Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 606 Talk is talk, jokes are jokes, but no photos while drinking and singing (Bonus chapter for Ice Cream)
It can be said that the "ban" that Huang Jianye and a local cultural official widely disseminated and promoted on Twitter plunged the Jinma Group and its backers, who had previously suffered a humiliating defeat in Tokyo, into a huge frenzy.

Local media outlets and commentators, who had previously been furious, now beamed with joy on various programs, touting the ban as a "successful defense of cultural sovereignty against the invasion of capitalist giants." Huang, Xu, and others were portrayed as heroes who "feared no power and upheld the bottom line," and their tearful videos were repeatedly played, creating a sense of "justice finally being served."

The Indigenous Central News Agency published a strongly worded commentary:

"Lu Kuan's so-called success has never been a cultural victory, but a carefully calculated nationalist speculation! He sensed the 'cultural self-esteem' that the mainland people were thirsting for during the rise of the mainland earlier than anyone else, and skillfully packaged it into a mixture of industrial saccharin and slogan chicken soup."

"Ball Lightning is nothing more than a more potent and elaborately packaged form of spiritual opium! It cleverly uses dazzling special effects and grand narratives to mask the emptiness of its core content and the extreme poverty of its ideas! Therefore, our previous boycott was absolutely correct!"

"Now, this empire built on sand dunes has finally been struck by its first thunderbolt. Stripped of its specific soil and emotions, its so-called universal values ​​and cultural charm are utterly vulnerable!"

Huang Jianye displayed an imposing demeanor when appearing on a news program:
“Just look at Lu Kuan’s performance in Tokyo! That ‘those who obey me prosper, those who oppose me perish’ attitude—how is that any different from the cultural chauvinists who used to wield the big stick? He’s not promoting cultural exchange at all; he’s waging blatant cultural terrorism! Any voice that doesn’t follow his rules will ultimately be eliminated and humiliated!”

"Weakness and tears exposed his carefully crafted hypocritical persona of respecting women; the Golden Horse Awards' ban completely exposed the fragile nature of his open and inclusive global narrative! A system that relies on inciting conflict and creating enemies to garner internal support is doomed to self-destruction in its endless expansion!"

Many die-hard local artists, aligned with the Golden Horse Awards and its backers, chose to voice their support on Weibo and Twitter, bringing their voices to the mainland and directly slapping the face of that big capitalist.

You're rumored to always claim your Weibo account is impartial, right? Let's see if you'll ban it this time.

If they shut it down, it's because they have a guilty conscience and are furious.
If you don't seal it off, just wait for all sorts of "anti-rebel" armies to come and harass you; there are countless people like that.

As many friends as there are enemies, these washed-up island artists are resorting to this suicidal behavior because they know they have no hope of getting on the world stage, so they might as well curry favor and seek glory.

"Naked Angels" naturally took the lead, and later some program hosts, along with the young actors promoted by Jin Mali, began to have different thoughts. They who had not dared to easily step onto the stage before began to get restless, thinking about the pros and cons of this matter, and the scales quietly tipped.

For example, Zhao and Ruan.

Seeing the authorities' serious stance this time is one aspect, but another is that in 2010, many deliberately offending Hong Kong, Taiwanese, and foreign artists would be "forgiven." If things went wrong afterward, they could simply say "the account was hacked," "it was posted by an assistant who has already been fired," or just post a video to admit their mistake.

When this undercurrent surged into the mainland, it was like a steaming pile of fresh excrement, further enticing Nan Fang and other dogs who had been suppressed by Boss Lu for a long time to drool with desire.

Some seemingly neutral international cultural commentators and financial analysts have begun to speak out, and their arguments are quite misleading:
“From a business perspective, what Wenjie lost was not a market of 2300 million people, but a ‘bridgehead’ with special cultural and geographical significance. This move symbolizes the setback in Wenjie’s efforts to integrate the Greater China cultural market, and the first crack appeared in its globalization narrative.”

"A healthy business ecosystem should be inclusive and symbiotic rather than a zero-sum game. Wenjie's expansion path in recent years has been full of the jungle law of 'winner takes all.' The complete break with Jinma may seem like a quick revenge, but it actually exposes the fragility of its business model. Can this 'war chariot' model withstand the test of more complex international storms in the future? This is something investors should think about carefully."

This seems to be a pessimistic prediction for companies like Zhijie Video and its online store that are about to go public, a kind of "preparedness for the worst."

Based on the logic that the beneficiary is also the perpetrator, this may be a retaliation against LeEco Culture, which was to be listed at almost the same time but in different places, for the boss's previous "badmouthing" of them.

After more than a year, Nanfang has finally dared to make a comeback, but it still maintains a rational and objective perspective and does not dare to be too "abrupt".

Among them, Yan Lieshan, a commentator who was responsible for singing praises to the old chairman in his previous life, believes:

"Director Lu Kuan's tough stance may have won a tactical victory in Tokyo, but it may have aroused strategic concerns in Southeast Asian countries. Especially for countries like Singapore that advocate openness, diversity and a delicate balance, the 'those who obey me prosper' cultural oppression shown by Wenjie will instinctively make cultural censorship departments in other countries strengthen their scrutiny of its content."

“They may worry that if they tacitly approve of the ‘punishment’ of the Golden Horse Awards today, will they be forced to take sides on statements involving their own country’s history and culture tomorrow? Once cultural works are associated with powerful forces, they are prone to provoking resistance.”

