Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 578 Baby's First Birthday, Showing Affection in Cannes
The pale blue quantum rose at the end of the film eventually disappeared into the darkness, and the credits slowly rose.

A profound silence lasting ten seconds enveloped the Lumière Hall, as if the more than two thousand top filmmakers, critics, and journalists from around the world had collectively fallen into a kind of "quantum stagnation" in a physical sense.

No one stood up, no one applauded.

This silence is a result of extreme shock and bewilderment after information overload; it is a necessary speechlessness when faced with a science fiction aesthetic peak that suddenly rises from the ground.

Immediately, applause erupted like a delayed explosion of macro-fusion!
It wasn't the polite, gradual applause typical of premieres, but a surging and sustained wave of sound that reached its peak from the very first second.

The audience seemed to have finally awakened from a long and deep dream, and couldn't wait to express their inner excitement with all their might.

Details of the opening film were not broadcast domestically, but mainland netizens and film fans and sci-fi movie enthusiasts around the world learned about the live event from a brief report published by The Hollywood Reporter just thirty minutes later.

Thirty minutes is definitely the fastest time Anne Thompson, chief film critic and columnist for The Hollywood Reporter and author of its influential blog Thompson on Hollywood, has ever sent back a report from the front lines.

Especially for films like the opening film, which are usually not in the competition section, there is generally no interest in getting top journalists to write about them, but this time is different.

In her excited text message, which even contained typos, she wrote:

I just stepped out of the Lumière Hall, my fingers still trembling as I try to organize my thoughts on my phone. I have to be quick, because the whole world is waiting for news from here.

But I need to say first that what we just witnessed may not only be the birth of this film festival, but also the most ambitious science fiction film of the year and even the last decade.

Lu's "Ball Lightning," as the opening film, is by no means a simple genre film, but a grand epic that lasts nearly three hours and blends hard-core scientific speculation, military thriller, quantum philosophy, and personal tragedy.

Its visual spectacle and intellectual depth evoke the austere solemnity of Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey," yet its emotional core is so passionate and poignant.

Zhou Xun! My God, Zhou Xun! Her portrayal of Major Lin Yun is a complex character that will surely be recorded in film history!
A scientist-official obsessed with the beauty of weaponry and willing to sacrifice herself for ultimate truth, her performance was astonishingly nuanced. From her initial calm and obsession to her final tragic heroism and transcendence, every glance was filled with power. The emotional impact of her last words, "Dad, you're too late," brought many of my tough-guy colleagues around me to silence and choke with emotion.

The film's audiovisual language is also unparalleled.

The opening scene, with its stormy night atmosphere, the terror and mystery of the first appearance of ball lightning, and the later scene where macro-fusion is activated, transforming the entire battlefield into a ghostly blue quantum world, all showcase top-notch special effects aesthetics. The sound design is particularly outstanding; the low-frequency hum and the momentary deathly silence seem to vibrate directly in your chest in the IMAX theater.

Lu's greatest achievement is that he visualized an extremely abstract scientific concept based on the original work, such as ball lightning, macro-electrons, and quantum states, using the most intuitive and convincing cinematic language.

You may not fully understand the quantum physics behind it, but you can definitely feel the awe and fear based on scientific laws.

My biggest regret right now is not knowing how many more screenings Cannes will be able to add for "Ball Lightning," but even if they do, there aren't that many IMAX theaters.

Also, I have to say to my good friend Tim Burton, you're practically a war criminal for failing to bring Ball Lightning into the main competition!

Bravo! There's still a month until the movie's release!

Buy your tickets now! No matter where you are on Earth, this is a masterpiece you absolutely must experience on the big screen!
……

Anne Thompson has her own film column on Twitter with 1800 million followers worldwide. She has been providing in-depth coverage of the rise of a generation of filmmakers, including Quentin Tarantino and Steven Soderbergh, since the 90s.

