Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 424 Self-directed and self-acted
"You could go to Cannes to relax, and while you're at it, visit your dad in Paris."

Lu Kuan leaned back on the sofa armrest, casually twirling a teacup between his fingers, a nonchalant smile playing on his lips.

He watched Liu Yifei ponder for a moment, then casually picked up the Olympic venue blueprints and stage layout diagrams from the coffee table.

The fingertips brushed against the paper, making a soft rustling sound, as if the suggestion just now was merely an insignificant pencil mark on the edge of the drawing, which could be easily erased.

"forget it."

"Well, it's up to you."

Xiao Liu gave her boyfriend a coquettish glare: "Isn't it all because of you?"

"Huh? What?" Boss Lu asked openly, looking up. He was also eager to know which butterfly effect had disrupted his plans that afternoon.

Liu Yifei looked speechless: "I ran into Fan Bingbing while recording this afternoon. She was too humble and chatted with me as if nothing had happened."

"I couldn't take it anymore, and I was afraid she would come to me in Cannes and say some random things. I was really exhausted from dealing with her."

The girl joked, "Now I understand what it means to be a good woman who can't resist a persistent man. When a woman starts to pester someone, she can be even more irresistible. Can you resist her?"

Lu Kuan knew he couldn't force the issue any further, so he reluctantly changed the subject: "You can hold them off, otherwise how could I have held them off for so long?"

"Nonsense! You're the one who pestered me! How dare you deny it?" Liu, the historian of the annals of time, abandoned his pen for the sword, sat directly on the thief, and used force to suppress the ominous.

In the halo of the crystal chandelier, her slightly raised chin and swaying hair formed a vivid picture, but Lu Kuan's pupils saw cracks in this picture.

The girl straddled his waist, her fingertips poking at his chest, water droplets clinging to her hair falling with each movement, much like the rain seeping from the cracks in the ruins in her memory.

The couple, who had been apart for two days, enjoyed a brief moment of bliss before embracing each other and going to bed.

When the breathing beside him gradually subsided, Lu Kuan gently moved the sleeping Liu Yifei from his arms. The girl rubbed her slightly furrowed brows against the pillow before drifting back into sleep.

He rose quietly, and moonlight filtered through the gauze curtains, casting a thin layer of frost on the girl's sleeping face.

Her slightly curled eyelashes cast butterfly-wing-like shadows on her cheeks, her nose twitched gently with her breath, and a satisfied smile lingered on her lips.

Lu Kuan sighed inwardly and couldn't help but rub the lingering blush on her cheeks with his fingertips. When the strap of her silk nightgown slipped down, it revealed the faint mark he had left on her collarbone, like a plum blossom petal scattered in the snow.

Concern leads to confusion. The lonely time traveler had never been so anxious in his life. His precognitive abilities were sealed by Xiao Liu and could not be spoken, which became his biggest constraint.

After standing by the bed for a while, Lu Kuan quietly left.

The study door lock clicked very softly, and the blue light from the computer screen pierced the darkness, revealing Lu Kuan's taut jawline.

He logged into his email to check the upcoming eighth anniversary celebration plan for Wenjie Holdings. After several revisions and discussions, the plan was finalized a week before the celebration.

Skim through the prizes, procedures, and programs, then scroll directly to the attachment titled "Implementation Status of Family Celebration Benefits for Employees from Other Provinces and Cities".

Wenjie Holdings and its wholly-owned subsidiaries have more than 8400 employees.

Among them, more than 500 employees from Sichuan Province and later generations, along with those from Gansu, Shaanxi, Chongqing, and Yunnan provinces who were also affected by the disaster, were affected.

The eighth anniversary celebration was held on Labor Day under the guise of inviting employees' families to celebrate together, with the intention of "earning" them all to come to Beijing by providing free food, lodging and transportation expenses.

Many people may be visiting Beiping for the first time. You'll definitely want to do some sightseeing during the May Day holiday, right?
After the annual meeting, we will arrange a tour of the non-core areas of the Wenjie Building so that family members can see what kind of environment their sons, husbands, and daughters work in.

