Generation Z Artists

Chapter 239: Cheating and abduction
"Let me state upfront that our film is aiming for art-house awards at next year's Cannes Film Festival. Chen Nian's performance is extremely challenging, and it will be very, very difficult for you. Are you sure you can handle it?"

Dog Fang was afraid the little girl would back down, so he spoke with promises of an enticing future.

But it's actually unnecessary.

At that moment, Liu Yifei couldn't understand how hard it was to act in a movie. She simply felt that if you like something, you shouldn't be afraid of hardship.

"I'm not afraid, director!"

Fang Xinghe almost frowned; Fatty Immortal's voice was so sweet and childlike right now...

The old pervert might find her cute, but he only felt annoyed and wanted to train her hard.

Liu Yifei is still making serious statements.

“I love acting. I was also bullied when I was studying in the United States. I can empathize with Chen Nian. I can do it!”

The four short sentences each begin with the word "I".

This should not be understood as absolute self-centeredness, but rather as a kind of obsessive urgency.

Seeing that the time was right, Liu Xiaoli finally chimed in: "Yes, Director Fang, Qianqian is really not spoiled at all. She is very persistent when she sets her mind on something. Please believe in her and give her a chance."

Dog Fang chuckled inwardly, thinking: "Now you're begging me for help and thanking me, just don't come back with a knife to kill me later."

But Fang Xinghe truly believed that Liu Yifei possessed that kind of resilience, even though she was only 16 years old.

Amidst online harassment and rumors about her transgender identity, she stated in an interview: "Journalists and media outlets are also trying to make a living, so let them write whatever they want."

As the head of the online trolls, Fang Xinghe found it hard not to like this statement.

It has something to do with her stance, but I really admire her spirit; it's rare to see such a person in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Why couldn't the equally beautiful Yuan Yuan and Huang Yiyi play Chen Nian?

Because if you use evil methods to torture them to the extreme, they will only break down and will not be able to show that kind of resilience from the bottom of their hearts, let alone ignite that kind of wildfire that fights with all their might.

Looking at their lives from the perspective of posterity, the true nature of who they were has already been determined.

Do you really think this kind of war criminal-style discipline works on anyone?
If you bring in a spoiled and petty actress, she might quit halfway through the filming and then go on a tearful rant to the media. You're in for a mess.

Previously, Fang Xinghe favored Tang Wei precisely because he was certain she could handle the situation; it was a choice he had no other option.

It's really hard for anyone else to withstand the full feast prepared by Fang Gou.

It would be even better if she were fat and ugly. When a female celebrity doesn't care at all about getting fat and ugly, and lazily waves to the media and the public, then you should believe that she can withstand all the tortures in the world.

(Manual sarcasm)

Fang Xinghe stopped paying attention to Xiao Liu, who was now a hostage on the pirate ship, and had a deeper but not comprehensive conversation with Liu's mother.

"Yifei is a very high-quality rough stone. I can give her the opportunity, but you should understand that a rough stone must be polished in order to release its inner brilliance."

I have high ambitions for this film. The crew will be filming in a closed environment; no one is allowed to accompany us or visit the set. From pre-production training to wrap-up, it will take about three to four months, a very long process. Do you have any questions?

"Huh? Is this how it's supposed to be?"

Ms. Liu immediately looked embarrassed.

She was genuinely worried about her daughter, not only because of a mother's natural anxiety, but also because of her wariness towards Fang Xinghe.

There was something that Fang Xinghe had never paid attention to, but it was real: the media kept writing about his scandals.

Some of these are so serious that they could even be called pornographic rumors.

For example, that idiot Da Zude, whenever he gets the chance, writes about Fang Xinghe's scandals, from Japan and South Korea to Europe and America, whether they're even remotely related or not, they've all slept with Fang Xinghe.

However, on the other hand, although Huang Yao was fierce, she did not harm him much.

The common people didn't believe that Fang Xinghe was truly celibate; they simply thought that since he had donated so much money, what did it matter if he slept with a few women?
Go ahead and sleep, don't be shy.

Their attitude towards related news is: If you like it, write more, we won't criticize!

Therefore, your brother Fang's scandals always sell particularly well, but the number of people who criticize him for them is extremely small.

Most people talk like this—

"Sigh, no need to think, Fang Xinghe definitely slept with him. I'm so envious..."

"What's there to envy? If you were as handsome and rich as him, and ate better than him, then whoever is just average-looking wouldn't matter..."

"No matter what, she's a foreign woman/Japanese girl/Korean beauty, she's definitely bringing glory to the country..."

That "who" doesn't specifically refer to anyone, but it encompasses everyone.

On one hand, there is the glory of "winning honor for the country," and on the other hand, there is the dark tide of "not winning honor for the country." The coexistence of the two is actually quite absurd.

The problem is that when the rumors were just news, everyone treated them as a joke. But when Fang Xinghe actually appeared in front of their daughters, the parents, who didn't know the truth, panicked.

