[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta":3,"chapter-the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-chapter-302":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Playboy of Huayu: How Did a Celestial Immortal Transform Me?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2297928,4495,"Chapter 302: 《Aftershock》: A Premiere for Ten Thousand","the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-chapter-302",302,"\u003Cp>December 23, 2005, Tangshan Sports Center, Hebei Province.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Built in 1983, the sports center gymnasium covers an area of about 200,000 square meters; it once hosted the 2nd World Men's Table Tennis Championships and the 7th Hebei Provincial Games, and can accommodate up to 30,000 spectators at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, this is the site of the 10,000-person premiere of \"Aftershock.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the lawn of the track and field stadium, the setup for the premiere stage and the ultra-large movie screen began at the start of the month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the full cooperation of the Tangshan government, over a hundred professional engineers built a stage approximately 45 meters wide, and the giant movie screen reached a staggering 35x15 meters, which was quite breathtaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, for the sake of the effect for the more than 10,000 Tangshan audience members invited to watch the film on-site today, the production crew specifically rented two of the latest DP-3000 units from the Belgian company Barco.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With 1.5kw-7kw xenon arc lamp bulbs and a light output of 30,000 lumens, the brand-new optical path and lens design could be said to make the night as bright as day without exaggeration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Barco is the company that provided technical support for the water-themed creative elements of the Athens Olympics, and it possesses immense strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At 5:30 PM, the heart-stirring premiere officially opened for entry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Excited citizens lined up to have their tickets checked, while the editorial teams from Blogcn, Wenjie Video, and Travel Channel provided live coverage throughout, right up until the movie began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After today's premiere concludes, the production crew will immediately begin a whirlwind roadshow tour of South Korea, Japan, and the United States.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In one week, in North America, \"Aftershock\" will meet North American audiences on 1,400 screens via Miramax and Lionsgate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering the subject matter, genre, and cultural background, this opening count, limited to the level of a B-movie, is standard and steady, and it seems difficult to ask for more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overall, Mr. Lu has fulfilled his original promise to Secretary Zhao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the project's inception to the mid-term promotion and today's premiere, they have managed to thoroughly promote this city's calling card through various means.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the entrance, a middle-aged man in a suit and tie, along with a tall, bodyguard-like figure, shielded a delicate and lovely young girl as they moved forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please make way, we have tickets for the VIP section.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Zheng looked helplessly at the bodyguard clearing the path ahead and gave a bitter, low laugh to Jing Tian beside him: \"Tian Tian, tell me, why put yourself through this on such a cold day?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Tian did not mind the crowding and disorder before her; she turned back and gave Lu Zheng a smile, her eyes curving into two crescent moons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uncle Lu, I see that your strategy of using profit to entice them isn't working; let's stick to 'sincerity can move even metal and stone'!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The slightly balding Lu Zheng did not answer; he rubbed his head, which had been losing hair severely lately, feeling the helplessness of \"white hair getting shorter from scratching.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a person like that, if you don't entice them with profit, do you really expect to move them with emotion?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does he look like a person with abundant emotions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three of them finally made it through the VIP entrance and walked toward the seats that offered the best view and were shielded from the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eh? Sister Zhou Xun?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Tian's crisp voice called out to Zhou Xun, who had just finished changing her clothes and was preparing to enter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned around in a daze and saw that it was the \"Golden Rose\" who had spent a fortune at the charity gala.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of the speculation on the internet about her background, and then glancing at Lu Zheng and the bodyguard behind her, it was clear she was no ordinary girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello, Jing Tian, here to watch the movie?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes! I'm here to support Mr. Lu!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps feeling that her words were too pointed, Jing Tian hurriedly added: \"No, no, no, to support 'Aftershock,' and of course to support you, Sister Zhou Xun, the characters you play are all so good!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun pursed her lips and smiled, observing the authenticity of her demeanor just as Mr. Lu had done before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun had naturally \"eaten the melon\" regarding the internet rumors about Mandalas, Golden Roses, and a certain young girl who called herself Kapok.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Jing Tian's skin, which was as white as snow under the stadium's high-intensity lights, and her bright eyes and white teeth, Zhou Xun couldn't tell what level of player this was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, in her view, no matter how high the level, they couldn't deceive the discerning eyes of that veteran \"washing machine,\" right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like Anita Mui, Zhou Xun was a 24k pure \"Sisi\" partisan and felt quite regretful about the tragic drama at the birthday banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, she didn't mind interacting more with Jing Tian to get to know her; who knows, maybe she could provide some valuable information for little Liu?