After the seven-day May Day holiday, some parents and relatives may be able to stay in Beiping to spend time with their children and husbands and continue to experience the Olympic atmosphere in the capital.

The salaries of employees at Wenjie Holdings are among the highest in the industry, largely due to the company's housing subsidies in 2004, which allowed them to settle down and stay for a few more days.

At least for now, the hotels that the company has booked for the families of employees from other provinces and cities have already scheduled their stays for dates after the 10th, and those who leave early can cancel their reservations in advance.

People have a natural tendency to take advantage, so these small details are better than nothing.

Boss Lu leaned back in his chair, lost in thought, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the wooden armrest, producing a dull "tap-tap" sound.

The night breeze from the Wenyu River outside the window swept through the treetops, casting swaying shadows on the glass, much like his chaotic thoughts at that moment.

He inexplicably felt a craving for a cigarette, so he tiptoed to the innermost shelf of the bookshelf, only to fail miserably and sheepishly rearrange the books.

I clearly remember there was a pack of cigarettes here; I just casually slipped it in when I first moved in.

He knew his girlfriend had given away all the other cigarettes in the house, but how could she have searched even such a remote and hidden place?
Boss Lu felt the same way Bingbing had felt during the day: Liu Yifei was too ruthless.

He thought for a moment and then returned to the computer. The wooden chair legs scraped against the carpet with a hoarse screech. He opened a webpage and logged into several map websites.

Baidu Maps was launched in 2005 and is one of the earliest map service providers in China. It can now cover major cities in Sichuan Province and also provide lower resolution satellite images.

Lu Kuan tried searching for terms like "Wolong Base," but couldn't get a complete picture. He could only tell that it was about 30 kilometers from the epicenter, making it a dead end geographically.

After closing the interface, Google Maps, whose data source is MapABC (the predecessor of Gaode Maps), is slightly clearer than Baidu Maps.

MapABC quickly launched a disaster area map after the earthquake, marking rescue routes and shelters, demonstrating their strong surveying capabilities.

After browsing several websites and downloading an open map from the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, he still couldn't make a judgment on the degree of danger based on his limited geographical knowledge.

Lu Kuan pondered deeply, racking his brains to find memories of his previous life, but how could he have paid any attention to this protective base in his past life?
The extent of injuries and fatalities among the animals, staff, and tourists after the incident is unknown, but it is unlikely to be particularly horrific. Otherwise, if too many national treasures like the black and white tufts were to be injured or killed, it would be a major news story.

In fact, that is indeed the case.

After the disaster, five people at the Wolong Base tragically lost their lives. However, only one of them was a zookeeper who returned to the damaged enclosure to rescue panda cubs. The rest were mostly tourists who were buried by a landslide.

Another young cub died when its enclosure collapsed.

In other words, if Liu Yifei had been in Chengdu or at the filming base at the time, and had immediately evacuated when she realized something was wrong during filming in the afternoon, it wouldn't have been a dead end.

The key point is that the current road width can only determine that the Wolong base has not suffered a devastating blow. Even if he knew that the base was not seriously damaged in the previous life, would he dare to gamble?

What if a landslide occurs while filming at the foot of the mountain?
What if we can't evacuate in time inside the panda pavilion building?

Moreover, there is a Tibetan boy named Dorje in Shuimo Town who once saved him, and Liu Yifei has been sponsoring his schooling and providing him with necessary financial assistance.

She arrived on the 11th. Although she didn't know the filming schedule or arrangements, what if she went to Shuimo to visit him or buy tea before or after filming?

What if, what if, what if...

The lonely traveler stared blankly at the graphic data on the screen. The topographic map gleamed coldly, and the contour lines resembled unhealed scars.

The three red dots marked the locations of Wolong Base, Rongcheng, and Shuimo Town. When magnified, the area, which was no bigger than a fingernail on the satellite image, looked like three red-hot iron nails, driven hard into his retina.

At this moment, he so vehemently hated his own artist's magnificent compositional and imaginative abilities, which caused a series of anticipated scenes to flood his mind—

Along the rupture line on the map that tears apart memories, the gaping maw of blood opened directly in front of Liu Yifei, who was sleeping peacefully in the next bedroom.

