Chapter 328: The Ambition of Da Mimi

Once an expert makes a move, you know whether they have the goods.

With the targeted advice from Boss Lu regarding commercial film and the audience's perspective, the professional screenwriting team under Zhang Yimou responded quickly, beginning to refine the script day and night.

Aside from Zhang Yimou, the *Curse of the Golden Flower* crew seemed to have found a second backbone.

Knowing that Boss Lu had a good relationship with Zhang Yimou, the crew's screenwriters, such as Liu Heng, Wu Nan, and Bian Zhihong, would frequently make "night raids" with food and wine, euphemistically calling it improving the leaders' meals while taking the opportunity to ask for advice on script writing.

As the other backbone, the work of the Olympic creative group under the young director's leadership also gradually became smoother.

This was because the authority of this relatively young general director had been fully established during these two months of contact.

No one would ask for trouble again.

Judge by actions, not by intentions; regardless of what some troublemakers were thinking inside, they would always conscientiously cooperate with the work on the surface.

In addition to brainstorming, Boss Lu regularly coordinated the Wenjie work between China and the United States online, then arranged and deployed tasks along different lines.

For example, the Xi'an cinema chain that had already begun trading with Lu Zheng of Starlight;

Dong Zi organized industry experts, almost traveling across the country to begin deploying logistics and warehousing, starting from first and second-tier cities;

The North American Wenjie team arranged for Huang Anna, with the assistance of Harvey, Iger, and others, to gradually begin tentative bidding for Marvel.

Given the latter's current state of decline and lethargy, they would certainly have to drive the price down hard to acquire it at the most cost-effective rate.

The rest was to closely monitor the war between Blockbuster and Netflix, seeking a good opportunity to enter the game.

As for the development of Twitter, he only provided the direction, leaving the rest to Liu Yifei, Chen Shijun, and others to handle; otherwise, he would be spread too thin.

As time approached April, Hong Kong and Taiwan stars such as Chow Yun-fat and Zhou Jielun all joined the crew.

The filming progress of the revised script was relatively smooth, and Jiang Zhiqiang, Zhang Yimou, and others were in high spirits.

It can only be said that some people who truly get things done demonstrate strong personal charisma and leadership, whether for the Olympic creative group or the *Curse of the Golden Flower* crew.

Such people always push the people and things around them to develop in a positive direction.

At ten in the morning, the creative group members who had just finished discussing the implementation of several projects left the studio for a "breather," preparing to watch Zhang Yimou film and clear their heads; this had become a daily routine.

Jielun, who had no scenes today, appeared from somewhere: "A-Kuan, do you have a moment?"

Boss Lu smiled: "You finally had a change of heart, realizing it was me who had Director Zhang add scenes for you as Yuan Jie, right?"

"Just give me a few million, don't be too polite."

Jielun's face darkened: "Damn it! I want you to help me look at a script."

"What script?"

The little heavenly king was a bit shy, feeling a bit like he was showing off his sword in front of Guan Yu: "A script I put together myself, help me take a look."

Boss Lu chuckled; this was Jielun seeing that he had helped Zhang Yimou resolve a concern and wanting to mooch some professional revision advice as well.

The young director opened the script; it was *Secret*.

In later generations, the investment was around 14 million RMB, with a domestic box office of 36.75 million and a global box office of around 80 million.

"How is it?" Zhou Jielun couldn't help but keep urging him as he watched his friend flip through it expressionlessly.

Boss Lu smiled: "Is the script for sale?"

"Not for sale! I want to direct it myself."

"Do you know how to be a director?"

The little heavenly king punched him: "Damn it! Don't look down on people. Don't I have you? Find me an assistant director to help out, okay?"

Lu Kuan didn't tease him further: "The script concept is fine, but there are flaws."

"How so?"

The young director pondered for a few seconds, though he didn't talk about Hollywood formulaic scripts like he did when teaching Ning Hao.

"From a commercial film perspective, first, the emotional thread needs optimization; the daily scenes between Ye Xianglun and Lu Xiaoyu need to be strengthened so their love feels more grounded in life, and the audience can empathize more."

"At the same time, in the misunderstanding plot caused by Lu Xiaoyu's time travel, add psychological descriptions of her inner conflict and struggle to make her behavioral motivations more sufficient and enhance the emotional tension."

Zhou Jielun's eyes lit up as he listened, taking notes rapidly: "Anything else?"