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since she happened to be here, she had to guard the home front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tian Tian, where are you from?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm from Chang'an.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With such good conditions, why become an actor? Acting is quite bitter and tiring.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Tian laughed: \"I don't know, I just wanted to... give it a try!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two women walked side-by-side, soon ready to take their seats; the distance between their seats was not far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, this best area was reserved for city leaders, production crew members, and various guests; Lu Zheng's ticket was obtained from Han Shanping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun wanted to ask a few more questions, but looked up and saw Lu Kuan, Han Shanping, and Secretary Zhao walking out from backstage; the premiere had a little over ten minutes before starting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Lu, don't leave tomorrow, okay? I want to represent the city and properly express our gratitude to you all!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tomorrow really won't work, I have to go to Japan for the roadshow.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Secretary Zhao held Mr. Lu's hand tightly and wouldn't let go: \"Tonight is a special situation, and we didn't even get to drink; we haven't treated you well enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Shanping laughed: \"It's a good thing we didn't drink, Secretary Zhao; otherwise, you might be fine, but I would definitely be down by now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group laughed heartily, but Secretary Zhao's words were not just polite social pleasantries; they were truly from the heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the perspective of the Tangshan government, this expenditure on the film project from the fiscal budget was clearly worth it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This could be seen from the promotional effect, the successful creation of the city's calling card, and the commercial street that had already begun operations and was starting to recoup funds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the perspective of himself as a public servant, being able to garner so much praise and love from the common people during his tenure, as well as affirmation from his superiors, meant he had both \"face\" and \"substance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Secretary Zhao's secretary, Li, came over and whispered a few words, likely preparing him to go on stage to speak, then greeted Lu Kuan and Han Shanping before walking away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flat-topped man turned his head as if unintentionally: \"Yo, Mr. Lu, Jing Tian is here too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clumsy acting left Mr. Lu speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But one does not hit a smiling face; since they came to support him, he couldn't just be cold and distant, so he treated it as normal interpersonal interaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Welcome, you two. It's windy later, so be sure to keep warm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's okay, Mr. Lu! I have this!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Tian lifted the hem of her long down jacket, revealing that her knees and other areas were covered in heat patches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of \"girl's artifact\" was far from popular now; its predecessor, the heat patch, appeared in the 70s, and it had only just begun to be used on a large scale in the \"devils'\" country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wouldn't be until next year that domestic daily chemical companies discovered this business opportunity, and heat patches would begin to enter the mainland market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From these insignificant little gadgets, one could see Jing Tian's superior background; the only one present who should know is a certain \"cheat-user.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Tian just wanted to say something to the young director, but Zhou Xun timed it perfectly and suddenly spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tian Tian, what is this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Tian turned back: \"A Japanese body warmer; it generates heat when stuck to the body.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, right! I have two more here, I'll stick them on you, Sister Zhou Xun!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"human wealth flower\" enthusiastically pulled two identical items from her down jacket pocket; the Japanese packaging revealed their origin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Lu nodded to Lu Zheng and also stepped toward the backstage; he would be speaking after Secretary Zhao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warm-hearted young girl diligently stuck the heat patch on Zhou Xun's lower back, but when she turned back, that person had already walked far away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The excellent actress Huang Rong in Mr. Lu's eyes naturally wouldn't show any flaws; she showered Jing Tian with praise for being beautiful and kind-hearted, quickly diverting her attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two chatted \"congenially,\" exchanged numbers, and agreed to keep in touch often.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun: Sisi, I have sacrificed too much for this family of yours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At 7:30 PM, it might be a bit of an exaggeration to say it was the focus of the world, but the premiere of \"Aftershock,\" which was certainly the focus of the whole country, officially began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deputy Director Zhang of the SARFT and leaders from the Arts Bureau of the Ministry of Culture delivered speeches one after another, followed by Secretary Zhao's impassioned speech.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the public servant was excited today, he knew the order of importance; after a brief three-minute summary, he invited Lu Kuan to the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young director held the microphone, his voice steady and full of penetration: \"Good evening, fellow townsfolk, thank you all for coming!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At the end of February this year, the creative team of 'Aftershock' made a military pledge to all our city's people, as well as the 240,000 compatriots who perished in the earthquake 30 years ago.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After 4 months of filming, 4 months of post-production, and 1 month of intensive promotion.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Today! We return to Tangshan with incomparable confidence and pride; I ask all the fellow townsfolk present, and all the audience members across the country watching this film at this moment, to review this answer sheet together!