Chapter 342: With Liu Yifei, in Berlin

After the New Year, Wenjie’s films in the domestic market were successively pulled from theaters.

Domestically, Ning Hao’s *Detective Chinatown* took second place in the Lunar New Year box office with 210 million.

Following the art-house film *Cow*, this announced the triumphant return of the second-best commercial film director after Boss Lu.

Wang Baoqiang continued to rise in popularity with one breakout role per year, moving through the glitzy entertainment industry with an increasingly rustic and grounded image.

Tong Liya also ushered in her screen debut; her portrayal of Ah Xiang was standard and steady, but she broke out due to her beauty and exotic flair.

Ranked ahead of *Detective Chinatown* was, naturally, Zhang Yimou’s *Curse of the Golden Flower*, which raked in 330 million at the box office, and its word-of-mouth remained consistent, without the barrage of criticism seen in later generations.

It was second only to the 340 million of *Alien Realm 2* from mid-year.

Zhang Yimou specifically made an overseas call, beaming with joy as he expressed his gratitude, claiming that the big red envelope for Lu Kuan was already prepared.

Xue Xiaolu, in the Valentine’s Day slot, performed with even greater stability; *Those Years* saw explosive word-of-mouth, continuing to dominate the Valentine’s Day period and raking in 150 million at the box office.

Audiences at this time had not yet had their thresholds raised by all sorts of youth romance films.

The lingering regret of Shen Jiayi would clearly become a mark of youth for a generation.

At the same time, the domestic salary of the lead actress, Su Chang, also rose to around 4 million, second only to Liu Yifei, Zhang Ziyi, Zhou Xun, Fan Bingbing, and others.

The landscape of the "Four Dan Actresses" and the "Two Bing and One Fei" might see a major change next year.

Overall, although Wenjie did not have a masterpiece from Boss Lu released domestically, the company’s two established directors were already enough to shoulder the heavy responsibility.

In particular, these two product-placement-friendly films, including DVD rights and the earnings from Zhang Jingying’s *Those Years* original soundtrack, created a net profit of nearly 150 million RMB.

This undoubtedly injected fresh vitality into Wenjie’s standardized cinema layout in second and third-tier cities, easing the financial pressure.

What comforted Boss Lu most was that *Alien Realm 2*, with its stable audience base, ultimately reported a global box office of around 3.5 billion RMB.

Of course, apart from taking advantage of the mainland revenue split, this number looked large, but the actual amount received was not much.

The earnings were basically on par with *Alien Realm* from three years ago, with nearly 100 million USD in the pocket.

However, the DVD and derivative earnings a few months later could continue to be harvested, which could be used to continue feeding the frantically blood-sucking Twitter.

——

The filming of the *Sky of History* crew in Jinling ended quickly.

The remaining scenes would be shot after the streets and historical sets were destroyed by the flames of war, returning to film some secondary shots.

In February 2007, the crew arrived in Germany, preparing to spend a period of filming there.

The day after checking into the hotel, Lu Kuan took Liu Yifei out.

February in Berlin was still wrapped in the lingering chill of winter.

The sky looked as if it were tightly covered by a huge lead-gray curtain, pressing heavily toward the ground.

The trees by the street had withered and twisted branches, shivering in the cold wind, with a few withered yellow leaves occasionally dangling on the tips, ready to be torn off by this biting wind at any moment.

On the street, the cold stone road exuded a bone-chilling cold, and the damp air was permeated with a murderous aura unique to Berlin’s political atmosphere.

The young man and woman walked side by side in silence, both wearing over-the-knee coats and wrapping their collars tight.

The occasional sentence they exchanged had its exhaled white breath instantly swept away by the cold wind.

"Germany doesn't have any of my scenes, why not let me go to the U.S. to prepare first?"

The girl furrowed her smooth brows, showing dissatisfaction; her brief scenes in Germany had already been finished in the Jinling sets.

Boss Lu was somewhat perfunctory, dodging the question: "Is this your first time in Berlin? Let’s take two days to look around before we leave."

"Like the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the Berlin Wall ruins."

"By the way, Feng Yuan has a photo, it’s a picture of him and the Berlin Wall in the 80s, it hadn't been torn down yet, want to go see it?"

Liu Yifei looked at him with an unkind expression: "I have to prepare for the U.S. scenes."

"The last scene is too important, I need to go to the PBS station to get a feel for the state of debating the enemy in front of a global audience."

"Oh right, before that, I also need to go see Zhang Chunru’s psychologist."

She didn't think her own mental state needed adjusting.