"The rest is to optimize the suspense elements; after all, this is the core thread of the whole film."

"You can plant more foreshadowing in the early stages, for example, by adding some subtle environmental hints in the scene where Lu Xiaoyu first appears."

"Or set up some misleading clues during the process of Ye Xianglun discovering Lu Xiaoyu's secret to increase the story's twists and the audience's curiosity, leaving the audience with a feeling of sudden realization and lingering aftertaste after the film ends."

Lu Kuan closed the script and handed it back to him: "Why did you suddenly think of becoming a director?"

"Not just a director, but writing, directing, and starring myself!" Jielun was a bit more cocky in front of his friend: "This is all thanks to you; you were the one who found me to act in *Whiplash* back then."

"I've been observing while shooting MVs these past few years; although it can't compare to the complexity of a film, I've finally accumulated some lens language and narrative experience."

"I just want to... give it a try?"

Boss Lu smiled: "It's common for singers to develop in multiple fields. Actually, it's quite good for you to play roles with high compatibility, but if you want to shoot a movie, and this one specifically..."

He frowned and pondered for a few seconds: "If you want to shoot this movie properly, the investment won't be lower than 12 million."

"Yeah, I've considered that, thinking about finding someone to invest." Zhou Jielun had this conventional idea; who uses their own money to practice?

In the past two years, major music platforms have sprung up like bamboo shoots after rain, and singers' copyright-related income has visibly plummeted.

Except for top-tier artists like Zhou Jielun who have additional channels like endorsements, commercial performances, and concerts, small and medium-sized singers and those doing it for love have basically changed careers or starved to death.

"Alright, don't bother, leave it to Wenjie."

Boss Lu naturally never leaves empty-handed; this *Secret* is mediocre in all aspects, but Jielun's traffic effect is too strong, making it a blue-chip stock.

Last year's *November's Chopin* sold about 3 million copies, still the Asian sales champion; the so-called "Once the Nocturne plays, go on stage to receive the award" happened at the 2006 Chinese Music Awards ceremony.

If *Secret* is placed in the hands of the highly professional Wenjie Holdings in this life, the returns will only be maximized.

"If you insist on being a director, I'll assign you an assistant director, or you can go learn from Xue Xiaolu after *Curse of the Golden Flower* wraps up."

"She is preparing to shoot *Those Years*, the subject matter is similar to your script, and the tricks of commercial films are all the same."

Zhou Jielun nodded thoughtfully: "That's good, I'll go to your place for some advanced training."

Boss Lu nodded: "You use your acting fee and script as a stake, counting it as a joint production between JVR and Wenjie; you don't need to worry about any subsequent film matters."

Besides the box office, *Secret* also has considerable derivative income from things like the sale of audiovisual products.

Coupled with Zhou Jielun's popularity in Southeast Asia and all of Asia, Wenjie Golden Harvest and the Pan-Asia Film Academy's Japanese and Korean partners can all become aids to distribution, and the income should be quite considerable.

Looking at Gong Li in the studio, with her empress-like aura of "who else but me," Jielun whispered: "Hey, how about you give me some acting tips later?"

"Can't Director Zhang teach you?"

"No, Director Zhang is good, but our communication isn't very smooth, plus Gong Li's acting in our scenes together is really too..."

Boss Lu glared: "She is the first-generation 'Zhang Girl,' you are the first-generation 'Lu Wolf,' how are you worse than her?"

"Jielun, you can't embarrass me!"

Zhou Jielun touched his nose, a little embarrassed.

However, the little heavenly king was far from the green look he had in 2002, and immediately retorted: "A 'Zhang Girl' should naturally be played by a 'Lu Girl,' right? It would be more appropriate if you let Yifei take the stage!"

"Is it that you can't order her around?"

Lin Ying, Shen Wei, and others who had gathered around to watch the fun all laughed, and the set was filled with a happy atmosphere.

Zhou Jielun saw Boss Lu smiling and playing dead without answering, and just as he wanted to tease him a few more times, the floor manager's megaphone sounded: "Next scene, the princes' audience at the Chrysanthemum Terrace, please prepare."

"I'm going, if you have time later, help me take a look, I'll find you for pointers after the scene."

"Alright, go."

In the great hall, four spotlights hung on the steel cable net, and the tungsten filaments seeped out honey-colored light halos through the soft light cloth, dyeing the entire Hall of Supreme Harmony's stone terrace amber; Zhang Yimou's unique color ability was fully displayed, and the Olympic group members were all full of admiration.