She herself was a PR representative for Harvey, tasked with promoting the film and pushing this hard science fiction, which wasn't quite suited for Cannes but had the potential to win at the Oscars, to the world in conjunction with previous global marketing efforts.

But this feast, which lasted less than three hours, truly delighted Annie. It felt like she was slacking off at work, or perhaps even touching a shark.

The first to be affected by public opinion are Twitter users around the world.

Sci-Fi Enthusiast (London): My God, a Chinese 2001? Ms. Thompson's praise is truly high. This "quantum military thriller" concept sounds insane, but the best kind of insane. I'm very curious if it truly deserves such high praise. Our British film distributors need to step up their game, buddies!

ClassicalCinema (Paris): A three-hour epic blending Kubrick's grand narrative with personal tragedy? Frankly, I'm skeptical, but also extremely curious. I hope it's not just spectacular, but also possesses a correspondingly profound meaning. The description of the sound design alone makes me want to experience it in IMAX.

FilmCriticUK (Manchester): The hype is undeniable. It's truly exciting to see a completely new, non-Western voice attempting to redefine the science fiction genre on such a scale, while we're still proud of our 2001: A New Dawn of Justice and Blade Runner. Well, I'm still a bit reserved; perhaps I should have a cup of tea and wait and see.

Fans in European box office markets such as France and Germany also left comments, expressing either doubt or anticipation, which, along with the previous global marketing efforts for "Ball Lightning," continuously pushed the atmosphere before the global premiere to a climax.

In contrast, mainland netizens who were most concerned about Mr. Lu saw the information being widely reposted on Weibo and major portals immediately. At noon local time in Cannes, which was the prime time in Beijing in the evening, countless netizens were surfing and commenting.

"After watching those masterclasses during the marketing period that I didn't understand but were deeply impressed by, I knew this film was something special! Sure enough, it was a huge hit at Cannes! I'm so proud of our own hard science fiction! I hope there will be good screenings, and I'll definitely go to the best theaters to support it!"

"After all these years, we've finally got a domestic sci-fi film that can truly rival the intellectual depth of '2001: A Space Odyssey' and the industrial quality of 'Avatar'! Director Lu's Eastern sci-fi aesthetics seem to be more than just empty talk; you can already feel the grand sense of pathos from Annie Thompson's description. Zhou Xun's Lin Yun sounds like an extremely complex character. I can't wait for it to be released; I can't wait to go to the IMAX theater for this baptism!"

"The rational and austere science fiction core is perfectly integrated with the sense of destiny in Eastern philosophy. I'm really looking forward to this. Thompson mentioned 'quantum philosophy and personal tragedy,' which is exactly what Mr. Lu said is the most unique advantage of Chinese science fiction. It explores the ultimate humanity under an extreme worldview. I've already placed my order on Wenjie Tickets."

Aside from the American West and mainland China, other propaganda platforms in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan also quickly stirred up a wave of public opinion, especially the promotion by American film critics and magazines on Twitter, which can be seen as an endorsement for Japanese and South Korean film fans.

Eiga Mania (Tokyo): Director Lu's new film is truly impressive! The comparison to *2001: A Space Odyssey* is quite intriguing. Achieving both visual effects and philosophical depth simultaneously is a difficult feat even in Hollywood. While I have mixed feelings about his previous film, *The Sky of History*, I must acknowledge his artistic talent. I'm really looking forward to its release!

Akira (Osaka): It's truly astonishing that China can produce a science fiction film of such high quality. The aesthetics of the trailer are indeed different from our tokusatsu style, possessing a unique "Eastern" charm. Zhou Xun's acting is also highly anticipated. However, some of the director's stances occasionally make the pure enjoyment of the work somewhat complicated, which is a slight disappointment.

A history enthusiast from Kyoto (Kyoto): "I personally respect director Lu Kuan's artistic achievements. However, I cannot agree with his choice to use the 'Nanjing Incident' as the subject of his work. That film is full of one-sided propaganda, a distortion of our history, and a serious offense to national sentiment. Therefore, despite the high praise for 'Ball Lightning,' based on the director's past choices, I will not support this work. This is a principled boycott."