She ran frantically through the ruins of the base, twisted steel bars piercing through the concrete like ribs chewed up by a giant beast.

Or perhaps a half-finished textbook hangs on a crooked window frame in Shuimo Town, its pages rustling in the wind, as if the hand of death is urgently searching for a certain name.

Lu Kuan buried his hands in his hair, clutching his temples in pain, the horrific image of Xiao Liu lingering in his mind.

She knelt between the leaning beams, then suddenly looked up, her gaze piercing the barrier between virtual and reality. What she saw in her pupils was not ruins, but the still-burning desk lamp in the study.

This was a performance technique he taught himself to break the fourth wall, but at this moment it felt like a sharp sword piercing his heart!
In the bedroom, Liu Yifei suddenly woke up on the bed.

She wasn't having a nightmare; the man behind her, his body burning hot, embraced her, his arms tightly wrapped around her waist.

His chest pressed against her back, his heartbeat clear and distinct like a drumbeat, with a frequency that was almost trembling.

"Wide road?" she mumbled sleepily, her voice still heavy with lingering drowsiness.

There was no response, only an even tighter hug.

His breath hit the back of her neck, so hot it felt like it was going to burn her skin.

Liu Yifei didn't even know he had left, and she murmured sweetly, "You're so hot."

"Yeah, I just ran downstairs to get a drink of water," Lu Kuan said gently. "Go back to sleep."

"Ah."

If a camera were filming the two of them at that moment, it would be an incredibly peaceful and harmonious scene.

The moonlight, like water, flowed quietly across the solid wood floor of the bedroom, outlining a silvery pond. Liu Yifei nestled in Lu Kuan's arms, her breathing even and long.

Lu Kuan stared blankly out the window, his gaze piercing through the gap in the gauze curtain, fixed on the pale, bright moon outside.

His knuckles unconsciously entwined around the girl's loose hair, the raven-black hair slipping through his fingers and then being gently grasped by him.

By the moonlight, the lonely traveler carefully looked at the person in his arms, the light coating her porcelain-white skin with a layer of cold glaze.

You can see the fine downy hairs on her cheeks and count the number of her nostrils that flutter gently with her breath.

Lu Kuan's fingertips trembled slightly, but in the end he only brushed her brow bone very lightly, as if touching a precious piece of porcelain that was about to shatter.

His gaze gradually darkened, and a resolute look solidified in his eyes.

After a barely audible sigh, the time traveler lowered his head and gently pressed his forehead against Liu Yifei's. The kiss was as light as a sigh, yet as heavy as a brand.
-
On the morning of April 30, 2008, I got off the bus in front of the Beiping Olympic Building, the road was wide and the sunlight was faint.

Liu Yifei rolled down the car window: "I won't be picking you up tonight, okay? I've already taken the afternoon off. Jielun and Sister Mei have arrived, so I'm going home early to help my mom prepare."

"Understood." The man's expression remained unchanged; no one knew the complex and turbulent emotions he had been experiencing these past few days.

Looking at his dark circles, Xiao Liu wanted to say a few words of advice to take a rest, but stopped herself as soon as she was about to speak.

She's a veteran actress who's worked on several film crews, and she knows how demanding the workload is when Lu Kuan is directing.

However, compared to the Olympics, there are indeed some gaps.

Moreover, his position as the chief director meant that he had to coordinate all aspects of the work, from the artistic field to administrative affairs, which was very demanding.

Liu Yifei couldn't resist wanting to be affectionate with him, and she pouted with a coquettish smile: "Want a goodbye kiss?"

Actually, she was mentally prepared to be rejected; she could imagine the latter looking at her with the same disdainful expression as an old man on the subway.

"Okay." Washing Machine readily agreed, giving her a quick kiss on the lips before turning and walking through security towards the Olympic Building.

It took Xiao Liu a while to realize what was happening. He felt a surge of satisfaction, attributing it to the successful completion of his renovation efforts over the past six months.

The elevator doors opened on the tenth floor, and there was Gu Yun's documentary team setting up their equipment.

