Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 640 Slap in the face
At 3 PM, Weibo's servers suddenly became slightly hot due to a surge of traffic.

The technical department conducted an emergency investigation and discovered that the culprit was a Weibo post by Zhang Chen: "Pacific Rim 2 has been rated R. Someone is pulling strings. I have to go to North America to fight them. Wait for my good news~"
Without any fancy pictures or lengthy preamble, a simple sentence reveals a burning fighting spirit.

"Holy crap! Is Director Zhang really going to go all out?"

"I don't know what R-rated is, but I do know that Director Zhang is going to be in trouble again~"

"I love Zhang Chen's drive, his never-give-up attitude, he just keeps going!"

"A real-life version of 'My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens'!"

The comments section was flooded with messages, with hundreds of new comments appearing every second.

This isn't just some random musings from other celebrities; it's Zhang Chen's declaration of war, a direct protest against the unfair treatment he receives in Hollywood.

Less than three minutes after the Weibo post was published, the hashtag #ZhangChenFightsAgainstAmerica# skyrocketed from the bottom of the trending topics list, breaking through a million views and firmly securing the top spot.

Clicking into the topic, the number of views was jumping wildly at a visible speed: one million, five million, eight million...

In just five minutes, the number broke through the ten million mark, and it continues to surge at a rate of hundreds of thousands per minute.

Even Weibo's own employees marveled that Director Zhang alone was enough to sustain Weibo, as he could generate a viral topic every few days.

The excitement from the morning's airplane show hadn't even died down when they set off for America in the afternoon.

From the fans' perspective, this is how it works:
It's been so many years, so many years since we've seen Director Zhang unleash his sword.

Since Zhang Chen took first place in China, no one in the country has dared to publicly question him anymore, and the boastful and embarrassing moments that netizens used to talk about are no longer seen.

Now, Director Zhang has finally returned to the scene, and this time he's going to tear apart foreigners.

Fans went wild, and Bilibili's bullet screen was the first to be flooded with comments. Whether it was the mecha mashup video that was playing or the replay of Zhang Chen's past interviews, the screen was filled with dense messages like "Support Director Zhang," "Go China Mecha," and "Go Zhang Chen!"
Some fans felt that words were not enough to express their emotions, so they directly sent a screen full of "exciting," "explosive," and "awesome" comments. The colorful barrage of comments almost covered the entire video screen, which was the fans' most straightforward and enthusiastic support.

Just as everyone was still getting excited about this declaration, Zhang Chen updated his reply with another message: "Chinese mecha will never bow down! Brothers, wait and see me tear R into PG."

After this statement was made, the comment section completely turned into the "main battlefield for fans' support".

Someone dug out their treasured mecha models overnight, put on a homemade mecha cosplay outfit, and made a "tear" gesture at the camera. The look in the photo was firm and passionate, with the caption "Director Zhang, I'll tear it apart with you!"

Not to be outdone, a tech whiz spent two hours creating an animation that "tears R into PG." In the animation, a Chinese mecha swiftly tears the logo representing a Hollywood R-rated movie to shreds. Once released, the animation was shared tens of thousands of times instantly.

Some programmer fans even created a 'Matrix' effect, typing the words "Chinese mechs stand up" on the screen with code. Lines of green code flashed against a black background, as if giving the Chinese mechs technological wings.

Every fan is contributing to Zhang Chen's declaration of war in their own way. What might have been just a personal battle has turned into a nationwide celebration thanks to these enthusiastic responses, and an invisible force of unity is quietly gathering online.

Among the netizens, some clever individuals quickly deduced from the location information Zhang Chen used in each of his Weibo posts that he was flying a polar route.

Anyone who knows about flying knows that airplanes don't fly in a straight line between two points, but rather follow a great circle route, which shortens the flight distance and saves fuel.

For example, the great circle route from BJ to New York passes near the Arctic Circle, shortening the journey by about 1500 kilometers compared to the trans-Pacific route, saving about 3 hours of flight time and 15% in fuel consumption.

Some netizens even created a countdown: Zhang Chen will arrive in the United States in XX hours.

Watching the changes in the position of each Weibo post felt like witnessing him approach the battlefield step by step.

This incredibly direct feeling made netizens feel that they were not bystanders, but rather comrades fighting alongside Zhang Chen.