Aside from the main audience of Japanese moviegoers, many of the moviegoers were quite conflicted about Boss Lu's psychology.

They acknowledged the artistic talent of this Chinese director, hailed as "Asia's next Akira Kurosawa," but also had reservations about the stance he expressed in "The Sky of History."

But the Koreans on Twitter didn't tolerate them. They would strike hard against any vague statements that denied history!
"They make a movie about Godzilla and criticize nuclear pollution, but then dump nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean; they complain that 'The Sky of History' hurts their feelings, but they should first explain what kind of dog excrement is enshrined in the Yasukuni Shrine. Their double standards are so extreme that even Ultraman would blush!"

"Yukio Mishima shouted 'Long live the Emperor' before committing seppuku. Now you're shouting 'Long live historical nihilism' even when you're watching a movie? It's a pity. Director Lu's lens is sharper than Kenzaburo Oe's pen. After all, the truth never needs ambiguity."

"No matter how fortified Osaka Castle is, it can't stop Admiral Yi Sun-sin's turtle ship! I'm looking forward to 'Ball Lightning' giving all Japanese people a 'spiritual kamikaze attack'!"

……

In any case, "Ball Lightning" made a good start at Cannes, with the cast and crew bowing to each other on stage and receiving rounds of applause.

In particular, Zhou Xun, who plays Lin Yun, once again allowed Western filmmakers to see an outstanding Chinese actress after her international debut as Su Chang in the purely commercial film "Inception".

Going back further, starting with Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi, and Liu Yifei, Wenjie has already propelled three Chinese actresses onto the world stage.

For director Lu Kuan, the entire experience of observing film fans and filmmakers, standing under the spotlight at the Cannes Film Festival Palace, listening to thunderous applause, and engaging in heated discussions with film critics from various countries finally allowed his tense nerves to relax slightly.

The reason is simple: he was worried that the hard science fiction narrative structure of his commercial film would not be accepted by Western audiences.

However, in retrospect, many philosophical propositions within the framework of Chinese science fiction, packaged with universal values, are also capable of resonating with Western audiences.

For example, Lin Yun's quantum choice embodies the dialectical sacrifice between the collective and the individual;

Chen Guang's ethical struggle regarding ball flash weapons reflects the conflict between scientific exploration and moral constraints;

And the image of Lin Yun transforming into a quantum rose after macro-fusion represents national memory and reconciliation under the trauma of war.

Everything he wrapped under the sci-fi veneer allows moviegoers in Europe, North America, China, Japan, and South Korea to see reflections of their own countries and nations.

The explosive success of the premiere of "Ball Lightning" was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, its ripples quickly spreading throughout the entire Cannes Film Festival.

In the following days, films from the competition section on the official schedule, such as Xavier Beeworth's *Of Gods and Men* and Mike Leigh's *Another Year*, began to be screened. While they garnered their own attention and discussion, an unprecedented phenomenon began to permeate the Croisette:

Many movie fans didn't rush to the next premiere, but instead lingered in front of the cinema, holding up carefully handwritten signs.

The signs displayed the same core message in various languages:

"SVP, a supplementary screening for 'Ball Lightning'!" (Requesting a screening of "Ball Lightning"!)

"More Shows! We Need Quantum Rose!"

"Director Rakukan's "Spherical Lightning" is additionally released! "

This phenomenon has intensified, posing a real challenge to the organizers.

Of the three major European film festivals, Cannes has the most screening rooms, but the Lumière Hall, the main venue, mainly features films in the competition section, opening and closing films, and special screenings. Each film is usually screened only once or twice, with very few last-minute adjustments.