It was because Zhang Chunru, before debating the Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Kunihiko Saito in 1998, had developed extreme anxiety due to long-term accumulated psychological issues.

The harassment of her family by the right-wing, the anonymous envelopes containing bullets and threats, the immense pressure of clarifying the truth in front of the public...

She became speechless.

This was a sequela of Zhang Chunru’s long-term high mental tension and the use of antidepressants; fortunately, she recovered quickly and did not delay her resonant performance at PBS.

Liu Yifei needed to research the causes and manifestations of this symptom to try to act it as realistically as possible.

Boss Lu didn't respond, just walking with her, stepping heavily and lightly on the street; they had low visibility in Europe, and few local residents recognized them.

Seeing him evade the point, Liu Yifei was unhappy, standing with her arms crossed and refusing to move.

"Did you forget what you promised me?" The young girl looked at him with sparkling eyes.

"He who travels a hundred miles covers ninety as half the journey; it’s just the last bit left, and I want to complete this role perfectly."

Boss Lu still maintained a lazy appearance, making Liu Yifei’s questioning feel like hitting cotton without getting any feedback.

"Then did you also forget what you promised me?"

"When I say you need to stop, you must stop."

Liu Yifei’s pretty face was frosty: "I stopped! Running the roadshow for *Alien Realm 2*, participating in the *Luyu Has an Appointment* interview, and managing Twitter promotion, didn't I do all of that?"

"Alright then, accompany me to stroll around Berlin now." Boss Lu started acting like a rascal: "Just pretend you’ve been 'subtly ruled' by me, the director; do whatever I tell you to do."

Liu Yifei was so angry she was half-dead, raising her pink fist to commit violence!

This emotionally incompetent washing machine, he couldn't even say nice things properly!

"Wait!" The young director caught her wrist with quick eyes and hands.

"Today is to go see Rabe’s descendants, and then go pay respects to Rabe; this isn't unrelated to your role, is it?"

Boss Lu spouted nonsense: "While you're at it, look at the scenery and immerse yourself in this world; it will help you better shape the character."

Liu Yifei was quite helpless; since she was here, she might as well settle in. She put on her earmuffs and got into the taxi he hailed, not wanting to listen to any more sophistry.

The taxi stopped at an old house in the suburbs of Berlin. A-Fei, who had arrived earlier, was there with an interpreter, holding local specialties brought from Jinling.

Ringing the doorbell, the person who opened the door was a blonde girl in her twenties, with clear eyes, looking about the same age as Liu Yifei.

"Lu, hello, I am Ursula Reinhardt’s granddaughter, Hannah."

Ursula Reinhardt was Rabe’s granddaughter, and she was already over 70 years old this year.

She looked at the girl beside the man: "My grandmother was right, you look so much like the young Iris in the photo."

Hannah politely thanked the Eastern guests for the gifts, and as she led everyone into the living room, she shouted excitedly: "Grandmother! Your Chinese guests are here!"

There was a stir in the inner room. Hearing the commotion, Ursula Reinhardt walked out, leaning on a cane, trembling; her hair was white and her skin wrinkled, but she was still spirited.

She stared fixedly at Liu Yifei, muttering: "Iris! Is it you? You’ve come to see me again!"

Hannah helped her sit down and explained with a smile: "Grandmother, this is the actress playing Iris, don't get it wrong."

"Hello! Mrs. Reinhardt, Iris is busy with work in the U.S., she will come to see you when she finishes."

"Good, good." Ursula Reinhardt only saw Liu Yifei’s face clearly after getting closer; she was indeed excessively young.

Lu Kuan had A-Fei present the gifts, and Liu Yifei was also looking around at the furnishings of the house.

It was indeed as described in Zhang Chunru’s notes, simple and plain; it hadn't changed all these years.

Ursula looked at these gifts from Jinling, China, with deep emotion: "I went to Jinling to see my grandfather in 1936; I was only six years old then, and I couldn't remember much."

"The packaging of these foods reminds me of that winter in 1948, what kind Chinese people..."

Ursula was old and easily sentimental; her cloudy eyes immediately shed tears.

After World War II ended in 1945, Rabe was investigated and dismissed because of his Nazi Party status, almost unable to maintain the basic living of his family, and the whole family’s situation was extremely difficult.

In early 1948, news of the Rabe family’s poverty reached Jinling.

The citizens of Jinling generously donated money and goods, and soon raised 100 million yuan in legal tender as a donation.

In March of that year, this donation was used to buy milk powder, sausages, coffee, butter, jam, and other foods in Switzerland, which, along with local Jinling specialties, were packed into 4 large parcels and sent to Rabe.

