Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 401 National Blood and Tears, An Epic of Justice (Part 2) (Bonus Chapter for Yi Lu Xiang Qian)
Tom Hanks' character, Rabe, cries out in anguish in his heart, for no normal human being could remain calm in the face of such a catastrophe.

But he knew his responsibility was heavy, so he and Minnie Vautrin drove overnight to the Japanese Consulate General in Nanjing to present a hastily written protest letter to diplomat Atsuyasu Fukuda as international representatives of the United States and Germany.

The latter treated them with great courtesy, but could only express their apologies for the fact that the diplomatic department had absolutely no control over the military.

Rabe and Minnie Vautrin left with heavy hearts.

Today, it seems that neither the Nazi Party emblem nor nationality can withstand the Japanese invaders' hard or soft weapons.

The two were preparing to return to the International Committee for further discussion when Han Xianglin drove to the door and saw Cheng Ruifang, the dormitory supervisor of Jinnv University played by Gong Li, rushing over in a hurry.

"Miss Hua! Miss Hua!"

"Ruifang! What happened at Jinnv University?"

Hearing her terrified cries, Minnie Vautrin jumped out of the car before it had even come to a complete stop, staggering a few steps before Cheng Ruifang helped her up.

"The Japanese devils are coming! It's a company of two hundred men, and they're going to storm the school!"

Rabe got out of the car, his face grim: "Minnie (Vaitlin), you and Warden Cheng take Xianglin's car and go back first. Don't make a big fuss."

"I'll go to the Japanese headquarters now and... talk to their commander again."

The desolation in the German's tone made the audience's hearts sink.

Everyone knows how cruel everything these two kind international friends are going through and what they are about to face is.

Minnie Vautrin met Lieutenant Colonel Fukuda Eisuke (played by Feng Yuanzheng), a Japanese soldier, in the principal's office at Jin Women's University. He was accompanied by a translator.

"Hello, Ms. Minnie Vautrin, I am Eisuke Fukuda, the logistics officer of the 6th Division under His Excellency Hisao Tani.

The female principal gave him a cold look: "You can say whatever you want, but the hundred or so people who have entered the school, get out first! This is a refugee camp!"

Fukuda Eisuke laughed heartily: "I am different from the other rude soldiers of the Great Japanese Empire. I am a scholar who graduated from the Department of Philosophy at Kyoto University."

"Isn't it enough that I'm sitting here quietly, drinking tea and negotiating with you, to show you sincerity?"

The Japanese lieutenant colonel spoke calmly and slowly, with fair skin and a clean chin, making him quite different from the eccentric soldiers who were hated by both men and ghosts.

Minnie Vautrin was kind and strong, but this missionary who had come from afar did not have much experience in struggle, and tentatively asked, "What do you want to talk about?"

“That’s right.” Fukuda Eisuke tapped the table lightly. “The war has caused some people to lose their minds, and I’m sorry for that.”

"This is mainly because the Imperial Army sacrificed many brothers at Zijin Mountain, and we also lost too many people in Shanghai. Everyone had emotions to vent."

The Kyoto University graduate spoke in a calm and powerful voice: "In philosophy, this is called the alienation of individual humanity by collective violence, turning us all into madmen. Isn't that tragic?"

Minnie Vautrin ignored his fallacies and did not believe that the Japanese soldiers who were orderly during robbery and assault were insane.

She glanced at her watch, trying to appear calm, and attempted to leverage her nationality to gain some negotiating advantage: "Stop beating around the bush, we Americans like to get straight to the point."

“Alright.” Fukuda Eisuke also stood up: “To be clear, Nanjing is gradually returning to order under our rule. If we want to appease our soldiers, the entertainment industry in the city must be restored as soon as possible.”

His eyes, like a viper's hiss, looked at Minnie Vautrin and Cheng Ruifang: "Many prostitutes have flocked to your Golden Girls' University. Now I'm going to take them away."

Cheng Ruifang wasn't very educated and spoke her mind: "Nonsense! There aren't any women like that here!"

"Don't misunderstand, madam." Fukuda Eisuke remained polite and patiently explained to the two, noting that this was indeed quite different from the usual Japanese soldiers.

“We will politely invite them out and issue them a certificate of employment, just like the ‘good citizen certificate’ issued in the city.”

“We will still pay them wages and food rations, and everything will be as orderly as before the city fell.”

Fukuda Eisuke played the good cop, while the bearded squad leader behind him, with a fierce look on his face, played the bad cop: "Baka! Don't waste the Imperial Army's time anymore, or our brothers will have to search themselves!"

With an air of refined elegance, Fukuda Eisuke issued his ultimatum: "Madam, this is an order. Even if I wanted to protect you, I cannot disobey it."

So, accept it.

Minnie Vautrin was immediately caught in a dilemma. Lacking experience in such matters, she looked to Cheng Ruifang, but the latter was just an ordinary woman who couldn't read or write, so how could she possibly make such a decision?

The female missionary's appeasement instincts resurfaced, and she said helplessly, "How...how can you tell who has worked in that profession?"

"Furthermore, even if they have done it, you cannot force them to do it if they do not wish to!"

This is tantamount to tacit agreement.

Fukuda Eisuke sneered inwardly. Foolish Americans, they actually believed him.

Before he could answer, a shrill scream rang out across the Jinnv University campus, startling the viewers.

Feng Yuanzheng, who plays the Japanese logistics minister, suddenly changed his expression: "I just said, don't delay."

"My soldiers are out of control now, and I can't manage them anymore. Let's go!"

Cheng Ruifang suddenly realized what was happening and pointed at Fukuda Eisuke, who was slamming the door as he left, yelling, "Miss Hua, these bastards are using a diversionary tactic!"

The Western audience below the stage erupted in uproar.

Feng Yuanzheng's performance as Eisuke Fukuda was so outstanding that people naively thought that this logistics minister of the Department of Philosophy at Kyoto University would be a relatively reasonable, elegant, and clear-headed war strategist.

Even now, seeing the Japanese logistics minister's blatant and despicable tricks, I couldn't help but feel a chill run down my spine and break out in a cold sweat.

Director Lu Kuan arranged a very absurd shot here—

Use a low-angle shot to film the scene of Fukuda Eisuke and the squad leader leaving in the corridor.

The Japanese soldiers' high-quality military boots clattered on the marble floor.

It felt like stepping on their hearts, creating a stark contrast with the faint screams and cries coming from Jin Nv University.

The moviegoers in the Berlin Film Palace sat in comfortable, soft seats, yet they seemed like people in a chaotic world being trampled under the boots of invaders.

The sound of military boots on the screen gradually faded, and a voice-over from the squad leader asked in confusion, "Why did you go through such a long and complicated process?"

Feng Yuanzheng chuckled softly and said leisurely, "The war will end one day, and we will all go home."

"If one day my lovely twin daughters, Ako and Chiyo, ask about the truth of the war, I can tell them."

"Your father was elegant and dignified during the war."

The camera suddenly pans up to show the refined face of Fukuda Eisuke, a top student in the philosophy department, as he elegantly boards the military vehicle in a trench coat.

It was as if the horrific violence happening on the Ginza campus had nothing to do with him.

Quite abruptly, coinciding with Eisuke Fukuda's departure, Ryuichi Sakamoto's "Energy Flow" began playing in the background of the film.

This healing masterpiece by Japan's national treasure-level composer creates a soothing and peaceful melody that contrasts with Eisuke Fukuda's self-proclaimed "elegance and refinement."

As the soothing piano notes flowed, the scene depicted the atrocities committed by the Japanese soldiers he ordered on the campus of Jinling Women's University, including rape and plunder.

This extreme contrast sent chills down the spines of everyone watching, while also making them grit their teeth in disgust.

A subtitle appears on the screen:
Eisuke Fukuda, the former captain of the Japanese military police, was accused of participating in the massacre and organizing the rape of civilians, but was released in June 1947 due to "lack of direct evidence".

"Fuck your mother, you little devils!" A crisp, clear curse came from a reporter on the scene from "China Movie Report."

But it represented the sentiments of all the Chinese people present.

But what about Western audiences?
From their perspective of viewing the Japanese officer Fukuda Eisuke, played by Feng Yuanzheng, through Minnie Vautrin's eyes, to the oppressive viewpoint of the military boots, and finally to hearing these scathing remarks.