Unlike commercial cinemas, film festivals have a truly Swiss-style schedule, and the use of exclusive DCP digital cinema packages for screenings means that multiple screenings require coordination of keys and logistics, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

On the other hand, the film's nearly 180-minute runtime does indeed sacrifice prime time slots for many other films in the competition, and may even affect the judges' viewing schedule.

On May 13th, during an interview with Le Figaro, festival president Gilles Jacob humorously "complained" in a tone that mixed admiration and helplessness:
“Lu and his Ball Lightning have put us in a sweet dilemma, one that is more passive than ever before.”

“First of all, I must admit that the absence of this film was a huge disappointment for our main competition. Tim and I both appreciated it, but you know, its genre and scale could have sparked some… interesting debates within the jury. Now, its success makes that disappointment all the more apparent.”

"Secondly," he shrugged, his expression slightly exaggerated, "meeting everyone's request for additional screenings is practically a logistical 'metamorphosis'! Finding a slot for a nearly three-hour blockbuster means we have to reschedule the screenings of three to four other films."

"The schedule at the Lumière Hall is even tighter than parking on the Boulevard de Croisette! And its IMAX version requires special projection equipment, which isn't readily available in Cannes. We're doing our best to coordinate; it's a happy yet tricky problem."

Jill Jacobs’ “sweet complaints” spread quickly through the media, but instead of quelling the audience’s desire, it added fuel to the fire, making the popularity of “Ball Lightning” burn even more fiercely.

Lu Kuan's schedule in Cannes was extremely packed. In addition to official events, the most important thing was to use the film festival as a platform for intensive meetings with top film distributors from all over Europe. At the same time, the explosive word-of-mouth for "Ball Lightning" greatly increased his bargaining power.

On the evening of the 13th, the crew of "Ball Lightning," who had been working non-stop for two consecutive days, finally took some time to treat the domestic media to an interview with their old friend, the movie channel, at their hotel.

"Wenpei, I'm sorry I'm late. I was surrounded by fans and it was only with great difficulty that I managed to escape."

Boss Lu, looking travel-worn, pushed open the door and entered, followed by the main cast including Zhao Fei, Zhou Xun, Xin Baiqing, and Duan Yihong, as well as the minor character Da Tiantian.

Ju Wenpei is also a senior journalist who has worked on the front lines of the three major European journalism organizations. The two sides have a close relationship, and he smiled and invited them to take a seat.

Before the formal interview began, she shared some private conversations: "I can understand it, but it's also a pity. I feel that if we had participated in the exhibition this time, there might have been hope!"

"Don't listen to their nonsense." Lu Kuan casually sprawled on the sofa, waving his hand and laughing, "To put it bluntly, it's just a coordinated publicity stunt. We're basically setting up a stall in this giant supermarket in Cannes."

"If this film breaks any sales records, it will be a great advertisement for Cannes, especially given its current popularity."

The seasoned Mr. Lu laughed and said, "But if you really want to participate in the exhibition, that's another matter. Those picky judges will definitely not give you a good look. They'll only show their artistic integrity by crushing a visual effects blockbuster like 'Ball Lightning' which is disguised as a commercial film."

"Unless it's the B-class Beiping Film Festival that we're going to organize, where everyone is there for the commercial atmosphere, then it doesn't matter."

“Okay.” Ju Wenpei said with some regret, “I’m just missing the Palme d’Or. Oh dear, I really wanted to witness you win all three European Grand Slams in person. I might not have the chance to interview you again in a few years.”

Zhou Xun asked in confusion, "Is Reporter Ju about to be promoted?"

"No, no, the station may have other arrangements in a couple of years, and Meizi may be the only host of 'World Cinema Tour'."

"World Cinema Tour" is one of the flagship programs of the Movie Channel and the only mainland media outlet that focuses on the global film industry and culture and has established official cooperation channels with the three major European film studios and the Oscars.

For the past decade or so, whenever there was a Chinese film crew at an international film festival, Ju Wenpei and others would be interviewed. In particular, Mr. Lu, who frequently appeared on the international stage, had a very good relationship with these hosts from the movie channel. However, what he didn't know was that Ju Wenpei was about to make a career change.