It was just a pity that the acting of the several princes in this big scene was far less sharp than the shadows of the glazed tiles on the eaves, and they began to NG frequently.

Qin Junjie and Liu Ye's parts were not too difficult, and their completion was acceptable.

It was mainly Jielun, who had his character image revised according to Boss Lu's suggestion, who couldn't quite grasp it.

He was suitable for Fujiwara Takumi or that green, romantic, mysterious, and artistic character in *Secret*.

Just like Wang Yuyan, Little Dragon Maiden, and Zhao Linger when Little Liu debuted, playing oneself never goes too wrong.

From *Whiplash* to last year's *Initial D*, this little heavenly king's main job was still a singer, and saying he was stagnant in acting would be a compliment.

The creative group members had already returned to the studio to continue working, but from time to time, they could hear Zhang Yimou's intercom voice: "Cut! One more take." "Jielun, the eyes! The details!"

Boss Lu was organizing a discussion when suddenly the crew's assistant director, Cheng Xiaodong, walked in with an embarrassed expression.

"Lu... Director Lu, Director Zhang asked me to invite you over."

"What's wrong?"

Cheng Xiaodong smiled apologetically: "After Jielun's character was enhanced, he might have some small deviations in his understanding, and Director Zhang would like to trouble you to go and give some acting tips."

Before Boss Lu could speak, the most lively Ma Wen teased: "Director Lu, I now seriously suspect that Director Zhang let us work on the crew just to mooch off you, this free brain worker."

"Hahaha!"

Cai Guoqiang, Shen Wei, and others also shook their heads with bitter smiles; they had just finished discussing the first part of the art performance—the "Splendid Civilization" of ancient China.

They were worrying about the second part, what theme to use to display the "Glorious Era" of modern China.

Now you want to take away everyone's backbone, how can this work?

The painter Chen Danqing had the most rebellious temper: "This won't do, right? Both general directors have gone to film, how can we push this work forward?"

The musician Chen Qigang was also a bit dissatisfied: "Exactly, Director Lu just led us to talk about the key points, and you..."

Zhang Jigang and Chen Weiya looked at each other, both sighing in their hearts.

Unknowingly, the influence and leadership of this young director could already be seen from the scene before them.

Not to mention others, even this pair of troublemakers themselves had to admit now that some teams cannot function without a soul.

At least in this creative team of more than twenty people, only Zhang Yimou and Lu Kuan could frequently provide ideas, reasonably and soundly judge the quality of programs, and evaluate the actual scene effects and feasibility.

The latter, because of his forward-looking perspective from later generations, always had a broader and more divergent vision.

These were all years of artistic accumulation and talent.

Boss Lu pondered for a few seconds, soothing the restless Chen Danqing and others: "I'll go take a look first, everyone please stay calm."

Everyone looked at each other in dismay, only Ma Wen smiled and stood up: "Let's go, let's go join the fun; being idle is being idle anyway."

"Maybe Director Lu can help solve the problem, and if things go south, he can just drag Director Zhang back along with him!"

Everyone let out a muffled laugh, once again transforming into a crowd of filming observers, swarming out.

In the studio, Zhou Jielun was dressed in armor, his gaze slightly dull as he listened to Zhang Yimou continue to lecture him.

"Jielun, the feeling is still not right. The complexity and modernity of this character have been increased now; you need to connect..."

"Director, Director Lu is here."

Zhang Yimou turned his head, joy instantly appearing on his terracotta-warrior-like face: "Oh! Hurry, hurry!"

He pulled Lu Kuan over and started chatting: "This scene is the three princes meeting the old Emperor. All three have ulterior motives, and because their mindsets differ, their expressions are all different."

"You revised the script, and Jielun is your old partner, so I'll have to trouble you!"

Zhang Yimou had reached the point of giving up on appearances; he didn't treat Lu Kuan as an outsider. After finishing, he sat down in front of the monitor and drank water from a large tea mug.

It seemed that explaining the scene just now had taken quite a bit of effort.

Lu Kuan couldn't help but laugh; you, a thick-browed and big-eyed Zhang Yimou, have also become a deadbeat!

Zhou Jielun smiled sheepishly, wanting to say something, but the young director waved his hand, first letting the cameraman play the failed takes from just a moment ago for him.

To the side, the young actors Qin Junjie and Golden Horse Best Actor Liu Ye, as well as Zhou Runfa—who would later disguise himself as a philanthropist—all watched him intently.

