Chapter 272: Colluding with Foreign Enemies

Lu Kuan returned to France with a full harvest, busy watching and selecting films in Cannes, while also continuing discussions on Olympic programming in a foreign land.

From Beiping to Tangshan, and from Tangshan to Cannes, the wealthy and imposing Boss Lu arranged the highest-standard food, lodging, and logistics support teams along the way, and everyone was happy to go along with it.

Cannes, Martinez Grand Hyatt Hotel, business conference room.

The bidding team for Boss Lu's Olympic opening ceremony proposal gathered here; seeing Lu Kuan push the door and enter, everyone felt he was inexplicably full of energy today.

"Director, you look a bit different today?" Zhao Fei held a stack of materials to distribute to everyone, joking as he spoke.

Lu Kuan touched his stubble that had started to grow back: "I shaved, what's different? Haha."

"Lu Kuan, did you fall in love?"

Lin Ying rarely teased him, her face full of playfulness: "A boy your age in the United States would probably have changed girlfriends several times already."

"Pfft, Director Lu is not much different."

Zhao Fei made an unprovoked remark, and everyone burst into laughter upon hearing it.

"Alright, alright, you're just roasting me, right." Boss Lu feigned anger: "If we don't settle the artistic performance section one, two, three, four, five today, nobody gets to eat!"

Returning to the main topic, everyone looked at the bilingual Chinese-English materials in their hands, including data from the last three Olympic Games and some large-scale domestic artistic performances as references.

The entire Olympic bidding and shortlisting process, and even the final work of the creative group, is an iterative process.

The proposals submitted by the thirteen bidding teams would be selected by the Olympic Organizing Committee, which would invite artists from different countries, regions, and artistic research fields to form a creative group.

The final creative group would then select suitable programs from the shortlisted proposals, and might even take proposals that were not shortlisted for screening.

Therefore, the programs everyone is discussing now might not necessarily appear at the final Olympic venue.

But if one does not go all out to complete a top-tier event proposal from the warm-up to the lighting of the cauldron, Boss Lu might not even have the qualifications to enter the creative group, let alone compete for the positions of chief director or deputy chief director.

Lin Ying finished reading the materials in her hand first, looked up, and asked: "Lu Kuan, why don't you set out a charter first? Set the tone, so we can have a train of thought."

"This is what I'm thinking."

Boss Lu stood up and wrote his design ideas in bilingual Chinese and English on the prepared whiteboard: "The fusion of national culture and modern technology, this is our basic approach."

"Doing a large-scale gala is like writing an essay; while each program segment must be exquisite, the whole must be loosely structured but not disorganized. We need a cultural logic line to support it."

"Establish a route based on traditional Chinese culture and classical philosophy, and then fill and enrich it along this route."

Classical philosophy is the core and essence of Chinese culture, carrying our nation's understanding of the universe, nature, and society.

To achieve 'Chinese learning as the substance, Western learning as the application,' we must express the profound connotations we want to present to the whole world in a systematic and coherent form by establishing a logical route of classical philosophy.

In this regard, Olympic opening ceremonies around the world, especially those of countries with deep historical and cultural backgrounds, have adopted this as the default approach.

For example, Athens in 2004 interpreted the concept of the unity of man and god in ancient Greece through images such as Eros and the centaur;

There were also the frequently appearing legendary warriors like Agamemnon and Heracles, as well as Alexander the Great, expressing the hero-worship complex in Athenian history.

He called on Guo Guo Qiyong: "Professor Guo, you are an expert in this area, please give us your opinion first."

"Our country's classical philosophical concepts are nothing more than Taiji Yin-Yang, the unity of heaven and man, the theory of the Three Powers, and the theory of the Five Elements."

"From my personal point of view, the Five Elements theory should be excluded first, because it is too difficult to conceptualize and concretize, and it will leave foreigners completely confused."

The domestic artists and Chinese artists present all wore smiles, looking at Michel and Dragone, who had already fallen into a brainstorming session.

Shen Wei put forward his own point of view: "From the perspective of dance alone, I think the imagery of Taiji is most suitable for design in terms of stage art."

"I did a performance on Broadway in New York last year, where our dancers wore black and white costumes and painted on canvas with their bodies; that was borrowing the concept of Taiji."

Lu Kuan nodded secretly, knowing that what he was talking about was the later "Ink" of 2008, but it was still an initial idea that could be further guided and improved.

"I agree with the logical structure of the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Man." Lin Ying raised her hand and then asked Liang Zhouyang to explain the concept to the foreigners.