This beautiful reporter, born in 1975, is a top student at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. She composed the music for "Nightclub" in 09 in her previous life and later won the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Awards for composition.

After leaving the program in a few years, she will transition into film composer and actress, leveraging the connections she has built up over the years on the movie channel to achieve great success.

"That's a real shame." Boss Lu looked around at everyone and smiled. "I've gotten used to dealing with the Sixth Princess and Wen Pei all these years. They're professional and dedicated. If you leave, it will feel like something's missing when we participate in the Three Great Tours in the future."

"Haha!" Ju Wenpei covered his mouth and laughed. "Director Lu really knows how to talk. He makes us junior reporters feel like we've eaten honey."

"Director Lu, let's get a Grand Slam before I retire from this position! That way, my career will be complete."

"Haha, let's start the interview." Boss Lu straightened his clothes a bit. "We'll all get together later. The crew is treating us to a big meal to save your channel some travel allowance."

"okay!"

Unlike previous interviews, this one won't cover much of the film's content and details because it won't be released globally for another month. It's mainly for promotional purposes.

"Director Lu, has the specific release date been set?"

"Almost. It will be released in North America and Europe on June 25th. After we finish the North American premiere, we will return to Beijing as soon as possible. Next will be the Japanese, Korean, Hong Kong and Taiwan premieres."

Mr. Lu interjected with an advertisement: "For mainland regions including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, you can book tickets a month in advance through Wenjie Ticketing. The weather will be quite hot at the end of June, so movie fans don't need to brave the scorching sun; they can just do it on their computers and mobile phones."

Ju Wenpei echoed a few words, but still raised a question that seemed to express his dissatisfaction: "Does the production team have any plans to participate in other film festivals or film exhibitions?"

"Yes, since it has already been shown as the opening film at Cannes, I'm not considering Berlin or Venice. This time, I'm mainly attending the Tokyo International Film Festival in October at the invitation of several Japanese friends, including Takeshi Kitano, Hayao Miyazaki, and Ryuichi Sakamoto."

"The Oscars next year are still a long way off, but we'll give it a try." Mr. Lu's last sentence was rather conservative, indicating that he didn't take out a loan before the film's release.

He himself is rather indifferent to these awards, always considering the actors like Zhou Xun and Xin Baiqing. The Tokyo International Film Festival is currently the largest film festival in Asia, second only to the three major European film festivals and the Sundance and Toronto Film Festivals in North America. If they can win something, it will be an encouragement for the actors' hard work.

Ju Wenpei exclaimed in surprise, "Is this Director Lu's first time attending the Tokyo International Film Festival? We are really looking forward to it."

"Yes, but there's another purpose this time. I spoke with Mayor Cai on the phone yesterday to discuss organizing a learning and exchange activity for the organizing committee of the Beiping Film Festival."

Facing the camera, Mr. Lu spoke candidly: "Next year will be the first year of our Beiping International Film Festival, and it is necessary to learn from the best practices."

"The Tokyo International Film Festival's mature industry operation and film selection mechanism are worth learning from, especially their 'TIFFCOM' market exhibition, which is one of the few platforms in the world that can deeply bind anime, game IPs and film transactions, and it is inspiring for us."

"Animation?" Ju Wenpei asked in surprise. "Does the Wenjie Film Festival or the Beiping Film Festival have any plans to develop animation or animated films?"

Lu Kuan smiled and said, "It's due to comprehensive consideration. The specifics will be discussed on a case-by-case basis."

He has not yet revealed that a director named Jiaozi is still working at Butian Pictures, or the possibility of a future collaboration with Pixar.

To avoid spoilers, Ju Wenpei then asked several standard questions about the film itself and the actors' performances.