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines!

In that instant, familiar figures of Japanese friends flashed before the eyes of these Western viewers—

Always dressed in a suit and tie, he bows at a ninety-degree angle and hands over his business card with both hands;

The tea ceremony performance in the tea room was elegant and graceful, flowing smoothly.
Even when arguing and getting angry, they apologize and communicate simultaneously, and criticisms are always framed with polite phrases like "perhaps we can reconsider."

These gentle and elegant figures and images merged with Feng Yuanzheng, who possessed the same appearance and demeanor, on the screen at this time.

Western viewers couldn't help but wonder, which one is their real face?
The audience, including Wang Xiaoshuai, Johnnie To, and other Chinese filmmakers, once again applauded in admiration!
The narrative of this scene unfolds layer by layer, reaching a fusion and ultimate expression through the character of Feng Yuanzheng.

Organized burning, killing, and looting demonstrate the Japanese devils' pure viciousness and utter depravity.

Rabe was deceived into becoming an accomplice of the executioner, and Minnie Vautrin was lured away from the mountain due to appeasement, which reflects the cunning and treachery of the Japanese.

All these evils of human nature were perfectly packaged in the character of Fukuda Eisuke, played by Feng Yuanzheng, once again deceiving the Western audience.

When the veil of warmth, elegance, and high knowledge of this Kyoto University philosophy student was torn away, everyone saw through these beasts and the true evil hidden beneath their glamorous exteriors!
In particular, the final conversation between Fukuda Eisuke and the squad leader is even more thought-provoking.

Many Western viewers who have a favorable impression of Japanese people may have this jarring image forming in their minds:
On one side, Fukuda Eisuke hummed a nursery rhyme from his hometown of Fenggang County, lovingly coaxing his twin daughters to sleep;
On one hand, he was wearing hard military boots, ordering his men, or even personally taking bayonets to cut open the bellies of pregnant Chinese women.

This remarkably concise, powerful, and efficient cinematic narrative once again prompts Western audiences to ask profound questions!
Which face is their true face?

Martin, who was in the audience, was a fan of Akira Kurosawa and had read "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" a long time ago, so he had a relatively good understanding of the Japanese people.

Although his friend Lu Kuan's film depicts the extreme ugliness and evil of war criminals, Lu Kuan's artistic talent allows the audience to appreciate more of the Chinese director's intentions through the cinematic language and narrative rhythm.

What's the intention?
Let the blood-stained samurai sword stand alongside the flower arrangement on the desk, and let the elegant pronunciation of Kyoto dialect intertwine with the screams of torture.

By juxtaposing traditional Japanese cultural symbols with atrocities, the false balance of "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" is completely shattered.

When the books in the library of Jinling University were set ablaze, the firelight illuminated the calligraphy scroll of "Harmony, Respect, Purity, and Tranquility" written by Japanese military officers on the wall, forming the most scathing deconstruction of so-called Japanese aesthetics.

Sure enough, after Fukuda, played by Feng Yuanzheng, leaves gracefully, the camera zooms in and focuses on the fallen Jin Nvda.

The Japanese soldiers kicked open the doors of every dormitory room, dragged the screaming female college students to the corridor, lined them up in a long queue, tied them together with hemp rope, and made them stand in a row.

The bayonet slashed open the tattered school uniform, and the buttons fell to the ground, resonating with the bass keys of the smashed piano in the next music room.

The book "Admonitions for Women" was torn to shreds and laid on the ground, and the screaming poor people were pressed down on the scattered pages and assaulted.

Ink and bloodstains seeped into eerie plum blossom patterns on the rice paper, while the plaque on the wall inscribed with "propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame" was being hacked into firewood by bayonets.

All of this is too much to bear to look at.

Minnie Vautrin and Cheng Ruifang fought desperately against the Japanese soldiers. Both of them were taller. Vautrin held her American passport to her chest and screamed through tears:
"Get out! Get out of here! This is a safe zone!"

The Japanese atrocities were nearing their end. Although they dared not shoot Minnie Vautrin, they still slapped her a few times before leaving.

The military vehicles rumbled away, their lurching laughter echoing through the night as they drifted in the wind, a truly terrifying sight.

Minnie Vautrin knelt before the steps of the Golden Lady Chapel, her ten fingers digging deep into the cracks of the bluestone slabs, the blood seeping from her broken nails mingling with the undried bloodstains on the steps.

In the scene, Moore plays the missionary Minnie Vautrin, looking up at the dark "sky of history".

That should have been a window through which God looked down upon the world, but now it was like a dome splattered with thick ink, not even a single star could be seen.

"Lord, is this the love you promised?"

Her hoarse question, tinged with the stench of blood, drifted in the wind.

Minnie Vautrin burst into tears, her cross necklace swaying violently against her chest.

The red marks left by the ligatures looked exactly like the ligature marks on the necks of the female students who had been hanged in the corridor.

Watching Minnie Vautrin's faith waver, the directors and actors in the audience who knew Lu Kuan well couldn't help but recall the scene more than a year ago when he participated in "Larry King Live" in North America.

Larry King asked a question that most Westerners would ask: Why don't Chinese people have any faith?
Lu Kuan replied: It's not that Chinese people don't have faith; our faith is our own vast history.

Looking at the helpless, tearful, and blood-stained missionary Minnie Vautrin before him, and thinking of the heroic Chinese soldiers who drove the Japanese invaders out of the Eastern theater of World War II, he thought of the Chinese soldiers who drove the Japanese invaders out of the Eastern theater of World War II.

The thoughtful audience members then began to understand.

The heavens of history have never shown mercy to the weak, and the Chinese people will never place their hopes on ethereal ghosts and gods.

Only when ordinary people raise their torches can they illuminate the path of blood and tears in the darkness.

Minnie Vautrin quickly composed herself and, together with Cheng Ruifang, organized the treatment of the wounded, using a handcart to transport the dying students and refugees to Gulou Hospital for emergency treatment.

The scene shifts to another supporting character in the three-line narrative, Rabe, who will meet Minnie Vautrin at Gulou Hospital.

Just as Rabe returned to the villa at No. 1 Little Pink Bridge, a refugee came running up to him in the alley, crying and pleading, "Mr. Rabe, my wife has been captured by the Japanese army, please save her!"

"Lead the way!" Rabe, who had just been turned away by the headquarters, didn't have time to go home. He and Han Xianglin followed the refugees into the depths of the alley.

When they arrived, panting, the man's wife had already been brutally raped.

The woman's skin was bluish-purple, and her fingers had dug blood marks into the wall. Because of her relentless resistance, the right half of her scalp had been sliced ​​off by a military knife, and her exposed skull gleamed white under the kerosene lamp.

The husband roared in despair, abandoning his fear and cowardice, and rushed forward madly. He was stabbed through the neck by another ghost who had just put on his pants and died instantly.

Rabe was horrified. He hadn't even uttered a word since he entered the room, but he watched as two Chinese men died tragically before his eyes.

The Berlin Film Palace had been deathly silent for a long time, then was filled with sobs and suppressed whimpers.

Martin Scorsese's gold-rimmed glasses slipped down to the tip of his nose, the lenses reflecting an image of a man pinned to a wall with a bayonet.

He reached out to help without realizing it, only to find his face covered in cold tears.

This interlude in historical narrative, beginning with the fall of Nanjing and the blood-red moon over the Yangtze River, delivers a profound psychological impact on viewers.

But this part was something that director Lu Kuan had no choice but to write, film, and release.

This is true history, and it also reveals the treacherous and cunning nature of the Japanese invaders, showcasing their bottomless bestiality.

The two Japanese soldiers dared not do anything to Rabe, and walked away with their arms around each other's shoulders, grinning maliciously.

"She seems to still be alive!" Han Xianglin noticed that the woman in the pool of blood seemed to still have a breath left. Without waiting for Rabe's instructions, he picked her up and rushed to the car.

The two men took the woman to Gulou Hospital, which was also in a safe zone, but she died before the emergency physician, Wilson, could begin to treat her.

Rabe has become numb.

He followed Wilson like a zombie to see the wounded from other refugee camps, when he suddenly noticed that Pastor Magee from Nanjing Theological Seminary was also there, seemingly operating something with his back to them.

"Mage? What are you doing?"

Pastor Magee turned around and faced the camera.