The female director turned around and saw Lu Kuan, smiling gently: "Director Lu, you're the last one to arrive today."

"Really? They're here so early." Boss Lu said with a smile, "My senior hasn't been here for a few days."

"Sigh, I have another task to do, don't I?" Gu Yun smiled wryly. "The International Olympic Committee's 'Eternal Flame' project was approved yesterday. Now I have to do both, and I have to do both well. It's giving me a real headache!"

With a worried look on her face, Gu Yun once again "shamelessly asked for advice": "Director Lu, how about I treat you to lunch at the nearby Beiping Banquet and give your senior a little advice?"

"There's food here? Count me in!" Zhang Yimou walked over from the hot water room with a cup in his hand, and the three of them chatted by the window on the tenth floor of the Olympic Building.

Gu Yun didn't intend to let any of them go: "Director Yi Mou, even if you didn't say so, I would still have to ask you. It's really beyond my ability, so I need your two alumni to lend a hand!"

Zhang Yimou saw that Lu Kuan was slightly dazed, and patted him on the shoulder with concern: "Xiao Lu, take care of yourself and get some rest. Your dark circles are almost as bad as mine."

The latter then snapped out of his daze and responded, but his attention was completely drawn to what Gu Yun was talking about, "Eternal Flame"!

There seems to be something to be done?
He remained calm and said, "What's the difference between 'Eternal Flame' and your 'Dream Building 2008'? Putting you under so much pressure in such a short time, who could make a good film? Even a seasoned director as energetic as Director Zhang couldn't handle it."

Gu Yun sighed: "Dream Building 2008 is a documentary from an independent Chinese perspective, while Eternal Flame is an official film of the International Olympic Committee."

"This year marks the first time the Olympic Committee has commissioned a Chinese team to produce an official film. It is a joint production of the International Olympic Committee, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, and the Central Newsreel and Documentary Film Studio. It is the 22nd film in Olympic history."

"As you both know, there aren't many documentary directors in China to begin with, and the Beijing Film Academy can hardly recruit any students for this major. In the end, this task still fell to me."

"The main reason is that some of the materials from 'Dream Building' can be used in 'Eternal Flame'. Do you know what I'm most worried about right now?"

Lu Kuan and Zhang Yimou exchanged a glance, and the latter pondered, "Are you afraid of repetition? After all, the themes are similar, and the materials are even more similar."

"Yes!" Gu Yun slapped her thigh and complained bitterly.

"Both of you are masters among directors, please give me some advice, whether it's on the content of the film, the narrative technique, or the shooting route, please give me some suggestions?"

Gu Yun clasped her hands together, disregarding any pretense of saving face for the two people in front of her.

Boss Lu's mind raced, and amidst the myriad of thoughts, he glimpsed a clue.

However, being cautious by nature, he didn't want to leave any flaws, so he decided to stall for time a little longer and immediately smiled and said:
"Senior, hurry up and make a reservation. I'll definitely get Director Zhang to come over for you at noon."

Gu Jun was overjoyed: "Great! No problem!"

Zhang Yimou patted the young director on the shoulder with a smile, taking it as a joke.

In the morning, the Olympic creative team mainly discussed the upcoming "Olympic Rally". According to the usual practice in the domestic sports system, such a day will definitely be organized and publicized in a big way.

An electronic countdown clock will be activated at Tiananmen Square, and a chorus of Olympic theme songs such as "Beiping Welcomes You" will be organized on site, interspersed with traditional cultural performances such as Tai Chi and Peking Opera.

Ten thousand volunteers took a collective oath, promising to provide "smiling service," and Olympic service manuals were distributed on site.

Anything related to cultural performances falls within the scope of the Olympic creative team's work.

This is also why Zhang Yimou, Lu Xun, and others have been extremely busy since the torch relay began in April.

However, during those three or four hours that morning, two people in the entire office were constantly distracted.

One of them was Gu Yun, who had just been given an important task by Chairman Liu.

With her current experience and skill level, she knows it would be too difficult to make two documentaries stand out at the same time, so she has always wanted to learn from the Olympic Building.

