Chapter 254: The Award Ceremony Full of Twists and Turns

The ten-odd seconds just after *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* ended felt like ten-odd seconds where time had stood still.

From the grain of the first act, the backlighting of the second, to the soft focus of the third.

Like a piece of prose with a uniquely exquisite style, it narrated the life of Li Ming to the audience in great detail.

As the film ended, everyone's heart felt as if a piece had been hollowed out.

Across a historical scroll spanning 70 years, the two narrative threads of the small-time character Li Ming's love life and the nation's fate intertwined and overlapped.

Not only the ordinary audience, but professional film critics, directors, and actors were all deeply immersed, unable to extricate themselves.

As if in a delayed reaction, thunderous applause surged like a raging sea, lasting for a long time.

Lu Kuan led Zhang Zhang Manyu, Li Li Xuejian, Zhang Zhang Songwen, Fan Fan Bingbing, and others back to the main stage several times for curtain calls, accepting screams and cheers.

The *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* crew held a high-end cocktail party after the premiere, inviting festival catalog critics, international film media, and well-known actors, directors, and producers who had come to show support.

This was also standard practice for almost every film crew.

Bosnian director Kusturica found Lu Kuan first: "Although I had prepared myself mentally, after truly finishing the film, I still cannot describe your masterpiece with words."

"Lu, come to Cannes in May, will you? I invite you to be our jury president."

Lu Kuan felt somewhat surprised, yet he calmly and gladly accepted: "No problem, I still have to shoot a short film for *Paris, je t'aime*, we will see each other then."

Kusturica clinked glasses with him and left, and a swarm of small film festival chairmen flocked over!

They were all here to get familiar with Lu Kuan.

For these small film festivals, increasing their reputation meant increasing their benefits, because only the participation of famous directors or high-level juries and organizing committees would attract high-value sponsorships.

Currently, the A-list film festivals led by the European Big Three were all exclusive; being shortlisted for one meant automatically giving up on the others.

But these small film festivals and A-list film festivals did not have a competitive relationship.

They didn't mind the leftovers; if you big-shot directors—directors with box office appeal and prestige—were willing, keep coming to us!

For instance, someone like Lu Tian who liked to gild his own lily might just manage to snag a couple of minor awards to show off back home.

Harvey walked over with a handsome man: "Lu, I don't need to introduce this person, right?"

Luo Bote De Niro reached out enthusiastically: "I don't need an introduction either; I've heard about you many times from Martin Scorsese."

"He told me that because he had to film your *The Exotic*, Leonardo delayed joining the cast of *The Aviator* by three months, and he was very angry."

"But after watching your *The Exotic* and *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button*, he felt Leonardo's decision was correct."

Lu Kuan laughed heartily: "I hope we can have the opportunity to collaborate."

Luo Bote De Niro nodded readily: "Of course, I watched your role in the film; I like working with directors who understand acting."

"It's a deal."

The next day, the Berlin Film Festival catalog gave it a high score of 3.8.

The Berlin Film Festival catalog was mainly judged by *Screen International* magazine, using a 4-point scale: 4 stars for perfect, 1 star for terrible.

Except for one extremist critic who gave it a 1, the average high score of 3.8 topped this year's festival, with the South African film *U-Carmen e-Khayelitsha* ranking second.

Festival jury president Roland personally wrote a review for the catalog:

*The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* is a life epic told in a gentle flow, using a fantastical yet warm touch to outline a unique life trajectory, bringing the audience endless emotion and reflection.

For many foreign veteran film buffs, this technique of integrating the joys and sorrows of a small character into the torrent of the era reminded them of two other Chinese-language films famous both at home and abroad.

*Farewell My Concubine* and *To Live*.

The American *Variety* published a review: The film possesses the unique narrative technique of "Lu-style films," and the setting of the protagonist's reverse aging from the original work, thrown out at the beginning, is nothing short of brilliant.

Through this unique setting, the director breaks our perception of the inherent order of birth, aging, sickness, and death, making the entire story seem shrouded in a layer of mysterious and romantic halo.

It does not simply pile up whimsical ideas, but through Li Ming's reverse-time life, it cleverly connects many important life stages and emotional experiences, making the film's narrative both novel and full of tension.

As a local newspaper, the *Berliner Morgenpost* also gave its own evaluation; this contributor had clearly studied that period of modern history carefully, and the description was quite objective:

Beyond the magical love story between the male and female leads, we see a hidden thread of the era.

From 1919 to 1988, the ups and downs of the social livelihood and the turning points of the national destiny of the Eastern dragon can be glimpsed.

Through Li Ming's life, we see the progressive zeitgeist helplessly self-structuring within such a predicament amidst the changing political and economic winds.

If you understood this film, you understood China from 1919 to 1988.

Other authoritative film media like the *Daily Shimbun* and *The Hollywood Reporter* also gave extremely high praise.

Only the British *Empire* had a somewhat contrarian tone:

*The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* lacks a heavy interpretation of history and reality; unlike the frames under the director's baton of Jia Jia Kezhang, which accurately reflect and distill the anxious reality, in this film, we did not see humanistic reflections on hot topics such as consumer frenzy and the social status quo.

In other words, your film, Lu Kuan, portrays the Chinese people and the country too well, without reflecting a single bit of inherent inferiority; we do not acknowledge it!

Of course there is, it's just the Nationalist Party.

The next day, Lu Kuan flipped through the rave reviews in various newspapers and periodicals with boredom, as well as the massive popularity transmitted back to the country through the live broadcast on Wenjie Video.

In fact, what he was looking forward to most were the reviews and ratings from two magazines.

France's *Cahiers du Cinéma* and Britain's *Sight & Sound*.

*Cahiers du Cinéma* was the promoter of the French New Wave.

And the status of the New Wave in the international film scene was equivalent to how Impressionism, which appeared out of nowhere back then, broke the iron curtain of traditional European oil painting and brought new perspectives and expressive techniques to film.

The main theoretical foundations that Huang Huang Shixian, Zhu Zhu Dake, and others relied on for survival and criticism were the New Wave.

*Cahiers du Cinéma* had discovered and helped many film directors who were still unknown, such as Hitchcock, who had always been frustrated in Hollywood, and the domestic sixth-generation director Jia Jia Kezhang.

*Cahiers du Cinéma* gave Lu Kuan's new film a perfect score of 5, which was also the only perfect score at this Berlin Film Festival.

Obviously, *Cahiers du Cinéma* leaned towards art films and auteur films; they looked down on films that were too vulgarized and story-driven.

For example, domestic directors Li An and Zhang Zhang Yimou had never been recognized by *Cahiers du Cinéma*, but art film masters Hou Hou Xiaoxian and Jia Jia Kezhang were highly esteemed.

*Cahiers du Cinéma*'s evaluation of *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* directly cited the opinion of Martin Scorsese:

I once said that every twenty years, someone will invent a new cinema because genius directors and cinematographers will always constantly evolve themselves.