The audience recognized him as John Magee, the father of David Magee whom Shao Ziping had contacted and who was collecting evidence for.

Another historical figure has emerged who can attest to the crimes of the Holocaust.

With a solemn expression, Reverend Magee held a 16mm home video camera and took pictures of each of the deceased and injured people on each bed.
"I want to record them. The Japanese army didn't allow us to take pictures because they were afraid that their atrocities would be known to the world."

"We want to record what's happening here and denounce their cruelty and brutality to the outside world!"

Xu Chuanyin, president of the Nanjing Red Cross Society, pushed open the door and was taken aback when she saw Rabe's disheveled and haggard face, a face that was usually meticulously combed.

He then said urgently, "Mr. Rabe, Reverend Magee, a family at the new intersection was killed by the Japanese, and two children were buried under the rubble."

"I'm coming back to get help. Come with me to record this as evidence."

Rabe grabbed Maggie and ran outside: "Come on, get in my car. Xianglin, call some more people!"

"Yes!"

The new intersection is not the later Xinjiekou; its exact location is east of the current Zhonghua Gate in Jinling.

This area was a residential area within the walls of Nanjing in 1937, near the Zhonghua Gate barbican, and was one of the key areas where the Japanese army committed atrocities after entering the city.

Rabe's car screeched to a halt in front of the ruins on the east side of Zhonghua Gate, thick smoke seeping from between the beams and pillars of the collapsed houses.

Magee's camera started shaking violently as soon as it was turned on. He was stunned by the horrific scene before him and could barely hold onto the camera.

In the footage, a boy of about ten years old is trapped under a broken roof beam, his left leg twisted at an odd angle.

Beside him lay a little girl covered in blood, clutching a small piece of rice cake stained with brick dust—the last sweetness before the disaster struck.

When he saw someone approaching, large tears mixed with blood from his forehead rolled down the boy's face, his eyes filled with terror.

Red Cross President Xu Chuanyin knelt down with great distress and draped her own coat over the little boy in the cold winter: "We are Chinese, we are here to save you."

The little boy looked at Rabe, Magee, and the other foreigners with some doubt, but still stretched out his arm to point to the side, which made the wooden beam sink even deeper, and his face turned pale with pain.

"Save my sister!"

"What's up with her?"

"Those men are stabbing her with bayonets, please save her!"

Xu Chuanyin said gently, "Okay, okay, don't worry, child, everything will be alright."

He couldn't help but shed tears in the cold wind, which made the sobs of the audience grow louder.

Magee's hands were still trembling as he filmed the incident as evidence. Han Xianglin, following Rabe's instructions, called for help. The car behind waited at the alley entrance until the Japanese soldiers left before daring to drive in.

Everyone rushed forward and rescued the brother and sister from under the rubble, hurrying back to Gulou Hospital.

Rabe and Minnie Vautrin met at the door, and the latter was once again in a daze upon hearing that even the children had been brutally murdered.

Western audiences felt a mix of emotions when they saw Moore's portrayal of Minnie Vautrin, with her habitual gesture of making the sign of the cross but then stopping herself.

This is the second detail that subtly implies her wavering faith, following Minnie Vautrin's previous unsuccessful kneeling prayers.

Wang Xiaoshuai thought to himself that this should be another rebuttal on the topic of faith by director Lu Kuan, following his critique of the arrogance and prejudice of Western society through Susan.

Martin Scorsese, naturally, also caught this detail. Known as a "film sociologist," his satire of his friend Lu Kuan is immediately apparent.

In fact, following the brutal and tragic disasters of World War II, such as Auschwitz, the faith in Western society also underwent significant upheaval.

Theodor Adorno, a theologian survivor from Auschwitz, bluntly stated: After Auschwitz, writing poetry is barbaric, and God does not exist.

Including the 1966 Time magazine cover article titled "Is God Dead?", which summarized postwar theological thought and sparked a nationwide debate.

The emergency room at Gulou Hospital was packed with people. The boy who had just been rescued was taken into the operating room; he needed amputation to survive.

The little girl's injuries were relatively minor. Wilson lifted the hem of her thin clothes to begin treatment; three shocking knife wounds had already begun to scab over.

Xu Chuanyin was the only Chinese face present. He reached out with trembling hands and gently touched the girl's forehead, which was soaked with cold sweat.

The girl was about eight or nine years old. Her thin body was wrapped in blood-stained coarse cloth clothes. Strands of dry, yellow hair clung to her pale, paper-white cheeks. Her once clear eyes were now bloodshot, and her pupils were constricted violently, as if reflecting the hellish scene that had unfolded before her.

"Little girl, what happened at your home? Can you tell us?"

Pastor Magee turned on the camera and moved closer to film, when the little girl on the bed suddenly began to twist violently.

"Don't kill me! No!"

The girl let out a heart-wrenching scream, her frail body curling up into a ball like a frightened little animal.

She flailed her arms wildly, her fingernails scratching bloody marks on Xu Chuanyin's hands, yet she still stared intently at the "gun muzzle," her whole body trembling like a leaf.

On screen, Minnie Vautrin and the audience burst into tears. She rushed over and hugged the girl, patiently comforting her in accented Mandarin.

Miss Hua knelt beside the blood-stained bed, gently cupped the girl's trembling little hand in her palm, and took out a piece of osmanthus candy, tore it open, and stuffed it into the girl's mouth.

Perhaps it was the sweetness in her mouth that made her lower her guard, or perhaps it was the feeling of security that the plump auntie gave her, but the little girl began to recount her experience of almost having her entire family wiped out by the Japanese invaders.

"I... my name is Xia Shuqin."

"At noon, someone knocked on the door. My dad went to open it, and before he could even say anything, he was shot dead..."

The camera focuses on Reverend John Magee's handheld camera, where the little girl Xia Shuqin's cries slowly freeze in his lens.

The audience, already captivated by the previous brilliant transitions, were quite adept at watching the girl in the hospital bed transform into a woman in her sixties.

Liu Yifei, who plays Zhang Chunru, sat next to her, taking notes with difficulty.

At this point, Wang Xiaoshuai had finally grasped the narrative rhythm of director Lu Kuan.

Beginning with the blood-red sun over the Yangtze River, in this long narrative that tells the true story of the "massacre," he first focuses on depicting the cruelty, brutality, cunning, and deception of the Japanese army.

Through various progressive film narratives, the image of the Japanese soldiers and historical scenes are imprinted in the audience's minds, while this transition proves the authenticity of the narrative.

Through real survivors interviewed by Iris Chang, and through real video footage recorded by John Magee.

On the big screen, Xia Shuqin, an elderly woman, lifted her clothes to reveal three identical knife scars, just like those in the old photos captured by Ji.

History cannot be denied or slandered.

This is one of the film's biggest narrative and shooting objectives.

On the big screen, Liu Yifei, who plays Zhang Chunru, sits opposite Xia Shuqin, an elderly woman.

The old man slowly lifted his dark blue cotton shirt with his wrinkled hands, revealing three pale scars on his waist.

The scar, like a dried-up riverbed, meanders across the aged skin, revealing the bloody memory of 1937.

Xia Shuqin, an elderly woman, said in a hoarse voice, "My home is located at the new intersection of Zhonghua Gate."

"That noon, about thirty Japanese soldiers rushed into my house. My father begged for mercy but was shot dead."

“My mother’s surname is Nie. She was still breastfeeding her one-year-old sister and didn’t care about us. She hid under the table.”

"The Japanese soldiers dragged her out, and the younger sister was thrown to her death."

“My mother was stabbed to death by gang-rape. My maternal grandfather, Nie Zuocheng, and maternal grandmother, Nie Zhoushi, were shot by the Japanese army while protecting my 16-year-old eldest sister, Xia Shufang, and my 14-year-old second sister, Xia Shulan.”

"My two older sisters perished like our mother; they were even impaled with wooden sticks before they died..."

Xia Shuqin was somewhat numb by this point in her story, and she finished recounting the final fate of her family of nine in fits and starts.

Even after repeating this bloody memory countless times in court, in front of reporters and scholars, Xia Shuqin still couldn't help but burst into tears.

Liu Yifei on the big screen and Liu Yifei off the big screen both broke down in tears at the same time.

The film's dramatic tension and emotional build-up reached their peak at this moment, with cries surging up from different corners, like the tide of a winter night washing over a beach.

