1978: Female educated youth, don’t want an illiterate husband

Immediately, whispers spread like a tide along both sides of the red carpet, only to be drowned out by the even more frantic clicking of camera shutters and the excited shouts of reporters.

The media professionals, with their keen sense of smell, instantly realized what was happening. Like sharks that had smelled blood, they all turned their cameras and microphones on Cheng Xuemin and the folder in his hand.

And in front of her, Tsuchimiya Naoko's face suddenly turned extremely ugly!

The Japanese reporters and film distributors surrounding Nako Tsuchino were also stunned and instinctively made way for her!

Naoko Tsuchino stood there, her body slightly stiff. The reserved smile on her face had vanished without a trace, leaving only surprise and uncertainty, as well as a hint of annoyance at being approached in public!
She stared intently at the light gray folder in Cheng Xuemin's hand, then looked up and stared into Cheng Xuemin's eyes, trying to read something from that deep pool, but she couldn't read anything.

The distance of a few steps was covered in an instant.

Cheng Xuemin stopped about one meter in front of Tsuchiya Naoko!

This distance, neither too far nor too close, ensures clear conversation while maintaining basic social distancing, but in the tense atmosphere at this moment, it feels incredibly cramped and oppressive!

Countless cameras were pointed at the two of them, and the flashbulbs were flashing wildly, illuminating the scene as bright as day!
Other celebrities walking or posing for photos on the red carpet also stopped in their tracks and stared in astonishment.

The entire entrance area of ​​the cinema seemed to have become a stage centered around these two people.

"Miss Naoko!" Cheng Xuemin spoke, his voice not loud, but in the suddenly eerily quiet scene, it clearly reached the ears of everyone around who had pricked up their ears.

His English was fluent and standard, ensuring that most of the media present could understand him!
"Before we step into this temple of cinema and await the final judgment of art on our work!" Cheng Xuemin held up the light gray folder in his hand, his movements steady and without the slightest tremor. "I think it's better to clarify some things in front of the whole world!"

Naoko Tsuchimuro's pupils contracted sharply. She forced herself to straighten her back, slightly raising her chin to maintain a semblance of composure, but her tense voice betrayed the tremor within her:

"Cheng Sang, what do you mean by this? What are you trying to do in such a solemn occasion?"

"It is precisely in such a solemn occasion, at the moment when the Cannes Film Festival is about to unveil its highest honor!" Cheng Xuemin raised his voice slightly to ensure that people further away could hear him, and said:
"I feel it's necessary for us to make a public and thorough resolution to that little bit of fun between us that has been over-discussed and even tainted the purity of cinematic art!"

He paused for a second, his gaze sweeping across the dense array of cameras and countless faces—some surprised, some excited, some bewildered—before settling back on Naoko Tsuchimiya's face. He spoke, each word clear and distinct:
"Regarding you, and Hitachi Heavy Industries, which you represent, the repeatedly raised bet agreement on the Cannes awards for 'Redemption' and 'Kagemusha'..."

The entire place was deathly silent; even the wind seemed to have stopped!

The only sounds were the camera motor turning and the shutter being pressed, so dense they were like drumbeats before a storm!
All the reporters held their breath, their eyes wide open, afraid of missing a single word or expression!
Fu Qi, Feng Jiayou, Huang Jianzhong and others who were not far away had their hearts in their throats, their fists clenched tightly, and their nails dug deep into their palms!

What is Xuemin up to?!

To publicly and firmly refuse again? To denounce the other party for defiling art?
While this is certainly satisfying, is doing it on the closing ceremony red carpet too extreme?
Tsuchino Naoko's face drained of color, her lips pressed into a pale line, and her gaze behind her glasses was sharp as a knife, fixed on Cheng Xuemin.

She had a great sense of unease, but with everyone watching, she absolutely could not back down!
Then, under the watchful eyes of everyone—whether expectant, fearful, or incredulous—Cheng Xuemin uttered those earth-shattering words, instantly broadcast throughout Cannes and even across the world via radio waves:
"After careful consideration and with the necessary understanding and support, I, and the Dongchang Film Studio I work for..."

He paused again, his gaze sharp, his voice suddenly rising, carrying a resolute and decisive force that pierced through all the noise in the room:

"Now, I've officially decided to accept this bet!"

boom!
It was like a bombshell detonating on the scene!