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Here! On behalf of Wenjie Holdings, China Film Group, and other producers, and on behalf of the entire 'Aftershock' crew, I solemnly report to the 7.5 million people of Tangshan!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And I invite everyone to witness this historic moment today, to witness China tonight, sleepless for love!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, applause thundered within the gymnasium, like rolling winter thunder, stirring in the hearts of every Tangshan person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lights in the arena gradually dimmed, and the large screen in the gymnasium suddenly lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if it were a black-bordered stretching shot from an old movie, a black-and-white scroll of the era slowly unfolded before the eyes of the more than 10,000 audience members.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An overhead shot displayed the unique architectural style of Tangshan in the 70s in full detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The iconic Xima Road Tangshan Coal Mine Medical College, with walls either exposed or smeared with cement mortar;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brick and tile houses with flat or sloped roofs, arranged in an orderly, simple, and practical manner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the large camera crane swept along, slogans of the era like \"Grasp revolution, promote production\" and \"Industry learns from Great Qing, agriculture learns from Dazhai\" came into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mere dozen seconds of situational immersion pulled all the audience members into that summer thirty years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The image quickly focused from the distant overhead view, and accompanied by a sudden burst of cicada chirping, the big screen changed from the black-and-white of the era to color.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The string of numbers 1976.7.28 appeared suddenly, then faded away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just this brief moment of time-setting had already begun to prick the nerves of the Tangshan people watching the film.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This opening of less than thirty seconds of space-time intersection began in a black-and-white 70s that seemed to have entered a vacuum, and ended with a sharp cicada chirp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if a mirror had been shattered in an instant, suddenly presenting the vivid, lifelike real world in color before the audience's eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very few of the viewers present were professionals, so naturally, they couldn't see this instantaneous lens language and progressive narrative.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They only felt like drowning people, suddenly surfacing from the bottom of the water, the muffled sounds in their ears turning into the cicada chirping, water sounds, and wind movement in the forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly coming to life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were immersed in the play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their attention and five senses had been firmly gripped by the montage of intersecting images and sounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even if the most professional film directors and critics were to evaluate these opening thirty seconds, few in the world today could explain the reason why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To understand it, perhaps one must first understand that quote by Bergman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A master does not narrate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately following is a long take of Zhou Xun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is the scene where the young director falls into a dilemma of self-scrutiny, where no matter how he shoots it, it just doesn't feel right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The frame focuses, first on the sound of cicadas, then on a lush locust tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young woman appears in the shot, petite and thin, far from being curvaceous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even wearing a light blue floral dress, which could be considered a luxury in this era, she looks withered and bony when viewed from the side and back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Tian, sitting in the audience, leans over and whispers into Zhou Xun’s ear: \"Sister Zhou Xun, you lost weight for the movie back then, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, people didn't have enough to eat back then, and Director Lu made me slim down to 85 jin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Tian nods and stops talking, watching Zhou Xun on the screen begin to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The long take tailored for her begins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It starts with a medium shot of the character from the side, followed immediately by a handheld camera following her into the boiler room of the flat-roofed building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Up until this moment, the audience's perspective shifts from the side-rear to the back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun holds an exquisite sandalwood folding fan in her hand, her skirt swaying gently with her elegant, small steps, her raven-colored hair neatly pinned behind her head with a moon-white pearl hairpin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faintly blackened pearl is clearly a cheap imitation, but the skin of the young woman, slightly damp with fine sweat, is all real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her left hand uses the folding fan to cool herself, while her right hand scoops boiling water from the stove into an enamel basin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is to wipe down her sister-in-law, who is in her postpartum confinement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Choked incessantly by the gray smoke of the boiler room, the comical black soot on her fair wrists, and her thin, bony back that tightens every time she coughs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the two-minute opening long take, the entire segment of the film doesn't have a single line of dialogue, nor does it reveal a face, yet it has already meticulously explained everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To exaggerate slightly, the audience seems able to ignore whose face it is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, it wouldn't matter if the character covered her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is Zhou Xun, it is Liu Yifei, it is Fan Bingbing, no matter who it is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is not important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The image of a petty-bourgeois young woman, unversed in worldly affairs, out of place in such a dilapidated and ordinary courtyard, and whose dress and posture are far from those of an ordinary peasant woman, has already leaped onto the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This character image was shaped by Zhou Xun relying solely on costumes, makeup, props, and her own body language, and was told in detail through the non-narrative master technique of Boss Lu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It can be said to be a step further than \"seeing mountains not as mountains, and seeing water not as water.