The latter gestured to his assistant, signaling them to prepare some fruit in the trailer; this was the big-star treatment he had demanded from the *Curse of the Golden Flower* production team when signing the contract.

He was curious about this young director with such a reputation, but he didn't think much of him; he figured this delay would take quite a while.

You tell him to add scenes for Zhou Jielun, but can he act them out after they're added?

A waste of effort!

Lu Kuan rubbed his chin while watching the failed takes without speaking; it wasn't that this scene was hard to explain, but that he was considering how to explain it with the highest cost-effectiveness.

In other words, he was thinking about how to explain it to most quickly liberate Zhou Jielun and Zhang Yimou, as well as himself, so everyone could go do what they needed to do...

An experienced director naturally has vastly different guidance methods for different actors.

Simply put, it's giving artistic conception to veterans and giving paths to novices.

When explaining scenes to actors like Liang Chaowei and Li Xuejian, a director must not only avoid saying too much but must instead leave as much space for them as possible.

This can provide more possibilities for the character, leaving room for excellent actors to create.

For example, in *The Grandmaster*, Wang Jiawei said to Liang Chaowei: "Gong Er is like a shadow in your heart; this glance must carry the weight of a final farewell."

Liang Chaowei only adjusted the force of his fingers touching the door frame to convey even more complex emotions.

When dealing with mature actors, such as the current Little Liu who barely meets this standard, one must give her clear dramatic conflicts and provide logical fulcrums.

For example, in *Better Days*, Zeng Guoxiang instructed the little yellow duck: "The tears after being bullied cannot fall; they must be held back in the eye sockets—this is Chen Nian's final stubbornness."

This sentence can also be said to externalize a psychological state through physiological reactions, but not all actors can understand that, right?

When dealing with non-professional extras, explaining the scene is even simpler; usually, the assistant director takes over: "Don't think about acting; just repeat the way you argued with someone at the restaurant yesterday!"

Then how do you explain it to an entry-level actor like Zhou Jielun, who comes from a singer background and has almost no formal training?

You must not only explain the logic and the path but also tell him directly how to act.

This type of newcomer actor needs the straightforward, concrete instruction of "clench your fist three times and then release."

"Jielun, Yuan Jie is not a simple, loyal, and filial prince; he is a victim alienated by imperial power. In this scene, you must at least express three layers of personality masks."

The surrounding actors and crew members were all stunned; this explanation is different from what Director Zhang just said, right?

The first half was the same, but the second half was missing.

"The first layer is the martial dignity amidst the clashing of armor; the second layer is the posture of a filial son when lowering your eyes; the third layer is what was added to the script later: the rebellious instinct of someone unwilling to be manipulated."

Lu Kuan gave him two minutes to chew on and understand, then immediately fed the meal right to his mouth.

"The first two layers are easy to talk about; they are the base color of your character, an image the audience can perceive through your costume and makeup, but the last point requires some craftsmanship and detailed creativity from the actor."

"I'll suggest a few details for you to reference and apply yourself."

The young director took the sword from Zhou Jielun's hand and instantly switched to the state of a Berlin Best Actor.

"The white knuckles when gripping the sword hilt—that's a detail, right? Imagine every time you kneel, the stinging pain of the golden armor digging into your knees is a reminder—this military merit is your only bargaining chip."

"Also, when the Emperor hints at stripping you of military power while praising your sword tassel, your action of tidying the tassel should be like stroking a lover's hair, but your fingers should be slightly stiff; this is the sudden appearance of the murderous intent deep in your heart."

"Additionally, when he tells you to rise, try letting your right shoulder blade sink two centimeters before you stand up; this subtle muscle control will create a visual residue of hesitation, allowing the audience to catch the hint of the rift between father and son."

None of the three detailed suggestions were of very high difficulty.

Except for the last one, which perhaps requires years of formal training like Liu Yifei to handle with ease.

But these few words of enlightenment exploded in Jielun's ears, not only allowing him to quickly grasp the key points but also leaving Zhou Runfa, who was to the side, listening in shock and uncertainty.

This kind of performance guidance is no different from cramming for an actor.

Even if he doesn't understand, just imitating the movements mentioned a few times would look decent. You can't give this level of design without being proficient in acting and directing.

The layered guidance system respects the laws of performance and also reflects the director's precise control over creative material.

