Chapter 334: Media Open Day, Little Liu Shows Off

As expected, the grand opening ceremony on August 1st was frantically reported and reprinted by the media, both at home and abroad.

*The New York Times* Arts section headline: Chinese genius director Lu Kuan sets his sights on the Oscars! After the Venice Golden Lion and Berlin Golden Bear, can *Sky of History* take the crown at the big three again?

BBC Documentary Channel exclusive interview: A rare marriage between the historical and film communities—an advisory group composed of 27 international scholars, where even the Japanese military belt buckles were verified by a professor of military history from Kyoto University.

*The Hollywood Reporter* spent considerable space describing the massive scale of this film:

A historical biographical film with an investment of nearly 50 million USD; we are once again shocked by the magnificent scope of an Eastern director!

It is reported that the Sino-US co-production *Sky of History* officially began filming yesterday, and reporters obtained astonishing data from the film's production team.

The entire crew will employ nearly ten thousand extras, features a translation team covering as many as 10 languages, and filming locations span across China, Europe, and the United States.

If one wants to catch a glimpse of this terrifying film machine from the sidelines, perhaps the three large canteens at the Nanjing Women's University set location can offer a glimpse.

The Sino-US co-production mentioned by *The Hollywood Reporter* was a small trick played by Boss Lu; Miramax in North America provided a small portion of the funding, facilitating the birth of the co-production status.

The reason for doing this was primarily to allow this film, with its slightly sensitive subject matter, to integrate quickly into the North American market; inviting the two Best Actor and Actress winners, Hanks and Moore, was also for this purpose.

Through the method of Sino-US cooperation, the Eastern cultural perspective can be combined with the Western cultural perspective, allowing the film to satisfy Chinese audiences' identification with historical authenticity and local culture while also conforming to the cultural aesthetics and viewing habits of audiences in the United States and other countries, thereby reducing cultural barriers and increasing audience acceptance.

Secondly, for a film with a subject like the massacre, carrying the label of a co-production can also present content from a broader international perspective, meeting the requirements of international jurors for the depth and breadth of the film's theme, and increasing the possibility of receiving award recognition.

Furthermore, the relationship between Miramax's Harvey and Boss Lu, as well as his own close relationship with Guanhai, Hillary, and other Democratic figures, is also conducive to safeguarding the film's subsequent release.

French *Le Figaro* Arts column:

The epic ambition of an Eastern Plutarch! The Lu Kuan team recreated the 1937 streetscape in Nanjing at a 1:1 scale; the barbed wire for the safety zone alone consumed 3 tons of historical-grade steel.

Even more astonishing is that they scoured Berlin for century-old typewriters and pocket watches donated by the Rabe family, with the wear on every key matching the depth of the ink in the original diaries.

The accompanying photo is a silhouette of Liu Yifei wearing white gloves, touching Rabe's diary, with sunlight passing over her thin shoulder blades to cast a shadow on the "Hundred-Man Kill" report.

The tone of the French media is always exaggerated, just like how Agence France-Presse portrayed us as the dawn of an empire, but it served as excellent publicity for the film.

German *Der Spiegel* in-depth investigation:

We tracked the crew's procurement list in Germany—Type 12 Showa pistols recreated by a Munich arsenal (blank cartridges prohibited, only firing sound effects retained), Weimar-era optical lenses provided by Heidelberg University (used to restore the perspective of war correspondents), and even Leica film produced in 1937.

It can be said that from the perspective of historical restoration, this Eastern director is uniquely ingenious; we look forward to the birth of this film and hope our Chairman can bring it to Berlin.

There was also a large amount of media coverage in the Japanese homeland, with *Yomiuri Shimbun* featuring a controversial page:

Certain forces are using the film to distort history—the Japanese scum descendants' association held a press conference to display so-called "soldiers' letters home during the Nanjing Campaign."

Right-wing elements hung banners at the Tokyo Imperial Cinema: "Refuse the entry of demonizing films!"

The Eastern genius director, who has been famous in Japan since *The Drummer*, has a huge number of fans on the island; whether it is Takeshi Kitano or Hirokazu Kore-eda, they are full of affirmation for his artistic genius.

Especially after conducting transnational education through the Pan-Asian Film Academy, Japan's Toho Co., Ltd. provided more support as an ally.

Therefore, *Tangshan* was able to explode in popularity within Japan, breaking the record previously set by *Red Dust*.

Many of the previous advocates of Boss Lu as the "Empire's Hexagonal Warrior" defected, accusing him of disregarding facts and hurting the feelings of the Japanese people.