"I haven't had much contact with large-scale galas, but art is interconnected. I saw many of their thoughts on the Three Powers theory in the posthumous manuscripts of my aunt and uncle (Liang Chen Sicheng and his wife)."

She walked to the whiteboard and sketched an architectural structure diagram lightly: "In architectural layout, the central axis represents man, while the structural imagery of heaven and earth is variable."

"For example, our Forbidden City is symmetrical along the central axis, with the Meridian Gate and Gate of Divine Prowess at the front and back."

"Important buildings such as the Three Great Halls and the Rear Three Palaces are arranged in sequence along the central axis, reflecting the supremacy of imperial power and the orderly hierarchy between heaven, earth, and man."

Drawing inferences from this, everyone nodded frequently.

Boss Lu smiled: "The logical levels of heaven, earth, and man are clear, and it is also convenient to integrate philosophical concepts into the programs."

"The heaven part can perform the origins of our Huaxia, starting with a series of mythological stories like Nüwa mending the sky, Dayu controlling the floods, and Kuafu chasing the sun, making changes and dance performances to show the originality and sanctity of heaven in cultural concepts."

"For the earth part, I am thinking of starting with the concept of geography to reflect the openness and inclusiveness of our country's ancient foreign exchanges, such as Zheng He's voyages to the West, the Silk Road, and even the modern Internet."

"Li Li Yixiang including the Great Wall, the Yangtze River, the Yellow River, and the Five Great Mountains can all be expanded upon."

"Man is even simpler; we can concretize the concept of the unity of heaven and man that Professor Guo just mentioned, expounding on the harmony between man and man, the harmony between man and nature, and so on."

"Among them, our Four Great Inventions must be included in the scope of core imagery to be worked on."

The thirteen proposals from the Olympic bidding teams of later generations all focused on the Four Great Inventions without exception; this is the culmination of our country's ancient brilliant civilization and is an inherent topic.

"Director Lu, I think we can add a 'harmony' as well." Guo Guo Qiyong raised his hand to signal.

"Heaven, earth, and man in harmony; the Olympic Games are, after all, an international event representing peace, and it cannot lack program connotations like the harmonious progress of the five continents and the unity and friendship of people of different skin colors."

Boss Lu nodded: "Okay, Xiao Li, pay attention and take notes."

This was the meeting service staff who came with Wenjie, a top student from Yan University, responsible for meeting minutes and logistics.

Everyone pooled their wisdom and spent a morning establishing the underlying logical route, then began the concretization of program transplantation, adaptation, and filling.

Before and after being invited to join Lu Kuan's Olympic bidding team, everyone actually brought their own creative ideas and programs.

They were all veteran artists who could find programs that fit the Olympic theme and culture with a little searching and exploration in their past artistic careers.

For example, Shen Wei's "Taiji Fish" ink-style dance, with a little guidance and adaptation, would become the "Ink" of the later Olympics;

Lin Ying designed an ingenious mechanical cableway, installed outside and at the top of the stadium, which could increase the safety height of the wires, providing technical support for many of the whimsical program designs that followed.

The width and height of the Bird's Nest could guarantee the three-dimensional sense and grand visual spectacle of many programs.

The members of the Olympic opening ceremony proposal group were entering a state of flow, and several foreign artists also somewhat naively accepted the classical Chinese philosophical thinking and began to participate in program design from the perspective of foreign audiences.

Just as top football players must be able to take a beating and be durable and not easily injured, top artists must also have extraordinary energy.

Da Vinci only slept for three hours a day, and in his lifetime, he had more than twenty specialized skills such as painting, music, and architecture, and was once considered a time traveler;

The film genius Quentin worked in a video store for 5 years and watched 20,000 movies, and could go without sleep for three days.

Discussing program proposals during the day and watching films as a judge at night, Boss Lu worked continuously for a week, with almost only three or four hours of sleep every day.

On April 6th, the group members came to the conference room as usual; the philosophical logical framework for the artistic performance had been built, and today they were going to start discussing the specific program content.

"If the artistic performance has a philosophical logic line running through it, then the exterior must also have a line to hold and tighten it, so that the structure does not become loose."

Boss Lu paused and said: "My idea is to rely on a painting or scroll as a carrier, like the 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival,' to interpret the concepts and imagery of heaven, earth, and man one by one."

One of the highlights of the later Olympic Games was the use of LED; Lu Kuan would not miss this technological means, but the interpretation method would be different.

After all, drone and Barco's air imaging technology still needed field verification.

Michel raised his hand to interrupt him: "The painting you mentioned, what is the carrier?"

"LED, large-area LED."

"Sydney in 2000 used LED, but it was only to assist the performance and provide bright colors. I don't know how big you want to make it?"