The other one, of course, is Lu Kuan, which we brainstormed all morning.

He was already planning to turn this senior into his tool.

At noon, Gu Yun invited the two chief directors to Beiping Banquet, the best restaurant near the Olympic Building.

This place is located in the Asian Games Village business district on the North Fourth Ring Road. It is situated in Building 5 of Anhui Beili Yiyuan, only 800 meters away from the Olympic Building. It was upgraded and renovated last year specifically to accommodate foreign guests during the Olympics.

The dishes are mainly modified versions of Tan Family Cuisine, such as braised shark fin and clear bird's nest soup. "Okay, senior, really, don't order anymore, the three of us can't finish it."

Gu Jun was overjoyed and beamed with delight: "Alright, let's eat first, and we'll serve more if we're still hungry."

Zhang Yimou jokingly said, "Xiao Lu, do you already have a plan? Anyway, I'm just here to freeload today, and my only responsibility is to eat."

"Senior, I have an idea, but I'm not quite sure about it yet."

"Director Lu, please tell us quickly." Gu Jun looked at him like he'd seen a savior. "How about we have a drink?"

Boss Lu waved his hand: "That won't do. Work discipline applies. We can't drink alcohol at noon."

"Here's the thing, let me explain first, and then I'll ask Director Zhang to take a look. It's also my way of preparing for my future films."

Upon hearing this, not only Gu Yun was filled with anticipation, but even Zhang Yimou was eager to learn more.

The two fellow apprentices are now practically inseparable, with Lu Kuan spending more time with Zhang Yimou than with his girlfriend, Xiao Liu.

Amidst their busy work on the Olympics, or when they gained insights from the Olympic cultural performances, they would share their experiences without reservation.

So Zhang Yimou was a little puzzled, wondering where this spark of inspiration had come from.
Mr. Lu explained with a smile, "Actually, I was inspired by this Olympics. Have you two ever thought about using drones to shoot movies or gather footage?"

Gu Yun was the documentary director who followed the entire process and was considered one of the core members of the Organizing Committee, so there was naturally no need to hide the method of lighting the torch from her.

However, she was still too slow to grasp the true meaning behind Lu Kuan's words, but Zhang Yimou's eyes were already wide open.

"I did think about it, but after we came up with this fire-starting plan, we didn't carefully consider the innovative application of drone shooting in film shooting techniques."

"When we were filming 'Hero' at the end of 2001, we rented a helicopter for the aerial view of the Great Wall and the Gobi Desert battlefield scene. But the cost was too high, and Jiang Zhiqiang kept saying that he couldn't afford it!"

Mr. Lu laughed heartily: "Drones are cheap. Our DJI EH-1 electric unmanned helicopter, which is now only 15 yuan, is an entry-level model. However, the technology barrier of the gimbal is relatively high, and it is still in the next stage of research and development."

"It's sufficient for surveying and low-precision shooting, but the battery life with a payload is still a problem for now."

The earliest use of drones for filming footage in later films can be traced back to Wang Baoqiang's "Hello! Mr. Tree" in 2011 and "A Bite of China" in 2012.

However, large-scale application began with the launch of the DJI Inspire 1 in 2014. This was the first professional-grade drone to support 4K video shooting, equipped with the Zenmuse X3 camera, which significantly improved flight stability.

In "The Great Wall," Zhang Yimou used the Inspire 1 for the first time to shoot low-altitude shots of the army marching, achieving rapid tracking shots that were difficult to accomplish with traditional equipment, and the results were excellent.

Does DJI currently possess such shooting capabilities?
It's clearly still a long way off.

The mainstream design for drone photography is still a separate design, with the hardware architecture being a typical platform + payload.

To achieve cinematic-quality shooting, in addition to the basic technologies of the drone itself, such as its power system, flight control, battery, and frame, the camera connected to the drone via a dedicated gimbal is also of paramount importance.

The gimbal is responsible for counteracting flight vibrations and supporting camera angle control such as pitch, roll, and pan.

Lu Kuan is only bringing this up now to create logical convenience for his own actions.