"Haven't we suffered enough sanctions! Is there any other country in the world that has been hit by two atomic bombs? Why does even my favorite Lu-san have to do this kind of thing!"

However, Boss Lu also has many supporters.

"Don't we also film the tragedy of atomic bombs and incendiary bombs ourselves? Why can't Lu-san, as a Chinese person, film a massacre movie? Support Asia's next Akira Kurosawa!"

The most ironic thing is that a large number of idle Japanese middle-aged housewives flooded the internet, becoming the young director's first guard of honor on the island.

"Please shut up! Don't let Lu-san think that we Japanese are all like this; we are a peace-loving fan group of beautiful girls!"

"Lu-san! Please bring your film to Japan again! Our Lu's Sisterhood has prepared your favorite Chinese bento for you!"

With the public opinion on foreign websites being chaotic, Boss Lu was still more concerned about the situation on the domestic network.

As expected, many rhythm-driving posts appeared with the tone of "Spending 400 million to let foreigners watch us get beaten? Better to build an aircraft carrier!"

There was no lack of high-level professors from Tsinghua and Peking University, and so-called senior reporters from Southern-affiliated media speaking out, questioning this young director for tearing open the nation's scars just to make money.

It's just that it doesn't seem to have strong organization yet.

But Boss Lu knew that this was just the calm before the storm; the day the film is released will be the time when the battle of public opinion from all sides begins.

Fortunately, whether it is the industrial layout in China or North America, or through Li Meijing and Toho of the Pan-Asian Film Academy alliance, he can exert strong influence.

He would just deal with each move as it came.

The "Wealthy Flower of the Human World" went back at night and talked on the phone with Lu Zheng for three hours, the latter strongly urging her to leave the crew, asking why she should suffer such grievances.

However, their side didn't really have a good way to manipulate or produce suitable resources to exchange with Boss Lu.

Jing Tian remembered the scene at the premiere of *Tangshan* where she was shocked by Zhou Xun and her acting skills, and finally decided to "endure the humiliation," and properly meet this Liu Yifei!

At the Li Shou residence in Xiangjiang, it was she herself who had bragged about wanting to be an actress, rather than blindly pursuing fame.

To shrink back because of such a small matter would be tantamount to confirming the claim that the genius director looked down on her.

Lu Zheng, who did the opposite, also breathed a sigh of relief; if this young lady really left in a fit of anger, besides Lu Kuan, could anyone else in the domestic entertainment industry be more capable of promoting people?

The next day, Nanjing Normal University rehearsal room.

This place had already been rented by the Olympic creative team for the rehearsal, performance, and improvement of dance programs and creative ideas.

Previously, there were no decent conditions in Hengdian and Wulong; the supporting resources in Nanjing were abundant, and many local artists and old friends from the Nanjing Military Region Art Troupe visited every day, making it very lively.

At six in the morning, the mirrors in the dance studio were still covered with a thin mist.

Liu Yifei was wearing tight training clothes, standing gracefully on the wooden floor.

Her arches were very high, and when her insteps were tensed, pale blue veins could be seen, like fine ice cracks on porcelain, as she stretched and warmed up on her own.

Since becoming an adult, her daily morning practice mixed with exercise had built an incredibly solid foundation over these years, giving her control over her muscles from head to toe that exceeded that of ordinary people.

These were all powerful weapons and necessary conditions reserved for performance.

Jing Tian pushed the door open, stepping in limited-edition Chanel ballet flats, and the scent of Chanel No. 5 instantly filled the room.

Liu Yifei did not use the cold words from last night, but smiled at her: "You're 5 minutes late."

"I... I bought you water." Jing Tian didn't know if this counted as an excuse.

Young masters and young ladies from wealthy families are much more wicked, but rarely stupid.

Da Tiantian was naturally not wicked, but she was certainly not stupid.

Since Boss Lu had already expressed that she should obey orders and listen to instructions, building a good relationship was naturally the implied meaning.

Moreover, the two had actually been on good terms when they first met, but there had been some friction yesterday because of some "Teacher Lu" or "not Teacher Lu" issue.

But now that didn't exist; Da Tiantian decided to temporarily avoid the sharp edge.

"Thanks, put the water down." Liu Yifei walked over, her pert nose already covered in a little sweat.

Nanjing is one of the furnace cities; in August, it is so hot that even the cicadas are wilting.

Teacher Liu sniffed: "Don't wear perfume tomorrow."