Taiwanese scholar Lung Ying-tai expressed his regret:

"It is truly regrettable to see such a talented director ultimately choose to be so closely bound to capital and powerful discourse. When cultural creation seeks too much protection from some kind of righteousness and correctness, and uses it as a tool to expand its territory, its inherent inclusiveness, reflectiveness, and spirit of dialogue will probably be the first to be sacrificed."

"Director Lu Kuan's seemingly innate exclusionary logic of 'those who are not of our kind must have different hearts' may win applause in a short time and in a localized area, but in the long run, is it really beneficial to the diversity and health of the Chinese-language cultural ecology? I have serious doubts."

Ironically, the most exaggerated and radical language came from some Hong Kong media outlets, with Apple Daily leading the way by going to great lengths to satirize:

"Stop touting him as the godfather of 'film industrialization'! Lu Kuan is essentially an extremely arrogant and controlling cultural dictator! He cannot tolerate any dissenting voices; his film crew is his kingdom, and his collaborators must be absolute obedient to his will. The reason he is so hostile towards the Golden Horse Awards is not a matter of principle, but rather that his authority has been challenged!"

"He is a giant baby who cannot tolerate any questioning, and he is using all his resources to fight a willful war to protect his pitiful self-esteem! He puts his personal grievances above the harmony of the entire Chinese-speaking cultural ecosystem. His selfishness and shortsightedness are simply outrageous!"

Perhaps these media outlets are somewhat "sympathetic to the plight of the rabbits," seemingly more eager to retaliate and speak out for justice than the parties involved.

Or perhaps it's more the media outlets and opinion leaders who have long served NGOs who hope to see Lu Kuan, this overconfident "little ant," utterly defeated, or at least humiliated.

With the popularity of films like "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Tangshan," and "The Sky of History" in Hong Kong in recent years, these troublemakers have found it increasingly difficult to control public opinion.

Just like the narrative and description of the relationship between the military and the people in "Tangshan", it at least greatly reduced the threat of the stationed troops that they had been advocating. On the contrary, the open day activities of the troops improved their relationship with the local people.

These are all positive effects that films, as highly influential cultural products, can bring, and they are also the reason why Lu Kuan is so hated by media outlets such as Nanfang and Apple Daily.

He's seriously affecting everyone's business.

From their perspective, Boss Lu is making a living out of patriotism, while they are making a living out of hatred towards the country, which is an extreme and natural opposition.

Therefore, no matter how dangerous or worrying it may be, one should always seize every opportunity to criticize current affairs.

But this time, the strong response from the Golden Horse Awards gave hope and encouragement to the various shady characters. After all, they are still somewhat "different". Now, they can only hope that the other party can "independently" teach this mainland capital tycoon a bloody lesson.

I can't stand his face, which looks like he's never suffered any injustice, and his wife's perpetually serene demeanor.

Shouldn't female celebrities like this come to Hong Kong to make money and earn a living? Moving from the mainland to Hong Kong and Taiwan has been the consistent path for mainland celebrities to advance over the years. How can they rise from the same place?
It can be said that when Wenjie attempted to use the power of a mainland private company to compete with the Golden Horse Awards and the legitimate means behind it, it was, at least in the eyes of the general public, a very unwise act.

Even though Hong Kong and Taiwan actors and directors such as Hou Xiaoxian, Jay Chou, Anita Mui, Andy Lau, Hendrik Willem Van Loon, and the Eagle King Group still firmly voiced their support and called for a compromise, most of his supporters in mainland China were not optimistic about Wen Jie's counterattack.

Because this is not even on the same level of power. After all, you can't send planes and cannons up there, so it's still a bit lacking.

But there will always be someone in this world who cheers for you, and there will always be a window open for you—that is Liu…

No, it's not Xiao Liu who took over taking care of the child, it's "Hu Xijin" who belongs to the barnacle family.

Although he no longer uses the title "the strongest post-80s generation in East Asia" to praise him, in the current climate where the entire Chinese internet and Twitter in Greater China are filled with all sorts of strange and monstrous things, Lao Hu still resolutely speaks out.

In fact, his only collaboration with Boss Lu was to bring down Liu. Apart from that, including this statement, it was purely "out of love".

However, judging from the information he obtained from his limited cooperation with Wenjie, Lao Hu does not believe that the richest man is the kind of person who would casually make a sarcastic remark whenever he thinks of the Golden Horse Awards, and who would not have any countermeasures after such repeated instances.

Known for his strong nationalist stance, Hu Xijin boldly commented and judged in the latest episode of "Hu Xijin Doesn't Talk Nonsense," with his views mainly divided into two parts:

First, we must unequivocally regard "banning" as a badge of honor and defend our bottom line.

"I've seen many people mocking director Lu Kuan's ban, even seeing it as a sign of the failure of Wenjie's globalization efforts. In my opinion, that's exactly the opposite!"

Hu Xijin stated clearly at the outset, "The cultural enterprises of Dongda University were banned because they upheld their principles and bottom lines that could not be challenged in international settings. Isn't this a medal worthy of respect?"

"This medal illustrates a core issue: Director Lu Kuan and his Wenjie have a firm backbone and a straight spine when it comes to issues involving national righteousness and cultural sovereignty! What some people see as a commercial setback is, from a higher perspective, precisely a successful demonstration of their stance and a purification of their ranks."