What is incredible is that I saw this in a young director who has only made four films; it is simply astonishing!

The tonally consistent *Sight & Sound* was equally generous with its praise, believing this to be a film that could go down in history.

Especially the gradual application of grain, backlighting, and the final soft focus in the film, which were interspersed in a way that violated the basic rules of film language.

It is like a mute who cannot speak singing to you; how could it not be astonishing?

When the news reached back home, Huang Huang Shixian, Zhu Zhu Dake, and even old Lu, who had a feud with Lu Kuan because of his "great son" Lu Taitaro and wanted to seek private revenge, all fell silent.

There was no way to bash it!

Their theoretical foundation was the "highbrow" New Wave that ordinary audiences didn't understand; otherwise, how could they sound like they were awesome?

But the ancestor of the New Wave, *Cahiers du Cinéma*, had given *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* a perfect score; if they bashed it now, they would be slapping their own faces!

The internet has no memory, but Blognet does.

They didn't doubt for a second that if they started bashing, their previous blog post records would be sent by the official Blognet to Lu Kuan as ammunition for a counterattack.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

"Didn't you take your room card?"

Lu Kuan walked over to open the door, puzzled; he thought it was Fan Fan Bingbing, who had taken the other room card earlier.

"Director Lu, hello~~~"

Looking at the scantily clad Bai Ling in front of him, Lu Kuan felt some physiological disgust.

"Hello, is something the matter?"

"Won't you invite me in to sit for a while?"

Lu Kuan leaned against the door frame: "It will cause gossip, Ms. Juror; you are supposed to vote for me, so it is not appropriate for us to have private contact."

"If you were a smart person, you would know why I came today."

The brazen Bai Ling displayed her female advantages without restraint, though in Lu Kuan's eyes, it was no different from selling herself.

Mainly because her soul was too ugly, it was simply nauseating.

Standing at the door was too conspicuous, so Lu Kuan let her enter, watching her plop down on the bed.

Bai Ling certainly had a purpose for this trip.

She had seen the news in North America about *The Exotic* winning a Golden Globe, had heard of Lu Kuan's great name, and also knew that he was handsome and very good at making money.

It was just that what Bai Ling took a fancy to was a special skill...

Not that kind of special skill, but his close relationship with the official authorities of the State Administration and the Film Bureau!

It exceeded the subordinate relationship between ordinary directors and administrative management units, which could be seen from the polite and complimentary way Han Han Shanping treated him in public.

And Bai Ling had a core demand: after the mistakes of the first half of her life, she was "forced" to repent and wanted to obtain permission to return to the country for development.

This banana person's method was also very simple: come to find Lu Kuan and use her Jin Xiong vote in exchange for his mediation.

Lu Kuan listened to the intent calmly: "You found the wrong person; I am just a small soldier, how could I possibly influence the decisions at the top."

"I have already inquired clearly, Lu Kuan, you have many methods."

"You are a senior consultant for the Radio and Television Research Institute, and in order to get the TV movies of your affiliated TV station approved, you even found another way..."

Lu Kuan put down his crossed legs; he couldn't stand this woman who was ugly yet unaware of her own posturing, and wanted to ask her to leave.

Bai Ling paced over, leaning down to look at the young director, releasing her sexual charm without restraint.

"Help me with this favor, and I will help you get the Jin Xiong, and also..."

She licked her lips and bit them lightly with her teeth.

Screw you, it almost made Lu Kuan sick to death.

"Lu..."

Fan Fan Bingbing swiped her card and entered, staring dumbfounded at this bizarre scene.

Lu Kuan pushed her away and pulled Fan Fan Bingbing over.

"Bai Ling, did you break your brain while being a banana person in the US?"

"Look at that ugly face of yours, it looks like a damn car crash scene, and your figure is neither curvy nor shapely."

"Why does God dislike you so much that He closed the door to your intelligence and welded shut the window of your face?"

Fan Fan Bingbing giggled upon hearing this, while Bai Ling's face turned ashen.

Looking at the great beauty Fan Fan Bingbing, who had meticulously dressed up to come and serve in his bed, Bai Ling wanted to retort to his harsh words, but then wondered if she had indeed conceded defeat.

"We shall see."

The door slammed shut with a bang; Boss Lu pulled Fan Fan Bingbing into his arms, needing to wash his eyes, and then wash them again...

Early on the 16th, Boss Lu hosted an interview event for several domestic film media outlets in his suite.

Ju Ju Wenpei from "World Film Journey" was an old friend, and she remained very concerned about the expected honors for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

The effusive praise from various media, the fans holding up signs at the entrance of the main venue every day demanding extra screenings, and the non-A-list film festival chairmen who visited one after another.

All the positive feedback filled the creators with confidence; no one doubted that "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" would win an award, the only suspense was which one.

The brilliance of the film lay in the interwoven light and dark narrative threads, as well as the genius lens language and cinematography approach.

Therefore, although they were nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress, neither Lu Kuan nor Zhang Zhang Manyu held out much hope.

Especially Zhang Zhang Manyu; her screen time was not substantial, as the main story arc rested entirely on the male lead.

Everyone chatted in a relaxed mood, discussing the different award predictions that had erupted on the phone and the internet.

Some said the hot favorite "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" had basically locked in the Jin Xiong, as the jury president and the festival president had arrived together at the premiere and praised it highly.

Even "Sight & Sound" and "Cahiers du Cinéma," arguably the two most authoritative film media in the world, had for the first time included and praised Lu Kuan's film.

However, there were also local film media with opposing views, claiming that there were two or three people on the jury with huge objections.

One of them was the fellow ethnic actress of this young director, Bai Ling.

Her main reason for opposition was that the film's narrative and emotional expression relied too heavily on special effects and techniques, such as the portrayal of the male and female leads' emotions at different ages.

From this perspective, it was absolutely impossible for the Best Actor and Best Actress awards to be given to the two, and even the Jin Xiong should be considered with caution.

Of course, there were also many who favored the South African film "U-Carmen e-Khayelitsha."

Its festival daily rating was second only to "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," and it highly aligned with the slogan of this year's Berlin Film Festival, "Politics and Sex," plus it was a fine film from the third camp.

The chaotic flowers were beginning to dazzle the eyes, but they couldn't really shake Boss Lu's state of mind.

The short interview ended, and the group went downstairs to dine together. Ju Ju Wenpei said regretfully, "My heart is always hanging; it would be great if we could get a spoiler on the awards in advance."

"I was still expecting you to go and interrogate Roland or Kosslick."

Boss Lu smiled nonchalantly and invited her to join them for dinner at the restaurant.

Ju Ju Wenpei looked left and right, then walked over and whispered, "Director Lu, I interviewed Bai Ling yesterday, and she..."

"She doesn't seem very friendly toward you; she said a lot of ugly and attacking things about you."

