't blinded by lust and was still watching the monitor intently, but Yu Feihong on the side suddenly realized that she seemed to be too close to the director.

Even the faint smell of tobacco on him was so obvious.

The two buried their heads in front of the monitor, and they could even hear each other's breathing.

Except for the director, no other crew members usually approached this position. Yu Feihong stole a glance at this young man who was almost ten years her junior, suddenly feeling that the atmosphere was a bit fleetingly ambiguous.

No one should be able to see, right?

Seeing Lu Kuan watching intently, Yu Feihong wasn't satisfied with just observing him with her peripheral vision.

The angular side profile and dense stubble that met her eyes, coupled with the demeanor and posture of a dictator in the crew, added a lot of maturity that transcended his age.

Opposites attract, especially when one party possesses talent and temperament that the other party greatly admires...

It's just that this scene was seen right in the act by Fan Bingbing, who was waiting on the side.

Guan Xiaotong in the monitor was slow to enter the state; she needed to perform the sadness of an unfortunate original family, but this was too far from her real life.

"Cut!"

Lu Kuan suddenly stood up, wanting to find Guan Xiaotong's mother to discuss how to "coax her into filming," completely forgetting that there was a Yu Feihong watching the screen closely on the side.

"Ouch!"

His suddenly rising shoulder hit Yu Feihong's cheekbone exactly, and the young woman covered her face in pain.

"Sorry! Sorry!"

Boss Lu was relatively self-forgetful at work; otherwise, with his nature of "if successful, he would be lecherous to the world," he wouldn't have been unaware of such a distance just now. Only then did he see that the left cheekbone of Yu Feihong was visibly swelling up.

The fair and tender peeled egg would probably turn black and blue once the swelling finished.

The thick-nerved Zhou Xun and Fan Bingbing, who had been observing this side, all surrounded them, but the crew members were the ones who paid the least attention at first.

Cao Yu pulled his photography assistant and whispered: "What are you doing? Wait a bit before going over!"

These inexperienced ones—the director and the beautiful assistant director are having a little situation in front of the monitor, why are you in such a hurry to rush up?

You can tell they haven't been in many crews; they're looking at things they shouldn't be looking at!

"Ouch, Sister Feihong, this is quite heavy. Should I send her to the hospital?"

Fan Bingbing enthusiastically supported Yu Feihong, and very carelessly exposed her red and swollen cheekbone to Lu Kuan.

Looking from this angle, it shouldn't be that beautiful anymore, right?

"No need, no need, it's just a small matter."

Yu Feihong didn't take it as a big deal either.

It was just that seeing the probing and curious eyes of the crowd, her sudden exclamation seemed to expose that the two of them really had some illicit affair in that little world just now.

At this moment, her pretty face was slightly red, and her eyes were dodging.

Of course, in Lu Kuan's heart, everything still had to give way to the film.

He called another assistant director to give instructions and asked others to take their places to continue filming.

In the evening, the crew finished work, and Lu Kuan went with Zhou Xun and Fan Bingbing to Yu Feihong's room to visit.

"Sister Feihong, are you okay?"

Yu Feihong smiled and welcomed them into the room: "Pfft! Making a mountain out of a molehill. I even fractured my arm when I was performing a play last year; this is nothing."

"Things have been so rough these two years, Sister Feihong. You should let Director Lu calculate it for you; his nickname is Little Immortal!"

Zhou Xun and Lu Kuan met when they were both obscure, and they were used to joking with each other.

"Is that so? I've heard about it too, but I'm afraid the incense money is too expensive, and I can't afford it!"

Yu Feihong also spoke witty remarks generously, but the slight bruising on her cheekbone still made people feel a bit shocking.

Fan Bingbing laughed: "Men are just clumsy. Look at how you bumped Sister Feihong; it really makes one's heart ache!"

As she spoke, she placed a bottle of peppermint oil on her bedside table.

"Sister Feihong, this can reduce swelling. Remember to apply it every morning and evening."

"You're so beautiful, you have to recover quickly, otherwise it would be so boring for our Director Lu to watch the monitor alone every day!"

Yu Feihong wasn't an innocent little girl, so she also smiled and teased her: "Isn't there you, Bingbing? If you two go out to 'cook a private meal' again, call me too. I'm not used to the food in the crew either."