From June 1948 to April 1949, the people of Jinling sent a parcel of food to Rabe every month.

These foods saved Rabe, who had fallen into a desperate situation, and he wrote back to the citizens of Jinling:

Your kindness gave me the courage to continue living; I miss that land.

Ursula began to tell the story slowly: back then, Rabe returned home and kept his promise, informing the German authorities of the devils' atrocities, but was arrested by the Gestapo because of it.

Although Rabe was released on bail, he was required never to give speeches, talk, or write about the atrocities in Jinling from then on.

It wasn't until 1996 that Zhang Chunru, while organizing materials at the National Archives in Washington, discovered an important clue.

Rabe returned to Germany with the film recorded by the Jinling missionary Magee documenting the devils' atrocities, intending to meet Göring and Hitler as a party member to expose the atrocities to the world; how could there be no news from him since then?

Thus, she visited Rabe’s granddaughter Ursula through the embassy, and through conversation and persuasion, the diary that had been sealed for nearly 60 years finally saw the light of day.

Zhang Chunru spent 15 hours photocopying all the diaries, sending one copy to China as evidence and one to New York to hold a press conference for the world.

It can be said that without her, there would be no *The Rabe Diary*, which is almost ironclad proof pointing directly to the devils' atrocities.

History always has the power to touch people’s hearts.

It was one thing for Liu Yifei to see it in Zhang Chunru’s notes, but hearing it personally from this person involved was another, extremely vivid feeling.

These glimmers of mutual support in the cracks of history, just like the riddled horse lamp in the museum display case, even if the glass is broken and the copper is mottled, forever seal the warmth that once illuminated the darkest moments.

Beyond the dark history, the empathy and gratitude between Rabe and the citizens of Jinling gave her a lot of human strength.

Including the director of this film, Lu Kuan, such face-to-face conversations also gave him more delicate emotions and brushstrokes, which were transformed into lens language to tell the audience.

At 11:00 AM, the group arrived at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church cemetery in the western suburbs of Berlin.

Rabe’s grave was still very simple at this time, built into a square with cement under a cypress tree, without a tombstone or epitaph, let alone a bronze statue.

Only a wooden sign simply recorded two lines of text:

John Rabe, 1882.11.23—1950.01.05

Liu Yifei felt a pang of sorrow, tiptoeing to whisper in Boss Lu’s ear: "Can we sponsor their family? At least build a decent tombstone."

"Yes, I have communicated with the Jinling side; this is necessary."

In fact, the memorial cemetery built for Rabe in Jinling would be completed in 2013, with tombstones chiseled from Jinling's rain-flower pebbles, piled high with bamboo, plum blossoms, and chrysanthemums from China.

During the mask period in later years, after the Jinling side received a phone call from John Rabe's grandson, Thomas Rabe, seeking supplies, the Chinese Embassy in Germany and various domestic departments, organizations, and enterprises immediately took action.

A batch of medical supplies donated by the memorial hall, local Jinling pharmaceutical companies, and other units was delivered to the Heidelberg municipal government, the Heidelberg University Medical School, and Thomas Rabe.

The latter, like his grandfather back then, shed tears and wrote back to thank the kind Chinese people.

Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei set down the bouquets they had brought and bowed to pay their respects to this angel of justice, just like Zhang Chunru.

"Oh! Isn't that Liu Yifei?!"

A familiar hometown accent suddenly came from behind the two, and looking back, they saw two girls with Chinese faces.

Knowing it was impolite to be noisy in a cemetery, the girl who had just exclaimed quickly covered her mouth, then stepped forward with excitement: "Xixi, I am... I am your idol!"

"No, no, I am your fan!"

The other girl curiously looked up at the man beside Liu Yifei; that familiar, devil-may-care face came into view, and she couldn't help but blurt out the word "Xi," then stopped abruptly.

"Hello, Director Lu! Hello, Director Lu!"

The two fans of the little Liu instantly understood that the film crew had arrived in Germany.

Great! They could go ask for autographs!

Liu Yifei smiled gently at them: "Are you here to commemorate Mr. Rabe?"

"Yes!" the round-faced girl responded impatiently: "We are international students at Humboldt University of Berlin, and we have been following your updates, Xixi!"

"Ever since we learned from your publicity that Mr. Rabe saved many compatriots in Jinling, many international students have been spontaneously coming to offer flowers and pay their respects."

Liu Yifei smiled sweetly; just like when she heard about the interaction between Rabe and the citizens of Jinling, a warmth flowed through her heart, soothing her entire body.

This was the greatest reward for her hard work during this period, and it was also the significance of making this film.