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The long take ends, and Zhou Xun turns around, but the audience's perspective is not focused on her face at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past two minutes, this face seems to have already been frozen in everyone's hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun tucks the folding fan into her armpit and laboriously carries a basin of hot water into the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The furnishings and props in the room are a one-hundred-percent restoration of the 1970s scene, without a single detail that would pull the audience out of the story, showing that real effort was put in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The teeth-gritting creak of the door opening wakes Song Jia, who is in her confinement; she lifts her head with messy hair, sees it is her sister-in-law, and falls back into a drowsy sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Get up and wipe your face.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first line of dialogue in the film, the exhaustion and estrangement between Zhou Xun's words are undoubtedly revealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her body is tired, and her heart is tired too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun and her father Li Xuejian are both from Jingcheng; her father was originally a medical professor who suffered persecution because he devoted himself to the study of traditional Chinese medicine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two years ago, in order to protect himself, and also because he thought highly of his son-in-law's honesty and sincerity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through a matchmaker, like countless fathers of that era who combined with workers, peasants, and soldiers to find a way out, he married off his daughter Zhou Xun, who was originally an English teacher, to a battalion commander of the 38th Army who was ten years her senior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun is 24 years old this year, at the prime of her youth, having lost her affluent and stylish life, she has come to a strange city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing her husband Hu Jun, who has an iron-willed, extremely chauvinistic personality and has been living apart from her, it would be a lie to say her heart is not bitter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her sister-in-law Song Jia lets out an \"eh,\" struggles to prop herself up from the bed with her elbows, and turns to look at her sister-in-law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her eyes, everything about Zhou Xun is beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The camera shifts from over Song Jia's shoulder to a close-up of Zhou Xun's actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She very unskillfully soaks an old cloth in the water and wrings it out with great effort; the veins popping out on her thin arms are especially visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun, in a bad mood, mumbles a few words before coming over to gently wipe her sister-in-law's sweaty face, neck, and body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Turn over.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Jia is usually sharp-tongued—they are all peasant children who had to fight for food during the famine years, how could they not be sharp-tongued?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But facing this sister-in-law who seems to have descended from heaven, even if the tone is stiff, she accepts it gladly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her heart, her own big brother is not even worthy of such a woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The edges of the coarse cloth seem to scratch Song Jia, and her bare back twitches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's okay! It's okay, sister-in-law!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Jia comforts her repeatedly, even before Zhou Xun carefully pulls back her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tomorrow... I will go to Dad's place and see if there is any medical gauze.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This cloth is indeed too hard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single soft word from her sister-in-law is more comforting than any soft cloth, and Song Jia, lying on the bed, feels extremely soothed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeming to have exhausted all her efforts, Zhou Xun carries the water out to pour it away and then closes the window crack tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sister-in-law, it's too stuffy in the room.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun looks at her expressionlessly; usually, she would just shake her head and not say much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps feeling sorry for having hurt Song Jia while wiping her down just now, she speaks two extra sentences today: \"You are in your confinement, you cannot be exposed to the wind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Open it for a while after a period of time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Jia doesn't want to care about how profound the scientific principles in her words are; it seems that as long as Zhou Xun is willing to speak a few more words to her, it is already very good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The child suddenly starts crying, and Song Jia holds her son in her arms to soothe him, smiling at Zhou Xun: \"Sister-in-law, why don't you try?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun waves her hands quickly: \"No, no, my hands are clumsy, don't drop the child.