A good director must be able to act as a translator for actors, converting abstract intentions into performance nutrients they can swallow.

The artists of the Olympic creative team also clicked their tongues in admiration; a great reputation is well-deserved. The more they interacted with this young director, the more they discovered his overflowing talent.

The happiest one was Zhang Yimou. He let Jielun rehearse a few times by himself, gave the cameraman instructions on a few close-up motion captures he had just mentioned, and then started filming.

One take, two takes for safety, three takes and it's a wrap.

Applause erupted throughout the studio, encouraging Jielun and also the young director who had solved the problem so effortlessly.

By the side of the studio, Yang Mi looked at the company's big star who had come to visit the set with curiosity.

She had only had half an hour from the phone call notifying her to her arrival!

It was clearly a case of "the drunkard's heart is not in the cup," and she was even using her as a cover!

Fan Bingbing chatted idly with her cover, Yang Mi; her target was naturally the young director she hadn't seen in months.

*Protégé*, a collaboration between Wenjie and Yinghuang, had just wrapped, and she couldn't wait to rush over.

It was just that today was different from the past.

From the mental enslavement and torture after the birthday incident to watching his frequent interactions with Liu Yifei over these past few months, the impact in Fan Bingbing's heart could no longer be described by a simple bitterness.

Under the Manhattan Fox Center, that one sentence he said in front of the whole world, "I am pursuing her," simply made her mad with jealousy!

Fan Bingbing's knuckles unconsciously rubbed the tea stains on the rim of her thermos, the tip of her tongue pressing against the crack in the throat lozenge in her mouth, her thoughts drifting away.

Just now, watching Lu Kuan explain the scene to Zhou Jielun, the big star couldn't help but recall the past events on the set of *Shoplifters* three years ago, which were still vivid in her mind.

The image of that man as a tyrant, poking at the storyboard manuscript with a pencil and roaring, the splashed coffee leaving brown stains on the A4 paper.

He could always carve severity that pointed straight to the heart into art; even the parabola of the script seemed like a meticulously designed camera movement trajectory.

"Sister Bingbing?"

"Hmm?"

The big star came back to her senses, looking at Yang Mi with a normal expression: "Director Zhang's crew, why is Director Lu also on set giving guidance?"

Yang Mi explained with a smile: "He helped revise some of Zhou Jielun's character's scenes; the character's chain of actions was a bit complex, so he was invited to help out."

"Oh."

Fan Bingbing watched him lead a group of people toward a tent next to the set, coughed, and prepared to go over to say hello, but was suddenly pulled back by Yang Mi.

"Sister Bingbing, you can't go over there."

"What do you mean?"

"Director Lu is leading people in a discussion about the Olympic plan. Didn't you see those security guards surrounding it tightly? Besides Director Zhang, only Cheng Xiaodong can go over there from the crew."

Fan Bingbing said "Oh" with an expressionless face, then immediately looked at Yang Mi with a blooming smile: "Mimi, where is the crew staying tonight? I'm not leaving today; I'm going directly to Lin'an tomorrow to attend an event."

Yang Mi naturally told her everything: "Sister Bingbing, we are staying at the VIP Building."

The quick-witted Big Mimi then probed: "But the VIP Building is basically full. How about you take the trouble and stay in a room with me?"

"The company helped open a suite, and it's quite large."

"Oh, I won't trouble you; if it's full, I'll go stay in the city."

Big Mimi slandered in her heart, it really has to be a big star like this who dares to fight and kill.

She herself had been doing psychological construction for more than ten days in silence, and even now, she hadn't dared to knock on Director Lu's door.

People just came charging over brazenly, seemingly without any scruples at all.

Really none?

At least Fan Bingbing didn't think so in her heart.

Even if it was under the guise of visiting the company's little flower Yang Mi and getting familiar with the great director Zhang Yimou.

But if he hadn't nodded, would she have dared to come?

Recalling how she bet everything and released her crazy ambition at the birthday banquet, it started with a lose-lose situation with Liu Yifei.

She was forced to hand over leverage that could be pushed into the abyss at any time.

Liu Yifei also went far away due to an almost irreparable emotional rift.

But what about now?

She had perfectly executed that man's plan and officially established her status within Huayi.

Besides the core director Feng Xiaogang, among the artists, she was the one who brought her own fashion resources and commercial value, obtained the most shares, and was still continuing to scheme.

Look at herself today: the peerless elegance at international film festivals, the bright and stunning presence in front of the podium.