"Thank you, why don't you commemorate Mr. Rabe first, and we will sign autographs and take photos outside the cemetery in a while."

The idol's consideration made the two girls nod excitedly, turning around to restrain their joy, solemnly offering flowers and bowing.

Outside the cemetery, the "Fairy Sister," having revealed her identity, attracted several more Chinese faces to gather around, and there were even Korean international students.

"Oh! Director Lu! Xixi!"

"Director Lu Kuan! Annyeonghaseyo!"

"No wonder a studio was set up at school recently!"

Liu Yifei, who doted on her fans, took the camera and stuffed it into the young director's hands, turning back to smile at everyone: "You're in luck today, the genius director is filming personally."

The fans cheered a little, stealing glances at the interaction between the two—the legendary rumored couple—and getting to see the real thing today.

Boss Lu naturally didn't put on any airs, picking up the digital camera and snapping away, using all sorts of center compositions, rule-of-thirds compositions, and symmetrical compositions.

Students in this era were generally of high quality, and they clicked their tongues in admiration while looking through the photos on the camera.

"As expected of a world-class director, what he shoots is just different!"

"Nonsense, his movies sell for hundreds of millions; taking a group photo is a piece of cake for him!"

The few international students also had the awareness not to be a third wheel and left with joy on their faces.

Meeting the Fairy Sister overseas and having Boss Lu take photos for them personally—this trip was definitely worth it.

Blogcn was about to usher in a carnival for these few lucky ones.

The noon sun was slightly warmer, and Lu Kuan glanced at the much calmer little Liu: "Go eat?"

"Let's go."

"Want to eat..."

An abrupt phone ring interrupted Boss Lu's inquiry.

"Lu, this is Dieter Kosslick."

"Oh! Mr. Chairman, hello."

Berlin Film Festival Chairman Kosslick laughed: "It's a pity you still couldn't accept our invitation; you only arrived in Berlin after the film festival closed."

"I'm very sorry, the shooting schedule is indeed very tight; I will definitely support you next time."

Next time for sure, next time for sure.

Kosslick's tone carried sincere enthusiasm: "Lu, how about we have lunch together? I'll call the Borchardt restaurant to book a table right now."

"Uh..." Boss Lu looked at Liu Yifei: "Alright, I will go over with Crystal; you know her, right?"

"Of course, of course." Kosslick said nothing, but it was as if he had said everything.

The Borchardt restaurant at 47 Französische Straße is a top-tier restaurant in Berlin, located near Gendarmenmarkt, and is a place where celebrities gather in Berlin:

Obama has been there, and Nicole Kidman, Jack Nicholson, and others have all patronized it.

For political figures, Hollywood stars, and economic tycoons, the Borchardt restaurant is like a canteen they can enter and leave freely, but it is quite difficult for ordinary people to book a table.

However, half an hour later, when the signature dish mentioned by Kosslick—

Schnitzel with potatoes and cucumber salad appeared before Boss Lu and little Liu, the young man and woman, whose palates had long been spoiled by master chefs, frowned slightly in unison.

Especially Liu Yifei.

She had originally been preoccupied with her character and scenes, but was helplessly kept in Berlin by the villain.

Being kept was one thing; at least the morning's exchange with Rabe's descendants had provided some new inspiration, which wasn't a bad thing.

And she could spend a day in a world for two with him.

Now this—a bald third wheel sitting opposite, eating cold salad in the cold and damp Berlin.

The young girl just felt it was truly miserable.

It was just a pity that the third wheel had no self-awareness at all: "Lu! Crystal, I welcome you on behalf of Berlin!"

Professional actress little Liu raised her glass with a flowery smile: "Thank you!"

Liu Yifei tilted her head slightly, her slender neck and elegant nape showing soft lines.

As the scarlet wine entered her throat and diffused in her mouth, she used the tip of her tongue to feel the sweetness, temperature, and acidity...

Hmm, the vintage wasn't enough, and the taste wasn't mellow enough.

Another "charge" added to Kosslick's list!

The Berlin Film Festival Chairman naturally didn't know he had already been falsely accused, and smiled at Boss Lu: "Lu, I want to bring this film of yours to Berlin next year."

"The timing doesn't seem to allow it, does it?"

"At the current progress, it should be released globally within the year."

The entry threshold for the main competition section of the three major European film festivals, without exception, requires a global premiere.

That is, it cannot have been publicly screened on other platforms or in other countries before participating in the exhibition; this is to highlight the authority and uniqueness of the film festival.

Of course, as long as the rules are made by humans, there are exceptions.

For example, "Parasite" had been screened domestically before participating in Cannes.