Fan Bingbing suddenly stopped her words, and Zhou Xun and Yu Feihong looked at each other, both laughing maliciously.

This was gossip spread by Taiwan media a few days ago.

Young director Lu Kuan and the glamorous actress Fan Bingbing from the same crew had dinner together, and after the meal, they were suspected of staying in the same hotel, only leaving in the early morning.

This was Boss Lu being careless, thinking that not many people in Taiwan recognized him, but he didn't expect to be exposed to the magazine by the masses the next day.

Fortunately, no solid photos were leaked, but the crew tacitly understood.

Lu Kuan was a bit speechless. Three women make a play; Fan Bingbing was trying to be tough, and Yu Feihong wasn't easy to mess with either.

Only Zhou Xun, who was eating melon, watched happily. Relying on knowing Lu Kuan early and being familiar with his character, she dared to joke.

"Alright, alright, let's go quickly, don't disturb Assistant Director Yu's rest."

Boss Lu was afraid that if they kept talking, his own ugly affairs would be shaken out, so he quickly cut off the conversation.

Early morning, 5th floor of the crew hotel.

On this floor, besides the director's suite, there were only the rooms of Yu Feihong, Fan Bingbing, and Zhou Xun.

And they were separated by at least two rooms from each other.

This was, of course, the arrangement of the crew's slick assistant director.

When on a business trip, arranging rooms for leaders is generally on the highest floor of everyone, and leaders of the same level should be staggered, at least not face-to-face.

If there is a secretary or female employee accompanying, those who know there is a private affair inside will naturally arrange them on the same floor as the leader.

If not, it is best to arrange them on the same floor.

This is, of course, a smelly, stinking practice of fawning in the workplace, but in the crew, this situation is everywhere.

Because you don't know who the director is having an affair with, and whether he is a gentleman or not.

Doing this is at least meritorious and harmless; maybe you can win the favor of the big director and become his exclusive assistant director or producer in the future.

Bingbing raided him again at night, and now the clouds had gathered and the rain had stopped, lying in Boss Lu's arms.

"Director, I've discovered that you're quite philanthropic."

"Huh?"

"Sister Feihong is 32, I'm 21, Liu Yifei..."

Boss Lu was furious: "How can you slander someone's innocence out of thin air!"

Fan Bingbing watched him pretending and didn't expose him, just drawing circles on his chest with her cardamom-like nails, doing her best to be charming.

"Did I slander your innocence? Let alone you, I also like Sister Feihong's gentle and delicate appearance when I see it."

I dare not say anything else, but at least if an intellectual beauty like Yu Feihong were willing to submit, this lecherous director would definitely not turn her away.

She quietly reached Lu Kuan's ear: "Don't you men like this kind of 'noble lady in front of people, slut in bed' vibe!"

Boss Lu sneered in his heart, Bingbing, you understand the "contrast bitch" vibe.

He suddenly remembered the scene where the two of them were "rubbing temples" unintentionally in the crew today.

Mature men are experienced, but they are also attracted to such blatant ambiguity and sentiment, which is even more exciting than the real thing.

"She came to learn to be an assistant director; she has artistic pursuits. Don't talk nonsense."

As he spoke, he turned around, pinched her chin, and smiled: "But with her posture today, I don't think you can take any advantage either."

Fan Bingbing laughed coquettishly: "I won't compete with her!"

"By the way, Little Dog called me today and asked how I was doing in the crew."

These are the code names for the two, the two brothers, Little Dog and Big Dog.

"Oh, did he also arrange your seduction mission?"

Fan Bingbing rolled her eyes at him, but her hands didn't stop: "Yeah, aren't I executing the mission right now!"

Boss Lu grinned with comfort, his mind still maintaining a trace of clarity.

"Then you just let nature take its course, and you won't be afraid of them suspecting you in the future."

"Huayi is bound to go public sooner or later. You should try your best to sit in the position of the 'Number One Sister' before that and get more shares."

"Really?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 133 =====

"Hmm, the capitalization of entertainment is an inevitable trend. No matter how many endorsements you actors take and how much salary you get in the future, working hard for more than ten years might not earn as much as a cash-out move in the capital market."

Fan Bingbing's eyes lit up; she wasn't sleepy when it came to money and status!

Another sleepless night.

(End of chapter)