The entire Berlin Film Palace was transformed into a sea of ​​tears.

The camera zooms in, giving a close-up of Liu Yifei, who plays Iris Chang.

She didn't burst into loud sobs, but instead made a slight swallowing motion, her throat bobbing gently, as if she was trying to suppress her surging emotions.

As the old man recounted the moment his sister was thrown to her death, Liu Yifei's left hand unconsciously gripped the edge of the notebook, her knuckles turning white but remaining steady.

His right hand hovered in mid-air, showing a restrained desire to soothe but not daring to touch it rashly.

The most moving part is the sound processing.

As the old man paused, choking back tears, Liu Yifei asked in an almost breathless tone, "And then?" The last syllable of her voice trembled slightly, both propelling the narrative forward and conveying deep empathy.

This kind of performance doesn't rely on sentimentality, but rather on breathing rhythm, micro-expressions, and appropriate silence to show the audience how a scholar can bear the weight of history with a professional attitude.

Restrained yet delicate.

The professional directors, actors, and judges present all nodded slightly, marveling at the young Chinese actress's superb acting skills in this scene.

They thought of Zhang Manyu.

Zhang Chunru, Yang Xiaming, Duan Yueping, and others left Xia Shuqin's house.

For several days, Zhang Chunru, Yang Xiaming, Duan Yueping and others visited the remaining survivors and obtained a large amount of first-hand interview materials, photos and recordings.

These are all her powerful weapons.

In the conference room of the Xiyuan Hotel, several professors were working closely with Iris Chang to organize interview materials and library resources.

Because Iris Chang could not understand the Nanjing dialect, Professor Yang Xiaming, a local, first translated it into English, which she then recorded on her computer.

The ceiling fan in the conference room was whirring and screeching, its creaking sound irritating to listen to.

Iris Chang was typing intently on the keyboard when she suddenly stopped mid-sentence, which was quite horrific.

She walked to the window, unbuttoned a button on her shirt, and took a deep breath of the fresh air after the rain.

At this moment, Liu Yifei shared her genuine feelings from experiencing life firsthand.

At that time, she, like Iris Chang in history, was almost suffocated by these cruel and bloody historical events.

After calming down for a while, Iris Chang composed herself and suddenly turned to Yang Xiaming and the others, saying, "Professors, I want to study law after I finish this book. Please support me in China."

"In the future, I will represent the survivors in a lawsuit against the Japanese government to fight for the compensation they deserve."

Everyone stared in disbelief at the Chinese girl born in America, wondering why she had suddenly uttered those words.

This passage is from Iris Chang's mother, Yingying Chang's, account in her daughter's autobiography—

The Chinese-American female writer, recalling the plight of the survivors she visited—their homes were bare and their lives filled with hardship—couldn't help but feel grief and indignation.

“This is not fair! Those blood-stained executioners still enjoy generous pensions, while the survivors struggle in poverty and pain.”

"The Japanese government only needs to contribute a fraction of their military budget to heal these wounds. Someone has to speak up for justice!"

Yang Xiaming sighed: "They have never formally apologized for this massacre, let alone offered any compensation."

“Chunru, we understand how you feel, but this matter is indeed too difficult. The right wing is a bunch of madmen with no bottom line. You have to be careful.”

Iris Chang's eyes were clear and bright: "The country gave up on compensation, and the Westerners were indifferent, so only we Chinese, who share the same blood in our veins, can do it."

“I am an American citizen, and my nationality is my camouflage. Those ugly right-wingers dare not do anything to me.”

A close-up shot of Iris Chang standing by the window.

Audiences from all over the world watching the film could clearly sense from Liu Yifei, the actress, that she was like a sharp blade that had been tempered, piercing through the fog of history with the heroic spirit of "I will go even if there are thousands of people against me".

Chinese directors such as Wang Xiaoshuai and Johnnie To couldn't help but sit up straight, knowing that the next transformation in the characters' personalities and mindsets was about to begin.

These are the clues and threads implied in the film's narrative language:

As a child, I was in my grandfather's arms, and a beam of light outside the attic window was about to break through the clouds;

In the Yale University library, the beam of light pierced through the dome of the Gothic library, yet remained faint.

Iris Chang reappears on camera at the window of the conference room at the Xiyuan Hotel.

After the rain, the clouds were torn open by the sunlight, and golden beams of light pierced the room like sharp swords, dividing Zhang Chunru's profile into a cross-section of light and shadow.

This light was stronger than the one in the Yale library, yet it was different from the hazy anticipation I felt in the attic of my childhood.

With a sharpness that pierces through the fog of history, it casts dappled light on the wooden tabletop of the conference room, as if scattered fragments of historical materials have finally been pieced together.

After finishing her interviews in Nanjing, Iris Chang returned to her home country and began searching for more information while writing an outline.

After rushing home to meet her parents and husband, Iris Chang went straight to Shao Ziping's residence in Rhine Town without stopping for a moment.

"I found diplomatic notes from the German government to Nanjing in the materials I copied from the Nanjing Library. They had repeatedly asked Rabe to return to Germany."

"But Rabe's final fate seems to have been never mentioned again. Do you know anything about it?"

Shao Ziping was taken aback; everyone knew the name Rabe.

In particular, there are quite a few shots of him in the film and video materials provided by John Magee's son.

“I heard from Magee that before Rabe returned to Germany, he promised to report the truth to Göring and Hitler, but then he was never heard from again.”

Do you think he might...?

Iris Chang understood what Shao Ziping meant.

After returning to his home country, Rabe may have abandoned his promise to the people of Nanjing in order to protect himself.

But she felt it wasn't that simple. Judging from the evidence left by Magee's father, he was a kind international friend, just like Minnie Vautrin.

They never yielded to the brutal Japanese invaders, so how could they possibly... after returning home?

Iris Chang gasped, a possibility suddenly flashing through her mind: "Dr. Shao, you studied in Germany, is it possible that—"

"Was Rabe forced into hiding or persecuted after World War II because his Nazi Party affiliation was investigated and purged?"

Shao Ziping pondered for a moment and said, "That's possible, but Chunru, when you write about the Nanjing Massacre, you may not need to explore it so much, after all, it's been fifty or sixty years."

Iris Chang insisted: "In my outline, I will explain the fate of people like Minnie Vautrin, John Rabe, and Magee, whether it is good or bad."

The knowledgeable audience members, upon hearing this and estimating the film's runtime, knew that it was time to wrap up.

Starting with Iris Chang, the narrative interweaves the appearances of two important historical witnesses: John Rabe and Minnie Vautrin.

The historical narrative has ended; the following section will continue from her perspective to recount the exit of these two historical figures.

The scene shifts to Iris Chang, who, after visiting John Magee's descendants and historians, received no information about Rabe.

She returned to her residence, sat down at her computer, and sent an email to Shao Ziping's historian friend from his time studying in Germany:
"Dear Professor Martha, I am delighted to learn that you assisted Dr. Shao in his research on the Japanese massacre that occurred in Nanjing, China in 1937."

"At that time, a Western representative established an international committee before the Japanese army breached the city. The chairman of the committee was a German named John Rabe. Please help me find his descendants in the area..."

On the big screen, Iris Chang began a daily writing routine, occasionally checking her emails and phone, anxiously awaiting news of Rabe's descendants.

It wasn't until Shao Ziping excitedly informed her that the German side had helped contact Rabe's granddaughter, Ursula Rabe, who is now sitting in the audience, that she was informed.

More importantly, Ursula Rabe provided them with extremely exciting news!

“I translated the German documents that Ursula faxed to me, and there was one sentence in it that was very crucial.”

"After returning to Germany, Rabe was detained by secret agents. In a letter home, he wrote, 'Keep my diary safe and don't let anyone find it.'"

Iris Chang was overjoyed. She jumped up and spilled her coffee, ignoring the burn on her hand. The next day, she booked a ticket to fly to Germany.

The footage did not show in detail her and Shao Ziping's visit to Ursula Rabe in Germany.

而是直接推进了时间线，镜头转到1996年12月12号下午2点30分举办的，纽约的《拉贝日记》面世新闻发布会。

The New York Nanjing Massacre Victims Association rented a hall at the InterContinental Hotel for $600, attracting interviews from various countries, mainly Chinese media.

On the big screen, a real recording of the press conference was displayed, which was then computer-processed and composited, and cleverly integrated into the film.