"Considering the construction structure of the Bird's Nest, I expect it to be around 20x150m."

Everyone was stunned, and the discussion grew louder.

Dragone and Michel looked at each other: "Lu, I have seen many beautiful Chinese paintings. Your scroll and drone ideas are both great, but the technical difficulty you proposed is very high."

Boss Lu sneered inwardly; these two foreigners were right. Almost everything he proposed was technology that was either ahead of its time or had not yet been applied on a large scale.

Because these were his forward-looking advantages.

Just like LED technology, the three years from now until 2008, even with normal development, were proven by history to be capable of large-scale application.

Including the unique hovering capability of the XP3.0 developed by DJI in 2008, which played a major role in earthquake search and rescue.

In this life, with his early intervention to ripen it, it would only be better, faster, and stronger.

Lin Ying also expressed her concerns: "If you want to implement technical means on a large scale, we must speed up the progress. Many technical verifications require time."

"That's right, the deadline is at the end of August, we must leave at least half a month to produce the bid document."

Former Olympic chief director Michel had a lot of say in this regard.

The production of bid documents for large-scale events is a systematic process, and the content reported to the Olympic Committee is not a simple artistic proposal.

Just like the entire bidding team assembled by Boss Lu, most artists participated in creative collection and design from an artistic perspective, but there were also technical experts like Lin Ying.

All creative ideas must finally be checked by her to confirm whether they can be realized technically.

Lu Kuan also brought a financial expert from Wenjie to specifically handle the budget; currently, the budget given by the Olympic Committee was only about 700 million.

In later generations, it was also Old Old Mouzi who made countless applications before it was increased to 831 million.

Therefore, the bid document production is composed of an artistic proposal, a technical proposal, and a budget proposal.

Among them, the artistic proposal alone must be composed of text, pictures, videos, and even special effects preview scripts; although this part of the content can be handed over to Butian Pictures, the workload is also huge.

Michel calculated the deadline for everyone: "It is best if we can finalize the draft by early August, so there are only four months from now until the end." (Note 1)

"Among them, we need to prepare two sets of plans for the Phoenix lighting of the cauldron; the drone formation cannot be reported for the time being and can only be used as a backup."

"The air imaging technology of the Belgian company Barco needs at least four weeks to evaluate, and so does your LED plan. Assuming we proceed simultaneously, this is another month."

"Plus your earthquake movie, actually the time left for us is only two months, which is very tight."

Boss Lu nodded silently, and everyone at the meeting also had a stern expression; many people here were just pure artists and did not have a precise concept of time.

This was also the reason why Zhang Zhang Huijun suggested that he find a consultant at the chief director level; experience is very important.

"Okay, I will throw out a brick to attract jade first, and talk about the application of this scroll and LED scene in the heaven, earth, and man artistic performance."

"Starting from the countdown, my idea is to use the twenty-four solar terms to interpret it."

Boss Lu walked to the whiteboard and began to trace simple diagram concepts.

"The LED of the main stage is laid out. My idea is to first use multiple sets of super-strong spotlight equipment carefully set on the top and around the Bird's Nest to shine on the sundial on the scroll."

"The scale and shape of the sundial strictly follow the ancient sundial standard, and in terms of craftsmanship, it combines modern materials and lighting effects to make its surface better reflect light."

"When the light is projected over, the shadow of the gnomon clearly falls on the corresponding scale under the illumination of the light beam, simulating the passage of time by controlling the subtle changes in the angle of the light through the lighting program."

The audience below listened with great interest, their artistic thinking beginning to diverge, assuming the LED scroll was the foundation for seeking the extension and connotation of artistic meaning.

"From 60 to 24, the scene changes!"

"Next is the countdown from 24 to 1, starting from Rain Water, Awakening of Insects, and Spring Equinox."

"Each solar term and number can project corresponding images on the LED screen, simple and clear, passing before the audience's eyes like a white colt flashing past a crack."

"For example, the hazy Qiao Jiangnan spring rain for Rain Water, the faint thunder and spring bamboo shoots breaking through the soil for Awakening of Insects, and the blooming flowers and dancing swallows and orioles for Spring Equinox."

Lu Kuan spoke for over twenty minutes in one breath, and the artists present were already listening intently.

"Lu Kuan, you have the fan-shaped thinking of an artist." Lin Ying and everyone else applauded in praise.

"It is certainly immature; let everyone discuss it further."

Lu Kuan was humble for a moment before returning to the whiteboard: "Including the origin of the Heaven section, my meaning is to start from agriculture, writing, bronze ware, and the Four Great Inventions."

