I was just thinking about taking the arts exam and you said I've been playing supporting roles

Chapter 369 Goodbye Bell, the wind howls and the cranes cry!
"Ok?"

Chen Jin was stunned for a moment, and almost instinctively, she stepped in front of Zhang Yimou to block him.

He never expected that these guys... would be so crazy.

It's almost midnight, and they arrived so quickly!
Little Life International Students!

"what happened?"

Zhang Yimou was having a great time chatting and was clearly unaware of the impending crisis. However, director Farhadi, who was standing next to him, was probably very sensitive to these potential dangers because of Iran's geopolitical situation.

He also saw several international students wearing headscarves, who looked like no good people, and angrily charged towards them.

Everyone had their hands behind their backs, clearly holding something.

"careful!"

"Everyone, stand back and don't move!"

Before Chen Jin could finish shouting in English, the leader pulled out a bottle from behind his back. By the light, Chen Jin could see that it contained a red, blood-like liquid.

It was shaking incessantly; it might even be blood.

In his other hand was an empty bottle, inside which seemed to contain white strips of cloth.

Wow!

Upon hearing Chen Jin's shout, a sinister look flashed across the leader's face, and he suddenly threw the bottle in his hand toward Chen Jin.

Only then did everyone react, and the actress also gasped in surprise.

Many people didn't see what it was and instinctively took a few steps back, some even dodging to the side in their panic.

clap clap clap!
Bottles were thrown in front of the crowd, shattering and spilling blood-red liquid all over the ground.

In addition, a lot of it splashed onto everyone.

The group fled immediately after throwing the trash, clearly well-trained. Chen Jin didn't chase after them, but instead looked at the blood on the ground and the broken bottle revealing many notes inside.

Some of these notes were also stained with red, making them look quite bloody.

"Ahhh-"

Several actresses and their female companions were screaming, clearly terrified by the blood and shards of glass scattered on the ground.

The incident happened so suddenly that some timid people were indeed very scared.

Zhang Yimou's expression was rather unpleasant, as was Zhang Mo, who was hiding behind him. She had just been genuinely frightened by the group of people throwing bottles; she had initially thought the bottles were being thrown at them.

Especially as they were leaving, the thugs' eyes swept over Chen Jin, Zhang Yimou, and the others, as if they harbored deep hatred and wanted to devour them.

Although that look was only for a moment, the warning it conveyed was self-evident.

"Everyone, don't be afraid!"

"It's paint!"

Chen Jin squatted there, the strong, pungent smell making him frown slightly.

"Call the police!"

"I'll make the call!"

Dieter Kosslick, looking serious, spoke to his assistant, who immediately took out his phone.

Meanwhile, Dieter was already comforting the panicked jury members. He certainly knew what these people were after.

Because Chen Jin used a twig to pry open the strip of cloth, revealing many characters written crookedly in Chinese and English.

Blood for blood!

Please immediately stop the screening of "Heroes of Nanjing"!

Watch out for yourselves!

……

The numerous threatening words clearly frightened everyone present.

"Is that all the methods you have?"

Chen Jin smiled, clapped her hands, and tossed the branch aside.

"Director Zhang, Mr. Dieter, let's have the judges go back first!"

"Should we leave this to the police?"

Chen Jin looked at Zhang Yimou and the others, and then said to the members of the judging panel that there was no point in them staying here. They might as well go back to the hotel to rest, take a good shower, and forget what had just happened.

Professional matters should definitely be handled by professionals.

"Okay, let's go back first. Let's leave this to the police!"

Dieter left his assistant there while he personally called for security personnel to escort everyone back to the hotel.

The judges were clearly taken aback, as were the other directors and actors. In fact, Zhang Mo and Ni Ni were also quite frightened.

When they arrived at the hotel, their faces were still pale. If those blood vials or guns had been thrown at them, they would actually be dead.

"Will not!"

"I wouldn't dare do that in a lowly life!"

After watching the jury members and the director of the banquet go upstairs, Chen Jin went to Zhang Yimou's suite.

Ni Ni, Zhang Mo, and a few others were there.

"These people must have been planning this for a long time. They were probably already waiting outside when we entered the banquet restaurant!"

"Just wait for us to come out!"

Zhang Yimou analyzed the situation with lingering fear, but he seemed to be fine and not greatly affected.

"almost!"

"They're threatening us, and also... threatening the judging panel!"

"This is the most direct way!"

Chen Jin sat there and took a sip of water to calm his nerves. To be honest, he was also afraid that these young international students would do anything.

These college students, when they get impulsive, are fearless.

Fortunately, they should have had some reservations.

Or perhaps, these people were only trying to warn them and didn't intend to escalate the conflict.

"If someone dies, none of them will escape!"

"Given the track record of German police, such acts of retaliation might not necessarily be accepted..."