A series of rapidly edited shots flashed by, and mainstream media outlets in various countries, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The People, published the news as their front-page headline.

The diary of John Rabe, which had been dormant for more than half a century, has been rediscovered, causing a sensation around the world!
Professors in Nanjing, China, called Iris Chang to encourage and support her arduous efforts, and provided her with more newly collected historical materials.

Inside her room at the InterContinental Hotel, Iris Chang turned on her voice recorder, with Ursula Rabe sitting across from her.

The film begins to explore, and also leads the viewers to explore, Rabe's ending.

The title card appears in the upper left corner of the screen: February 20, 1938.

日寇在金陵的屠杀，从1937年12月13号，持续到1938年的1月上旬。

When Rabe reappeared on screen at that moment, he suddenly looked ten years older.

He sat in the president's office at King's College, having his last meeting with Minnie Vautrin across from him before they parted ways.

"Minnie..."

“Call me Miss Hua, I like this name.” The camera panned to Minnie Vautrin, and the audience gasped again.

Similar to Hanks, who played Rabe and reappeared on screen, Moore has lost at least a lot of weight.

Adding to the previous Liu Yifei, this is truly an extremely dedicated production team.

“Okay, Miss Hua.” Rabe smiled, a smile he hadn’t shown in a long time. “I have severe diabetes, and the head of state and the government have been sending me telegrams. I think I should go back to my country.”

"After I leave, please continue to preside over the committee's work and do your best to protect refugees and students..." Minnie Vautrin nodded emotionally, and the two international friends embraced warmly, both bursting into tears.

As she saw Rabe off, Cheng Ruifang, played by Gong Li, approached and said, "Mr. Rabe, the women in the refugee camp want to say goodbye. Would you like to meet them?"

"Ok."

The group arrived at the science building of Ginza Women's University, and the scene before them stunned the audience in front of the screen:
More than 3,000 refugees, most of whom were girls from Jinnü University whom Rabe had helped to rescue, knelt on the ground and wept bitterly.

"Mr. Rabe, please don't go! Please don't abandon us!"

Rabe said a few words, wiped away his tears and left. At the gate of the Golden Girls' College, women who had heard the news rushed over and grabbed his suit, trying their best to persuade him to stay.

In the hearts of people in turbulent times, the two foreigners, Minnie Vautrin and John Rabe, were almost their saviors.

Under pressure from the German government, Rabe eventually returned home, and Chinese, British, and Americans alike escorted him to the British gunboat "The Bee" at Xiaguan, Nanjing.

A city of blood and tears bids you farewell.

As morning mist rose over the river, Rabe looked back at the blood-stained ancient city, tears welling in his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing, yet he could not utter a farewell.

His trembling fingers gripped the gunwale tightly, his nails carving deep grooves into the wooden planks, as if he wanted to clench the city's suffering into the lines of his palm.

A voice-over reveals the complex emotions of this international friend at this moment:

Nanjing, when will you be freed from suffering?

In the same sky where the blood-red sun had hung, a sliver of light pierced through the mist, responding to him almost imperceptibly.

The scene quickly transitions to Rabe's return to his home country, with a movie theater screen showing the film reel of John Magee that Rabe brought back.

Suddenly, two Gestapo officers burst in and took him away, where he was interrogated for five hours at the Gestapo headquarters in Albrecht.

They warned Rabe: You are not allowed to damage relations with our ally Japan, as that would harm national interests.

Rabe's friend at Siemens, Karl, posted bail to get him out, but judging from Rabe's indignant expression, he clearly had no intention of letting the matter rest.

A few days later, Rabe brought a Chinese girl home and happily introduced her to his wife and children:

"This is He Zehui from the Siemens Weak Current Laboratory. She was the first Chinese person I met after returning to China, and I invited her to be my guest today."

Su Chang, who made a cameo appearance as He Zehui, greeted Rabe's family with a smile. Ursula Rabe was particularly affectionate towards the Chinese girl because she had lived in China with her grandfather for several years.

Rabe invited He Zehui into his study; his invitation to the Chinese female scientist was for another purpose.

"These are my diary entries and photos from 1937 to 1938 in Nanjing. Take a look."

He Zehui looked through the pages, bewildered, and her expression changed instantly, just as it had when Zhang Chunru first saw them.

Holding the horrific photos and texts, looking at her compatriots who had perished, she wept bitterly.

Listening to Rabe's story, she secretly vowed to dedicate her life to building up her country and never let the tragedy of history repeat itself.

The camera blurred, and the subtitles introduced the female scientist's identity—

He Zehui was born in 1914 into the He family, a family of scholars with five generations of academic achievements in Suzhou.

She was one of the founders of nuclear physics and high-energy astrophysics in China, and also the wife of Academician Qian Sanqiang.

She once wrote in her autobiography: Science has no borders, but scientists have their own homeland.

At the subsequent launch of "The Diary of John Rabe" in New York, she actively attended to prove that she had indeed seen the diary and related film footage in 1938.

It all stems from today's gathering.

The screen jumps to 1948, during the First Berlin Crisis.

At this time, Berlin was facing a severe shortage of supplies and insufficient food rations, resulting in widespread starvation.

The camera then captured the image of a thin, frail man—the impoverished John Rabe—whom the audience in the cinema almost failed to recognize.

For this scene in Berlin, actor Hanks lost a full 35 pounds compared to before.

Rabe carried a basket to the outskirts to pick wild vegetables and fruits. Occasionally, people would faint from hunger along the way, their fate unknown.

He wanted to help the vulnerable, but when he thought of his family, especially his beloved granddaughter Ursula who was eagerly awaiting the food he brought back, he had no choice but to harden his heart and turn a blind eye.

To Rabe's surprise, when he got home, his wife handed him a letter and a package slip from Switzerland. There was no name on the package, but the contents were listed as food.

Rabe curiously opened the letter, and the voice-over of Shen Yi, the then mayor of Nanjing, began to play.

"The people of Nanjing will forever remember your righteous act of protecting 25 compatriots with your own flesh and blood in the cold winter of 1937. Your kindness saved this city from complete destruction."

"Having heard about the recent situation, I have entrusted a Swiss friend to purchase four large boxes of food, including milk powder, sausages, bread, and beef, which will be shipped to Berlin via a neutral country immediately."

"Your country is in turmoil. If you are willing to accept this offer, please bring your whole family to Nanjing to spend your old age in peace. We will provide you with accommodation and medical care to repay your kindness."

"We eagerly await your reply! We eagerly await your reply!"

Rabe's hands trembled as he held the letter, tears blurring his vision.

At that moment, he felt as if he had returned to the cold winter of Nanjing in 1937.

The exhaustion from running around the safety zone day and night, the dangers of dealing with the Japanese army, and the hope held on in despair all turned into hot tears at this moment.

His earnest longing for a reply illuminated the deepest loneliness in his heart.

Rabe clutched the letter tightly to his chest, as if he could touch the city he longed for day and night.

He knew that his sacrifices during the war had never been forgotten.

This gratitude from the East made him feel more valued as a human being than any medal.

Rabe did not let down the people of Nanjing, and the people of Nanjing did not let him down.

Seeing Wang Xiaoshuai and other Chinese directors here, I suddenly had a sudden realization.

If the entire film is structured around three storylines stemming from Iris Chang's writings, the theme of the first half is despair.

From the moment Iris Chang discovered "The Diary of John Rabe," including her later writing of the book and the ending of Minnie Vautrin's story, the theme was redemption.

He tore off the true face of the Japanese invaders and laid it bare before the audience, letting everyone see the ugliness and evil of human nature.
Furthermore, through the three angels of justice—Iris Chang, John Rabe, and Minnie Vautrin—the film aims to redeem history and humanity.

Despair is the underlying tone of this history, but redemption is the choice of humanity.

The Rabe storyline ends here.

In November 1997, Iris Chang excitedly received two sample copies of "The Nanjing Massacre" at her home in Champagne.

Editor Susan called to congratulate her and inform her:

There will be a month-long book signing event from November 14th to December 19th. She has already secured a book excerpt contract for the book from Newsweek.

The so-called book excerpt contract means that Newsweek, which has the largest circulation in the United States, will publish excerpts from "The Nanjing Massacre" to attract readers and conduct pre-publication publicity.

This will have a better effect when it is released later.