"This person is not suitable to appear on screen, so we temporarily cut out her interview as a jury member from this episode."

Lu Kuan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

These two days were the final competition for the Jin Xiong, and although the festival daily and external evaluations had no direct impact on the final result in terms of procedure.

But the judges were also human, all emotional animals, and these negative messages were ultimately uncomfortable.

Bai Ling, this former pure starlet who started as an art troupe soldier, had become a demoness in Hollywood by backstabbing and smearing others, and she was truly unscrupulous in her actions.

"You guys go to the restaurant first; I need to make a call."

The vengeful Abbot Lu dialed Harvey's mobile number.

"Which agency did this Bai Ling sign with in Hollywood? APA or CAA?"

"Lu, she is too old, let's change one."

"???"

Boss Lu was speechless: "Harvey, Bai Ling wants to interfere and stop 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' from winning the Jin Xiong. I gave you the North American distribution rights; do you want to lose money?"

"Bullshit! I'll handle it."

Evil is met by evil; this matter had to be left to the professionals.

Because this year had two mainland films, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Peacock," participating, the heat of the Berlin Film Festival had spread to the domestic internet.

Although in the eyes of ordinary movie fans, the highbrow European big three were not as lively as last month's Golden Globe Awards.

But both Boss Lu's enemies and friends were very concerned about the award results this time.

Especially when Yanda Huayi and Wenjie had entered the post-arms race stage and undercurrents were surging.

As expected, Bai Ling, who was deliberately targeting "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," still managed to pass her malicious reviews back to the country through foreign media and online media.

Sina Entertainment Headline:

Famous Hollywood Chinese-American actress Ms. Bai Ling claimed to dozens of professional overseas film media that "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is a mediocre work that uses overly advanced special effects technology to destroy film technique.

Although as a compatriot she should give support, she could not be too biased and shake her own artistic stance.

She believed that the talented Director Lu Kuan would summarize and reflect, and dedicate more fine works to movie fans around the world.

Following that was a series of distortions and awkward smears from a minority of unfriendly media; these were Western newspapers that loved to see Shenzhou in poverty and distress with complex social contradictions.

Because this kind of evaluation of the work had nothing to do with personal attacks, Zhou Army and others did not shy away from fueling the flames in the dark, waiting to see a good show from Lu Kuan.

The only Chinese-American female judge was so openly holding an opposing view; did you still expect a bunch of Europeans to cheer for you?

For a time, there were various opinions on the internet.

"It's over! Even our own judge doesn't favor 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'; I think the Jin Xiong is in trouble!"

"To the one above, you call this demoness one of our own? Where were you when she was smearing us?"

"This is just a beast who worships foreign things; and she's still a judge, damn it!"

Dai Ai Dajin, who had been hired as the artistic director for this year's Hunan TV "Super Girl" talent show, jumped out and began to act as a bridgehead for guiding public opinion from an artistic perspective.

He was a typical public intellectual of a certain period in the country.

This term originated from the book "The Last Intellectuals" published by American historian Russell Jacoby in 1987.

In 2004, the seventh issue of "Southern People Weekly" specially planned "50 People Influencing Domestic Public Intellectuals," which was the formal use of the concept of public intellectuals in the country.

Since then, a group of so-called public intellectuals had been active on the internet, expressing opinions and guiding public opinion on some public events.

However, as time passed, the inappropriate words and deeds of some public intellectuals and some viewpoints that did not conform to facts and logic were exposed, leading to this neutral term gradually being stigmatized.

It wasn't until the Weibo era of 2009 that public intellectuals would rely on new online media to expand their influence.

But the opinion-guiding and amplifying effect of blog networks that transcended the era allowed some public intellectuals who were eager to speak out to step onto the historical stage ahead of time.

Dai Ai Dajin: The field of art should allow different voices to exist. I still approve of Director Lu Kuan, but since "Foreign Land," he seems to have embarked on a path of obsession with Hollywood special effects, and there is no way to find back his exploration of audiovisual language.

In addition, I have had contact with this Ms. Bai Ling when I was working in the United States, so let me give everyone a little popular science.

She was an excellent actor in the country in the 80s. After visiting the New York University Film Department in 1990, she became very obsessed with the advancement of Western films, so she participated in the filming of the Hollywood movie "The Crow" in 1993, which caused a sensation, and was named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" by the American magazine "People" in 1998.

At the same time, she also served as a judge at many international film festivals such as the Berlin International Film Festival, the Brazil International Film Festival, the Cairo International Film Festival, and the San Sebastian International Film Festival.

I think the stigmatization of her and the lack of objective and neutral evaluation of her is a very low-class behavior. Certain entertainment circles and directors should not continue to indulge their fans in conducting public opinion atrocities.

What public intellectuals are best at is taking things out of context. In these seemingly neutral compliments from Dai Ai Dajin, a lot of behind-the-scenes information was hidden.

For example, her visiting scholar quota back then was obtained through some kind of exchange;

For example, the "The Crow" she filmed was indeed a Hollywood blockbuster.

But the actor in the same crew, Brandon Lee (son of Mr. Li Lan Xiaolong), died accidentally during filming, and the film was not released at all in the end.

Was the sensation because of the film quality, damn it?

Another example is that she was named one of the 50 most beautiful people; the deep reason behind it was that she cooperated with Western media to maliciously smear and spread rumors about her own country. This was just a reward from the white pigs to the dog that worships the West.

The reason for being a film festival judge was the same; didn't you see that the other female judges on the jury didn't even bother to take photos with her?

It's just that such rhetoric and titles were very intimidating. After some fueling of the flames and groundless accusations, the expectations of domestic audiences and public opinion for the Jin Xiong and Lu Kuan himself dropped to freezing point.

There was no lack of questioning the gold content of his previous two Cannes Jury Prizes and the Venice Golden Lion.

You can only win an award if you have Gong Li on the jury; if you don't, you're done for. How can you talk about being China's number one director?

Of course, they couldn't see the global box office sweep of "Foreign Land," and they didn't recognize the unspoken rule that domestic directors in film festivals support domestic films.

A dark curtain, it must be a dark curtain.

The purpose of hyping these news was, first, to strike at Lu Kuan's popularity and appeal in the mainland film industry, and second, to directly smear "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," which was about to be released nationwide.

Following Dai Ai Dajin, Wang Shuo, the father and son Lu Lu Chuan, Zhu Zhu Dake, and others spoke out intensively, followed by a series of first-generation public intellectuals who came for the reputation.

Artists like Lu Kuan who did not rely on filming dark materials and backwardness to please the West, and who had close relations with the government, were their main targets of attack.

After all, they relied on labeling themselves as independent, sober, and human rights-oriented to build their personas.

Of course, these people also had very strategic fighting tactics and did not speak definitively, only attacking the fans of certain morally corrupt directors from the perspective of freedom of speech and freedom of criticism.