Jing Tian pointed to the sweat on the back of her hand: "But in this weather... after an hour, won't people smell?"

"It's fine these few days, but later there will be situational performances. If I tell you to play Theresa holding an abandoned baby from Rwanda, can you enter the African context of starving people everywhere while smelling the perfume on your body?"

"I..." Da Tiantian stammered: "Understood."

Liu Yifei's beautiful eyes looked her up and down—

Chanel camellia ballet shoes, Tiffany key earrings, and Swarovski rhinestones on the edges of her lace socks.

"Don't you think you look like an insert torn out of a magazine? I told you not to wear makeup or have nail art; don't you know to take off your accessories too?"

Da Tiantian curled her lips, not caring whether she was targeting her or really trying to teach her how to act...

Since she was here, she would make the best of it; take them off!

Teacher Liu lectured: "This classroom was coordinated by Lu Kuan with the Olympic team; we have to leave before 7:30 every day, and their program choreography is confidential."

"So try your best not to be late."

"I have very few scenes this week, so I will teach you the basics, and the rest is up to you. Let's start."

She didn't care if Jing Tian understood or had any questions, and directly told her to stand in front of the mirror with her.

"The content you need to learn comes from Grotowski's training method in *Towards a Poor Theatre*; it is also called poor theatre."

"The reason I told you to remove all ornaments is that this training method emphasizes digging deep into the potential of the actor's body; it will involve muscle training through various exaggerated and extreme ways, and it would be dangerous for you to wear accessories."

Little Liu was straightforward: "The first lesson is breathing, which is also the foundation of your future line delivery ability. You have practiced dance, so watch my movements first."

The young girl stood with her feet shoulder-width apart and placed her hands above her waist and below her ribs: "The format of breathing training uses combined breathing, also known as abdominal breathing."

"This breathing method can utilize the entire respiratory muscle group of the human body, causing the lung volume to expand comprehensively, which conforms to the laws of physiological movement."

"I will demonstrate it once; you put your hands under my ribs, and as I inhale and exhale, feel the movement of the muscles and bones of the chest, abdomen, and ribs."

Jing Tian said "Oh," and stepped forward to do as told.

Immediately, she opened her eyes in surprise, just like the 2001 Liu Yifei did when she first met Boss Lu in the dance studio of the Changping villa.

She had hired many acting teachers and had heard of the name "combined breathing."

But to truly feel the dynamic changes of human muscles and bones following the monosyllabic pronunciation in Liu Yifei's mouth was still a concrete perception of mysterious acting knowledge.

"Wrong, the rate of inhalation and exhalation is wrong."

"Too slow, again!"

"Let me say it again, control the rate and maintain balance; abdominal breathing involves organ movement, and if you mess it up, it will cause inflammation of the internal organs!"

Little Liu's sharp reprimands and lectures echoed in the rehearsal room; the two domestic entertainment actresses, only one year apart in age, began to sweat profusely in the rehearsal room at Nanjing Normal University.

The crew filmed as scheduled, and progress was smooth.

The combination of Tom Hanks and Moore, the Best Actor and Actress, created more possibilities for permutations and combinations for director Lu Kuan, broadening the artistic realm of many shots.

At the same time, the discussion of the Olympic creative team's program also entered a deep-water zone, and everyone had a scale in their hearts—

They had to report the final plan at Haizi at the beginning of next year; time waits for no one, and everyone had a string tightened in their hearts, not daring to be the slightest bit careless.

At the end of August, the crew welcomed its first media open day.

The special nature of this film's subject matter made the young director worry about the right-wing protesters who had shown signs of causing trouble, so the control was relatively strict.

But generally speaking, a crew with a grand scale and a large number of extras can hardly stop information from leaking.

At the same time, the clamor of outside skepticism, distortion, and misinterpretation had always existed.

The Japanese devils' right wing and the domestic "public intellectuals" and internet trolls they bought off kept up a constant rhythm, like weeds that could never be killed, growing back again with every spring breeze.

To satisfy the intense curiosity from the outside world since the very start of filming, the *History's Sky* production crew was also reasonably utilizing media resources to continuously build hype for the film, and incidentally, to set the record straight; at the end of every month, they would hold centralized media open days and interviews.

Early on the morning of August 24th, over eighty Chinese and foreign media reporters swarmed in, entering in an orderly fashion under the guidance of floor manager Guo Fan.

That’s right, this person, who at the time had been discovered by Boss Lu from among the paperwork, this future big shot of sci-fi films, had officially left his position at Travel Channel and was summoned to the crew to take orders.