After a brief, absolute silence, came an instantaneous uproar and gasps that nearly lifted the roof off the cinema!

"What?! He accepted?!"

"My God! What did he just say? Accept the bet?!"

Two hundred million US dollars! Has he gone mad?!

"Didn't you say yesterday that there would be no gambling at the movies? How come you're saying this today..."

"Quick! Quick, take a picture! This is headline news! It's an absolutely explosive headline!"

"Record! Don't turn off the recording!"

……

The reporters went absolutely crazy!
They pushed and shoved forward, catching the security guards off guard and nearly pushing them aside!

The flashes of light from the cameras created a blinding white light that almost engulfed Cheng Xuemin and Tsuchino Naoko!

Exclamations, questions, camera shutter clicks, staff shouts to stop...

The various sounds mingled together, forming a huge sound wave that assaulted everyone's eardrums!

All the other celebrities and socialites on the red carpet were stunned, forgetting to move forward and control their expressions. They all stared blankly at the two figures in the center of the red carpet, as if they had been frozen in place!
The Japanese delegation was in complete chaos. Some were shocked, some were angry, and some tried to step forward but were blocked by the surging crowd and cameras!
Fu Qi, Feng Jiayou, and the others were completely stunned, their minds blank, and they could hardly believe their ears!

Xuemin...accepted it?

Yesterday they were so adamant in their refusal, praising cinematic art so highly, how come today... they had no prior knowledge of this!

What exactly is going on? !
At the eye of the storm, Naoko Tsuchino was struck dumb the moment she heard Cheng Xuemin's words, frozen in place!

The color drained from her face instantly, and her eyes behind her gold-rimmed glasses widened in shock, confusion, and disbelief!
And a feeling of being outmaneuvered in public, caught off guard, and filled with humiliation and rage!
Her body swayed almost imperceptibly, and she instinctively grabbed the arm of the attendant beside her to steady herself.

"You... what did you say?" Tsuchiya Naoko's voice trembled almost imperceptibly. She practically spat out the words through clenched teeth, staring intently at Cheng Xuemin as if she wanted to devour him alive. "Cheng-san! Say it again?!"

"I'll talk!" Cheng Xuemin met the other party's gaze, which was almost spitting fire, with a calm expression, but deep in his eyes, a sharp, sword-like light that had been suppressed for a long time burst out completely at this moment!
He stepped forward and steadily handed the folder in his hand to Naoko Tsuchino, his voice carrying clearly in all directions:
"We accept the bet! We'll wager the awards 'Redemption' ultimately wins at this year's Cannes Film Festival against 'Kagemusha'." "The terms of the bet will be as you previously proposed: if the awards 'Redemption' wins are less significant than those of 'Kagemusha,' we will voluntarily hand over all relevant core technical data to you!"

"If the award-winning project of 'Redemption' is of equal or greater significance than 'Kagemusha,' Hitachi Heavy Industries will be required to provide an additional $200 million in cash free of charge on top of the existing $200 million technology transfer contract, and ensure a smooth transaction!"

He enunciated each word with unparalleled clarity, like a cold bullet piercing everyone's ears amidst the noisy environment, and also striking Naoko Tsuchino's suddenly constricted heart!

"This folder!" Cheng Xuemin tapped lightly on the folder, his gaze sharp as he stared intently at Tsuchiya Naoko. "It's a draft betting agreement that our side prepared overnight, based on your previous proposal, with specific and clear terms!"

"It clearly defines the criteria for determining the weight of the awards, based on the official award levels of the Cannes Film Festival, and invites an authoritative third-party organization to witness the decision. All terms are in black and white, clear and unambiguous!"

"Now!" Cheng Xuemin's voice suddenly rose to its highest point, drowning out the noise of the scene, and he said with an undeniable and imposing aura:
"In front of Cannes, in front of film colleagues and media from all over the world, I, Cheng Xuemin, on behalf of Dongchang Film Industry and myself, formally launch this honorable challenge on the art of film against you, Ms. Tsuchino Naoko, and Hitachi Heavy Industries, which you represent!"

"Do you dare to accept?!"

The last three words, like a thunderclap, echoed in the sky above the cinema!

The entire venue fell into a deathly silence once again! Only the sound of the wind and the distant sound of the Mediterranean tide could be faintly heard.