"My vision for future drone photography is that it can break through the height, terrain, and safety limitations of traditional photography equipment, and easily achieve perspectives such as high-altitude overlooking, low-altitude crossing, and circling tracking, which is the greatest convenience."

"Director Zhang, think about the battle in the poplar forest in 'Hero,' where drones can swoop down close to the sword's edge, making the golden leaves explode like waterfalls from both sides of the lens; and the bamboo forest chase in 'House of Flying Daggers,' where drones can snake through the bamboo tips at 60 kilometers per hour, bringing out the dizzying feeling of sword flashes and green waves that you want."

"Imagine how it would feel?"

This kind of temptation is simply fatal for a director, especially for Zhang Yimou, who is good at playing with color.

Giving him more sophisticated shooting tools and camera angles is like giving a master of traditional Chinese painting different sizes of brushes; the content that can be presented is subversive and creative.

In the later film "The Eight Hundred," a drone was used to complete a long shot circling the Sihang Warehouse from the opposite bank of the Suzhou River, eventually hovering at a height of 1 meter above the ground, achieving a visual spectacle that traditional equipment could hardly achieve.

In addition, drones can navigate through confined spaces such as caves and ruins, providing a more realistic sense of presence for war films, disaster films, and other genres—capabilities that traditional cameras do not possess.

Now, he is describing the future to the two directors from a futuristic perspective, how could they not be delighted?

But Boss Lu's target today is not Zhang Yimou, but Gu Yun.

The latter couldn't help but press further: "Director Lu, what level can DJI drones achieve now? What you just said..."

“I can’t do any of those,” Lu Kuan laughed. “However, basic surveying and image acquisition at around 1080P full HD level, although the battery life is a bit short and the lens isn’t very stable, can be done with difficulty.”

In this generation, DJI has grown with the support of private capital and national technological capital from various sectors.

Mr. Lu knew nothing about drones, had no technical expertise to offer, and never offered any opinions.

However, two requirements were put forward regarding the application of drones: firstly, to meet the technical requirements of the lighting ceremony of the Beijing Olympics; and secondly, to be used for his main business.

Film shooting.

Therefore, DJI in this generation has made significant progress in these two fields compared to its previous generation. After all, capital has the strongest voice and can dictate the outcome.

Gu Jun smiled wryly and said, "But we've only ever filmed and seen drones. Every time we do a ignition rehearsal, we can only observe from a distance and are not allowed to film them."

"Even if we bought it from your DJI drone, we wouldn't know how to use it..."

Zhang Yimou sighed: "That's a problem. Aren't the operators controlling the drone footage essentially the same as the photographers?"

"Photographers like Zhao Fei and Zhao Xiaoding, how many films and materials have they been fed to become masters? They still need to be cultivated through on-site shooting."

This remark inadvertently provided Boss Lu with a comedic opportunity. Looking at Gu Yun's troubled expression, he patiently persuaded her, "Senior, are you short on time?"

"That's right! 'Eternal Flame' was filmed in more than 10 countries around the world. It uses multi-line parallel montage to connect global perspectives through the torch relay. Finally, our Beijing Organizing Committee edited the footage to complete the film."

"I'm currently trying to meet both the deadline and the quality. If I just use materials from 'Building Dreams 2008' to pile things up, I definitely won't be able to deliver."

"What you just said about drone filming sounds so appealing, but... sigh!"

Mr. Lu shrugged and smiled wryly: "There's really nothing we can do about it. New technologies always take time to train and adapt to."

"This kind of drone shooting technology, just like digital cameras or new special effects technologies in the past, requires adaptation and training."

"Right now, I can only make do with it. DJI's test pilots can operate it, but they don't understand film composition and art, so they don't know how to shoot and need to be taught."

Zhang Yimou also offered Gu Yun a few words of comfort, and the group ate some delicious food and tea to fill their stomachs.

The three of them naturally didn't adhere to the rules of not speaking while eating or sleeping, but Gu Yun's depressed expression and her repeated hesitation to speak were particularly noticeable.

As it approached one o'clock, the three of them ate some staple food, and the meal was nearing its end.