The discussion began with the creators' feelings after the screening of "Ball Lightning" at Cannes, followed by an exploration of the balance between scientific settings and humanistic philosophy in the film, and finally a dialogue on the three lead actors' understanding of their roles.

Mr. Lu gave the stage to the main actors, only adding technical details himself. The interview was fast-paced, and it was 8:30 pm.

"Shall we go? Big reporter, call your team, let's try La Palme d'Or's signature langoustines with black truffles today." Thinking the interview was over, the richest man smiled and rolled up his shirt cuffs: "It's unique to the French Riviera, we made a reservation this morning."

"I wish I could run away right now," Ju Wenpei laughed. "But our interview is still missing one step!"

"Huh? What part?"

A female reporter from the movie channel laughed and asked, "Director Lu, have you forgotten something these past few days? Something very important?"

"What have I forgotten?"

Just then, Ju Wenpei directed the cameramen and others to set up the equipment. He handed over a laptop, which contained a man and two children who were "questioning" the celebrities. The camera did not capture the baby, showing great care to protect the privacy of the celebrities.

The signal was intermittent, but the camera captured the family of four's "internet encounter." Liu Yifei's voice came through: "Can you see me? Can you hear me? Hello?"

"I can hear you! Look how cute my two chubby babies are!" Boss Lu smiled, his mind racing, his expression changing before instantly returning to normal: "How could I forget?"

"Today is the 13th, the 17th of the fourth month in the lunar calendar. I always remember it as the baby's lunar birthday, since we Chinese all celebrate our lunar birthdays!"

Time flies, and a year has passed since Xiao Liu gave birth to twins on May 10th last year.

Liu Yifei greeted Ju Wenpei, Zhou Xun and others. Xin Baiqing and others also curiously came over to see what the twins of Boss Lu's family looked like. Only Da Tiantian blew a kiss to the screen, which made Tie Dan and Youyou respond. They looked up at their mother and indicated that she was "Auntie".

Xiao Liu gave her husband some leeway in front of the camera, but still added a barbed remark: "You'd better not forget to bring back a gift for the baby after you went out for a stroll?"

The washing machine smiled and said, "They don't mind, the main thing is for Mom to take care of it."

"Right? Then I'll be waiting!" Liu Yifei pouted. "Anyway, your son and daughter are in my hands, so I doubt you'll dare to do anything."

One-year-old babies can't sit still and quickly become impatient; now is the time for them to start running around freely.

The video segment featuring the couples on camera is definitely a novelty for fans, and it's easy to predict that this episode of "World Cinema Tour," which includes "Ball Lightning," will be incredibly popular.

Boss Lu promptly changed the subject: "Is everything alright at home?"

“Great! Filming for ‘The Book of Peace’ just wrapped up yesterday. Let’s take a few days off and see how Director Zheng plans the next filming schedule.”

"Okay, wait for me to get back."

Liu Yifei gently held her son and daughter's little hands: "Say goodbye to Daddy and all the uncles and aunties~"

The elderly father, seeing that his two babies were getting impatient and struggling to crawl down to the ground along their mother's legs, briefly chatted with them and ended the conversation.

The interview ended, and the camera was turned off.

"Thank you, reporter Ju. We've been so busy this week we're practically dizzy." Lu Kuan nodded to the female reporter: "With the sales and promotional battles looming ahead, a letter from home is worth a fortune."

Ju Wenpei said in a serious tone: "Director Lu reacted quickly. Yi Fei was very lenient with you just now, but I suggest you post a Weibo to appease her."

Everyone laughed at her teasing, but Boss Lu agreed wholeheartedly. It just so happened that the discussion surrounding "Ball Lightning" had been going on for the past two days, so he could juggle both public and private matters.

Dinner was pleasant, but after the initial victory, the real battle was just beginning.

Everyone knows that the applause at Cannes is just the beginning. In the next month, from Europe to North America and then to the main stage in Asia, an unprecedented global promotional campaign for "Ball Lightning" will be launched. The global release at the end of June will be the real test.