"It clearly tells the world what kind of cooperation we welcome and what bottom lines we cannot cross. By exchanging temporary market access for indisputable moral high ground and internal cohesion, it's a win no matter how you look at it!"

Second, from the perspective of "cultural warfare," it is predicted that the world will inevitably launch a systematic countermeasure.

"Never use traditional business logic to speculate on Lu Kuan's next move."

Hu Jintao then shifted his tone, revealing his strategic vision: "This is not a simple commercial dispute at all, but a key battle in a 'cultural war' that has already begun. Over the years, Wenjie's layout in content production, channel distribution, public opinion platforms, and talent cultivation has already formed a complete ecosystem."

"The ban imposed by the Golden Horse Awards may seem to have severed a line, but what Wenjie holds in its hands is a three-dimensional, global cultural warfare map."

He cited the concept of "asymmetric warfare of cultural capital" that appeared in previous online analysis, saying, "I judge that Wenjie's counterattack will not be a low-level verbal sparring or a simple act of venting anger; that would be too simplistic."

"His counterattack will inevitably rely on his vast ecosystem. It may involve cutting off the flow of content, blocking channels, or more likely, reshaping the rules. That is, uniting like-minded people to establish a completely new system for evaluating and circulating Chinese culture that bypasses the old forces."

……

Hu Xijin's hastily edited video program has been a hit with mainland netizens. After all, this is the time when the other side is most agitated, and the media is obviously still discussing countermeasures, so it is inevitable that the online buzz is a little low.

Who doesn't like to hear nice things?

Seemingly to confirm the "blind advocacy" of the fanatical fan Lao Hu, on October 28th at 9:00 AM, the day after the Golden Horse Awards and a certain region issued a ban, amidst the eager anticipation of Lu, Liu, and the fans of Wenjie, the official Wenjie account finally released a statement.

A Letter to All Fellow Citizens in the Film and Cultural Industries:
Wenjie Holdings Group and all its subsidiaries hereby solemnly announce:

I. Regarding the recent events during the Tokyo International Film Festival, our group must clearly state that the actions of Director Lu Kuan and the Chinese delegation are simply the duty of any Chinese citizen who upholds justice and safeguards national dignity. It is our responsibility, and also our honor, to resolutely and decisively respond to any attempt to manipulate international affairs and undermine national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

If such legitimate stances and actions infringe upon the private interests of certain forces, we will gladly accept any injustices and criticisms that result.

II. However, our company's restraint and focus on business development have not been rewarded with equal respect and fair treatment. We have recently learned and confirmed that, due to our aforementioned legitimate stance, our company and related parties are suffering a series of extremely unfair treatments:
The box office settlement and revenue payment for all films produced by our company, including "Ball Lightning," in Taiwan have been unjustly delayed and unreasonably obstructed.
Our company acquired and operates "Wenjie Jiahe Cinemas" through legitimate business channels six years ago. Suddenly, it has been subjected to an unprecedented and clearly targeted "special compliance investigation," facing severe threats to its screening schedule and the continued existence of its operating license.

Our company's Weibo, Zhijie Video, Wenjie Mall and other internet platforms have encountered complete domain name blocking and market access restrictions in Taiwan. However, since Netflix is ​​registered in the United States, it is temporarily exempt from these restrictions.

Our company's director Lu Kuan and other artists have been subjected to unwarranted restrictions and bans.

These actions have gone far beyond the scope of normal cultural and commercial exchanges. They constitute a systematic and discriminatory suppression of a law-abiding private enterprise by using legitimate power, which seriously violates the principles of market economy and international business practices.

Third, our company has always upheld the spirit of openness and cooperation, and is committed to promoting the prosperity and shared development of Chinese culture. However, the tree may wish to remain still, but the wind will not cease. Faced with this increasingly aggressive and dishonest behavior, we have reached our limit of tolerance and there is no need to tolerate it any longer!

Accordingly, Wenjie Holdings Group and all its subsidiaries, together with Mr. Lu Kuan's personal film production company in North America and global strategic partners such as Netflix, hereby formally notify the parties involved:
Based on the internationally accepted principle of reciprocity, we will immediately launch reciprocal countermeasures.

Don't say it is unpredictable!

Wenjie Holdings Group
October 28, 2010
……

If any netizens who enjoy diplomacy see this unusually formal announcement from Dongda University, they will immediately understand the purpose of Wenjie and Boss Lu.

This is to inform the Greater China region and the entire international community that this side is the one suffering unfair treatment in order to uphold justice, not a barbarian charging around to eliminate dissent.

This is a justified act of retaliation, and also a "self-defense counterattack".

After all, in a globalized world, no country or region would like a highly aggressive company, which explains the arrogant behavior of Wenjie previously touted by Gongzhi:

We are the victims, and this is a legitimate act of self-defense after enduring unbearable circumstances.

If a die-hard fan of Wenjie and Boss Lu were sitting in front of a computer, seven or eight new message notifications would instantly pop up in their Weibo special follow list and other software.

All of Wenjie’s subsidiaries simultaneously published another set of detailed rules outlining specific countermeasures. Compared to the “large but inappropriate” rules of “Kinmen, Matsu and a certain region”, these rules were incredibly detailed, making it hard not to suspect that they were pre-written edicts.
-
Announcement from Wenjie Holdings Group and its subsidiaries regarding detailed countermeasures against specific regions and individuals.