The one and only among Huayi's female artists, the modern queen of the domestic entertainment fashion world.

It seemed that the purpose of her night raid on Jiangsu Province in 2002, where she sacrificed everything to him in the hotel, had almost all been achieved.

Only the future that Lu Kuan had painted for her in front of the floor-to-ceiling window at the Ideal International Building that night remained, a future that allowed for infinite imagination.

A future where she transformed from an actor into capital, allowing her to complete a class leap and ride on the heads of everyone who had bullied her.

But looking back suddenly, it was just like that line from *The Queen of the Guillotine* he had given her.

She herself had also paid a great price.

How could a prominent and ambitious leading actress be content with such a slow suicide?

To her, that man was the guarantee of everything; she dared not let go, and even less did she want to.

It was just that after those inhuman mental tortures, Fan Bingbing’s current mindset was even more humble, and she only dared to probe cautiously...

Lu Kuan did not know she had already arrived, and continued to preside over the discussion with Zhang Yimou, who had just finished filming this climactic scene.

The discussions during this period had actually been under the control of the young director, because he understood best the feasibility and practical effects of some of the programs.

It was just that sometimes it was not very convenient to leak spoilers in advance.

For example, the *fou* (earthenware drum) for the "Singing to the Beat of the Fou" program was now being generally opposed by the team.

Professor Xu Jiahua of the Shanghai Theatre Academy stated that the *Book of Changes·Li* (Hexagram 30) states: "When the sun sets, if one does not beat the *fou* and sing, then one will lament the death of the great elder; it is ominous."

This passage reflects the folk customs of the time, meaning that for an elder about to pass away, people would beat the *fou* and sing to soothe the elder and wish the dying a smooth journey.

Since it is an ominous instrument, how could it be used at the opening ceremony?

He then proposed using the *zhu*, a percussion instrument that is square and played with a wooden stick, used in court ritual music.

The *zhu* is a symbol of elegance, representing the meaning of a beginning, and is more appropriate than the *fou* in both connotation and extension.

Lu Kuan could not stop the clamor of the crowd, so he just let them argue for now; in any case, the final conclusion would have to be repeatedly established and overturned.

He knew that people would not cherish things obtained too easily; only by throwing out ideas when they were at their wits' end could he make the final decision and accelerate the creative group's work.

Boss Lu coordinated the discussion: "Since Professor Xu has already asked ancient musical instrument experts to research it, let's hurry to the next question, which I believe is a very important one."

"If the opening ceremony plan is the two halves of a poem, everyone has obviously noticed that our first half, depicting the ancient 'Splendid Civilization,' is excellent, but what about the second half?"

The prototype of the plan submitted to the leaders for the opening ceremony had already been determined, or rather, it was undoubtedly going to expound on the cultural thread from the two perspectives of ancient China and modern China.

But what was somewhat awkward was that there were so many core elements of ancient Chinese culture that it even caused difficulty in choosing.

However, the modern part was somewhat lackluster, lacking top achievements of human civilization like bronze ware, the Four Great Inventions, Chinese characters, or traditional Chinese painting.

Zhang Yimou nodded in agreement: "Movies, articles, and galas are all the same; the first 10% and the last 10% are the most important."

"If we cannot produce the same standard in the second half for modern China as we did in the first half, it will undoubtedly give people the impression of being top-heavy, which would be a failure for our director team and a failure for the entire creative group."

Everyone in the conference room remained silent, and indeed, no one had a very good solution.

Historical reasons caused the decline of modern Chinese culture; it is only in the last thirty years that we have just stepped onto the world stage and begun to stand among the nations of the world.

Lu Kuan lowered his head and pondered without speaking, letting everyone's thoughts ferment.

For him, in the opening ceremony bid, the Wenjie team had chosen independent innovation and did not copy the programs of the later Beijing Olympics, which were the culmination of all achievements.

The reason for participating in this bidding with dignity was not because Boss Lu was aloof.

It was because he truly regarded the Olympics as a bottleneck for breaking through his directing career, seeking an opportunity to reach a higher level under the terrifying pressure of thought.

Looking back today, the opening ceremony of the later Beijing Olympics can still be said to have been stunning and unprecedented under the technological level of that time.

Perhaps if one were to remove the "one of" from "one of the most outstanding opening ceremonies in history," from an objective point of view, it would not cause too much opposition.