After being exposed, the film festival officials explained it as a small-scale media screening, and it eventually won the Palme d'Or.

There is also the old film "Roma," which had a private screening at the Telluride Film Festival before its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, and was finally judged to be eligible for selection.

According to Lu Kuan's plan, he hoped this film of special significance would be released in 2007 on its 70th anniversary, which obviously did not meet Berlin's timing requirements.

Kosslick pondered for a few seconds: "Lu, don't be in a hurry to refuse; this matter... I will find a way."

"Of course, if you can postpone the release date, I think it will be good for everyone."

Kosslick was clearly also a powerful figure in the film circle. He served as the Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Hamburg in 1979, and later jumped ship to become a reporter for the political magazine "Konkret."

In 1983, he entered the field of film funding, serving as the Managing Director of the Hamburg Film Fund, and has served as the Chairman of the Berlin Film Festival for nearly twenty years.

If there was anyone else who could help Boss Lu open a back door, it would be him.

The young director was a bit surprised: "Mr. Chairman, you haven't even seen this film yet, why are you so persistent?"

"Of course, it's because of you, Lu."

"To be honest, I am surprised that at such an age, you have taken on the task of filming a movie with this kind of historical depth."

"But at this Berlin Film Festival, I met many of your compatriots, and inevitably talked about you."

"Especially Wang, who won the Golden Bear, as well as Ms. Nansun Shi from Xiangjiang, and Mr. Liang Jiahui."

Kosslick sighed with emotion: "They all talked about you and this film, and I specifically went to the internet to look up information; your seriousness and dedication..."

His gaze turned to Liu Yifei: "And Crystal's professionalism make me sigh with emotion. I believe this will be a great work, and I look forward to it being on par with 'Schindler's List'."

Kosslick, like Marco Müller, is a pro-China film festival chairman, and Chinese films have performed quite well during his tenure.

For example, Wang Quanan's "Tuya's Marriage," which won the Golden Bear this year, and Zhang Yang's "Getting Home" were selected for the "Panorama" section.

As well as Chen Junlin's "Mei," which won the Silver Bear for Best Short Film.

Little Liu looked at the man beside her with her beautiful eyes, wondering if he was tempted by Kosslick's repeated invitations.

If they could go to Berlin and win some awards, it would probably be more beneficial for the promotion of the film.

Actually, Lu Kuan was thinking about something else.

"Mr. Chairman, I will consider it carefully." The young director smiled: "But before that, I would like to ask you for a favor."

"Please speak."

Lu Kuan deliberated: "You must have some understanding of the subject matter of this film."

"This time filming abroad, there will be many anticipated difficulties: cold shoulders and suppression from the ideological field, and harassment and trouble-making from the remnants of the Japanese right-wing."

"Lu, you mean..."

Boss Lu glanced at the delicate and pretty Liu Yifei and chose to tell the truth: "The prototype in my film, Ms. Zhang Chunru, is also the historical consultant for the film crew."

"She should have been here now, visiting Mr. Rabe's descendants with me."

"But her family in the United States was harassed, and her husband and children received threatening letters. The reason she rushed back this time was because her young son was frightened, and his mental state is somewhat unstable."

"Clang!"

Koslick and Lu Kuan both looked toward Liu Yifei, only to see her stand up with a deathly pale face, her coat hem sweeping over and knocking down a red wine glass.

The blood-red wine spilled everywhere, forming a hideous pool on the polished floor, a terrifying sight to behold.

The young lady’s eyes instantly welled up with tears: "Why didn't you tell me sooner!"

"Sit down first."

Seeing her poor emotional state, Lu Kuan chose to be brief and concise with Koslick: "Currently, according to the Chicago police, these are all Japanese immigrants. Because they haven't clearly violated American law, they cannot be convicted."

"Mr. Chairman, what I mean is—"

"Rabe is a friend of the Chinese people, and Berlin and Jinling are also sister cities. Now that the film is facing so many obstructions before it has even finished shooting or been released, I hope to receive your help."

Koslick nodded with a solemn expression: "I am willing to provide help. What do you need me to do?"

"In Germany, there is the German Peace Society and the White Rose organization. Both are long-standing civil associations that call for peace and friendship, and oppose fascism and militarism."

"I would like to ask you to act as a liaison and request them to give the *Sky of History* crew some support, to speak out for Jinling and Zhang Chunru just as they supported *Schindler's List*, and to give us some public opinion support."

"As for the activity funds, the crew will properly arrange and provide them."

Koslick nodded, knowing the situation was urgent, and stopped talking about the film festival: "I still have some acquaintances in the Hamburg and Munich municipal governments. If the crew encounters problems while filming here, you can find me at any time."