However, his main job was to rotate through various departments as an intern.

Guo Fan himself had a rational and rigorous personality, yet he was not lacking in a sense of humor, and he knew how to be flexible when encountering problems; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to pull off the various wild maneuvers to raise funds when preparing *The Wandering Earth* in the future.

Today, the thankless task of dealing with the media naturally fell to him.

"Media friends, please follow me and keep your badges on; this is the only sign of your authorized entry and exit."

"Especially our foreign friends, please be sure to follow the rules during interviews and filming, otherwise your cameras will face inspection and memory clearing, please understand!"

Guo Fan glanced at a few American and Japanese media reporters while practicing courtesy before resorting to force.

If any trouble was going to arise, it would come from them.

The reporter from CCTV-6's *China Film Report*, Ju Wenpei, was an old friend; she followed by Guo Fan's side, enjoying the advantage of proximity.

"Director Guo, when did you take up this post? I haven't seen you much before."

"Me? Just a wage earner. It's normal that you haven't heard of me, Reporter Ju; I'm just a small pawn under Director Lu!"

Ju Wenpei looked him up and down, feeling that this young man was quite humorous: "Director Guo, the crew announcement says that today you will let the media film a segment on set, I wonder if..."

"I don't know about that either, but looking at the call sheet, if you walk along this way, you should be able to catch a scene with Miss Liu."

"Really! That's great!"

Guo Fan laughed: "Shouldn't you reporters be more curious about Tom Hanks and Moore?"

"Oh, please! Best Actor and Best Actress, no matter how you write about them, it's just those same few words. Liu Yifei is different."

"Actually, we've known each other for a long time, but this time she prepared for this movie for such a long time; I followed her blog posts the whole way, and I was especially moved."

"I want to take a good look at her performance today."

Many domestic media members around echoed Ju Wenpei's view; Hanks and Moore were foreign monks, and the scriptures they had to chant had already been chanted enough.

Liu Yifei was, after all, a top-tier young star in the domestic entertainment industry with 13 million followers, and coupled with her unclear and ambiguous relationship with Director Lu Kuan, the buzz was bound to be the highest.

The group walked forward along the street that restored the real scene; the dilapidation of the ruined buildings was shocking, and the noisy chirping of cicadas made people feel even more agitated.

Architecture is frozen art; the 1937 imitation-style buildings, beyond their artistic elements, clearly also contained the weight of history.

Guo Fan had a good way with words, introducing the crew's daily affairs in detail along the way.

A reporter from the Japanese *Eiga Hiho* stumbled over a blue brick on the ground.

"That was fired using Nanjing clay according to a Republic of China recipe; everyone look, it even has the 'Nanjing Construction General Factory' logo stamped on it."

Extras dressed in devil uniforms marched past in formation.

"The uniforms are 100% accurate; even the buttons were recast using molds from the 12th year of the Showa era, and the error in the Mitsubishi logo on the back of each button is no more than 0.5 millimeters."

When the reporters heard Guo Fan mention that even the prop coffee drunk by the devils and other foreign diplomats was the original 1937 Shanghai coffee factory packaging restored by the prop team, apart from exclamations and the sound of shutters, no other discussion could be heard.

The reporter from the devils' *Asahi Shimbun* couldn't help but jot down on paper: This is the top-tier craftsman spirit of Asia's next Akira Kurosawa, worthy of study and respect by all Japanese directors!

Ju Wenpei asked: "For a film with this kind of subject matter, the atmosphere on set should be quite solemn, right?"

Guo Fan hesitated: "It's alright. Everyone knows the significance of the film, but after all, it's still for work, and the actors pour their emotions into their characters."

"The scale of the film dictates that the shooting cycle will be very long; if everyone keeps their nerves taut the whole time, they definitely won't be able to keep going."

"So Director Lu also attaches great importance to soothing everyone's emotions; the crew even has two full-time psychological counselors."

Han Lu from *Sina Entertainment* asked skeptically: "A photo of Miss Liu Yifei was leaked online these past two days, and she looks rather... haggard. Is that a requirement for the character's image in the film?"

Guo Fan walked in front without looking back; these words made his heart skip a beat, and he felt quite emotional and sighing.

Nearly a month into filming, this young actress, who had previously been considered to have conquered the domestic entertainment industry with just her face, had indeed made everyone look at her with new eyes.

At the same time, everyone was also worried about her slightly depressed mental state.

"Yes, Miss Liu is very professional; these are all character requirements."