Gu Jun knew that if he didn't bring it up now, the next time he would speak up would probably be in winter, so he brazenly picked up his teacup and said, "Director Lu!"

Lu Kuan and Zhang Yimou were startled by her.

"Senior, what are you doing?"

"I'll gladly accept being called 'senior sister' this time, but could you please lend me a hand?"

Boss Lu picked up his teacup with a wry smile: "Senior, you're too kind. Why bother?"

He paused slightly, pondered for a few seconds, and seemed to suddenly remember something: "Next month, Xiao Liu is going to the Wolong Research Base in Sichuan Province to shoot a public service advertisement about giant pandas."

"The filming team is from Wenjie, and they will bring drones, pilots, and technicians with them."

"You just mentioned that in 'Eternal Flame,' we need to edit together footage from more than ten countries. One of the representatives of China's image to the world is the panda, which is also the prototype of Fuwa Jingjing. Panda footage will definitely be used."

"Why don't you take some people and go with her team? You can check the results and see if it meets your requirements."

Gu Jun was overjoyed!

But just as he was about to express his gratitude, he abruptly stopped—

Aside from you, Director Lu, nobody else knows how to use this thing!

What's the use of having a few pilots who can remotely control airplanes?

Lu Kuan seemed oblivious to her flushed face, continuing to explain to Zhang Yimou beside him:
"Director Zhang, you have no idea how long I've been researching this, just wanting to test the effects of drone photography as soon as the Olympics are over."

“Take the public welfare filming at Wolong Base that Xiao Liu participated in as an example. Drone aerial photography can completely use the composition of horizontal division.”

"The scene will be divided into a natural proportion of heaven and earth to highlight the stability or vastness of the scene. We will also use S-shaped and vanishing point compositions, and enhance the sense of space in the picture through the curves of rivers and roads or perspective extensions."

Boss Lu tapped the table lightly like a film fanatic: "Just thinking about it makes my hands itch. This will definitely be a small revolution in film history!"

Gu Yun was captivated and blurted out the request without thinking, even though she herself thought it was unreasonable:
"Director Lu! Could you spare a day or two to give us some training?"

“Our documentary filmmakers are top talents in the country. They will definitely be able to grasp your drone filming technology very quickly. See if you can spare just one day for them…”

"Just one day!" Director Gu, who comes from a family of high-ranking officials in Shanghai, held up one finger.

"Besides, with such a busy schedule for the Olympics, can't you also make time for your girlfriend?"

"Women need to be coaxed. You guys have been locking down Daxing for three or four days at a time lately. How could Consort Yi not have any objections?"

Feeling that she had grasped at the last straw, Gu Yun resorted to any means necessary.

Lu Kuan looked at her in disbelief: "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! The 100-day countdown rally is in just over ten days. If I leave at this crucial moment, what are you going to do with Director Zhang?"

"At the beginning of the year, I took more than 20 days off for movie promotion. Even though I'm full of energy, I can't keep pushing myself like this!"

Gu Jun was speechless now. She couldn't afford to offend another famous director just to flatter Lu Kuan, could she?
That's not how you handle things.

However, Zhang Yimou chuckled wryly, also somewhat longingly: "To be honest, Xiao Lu, those compositions you just mentioned, and that drone shooting technique in 'Hero,' really made me scratch my head!"

"How about we go to Sichuan Province together? It'll only take half a day!"

As soon as he said that, the three of them froze. Zhang Yimou then waved his hand with a smile: "Just kidding, just kidding. If we both disappeared, Zhang Heping would come and chop me up with a knife."

He patted Lu Kuan on the shoulder: "Gu Jun has a point. You only went home last night this week. The young lady must be upset."

"Anyway, helping Xiao Gu is also contributing to the Olympic cause. Don't worry, I'll take care of things at home. It'll only take half a day."

Gu Jun was overjoyed: "Director Zhang! Thank you so much!"

Then he turned to Lu Kuan, who looked troubled, and said, "Director Lu, please don't worry about taking leave."