"I have an impression of the two organizations you mentioned; they often hold demonstrations during the film festival to support anti-war films."

The film festival chairman stood up: "Lu, wait for my news."

"Thank you very much! Mr. Chairman, I promise you I will carefully consider the invitation." Boss Lu smiled: "In any case, thank you for your kindness and friendship."

"Haha, you are too kind." Koslick sighed with emotion: "Rabe's experience tells me that the Chinese are friends worth deep friendship, especially you, young Mr. Director."

The two parted ways, and only then did Liu Yifei take out her phone with worry.

"Don't call, I already asked this morning."

"There are no problems for now, it's just that the child was frightened and needs time to recover."

Little Liu slammed her fist hard onto the table: "It's too detestable, this group of scum!"

The surrounding customers all cast surprised glances, and Boss Lu pulled the young lady out the door first.

"I want to go to America tomorrow."

"Wait a bit longer."

Boss Lu was noncommittal, leading her toward the Tiergarten park near the restaurant.

This is a large urban park located in the center of Berlin, situated in the heart of Berlin, extending from the Brandenburg Gate all the way to the Zoo train station, and adjacent to several areas including the Mitte district.

The oak trees on both sides of the tree-lined path had long since shed their summer lushness, and the withered yellow leaves rustled in the wind, as if countless withered hands were silently clawing at the air.

Liu Yifei transformed back into Little Donkey Liu: "I'm telling you, I want to go to America tomorrow."

"Little Liu, isn't this park beautiful? Let me tell you, the history here can be traced back to the Prussian rule period; it was once the private hunting ground for the Brandenburg candidates..."

He walked for a long time without hearing a sound.

Turning his head, he saw the young lady standing straight on the spot looking at him, her eyes red in the cold wind, like a pitiful blade of wild grass.

"Don't worry, I have already arranged everything."

"These are all difficulties that were anticipated long ago. Don't you still have several videos of harassment by right-wing elements saved on your phone?"

Liu Yifei felt aggrieved for Zhang Chunru.

The more she identified with this character and understood her life, the more she admired her noble personality.

A descendant of a prestigious family, a house of high officials, she could have lived out this life in comfort and decency, yet she was able to sacrifice herself for the justice of history without hesitation.

Lu Kuan thought to himself that the trace of warmth he had drawn from Rabe's descendants for her today had been washed away into nothingness again.

However, at only nineteen years old, no matter how much she had experienced in these past few years, it was inevitable that she would have emotional ups and downs in the face of such setbacks.

Little Liu wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, the biting cold wind stinging her face with a bone-deep pain.

Fortunately, the young director walked over and stood in front of her, blocking this cold chill.

"The filming environment and public opinion environment at home and abroad are completely different."

Boss Lu signaled for her to walk in the shadow behind him, where it could block the wind.

"What we are facing now is not only to film the movie well with quality and quantity, but also to fight the public opinion war and propaganda war well."

Liu Yifei was curious: "What are you planning to do?"

"Don't worry about the domestic side; as long as there are poisonous insects and public intellectuals clamoring, we'll make them look good."

"These anti-war organizations in Berlin that have influence on a global scale are a help; their core personnel are all Jewish."

"The funding sponsorship I just mentioned is actually just nakedly giving propaganda fees, but Koslick clearly understands."

Little Liu nodded silently; she was no longer a simple underage girl and knew that everything had a price.

Where in this world is there any love or hate without a reason?

Even if they are anti-war Jews, why should they empathize with your national hatred?

In the end, everything still has to be like him, using one's own resources, power, and wealth to achieve one's goals.

From this perspective, the realistic education she had been receiving by his side all along wasn't a bad thing; at least she could recognize the truth of how the world operates early on.

Liu Yifei's mood stabilized a bit, and she walked out from the shadow behind Lu Kuan.

She stood by his side, facing the faint afternoon sunlight together.

Her mood calmed down slightly: "Then what about in North America?"

"Spend money to buy a path."

"I plan to donate to USC to establish a special effects laboratory related to science fiction films, to build a pro-American, pro-Hollywood persona for myself, and privately I can also recruit special effects talent for Butian Films."

Little Liu pondered for a while: "Fortunately, you also donated a teaching building domestically, otherwise you would be criticized to the point of having no skin left, right?"

"Worshipping foreign things and fawning over foreign powers, earning the money of your countrymen to send warmth to your American daddy?"

Long illness makes a good doctor; Liu Yifei had already thought of the titles for the hit pieces blackening him.