"You must trust a professional director of Director Lu's level; his ability to control actors is the strongest." When Guo Fan spoke of this young mentor of his, his tone unconsciously carried a bit of respect.

Guo Fan quickly changed the subject: "Let me tell you another interesting story. Mr. Feng Yuan came to the set last week to make a cameo appearance as Rabe's Chinese secretary, Han Xianglin."

"After filming for two days, Mr. Feng wrapped up, and in the evening, Director Lu gathered the crew for a meal."

"Mr. Feng got drunk and kept holding the hands of several Japanese actors, refusing to let go, speaking earnestly and from the bottom of his heart—"

"'Is what you're doing human work? It really shouldn't be! But you are all international friends, able to come and cooperate in filming our movie!'"

"'Being born in a country of villains is not your fault!'"

"It made the few Japanese actors not know whether to laugh or cry; the scene was very comical."

The Chinese media reporters present burst into laughter, having already conceived of writing this little story as a small Easter egg.

Only the devil reporters were a bit sheepish, only taking photos all around to ease the awkwardness.

As they talked, the group arrived at the main filming set for the day, where there was still a large scene with extras that Lu Kuan had left to Zhao Fei to direct.

Guo Fan led the reporters to stand outside the cordon, and several security guards quickly stepped forward, surrounding them in a tight formation. They were especially vigilant against the few foreign media reporters, guarding against them causing trouble to create news and smearing the *History's Sky* crew.

"Everyone, a few requirements."

"You can see that the actors in the scene are already rehearsing their blocking. In a moment, as soon as the director calls 'action' for the first take, everyone must remain quiet and is not allowed to take any more photos!"

"If anyone does not follow the rules, there will be no warnings; you will be removed from the scene immediately. Please understand and cooperate."

The reporters nodded in agreement, loudly promising to cooperate.

Under Boss Lu's instructions, Wenjie had paid close attention to getting along with the media since starting out in the domestic entertainment industry in 2002.

Everyone in the industry knew that Wenjie gave generous travel stipends, the meal standards for the post-interview banquets were high, and for the evening sessions, they would even call taxis from taxi companies for reporters who were inconvenienced, which was very thoughtful.

Plus, directors and artists from the Wenjie system had almost zero scandals in the industry; the company didn't even need to buy press releases, let alone have any conflicts with entertainment reporters.

Oh right, Boss Lu doesn't count, but he doesn't care either.

At the same time, it was widely rumored in the industry that Wenjie managed all domestic entertainment media reporters in tiers—

Those with friendly relations could get front-row seats for interviews, exclusive access to stars and big directors, and advance notice of first-hand news.

Those with a neutral stance didn't matter; the Wenjie media office treated them all the same, with no difference in treatment.

But once they violated the company's interview regulations, media units that maliciously slandered or spread rumors would not only receive warning letters from top-tier entertainment lawyers in the industry but would also be blacklisted.

From then on, for any news regarding any link in the Wenjie film industry chain, the blacklisted media would no longer have the right to interview and would be closely monitored by the legal department year-round.

Just like Guo Fan at this moment, looking at the reporters who were usually like wild monkeys now acting so well-behaved, while admiring Wenjie for setting the standard as a first-class enterprise, he also explained to everyone:

"Today's scene is Liu Yifei playing Ms. Zhang Chunru, visiting the massacre survivor Li Xiuying in Nanjing in 1995."

"This scene is adapted from Ms. Zhang Chunru's notes; she recorded this testimony in her book, and this dialogue restores the real interview scene."

Ju Wenpei and the others nodded frequently, looking at the number one young star of the domestic entertainment industry in the studio, their first reaction was...

She's thin.

The chubby baby fat from when she first debuted at 15 had gradually faded over the past two years.

But in this movie, even compared to when they started filming at the beginning of the month, she seemed to have lost quite a bit of weight, right?

It must be to fit the real character.

Han Lu suddenly asked: "Director Guo, the person next to Miss Liu... is that her light stand-in?"

Guo Fan glanced at her, thinking to himself that she was quite knowledgeable: "Yes."

"What a beautiful girl!"

"Yeah, it's a pity to be a light stand-in; she wouldn't lose to many female stars in the domestic entertainment industry."

The reporter from *Star Bigstar* was suddenly surprised: "Isn't this the one who spent 15 million to buy Director Lu's oil painting at Fashion Bazaar last year..."

"Golden Rose!"

"Right, it's her!"