The dog at the entrance of the village barked, and the other dogs followed suit, but they didn't know why they were barking.

Early on the 19th, Zhang Zhang Manyu, Zhao Fei, Zhang Zhang Songwen, and other leads all came to Director Lu Kuan's room, followed by Li Li Xuejian, and finally Fan Fan Bingbing.

The room's phone rang, and everyone held their breath, listening to the conversation.

The Berlin Film Festival's conference service department specifically called to confirm with Director Lu Kuan, asking them to be sure to attend the awards ceremony tonight.

This was a convention of the film festival, indicating that the film had at least one award.

Film crews that didn't receive a call could freely choose to stay or return.

Boss Lu asked with a smile whether the award was for the film, the director, or the male and female leads, but the staff refused to disclose it.

Zhang Zhang Manyu knew it by heart: "The Berlin Film Festival is like this. If it were the French or Italians, they might give a hint."

"Haha, go eat. You ladies who are going to walk the red carpet need to fast for seven or eight hours in advance."

The group walked to the lobby, and Ju Ju Wenpei from "World Film Journey," who had a good relationship with them, came up.

"Director Lu, how is it? Did you receive the call from the service department?"

"Yes, see you tonight."

Ju Ju Wenpei was overjoyed. The chaotic public opinion these past few days was truly capable of killing; the bewitchment of those opinion leaders had almost convinced her.

Watching the young director's calm and composed demeanor, she couldn't help but feel admiration; his ability to cultivate his inner state was truly remarkable.

Ju Ju Wenpei did not know that the black glove of Boss Lu in Hollywood, Comrade Harvey, had already begun to take action.

At the very least, it would ensure that Bai Ling would not dare to deliberately obstruct things during the film judging.

At 8:00 PM on the 19th, the film festival awards ceremony officially opened.

Although it was 2:00 AM Beijing time, the number of people watching the live stream on Wenjie Video still exceeded 2 million.

This was mainly because the Berlin Film Festival did not interest everyone that much.

For ordinary audiences, stars and hit films are important elements that attract attention.

But film festivals like the Big Three in Europe, which take artistic quality as the primary factor for film selection, often feature actors and directors that people have never seen or heard of, making them hard to be as attractive as Hollywood's Golden Globe Awards or the Oscars.

If it weren't for the two Chinese films, this online viewership of 2 million would have been even lower.

Liu Liu Yifei also stayed up late today.

Although she had a small falling out with Boss Lu after the American Golden Globe Awards, she still wanted to witness such an important moment with her own eyes.

The noisy voices of opposition on the internet these past few days made her feel annoyed, but since she had recently joined the cast of *Bad Genius*, she didn't have time to scold them one by one.

Watching the *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* crew walk the red carpet, seeing that Lu Kuan and Fan Fan Bingbing were not "linking arms," she nodded with satisfaction and opened her blog again.

"Online betting, I bet *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* wins the Jin Xiong! Please leave a comment if you have a different opinion."

"If I lose, I'll give away a signed T-shirt."

"If I win, I ask you all to buy a movie ticket to support *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* when it premieres at the end of the month!"

While scolding Lu Kuan with her mouth, Liu Liu Yifei's body was still very honest.

She could blacken and scold him herself, but she couldn't stand others attacking him.

The popularity of tens of millions of fans was evident; even at 2:00 AM, the comment section quickly built up a high-rise of replies.

"What is so good about a washing machine? Can't I just tell him to change it?"

"Woman, I'll forgive you this once for the sake of you being months away from turning 18, but I don't want to see his name on your blog again."

The haters hated Lu Kuan, but they hated even more that they were not Lu Kuan.

At the Berlin Film Festival venue, Zhang Zhang Manyu smiled and showed him the blog photo from the mobile MMS; Boss Lu was very gratified.

Little Liu still has me in her heart; it would be a pity not to continue CPU-ing her.

The star power at this year's Berlin Film Festival was not strong, but Chairman Kosslick still racked his brains to invite a group of Hollywood stars.

This was an imitation of Venice and Cannes.

Starting from the children's section, Dutch director Jones's *Blue Bird* and Mexican director Luis's *Innocent Voices* won awards one after another.

Next were the Best Short Film and the Silver Bear Jury Grand Prix; the jury had a small accident when presenting the dual-winner award to *Interference* and *Jazz Concert*.

The female director of *Jazz Concert*, Prusinjia, was swaying and incoherent while receiving the award, which shocked both the audience and the jury.

Fan Bingbing leaned close to Boss Lu's ear: "What's wrong with her?"

Boss Lu smiled: "High."

"Isn't Berlin a place that bans drugs?"

"On the surface of German federal law, that is the case, but some states allow small amounts of possession; for example, Brandenburg allows carrying 6 grams."

This was new knowledge Lu Kuan gained from a "happy" German businessman when *Exotic* was negotiating with German investors to seek tax rebates.

His state was very similar to the female director before them.

Fan Bingbing was stunned, and thinking of the debauchery of the ugly enchantress, she felt a sense of emotion: "I really don't know if freedom is good or bad."

Boss Lu laughed: "You can discuss it with those public intellectuals online; they would be very willing to show off in front of a beautiful woman."

The awards for the main competition section were presented one after another.

The Alfred Bauer Prize, *The Wayward Cloud*.

The "porn director" from Taiwan, Tsai Ming-liang, excitedly went on stage and very magnanimously said "Go Chinese films," drawing cheers from the other two mainland crews in the audience.

Until the Best Director and Jin Xiong awards, everyone in the *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* crew was just a spectator.

Best Actress was won by Julia for *Sophie Scholl – The Final Days*; this was an anti-fascist war film, which was the political correctness of the Berlin Film Festival.

Keanu Reeves walked onto the stage and began to announce the Best Actor.

"The 55th Berlin Film Festival, Best Actor."

Hollywood big shots still have some entertainment cells, unlike the cold European filmmakers who read the list directly before.

Keanu looked toward the two Chinese crews with great surprise, slightly teasing the appetite of the entire audience.

This look made Boss Lu's heart jump; it couldn't be, right?

He didn't want to win this Best Actor award; it didn't mean much for a director, and instead, it made the final suspense of the Jin Xiong full of variables!

" *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button*, Lu!"

"Holy crap! This is insane, the washing machine also won Best Actor!"

"Sister Xixi, did you see that? That's how he acts toward you; you must never trust him again!"

Liu Liu Yifei was also left crying and laughing in front of the screen; her betting pool was for the Jin Xiong! What was going on?

Little Liu's plastic best friend, Little Yang, was also sitting in front of the computer, but she wasn't as surprised that Lu Kuan won the Berlin Best Actor.

Based on that exquisite acting in Yinchuan that night, it should be enough for her to learn for a long time.

Lu Kuan froze for a few seconds, helplessly stood up to button his jacket, hugged the main creators of the crew on his left and right, and then went on stage.