"Unless the film festival organizers exert pressure!"

Chen Jin looked at Zhang Yimou, who shook his head: "Even if they catch him, he'll only be locked up for a couple of days at most, which isn't very meaningful!"

"It should be a warning to the jury not to vote for our film, or they will face dire consequences!"

This is highly likely.

That makes perfect sense.

Without winning an award, *Jinling* magazine couldn't make a ripple at all.

Intimidating the jury members and other directors in this way is indeed the most direct method.

"If they knew the judging panel influenced the voting, it must have been a premeditated operation!"

"Sigh, I should have known better than to think that this trip to Berlin wouldn't be so easy..."

Zhang Yimou sighed, and Zhang Mo quickly stood behind his father, massaging his temples.

"Director Zhang, don't overthink it, anything is possible!"

"The more they act like this, the more afraid they are, and the more I want to try!"

There might be some members of the judging panel who are afraid of death, but who knows, it might actually provoke a rebellious attitude in some of them?
"This will definitely make Dieter very angry!"

"At least on this matter, we're on the same side. I just don't know if the media will report on it?"

This would actually significantly disrupt the normal operation of this year's Berlin Film Festival.

"Let's premiere it first!"

"We don't know what the jury members are really thinking right now!"

"Let's see how they react after the premiere. I'm afraid these guys will make a scene, and they might cause trouble at the film festival too!"

Beat the grass and startle the snake.

Once you've been there the first time, you'll definitely want to go again.

Only by putting pressure on you again and again will the judges realize that these extremists are serious.

Perhaps if I vote for Nanjing, I might face utter destruction.

I would rather trust it to have it than to trust it to have nothing.

With the wisdom of our ancestors as a guide, the judges' votes become more cautious and hesitant.

This is a tactic that the small-time protesters have consistently used, and they have employed it multiple times in their domestic protests.

They didn't learn the good aspects of Chinese culture, only some shady dealings and scraps.

"This kind of thing was actually predictable!" "After Xiao Yang told me about it this morning, I knew they would definitely cause trouble at the film festival, and there was no way to stop them!"

"I just didn't expect this..."

These lunatics pulled this stunt so late at night, giving us a real warning.

That's really impressive.

"Alright, we'll deal with whatever comes our way!"

"Let's see what they do next..."

Zhang Yimou patted Zhang Mo's hand and said to Chen Jin and Ni Ni, "You two go back to sleep. I'm fine. This kind of thing has happened more than once or twice. I could have imagined it when we were making this movie!"

"and……"

Zhang Yimou suddenly looked up and smiled meaningfully: "Try to find someone these next few days to see if we can sell the distribution rights in Japan!"

"Okay, I'll try my best to get someone from the company to make contact!"

With a box office of over 15 billion yuan in China, even if the Berlin Film Festival had yielded no results, there would still be investors willing to try their luck.

The locals live right next to China. This film, which has broken through to a wider audience during the Spring Festival, is something that not only the local Chinese community but also the Japanese themselves want to see.

Perhaps some viewers will be curious.

Unless Japan explicitly bans the film's release, Chen Jin will definitely try this close-up, high-octane approach.

It's worth noting that Oppenheimer is projected to gross over $2100 million in Japan, becoming the highest-grossing Hollywood film in Japan in 2024. Its opening weekend box office reached 250 million yen, setting a new record for the best opening weekend for a Hollywood film in Japan that year.

People who are easily bullied and have little respect for history are the most likely to bully the weak and fear the strong.

After saying goodbye to Zhang Yimou, Chen Jin and Ni Ni left his room. The group lived on the same floor, with Chen Jin staying diagonally opposite.

"Don't wander around these next few days!"

Chen Jin suddenly said something to Ni Ni, who paused for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, I understand!"

"Yes, these are special times..."

"If you're going to explore Berlin, you'd better hire a bodyguard!"

Some women just can't understand this, and Chen Jin was just giving them a heads-up.

He was genuinely afraid that Ni Ni would feel she had come to Berlin and want to explore the surrounding area. This wasn't impossible; it was a behavior many women would subconsciously do.

Chen Jin wasn't her boyfriend, so of course he couldn't control her freedom, but if something happened, it would be related to him.

Back in her room, Chen Jin couldn't fall asleep.

There's nothing much going on tomorrow, just arranging some procedures for the premiere, etc.

The opening ceremony will be the day after tomorrow.

In this hazy state, Chen Jin slept soundly until dawn.

The next day, while having breakfast downstairs at the hotel, I met up with Zhang Yimou, who then told me about the solution to the incident from the previous night.

They haven't caught him because it seems he fled overnight and isn't in Berlin.

Chen Jin was speechless when it came to the German police.

It's worth noting that Germany has both alarmingly high crime and clearance rates.