"The song and dance section will be an adaptation of myths and imagery; I ask Master Shen Wei and Master Yang Yang Liping to consider this."

"In short, everything relies on the scroll; this is the core storyboard and expressive tool for our entire artistic performance."

Guo Guo Qiyong interjected: "Since it is decided, let's perform the LED performance tests early."

"Additionally, should this scroll also be considered from both static and dynamic perspectives?"

Lu Kuan smiled: "Of course, we can create two schemes: one scrolling from one end and one from the middle toward both sides, to see which is superior."

"Xiao Li, take note, have the special effects artists make the 3D animation tonight."

"Yes, Mr. Lu."

Jin Wei from the Opera and Dance Theater, along with Yang Yang Liping, Shen Wei, and others, pondered the song and dance plan; Delagong prepared the acrobatics and flying stagecraft related to the wire work, while Guo Guo Qiyong provided theoretical oversight from the endogenous dimension of classical philosophy.

Of course, Lin Ying's technical testing and Michelle's pointers on details were also indispensable.

For several days in a row, everyone produced countless creative ideas and plans, and also overturned countless creative ideas and plans, initially coming up with a set of programs.

For example, Shen Wei's human ink painting "The Great Wall" and "Taiji," Lin Ying's "Aerial Cableway," and Guo Guo Qiyong's "Character Creation" in the "Heaven Chapter," among others.

On the afternoon of the 18th, with nearly a month left until the opening of the Cannes Film Festival, Lu Kuan had to temporarily let Michelle lead everyone to continue the creative discussions.

He had to pick up the director's megaphone again after his pilgrimage to Fårö Island to complete the short film for "Paris, I Love You."

The next day, Lu Kuan brought the filming team borrowed from Lu Lu Kebei to prepare for the Marais district short film of "Paris, I Love You."

"Lu, very happy to see you."

Lu Lu Kebei no longer had the reserve he showed when first meeting Lu Kuan; the films "Exotic" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," which EuropaCorp had successively distributed, were both very fruitful.

He himself had also agreed to join the faculty of the Pan-Asia Film Academy.

"Heard you went to see Bergman?"

This matter had already spread throughout Europe, and even because of Martin Scorsese's publicity, many directors in Hollywood who had crossed paths with him came to inquire.

Everyone was very curious about Bergman's current life and state, but he almost never had contact with the outside world.

"Yes, the harvest was bountiful."

Lu Kuan fiddled with the Arri 435 in his hands; it had been a long time since he used a film camera.

From "Exotic" to "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" to "Tangshan Earthquake," they were almost all films filled with special effects shots, and 4K digital cinema cameras were undoubtedly the better choice.

Lu Lu Kebei was an old filmmaker and understood his feelings as he touched this and looked at that: "How is it? Film cameras still have that feeling of making a movie, right?"

"Don't mention it, it really does!" Lu Kuan laughed in spite of himself.

Especially after the deep conversation with Bergman, it was as if he had returned to the university classroom and touched a camera for the first time, finding that feeling of pouring one's heart and blood into a film again.

"When I first started... learning film, I used 8mm, then 16mm, all the way to 70mm."

Lu Kuan almost let it slip: "The sensitivity and extremely charming image quality of film are so nostalgic."

To use an inappropriate analogy, it's like the difference between a natural beauty and a woman ruined by the four great Asian sorceries.

Even if they both look beautiful, a woman like Liu Liu Yifei who hasn't touched her face, even with flaws, can always fit various words describing beauty without feeling out of place.

The international film scene has gradually entered the era of digital photography, but there is still a large group of old filmmakers who cannot bear to part with these nostalgic items, even if they will eventually be eliminated.

Quentin and Robert abroad, and Zhang Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, and Hu Zi domestically all belong to this category.

Especially Old Old Mouzi, because he studied photography and has a very sensitive artistic sense for color, he is very particular about the light, shadow, and color of the image.

In their eyes, the effect produced by film and the style established is the restoration of reality.

As well as the image texture—contrast and high saturation, this is the true color, which digital film cannot yet surpass.

"Have you thought of your script?" Lu Lu Kebei had someone send over two cups of coffee.

Lu Kuan took a paper draft out of his bag and handed it to him: "A simple little love story, but I want to try using the method Bergman mentioned to find that feeling."

"What?"

Lu Lu Kebei only thought he had obtained some martial arts secret manual from Bergman and asked curiously.

Lu Kuan gave him a mysterious smile: "Seeing mountains as mountains, seeing water as water."

Figure it out yourself!

Before the cup of coffee was finished, the lead actress, Scarlett, arrived.

"Take a look at the script; it should be a plot you haven't challenged before."