"I'll go back and submit a report. This 'Eternal Flame' project was also a task assigned to me by Leader Liu. If he doesn't agree, I won't do it!"

Lu Kuan frowned, his fingers unconsciously stroking the rim of the teacup, the glazed celadon reflecting his taut jawline.

As he looked up, Gu Yun caught a fleeting struggle in his eyes. Gu Yun's Adam's apple bobbed twice before he spoke: "Is this appropriate? Let's forget about it!"

Before he finished speaking, he reached for the suit jacket on the back of the chair, his movement suggesting he was about to get up and leave.

Gu Yun grabbed his wrist in a panic, causing the teacup to slide across the table, leaving a water stain: "Director Lu, we've already gone this far, and you..."

"Go ahead, Xiao Lu, it's alright. This afternoon, Gu Jun and I will explain the situation to the leaders. We're all contributing to the Olympic cause, there's no difference."

"I'm waiting for you to come back and give me your private instructions. This new technology is just too tempting."

Boss Lu touched his nose and looked at Gu Yun, who was anxious and expectant: "Okay! I'll give you a call later, Director Gu. You can have someone contact Yang Siwei from Wenjie, and we'll book the plane tickets and accommodation together."

If you lure people away, you must bring them back safely; you can't just discard them after they've served their purpose.

"no problem!"

Gu Jun was overjoyed, eagerly anticipating her trip to Sichuan Province in ten days.

My first experience with drone filming: The documentary "Eternal Flame" is about to shock the world—everything is going in the best possible direction!

For this female director from Beijing Film Academy who has been deeply involved in the documentary field for more than ten years, this business trip will obviously be an unforgettable memory in her life!

I just wonder if, at that moment when the world is collapsing, she will regret her warm invitation today.

Gu Yun acted quickly, submitting a report immediately after lunch. Following the principle that "the emperor will not let his soldiers go hungry," Leader Liu approved the report with a red ink.

He simply told Lu Kuan not to linger, so as not to delay the 100-day countdown and the internal rally.

At 9 p.m., Boss Lu returned to Wenyuhe Mansion after finishing his overtime work.

Liu Xiaoli was directing the nanny in the kitchen to prepare food when she turned around and saw her future son-in-law. She smiled broadly and said, "Xiaolu, you're back. Have you eaten?"

"They ate at work. Where are Xixi and the others?"

“They’re singing, it’s so noisy. Sister Mei went to her room to rest early. If you’re tired, take a shower first.”

"It's alright, I'll go check." Perhaps a huge weight had been lifted from her heart—

He wasn't sure if the boulder would actually land, or if it would crush the most foolish time traveler in history, along with his girlfriend who was his anchor point in this world, into dust.

Even though his only basis for judgment was that the Wolong base in his previous life had not suffered devastating damage.

But for a Machiavellian, this is a huge concession to one's own nature.

Perhaps only Liu Yifei, who shielded him from bullets several times in this life, could make this lonely time traveler make such a concession.

Lu Kuan put down his coat and walked towards the audio-visual room. From a distance, he could hear Liu Yifei singing "Seven Mile Fragrance".

This is the background music that played during her youth, during countless times of entanglement with someone, and it will also be the main song she performs at the "Ask the World 8th Anniversary Celebration" tomorrow.

Lu Kuan stood outside the audio-visual room and saw Liu Yifei singing "Seven Mile Fragrance" into the microphone with all her heart through the half-open door. Jay Chou's harmonies flowed out from the speakers, like a warm breeze sweeping across rice paddies on a summer night.

He suddenly felt that this scene seemed familiar.

One day in October 2004, Liu Yifei was enduring baseless slander fabricated by Zhou Jun, Hua Yi, and Song Zude.

That night, having found a way out, he stood in front of Xiao Liu's door, looking at the pitiful 17-year-old Liu Yifei staring at the computer screen from this angle.

For some reason, a crack appeared in my heart (Chapter 240).

Four years later, as the lyrics "The rain falls all night, my love overflows like rainwater" suddenly hit Lu Kuan's eardrums, he suddenly felt that the crack in his heart had instantly healed.

There was just one more person inside.

(End of this chapter)