The crime rate is even more outrageous than in the United States, 23.7 times that of China; there are very few cameras on the streets and they are strictly controlled, so why is the crime-solving rate so high?
Because numerous data points and cases show that German police have been deliberately fabricating wrongful convictions!
They have many traditional skills: if a criminal case occurs and no suspect can be found, then the witness will become the suspect!
If there are no witnesses, the police will accuse the person who made the report of making a false report and of having a mental illness, making the person who made the report a criminal suspect... Of course, they wouldn't do that to someone as important and influential as Dieter, but they can still deal with it superficially.

Nothing serious happened, no one was injured, just frightened. So why bother the police with such a small matter?

That's so German.

"However, Dieter assured me that the film festival would strengthen security measures, and the German police would also increase their manpower!"

"During this period, if there's nothing else to do, I'll just stay in the hotel. I don't want to trouble the embassy here..."

Zhang Yimou ate while talking to Chen Jin.

Chen Jin took Dieter's words as a joke. The first part might be true, but the second part, "the police...protecting the Chinese people?"

They wouldn't care at all until it made international news.

Even during film festivals.

"I'm here today to contact a local security company!"

In capitalist countries, connections sometimes... are not as useful as money.

Five burly men arrived in time by the afternoon, and the premiere of "The Flowers of War" was also arranged. On the second day after the opening ceremony, apart from the Chinese market, "The Flowers of War" was a true global premiere in other countries.

"When I came in just now, I saw someone lurking suspiciously outside the door!"

Chen Jin arrived at Zhang Yimou's suite. These days, he basically observes his surroundings wherever he goes.

I always feel like someone is watching me.

"I feel it too!"

"It should be that group, but it's impossible to arrest and question them..."

"Right now, Dieter is actually the one with the biggest headache. He's also afraid that these people will cause trouble at the opening ceremony!"

Zhang Yimou smiled wryly; he had just spoken to Dieter again on the phone.

The jury members have been appeased, but their specific thoughts remain unknown; Dieter, on the other hand, is the most anxious of them all, and has taken serious action, even calling the Berlin office.

If this matter is not handled properly, it could become a political incident, which Berlin cannot afford to ignore.

"Bell should be here soon, right?"

Zhang Yimou changed the subject and glanced at the time.

"Yes, he texted me an hour ago after his plane landed!"

This person is quite a big name on tomorrow's red carpet; the opening ceremony red carpet for "Jinling" at the Berlin Film Festival is scheduled very early, which will be a great publicity opportunity.

Ding Dong!Ding Dong!
Speaking of Cao Cao, Cao Cao will arrive.

A travel-worn Christopher Nolan stood at the door with a smile and gave Chen Jin a tight hug.

"Chan, long time no see!"

Bell smiled and greeted Zhang Yimou as well.

He looked like a migrant worker, not at all like a world-renowned Hollywood superstar.

"What are you..."

Zhang Yimou pointed at Bale's appearance and couldn't help but chuckle.

"It's for the role. I'm currently filming a crime movie where I play a blue-collar worker in a steel mill!"

Chen Jin frequently keeps in touch with Bell, especially in North America, where the two often talk on the phone.

So I knew he had joined a new film crew – “Escape from the Furnace”.

He took leave from the film crew to attend the Berlin Film Festival this time; to be honest, Chen Jin considers himself a workaholic as an actor, but Bale is someone he truly admires.

This guy is similar to him in temperament; he's also a bit of a theatrical madman.

"I heard about what happened to you from Gyllenhaal. Are you alright?"

Bell looked at the two people; Gyllenhaal was a member of the judging panel and had been there yesterday.

Both of them are artists under the Screen Actors Guild and are acquainted. Chen Jin even asked Bale to speak to him.

"fine!"

"It's possible that you'll encounter some unexpected situations at the film festival!"

Chen Jin shrugged and joked with him.

Bell pursed his lips and made a strange expression: "Then I understand, your Chinese kung fu will protect me, right?"

"Hahaha!"

Zhang Yimou also laughed.

It's clear that Bear Grylls has a good sense of humor.

"Of course, of course!"

"How about I teach you a few moves right now?"

Chen Jin was just joking, but she didn't expect Bale to take it seriously: "To be honest, when I was filming 'Batman,' I came into contact with Chinese kung fu. I've heard that you're very skilled, and I've always wanted to find a kung fu master!"

"You should talk to Director Zhang; he knows a lot of experts!"

Chen Jin feigned modesty, but Bell pursed his lips and said, "I can tell that you are also very skilled!"

"Don't forget, I have an informant?"

"Who?"

"Guo, Guo bragged to me that you're a great fighter!"

Damn it, Guo Fan, why are you always bragging about me like this?!
"How about it? Consider it and we can spar together over the next few days?"

Bale spoke with great enthusiasm, saying that for an actor like him, having a skill could make a role even more outstanding!

(End of this chapter)