Everyone was somewhat used to Little Liu's divine beauty, but suddenly discovering a plump and lovely little beauty on set, they were all very interested.

Da Tiantian had also appeared in some news in the domestic entertainment industry and was quickly recognized by the well-informed reporters.

They were all veteran entertainment reporters who had been through many battles; in this instant, no fewer than ten reporters were scribbling in their notebooks!

[Shocking secret hidden behind the sky-high painting! Wealthy heiress goes incognito to chase after famous director, real identity on set exposed!]

[Explosive! Mysterious female billionaire spends millions just to lurk on set! Staging a stand-in battle with top-tier actress!]

[The most expensive human reflector in the domestic entertainment industry! Wealthy heiress's insane operation for love stuns reporters!]

[Famous director's new flame and old love in the same frame! 15 million sky-high painting leads to a shocking love triangle!]

Guo Fan watched from the side with a toothache, but since it wasn't within his jurisdiction, it wasn't easy to force anything for the time being.

A floor manager's loudspeaker sounded in the studio: "Unrelated personnel please leave the set, filming is about to begin!"

A floor manager pushed a mobile large monitor over to the media interview area; the digital transmission rate was very high, a new product Wenjie had just purchased from Italy's Tuschl this year.

"Everyone, just watch the content on this monitor in a moment. We will send this few-minute sample clip to your email after it ends. Please do not take photos and affect the filming."

The beggar-style director Guo Fan waved his hand, emphasizing to the reporters one last time: "Silence, turn off your devices, no photos allowed."

The reporters nodded, all looking at the number one young star of the domestic entertainment industry in the monitor, as well as the young director behind the monitor.

"August 24, 2006, Take 3, Scene 4, Action!"

Inside the studio, a dilapidated old-fashioned Nanjing residence, old photos and a yellowed calendar hung on the wall, and a teapot and a stack of yellowed newspapers were placed on the table.

The ticking of the old-fashioned clock sounded particularly harsh in the studio; the actress playing the elderly Li Xiuying sat on a rattan chair, her hands trembling as she lifted her sleeves, revealing scars.

Liu Yifei leaned in close, her knees pressed into the gaps of the blue brick floor, the edges of her notebook wrinkled from sweat.

She held her breath, watching Li Xiuying's tree-bark-like wrists crawl out of her sleeves inch by inch—that scar was more hideous than she had imagined, like a centipede that had gnawed through the wrinkled flesh.

Liu Yifei was horrified, her pupils suddenly dilated; she thought of the Yangtze River tributaries on the Nanjing map.

"It was especially cold that day..." The old woman's murky eyes welled up with tears, her fingernails digging into the armrest of the rattan chair.

The tape recorder’s cassette rustled as it spun, mixing with the patter of artificial rain outside the window.

Liu Yifei’s fountain pen suddenly poked a hole through the character "two" in "twelve years old," and the ink bled along the paper’s grain into the shape of a bloodstain.

She remembered the photo she had seen at the archives last night: Li Xiuying in 1937 was exactly this age, with ice crystals clinging to her floral cotton-padded jacket.

All the reporters stared, dumbfounded, at this young star of the domestic entertainment industry...

Is this still Wang Yuyan?

Is this still Little Dragon Maiden?

Is this still Lu Xueqi?

Ju Wenpei and the others could not help but look toward Ms. Zhang Chunru, who was tightly surrounded by security at the edge of the set; her facial features aside, the makeup and special effects technology of Wenjie were enough to handle that.

But this temperament and those eyes filled with melancholy and indignation?

When hearing the details, she bit her lower lip hard, tears swirling in her eye sockets but refusing to fall.

And there was this design—whether planned or improvised—of the pen tip piercing through the paper.

Truly breathtaking.

It wasn’t that Little Liu’s acting had truly surpassed that of many veteran actors to reach the pinnacle in the eyes of this group of film reporters.

It was that her age of nineteen and the image labels brought by all her previous roles made everyone have to be astonished: how did such an actress, who could get by just fine on her looks, complete this self-evolution?

As for the reason, everyone could only attribute the answer to that motionless figure behind the monitor.

Of course, there was also the painstaking preparation she had made over the past half-year, which everyone could track on Little Liu’s blog.

The scene in the monitor was still continuing; this long take seemed destined to become a great footnote for this top-tier mainland actress’s transformation.

"Could you let me..." Liu Yifei’s fingertips hovered three inches above the scar, her voice carrying a restrained tremor: "measure the dimensions?"

Academic work requires rigor; even if she could not bear it, this was her mission.