In order to safeguard national cultural sovereignty and dignity, uphold the principle of fair business practices, and based on Wenjie's right to independent operation as a private enterprise, in response to the series of unfair treatment it has recently suffered, our company hereby formally announces the following specific countermeasures:
Article 1: Regarding the channel blockade of a certain horse's exhibited works.

Starting from the awards ceremony of a certain horse race on November 20, 2010, the following regulations will be implemented indefinitely:

All films participating in the competition and screening of this award are prohibited from being screened in any of the cinemas under the Wenjie Group worldwide (including but not limited to Wenjie Golden Harvest Cinemas).

The aforementioned films may not be streamed or distributed on Zhijie Video, Netflix, or any streaming platforms with which our company has a global distribution agreement.

In view of the lag in film submissions, and to clarify the rules, it is hereby stipulated that: any director who has a film submitted to an exhibition this year shall not be allowed to release or screen any film directed by Wenjie under any channel in the following year.

Article 2: Establish a list of "people with problematic stances" and a mechanism for blocking them across the entire internet.

To purify cyberspace, Wenjie will establish and dynamically update a list of "people with problematic stances," also known as "toxic (pro-independence) individuals," based on the public opinion platforms it controls (including Weibo, Zhijie Video, Douban, Blogcn, WeChat, Sina Weibo, etc.).

The so-called list refers to public figures who have made clearly erroneous statements or actions on matters of principle involving national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and who have disregarded the facts concerning Tokyo University.

The measures include name blocking; the names of individuals on the list will be permanently blocked and not displayed on all of Wenjie's online platforms.

The works will be removed from shelves and banned from broadcast. All film, television, variety shows, and other content invested in, starring, directed, or produced by the works will be completely removed from shelves and prohibited from being disseminated on any platform under Wenjie.

As of October 28, 2010, the first batch of names included on the list were Xu Ruoxuan, Huang Jianye, Zhao Youting, etc. This announcement was also the last time the names of the above 12 people were mentioned on the Wenjie platform.

Meanwhile, regarding the remaining issues involving individuals on the list in released works, Wenjie's subsidiary "Butian Pictures" has already developed preliminary and mature digital face-swapping and character replacement technologies and services, which can assist partners in processing related images to eliminate adverse effects.

Wenjie calls on the industry to adopt such technologies to safeguard content security.

We firmly believe that the vast majority of our compatriots have a firm stance and that there is only one University of Tokyo in the world. However, as a public figure with a wide influence, one bears a heavy responsibility for one's words and actions.

As a private enterprise, Wenjie adheres to the principle of independent judgment. For those who have made intentional mistakes with evidence, regardless of whether they apologize afterwards or what the official attitude is, Wenjie will handle the matter independently according to its own rules and will not accept "apology-style" crisis public relations.

Celebrities should be careful with their words and actions, adhere to ethical standards, and never abuse their influence.

Article 3: Termination of non-core business operations in a certain region.

Golden Harvest has announced the indefinite closure of all its cinema operations in a certain region, effective immediately. The relevant parties are responsible for handling the layoffs and subsequent matters of the approximately 2000 local employees involved.

Fourthly, we maintain an open attitude and welcome those who genuinely agree with our views.

Despite the injustices suffered, Wenjie has always regarded the people of Taiwan as brothers and sisters. Apart from those who have made mistakes in their stance, Wenjie and its "Xie Jin Honorary Award" have always welcomed and encouraged filmmakers in Taiwan to actively apply and create excellent films that promote the excellent Chinese culture and enhance national identity. We are willing to work with all those who uphold righteousness to seek a better future for Chinese-language films.

The above outlines the four preliminary countermeasures and explanatory measures formulated by the relevant authorities, and reiterates them once again:
Wenjie has always been a company that aims to make a profit. It would never take such seemingly "lose-lose" countermeasures unless it had no other choice.

However, above commercial interests, there is a greater concern for national righteousness and national unity. Wenjie is willing to uphold the attitude of "bottom-line thinking and precise countermeasures" and is not afraid to become the first "unpopular" party in the industry to formulate and implement this "negative list".

We reiterate that this countermeasure is only aimed at specific individuals who have made mistakes in their principles and positions, and is not directed at the vast majority of our compatriots.

It is hoped that all practitioners in the Chinese-language film and culture industry will take this as a lesson, distinguish right from wrong, and avoid making mistakes on key issues.

At the same time, we call on all insightful individuals and fellow companies in the industry to uphold the same bottom-line thinking and historical responsibility, and to carefully evaluate cooperation relationships with individuals and organizations that have made fundamental errors in their principles and refuse to repent.

We are well aware that the power of going it alone has its limits.

For Chinese-language films and cultural undertakings to truly achieve health and prosperity, a clean and upright industry ecosystem needs to be built. Therefore, Wenjie is willing to adopt an open attitude to explore and establish a consensus-based, self-disciplined collaborative mechanism with all parties.

On the business front, we urge all parties to consider the correctness of national stance as an indispensable core evaluation element when conducting background checks on partners, so as to jointly safeguard the fairness and justice of the market.

On a moral level, we hope to reach a tacit understanding with more colleagues, so that those opportunists who attempt to profit in different markets through "double-dealing" and wantonly harm national sentiments will have nowhere to hide and will pay the price they deserve.

This is not intended to create a "chilling effect." On the contrary, it is to create a fairer and healthier development environment for the vast majority of practitioners who truly love Chinese culture and uphold professional ethics.