All eyes were now focused on Tsuchino Naoko's pale, stiff face, which was slightly distorted by extreme shock and rage!

The flashbulbs were flashing wildly, capturing every subtle change in her facial expression.

From disbelief, to shock and anger, to a hint of panic, and finally to a ferocious expression of humiliation and madness when pushed to the edge of a cliff!

Cheng Xuemin, whom she thought had already backed down and was only good at talking about art, actually cornered her in front of the global media in such an unexpected, intense, public, and uncompromising way at the very last moment before the closing ceremony was about to begin!
To answer or not to answer?

Don't answer?

To back down in public? Then all her previous hype, all her coercion, all her determination to win will become a huge joke!

Hitachi Heavy Industries and her personal prestige will be completely destroyed!

Moreover, the other party has already obtained the necessary understanding and support, and is clearly well-prepared, with agreements already drafted!
catch?
With the Cannes Film Festival now closed and emphasizing the independence and impartiality of the awards, and under the watchful eyes of the world, the nature of this bet has completely changed!

It is no longer just a business calculation, but has become a showdown between the nation's face, the dignity of film, and huge capital, which has been brought into the open!
If we fail, the consequences will be unbearable!
Moreover, Cheng Xuemin's resolute and open challenge raises the question: does he truly have something to rely on? Could it be... "Redemption"?
Various thoughts collided violently in Tsuchino Naoko's mind like lightning, almost suffocating her!

She felt countless gazes like red-hot needles piercing her back and face!
She could hear her heart pounding wildly in her chest, and she could feel cold sweat seeping from her forehead, soaking her carefully styled sideburns!
Time passed second by second, each second feeling like an eternity.

Finally, in a suffocating silence and under the spotlight of countless cameras, Tsuchino Naoko suddenly raised her head. Her eyes behind her gold-rimmed glasses were bloodshot, burning with humiliation, anger, and a desperate, madness driven to the brink!

She stared intently at Cheng Xuemin, at the light gray folder in his hand, as if she wanted to burn it through!

Then, she stretched out her hand, which was white at the knuckles and trembling slightly from the effort, and grabbed the folder!
Her movements were somewhat rough, and her fingertips even turned bluish-white from excessive force.

She didn't open it; she just gripped the folder tightly, as if she were holding a red-hot charcoal, or a sharp sword that could pierce both her opponent and herself!

She raised her chin, using all her strength to force her voice not to tremble too much.

The voice was dry and hoarse, yet carried a hysterical sharpness, echoing on the silent red carpet:

"Good! Cheng-san! You're very good!"

"This challenge... I, Nako Tsuchimino, representing Hitachi Heavy Industries, accept it!"

"Let the Cannes awards decide the outcome of this gamble! Let the whole world witness it for us!"

"We...will see!"

After saying that, she could no longer bear the suffocating atmosphere and the countless burning gazes. She turned around abruptly, not even caring about maintaining her composure!
Almost staggering, supported by his entourage and frantically surrounded by the Japanese delegation, he rushed towards the entrance of the cinema as if fleeing.

He left behind the even more frenzied shouts, screams, discussions, and camera shutter sounds that had resounded like a tsunami!
Cheng Xuemin stood there, watching Tsuchino Naoko's almost panicked escape, his face still expressionless!
He simply took a slow, deep breath and then exhaled the stale air in a long, drawn-out manner.

He turned around, facing the media sea that seemed to explode and boil before him, facing countless shocked, fanatical, and incredulous gazes, and facing the film festival staff and security guards who rushed over with extremely solemn expressions.

He straightened his slightly disheveled suit cuffs from his earlier movements, and then, facing the frenzied cameras and the whole world, gave a calm, even slightly weary, yet incredibly clear smile.

That smile held no pride, no arrogance, only a relieved composure and an almost tragic calm after betting everything on the table.

He didn't say another word, but simply nodded slightly to Feng Jiazhao and the others who were completely dumbfounded. Then he strode towards the cinema palace, which symbolized the highest hall of film art but now seemed to lead to the center of an unknown storm.

Behind him, the red carpet was in complete ecstasy!

The radio waves of global media broadcast this explosive news at the speed of light to every corner of the world.

Perhaps never before in the history of the Cannes Film Festival has there been such a dramatic and fiery opening.

……

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