The still sexy and hot Scarlett turned her back to Lu Lu Kebei and winked at him flirtatiously.

The script was adapted from a later short film, "Special Transaction."

Lausanne is a student at the Ochs Primary School in the Marais district of Paris and is also an orphan.

Ochs Primary School is a school in Paris known for cultivating children's artistic achievements; the students' parents are all high-society figures, including artists, art dealers, and film directors.

Lausanne's parents divorced and both immigrated abroad; facing the colored glasses of his classmates, he felt inferior, so he decided to buy a mother.

Where are there the most women?

He remembered the "Midnight Dream" he passed by every day on his way home from school and found the stunningly beautiful Scarlett.

After that, there were some small episodes between Scarlett and him during the school art festival.

For example, the impressionist knowledge he taught her in advance was completely forgotten, causing her to lose face at the art festival;

For example, to protect Lausanne's self-esteem, she teased a classmate's deadbeat dad to make him look foolish.

In the end, the money-loving Scarlett stuffed Lausanne's commission back into his drawing bag and boarded a long-distance bus to visit her daughter in a small town.

Scarlett finished reading and flipped through it from the beginning again: "Lu, a very interesting short film."

"But isn't our theme 'Paris, I Love You'?"

Lu Kuan smiled: "That's right, but the subject matter isn't limited to romance; this kind of family affection and warmth is also fine."

"This role is tailor-made for you."

"Didn't you say that a big Hollywood director said you easily arouse fantasies?"

"This female character is about putting the clothes she took off back on one by one; very interesting, right?"

Lu Lu Kebei laughed: "Maybe I can make a cameo as that lecherous dad?"

"Perfect candidate!" Lu Kuan applauded and approved.

The next two days were preparations before filming.

Three shooting locations—Ochs Primary School, Midnight Dream, and a family residence—Lu Lu Kebei could easily handle.

Lausanne was played by the son of the vice president of Lu Lu Kebei's company, a young actor from an acting school; others could be selected from the local actors' union.

The main event was the interaction between Lausanne and Scarlett.

In two days, the set was completed, Scarlett and Lausanne had become more familiar, and filming entered the right track.

The first scene was a night scene.

Paris, Marais district, Rue des Rosiers, 9:00 PM.

Dim streetlights spilled onto the damp street.

Scarlett dragged her weary body out from behind the ambiguous lights; her skirt was so short it could barely cover her key parts, the faint flesh tone telling of a romantic atmosphere.

The off-the-shoulder red tulle top was blown by the breeze, the skin visible through the sheer fabric carrying extreme allure.

Lu Kuan habitually wanted to have the cameraman push for a medium shot, then use the extras walking by to get an over-the-shoulder close-up.

Just as he raised the walkie-talkie, he suddenly stopped.

A master does not narrate.

He was trying to understand this feeling.

"Cut!"

The cameraman and Scarlett both pricked up their ears to listen to his direction.

"Let's change the method." Lu Kuan walked to Scarlett's side and scanned the light sources left and right.

"Add some elements to the foreground, find a tree, a bar sign, anything is fine, to add a bit of dynamic feel to the frame."

"Scarlett, do you smoke?"

"I can try."

Lu Kuan smiled and took a cigarette out of his pocket, signaling for her to take it herself.

Scarlett glanced at him: "I want you to light it for me."

"Hehe." Lu Kuan followed suit, first demonstrating the posture he needed for her.

Then he clapped his hands: "Listen to me!"

"When Scarlett walks out later, first play a segment of the background sound from Midnight Dream."

"You find an opportunity, smoke and cough when the sound effect is weak, understand?"

Scarlett took a few puffs of the cigarette, her movements already extremely familiar: "No problem."

Lu Lu Kebei watched from the side, feeling strange.

Whether it was over-the-shoulder or alternating shots, he hadn't used a single one of the shooting plans on the script?

Proprietor Lu's thoughts were very simple: no narration.

He chose to arrange a path for Scarlett and build a stage—

The first was backlighting: light shining from behind the subject to highlight her sexy silhouette, adjusting the exposure to darken the front of the figure, creating a silhouette effect to enhance the expressiveness of the frame.

The second was foreground composition: leading the audience's gaze toward the subject, hinting at the environment where the subject is located.

The third was the background noise of the nightclub mixed with Scarlett's coughing...

"Polyphonic montage?" Lu Lu Kebei was somewhat surprised.

Polyphonic montage is similar to polyphony in music.

It refers to the simultaneous presentation of two or more threads with independent meanings in a film, where these threads intertwine, complement, or conflict with each other.

It is like different voices sounding at the same time, jointly constituting a rich and three-dimensional audiovisual structure.