Keanu Reeves smiled: "Lu, I've heard about you from Leo; it looks like we are going to be peers."

"Keanu, I hope there will be a chance for cooperation."

"It would be an honor."

Lu Kuan looked at the Berlin Best Actor Silver Bear in his hand and delivered this unexpected acceptance speech into the microphone.

"We Chinese eat a flour-based food called dumplings during our traditional festival, the Spring Festival."

"Parents will put a clean coin in one of the dumplings, and the child who bites into this coin will have good luck for a year."

Boss Lu smiled and raised the Best Actor Silver Bear trophy in his hand: "Thank you to the festival for giving me this coin; this is an accolade I never expected."

"Thanks to Li Li Xuejian, who had scenes with me, Ms. Zhang Zhang Manyu, and also Fan Bingbing and Zhang Songwen; acting with you all was very satisfying, thank you!"

Li Li Xuejian shook his head helplessly and applauded for Lu Kuan as he walked off the stage; everyone had a bad premonition in their hearts.

Jiang Jiang Wenli, however, was beaming with joy as she nudged her husband, Gu Zhangwei; they, of course, had also heard Bai Ling's criticisms of *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button*.

For Bai Ling, supporting *Peacock* was also supporting Chinese film, and those who criticized her stance domestically had nothing to say.

Could it be...

Could our old Gu really be the one to benefit from the conflict?

Jiang Jiang Wenli's heart was thumping; winning an award meant box office, and box office meant high-priced DVD sales.

I'll let you, Gu Zhangwei, play with actresses on set; once we have money, I'll play with "yellow" ones too.

Zhang Zhang Manyu smiled and patted the back of Boss Lu's hand: "This is to win Best Actor to dismiss you, so they don't have to worry about public opinion being too harsh if you don't win the Jin Xiong."

Fan Fan Bingbing couldn't take it: "This Bai Ling is truly hateful!"

"Let's wait and see, not necessarily."

Although Boss Lu had some hidden worries in his heart, there was Roland, the jury president who had been showing goodwill.

Logically, *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* should at least be treated fairly and justly.

For a film with such genius originality in film language, combined with its fit with the film festival's theme of "Sex and Politics," the ending shouldn't be too bad.

Lu Kuan and the others soon welcomed another disappointing award result.

"Best Director, *Peacock*, Gu Zhangwei!"

"Best Director, *U-Carmen eKhayelitsha*, Mark!"

It was actually a dual-winner award.

That's right, the Big Three in Europe would also pull this trick for such heavyweight awards.

Not to mention the distant past, three years ago in 2002, the Jin Xiong was jointly won by *Spirited Away* and *Bloody Sunday*.

Gu Zhangwei reacted very quickly, jumping up in a flash.

Just as he wanted to hug and greet Zhang Zhang Jingchu beside him, he forcibly twisted his body and threw himself into the arms of his long-suffering wife.

Whether it was out of being moved or excitement, this great cinematographer was already shedding tears.

"Jiang Wenli, you've worked hard."

Jiang Jiang Wenli waved her hand: "Hurry up and go up."

Immediately, she glanced at Zhang Zhang Jingchu as if to show off.

What do you have to fight me with?

Boss Lu, sitting in the row behind them, was amused, not just because of Gu Zhangwei's henpecked nature, but also because the possibility of *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* winning the Jin Xiong had moved a step further.

In fact, before 2023, there was no precedent for the Berlin Film Festival to award the Best Director and the Jin Xiong to the same film, even if it didn't violate the competition rules.

The biggest competitor, *U-Carmen eKhayelitsha*, was already out of the running, which was good news.

Finally, the grand prize, the Jin Xiong, was about to be revealed; the male and female guests walked onto the stage to present the award.

Zhang Zhang Manyu, Fan Fan Bingbing, and the others all turned cold.

That gaudily dressed woman was Bai Ling.

It was still Bai Ling, smiling sweetly and blowing kisses to the audience.

Liu Liu Yifei, who had already experienced a few award ceremonies, woke up from her drowsiness; this was clearly not a good sign.

Just like when the Golden Rooster Awards arranged for Lu Kuan and Zhou Xun to present her with the Best Actress award, the festival knew that Bai Ling and Lu Kuan were at odds, so why would they arrange for her to present the award?

There was a high possibility that *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* would stop at the Best Actor honor and could not go any further, not even touching the Best Director award.

Liu Liu Yifei's heart sank to the bottom, thinking that people like Lu Lu Chuan might be celebrating at this moment.

Proprietor Lu leaned back against his chair, concentrating as he waited for the final verdict.

From the explosive premiere and the rave reviews in the festival catalog, to the unanimous favor of the audience and judges;

to the sudden shift in Bai Ling's attitude and the public opinion, and then to tonight—first the Best Actor, then the Best Director, and now, the Jin Xiong reveal.

First praise, then suppression; then praise again, then suppression again.

This process was far too convoluted and bizarre, leaving him unable to discern the truth from the scattered clues.

The main cast of *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* felt uneasy, and in fact, Roland, who had just walked over with Bai Ling on stage, was also feeling puzzled.

This Chinese-American actress had previously exhausted every means of humiliation, disparaging *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* as worthless at the jury meeting.

Yet, before the awards ceremony today, she had adopted an extremely humble posture, requesting to serve as a presenter for the Jin Xiong.

Roland and the film festival chairman Kosslick certainly did not know that she had received a dual warning from Han Han Shanping and Harvey, and was preparing to shamelessly fawn over Proprietor Lu by presenting him the award.

"The higher a person's social status, the more people they are connected to, and the greater the power they have to control others." — Leo Tolstoy.

"The 55th Berlin International Film Festival, Jin Xiong winner, *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button*, Lu Kuan!"

Bai Ling announced the news in both Chinese and English as if to curry favor, then took the initiative to step forward, attempting to embrace Proprietor Lu as he ascended the stage.

Rejected.

Being willing to shake her hand was already out of consideration for the many cameras present.

Having experienced so many twists and turns, the young director felt a sense of detachment like Zhang Zhang Manyu off-stage, and he calmly raised the microphone.

"In 2002, I attended a European film festival for the first time, in Venice; in 2003, in Cannes."

"This is my first time in Berlin. I am deeply appreciative of the openness and humanism of the Berlin Film Festival, and I thank the committee for their support and recognition."

"*The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* is a magical story, and it is also a realistic story."

"I thank all the dear and lovely cast and crew members of my production team, especially Zhao Fei for cooperating with me to realize such whimsical cinematography."

Lu Kuan held the Jin Xiong trophy high, signaling to Zhao Fei and the others; Zhao Fei and Zhang Zhang Manyu both waved with smiles.

"Finally, let me use a line of narration from *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* to offer my blessings to everyone."

"Whether the clock of life turns forward or backward, love and experience are the eternal melodies that give life meaning. Thank you!"