On the internet, Liu Yifei posted screenshots from the video, showering everyone with their love, and then added two cute little pig mosaics to her baby's face.

She then appealed to movie fans to support "Ball Flash," which will be released at the end of June, and to continue to "send traffic" to her husband.

The washing machine, of course, also took remedial action, and after returning from the dinner party, he and his wife had a rare, friendly interaction:

Standing in the sea breeze of Cannes, flipping through my phone's calendar, I was surprised to realize that a whole year had passed since the "macro-fusion" of my life.

One year ago today, two little lives were born into the world with a tacit understanding akin to quantum entanglement, and now they are able to try to take their first stumbling steps in life.

From Whiplash to Ball Lightning, the creation process of each work is also an opportunity for the creator to improve their artistic aesthetics and deepen their understanding of life.

The core of "Ball Lightning," which was fortunate enough to win the favor of film festival audiences, can be described as a science fiction spectacle and a quantum puzzle.

But for me, its deepest driving force is "inheritance" and "hope".

Chen Guang seeks answers to the unfinished story of his parents' tragedy, while Lin Yun sacrifices himself for the possibility of civilization's survival. The ultimate goal of all this is not destruction, but so that the next generation can freely look up at the stars in a safer and more open world.

It is the presence of children that has given me a deeper understanding of this "long-range force":
A force that transcends individual lives and generations. It makes our generation willing to become the foundation, to endure the burning and collapsing of all exploration, just to exchange for the better possibilities contained in that little bit of "uncertainty" in the future.

Today at the Cannes Film Festival, we can still see European citizens and filmmakers donating, protesting, and speaking out for the recent 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti, the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile, and the escalating war in Afghanistan.

The scene of the international community donating money to my motherland and people on this day two years ago, May 512th, seems familiar.

Under the starry sky in a foreign land, seeing my children babbling and trying to walk in the video, a feeling of transcending continents, oceans, and conflicts wells up within me.

Human beings share a common desire for peace, a reverence for life, and an expectation for the future.

Finally, belated Mother's Day wishes to my wife, Liu Yifei, the most beautiful quantum rose.

……

A simple little essay, reaffirming his image as an international citizen, recording blessings for his two babies, and finally coaxing his wife, while also subtly promoting the movie.

This kind of extreme cost-effectiveness is very typical of washing machines.

However, seeing him showing off his love so affectionately after so long, some fans immediately concluded that "the fairy must have some major secret about him."

It has to be said that laundry detergent and liquid detergent consumers generally have a relatively high level of cultural literacy, from the famous "first law of replacement of washing machines" to the various jokes about Mr. Lu using quantum mechanics.

"It used to be Schrödinger's girlfriend, both existing and not existing; now it's a 'quantum collapsed state,' completely observed by Professor Liu! Sigh! What a useless washing machine!"

"Even the most advanced washing machine will eventually collapse into a local potential trap called 'family.' Energy is conserved; the kinetic energy expended by a prodigal son returning home is all converted into the potential energy for showing off their love!"

Xiao Liu found it amusing and used Weibo's built-in fan art plugin to create a custom image for herself. After replying to her husband's Weibo post, the post quickly became a massive thread.

Following the ID 【Vitamin Qian】, a constant stream of people asked for gifts.

The washing machine drank quite a bit of alcohol today, but what's even more of a headache for him is undoubtedly the unavoidable anniversaries and gift-giving in life.

For a wealthy man like him, facing Liu Yifei, who was not short of money even without a husband, was a nightmare.

When the thickness of your wallet can no longer be used as a measure of your sincerity, the matter of gift-giving is upgraded from an economic issue to a philosophical dilemma.

An ordinary man can use "I haven't been paid this month" as an excuse, but for him, an unlimited budget became a hellish challenge.

Fortunately, during his first stop visiting film distributors across Europe after the film festival, London, he stumbled upon an interesting gift that shared the same name as his wife.

(End of this chapter)