Only by drawing clear lines and eliminating the bad and promoting the good can we allow good to drive out bad and make the foundation of the Chinese-language cultural industry more solid.

Wenjie is willing to be the first to formulate and implement this "negative list," and looks forward to more partners joining in.

Let us pool our strength not only to address the current injustices, but also to jointly lay the foundation for a stable and sustainable future for Chinese-language films and culture in the global arena.

Wenjie Holdings Group and all its subsidiaries
October 28, 2010 —
The "Message to Compatriots" and "Countermeasures Details" released by Wenjie this time, one firm and one gentle, one tense and one relaxed, have the style and demeanor of a country's diplomatic narrative.

First, they seized the moral and legal high ground. By characterizing their actions as a "reciprocal countermeasure" against "unfair suppression" and invoking international practices and principles of commercial fairness, Mr. Lu's behavior was detached from accusations of cultural bullying and given the cloak of legitimacy in defending his rights.
Secondly, it transformed a broad-based ban into a precise strike. Compared to the opponent's "overly broad and inappropriate" comprehensive ban, Wenjie's countermeasures were highly targeted and practical. Clauses such as the "list of individuals with problematic stances," channel blockades, and technological alternatives acted like a surgical scalpel, precisely targeting the opponent's core interests while minimizing collateral damage to ordinary practitioners and viewers. This avoided the moral backlash caused by "blanket attacks," demonstrating restraint and strategic calculation, ensuring that "the wronged are held accountable."

Secondly, it aims to divide the opponent and win over the majority. The announcement repeatedly emphasizes that the measures are only aimed at "specific individuals" and "not at the general public," and leaves open channels for cooperation such as the "Xie Jin Honorary Award." This strategy of "targeting a small group and uniting the majority" is intended to divide and disintegrate the opposing camp, encouraging practitioners in a certain region who still hope to cooperate with the mainland market to sever ties with "toxic artists," thereby creating rifts within the opposing side.

Finally, the company's actions were transformed into an industry initiative, elevating Wenjie's unilateral countermeasures to the level of jointly building an "industry ecosystem." This is not only about seeking allies and bolstering its influence, but also an attempt to transform Wenjie's "private rules" into a "public tool" for the industry. If successful, it will fundamentally reshape the power structure and rules of the game in the Chinese-language film and cultural sphere. Ten years of honing its skills, its sharp edge yet to be tested.

Unexpectedly, the sword strike launched by the transmigrator, who gathered all his resources, in such a setting and context, instantly provoked a far more boisterous reaction than any attempt to suppress the other party.

The profound strategic intent and ingenious public relations tactics behind Wenjie's series of announcements may not be fully understood by most netizens at once.

But they didn't need to understand these complex strategies; they simply felt that long-lost, unquestionable toughness and righteous spirit.

Liu Yifei was the first to forward the announcement, her comment brief yet weighty: "There is only one China in the world." The accompanying image was a section of the announcement listing "people with questionable political stances."

This is not only support for her husband's career, but also sets an unquestionable tone for this counterattack as a top star.

Following closely behind, industry figures such as Bingbing, Su Chang, Jing Tian, ​​Zhang Yimou, and Zhao Benshan quickly expressed their support. The cast and crew of "Taiping Shu," Wenjie, and artists under Wuyue Media Group almost all mobilized, forming a unified front.

"Support Wenjie! That's tough!" "This should have been done a long time ago!" "An eye for an eye, ten times the return!"...

Similar comments flooded the official accounts of Wenjie and all its subsidiaries like a tsunami, all of them an outpouring of netizens' long-suppressed emotions.

Wenjie's actions, demeanor, and attitude are impeccable, striking a chord with the public and making every ordinary Chinese citizen who is concerned about this matter feel proud and honored.

Even fans of other celebrities or directors temporarily set aside their fandom identities and, first and foremost, applauded Wenjie's actions as Chinese people.

The phrase "There is only one China in the world" instantly went viral online.

But for most celebrities, this is also a delicate moment. Just as the artists on the other side dare not rashly step in, mainland celebrities and cultural figures are also holding their breath and closely watching how things develop.

In this level of confrontation, taking sides rashly is extremely risky; remaining silent is at most considered "not proactive enough."
But if the situation changes after you express your opinion, or if the opposing camp holds a grudge, then it would be an undeserved disaster.

The announcement from Wenjie clearly reveals a stance of "only punishing the ringleaders," leaving room for those who are watching to remain silent. After all, for them, silence is currently the safest and least offensive option.

But even this situation and balance were quickly broken—

After forwarding the statement, Zhou Liming, a grassroots film critic with growing influence in the industry, posted his research data on Weibo, publicly demonstrating the balance of power between the two sides:
Everyone thinks this is the outside world overestimating its own strength to confront a region's cultural industry and cultural forces, right?
Let's see what the real world is like.

First, according to official data, thanks to the nearly 40 billion yuan box office contribution from the two sci-fi blockbusters "Avatar" and "Ball Flash", the total box office in mainland China so far in 2010 has exceeded 105 billion yuan. This is the data officially announced and celebrated by the Film Bureau last month.

With IMAX and 4K cinemas leading the way in Asia and even the world, their share of the national box office this year reached 26%, with a total box office of around 27.3 billion yuan. What was the total box office figure for a certain region during the same period?

That's roughly 22.5 billion RMB. Okay, let's say they're about evenly matched.

Secondly, this is from the perspective of the film industry, which is the main source of this controversy. Let's look at other aspects, such as the power of public opinion.