Iris Chang carefully selected what she considered to be the essence of the book and sent it to Tom Mullins, an editor at Newsweek, via email. She was overjoyed to receive a confirmation reply.

She has taken another step closer to her goal of clarifying history and speaking out for justice through this book.

Liu Yifei, playing Zhang Chunru, sits in front of the phone at home, informing all her colleagues who had helped and cared about this period of history, including Shao Ziping, Ding Yuan, Tang Meiru, Yang Xiaming, Duan Yueping, Sun Zhaiwei, Ursula Rabe, and others, of the good news.

Looking at Iris Chang smiling radiantly on the screen, the audience members below the stage all guessed pretty much what was going on.

If nothing unexpected happens, something unexpected is about to happen.

Sure enough, the next day, a bucket of cold water was poured over her head. Iris Chang angrily questioned Mullins on the phone: "Why did you reduce the size?"

Marlins hesitated, then could only plead, "If we don't reduce the size, the version might have to be withdrawn. That's the board's decision, and there's nothing I can do about it."

Iris Chang seemed to have guessed something and coaxed him gently, "Tom, tell me the truth, and I won't make things difficult for you."

"Otherwise, I'll take a public notice in The New York Times to accuse you of going back on your word!"

By this time, Iris Chang had already gained some fame in the American literary world.

In particular, her writing process of "The Nanjing Massacre" and her attendance at the New York launch of "The Rabe Diary" last year caused a sensation and gained the support of many Chinese communities.

Caught in the middle, Marlins reluctantly hinted to her, "The biggest advertisers for The Weekly are Toyota and Sony."

After speaking, I hung up.

Zhang Chunru listened blankly to the dial tone on the phone, her heart sinking to the bottom.

In the 90s, Japan's economy ranked second in the world, and it had a great influence on various industries in North America.

With right-wing forces already eyeing her, it seems there's not much of a way for Iris Chang to speak out.

The clever Chinese-American female writer came up with an idea. With the help of her husband Douglas, she wrote a short commentary about the cause and effect of the matter and submitted it to Newsweek's competitors.

First came the New York Post, founded by the Zheng family, a Chinese family. Once one appeared, another followed, and soon the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal also responded with curiosity.

Iris Chang, a Chinese-American writer studying journalism at the University of California, Champaign, successfully conducted a personal publicity stunt. Although Newsweek eventually yielded to companies like Toyota, her goal had been achieved.

From North America to Europe and Asia, Iris Chang became a heroine for the Chinese people.

Soon her book, The Nanjing Massacre, was published, and long lines formed in New York for its book signing.

On screen, Liu Yifei, who plays Iris Chang, stands in front of a book signing table at a New York bookstore, the soft light illuminating her slightly tired but determined face.

The pen in her hand scratched across the pages, each signature seemingly carrying the weight of history.

Among the people queuing were elderly Chinese men with white hair, their hands trembling slightly as they held the books, their eyes filled with tears;

There were young Asian students with solemn expressions, as if they had received a heavy mission.
There were even Jewish and African American readers who turned the pages with solemn expressions, as if they saw the shadow of their own people in the book.

The audience below the stage was in high spirits. The suffocating feeling in the first half of the performance had been released since the Rabe storyline, and this kind of "survival" feeling was pleasant.

Iris Chang's book became a hit.

Susan’s publisher, HarperCollins, keenly recognized the huge market potential of “The Nanjing Massacre”.

This kind of racial and historical subject matter reminded them of the frenzied discussion that "Schindler's List" had generated back then.

With the help of professional media and book marketing, and based on the enthusiastic invitations and support from the North American Chinese community, Iris Chang began a book signing and interview tour from Los Angeles to various states.

The San Francisco Historical Society, the Nanjing Massacre Compensation Alliance, the Canada-China Maple Leaf Association, the Harvard University East Asian Research Center, and the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

Numerous related organizations and historical academic institutions have invited her to exchange ideas and give lectures.

In early February, Iris Chang, who had just finished a book signing in Chicago, received a call from Susan.

"Iris, 'The Nanjing Massacre' has climbed to number 11 on the New York Times bestseller list!"

The wind howled outside the Chicago Library window, but she felt a surge of warmth rising from the depths of her heart.

Just like Lu Kuan, who made this film, they never care how much profit their work can bring in.

It is truly remarkable that such a serious work can reach such a high position on the bestseller list.

This pure heart seeks influence; success lies in letting more people see and know this history.

She stood by the window of the Chicago Library, her fingertips gently tracing the title page of "The Diary of John Rabe," the touch of the paper sending an electric current through her body.

The howling cold wind and the surging historical currents between the pages of the book created a strange resonance.

That was the cry of 300,000 wronged souls, the bloodstains that the Yangtze River could not wash away, and now it finally gained voice through the tip of her pen.

Her eyes burned, and through her blurred vision, she seemed to see her grandfather, Zhang Naifan, sitting in a rocking chair, smiling at her.

The old woman's cloudy pupils reflected the burning rice granary in Taicang in 1937, while the pen in her hand was gathering those sparks scattered in the dust of history back into a torch.

Those souls who have lain dormant among the yellowed pages of the archives for sixty years are about to face their just judgment!

At this moment, the audience members, who were extremely relaxed and at ease, had unknowingly fallen into the director's narrative trap.

However, what they thought would be a smooth journey was far from simple.

The Japanese right wing in North America launched a frenzied backlash in public opinion, just like the attacks and harassment Liu Yifei suffered in the real world.

A “neutral commentator” in The Washington Post suddenly published an article questioning the “exaggerated data” in The Nanjing Massacre, saying that “the death toll of 30 lacks rigorous archival evidence”, while ignoring the judgment of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East cited in the book;
The North American public relations departments of Japanese companies such as Toyota and Sony urgently called their media partners, implying that "over-reporting on historical controversies may affect business relationships." Major media outlets removed the book reviews and replaced them with a soft advertisement on Japanese cuisine culture.

Right-wing scholars, in their think tank reports, referred to the Holocaust as an “unfortunate event in war” and expressed “regret” that Iris Chang was “blinded by hatred.” They even brought up photos of victims of the Hiroshima atomic bomb in an attempt to blur the lines between perpetrators and victims.

The far-right forum "Truth Research Society" learned Iris Chang's home address, and razor blades and bloodstained copies of "Yasukuni Shrine Guidebook" began to appear in her mailbox. The phone call was filled with mechanical Japanese recordings repeating "Anata wa sutsuki da (You are a liar)".
The "cultural counselor" of the Japanese consulate in the United States met with American university history professors under the guise of "academic exchange" and privately offered them a funding project to "revise historical views," demanding that they publicly question the authenticity of the "hundred-man killing" report in the book.
Even more disgusting is that Hideko Tojo, the granddaughter of Class A war criminal Hideki Tojo, secretly funded the screening of a film called "Pride" in Japanese territory.

The film denies the existence of the genocide and openly and covertly whitewashes the beast Hideki Tojo, which has aroused great indignation in Asian countries!

In just two months, the situation changed dramatically!

The peak of the opposition, harboring malicious intentions, occurred in May 1998.

Japanese Ambassador to the United States Kunihiko Saito held a press conference in response to the right-wing forces stirring up trouble in North America.

He claimed that Iris Chang's "The Nanjing Massacre" was a "very erroneous depiction" and that the Japanese government had "apologized many times" through textbooks and official statements.

Saito's statement was not merely a diplomatic statement, but a historical revisionist act conspired by the Japanese right wing and Western interest groups.

The attempt was to use a triple strangulation of political power, capital manipulation, and media discourse to distort the revelation of the truth about Iris Chang into a "controversy," ultimately achieving a systematic alteration of the Holocaust narrative.

This is their usual ugly face!

At this point, some of the Western audience members in the audience felt nauseous!

Isn't this Fukuda from the movie?
A beast in human skin!
The pressure was on Iris Chang; she knew she had to speak out.

She knew that if she remained silent, this history would be buried again, and justice for the 300,000 innocent souls would never be served.

Only by continuing to speak out can we break through the West's "selective memory" of Asian suffering and force the international community to face up to the crimes against humanity committed by the Japanese army, which were on par with those of the Nazis.

Iris Chang directly contacted mainstream media outlets and television stations such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times, and held a press conference in July 1998.