In Ms. Liu's eyes, Fang Xinghe was definitely a dangerous person who attracted many women.

"Um, can't I go with her to take care of Sisi? I'm open to full-time isolation..."

Ms. Liu's troubled expression made Brother Fang both angry and annoyed.

Who do you take me for?!
I am an artist!

How am I supposed to discipline your daughter if you go?!

No no no!

Fang Xinghe's expression immediately turned cold.

"Ms. Liu, I can tell you clearly that the special training Yifei is about to undergo is very brutal. I will not harm her body, but I need her to enter a special state and dedicate all her energy to this film."

Therefore, I cannot allow you to be by her side every day, as that would affect your complete dedication.

This is not the attitude of an artist.

I would like to ask, are you sure you are mentally prepared for her to become a real actress?

You went through hardships when you were dancing, why would you ask such an amateurish question?

The dog kept changing its tactics, sometimes gentle, sometimes forceful, leaving Ms. Liu completely confused.

But even at this point, she maintained her composure and manners, explaining to Fang Xinghe in a gentle voice.

"Director Fang, I've endured all kinds of hardships, but I am a mother. No matter how old Qianqian gets, she will always be the child who needs to be taken care of in my heart."

I didn't mean to offend you, but preparation is key to success. Before signing the contract, I need to address my mental state. Please understand…

Just then, Liu Yifei spoke up crisply.

“Mom, I’m not afraid of hardship. You’ve already agreed to let me make my own way, haven’t you? Now it’s time for me to make my own decision, and I’m willing to accept these conditions.”

Ms. Liu turned to look at her daughter, her expression somewhat serious, but her tone was very equal.

"Really? For Director Fang to emphasize this so repeatedly, the difficulty of this film must be beyond your current expectations. Are you sure you're ready?"

"Of course!"

Liu Yifei straightened her face and replied, word by word, "I must play this bullied girl well!"

Immediately afterwards, Chen Jinfei also began to chime in.

"Xiaoli, I admire Director Fang's character very much. He is the youngest philanthropist in the country and a young leader who has been personally commended and even prepared to meet with the top national leaders. Xixi wants to be an actress, and being able to learn from Director Fang in the early stages of her career is a rare opportunity that we can only dream of."

Ms. Liu's shoulders relaxed, and she shook her head with a wry smile at Fang Xinghe. "Director Fang, then I'll have to trouble you. If she doesn't do well in filming, please feel free to discipline her, but please ensure her personal safety and mental well-being. Qianqian is only 15 years old, a very kind-hearted girl. You've helped so many impoverished children, could you please treat her like a younger sister?"

Fang Xinghe was puzzled. This woman was completely different from the description given by the "Fairy Powder".

Gentle, well-mannered, wary of herself but not hostile, loves her daughter but does not forcibly interfere with her autonomy...

Fang Xinghe recalled that Fei Xian had indeed publicly stated: "Many of my decisions were my own. My mother sometimes doesn't understand, but she always respects my choices. When I first wanted to enter the entertainment industry, my mother objected, but she was still willing to let me try..."

Goodness, just how many accusations have these fans pinned on Liu Xiaoli?
It was clearly Fei Xian who had strong opinions, but all the bad things were done by Liu Xiaoli.

It can only be said that the fan culture tradition of "idols are 100% innocent and it's all the management company's fault" existed even before the era of internet traffic.

Anyway, through personal contact, Fang Xinghe developed a good impression of Ms. Liu, so... that bastard was going to try to fool her a bit more.

"You don't need to worry about her living arrangements; my film crew will provide the highest standard of treatment in the world. Furthermore, Sister Gong Li will be with Sissi throughout the entire process, offering acting guidance and taking care of her emotional well-being..."

Gong Li was like the last straw, completely moving Ms. Liu.

These days, the number one female star in China must be Gong Li. Wei Zhentian's popularity in the past three years is more than 20 times that of Gong Li, but who would think that her status is greater than Gong Li's?

The popularity and discussion generated by movies are far less than those of TV series, and their status is exactly the opposite.

Being able to play the female lead in Fang Xinghe's debut film and receive meticulous guidance from Gong Li, Ms. Liu finally signed that thick contract with various harsh constraints.

But actually...

Gong Li will indeed make a cameo appearance as a female detective for Fang Xinghe and will accompany Liu Yifei for a period of time, but it is definitely not for the entire time.

A month? A month and a half?
It all depends on when Fang Xinghe decides to plunge Nenxian into her most isolated predicament and deepest despair...

This guy has absolutely no chivalry or pity for women.

Having decided to enter the entertainment industry, Fang Xinghe had no intention of showing mercy to anyone, including himself.

Can't the media that spreads rumors win a lawsuit?
Can't we make an example of an ordinary person who has a foul mouth?

There's no need for that. He earns his money from this mixed traffic, and he's neither pretentious nor allows others to be.

If you're afraid of being criticized, don't become a celebrity; if you're afraid of hardship, don't become an actor.