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally finished with everything, Zhou Xun sits at the table by the bed and opens an English novel, *Jane Eyre*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She is engrossed in reading, unconsciously lifting her hand to tuck back the stray hairs disturbing her ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers are fair and clearly articulated, her nails are neatly trimmed, and even those two chilblain roots, which Song Jia wishes could grow on her own hands, look cute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were left over from Zhou Xun's New Year, the traces of a petty-bourgeois girl trying to integrate into the lives of commoners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Jia, not daring to disturb her sister-in-law's reading, cannot help but imitate her, and her right elbow accidentally knocks against the head of the bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lets out an \"ouch\" and pulls back her hand to cover her mouth; Zhou Xun looks up at her sister-in-law curiously: \"What's wrong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No... nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Jia's embarrassed expression, showing a mouthful of big white teeth, amuses the audience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Up to this point in the film, everyone's tense emotions finally relax a little. The 7.26 figure at the beginning was like a giant log pressing on everyone's hearts, but as they watched, they were attracted by this series of plots full of life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disaster films that excel in special effects content do not have much extra script space to depict characters that are deeply etched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But *Tangshan Earthquake* displays the two highly contrasting characters of Song Jia and Zhou Xun vividly in a very short space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their personalities are vastly different, yet each is beautiful in its own way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the earthquake comes in the early morning, the different fates of these two characters, one can imagine the dramatic effect expanding sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So-called tragedy is tearing apart beautiful things for people to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he didn't deliberately play on emotions, the tragic plot points preset by this film are known to every viewer, and this is unavoidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night falls, Wang Baoqiang pushes the door and returns, and Zhou Xun finally feels relieved, showing an expression of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is not that she doesn't like being with her sister-in-law, nor is it that she finds taking care of her troublesome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is just that she feels there is always a barrier between her and the siblings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then I'll head back first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Jun is a battalion commander in the 38th Army, and his family members are eligible to accompany the army, but he and Zhou Xun have always lived apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today is the day she visits the troops, and later a military vehicle will come to pick her up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Baoqiang sends her to the door honestly, in standard Tangshan dialect: \"Sister-in-law, take it slow.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun waves her hand without speaking and walks away in the sunset.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where's the baby, let me take a look!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baoqiang washes his hands carefully outside the door; after a day of labor, the warm little home has become a harbor for rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He teases the child for a while, puts him to sleep in the bed, takes out paper and pen from the cabinet, cuts a long, thin strip of paper, and writes and draws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Jia is curious: \"What are you doing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baoqiang says honestly: \"Calculating work points to see if I can exchange them for some eggs to supplement your nutrition.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If there is any surplus... can I exchange it for some milk for sister-in-law?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Jia accompanied Zhou Xun to the street during the New Year and saw her glancing at the milk for sale a few times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That should have been her normalized living supplies before, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The simple and kind rural girl, because of the discord between her brother and sister-in-law, feels very sorry for Zhou Xun, as if she wants to pour out her heart to be good to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baoqiang doubts for a moment if his wife has become foolish after giving birth: \"We don't have the conditions! Your own milk is almost insufficient!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The way Shagen gapes leaves people roaring with laughter; he is more mature and thinner and darker in the movie, a complete rough man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The milk supply at this time is very tight, usually prioritized for special groups such as infants and patients, and it is difficult for ordinary families to order milk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The city's food company does raise two cows, but the milk production is limited, and the milk produced every day must first ensure the feeding of the two calves before the rest can be sold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei curled her lip helplessly; she had just been acting on a whim when she brought it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A spirited and restless village girl, she seemed to have been confined in her postpartum recovery for too long, and seeing Wang Baoqiang writing and drawing, she had another sudden idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, how about I write a letter to sister-in-law?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm not good with words, but I keep wanting to urge her to get along well with my brother and go live with him at the army base.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Baoqiang looked at her helplessly: \"Big brother has a temper. He told sister-in-law to stay home and take care of your postpartum recovery; you'd better not cause this kind of trouble.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who needs taking care of! I'm doing just fine!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeming to prove that her words were not empty, Liu Yifei turned over, got out of bed, sat at the table, and snatched the paper and pen from his hand without a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I say I'll write, I'll write. You teach me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't know many characters either!\" Wang Baoqiang couldn't dissuade the headstrong Liu Yifei and could only let her do as she pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the sky grew dark, Liu Yifei skillfully lit a kerosene lamp; even with electric lights, people in this era still saved wherever they could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a dragonfly flew in through a gap in the window, and she picked up the dragonfly, which was still fluttering its wings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opening the window, Liu Yifei said in surprise: \"Why are there so many dragonflies outside?