When the cold edge of the ruler touched the old woman’s skin, both of them shrank back simultaneously, as if Liu Yifei were touching a historical wound that had not yet cooled.

"Cut! That’s a wrap!"

There was silence in the studio for a long time; everyone watched Liu Yifei, who had not yet stood up, and the actor from Jinling who was looking at her with heartache, patting her back incessantly.

Liu Yifei stood up, turned to everyone, waved her hand, and returned to the dressing room without saying a word.

The moment the cut was called, the actress’s tears poured down like rain; the blue bricks on the ground were already mottled by the impact of her tears.

Only then did everyone belatedly applaud, paying tribute to this incisive performance.

It’s just that when everyone is concerned about whether you fly high, there are still some who only care about whether you are tired from flying.

Zhang Chunru and Liu Xiaoli watched the inconsolable Liu Yifei and quickly followed her.

Boss Lu sighed slightly in his heart, walked out from behind the monitor, and quickly put on a calm, smiling face.

"Friends of the press, good morning. We will have ten minutes for questions now; please, go ahead."

Ju Wenpei raised her hand: "Director Lu, could you explain Yifei’s performance just now for us?"

"I believe this edited segment will be very exciting, but with your professional dissection of this one-take long shot of Yifei, I believe it will be even more so."

"That’s right, Director Lu, tell us about it!"

"Yeah, we entertainment reporters only know how to follow and snap photos; we don’t really understand!"

The crowd was amused by the "outspoken" reporter, and Boss Lu said to the assistant in front of him: "Guo Fan, pull up the footage from just now."

Not only the reporters present, but the surrounding extras and actors also leaned in to listen to the critique from this director, whom even Tom Hanks and Moore admired.

And the one being critiqued was the rumored young star with whom he had an intimate relationship!

Boss Lu pondered for a few seconds: "The overall completion is very high, and the details are vivid—there’s no need to mention those. Let me briefly mention a few details you might not have noticed."

"First, let’s talk about the necessity and the plot logic. The theme of this long take can be summed up in five words: restraint and empathy."

"Ms. Zhang Chunru, played by Liu Yifei, is interviewing an elderly survivor. The bitterness of her living environment and the tragedy of her experiences are heartbreaking."

"As a compatriot with the same blood flowing in her veins, she feels empathy."

"But as the author of an academic work, she must also take care to manage the interviewee’s emotions; if both of them were to hold each other and cry, they wouldn’t be able to continue working."

"So you can see many details, such as Liu Yifei subconsciously reaching out to touch and then pulling back, switching to gripping the fountain pen tightly, her knuckles turning white—this embodies the respect of wanting to comfort the other party but not daring to overstep."

"For instance, Liu Yifei knows that if she loses control of her emotions, the interviewee will be even more distressed, so she holds the tears in her eye sockets and doesn’t let them fall."

"Or, for example, the moment she looks up and sees the scar, she gasps, then quickly lowers her eyes to look at her notebook; this is a person’s true physiological reaction when in shock."

The ten-minute interview ended quickly, but whether they were professionals, entertainment reporters, or onlookers, everyone on the scene was amazed to hear the top director’s analysis of this long take.

They had only felt that it was extremely moving and had strong infectious power, but they had been swallowing it whole, unable to see the underlying logic.

After the young director’s profound yet accessible theoretical analysis, when they looked back at this performance, everyone’s perception was different!

Han Lu from *Xinlang Entertainment* was granted the last question: "Director Lu, may I ask if the detail you mentioned about Yifei’s tears swirling but not falling was designed?"

Boss Lu laughed dumbly: "This can’t be designed; it was all the actor’s improvisation."

"This acting technique is extremely difficult. At least I haven’t seen any top actor who can say they can give this performance one hundred percent of the time; it was also very lucky to get it in one take this time."

Ju Wenpei held her pen and got to the bottom of it: "Then Yifei, she..."

Boss Lu said nonchalantly: "Liu Yifei has received four years of professional acting training. The training method is a blend of the Stanislavski system and the performance methods of Mei-style opera."

He had Guo Fan rewind the monitor to the segment where she shed tears: "This is a 'swallowing sound' technique where the upper teeth bite the lower lip, which allows the sobbing sound to resonate in the oral cavity. As for the control of the tear glands, that is the actor’s own technique."

There was another round of applause at the scene, and today’s media open day event was declared over.

Boss Lu stood in the crowd clapping along, then walked toward the dressing room, full of worry, to check on Liu Yifei’s mental state.