Boss Lu had almost no defenses against her anymore: "You think this is useful?"

"USC must be donated to, and the Beijing Film Academy must of course also be donated to. Moreover, even if it's like this, it might not be able to block the mouths of that group of bookworms."

Liu Yifei pouted and muttered in a low voice: "I don't want to see others say that about you; why should you be misunderstood for doing good deeds."

"Stop pretending, you are my biggest hater. How many likes did you give to the post scolding me as a washing machine?" Boss Lu looked at her speechlessly.

"Is that called scolding?" Little Liu shook her head calmly: "The truth is hard to hear."

"First donate to USC, then contact some Jewish anti-war organizations in the United States through Harvey; these organizations can influence quite a few Jewish-affiliated media."

"There is also the public opinion power controlled by Disney, and the Chinese media power in North America."

"Once I control Blockbuster and Netflix, get this DVD distribution channel, and get the admission ticket for future streaming media, the discourse power I can master will be even greater!"

He hadn't even counted his shares in Facebook and Twitter.

There was no need to use the former with great fanfare for the time being, and the latter was still in its development stage, so it was more practical to keep a low profile.

The young director laid out his plans without any reservations, and Little Liu listened with her beautiful eyes lingering on him, her heart tied tightly to him.

Whether his kindness or his evil, he was always able to give her a great sense of security, a trace of solace in this world that deeply implements the Dark Forest Law.

If she were left to jump into this pitch-black entertainment industry alone, looking out at the vast expanse, she wouldn't know what kind of ups and downs she would fall into.

To recognize the cruel truth of this world, and still love it, and strive for one's own goals.

For Liu Yifei, who had accompanied him all the way, this was the greatest heroism and also the greatest romanticism.

"By the way, will Deng Wendi and News Corporation obstruct us? Sony Columbia should do something, right?"

Lu Kuan shook his head: "Their media power is very weak. They can only play some small tricks insidiously. If they dare to bare their fangs, they have to risk losing the Chinese market."

Columbia had set up a branch in Xiangjiang in the nineties and was also the foreign film company that cooperated most closely with Huayi, although the relationship was not very harmonious now.

"As for News Corporation..." Boss Lu smiled somewhat cunningly: "I hope Murdoch doesn't think so narrowly; I really don't want to fight to the death with them."

Little Liu teased him: "Bragging, News Corporation's scale is several times yours, right?"

"It's useless. I know that old fellow Murdoch's vital point five hundred years before and after his death; one sword can take his life, and he will die instantly!"

The young director's slightly exaggerated tone made Liu Yifei cover her mouth and giggle, and the tragedy was diluted a bit more.

He was naturally referring to the famous News Corporation "phone hacking" scandal of later generations.

As mentioned earlier, Murdoch directly instigated and condoned his newspapers and media to "do evil," adopting business war methods outside the rules.

Last time, Boss Lu used his old bad records in the UK in the 90s to force Deng Wendi to bow and apologize in public, and also let his ally Disney take the opportunity to carve up some public opinion territory.

But the power of the "phone hacking" scandal was no less than a nuclear bomb compared to the last time.

This was phone hacking and privacy collection directly targeting the British royal family, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the former Prime Minister, and famous football players, with huge influence!

With intent against the unprepared, if Murdoch really didn't open his eyes and was stabbed by this knife, it would be like a giant beast bleeding all over being thrown into a school of piranhas.

Even if his past tyranny was great, he would inevitably be severely injured and gnawed at by his competitors.

It's just that unless it's a last resort, there's no need for a life-and-death struggle.

Interest exchange is more in line with realistic social rules.

The two walked along the park path, neither of them speaking again.

Boss Lu was thinking about Tom Hanks' Rabe scenes in Germany.

As for Little Liu...

She was enjoying a period of solitude in a foreign land.

The anxiety about the role, the worry about Zhang Chunru, and the bumps in the film were all temporarily cast to the back of her mind.

The afternoon sun was warm to the body and heart, and Berlin, which had just been pressing in with wind, frost, swords, and spears, seemed to be soaked in a honey-like halo in the eyes of the young lady now.

The sycamores on the banks of the Spree River shook off a body of gold foil, and the leaves swirled and landed on the overlapping shadows of the young man and woman.

The stone path was warmed by the sun, and the pansies poking out from the cracks were holding up their last few blue-purple flower crowns, while the sweet fragrance of freshly baked cinnamon rolls and caramelized almonds floated in the air.

Beautiful scenery is best at synesthesia; when the mindset is different, the perception of the environment is naturally different.

She quietly fell behind a few steps and used her phone to secretly take a picture of his back.