Everyone stared intently at the countdown display, anticipating the next surprise and preparing to face the challenges together.

Just as the online buzz was at its peak, a private message suddenly appeared on his screen. Upon opening it, his pupils constricted slightly.

This is a private message from within China, and the sender is none other than the official Weibo account of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League!
"Director Zhang, we support you! China's industrial culture needs heroes like you!"

A short sentence, yet it carries a heavy weight.

Zhang Chen clenched his fist, then quickly replied: "Thank you for your support. I will let the world see the power of Chinese mechs."

And his supporters are far more than just the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League.

Official accounts from major domestic industrial sectors, peers in the film and television industry, and even some tech bloggers who don't usually pay much attention to the film and television industry all reposted Zhang Chen's Weibo post and spoke out for him.

"Chinese mecha should have this kind of backbone!"

"Go, Director Zhang! We're waiting to see Chinese mechs sweep the globe!"

"To combat cultural hegemony, we need more people like Zhang Chen!"

This support from the government and various sectors of society is like a beam of light, illuminating Zhang Chen's path forward.

As he watched the messages constantly popping up on his phone screen, his previously tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and a warm feeling welled up inside him.

He knew that he was no longer fighting alone; behind him stood millions of compatriots and the cultural confidence of the entire nation.

"Chinese mecha will never bow down."

This statement, originally Zhang Chen's declaration, has become the slogan of all his fans.

Many people have set this sentence as their phone wallpaper, and some have even written these eight powerful words on graffiti walls in the streets and alleys.

On Taobao, some savvy shop owners have already listed the same T-shirts printed with this phrase, and sales are surprisingly good.

This united force transformed Zhang Chen's declaration of war from a mere film promotion into a struggle for cultural dignity.

And this struggle has only just begun.

At the same time, international media have also taken notice of this force from China.

The Hollywood Reporter was the first to publish an article with the headline, "Chinese director Zhang Chen declares war on Hollywood's mecha hegemony."

The BBC also reported on this incident, expressing curiosity about why this little-known Chinese director dared to so boldly challenge the authority of Hollywood.

Even some foreign netizens who don't usually know much about Chinese culture have started discussing "Chinese mecha" on social media, wanting to know what kind of power this cultural symbol that can drive Chinese people so crazy has.

Sitting in his private jet, Zhang Chen felt no excitement whatsoever, his heart filled with nothing but pride.

If at first, he was just acting out of habit, thinking that no one, no matter who, should bully him.

Now, he suddenly has an added responsibility.

He must win this battle, and not only win, but win spectacularly.

He wants the world to see that China not only has an excellent culture, but also the courage to defend its cultural dignity. He wants everyone to know that Chinese mecha will never bow down!

The whole country seemed to be ignited by his words, except for one person who was unhappy—Old Zhao.

Old Zhao wasn't really unhappy, he was just a little resentful.

Why is it that when I buy a plane, I'm accused of flaunting my wealth and everyone criticizes me, but when he buys a plane and flies it to America, the whole of China sings his praises?
Of course he supports Zhang Chen, who is his younger brother, but isn't the treatment he receives a bit too different?

……

The G650 "Crimson Storm" traverses the stratosphere, beneath which lies the Arctic.

Zhang Chen, inside the plane, felt no cold at all; he was completely focused on operating the computer.

Pressing "Ctrl+Alt+1" on the ThinkPad keyboard instantly splits the Premiere Pro interface—the left side shows the chainsaw piercing scene at 47 minutes and 12 seconds into Pacific Rim 1, while the right side shows a clip from Pacific Rim 2 with the same angle and action. The two red timelines are precisely on the same frame, and even the number of rotating teeth on the chainsaw is perfectly aligned.

"Xiao Zhao, bring up the metadata for both versions of the footage. I need to check the parameters frame by frame."

Zhang Chen took off his noise-canceling headphones, his voice sounding slightly hoarse.

He stared at the synchronized footage playing on the screen: the left arm chainsaw of the Cherno Alfa simultaneously pierced the chest cavity of the ridge-backed turtle, and dark green blood splattered along almost identical trajectories. The camera maintained a close-up for 0.3 seconds on each side, and even the number of bubbles of blood splattering on the cockpit glass was almost the same.