The entire venue erupted in thunderous applause. Lu Kuan walked off the stage to embrace and take photos with Zhang Zhang Manyu, Li Li Xuejian, Fan Fan Bingbing, Zhao Fei, and others in turn, which Little Liu, watching in front of the Wenjie Video screen, found very enviable.

How he wished he could be present for all of his major occasions.

For example, a wedding?

Liu Liu Yifei wrote that movie narration line into her blog signature, turned off the lights, and went to bed.

"Whether the clock of life turns forward or backward, love and experience are the eternal melodies that give life meaning."

Little Liu murmured the sentence repeatedly as she drifted into sleep.

The next day, the sweeping victory of *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* in Berlin caused a sensation in the domestic print media and online!

*China Film News*: Genius director captures the Bear in Berlin; Western media exclaims that another Eastern master has emerged!

*Movie Channel*: The premiere audience for *Foreign Land* offered fifteen minutes of applause; the audience for *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* had tears in addition to applause.

*Yangcheng Evening News*: We never expected that patriotism and magical romance could be blended into the same film and appear so harmonious and perfect. Lu Kuan has done it.

*Youth Daily*: *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* possesses profound insight and artistic value. Setting aside the film's perfection and honors for a moment, can our domestic mainstream films learn from this shooting technique to make it easier for domestic and foreign audiences to accept the influence of patriotism?

Zhang Zhang Yimou posted his thoughts directly on his blog:

Three years ago, I first met Director Lu Kuan during the fourth round of auditions at the Beijing Film Academy. He offered many constructive suggestions for the original script of *House of Flying Daggers*, and I felt then that this was a child with great potential.

Even if I used my strongest imagination to estimate his development, I could not help but marvel at Little Lu's genius and the speed of his growth.

Our generation of filmmakers has experienced much and lost much; the future hope of Chinese cinema lies in young people like Lu Kuan.

I think that after being tempered and settled by time, he will become a master of the next generation.

Zhang Zhang Yimou rarely posts on his blog, and the few entries he has are for promoting his own films. This enthusiastic praise made Lu Kuan's fans rush to tell each other in excitement.

Compared to Zou Zou Wenhuai entrusting the future of Golden Harvest to him in Xiangjiang, the prophecy and praise from Zhang Zhang Yimou, a leader in the professional field, gained even more recognition for Proprietor Lu's own artistic attainments.

Artists in the circle like Mei Mei Yanfang, Zhou Zhou Jielun, Feng Feng Yuanzheng, and Huang Huang Xiaoming also did not stint on their praise, helping him build his personal IP and promote his upcoming film.

Liu Liu Yifei adopted the most practical approach: giving away signed gifts to those who posted their movie tickets for the premiere at the end of the month.

Little Liu, the top sales champion for Proprietor Lu at Wenjie, could be said to have played the fan economy to the extreme.

In addition to the improvement in honors and status in the film industry, after experiencing the live broadcasts of the Golden Globe Awards and the Berlin Film Festival, Wenjie Video had basically established a firm footing, taking the first bite of the pie for the internet product of video websites in the mainland.

In the past, news of awards and sensational stories from the three major European film festivals, the Golden Globes, and the Oscars generally didn't appear on portal websites until the next day.

But with the live streaming function of Wenjie Video, the authority and timeliness of portal websites regarding such film news were greatly reduced.

But imitating it was not so easy.

Take the broadcast direction for the Golden Globes and the Berlin Film Festival, for instance; both were the result of Proprietor Lu using his status as a nominated director to negotiate with the organizers.

Domestically, apart from the Movie Channel's *World Film Journey*, only Sina Entertainment had overseas follow-up reports, and for live streaming, there was only CCTV and Wenjie Video.

Using the film festival to drive traffic and launch the first shot for Wenjie Video was a natural result.

Currently, domestic audiences still have a relatively high level of concern for top-tier world film honors and festivals.

It is precisely because of this that entertainment stars break their heads trying to get onto the big screen.

The big screen means status, honor, industry standing, and a skyrocketing of endorsement fees and salaries.

According to statistics, the annual movie attendance in our country in the 90s was 14.4 billion, a figure that dropped to 300 million in 2000.

The reasons will not be repeated here.

But the film industry remains a core cultural industry, and it is an indisputable fact that it is second to none in terms of both audience size and industry scale.

And Proprietor Lu, who stepped precisely on the pulse of the development of the mainland film industry, built Wenjie Holdings around the core film industry precisely by relying on this.

The commercial empire was beginning to take shape, but the debate over his personal artistic achievements and status as a director had never ceased.

*Drummer* went down the mountain to be crowned king, *Thief* was defeated in Cannes, and *Foreign Land* became a global hit.

At that time, *Foreign Land* had just concluded, and the title of "Number One Director in the Mainland" was bestowed upon him, but this "number one" had some water in it.

Or rather, in terms of box office, Lu Kuan was firmly in the first tier.

But traditional literary critics like Huang Huang Shixian, Zhu Zhu Dake, and Lu Lu Tianmin did not think so!

Their criteria for judgment were the artistry of the film, not those vulgar, money-grubbing things.

Consequently, Proprietor Lu, who only had a Venice Golden Lion, was far from gaining the recognition of these old pedants, at least in terms of top honors.

However, last night in Berlin, through the amplification of Wenjie Video, another heavy blow was dealt to these critics.

Days of disparagement could not withstand the cruelty of reality.

Watching Bai Ling's fawning and servile appearance at the awards ceremony, these "public intellectuals" and critics reached a collective climax, condemning Lu Kuan for using his capital to bully others!

Otherwise, why would Bai Ling be so arrogant before and so respectful after?

But no matter what is said, honor is honor, and that cannot be smeared away.

Thus, the "Aida Jin" types and Proprietor Lu's fans started arguing again.

"Let's not even talk about the Oscars; let's just talk about the three major European festivals."

"Li An has two Golden Bears and two Golden Lions; Zhang Zhang Yimou has two Golden Lions, one Jin Xiong, and a Cannes Jury Prize."

"There are also so many sixth-generation top directors in the country like Director Jia who have honors from the three major European festivals."

"How can you fans ignore your conscience and say he is the number one director in the country? Aren't you ashamed?"

Of course, there were also knowledgeable fans who raised opposing opinions.

"*Sight & Sound* and *Cahiers du Cinéma* don't care about Li An or Old Mou at all, but they have heaped praise on this film, *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button*, by Lu Kuan."

"Isn't the theoretical foundation of you critics the New Wave? Why have you changed your tune?"

"When others talk about box office, you talk about style; now that he has style, you talk about honors. I'd like to see what you'll say when Lu Kuan sweeps the three major festivals in honors."

Aida Jin explained with a sense of superiority: "In the 60-plus years of the three major European film festivals, only Antonioni and Luo Bote Altman have won the top awards at all three, achieving a Grand Slam."