That year, a total of 1.1 billion people worldwide watched the live broadcast, and the ratings for NBC in the United States reached as high as 21.5%, setting a record for the highest ratings for a non-domestic Olympic opening ceremony.

The BBC said it was the most spectacular performance in human history;

The French newspaper *L'Équipe* believed that Beijing had redefined the possibilities of an opening ceremony;

International Olympic Committee President Rogge praised it as incomparable and unique.

But was it really flawless?

The topic raised by the young director today that left everyone silent was precisely the biggest flaw!

Throughout the first half, the extremely rich and splendid cultural elements of the ancestors gave the artists room for free creation.

2,008 martial artists beat the *fou* like thunder, the sound of bronze piercing through time and space;

The movable type phalanx rose and fell like waves, the evolution of the character "He" (Harmony) reviving the soul of Chinese characters in mechanical rhythm;

The giant LED scroll unfurled a landscape of ink and wash, dancers splashed ink, activating the five-thousand-year civilization code between reality and illusion;

The Taiji circle formation flowed like cosmic star tracks, combining hardness and softness to interpret Eastern philosophy.

This ultimate dialogue between the classical and the modern, using extreme technology and craftsmanship, allowed the world to understand the magnificent genes and poetic soul of Chinese civilization within 50 minutes.

But what about the second half?

The program "Starlight" featured 2,008 actors wearing silver costumes embedded with LED lights, forming a "Cosmic Galaxy" phalanx, simulating the flow of stars and the rotation of the galaxy through light changes.

The imagery was too abstract and lacked concrete cultural anchors.

The program "Nature" featured 2,008 dancers in green forming a "Bird's Nest" shape, simulating natural imagery such as birds, forests, and rivers through physical movements.

The environmental theme was expressed quite directly, lacking the narrative depth of "conveying the Dao through technique" like the "Scroll" in the first half.

Including the "Dream" program, where Lang Lang played the piano with a projection of smiling faces drawn by 1,000 children in the background, it had warmth but lacked impact.

It was too top-heavy, and the rhythm was quite sluggish.

For Lu Kuan, who held great artistic ambition, it was also so that his participation could make this life's Beijing Olympics better.

His main job was to use his forward-looking vision and techniques that combined technology and art, similar to those in science fiction films, to make the second half of the opening ceremony fuller and more lingering, taking the overall effect to a higher level.

At the conference table in the studio, Boss Lu successively rejected the initial creative ideas of the three programs mentioned above; he did not want the artists present to walk into a dead end.

Zhang Jigang could not help but speak up: "Director Lu, why don't you share your thoughts?"

He was not nitpicking; the team had really racked their brains over this problem for the past few days, and this was the time to reflect the ability of the chief director and chief planner.

You either give everyone an anchor point for divergent thinking, or directly give your own rough ideas for artists in different fields to supplement and perfect, and finally have technical talents like Lin Ying evaluate the feasibility.

"I do have an idea at the moment, let everyone listen to it first."

Everyone sat up straight.

"This program is called 'Ten Thousand Homes' Lights,' using telescopic stages and miniature model theaters to raise hundreds of 1:100 scale city blocks in the center of the venue, with each block displaying different scenes through micro-projections."

"For example, an old man in a Beijing-style courtyard listening to the Olympic live broadcast on a radio, a young person in a Shanghai alley watching Liu Xiang's race in an internet cafe, a factory worker in Pengcheng filming fireworks with a Nokia phone..."

"At the end, all the 'city blocks' rise, revealing a giant wall of smiling faces composed of extras below, referencing the opening ceremony smile photos, but changed to real-time filming of the live audience projected onto the ground screen."

Others were still thinking, but Zhang Yimou's eyes lit up the more he heard: "This is a super-large-scale multi-voice and split-screen montage!"

Chen Weiya slapped the table: "The giant wall of smiling faces echoes the opening ceremony smile pictures we agreed upon; Director Lu, this is the loop of the two halves of a Song poem, in your movies it's called..."

"It's called circular narrative." Zhang Jigang also looked very excited: "I agree with this plan; one of the slogans of our Olympics is the Humanistic Olympics, and 'Ten Thousand Homes' Lights' focuses on people's lives, which fits this concept."

Ma Wen is an artist from New York, and her perspective is quite international: "Actually, modern Western society still has prejudices about the confrontation between authoritarianism and the individual in the mainland; the micro-narrative of this program is excellent and very easy to resonate with."