Scarlett's coughing and the ambiguous music of the nightclub form a contrast, hinting at the sense of alienation in the heroine's heart, paving the way for her "turning over a new leaf" later.

Everything was ready; Scarlett and the set, music, and lighting were displayed on the screen in order. Proprietor Lu rejected the original complex camera movements like zooming, panning, and tracking.

Now on the screen was a film world he had created, where the characters and background were integrated, with almost no trace of marionettes visible.

The performance ended, but the film camera was still idling without instructions, so Lu Lu Kebei helplessly shouted "Cut."

When he curiously walked to the monitor again and looked at the young director's profile...

It was an incomparably calm smile, as if he were communicating across space with some kind of spiritual force.

Masters do not narrate.

So that was it.

——

In the evening, a call from Zhuang Xu made Proprietor Lu, who was still ruminating on the day's insights from the set, feel a bit alarmed.

"Investigating you?"

"Yes, around 2000, when Zhao Baogang went public, I was responsible for their listing guidance."

Lu Kuan pondered for a few seconds: "Can it withstand an investigation?"

"If investigated by the book, it can withstand it. If they want to pick faults, they can always find a way."

Zhuang Xu said helplessly: "The company has a limit on entertainment expenses. Sometimes we have to pay out of pocket for the reception of higher-ups or visits from investor research teams."

"We get reimbursed later through office invoices and other means, but it's ultimately non-compliant."

Proprietor Lu chuckled: "A tax audit can't find the connection between me and the blog site. It looks like he wants to make a bold assumption first, then seek proof even more boldly?"

Zhuang Xu said it would be a lie to say he wasn't worried.

But he also knew that Zhou Jun pulling this stunt was just to get the truth out of his mouth and expose the fact that he was holding shares on someone else's behalf.

The other party's target had always been Lu Kuan.

"Senior brother, do you trust me?"

Zhuang Xu was silent for two seconds.

"To tell the truth, ever since you tricked me out of my chicken leg when we were kids and got me beaten by Master, I haven't really trusted you much."

Proprietor Lu shouted that he was innocent and laughed, comforting him: "Leave it to me, just eat and drink as usual."

"Throughout the whole month of April, I'm going to make sure that Zhou Jun doesn't even have time to drink a sip of water, let alone target you."

"Don't worry, Zhou Jun won't be rampant for much longer."

The dial tone came from the phone; Zhuang Xu, who had been getting tricked by his junior brother since he was small, could only choose to continue taking the heat.

Proprietor Lu spoke lightly, but he was also pondering countermeasures in his heart.

Originally, he wanted to beat around the bush and first knock down the Tourism Satellite TV's direct competitor this year, the Xiang Station.

The fact that the Xiang Station dominated the scene in later generations relying on "Super Girl" could not be avoided; he could not let them gain momentum relying on this program.

Last year, he used some small tricks and played a time difference to register the program brand first, leaving the Xiang Station no time to react; even if their appeal succeeded, it was too late.

What about this year?

The Xiang Station was like the US military before entering the war among satellite channels; once they mobilized their entire station, Tourism Satellite TV, which had only accumulated one year of audience base, might not be their match.

That was why he used this method that seemed to hurt the enemy by a thousand while damaging himself by eight hundred, secretly crossing the border by using "The Voice" as a substitute.

It was just that Zhou Jun's move made things even more complicated.

Attacking the Xiang Station, Zhou Jun and the Yanda Huayi Society came to the rescue, and they even aimed their target directly at Zhuang Xu;

Attacking Zhang Nara, the Xiang Station and Sina came to the rescue; their volume was fully open, and it was not much smaller than the blog site plus Tourism Satellite TV.

After thinking it over, Proprietor Lu decided to throw one punch to avoid a hundred, directly dealing a fatal blow to Zhou Jun's lackey, while simultaneously strengthening the public opinion pressure on the Xiang Station!

The next day, he contacted a key figure in his plan who had just arrived in Cannes.

CJ Entertainment, Li Li Meijing.

It was mentioned earlier that CJ had a relative relationship with Samsung, and this Li Li Meijing, who founded CJ Entertainment in 1995, had "snatched food from the tiger's mouth" from her uncle Li Li Jianxi.

Compared to Li Fuzhen, Li Li Meijing's father Li Li Mengxi was the eldest son of the Samsung founder, so she seemed more suitable to be called the "Eldest Princess of Samsung."

In the 1990s, Asian capital, mainly from Japan and Korea, entered Hollywood. Sony acquired Columbia, and Spielberg set his sights on Samsung.

After the negotiations failed, Li Li Meijing volunteered to go to Los Angeles to facilitate the matter.