"Truly, the ignorant are fearless. If your idol wants to get a Grand Slam, it means he has to be more outstanding than masters like Godard, Kurosawa, and Buñuel."

"Is that possible?"

Under Aida Jin's attention-seeking post, there were countless rebuttals and supporters, among whom one named 【Zhaluji】 silently downvoted and left.

Regardless, Lu Kuan, who had only debuted three years ago, had already achieved a great success just by being placed in the debate of "whether he is the number one director in the country."

The disturbances of the outside world could not shake Proprietor Lu's Dao heart.

On February 23rd, the Lantern Festival, the mainland roadshow for *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* arrived in Jin Ling, Jiangsu Province.

That afternoon, the young director drove out of the crew's hotel alone.

In Shiao Village, Jiangning District, a young man in casual clothes stood at the entrance of the village, feeling somewhat lost and somewhat sorrowful.

Lu Kuan had finally revisited the old place, returning to his hometown from his previous life.

In the later years of 2011, this place was transformed into a leisure agriculture demonstration village by the Jiangning District government, but now it was not well-known.

The blue-brick streets within the village spread out, with wooden gate courtyards and bright red lanterns, as if in another lifetime.

Stone carvings, memorial archways, pavilions, and landscape corridors, paired with spring peaches, summer lotuses, autumn osmanthus, and winter plums, were almost all antique Hui-style architectural complexes.

Without entering the village, Lu Kuan walked directly along the foot of Niushou Mountain toward the wild lake.

This wild lake had changed its appearance significantly due to historical hydrological changes, and it was previously named Mian Zhenghe Lake because of the nearby Tomb of Mian Zhenghe.

As for Shiao Village, it was named because the national hero Yue Fei had once stationed troops there while fighting the Jin army at Niushou Mountain to recover Lu Jiankang City.

Right between this natural treasure land with fascinating scenery and rich humanistic atmosphere, Lu Kuan, after several turns, arrived beside a tombstone.

If Liu Liu Yifei were here, perhaps she would exclaim, isn't this the landscape that captivated him so much that day in Jiuzhaigou?

"Mom, I've come to see you."

Lu Kuan calmly unzipped his backpack, took out weeding tools and a rag, and knelt among the weeds, patiently beginning to clear the desolation and add soil to the grave.

After working for a long time, he then solemnly knelt on both knees and kowtowed four times with a grave expression.

According to local customs, four is the number of the extreme Yin.

In a daze, he raised his head again; beneath a few strands of weeds on his forehead, Lu Kuan's eyes were already brimming with tears.

He cleared another patch of open ground, took out paper money and other items, and began to burn them.

The paper ash flew like white butterflies, and tears of blood dyed the red azaleas.

Three years since his rebirth, he finally summoned the courage to return here; today was the anniversary of his mother's death.

After "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," he didn't know if it was because he was too immersed in the sigh-inducing life of Li Ming in the film and unable to pull himself out, or if his passion and creativity in film art had hit a standstill.

Even though he was now almost universally recognized by mainstream film media across the world.

They even hailed him, alongside several young Western directors, as a brilliant talent most likely to become a master like Bergman or Godard.

Yet, he was still often restless lately.

A trip to Jiuzhaigou to clear his mind provided only slight relief, and winning the bear in Berlin left his heart unstirred; in a trance, he felt as if he had lost some kind of bond with this world.

It seemed as if he were living in an illusory world, living someone else's life.

So he returned here, returned to his closest kin.

There was no need to say anything, no need to do anything; just staying here quietly for a while was enough to comfort his soul.

Xinyuan South Road, Zhang Chaoyang District, Beiping; Yanda Huayi Headquarters.

"Is that so? Very well, Secretary Zhao, please let us know whenever you have any needs; all of us at Yanda Huayi will certainly cooperate closely!"

"Yes, yes, yes, goodbye."

Both the elder and younger Wang looked up at Zhou Jun with anticipation.

"He still needs to meet with the directors again before making a decision, Lu Lu Chuan..."

"Perhaps it's because the reputation of 'Kekexili' wasn't great; there are some concerns over in Tangshan."

Wang Dajun gave a bitter smile: "They have indeed been wanting to find Feng Feng Xiaogang, and Feng Feng Xiaogang is certainly interested, but with the schedule for 'The Banquet' set like this, there's no way around it."

Wang Wang Xiaolei said bitterly: "Why don't we just forget it? It's just a mainstream film anyway; if we let Lu Kuan shoot it, then let him shoot it."

"Doesn't this kind of film fail to make money and fail to win awards? Wouldn't that just tie him up for a year?"

Zhou Jun said with dissatisfaction: "This isn't just a matter of one or two films!"

"We need to isolate him from the upper-level routes now, so he doesn't accumulate more political resources or contact more political connections."

"Only then, if he and Wenjie really have an equity relationship, can we use public opinion safety as an issue to force him to open up shares or cut off one of his own arms."

Wang Wang Xiaolei reined in some of his restlessness: "Brother Jun, can this mainstream film about the earthquake really bring him that many resources?"

"Hmph, maybe not for others, but this thing is truly hard to say in his hands."

"The cultural output in 'Foreign Lands' and 'Hanfu Gathering' has already gotten his name listed at the top."

"Such mainstream films involve major historical themes and showcase the national spirit; they are bound to receive attention from upper-level leaders."

"I would rather he go shoot trash that celebrates entertainment to death; that would be less difficult to deal with."

Zhou Jun tossed two cigarettes to the brothers: "But look at what he is planning?"

"He has Wenjie pulling major official media outlets to open blogs, he serves as a senior consultant for counterpart units, and he has entered the Political Consultative Conference through the Democratic Parties."

"He is also dedicated to cultural output."

"What does he boast and label himself as? A banner for commercial films, a director of cultural output."

"Isn't this building up his own reputation?"

"Not to mention anything else, just take the solicitation of proposals for the Olympic opening ceremony starting in March or April; if this kid ends up being the chief director or deputy director, and shows his face and gets a word in front of those few people..."

"How would we be able to move against him then?"

Wang Dajun and Wang Wang Xiaolei looked at each other; only then did they realize there was still a gap between their vision and Zhou Jun's.

A director with international prestige is, in a sense, an uncrowned king; his voice in cultural public opinion is extremely powerful.

Because their fans are all over the world, they can output their own thoughts and viewpoints through films to a certain extent, and even a country must consider and guard against their influence.

The consultant for the Beiping Olympic Organizing Committee in later generations, Spielberg, announced his resignation as a consultant due to political issues, which caused great trouble for the authorities.

Because his own prestige and the billions of fans worldwide are swayed by the opinions of such opinion leaders, and this is disadvantageous to us.

In later generations, Feng Feng Xiaogang took on this earthquake-themed film this year and adapted it through the novel "Aftershock," but due to the script, the construction of earthquake scenes, and technical effects.

It was dragged out until a few years later to be released.