He planned to tell Nenxian this at an appropriate time.

Cherish your last moments of childhood, hehehehe!

……

With the contract signed, the preparations for the film crew quickly got on track.

Liu Yifei's scenes in "The Story of a Noble Family" will be filmed by the end of August, and You Jianming can even help to advance the filming schedule.

For the venue, Fang Xinghe chose a small county town under Xiamen.

Even if the filming continues into December, it can still create a summery atmosphere and achieve the effect of closely adhering to the theme of the college entrance examination.

As for the casting, Wei Lai ultimately chose Yang Mi. The young girl didn't care about playing a villain; as long as she could be with her beloved Giegie, she would be happy even if it meant eating shit.

Fang Xinghe decided to entrust this important supporting role to her after seeing the strong red light emanating from her.

When the time comes, as long as you treat her a little differently on set, Yang Xiaomi's jealousy of Liu Xiaofei will rise rapidly, thus achieving the most natural and lifelike performance.

If subtly guided further, she and her two lackeys would isolate Liu Yifei outside of filming, creating a strong and pervasive atmosphere of bullying.

(...)
This damn director is a complete master of evil, he even factored in this little detail.

The outside world never believed in his directing ability, let alone in the quality of the performance by this inexperienced cast. However, Fang Xinghe himself knew that the acting in this film was guaranteed to be at least 85 points.

Gong Li plays a detective, while Deng Chao plays a naive and clueless straight man.

Chen Daoming makes a cameo appearance as the head of the teaching department.

Thirteen Eagles plays a thug, a professional at both beating and taking beatings.

The moment Yang Xiaomi saw Liu Xiaofei, her eyes blazed with fury. She didn't need to act out her jealousy, nor did she need to act out her delinquent demeanor.

And then there's the young fairy who's already been given a complete feast, who's also experienced bullying in real life, and still has baby fat...

If it were another film, these newcomers might have made a complete mess of it.

However, in this film about school bullying, there is no limit to the potential they can unleash.

Or rather, the upper limit is Director Fang's coaching skills, which is precisely the thing we need to worry about the least.

Fang was worried about something else—would this script pass the review?
As expected, the first draft of the script was indeed rejected by the review committee.

This is a remarkable department with 37 members. The members are not a single administrative official, but rather a group of experts and departmental representatives from multiple fields, including industry experts and scholars, as well as special committee members from propaganda, education, courts, labor unions, religious affairs bureaus, and so on.

Most of these people know neither about movies nor scripts, yet they have the right to decide whether your content is right or wrong.

Therefore, many directors have suffered greatly.

Fang Ge also got into trouble. The education authorities suggested revisions: there is no serious bullying in Chinese middle schools, and the facts should not be ignored, and isolated cases should not be exaggerated.

Tsinghua University professor Yin Hong voted in favor.

Professor Deng Dongtian of Beijing Film Academy argued his case forcefully, but his proposal was vetoed by the education authorities—who have the most say in educational matters.

So the first draft of the script, along with the suggested revisions, was sent back.

Upon hearing this, Mou Zi was particularly eager: "Fang, do you need me to help you communicate with them?"

Old Deng, are you still eyeing my script?
Brother Fang smiled nonchalantly and waved his hand, saying, "No need, I can handle it."

How to deal with it?

Actually, there are quite a few people who could handle this, but Fang Xinghe chose the most direct, ruthless, and uncompromising approach.

He went directly to the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, donated the money that should have been given to Project Hope this year, and also received an award.

Leaders from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, and the China Youth Development Foundation, among other top officials, warmly met with Fang Xinghe.

Before leaving, Brother Fang stopped by the Ministry of Education—really just on the way—for a quick visit.

Of course, we didn't talk about movies; we just had a general chat about ideas for helping students.

Not long after returning, the education representative on the film censorship committee was replaced, and the new person in charge gave completely different comments on the untouched script of "Better Days".

"This script profoundly reflects some of the shortcomings in my country's education system during its rapid development, embodies deep humanistic concern and a keen interest in education, and is worthy of humbly learning, carefully experiencing, deeply understanding, and reflecting upon by the entire education community. It is a highly valuable masterpiece... Approved."

In fact, among the 37 committee members, there were others who were not fond of Fang Xinghe, and even less so of this proposal, and had previously expressed their opposition.

But as soon as this happened, everyone shut their mouths.

Why bother?
Being a committee member not only brings fame and power, but also occasional small benefits. That Fang barbarian is crazy; it's best not to provoke him...

From that day on, for a long, long time afterward, Fang Xinghe's scripts and even his finished films were never in the same style as those of other directors.

Well, it's nothing particularly remarkable, just showing half a cleavage without deleting it and splattering blood without cutting it out. It's basic stuff, don't be alarmed.

Now, everything is ready.

On September 1st, "Better Days" began filming in Xiamen with great fanfare.

********
I'm adjusting to the time difference and getting ready to go see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor.

(End of this chapter)