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is it going to rain soon? The weather has been overcast all afternoon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Baoqiang didn't think much of it, and the young couple huddled in front of the kerosene lamp, piecing together the letter for Zhou Xun word by word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In their simple eyes, did this seem like the correct way for educated people to communicate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A split-screen shot appeared on the big screen; inside the house was the simplicity and warmth of occasional laughter and the crying of an infant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the window frame, outside was the gloomy sky, the eerie and enchanting sunset glow, and the gradually silent night sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The opening date created pressure on the audience's emotions, but the portrayal of Liu Yifei and Zhou Xun eased their mood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this split-screen contrast narrative was pulling the audience's emotions bit by bit toward the hell of the disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Tangshan audience members in the theater all had their heartstrings tightened, helplessly facing this countdown to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How they wished not to see the night deepening outside, how they longed for the scene to freeze on this warm little home!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the cold wind of the Sports Center Square, on the 35m x 15m big screen, the camera pulled away sharply, placing the night scene of Tangshan's myriad lights in the center of the screen, then immediately froze on the large clock atop the train station.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>3:40 AM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The city was immersed in dead silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night curtain was like a heavy lead plate, pressing down so hard that the audience before the big screen could barely breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heat of the day had not yet dissipated, and the sultry air seemed to have solidified, thick and sticky, without a breath of wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire city seemed to have been locked in an airtight steamer, making one feel inexplicably restless and uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without warning, the earth began to tremble violently, as if a giant beast that had slept for a thousand years was roaring in anger; the quiet night sky was torn apart by streaks of eerie blue light, like a sign of the apocalypse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghostly blue light flickered, illuminating the city about to fall into total destruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The disaster scene, meticulously polished by the world's top special effects team, left the more than ten thousand audience members at the scene speechless the moment it appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Tian couldn't help but grab the arm of Zhou Xun beside her; the top-tier projection equipment from Barco made her feel as if the ground beneath her feet was swaying slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, in the Wenjie Jiahe giant screen theaters across the country, the audience who had paid high ticket prices to experience the 4K high-definition screen felt their hearts pounding, intuitively feeling that this collapse of heaven and earth was happening right before their eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A loud \"Boom—\" sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The giant structures of steel and concrete twisted and deformed, emitting a hair-raising \"creak,\" as if wailing in despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The walls turned into fragile eggshells, shattering instantly, and bricks and rubble poured down like raindrops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the overhead shot, the rows of gray-white buildings collapsed like brittle paper, layering into ruins of varying heights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The streets and alleys were instantly shrouded in dust, blocking out the sky, surging and rolling like a black tide, greedily devouring everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiao Jia! Xiao Jia!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Baoqiang heard the child's crying in his daze, and when he opened his eyes again, Liu Yifei had already swiftly pulled the child into her arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go! Go!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two rushed out in a panic; as Liu Yifei passed the table, she subconsciously grabbed the letter, but before she could open the door...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a loud crash, a broken floor slab rolled down; the couple hugged the child, ducked, and hid, and the low cabinet in front of the door saved their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accompanied by the summer thunder in the background audio, the screen shifted to the subjective perspectives of Liu Yifei and Wang Baoqiang, plunging into pitch blackness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the child's wailing remained, heart-wrenching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the cold wind, countless identical movements of wiping away tears appeared, like a plague spreading in an instant; no one was unmoved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the macro view of the earthquake's initial appearance to Liu Yifei's small household, the camera was now suddenly pulled from the ground toward the sky by a large crane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within a few short minutes, the flat streets were buried completely, leaving only a scene of devastation and desolation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the streets and alleys, the scene was one of total ruin; the broken walls and remains loomed in the darkness like ferocious monsters, baring their fangs and claws to tell of the cruelty of this disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A barefoot little girl suddenly appeared in the frame, running helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On her dirty little face, mud mixed with tears flowed incessantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stood alone and helpless on the ruins, clutching a piece of floral cloth torn from her mother's clothes, crying desperately at the thundering and lightning-filled sky: \"Mama! Mama!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The close-up shot here used a weakened audio treatment, paired with the shrillness of the thunder and lightning in the background, equivalent to a simplified multi-part montage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The viewers could only faintly hear the little girl's heart-rending cries; more of the fledgling's chirping and grief were drowned out in the howling wind and rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at her clearly discernible lip movements, that \"mama\" that all of humanity could understand and hear, yet could not hear clearly, destroyed the tear ducts of all the audience members.