The artists became more and more excited as they spoke, and fireworks master Cai Guoqiang took the lead in applauding; Boss Lu waved his hand to signal everyone to stop the flattery for now.

"Let's talk about technical issues."

"I have been arranging for the technical team of Butian Film to search for and file international cutting-edge art technology; at the beginning of this year, Sega in Japan launched a holographic projection theater."

"For the 'city blocks' I just mentioned, let's see if it can be realized by holographic projection first; if the world's top technology can't do it now, then we will consider the combination of Barco's water curtain technology and LED liquid crystal."

Boss Lu turned to Lin Ying and Lu Jiankang: "Could you two please contact the relevant companies as soon as possible and confirm the technical parameters via fax?"

"If there is a need for hardware facility construction at the venue at that time, we must notify the Bird's Nest construction party as soon as possible."

Lin Ying and the other nodded in agreement.

Zhang Yimou smiled and concluded: "I have been imagining the actual scene of this program in my mind just now."

"Avoiding grand industrial narratives, focusing on the changes in the lives of ordinary Chinese people in the 2000s, from hutong courtyards to high-rise communities, from bicycle flows to the popularity of mobile phones, showing the era's style of 'people-oriented'."

"Director Lu, give this program an introduction? When reporting, we need to let the leaders see the connotation at a glance."

Boss Lu pondered for two seconds: "A micro-epic of the moderately prosperous society and the digital age, how about that?"

The presentation of national policies through technical means also takes into account the emotional resonance of people around the world.

Applause rang out again, and it was passed unanimously.

There are only 3-4 programs in the modern part of the second half, and now that we have the first one, with this idea of combining technology and modernity, I believe the artists' thinking will diverge very quickly.

In fact, Boss Lu still has two pre-plans in his heart, but they involve spoilers from a transmigrator, so he needs to wait for the time to approach; he cannot mention them yet.

He can only proceed step by step, slowly guiding everyone onto the right path.

The discussion of the creative group here was in full swing, while on the other side, the sky was getting dark, and Yang Mi, who had finished filming and finished work, was having a battle between heaven and man in her heart.

Her sister Bingbing was staying at another high-end hotel in Hengdian, and the purpose was self-evident.

Da Mimi was somewhat unwilling; she had hesitated for so long and did not have the courage to truly offer herself, yet her fellow apprentice was about to get there first.

The clever she could not help but let her imagination run wild: were those fashion resources of Fan Bingbing that made any female star in the domestic entertainment industry jealous grafted from this young director?

She naturally did not know that Bingbing had paid the price of having her soul imprisoned and bought, and took it for granted that her fresh, sexy body and extraordinary courage should also be able to climb this ladder to heaven.

Before leaving the crew, Yang Mi glanced at the residence of the Olympic creative group, which was still brightly lit, and returned to the hotel in a daze.

In the bathroom, Da Mimi, who had just finished taking a shower, wiped the water stains off her body with a heavy heart. Touching her tender skin and heavy breasts, she remembered the ambiguous and romantic time in the linen room last year, and could not help but touch herself.

The water vapor wound into transparent vines on the mirror. She stretched out her index finger and hooked an arc in the misty fog, looking at herself in the mirror.

The corners of her eyes, flushed by the heat, were stained with begonia color, her damp long hair curled on her shoulders, and the water droplets falling from the tips of her hair were slowly sliding down along the depression of her collarbone...

Where exactly is this person in the mirror worse than Liu Yifei?

She just relied on knowing Lu Kuan earlier!

Why should I put myself in the most passive role of sexual exchange as soon as I come up?

That is the richest man! That is a genius director!

Why can't I get him with dignity and stand together openly?

She saw Bingbing's caution and fear on the set today, and the quick-witted Da Mimi was somewhat resistant to such subservience from the bottom of her heart.

She thought she should at least try.

A man would not be furious or put a girl to death just because she threw herself into his arms, right?

At most, it would be heartless play and rejection.

But as soon as this thought arose, a pretty face appeared in her mind without exception.

How to overcome this mountain of Liu Yifei?

Yang Mi suddenly had a very dangerous thought, yet she seemed to feel a sense of psychological security, like being in the blind spot of a lamp.

She walked out of the bathroom stark naked, tiptoeing with a slight tremble.

She then took out another mobile phone from her bag, one whose number no one knew, and from her main phone, she looked up the number labeled "Bestie Liu Yifei" and began to compose a text message...

(End of chapter)