On the big screen, Liu Yifei, who plays Zhang Chunru, stands under the spotlight, her eyes piercing and her voice steady and powerful.

“If Ambassador Kunihiko Saito believes that my book contains a large number of inaccuracies, then I am willing to have a public debate with him on national television.”

"I would like to ask my journalist friends to state my position: if the Ambassador does not dare to accept the invitation, then please stop your remarks and apologize!"

Iris Chang's press conference was like a nuclear bomb, except this time it didn't land on Japanese soil, but instead stirred up a huge wave in the North American media.

The Chinese woman in the spotlight, dressed in a plain suit, wielded her pen like a sword, making everyone realize that this was not an ordinary academic debate, but an ordinary person's declaration of war against the state apparatus.

As she wrote in her diary: When all the doors are closed, the truth seeps in through the cracks in the windows.

At this moment, Iris Chang is using her own flesh and blood to hold this window atop the precipice of history and oblivion.

The narrative rhythm of "The Sky of History" is extremely complex, with the main and subplots progressing through alternating transitions, gradually filling in the gaps in the second half.

But overall, the audience at the Palais des Festivals knew that the televised debate between Iris Chang and Kunihiko Saito would be the climax.

But according to the film's narrative structure, when will the outcome of Minnie Vautrin's storyline be revealed?

As the plot progressed, the answer was soon revealed.

November 1998, late autumn in Champagne.

The maple leaves outside the window had long since fallen, and the bare branches trembled in the cold wind, emitting faint sobs.

Iris Chang sat at her desk, the lamplight casting a pale halo around her face.

With less than a month to go before her televised debate with Kunihiko Saito, the dense annotations in her notebook resembled a tangled thorny thicket, stinging her eyes.

The harassment from the right wing has never stopped.

Threatening phone calls late at night, death threats in the mailbox, and a barrage of online abuse.

She didn't even dare to draw back the curtains, fearing that a pair of eyes might be watching her from somewhere outside the window.

Knowing that her daughter was under a lot of mental stress, Zhang Yingying, the mother, pushed open the door and gently placed a package on the corner of the table.

"Chunru, take a break and read the letters from your fans." Her voice was soft, yet it sounded like it was coming through a thick layer of frosted glass.

Iris Chang looked up and forced a smile: "Mom, I'm under a lot of pressure."

He then let out a long sigh of relief and encouraged himself: "But it'll be soon. I'm looking forward to the scene where I leave Saito Kunihiko speechless. I want to nail him to the pillar of historical shame!"

Iris Chang leaned against her mother for a while, and after her mother left, she covered her face and took a few deep breaths before opening the package.

It seemed like just a routine reply, and she cherished the love of her book fans.

As strong as she is, she also needs like-minded supporters.

That is comfort to the soul.

In front of the camera, the heroine Liu Yifei's performance was very natural.

The high-definition camera is close to her face, and her skin is almost bare-faced, delicate but not without flaws.

The sound of scissors cutting tape was particularly jarring in the silence, the moment the cardboard box was opened—

One by one, the photos slid out.

Her pupils suddenly contracted.

In the photo, a rusty bayonet pierces the baby's chest, and the baby's face has been clumsily replaced with the likeness of her child.

The blood-red English slogan, like the forked tongue of a venomous snake, read: "Penalties for perjurers!"

Startled by the sudden malice, Iris Chang stumbled and fell heavily against the oak table.

Everyone paused, watching as Iris Chang on the big screen seemed to have completely forgotten the excruciating pain in her head, weakly reaching for the medicine bottle.

This is a psychiatric medication prescribed by a psychiatrist for her to calm down.

Then the close-up showed the little finger twitching as if nervously.

Because of the stimulation of the photo just now and the mental state that was on the verge of collapse, his knuckles tapped on the oak table like playing the piano, but the rhythm was abnormally disordered.

The neurological disorder quickly spread to the entire palm, turning into an uncontrolled chaotic rhythm.

When her fingertips finally touched the plastic medicine bottle, Iris Chang suddenly lost her strength, and the bottle rolled into the shadows and disappeared from the scene.

She gave up with a wry smile and wanted to call her mother for help, but she could only squeeze out an unpleasant coughing sound from her throat!

"Ah..."

Her face suddenly flushed red, as if she had realized something terrifying.

On the fair and beautiful face, purple blood vessels were faintly visible due to anger and fear, like cracks in porcelain pierced by an ice pick, winding along the apple cheeks to the corners of the lips.

Fear filled her lungs like ice water, and she gripped her neck tightly, her nails digging into her flesh.

The camera didn't directly film her; instead, it showed Iris Chang reflected in the mirror in the study.

His lips opened and closed silently, producing only a hoarse, breathy sound, like a stranded fish.

The mug was knocked over, and the brown tea stains seeped onto the pajama bottoms, turning into a spreading pool of blood.

Iris Chang stared at the stain and suddenly remembered the baby girl in Minnie Vautrin's Diary who was impaled by a bayonet.

History and reality overlap at this moment, and she seems to be trapped in an eternal nightmare, deprived even of the right to scream.

Hearing the noise, Iris Chang's mother pushed open the door and came in: "Iris!"

The Chinese-American female writer looked up with a despair in her heart, gave her mother a dry smile, and then tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her face.

The Chinese actress's superb acting skills left everyone in the audience secretly amazed, but considering that Liu Yifei herself had actually suffered from aphasia, they couldn't help but sigh that hard work pays off.

Iris Chang and her family were plunged into despair.

With only three weeks left before facing Saito Kunihiko, what should we do?
The Chinese-American female writer locked herself in her room and stayed there quietly for an afternoon. To avoid worrying her family, she came out with a smile on her face.

Iris Chang wrote a note and handed it to her husband and parents:
Even if I can't speak, I still have a pen, and I still have you all. I can even learn sign language right now.

Don't worry, justice will surely prevail over evil!

She returned to her study, opened her journal, and wrote two sentences to encourage and comfort herself, which stirred the emotions of the audience—

Voice can be taken away, but thought cannot.

Words can be silenced, but the truth cannot.

Iris Chang turned back to the bookshelf, thought for a moment, and opened the first copy of "The Diary of Minnie Vautrin" that she had made.

She wanted to find strength from this great and kind woman to break the deadlock.

Outside the window, the night is like ink.

Inside the room, a solitary lamp, a pen, and a stubborn soul.

The scene transitions again, this time to early April 1940, where Minnie Vautrin is sitting under a solitary lamp.

This scene left the audience feeling somewhat reluctant to say goodbye.

Like Rabe, another endearing historical figure is about to have his role played out in a film.

Cheng Ruifang pushed open the door and came in, her voice urgent: "Miss Hua! A female student is about to jump off a building! You need to go and see, someone has already gone to pull her back!"

Minnie Vautrin, who was over fifty years old, didn't say a word and dragged her heavy steps out the door with her old friends.

Beginning in 1937, years of hard work and malnutrition had taken a toll on her health, leaving her unable to cope on her own.

Minnie Vautrin stood downstairs in the central building, looking at Li Meiru straddling the window on the third floor: "Meiru! What's wrong with you! Get down here!"

Ms. Hua was unaware that the way people around her were looking at her was a bit strange, but Li Meiru's reaction said it all.

"Liar! You foreign old hag! You don't deserve to be called Miss Hua!"

Whether due to excessive emotional distress or a collapse of trust and a desire for death, Li Meiru fell amidst screams, hitting her head on the ground and dying instantly.

Minnie Vautrin hadn't even reacted yet, but what stung her even more were Li Meiru's words before she took her own life—

You are not worthy to be called Miss Hua.

This is the title she's most proud of!

The scene shifts to Minnie Vautrin's office, where Cheng Ruifang brings in a female student, who then clarifies the mystery for her and the audience.

In April 1940, the Zijinshan Evening News, controlled by the Wang Jingwei regime, published an article entitled "The Real Criminal," accusing Minnie Vautrin of "handing over 21 Chinese women to the Japanese army" and calling her a "human trafficker" and a "traitor."

This accusation stemmed from a peculiar incident on a winter night in 1937: the Japanese army demanded that Minnie Vautrin select 100 prostitutes from among the refugees, or they would forcibly abduct respectable women.

The audience felt a chill run down their spines; wasn't this exactly what happened on the night Fukuda tricked her?
It turns out that the Wang Jingwei regime, which had occupied Nanjing, was forcing Nanjing Women's University to register, requiring it to use textbooks from the puppet government and to accept supervision.