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rainwater mixed with blood spread across the ground, staining this once vibrant land red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>White bones lay exposed in the fields, and for a thousand miles, not a rooster crowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tragic sight was unbearable to look at.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless faces of survivors appeared in the camera; these were the survivors of that earthquake and the extras who later took part in the filming of the escape and self-rescue scenes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a wave of terrifying aftershocks passed, the survivors who had regained their senses remained silent for a while, until someone shouted: \"Save people! Let's save people!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if awakened from stillness, everyone began to move despite the intensifying rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was also a true plot created by screenwriter Liu Heng after visiting hundreds of survivors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the real massive earthquake, apart from children, very few people wept bitterly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most became numb due to the extreme emotional shock; humans also activate psychological self-protection mechanisms under such extreme pain, temporarily suppressing the instinct to cry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene was in chaos; people in undershirts and shorts grabbed tools if they had them, and if not, they used their hands and shoulders to carry the wounded and dig out survivors who were crying in pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The camera pulled back, and the sound gradually faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point in the film, the main thread of the three narrative lines in Lu Kuan's version of \"Tangshan Great Earthquake\" was temporarily paused, and the perspective shifted to the other female lead, Zhou Xun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun had escaped a disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After returning home in the evening, she was concerned about the discomfort of her sister-in-law's skin being chafed by coarse cloth, so she went to the health clinic to tell her father, Li Xuejian, to send two pieces of gauze to Liu Yifei when he had time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around six o'clock, to avoid a bad impression, she changed into a Dacron outfit and, like other local women, boarded a military truck to visit relatives at the army base.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was over 300 kilometers from downtown Tangshan to the 38th Army base in Baoding, but in '76, one could only take ordinary roads, and the road conditions were poor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air in the truck bed was not circulating well, and it was packed with family members visiting relatives; the sticky sensation in the summer heat made her extremely uncomfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun was jostled in the truck bed, clutching the military truck's handle tightly, and fell asleep without realizing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn't know how much time had passed when the moving vehicle came to an abrupt stop, and a burst of noisy, confused sounds came from outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun sat in the buzzing truck bed, looking at the army's unique broadcasts and high-lumen searchlights, knowing they were already near the 38th Army base.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What's wrong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh my! Do you all feel the ground moving?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An older sister in the darkness mentioned it, and the drowsy crowd in the early morning finally reacted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The driver, Xiao Anhui, jumped off the truck, speaking in non-standard Mandarin: \"Sisters-in-law, you wait a moment; the army has set up a cordon, I'll go take a look.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after, the camera showed everything that had happened inside the military camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 38th Army was stationed in Rongcheng, Baoding; Hu Jun, commander of the 2nd Battalion of the 339th Regiment of the 113th Division, received orders from his superiors:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around 3:40 AM, an earthquake occurred in Tangshan, Hebei Province; the situation was unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the unified deployment of the Army Headquarters, your unit is now ordered to set out immediately, march through the night, and assemble at Dangyu Town, Zunhua, 50 kilometers south of Tangshan, to accept unified command from superiors!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Jun's resolute, dark face showed no expression; he made a few phone calls and swiftly ordered the entire battalion to assemble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The organization of the 38th Army had nothing special and followed the \"three-three\" principle; one battalion oversaw three companies, and the force directly commanded by Hu Jun was around 350 people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Anhui got the news from the guard post and ran back to the truck with a mournful face; the military dependents had already climbed out of the truck, still shaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a moment ago, it seemed to be an aftershock from the earthquake waves coming from the direction of Tangshan; everyone had felt the swaying beneath their feet!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Earthquake! Earthquake! Tangshan has had an earthquake!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sisters-in-law, hurry and get back in the truck; I'll take you inside to get settled at the army base first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We still have to rush to disaster relief!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Anhui's face was full of panic; at twenty-something, he hadn't experienced much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But all the military dependents from Tangshan present had already begun to wail and cry to the heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go home! We want to go home!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right! Go home, go back!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Anhui was so anxious he almost cried; this was a military order!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the sisters-in-law, worried about their loved ones, didn't care about that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had to go home; even if they died, they would die together!