More than eighty reporters returned fully loaded! This included several film magazines and comprehensive media outlets from Japan.

It is hard to say whether there were any moles serving the right-wing among them.

But such film quality and unique ingenuity would clearly make the enemy tremble.

The Chinese version of *Schindler’s List* that the young director had boasted about earlier did not seem to be an unattainable dream.

Guo Fan led the reporters out, checked their credentials one by one at the entrance of the Shijiao base, and since it was noon, invited everyone to have a meal.

"No, no, Director Guo, we’re going back to rush our drafts; a big harvest today!"

"Director Guo, leave your number, I’ll treat you to a drink another day!"

Guo Fan was torn between laughter and tears as he exchanged numbers with several reporters; some reporters who had agreed to the meal invitation changed their minds and left after a quick greeting.

Chasing the news! Who the hell is still eating!

The professional competence of the media reporters was beyond reproach.

Soon, different versions of the three-minute clip of Little Liu’s acting went viral on Wenjie Video.

There were pure versions, film critic analysis versions, and interpretation versions from major internet media.

But the one that spread the most and had the highest click rate was the "Lu Kuan Commentary Version."

For a time, major online and print media reprinted it and wrote articles to comment.

*China Film Report*:

[Liu Yifei Kneels Out a Historical Echo on Blue Bricks—One Scene’s Tears Soak Half a City]

Yesterday, at the filming site of *Sky of History*, 19-year-old Liu Yifei completed her scene with the actor playing the survivor Li Xiuying with astonishing empathy.

In the three-minute long take, the marks her kneeling knees pressed into the blue bricks were moving.

Until Liu Yifei’s tears blurred the 1937 newspaper headline into an ink blot, the crew’s lighting technician from Jinling sighed with tears in his eyes: "This is carving the pain of Jinling into the bones."

*Nanfang Weekend* Cultural Feature:

[From "Fairy Sister" to "Historical Vessel"—Liu Yifei’s Bitter Journey of Performance]

Liu Yifei, who had stunned the screen as Bai Xiuzhu in *The Story of a Noble Family*, showed a completely different side on the set of *Sky of History*.

To get closer to the character, she publicly posted her daily "life experience diary" on her blog for three consecutive months.

In yesterday’s long-take scene, the multi-detailed body language she added on the fly made countless professionals look on with respect.

But as the author looks at her mental state, there are also hidden worries: is this immersive performance overdrawing her soul?

Xiangjiang *Ming Pao* Film and Television Column:

[Liu Yifei: The Game Between Beauty and History]

When the fountain pen in Liu Yifei’s hand pierced through the paper, Lu Kuan behind the monitor lit the third cigarette since the start of filming.

The silhouette secretly filmed by student extras at the scene went viral on forums—the curve of her neck tensed in the backlight was like a taut historical bowstring.

To this day, those arguments since her debut criticizing her as a vase and being trapped in her comfort zone can perhaps rest for a while.

Little Liu’s massive network of fans arrived at the news, joyfully declaring their actress’s transformation from an idol to a powerhouse.

This isn’t just empty boasting!

From her semi-retirement to focus on preparing for the film, to the dozens of life-experience blog posts, all the way to today’s first glimpse of the edited footage.

Especially!

There is a personal endorsement from a certain washing machine!

Although there was no brazen, over-the-top praise, the analysis from a professional perspective is clearly more convincing than flowery, flattering words.

Huayi, Chengtian, Xiaoma Benteng, Yinghuang, and other domestic film and television companies looked gloomily at the phenomenal popularity that had gone viral across the entire network in a short time, all with a sense of covetousness.

Huang Shengyi, Yang Mi, Tang Yan, keep feeding resources!

Not asking for first place; being able to drink soup along with her on this track is already enough to fill one’s stomach!

On August 25th last year, Fairy Sister shed tears at her birthday party, followed by the explosive news of her heading to North America.

On August 24th this year, Little Liu, who had been considered low-key, announced the return of the number one traffic star in domestic entertainment because of a three-minute short film from the crew’s open day interview!

The key is that this wasn’t even a result of Boss Lu’s deliberate arrangement.

It was her own year-long painstaking preparation, her incisive imitation of Zhang Chunru, and the details she recorded and pondered in her entire notebook that created all of this.

It’s just that behind the glamour lies the immense mental and psychological pressure faced by the actor.

This contradiction and dilemma was tossed by Liu Yifei to the man she trusted most, leaving this tyrant of the film set truly caught in a bind.

(End of this chapter)