CJ Entertainment thus became the undisputed leader of the Korean film industry, and Li Li Meijing was also the undisputed number one female power broker in the Korean film scene.

It wasn't until she was influenced by the Park Geun-hye administration and chose to cut ties and move to North America—but that is a story for later.

How great her prestige and power were can be seen from the example of "Parasite" winning the first non-English Best Picture in Oscar history in 2020.

When the "Parasite" crew accepted the Oscar for Best Picture, not a single actor was given the opportunity to give a speech.

Even Bong Joon-ho, who won Best Director, could only stand on the side smiling and clapping.

Only the curly-haired lady in the picture gave a speech in fluent English throughout.

She was the granddaughter of the Samsung founder, CJ Entertainment's female CEO, Li Li Meijing.

Proprietor Lu and she had an appointment at the high-end reception area of the Martinez Hotel, which only international celebrities could reserve and enter by face recognition; it was very private and suitable for conversation.

"Director Lu, you seem to have become haggard." Li Li Meijing's Chinese was very fluent, and there was no communication barrier between the two.

She was born in the United States and had studied in Hancheng, Harvard, and Fudan, and she had studied ancient Chinese and literature.

"Hehe, I've been quite exhausted during this period."

The two first met at the roadshow for "Foreign Land" in Korea, where CJ Entertainment participated in and organized the marketing activities throughout.

This time, for the establishment of the Pan-Asian Film Academy, considering the influence, financial strength, and distribution capabilities, it was only natural to bring in CJ Entertainment.

"I understand your dedication to the Olympic Games, but a genius like you should devote yourself more to film."

"'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' is great, but it didn't reach the expected box office numbers in Korea; the audience is not very sensitive to that period of history."

Bong Joon-ho once described Li Li Meijing as a true film buff; her viewing volume was very large, and she brought this fanatical hobby into the operation of the film industry.

In the early days when CJ Entertainment was in contact with Hollywood studios, it was Li Li Meijing herself who took DVDs to Warner, Universal, and Fox, introducing Korean films in a very clumsy yet effective way.

"Thank you for your praise, but the Olympic Games are different."

"I have countless opportunities to make films in my life, but I may only have one chance to participate in the Olympic Games."

Li Li Meijing raised her eyebrows and smiled, noncommittal.

For someone with her background as a noble daughter of a chaebol, the concept of a nation did not seem very strong.

"Director Lu, actually I am very curious, why don't you go to Hollywood to make films?"

"The film markets of China, Japan, and Korea are too small, especially your country; it is almost impossible for a film of the scale of 'Foreign Land' to break even domestically."

Li Li Meijing smiled: "If Park Chan-wook had your ability to handle commercial films, I would take him to Hollywood without hesitation."

"Returning from Hollywood, whether it is the director or the film, the market value increases exponentially."

Proprietor Lu sneered in his heart; how could you narrow-minded Koreans understand the foundation of a great nation.

"I went to see Bergman two weeks ago."

"What!?" Li Li Meijing, who had been elegant and calm since entering the door, was so shocked she almost jumped.

"Isn't he living in seclusion on Fårö Island and not seeing guests?"

"If you tell Park Chan-wook about this, he will be insanely jealous."

Proprietor Lu smiled: "Artists must be based on their own national culture. On this point, I have a common understanding with a master like Bergman."

"Let me give you an example."

"In the 1978 Oscars, there was a film nominated for Best Director called 'Night and Day', and the director was Zeki from Poland."

"This film helped his lead actress, who was also his wife, win the Berlin Best Actress award, and later the couple went to Hollywood together."

"He wasted ten years in Hollywood and never made a decent film again."

"Once, when he was drunk, he complained to Spielberg, who was visiting him, saying, 'Is there any other country in the world that has been invaded like Poland, and is there any other country that has suffered the hardships of Poland?'"

"He really wanted to go to Hollywood to create these stories, but he found it was already impossible. Having lost the nourishment of national culture, Zeki had already lost the soul of an artist."

Li Li Meijing listened to his narration calmly, only feeling that this was a young director with an incomparably clear and definite goal.

He separated the roots of creation from the means of a director's livelihood very clearly.

"President Li Li Jianxi, who is also my uncle, gave me a piece of calligraphy on my thirtieth birthday."

"It is a line of poetry from the poem 'Expressing My Thoughts' by your country's poet Bai Juyi."

"'The glow of the firefly in the grass is not fire, and though the dew on the lotus is round, is it a pearl?'"

"Director Lu, you are far wiser than I imagined. I am even more confident in the cooperation between CJ and Wenjie."