The Wenjie Group's public opinion platform, Weibo, has 3.2 million registered users, Zhijie Video has over 2.5 million users, and Netflix is ​​its global distribution channel. Its streaming paid subscribers have recently surpassed those of "House of Cards" and "The Book of Peace" to become the world's most popular!
After the ban on the Wenjie group in a certain region, the largest platform became Twitter, and the second largest forum became PTT. The number of active users in these two regions is not even in the same order of magnitude as that of the Wenjie group.

Because the total population of that place is only 2300 million.

Third, let's look at the potential for global industrial collaboration and expansion.

Wenjie has established solid distribution channels and alliances in China, Japan, South Korea, Europe, and North America. The current "Four Measures of Wenjie" are only preliminary measures. Depending on how the situation develops, it can fully utilize global resources to carry out continuous and precise strikes.

However, the largest export destination for film and television works and cultural products in a certain region is currently the mainland, and its international expansion capabilities are almost zero!
On the surface, this appears to be a case of a private enterprise from mainland China competing against the cultural industry of a region.

But when we cut through the fog and see these cold, hard statistics clearly, what do we really see?
This is clearly an aircraft carrier equipped with nuclear power and a global navigation system, looking down on a port where local patrols are carried out by small sampans!
Some people are still gloating over their pitiful ban, unaware that the Godzilla of the cultural world has only just raised its foot and has not yet truly stepped down.

They were simply swimming in your little pond, following the local rules, based on the principles of cooperation and mutual benefit, and with the overall situation in mind.

Now that someone has broken the rules and tried to enclose the pond with a fence of righteousness, don't blame this behemoth for standing up to show its true size, and it might even drain the pond and create a new ocean.

……

There are too many slackers in the entertainment industry, and many of them are short-sighted and impulsive; otherwise, there wouldn't be so many unbelievable storylines that have become laughing stock.

Whether they have agents or not, those who want to protect themselves see more and more posts about "There is only one China in the world" being shared, see opinion leaders like Zhou Liming comparing the power gap between the two sides, and see more and more people outside the entertainment industry and celebrities actively sharing these posts just to "get ahead" and flatter...

Even the fence-sitters couldn't sit still anymore.

Because if only a minority of people forward the message, the majority who remain silent will not be scrutinized.

But what if only a minority remain silent?
Even if Wen Jie and that person remain restrained and do not express their opinions, netizens can still drown them in their spittle...

As a result, various condemnations and dredging up of past grievances began online, and the fire spread rapidly, with even many celebrities appearing to speak out and publicly complain:

Liu Xiaoqing brought up old stories from when she filmed "The Burning of the Yuanmingyuan", saying that mainland artists have always been considered inferior to others. Back then, even as the lead actress, she rarely received the same treatment as Hong Kong and Taiwan stars.

The young Bai Long, who played Liu Yifei's brother in "The Story of a Noble Family," recalled his painful experience in "The Little Fish and the Flower Without Flaws," a joint investment by Hong Kong and Taiwan capital, many years later, and it was just the tip of the iceberg.

No one could have imagined that the luckiest and happiest person would be Jay Chou!

Coincidentally, this was one of the earliest celebrities in the world to know Lu Kuan, a time traveler. In 2001, he worked with Zhou Xun and others on the set of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes." (Chapter 2)
At the beginning of this year, he complained to the media, refuting Lin Xinru's claim that he had a "bad habit of tongue kissing" and pointing out the bad attitude and stance of many local indigenous artists.

This makes netizens even more convinced and even more relieved that there is finally a "carrier" and "Godzilla" like Wenjie to punish these two-faced artists.

Surprisingly, Jay Chou's Weibo post in March saw a rapid surge in popularity amidst this atmosphere and opportunity, consistently ranking among the top ten trending topics.

This terrified Su Youpeng and Chen Zhipeng of the Little Tigers. They were so scared that they thought they were digging their own graves!

Thus, these two, along with Lin Xinru who has been developing her career in mainland China in recent years, became the first group of artists in a certain region to "defect" to the mainland...

If they don't post this now, they'll never have another chance; their names will be permanently blocked by the Ask World system.

The most interesting thing is that Yang Siwei, who loves to watch the drama unfold, retweeted and liked several people's Weibo posts, and then tagged Bingbing in the comments:

Miss Jin Suo took the lead in promoting positive energy at the first opportunity. Now the "Princess Pearl" crew is finally all together again. I really envy your teamwork!
Bingbing happily replied below: I counted, and we're still missing Aunt Qiongyao.

Yang Siwei: @Qiongyao
……

These two women, who were known as ruthless in the entertainment industry in their previous lives, are really putting this old auntie on the hot seat!
If the ban on a certain horse is like a tide that has surged from one side of the coast to the other;

The "Four Countermeasures" from that industry are like wildfires that can ignite the sky, quickly scorching everyone in the entertainment and film industries in this tiny place!
In addition to the twelve dead pigs including Huang, Xu, and Zhao.

But there are always those who are desperate and want to struggle, and the most indignant, the most wronged, and the most unwilling is Xiao Zhao, who just became a sensation with "Monga".

But the first call he received was from Li Lie, who launched into a tirade of abuse, filled with a furious and disappointed rage:
"Zhao Youting! Did you get your head caught in a temple door?! Haven't I told you to be careful with your words?! Do you think I'm just talking nonsense?"