Xiao Zhao's Surface screen was dazzlingly bright, and the parameters in the Excel spreadsheet were densely listed: "Director Zhang, it's all correct! C1-047 shot in 'Ocean One': Frame rate 24fps, shutter speed 1/48, color saturation 58, blood RGB values ​​(32, 178, 170), close-up duration 3 seconds."

The D2-051 lens in "Ring 2" is practically identical in every way except for the lens serial number—even the reflection angles of the monster scales are exactly the same!

Zhang Chen slid his finger across the touchpad, zooming in on the two lenses to 1080P pixel level for comparison.

In the footage, the mech pilot's facial expressions change in sync, the sound waveform of the chainsaw cutting into the monster's body overlaps into a single line in the Audition software, and even the Gamma value in the post-production color grading is accurate to 0.01.

“Re-examine the MPAA rating files and put the assessment report of “Ring 1” together with that of “Ring 2”.

Xiao Zhao opened two PDF files, and the screen was instantly filled with red annotations.

The rating for *Pacific Rim 1* clearly states: "Fantasy violence, non-realistic blood, no close-ups of dismembered limbs, meets PG-13 criteria." However, the report for *Pacific Rim 2*, while containing the same description, follows a completely different conclusion: "Violence has potential realistic implications, rated R."

"A potential realistic allusion?"

Zhang Chen tapped the screen with his knuckles, his voice full of sarcasm, "Same special effects team, same rendering software, they didn't even change the physical simulation parameters of the blood, so how come there are 'realistic hints' in 'Ocean's 2'?"

He marked the blood splatter trajectories of the two versions of the footage with red lines, overlapping them on the timeline—the two red lines fit together like twins, with even the smallest droplet landing point exactly the same.

Zhang Chen frowned deeply. He put on his headphones and replayed the battle scenes from both versions of the film.

From the moment the mech starts up to the moment the monster falls, the rhythm of each shot, the size of the shot, and the sound effects are all kept highly consistent.

The three-armed rotating cannon shot with crimson flames in "Ultraman" lasted 4.5 seconds, and the same shot in "Ultraman 2" also lasted 4.5 seconds; the smoke effect when the monster fell in "Ultraman" lasted 2 seconds, and the same shot in "Ultraman 2" also lasted 2 seconds.

"This is not a rating, this is targeted suppression."

Zhang Chen turned off the media player and picked up the satellite phone to call David.

After the call connected, Zhang Chen spoke first: "I'm now very certain that the MPAA is behind this. I did a comparison between 'Ultraman 1' and 'Ultraman 2,' and the lens parameters of the two versions are almost identical, but the ratings are completely different..."

"David, I'm going to embarrass them!"

"Are you going to send this out?"

“Now is not the time, David. It would be best to get your hands on the original Avatar. A comparison between Avatar and Ocean 2 would be more intuitive,” Zhang Chen said.

David was silent for a moment, then said, "I can't get my hands on the original Avatar film, but I have this. Take a look."

Soon, Zhang Chen received a compressed file in his encrypted email.

After decompression, a screenshot of internal MPAA chat logs was obtained.

One of the comments was sent by judge Mark to his colleagues: "The higher-ups have given instructions that 'Pacific Rim 2' must be rated R. Don't ask why, just do it."

Another message Dan Stevens sent to Mark read: "It's done. There will be a 'thank you' later."

"Who is this Dan Stevens?"

“The Vice President of Distribution at Universal,” David quickly answered his question.

He then pulled out another internal MPAA document, in which there was a sentence that had been blacked out, and the words “non-native hero dominance needs to be carefully evaluated” could be vaguely seen.

"So that's the problem."

Zhang Chen's fingers tightened on the mouse. It wasn't that the camera angles were different; it was that there were more "Chinese elements" in the shots. In *Pacific Rim 1*, the Chinese mechs were supporting characters, but in *Pacific Rim 2*, they became the main force, and were then labeled as "realistic violence" and given an R rating—this isn't a rating standard; it's clearly cultural bias!

He sat back down in front of the screen and began making a comparison video.

The video begins by playing two versions of the chainsaw footage simultaneously in a split-screen format. A parameter comparison table pops up below, with bold red text indicating that "all data are completely identical."