However, Minnie Vautrin delayed the process under the pretext of "protecting educational independence," which angered the puppet regime and led to this treacherous scheme.

A treacherous scheme brought Miss Hua down.

She couldn't face the death of Li Meiru, because her sister was one of the 21 prostitutes who were kidnapped that night and never returned.

She looked as if she had aged more than ten years, refusing to eat or drink, as if trying to atone for her sins.

Even though it was far from her fault.

Cheng Ruifang and others were extremely anxious and had no choice but to contact Miss Schutz of the United Christian Missionaries Association to bring Minnie Vautrin back to the United States for medical treatment.

Just like when Rabe left China, no Chinese person who truly understood Miss Hua could help but love her.

The area in front of Ginza Women's University was filled with kneeling female students and refugees who had received her kindness. They wept as they bid farewell to their beloved sister, mother, and teacher, a person with a truly beautiful soul.

But Minnie Vautrin, who had suffered a severe mental blow, could no longer hear these words. She waved blankly at everyone, like a walking corpse.

On May 14, 1941, Minnie Vautrin had been back in the United States for a year.

Just when everyone thought her PTSD was improving, she committed suicide by turning on the gas in her Indiana apartment.

Before committing suicide, she opened her diary one last time and wrote her suicide note and will:
My missionary work in China has failed, and I would rather die than suffer mental torment.

If there is an afterlife, I still want to serve the Chinese people; China is my home. (Note 1)

In addition, please donate the 710 yuan I have in my Shanghai bank account, along with the 7 mu of land I bought last year, to Jinling Women's University.

Minnie Vautrin sat by the window, the bright moon hanging in the historical sky, reminding her of her beloved Nanjing.

In Nanjing that year, the moonlight was just as bright, yet it could not illuminate the blood and fire that engulfed the city.

She recalled the campus of Gin & Girls' University, where female students sat on the lawn under the moonlight, softly singing hymns. Their clear voices were like a faint ray of hope swaying in the darkness.

She remembered Cheng Ruifang, the always energetic dormitory supervisor, who secretly slipped her a piece of osmanthus candy in the moonlight: "Miss Hua, you should take a rest too."

She remembered the girls who were dragged away by the Japanese army. The moonlight shone on their terrified faces, and tears rolled down their cheeks like pearls, but no one could save them.

She recalled kneeling before the chapel, looking up and questioning God why He allowed such suffering to befall innocent people instead of punishing those beasts.

Miss Hua, who deeply loves China, touched the photo of herself with Cheng Ruifang and Chen Feiran with endless nostalgia.

She kissed the photograph, wrote her final words on her suicide note, which was also her last prayer.

Jinling will live forever.

Inside the cinema, sobs rose and fell once more, and everyone watched the camera transition through teary eyes.

In Shepherd, Michigan, the inscription "Eternal Life in Nanjing" appears on Minnie Vautrin's tombstone.

Adjusting the camera angle, Iris Chang bowed to the tombstone and said softly, "Miss Hua, may you live forever in Jinling."

After recovering, Iris Chang turned and left, her high heels crushing the snow, each step carving through the ice beneath her feet in the silence.

The light and shadow of the composite animation flowed around her, and the darkness was materialized into the broken walls and ruins of Nanjing in 1937.

Her walk held the audience at the Berlin Film Palace in breathless; it was as if she were not walking into darkness, but rather cleaving through it.

The next thing that appeared on camera was a PBS debate.

Without any opening, the direct confrontation between Iris Chang and Kunihiko Saito was presented to the audience.

The close-up shot went from blurry to clear, focusing on the slightly trembling eyelashes of Zhang Chunru, played by Liu Yifei.

The glaring overhead lights in the studio condensed into two cold stars in her eyes, and the red camera lights flickered like drops of blood.

The one-shot scene featuring actress Liu Yifei has begun.

Moderator Farnsworth introduced the debate's focus: "Two months ago, the South Korean president visited Japan, and Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi issued a written statement apologizing for the actions taken by the Japanese army during its occupation of Korea."

"A few weeks later, the leaders of the Chinese nation visited Japan, but your side only made a verbal apology for the invasion of China, without a written statement, which made Chinese people all over the world very angry."

"First, please have Mr. Saito explain the reasons for the double standards."

“There is no difference between written and spoken language; there is no double standard.” Kunihiko Saito adjusted his tie with an air of elegance, a formulaic smile playing on his lips.

But at this moment, in the eyes of ordinary viewers, he is no different from Fukuda, who deceived Minnie Vautrin.

Iris Chang raised her eyes, her voice clear and firm: "If verbal and written apologies are truly indistinguishable, as Mr. Saito claims, why does Japan refuse to show China the same sincerity?"

She pushed her diary toward the camera: "The 300,000 dead need more than just diplomatic rhetoric; they need written repentance, just like when Rabe recorded the atrocities committed by the Japanese army, not a single German letter was written carelessly."

The camera zooms in on the pages of "The Diary of John Rabe": December 16, 1937, thousands of civilian corpses piled up outside the safety zone.

Kunihiko Saito crossed his fingers: "Speaking of repentance, I think Prime Minister Murayama's statement in 1995 fully expressed remorse..."

Iris Chang suddenly interrupted: "Regret?"

She flipped through the photos of survivor Xia Shuqin's testimony, and there was a family photo of an eight-year-old girl next to the blood-stained clothes, which instantly caused gasps of shock in the live broadcast!

"When Ms. Xia saw her parents being stabbed through the chest, did the Japanese soldiers show even a hint of remorse?"

Saito Kunihiko seemed to sigh with deep sympathy, his gaze lowered: "Please don't get too agitated. I know the unfortunate events that happened in Nanjing are very regrettable."

Iris Chang sneered: "The unfortunate events you're referring to, are they the systematic rape of 20,000 women by thugs? Or the impaling of infants on bayonets for amusement?"

She stood up abruptly, her suit sleeve brushing against the coffee cup, the brown stain spreading across the document like bloodstains.

"Since you say that your country's prime minister has already expressed remorse, why don't you reiterate your position?"

"Please say something to the camera, Mr. Ambassador: On behalf of Japan, I apologize for the Nanjing Massacre."

The whole place was dead silent.

The camera captured Saito's Adam's apple bobbing as he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his glasses, stalling for time.

Host Farnsworth tentatively asked, "Mr. Ambassador?"

Saito Kunihiko put down the handkerchief and resumed his calm smile. He knew that as long as he dragged things out, he would neither make a difference nor cause any harm.

"Japan has always been committed to the cause of peace..."

Iris Chang grabbed the microphone: "Look, he can't even bring himself to say the word 'apology'!"

She turned to the camera, her pupils reflecting the blinding light of the studio.

"That's why we must write our own history, because denial can never be erased from the dictionary of perpetrators."

Iris Chang grabbed the bloodstained list of survivors, the pages fluttering open like a summoning banner: "Mr. Ambassador, look at these names!"

Is it so hard to admit that we killed someone?

The camera zooms out, and Saito's profile appears stiff like a mask in the shadows.

Just as in real history, he calmly exited the stage, adhering to the principle of avoiding mistakes.

This was destined to be a duel with no clear winner, but the enthusiastic applause from the audience for Iris Chang already spoke volumes about public sentiment.

In the film, close-ups gradually focus on Iris Chang holding various documents.

Viewers who were already deeply moved by the final, one-shot sequence featuring Liu Yifei were suddenly somewhat dazed as they watched the close-up of the twenty-year-old girl taking her final bow in the film.

Is she playing Iris Chang, or is she playing herself?

In this debate scene, Liu Yifei's performance transcended the level of technique and reached a level of resonance with the soul of the character.

Every subtle expression she made allowed the audience to see how Iris Chang's anger and sorrow burst forth from the pages of historical records.

When she grabbed the list of survivors as if raising a battle flag, when coffee stains spread across the documents like bloodstains, everyone stared in disbelief at that beautiful, resilient face in the camera lens.

The left cheek bears the weariness of actress Liu Yifei, while the right cheek bears the blood and tears of writer Iris Chang.

Under Lu Kuan's direction, this half-human, half-soul face will eventually become one of the most breathtaking montages in film history.

As the song "As You Wish" plays, the film ends.

(End of this chapter)