"Go ahead and post it! You think you're so cool posting that tweet? You posted it and then deleted it immediately? It's been screenshotted and posted all over the world! Now you're gloriously listed among the 'Twelve Disciples of the Inquiry Realm'! Sitting alongside Huang and Xu, bringing honor to your ancestors, huh?!"

On the other end of the phone, Xiao Zhao sounded so aggrieved she was almost crying, trying to explain, "Sister Lie, I... I didn't want to either! Chairman Huang kept pressuring me, saying this was a crucial moment to make a statement, and I really had no choice..."

"Fuck your mother!" Li Lie cursed, his voice rising eight octaves. "Does Huang Jianye even get you roles or pay your salary? Huh? He's a prize-buying stuntman, I'm the one who got you into movies! At most, you'd get a Golden Horse nomination! And now? You've been completely blacklisted by the biggest capital and market in mainland China, even Asia! Do you know what that means?!"

She grew angrier as she spoke, and suddenly a possibility occurred to her. She questioned sharply, "Is it because I nominated Xiao Tian for Best Actor that you're upset and went to curry favor with that old bastard Huang Jianye to try and get more resources? Huh?!"

The young actor's heart skipped a beat, as if he had grasped a lifeline. He hurriedly asked, "Sister Lie, Xiao Tian... didn't he post it? Chairman Huang said we would speak out together!"

"What the hell?! Other people's accounts are as quiet as still water! You're the only one rushing forward like a fool!"

"Damn it!" Zhao Youting instantly understood everything. A surge of anger at being betrayed rushed to his head, and he couldn't help but curse out, "That damned brat! He tricked me! He must be afraid I'll steal his award!"

The two rose to fame around the same time with "Monga," making their rivalry obvious. He abruptly hung up the phone, mentally cursing Ruan Jingtian's ancestors for eighteen generations.

Li Lie held the busy signal on the phone, his chest heaving with anger.

Her intention was to scold Zhao Youting to wake him up, but she never expected that her phone call would inadvertently drag another artist under her management, who should have become a big star, down with her...

By the morning of the 29th, there had been no further response from the much-anticipated Alibaba Group, but Wenjie, seemingly clocking in promptly at 9 a.m., posted another update on Weibo—

The list of "people with questionable stances" has been expanded from "twelve disciples" to thirteen.

The newly added person is Ruan Jingtian.

The reason is that a "helpful netizen" bypassed the Great Firewall and dug up a video that appeared to be of a private gathering, which then circulated online. In the video, Ruan Jingtian, who had drunk several glasses of liquor, had a flushed face and was gesturing wildly at the camera, while his words were full of "outrageous" and "poisonous remarks".

For example, as long as Chu Yen-ping works for him and Chairman Huang helps him win awards, he will be promoted when he goes to the mainland, and even the biggest stars will have to play supporting roles for him, and then he will become even more famous.

This once again confirms the accuracy of what industry insiders, including celebrities like Liu Xiaoqing and Zhou Jie, said.

In fact, this was also the case in the previous life, under the manipulation of this producer Zhu:
John Woo's "Reign of Assassins" stars actors from South Korea and Taiwan, with veteran mainland actor Wang Xueqi in a supporting role;

In "Flying Tigers", Liu Ye, a Golden Horse Award-winning actor who had been in the industry for ten years, played supporting roles to Ruan Jingtian and Zhao Youting, who had only been in the industry for one or two years at the time.

The movie "The Guillotines," produced by Chen Kexin, cast the already popular Wen Zhang as the male supporting role, the even more popular Huang Xiaoming as the villainous boss, and gave the male lead to Ruan Jingtian, who had just debuted.

Unfortunately, they weren't so lucky in this life.

Because a time traveler who is familiar with the collusion methods of these Hong Kong and Taiwan capital and directors, and who knows the two-faced nature of these celebrities, has already begun to dig up their ancestral graves, "a certain Ma".

This tiny place, the largest star-making platform, is gradually heading towards its demise starting this year.

This video of Xiaotian, who claims to be incredibly popular, is clearly the "truth" he would only reveal in an extremely private and supposedly safe setting.

The one who exposed all of this was the honest Xiao Zhao.

Ganlinniangla!

A hilarious scene unfolded on Twitter at that moment:
Having been completely blocked by the Wenjie platform, Xiao Zhao could only resort to a roundabout approach, frantically posting over a hundred "There is only one China in the world" messages on his personal Twitter account in an attempt to redeem himself.

Meanwhile, Xiao Tian, ​​a newcomer to the fandom, launched a tirade on his Twitter account, using slang and profanity to post nearly a hundred messages denouncing Zhao Youting as a "traitor" and an "informant," accusing him of stabbing Zhao in the back.

Incited by the old dog Huang Jianye, the two former brothers, now bitter enemies, started biting each other from a distance, creating a rather unsightly scene.

Netizens, always eager for a good laugh, shared screenshots taken by circumventing the Great Firewall, along with translated subtitles, on mainland social media platforms, instantly eliciting uproarious laughter.

This once again proves the truth of that famous saying in the martial arts world:
Talk is talk, jokes are jokes, but please don't take pictures while drinking and singing...

At this point, the ban imposed by Ma has gradually evolved into a farce, with more and more celebrities and netizens forwarding "There is only one China," forming a collective form of patriotic education.