Next was a montage of battle scenes. Each time a shot was switched, the corresponding duration, shot size, and color parameters popped up, proving that there was no difference between the two versions.

Finally, there's an internal MPAA chat log, highlighting the message: "The higher-ups have given instructions; it has to be an R rating."

At the end of the video, Zhang Chen faces the camera, with the split screen behind him still looping two identical versions of footage: "I want to ask the MPAA—when two movies have completely identical camera parameters, violence levels, and visual presentation, what makes you give them such drastically different ratings? Is it the extra 5 minutes of Chinese mecha scenes in 'Pacific Rim 2,' or is it some kind of 'influence' from 'above'?"

“You say that ‘Ocean’s 2’ has ‘realistic violence’s implication, but you claim that ‘Ocean’s 1’, which was made by the same special effects team, is ‘non-realistic’.”

The same dark green blood, the same 3-second close-up, the same chainsaw action—why did they become 'problematic shots' in Ocean 2?
Is it the idea of ​​'Chinese heroes leading the battle' that has touched a nerve with you, or is it the directives of capital that allow you to disregard the rating standards you set for yourselves?

"You let the editing team 'figure it out' on their own' when making changes, but you don't point out the specific problems—because you don't have any problems at all!"
You just want to limit the release of "Planet 2" with an R rating, you just don't want to see non-native heroes saving the world on the big screen!
This biased, one-sided approach is not evaluating films; it is stifling multiculturalism and trampling on fairness in the film and television industry!

Today I'm releasing this evidence not to accuse, but to let everyone know that when rating standards can be arbitrarily altered by orders from 'above,' and when the quality of footage can be arbitrarily defined by cultural bias, what we see is no longer cinema, but a manipulated tool!

Zhang Chen clicked to post, simultaneously on Weibo and Twitter, along with the caption: "The shots in 'Pacific Rim 1' and 'Pacific Rim 2' are completely identical, yet the MPAA unilaterally gave it an R rating—has the standard changed, or have people's hearts gone astray? #PacificRim2RatingSecrets #MPAADoubleStandards"

After successfully posting, Zhang Chen did nothing but wait quietly. Ten minutes later, the comment section exploded:
"I compared it with the original video, and they are exactly the same! The MPAA is blatantly lying!"

"My long-awaited 'Pacific Rim 2' has been sabotaged before it even premiered, it was actually blocked by the R rating! It's disgusting!"

"'The higher-ups have given instructions'—what kind of shady dealings are behind this?"

"Support Zhang Chen! The MPAA must provide an explanation! Why should Chinese mecha be targeted just because they have a few more minutes of screen time?"

A netizen named "Mech Fan Xiao Yang" wrote a long review, accompanied by two frame-by-frame comparison images he made himself: "I just pulled up the footage in Premiere Pro, and the RGB values, shutter speeds, and close-up durations of the chainsaw shots in both 'Ultraman 1' and 'Ultraman 2' are completely identical! The MPAA says 'Ultraman 2' has 'realistic violence implications'? What are the implications? Does it imply that you received money from Universal?"

This was followed by over 10 likes.

Some netizens also posted screenshots of the MPAA's rating criteria in the comments, with a red circle highlighting the clause that "ratings must be based on content consistency," sarcastically commenting: "You set the standards, and you're the ones playing the double standard game, where's your shame?"

Some netizens dug up past MPAA rating cases: "In Transformers, American mechs blow up aliens, PG-13; in Ocean Revolution 2, Chinese mechs fight monsters, R-rated—this standard is unparalleled!"

The topic gained traction much faster than expected.

Half an hour later, #PacificRim2RatingFactoryShadow# surged to third place on the trending topics list, followed closely by #ChineseMechaScenesCutOut# and #MPAADoubleStandardConfirmed#. The combined views of the three topics exceeded 2 million.

Netizens spontaneously formed an "evidence compilation group," and some people made infographics of Dan's email content, marking the timeline corresponding to each sentence.

Someone edited a video comparing the Chinese mecha scenes in "Ultraman Global" 1 and "Ultraman Global" 2, with the caption, "From support to main force, they have to be labeled as 'cultural invasion'?"

Legal bloggers have also stepped forward to analyze: "MPAA's rating practices are suspected of commercial monopoly. If it can be proven that it received benefits from Global Sources, an antitrust lawsuit can be filed!"