Two dimples appeared on the young girl's pretty face as she smiled; she wanted to post it to her blog, visible only to herself.

But how should she write the blog post to match his complex temperament of artist, patriot, charlatan, conspirator, and shameless lecher...

She racked her brains, scouring her remaining artistic cells, only regretting that she hadn't read more aesthetics and philosophy books; one only regrets having too few words when the time comes to use them.

How about writing it like this:

He is a samurai walking against the light in a lens by Akira Kurosawa, his shadow reaching the battlefield before his body.

That doesn't seem quite right; although he likes Akira Kurosawa, he definitely wouldn't like being called a "little Jap."

Or perhaps:

His back, like the cast-iron spire of a Gothic cathedral, wrapped in the twilight of Prussian blue?

That's not good either; although it fits the scene of the Berlin Cathedral, it isn't the Impressionist style he likes.

Or maybe:

He is like the unfinished bronze sculpture of "The Walking Man" by Rodin, every inch of muscle fighting against gravity?

Forget it, forget it; that is a headless sculpture, it's unlucky.

But the temperament of that sculpture not even wearing a pair of underwear...

It actually fits his dissolute style quite well!

Liu Yifei, whose head was full of wild thoughts, couldn't help but "pfft" and laugh out loud.

Lu Kuan turned his head to glance at her, then continued walking forward with his hands behind his back like an old cadre, planning his cinematic grand cause.

Liu Yifei took a few quick steps to catch up with him, continuing to use the man's back as material for her photography practice.

He has his heroism, and she has her romanticism.

——

The next day, Liu Yifei chatted with Zhang Chunru on the phone for a long time, and only then did she feel at ease staying in Germany.

Germany was almost entirely Tom Hanks's scenes.

The first scene was after he returned to wartime Berlin, preparing to screen the atrocities filmed in secret by the Jinling priest Ma Ji at the Grand Theater, only to be arrested by the Gestapo and ordered not to promote images and speeches directed at allies.

The second scene was him secretly organizing his observations and notes from 1937 to 1938 in a dim study to fulfill his promise to the Chinese people, compiling them into a manuscript titled "Bombing Jinling," which was the predecessor to the later "Rabe Diary."

Finally, there was the aforementioned scene where the destitute Rabe in 1948 accepted the rewards and gifts from the people of Jinling, and burst into tears while watching his grandchildren wolf down the hard-won food.

The final part needed to be especially highlighted.

The entire film had a depressing undertone, but in the face of such ugliness of human nature, the audience also had to be shown the great love of the world.

The mutual devotion between Rabe and the citizens of Jinling was one such example.

Tom Hanks, appearing in front of the lens again, seemed like a completely different person compared to five months ago.

The scenes in Germany were filmed relatively arduously because Hanks's body was particularly weak, and he still only ate two apples a day after filming to maintain his physique.

March 20, 2007, 4:00 PM, Humboldt University studio.

Today was Tom Hanks's final scene.

Under the magnesium lights of the domed studio, Tom Hanks was stroking his "masterpiece."

He felt very guilty; although he had fulfilled the promise made to the people of Jinling, he had failed to uphold justice due to the political leanings of the Hitler authorities.

Lu Kuan used the intercom to direct the camera crew to fine-tune the dolly, bringing the camera level with Hanks in his wheelchair.

Under the cracked makeup of the veteran Best Actor, extremely realistic age spots showed through; the dust-covered chandelier above the beam and the shadows between the actor's brow bones finally faded into the darkening lens.

The set was silent, and only after Lu Kuan said "cut"—a word he had just learned in German—did applause, shouts, and screams erupt one after another throughout the studio!

It hadn't been easy.

In the Humboldt University studio, the young director Lu Kuan and the weak, "aged" Hanks embraced intimately, smiling with relief at the camera.

Hanks's puffy eye bags and Lu Kuan's dark circles seemed to melt into the same silver halide particles within the digital noise at this moment.

"Lu, my role is finished; I hope it satisfies you."

Lu Kuan remarked with emotion: "I am very lucky to be born in this era, because I can work with many excellent and dedicated actors like you; it is my honor."

Tom Hanks straightened his hunched spine: "My character has finished, but Tom Hanks has not finished."

"I am a board member of the American Anti-War Association; after I go back, I will continue to run about and speak out for our film!"

The hands of the genius director and the famous actor were tightly clasped together.

This was the mutual appreciation between dedicated professionals, and also the mutual devotion between a patriot and a pacifist.

Liu Yifei, on the side, watched with infinite emotion; she would be flying to North America tomorrow.

And she...

Was about to rush into the final battle!

(End of chapter)