It started on October 28th when a certain company issued a ban;
On October 29th, the other party announced countermeasures;

On October 30th, the list of "toxic individuals" was updated;
On October 31, some "toxic individuals" announced that they had retained lawyers and planned to file a "defamation lawsuit" against Wenjie. On the same day, Wenjie announced that it had retained an international legal team to file an administrative lawsuit against a local cultural department for its malicious suppression of Wenjie Jiahe Cinemas, which disrupted economic order.

On November 1st, as the fire raged on, a certain region and a certain Ma also followed the "toxic persons" list of the industry and simultaneously listed Liu Yifei, Fan Bingbing, Zhou Xun, Zhang Yimou and others as unwelcome persons, prohibiting them from entering Taiwan for a certain period of time.

Among them, Xiao Liu and her husband were sentenced to life imprisonment, meaning they will never be able to set foot on the island again. The others, starting with Bingbing who loudly mocked Qiong Yao, were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 5 to 10 years.

This news has made netizens and some celebrities who have been watching the "mutual banning" drama unable to sit still.

The trigger was a Weibo post by Zhou Xun, which was very simple; she tagged Bingbing:
Why do you get ten years while I only get five?
You look down on me, huh? Give me another ten years!
I didn't tag Golden Horse because I couldn't tag them anymore, otherwise I would have definitely slapped them in the face.

This Weibo post went viral again, instantly becoming the hottest meme at the end of 2010.

The "toxic individuals" in the online community are a life-or-death list, and a certain Ma and a certain region have become Ma's "honor roll." Everyone who is not on the list wants to be on it, because being on the list means patriotism and a close relationship with the online community and Boss Lu.

It's practically become Boss Lu's WeChat Moments.

Meanwhile, the couple who were the "culprits," Lu Kuan and Xiao Liu, were both sentenced to life imprisonment, seemingly standing at the top of the pyramid.

The only drawback is that Wenjie's initiatives for his peers in the internet and film industries have not been implemented much, and his proposed "negative artist list" system has received little response within the industry.

Actually, this stage is quite normal.

Firstly, for a company like China Film Group with an official background, this "cultural campaign" is itself a tacit cooperation between the government and the public. The higher-ups do not get involved, allowing the event to remain within the realm of the people and culture, maintaining a position where they can advance or retreat as needed.

Secondly, even in later generations, no other company has ever carried out such a ban without official approval. Wenjie was simply too powerful and acted arbitrarily.

For example, the suggestion made by Mr. Lu to blacklist directors participating in the Golden Horse Awards is something that theater chains with extremely strong content output would never implement.

But aren't you afraid? Even if I don't release your films, I still have the best content resources in the world.

But if you won't let me make movies, is it because you don't want to make money? "Ball Flash" has grossed over 18 billion yuan at the mainland box office. Even the people who hate him can't turn down money.

Only if the main body of the industry in a certain region can ignore it, in fact, aren't the cinemas in that region also full of complaints?
After all, this year, besides "Ada" and "Ball Flash" were box office hits, and the revenue sharing for foreign films in Taiwan is different from that for films imported from the mainland, so theater managers can earn more.

Audiences will vote with their feet, especially after this "cultural battle" ends, Wenjie and Boss Lu's reputation will continue to rise.

However, for other internet companies such as Tencent, NetEase, and Sohu, as well as film companies such as Wanda, Chengtian, and LeTV, joining this initiative now is just doing the work for Wenjie. We will not take any action unless the official stance is clear.

This is also a choice that aligns well with the company's own interests.

However, as the influence of time travelers on this world grew, a piece of news suddenly spread in the domestic internet community on November 3rd.

A company that had absolutely no connection to the film or cultural industries became Boss Lu's first responder.

This respondent likes to wear red and wrote on her Weibo:
"Everyone has seen what happened with Director Jie Lukuan recently. He sets rules and creates a 'negative list,' knowing that there are certain kinds of money he can't earn and certain kinds of people he can't work with! Why? Because he has integrity and a bottom line!"

"Director Lu Kuan is the entrepreneur I admire most, and Wenjie is my favorite company in China, but I also have a company that I really dislike."

"This company calls itself an internet giant, but look at your QQ WeChat. From the interface to the functions, which part isn't a pixel-perfect imitation of WeChat? And I won't even mention the previous Ranch and Farm features!"

"What's even more ridiculous is that you turned a deaf ear to the 'negative list' initiative proposed by Wenjie, which concerns the industry's conduct, and didn't dare to utter a single word! Why don't you dare to respond? Are you reluctant to give up that little bit of traffic? Or are you afraid of offending users there and affecting your grand dream of internationalization? To put it bluntly, you're spineless! You only care about economic gains, not responsibility!"

"Dear users! They may be afraid, but we are not! Starting today, 360 will contribute its modest efforts to the initiative proposed by Mr. Lu Kuan. At the same time, we will launch the 'Goose Bodyguard' feature. This software is designed to deal with all kinds of dissent. You'll understand once you use it!"

"Director Lu Kuan is cleaning house in the cultural circle, and I, Lao Zhou, am acting as a righteous force in the internet field! The 'negative list' of the industry targets cultural cancers, while we target internet hooligans! We each do our part!"

"To reiterate: There is only one China in the world!"

……

No one expected that this "bolt war" would start in this way.

A certain Ma and a certain region are still brewing new conspiracies and sanctions, and this dispute, which arose from cultural differences, has also spread to a wider area.

Chaos! Chaos! The entire northwestern Shanxi is in complete chaos!
(End of this chapter)