Meanwhile, a storm was brewing on Twitter.

American netizen "Mike_Taylor" commented in the comments section: "As a long-time fan of 'Pacific Rim 1,' I've been looking forward to 'Pacific Rim 2'. With its release just around the corner, MPAAA is giving it a random rating because of 'Chinese heroes,' which is discriminatory!"

The post received over 2 likes, and some netizens even tagged the MPAA's official account and Universal Pictures, demanding an explanation.

An anonymous Hollywood insider revealed: "I'm a professional screenwriter, and I can say with certainty that when a script has too many non-Western elements, the screen time will be cut. This is an open secret in the industry..."

Overseas Chinese blogger "PacificRimFan" also replied: "Everyone in the industry knows that MPAA has 'unspoken rules,' but no one dares to say it. Zhang Chen has stirred up a hornet's nest!"

Universal Pictures and the MPAA's response appeared rather disorganized.

The MPAA first issued a brief statement on Twitter: "The ratings are based on professional assessments and there was no external interference."

However, this statement was immediately contradicted by netizens who used Zhang Chen's parameter comparison chart.

A tech blogger made a video, overlaying footage from "Universe 1" and "Universe 2" to prove that the footage was completely identical, with the caption, "Is this what you call 'professional assessment'? You might as well donate your eyes!"

Universal Pictures attempted to suppress the trending topic through its public relations team, but the discussion on Twitter was doubling every hour, and the hashtag #JusticeForPacificRim 2 was only getting hotter and hotter.

Even some Avatar fans have spoken out: "We love Avatar, but we don't accept using the method of suppressing other movies to promote it! Universal, please stop this despicable tactic!"

The most dramatic moment occurred that evening when netizens unearthed a video of Dan Stevens attending a film and television forum three years ago, in which he publicly stated that "ratings should remain neutral and unaffected by commercial interests." This contrasts sharply with his current statement in the email that "the Pacific Rim must bleed."

This "slap in the face" video went viral on Weibo and Twitter, with over 1 million views on Weibo and over 50 retweets on Twitter. Even The New York Times published an article on its website titled "Pacific Rim 2 Rating Controversy: MPAA's Neutrality Questioned," mentioning that "Zhang Chen's evidence has sparked a global discussion about the fairness of film ratings."

Zhang Chen looked at the constantly refreshing comments, picked up the cold coffee on the table, and took a sip.

Xiao Zhao leaned over and said, "Director Zhang, David sent a message saying that the MPAA has contacted the platform, trying to suppress this topic, and also said they will sue us for defamation."

Zhang Chen smiled and opened the new file David sent him—it contained more chat logs from MPAA judges, as well as Dan Stevens's report email to "the higher-ups," which stated, "We have rated 'Planet 2' as R as required, to ensure the advantage of other films."

"Let them sue."

Zhang Chen saved the files to an encrypted hard drive. "The more evidence we have, the more we can prove their unilateral actions. If we back down today, more films with Chinese elements will be treated this way tomorrow."

Several domestic film and television companies have sent messages offering legal assistance, while overseas Pacific Rim fan clubs have launched a joint petition demanding that the MPAA release the rating details for Pacific Rim 2.

Even former MPAA judges contacted David, implying that "there was indeed internal interference in the rating process."

Holding his tablet, Xiao Zhao's eyes sparkled as he said, "Director Zhang, we've won half the battle! Look, so many people are helping us!"

Zhang Chen watched the comments scrolling across the screen, some angry, some supportive, some rationally analyzed, and some offering warm encouragement.

Zhang Chen felt he should say something. After a moment's thought, he replied on Twitter and Weibo respectively: "I was worried about being 'too weak to speak out' and 'too powerful capital' before, but now I understand that the truth always has power - when countless people are willing to speak out for fairness, and when the chain of evidence is solid enough, even the most powerful capital cannot suppress the tsunami of public opinion."

He picked up his phone and sent a message to David: "Get ready for the next step. We're going to make Universal and the MPAA give all the suppressed creators an explanation."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Chen's gaze finally settled on the sentence on the screen that had been repeatedly forwarded by netizens: "What we are protecting is not just a movie, but everyone's right to be seen, and the possibility for every culture to shine."

(End of this chapter)