Zhou Jun sighed: "Find Lu Lu Tianmin, and have him put in more effort for his son; it would be best if Lu Kuan doesn't take this film."

"I have already started arranging for people to find opportunities to audit Wenjie and the blog network's taxes, but we must enter the village quietly and not alert the enemy."

"At most, it will take this half-year; if we can cut off this arm of his, we will be secure."

Wang Wang Xiaolei felt encouraged, finally seeing hope of catching up to Wenjie.

"Alright, I will go find a way."

One man's meat is another man's poison.

Yanda Huayi wanted to push Lu Kuan to take this mainstream film but failed.

And now, Mr. Lu in the Jin Ling Hotel frowned at the olive branch thrown by the Tangshan side.

The Jin Ling Hotel was the first five-star hotel in Jiangsu Province approved for construction by the State Council in 1979; today, Han Han Shanping was leading the effort, and a delegation sent by the Tangshan side was participating in the negotiations.

The team leaders were Secretary Li, whom Secretary Zhao trusted, and Yao Yao Jianguo.

The project planning for the filming proposal had passed the resolution, and these two, commissioned by their superiors, intercepted the young director who had not long returned from Berlin with honors at Jin Ling.

"Director Lu, Secretary Li and Director Yao are very sincere; they have come with instructions from Secretary Zhao, please consider it again."

Han Han Shanping gave a wink to the two people from within the system and helped them out in a lukewarm manner.

In fact, he didn't want Lu Kuan to shoot these mainstream films either; if he shot more commercial blockbusters, how could China Film not get fat from co-investing?

Such films might be beneficial to Lu Kuan's personal reputation and prestige, but China Film was not short of such films; the quota for serious films each year was already set.

Even he himself was promoted to an important position because he shot biographies of great men.

In fact, Mr. Lu was thinking of another disaster that could be extrapolated from the film's theme.

Could something be made of it?

What would be the consequences if he really did it?

He couldn't be sure for a moment.

Such matters involved too much, far beyond what saving one or two people could compare to.

With his personal reputation and social status still not fully established, what if he were discovered because he rashly changed something and left traces behind...

"The two of you, it's not that I am declining, but perhaps it would be more appropriate for you to find some directors from within the system for such a theme."

"For example, in '99, there was a major power outage in Shijingshan; the whole society fell into panic, passengers in the subway were stranded in tunnels and carriages, and it even affected Haizi."

"At that time, our teacher Chen Chen Guoxing from the Beijing Film Academy wanted to shoot a disaster film based on this to reflect the helplessness of small people in a great era and to show the kindness and evil of human nature at the moment of life and death."

Chen Chen Guoxing, also known as Chen Chen Guoxing, is a top-tier mainstream film director in the country.

"Kong Fansen," "Surging Out of the Blue," "The Great Craftsman," and "The First Secretary" are all his works.

"But after the film script passed the review and was finished, we received a rectification notice; Director Chen Chen Guoxing had no choice but to make major changes and move the location to Tianjin and other places before it could be released on a small scale."

Mr. Lu smiled politely: "For such a theme, there are too many taboos for someone like me who lets his imagination run wild; I'm afraid of breaking the vase while trying to kill the rat, aren't I?"

Yao Yao Jianguo was a professional journalist, and his way with words was always good: "Director Lu, look, how about this."

"Our Tangshan side will provide the main funding, and in terms of script filing and review, the municipal party committee, the municipal government, and the provincial party committee and provincial government will come forward to communicate with the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television."

"As long as it is conducive to showcasing our Tangshan spirit and the cohesion of the people, advocating family values, and showing the city's style, we will support it unconditionally!"

Han Han Shanping looked at Yao Yao Jianguo with amusement, thinking to himself that you can use such words to stall others, but you can't fool this kid.

"Since that's the case, I want to be the main investor; Wenjie will provide at least 60% of the funds, and you and China Film will share the rest."

Mr. Lu was retreating to advance, betting that the other party would not agree to such a share ratio.

"This!"

Secretary Li couldn't sit still; the Tangshan side holding the controlling stake in the film project was the bottom line for the negotiations.

Just as Secretary Zhao said, if the film turned out to be overly commercialized and lost its inherent value significance, they would be the ones to take the blame.

If a director like Lu Kuan shot a bad film, he would at most be scolded, but people like them would lose their positions.

"Director Lu, please forgive us, but we cannot agree to this."

"The municipal government must hold the controlling stake, but we can relax the conditions on your director's fee and box office share."

Mr. Lu smiled: "Then how about this, we hold 50% of the shares, and you and China Film split the remaining; we can discuss the script, how about that?"

Secretary Li and Yao Yao Jianguo looked at each other, cursing the little fox for being cunning in their hearts.

Who in the industry doesn't know that you and the head of China Film are as thick as thieves!

With the remaining 50%, even if China Film only had 1%, the two of you together could occupy the dominant position.

But looking at Han Han Shanping, who was standing to the side with an air of righteousness, posing as a mediator, they found it difficult to point out the truth.

If things didn't go well, they could only shelve the dispute for now.

Yao Yao Jianguo, who came from the system, joked: "Director Lu must be tired from running film promotions these past few days; President Han, do you think we should go have a meal first?"

"We can shelve our differences for now and talk about other things while seeking common ground."

Han Han Shanping turned to the young director: "Little Lu, what do you think?"

Mr. Lu stood up with a smile: "Jiangsu is my hometown, don't be strangers; today I will be the host to treat the guests from Tangshan who have come from afar."

"Please!"

"Please!"

Secretary Li and Yao Yao Jianguo made an excuse to go to the restroom and had a secret talk in front of the sink.

"Give it your all later; it depends on your ability as the 'Tangshan Two-Catty Brother'?"

Yao Yao Jianguo whispered: "I heard this Director Lu is obsessed with wine, women, wealth, and power; we public servants can't handle the rest, so let's just accompany him well with wine today, right?"

"Maybe this matter can only be negotiated at the dinner table."

Little Li rubbed his hands together: "No problem, just watch me!"

The battle at the wine table raged on, and the night passed without further incident.

By the time Yao Yao Jianguo and Little Li woke up from their hangover in the high-end hotel room, Boss Lu had already flown to Yangcheng with the film crew.

"Hey! We got played; I didn't expect him to be such a heavy drinker!"

Little Li beat his chest and stomped his feet in frustration: "We still need to think about how to explain this to Secretary Zhao!"

"One, Lu Lu Chuan, is pestering us to film it, and the other, Lu Kuan, insists on holding the controlling stake; it's really hard to handle!"

Yesterday and today, two 5,000-word chapters, 10,000 in total, the 600-vote bonus update is complete.

Actually, if monthly votes aren't numerous enough to make the rankings, they aren't of much use.

However, using them to motivate myself not to be lazy and to write bonus updates is fine.

I've never experienced what it's like to have over a thousand monthly votes; can you let this small author experience it this month?

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(End of chapter)