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Go home—two words so easy to say, yet at this moment, they seemed to have become a luxury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun had been jostled the whole way and was already pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, her thin figure stood behind the crowd, thinking of her father and Liu Yifei's family, and her heart felt a series of stabbing pains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was no uneducated rural woman; if the tremors were this obvious over 300 kilometers away, what about Tangshan?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The camera cuts to a close-up of Zhou Xun; her prominent knuckles grip the side of the vehicle tightly, and her entire body trembles uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hair is disheveled, but clearly, she lacks the leisurely mood she had this afternoon to brush it back into place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Comparing the two, the inner turmoil the character faces is evident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Jun sits in the passenger seat of the military vehicle; upon reaching the camp gate, he jumps out when he sees the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Little Anhui! What are you doing? Drive the vehicle in! Don't block the road!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Battalion Commander! I!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Anhui is young and inexperienced, and he bursts into tears: \"They want to go back to Tangshan! I can't stop them, boo-hoo!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the crying starts, the area outside the barracks instantly turns into a scene of wailing; the fragile defenses of all the soldiers and family members from Tangshan and the surrounding areas are shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Battalion Commander, Hu Jun cannot watch the morale of his troops collapse, so he slams his hand onto the hood of the military vehicle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone's gaze gathers upon him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There is a meticulously designed shot and lighting composition here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A spotlight from the barracks searchlight hits Hu Jun at a 45-degree angle, illuminating his face and upper body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A slightly softer fill light is also arranged on the side to enhance the character's three-dimensionality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding ambient light is very dark, creating a stifling, tense atmosphere, highlighting the arduous and grim nature of the disaster relief mission to the audience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold blue-gray tones enhance the tension and gravity; Hu Jun stands like a tall black tower, his voice steady as he encourages everyone—this is his duty as a soldier and a Battalion Commander!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We are the steel guardians of the Republic, the most solid reliance of the people!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"From the moment we put on this uniform, we took a life-and-death oath to go through fire and water for the peace of the people, and to overcome all obstacles for the dignity of the country!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Our loved ones are waiting for us! Our families are waiting for us! The people need us!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice suddenly rises; he stops using high-minded words to boost morale and instead points to the military families still sobbing softly to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take a good look! The wives and sisters-in-law from our Tangshan hometown are watching us right here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My younger sister, brother-in-law, and my nephew who was born only a month ago might be buried under the ruins right now, their fate unknown!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you think I don't want to cry? Do you think I'm not heartbroken!?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Jun says in a deep voice: \"Attention, everyone!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire battalion of 356 soldiers, excluding those on guard duty, has gathered here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the Battalion Commander's order, they quickly adjust their state, looking at him with grave expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Our 38th Army was personally dubbed the 'Long Live Army' by the Commander-in-Chief; are there any cowards among us?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No! No! No!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers respond in unison to their superior's challenge with a morale fueled by fear, honor, and conviction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Jun nods: \"Good! I order you now! Stop crying, put aside your fear, and head to the disaster area immediately!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walks over to the military families, who are wailing and about to rush forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation is critical; every second saved means relief can begin that much sooner, and Hu Jun has no time to comfort them further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Get in the vehicle, go home!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His sharp gaze catches Zhou Xun behind the crowd: \"You come with me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm not going; I'm taking this vehicle back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun's face is cold as frost; Hu Jun's words just now chilled her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your sister, brother-in-law, and nephew might have perished, but what about my father?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You comforted the military families and stirred up morale, but your eyes and heart have never once cared about us, father and daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since you look down on our background, why bother agreeing to be together?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun turns away resolutely, her delicate body struggling to climb onto the military vehicle, which is taller than she is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night wind after the great catastrophe is clamorous; the whistling past her ears sounds like the horn of a ghost realm, piercing her heart and making it incomparably cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[333] The camera does not reveal Hu Jun's expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The camera did not reveal the expression of Hu Jun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The audience only watches as Zhou Xun sits in the back row of the military vehicle, a cold tear rolling down her cheek, accompanied by the roaring engine, as the twilight fades away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",7051,"2026-06-20T06:05:19.268Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","2aed0fd0f22e0725276115e82fbd5d255056f0747d9ba054d88e4f429a81098a","the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-chapter-303","the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-chapter-301",343,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-cover.jpg"]