"Alright, back to the point, I have already told Park Chan-wook, and they will arrive in Cannes on time."

"When do you plan to announce our film academy project?"

Proprietor Lu pondered for two seconds: "At the end of the opening ceremony speech. We cannot steal the show."

"After the red carpet of the opening ceremony, film fans and audiences all over the world will not leave the television screens and the scene, and the sensational effect caused will be very strong."

"Very well, I look forward to it."

Li Li Meijing asked in confusion, "Then what did you call me here for today?"

"I want to talk to you about a Korean actress, Jang Na-ra."

"Jang Na-ra?" Li Li Meijing racked her brains before remembering she was a young actress in romantic dramas who had debuted a couple of years prior.

Jang Na-ra had crossed the ocean to develop her career in China precisely because the Korean entertainment and film industry was too small and strictly hierarchical.

Stars of her age and appearance were a dime a dozen, leaving her with absolutely no room to grow.

It was only natural that someone like Li Li Meijing, a top power broker in the Korean film industry, hadn't paid her much attention.

"You can go back and ask around; her father is named Zhu Zhu Husheng, and he is a Korean stage actor."

"State your demands."

"She is a star at a competitor's company, and she is putting down roots in China. I want you to cooperate with me in carrying out some public relations maneuvers against her."

"My people will discuss the specifics with your subordinates. We'll start with her father, Zhu Zhu Husheng, who is buried in debt. It won't be anything too extreme."

Li Li Meijing certainly wouldn't care about the fate of an obscure actress, but the terms still had to be negotiated.

"This doesn't seem to fall under the scope of our cooperation, does it?"

Lu Kuan decided to be straightforward when talking business with a chaebol heiress; there was no need for hypocrisy or sanctimony.

"You should know about Harvey's influence at the Oscars. I think CJ Entertainment could find a use for him."

"My company in the United States has a series of cooperation agreements with him and Lionsgate; you are welcome to participate."

"We could establish a Melrose-style platter agreement, similar to those between Hollywood's Paramount and Wall Street, dedicated to promoting Asian films in Hollywood."

"This was the original intention of our Pan-Asian Film Academy, wasn't it?"

Li Li Meijing looked at him silently for a few seconds, then smiled. "You really are a complex artist. I see the shadow of my uncle's generation in you."

"I have ideals, and I have the means."

Lu Kuan smiled without saying a word; there was no need for him to speak about what was happening under the table.

The smear campaign against Jang Na-ra had already begun with the hijacking of her project, *The Mischievous Princess*.

The summer release *Seven Swords* was destined to flop miserably in the future, and with the added siege from the low-budget, word-of-mouth films *Night Club* and *Bad Genius*, its demise likely wouldn't be pretty.

What remained was to make an issue out of her identity, or out of the "inherent deformities" of the Han Liu.

Two months ago, in February 2005, the popular Korean star Lee Eun-ju hanged herself in her home in Gangnam District.

In the current Korean entertainment industry, Lee Eun-ju was a figure on par with Song Hye-kyo, with the salary and endorsement status of an A-list actress.

In *Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War*, which won the Korean box office championship in 2003, the character Lee Young-shin, played by Lee Eun-ju, became a breakout star thanks to her diligent, kind, and gentle image.

But behind this warmth and popularity lay the heartbreaking reality that she had been subjected to eight hours of abuse by chaebols and forced to perform in explicit scenes in various films.

She left a suicide note at her home in Gangnam: "The life I am living now is not a life a human should live."

In Lu Kuan's eyes, the first sharp blade to shatter the Han Liu was to expose the ugliness of the Korean entertainment industry, letting the fans of the Han Liu see the true faces of the actors they worshipped and loved.

It was just that such tactics were still too early for now.

The reason was simple: the current geopolitical situation between the two countries was still mild.

In 2005, even China Central Television was airing Korean dramas; the entire internet and society had no clear understanding of the exaggeration and harm of the Han Liu.

Otherwise, how could Jang Na-ra have played the female lead in a commemorative film at the highest-ranking film academy in the future?

It was not yet suitable for a large-scale strike, as it would easily trigger censorship from the authorities and a backlash from the Han Liu.

However, using the recent incident involving Lee Eun-ju as a setup, and making an issue out of Jang Na-ra's father, Zhu Zhu Husheng, who was buried in debt, could still cause some trouble for this little Korean star.

Soon, Zhou Jun and Jang Na-ra would get a taste of what Liu Liu Yifei had experienced back then.

This could also be considered Lu Kuan "colluding with the enemy."

Note 1: Actual submission deadline is 7.31; the plot requires some magical modifications.

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(End of chapter)