The Birth of the Best Director

Chapter 143 I told you long ago, he's a pervert!
……

The exposure of the diary's list almost dealt a devastating blow to Gao Yuanyuan's commercial image.

She has just received tremendous exposure because of her identity as the female CEO of Far East Technology.

On top of her status as a popular goddess, the addition of the halo of technology and intelligence has brought her commercial value to almost its peak.

But just at this moment, Qiangzi's list suddenly appeared.

As a result, those media outlets that had previously praised her highly have now turned against her and are now attacking her mercilessly.

The power of public opinion—praising the powerful and belittling the weak—was vividly demonstrated on this single day.

This made Gao Yuanyuan realize the cruelty of the entertainment industry.

Gao Yuanyuan doesn't care about other people's slander against her, but she's afraid that Lu Zhiyuan will believe it, otherwise she will really go crazy.

Therefore, as soon as the news broke, she immediately explained to Lu Zhiyuan.

They even dragged Zhou Xun into it to further clear their own name!
"Xiao Gao, I've seen the news online. Anyone who believes this list has an IQ no higher than 60. You don't need to pay attention to these people."

"There are many fools in this world, but our basic education is still pretty good. This kind of fabricated stuff can only fool idiots."

"Of course, you can also take note of who believes in this and write down their names. Later, you can endorse some health products and specifically push them to these people, telling them that taking these products can increase wisdom. These people will most likely believe it."

Lu Zhiyuan's sarcastic tone actually reassured Gao Yuanyuan.

Since they had been honest with each other, Lu Zhiyuan's tone when speaking to him gradually became less cold and more genuine, showing more emotional fluctuations.

Finally, there was a hint of life in it.

But this guy simply stopped pretending.

No longer as charming and artistic as before, he has become arrogant and haughty.

It makes you really want to smash his head in.

Listen to the tone of his voice; he keeps calling people idiots, and I can still feel his words echoing in my ears.

But thinking back, it seems he was actually helping me, scolding those haters... Well said!
Moreover, the fact that Lu Zhiyuan joined in the cursing without any restraint suggests that this matter is most likely unrelated to Miss Jing Tian.

Otherwise, Lu Zhiyuan would probably have kept quiet or even changed the subject.

Thinking about it this way, I realized that I had suffered a completely undeserved misfortune.

There are many reds.

That must be me.

Love is gone, and just as her career was starting to take off, she was bombarded with rumors.

Why is my life so miserable?

Gao Yuanyuan wallowed in self-pity for a while, and even deliberately tossed her hair, trying to appear pitiful and arouse Lu Zhiyuan's sympathy.

However, she suddenly realized that this was a phone call, not a video chat, and it was like throwing a flirtatious glance at a blind person.

just forget it.

So she changed her tone and started promoting herself.

"Zhiyuan, I heard that you asked Zhou Xun to help you teach Hanikezi acting? I can do that too. My portrayal of Zhou Zhiruo was also highly praised."

"I can convey that aggrieved yet stubborn expression to Hani. Besides, I also acted very realistically when I turned to the dark side."

Gao Yuanyuan has now realized that Lu Zhiyuan is a particularly scheming person.

If you're useless to him, he really won't give you any attention at all.

They'd rather talk to Zhou Xun than to themselves.

At this moment, in order to win over her crush, she could only try her best to show her value, being humble and unlike a typical goddess.

"No need. Hani has found that feeling since Ponteta came back."

Lu Zhiyuan politely declined Gao Yuanyuan's offer and said with deep emotion, "I showed her a real scene, and the sense of despair she felt made her cry."

“I knew my method was right. If an actor doesn’t have life experience, how can she understand acting? When she has truly witnessed the cruelty of reality, she will instantly understand what loneliness, helplessness, and even despair are.”

“A 13-year-old girl is very sensitive to these things and can grasp them easily.”

When visiting Ponte Tower, Lu Zhiyuan found a local guide and a mid-level gang leader to protect them.

The gang member led Lu Zhiyuan and Hanikezi into the Ponteta slum.

They found a family whose father was a gambling addict, whose mother worked as a prostitute, and whose daughter was born with epilepsy, and who were struggling to survive.

If nothing unexpected happens, this young girl will be controlled by the local gang in a few years, whether she'll be forced into prostitution or smuggling.

In short, you have to make money.

Otherwise, she would soon be cleaned up like the garbage outside.

In this oppressive environment, Hanikezi broke down after less than two hours, repeatedly tugging at Lu Zhiyuan's sleeve and urging him to leave quickly.

After returning home, Hanikezi, who used to have a particularly sweet smile, began to feel a little depressed.

I often sit alone in a corner, lost in thought.

But when she sits alone, one can easily sense that she possesses a fragile and melancholic air.

"You're a pervert. Honey is only 13 years old, how could you treat her like this?"

"Compared to that, the things you said to me before are nothing at all; on the contrary, they woke me up."

Lu Zhiyuan's treatment of Hanikezi was truly cruel.

A 13-year-old girl, pampered by her parents since childhood and growing up carefree, was unexpectedly exposed to the darkest scene in the world.

Gao Yuanyuan is becoming increasingly lucid.

The genes for academic excellence in her family were also awakening within her, and she gradually realized what her strengths were and what she had to pay for in order to get what she wanted.

The old-fashioned girl with a "love-obsessed" mindset would inexplicably fall in love with a man and disregard her self-respect to become a mistress, only to be played by him in the end.

That's incredibly stupid.

She swore to God that she would not only become a rich woman, but also a smart and beautiful girl.

Thanks to Lu Zhiyuan, at least he woke me up with a scolding.

"It's good that you're awake now."

Lu Zhiyuan didn't care about Gao Yuanyuan's attitude towards him.

He neither relied on Gao Yuanyuan nor begged her; he was truly invincible because he had no desires.

Gao Yuanyuan's older brother is a smart man. Perhaps he should thank himself for seeing his sister become so calm and wise.

She's much better than the timid and easily bullied Gao Yuanyuan of the past.

"Xiao Gao, seeing how strong your heart has become, that mere rumors cannot shake your mind, I am very gratified."

"In that case, I'm planning to leave tomorrow. I'll go to Kashgar to prepare for the early stages of 'Real Steel.' There's a ton of work to do, so I won't go into details."

"I hope you take care and look forward to the auspicious day."

Lu Zhiyuan actually had a strong liking for Gao Yuanyuan.

Firstly, because she is beautiful and speaks eloquently; although she has a few tricks up her sleeve, you can tell what she's thinking at a glance.

She's kind of cute.

Of course, the main reason is that she really helped me a lot.

Without hesitation, she provided a 3000 million yuan startup fund, laying the foundation for the development and rapid scaling of Yuan Technology.

Brother Gao has already said that within a month at most, the first generation of mechanical dog products will be successfully commercialized and begin mass production.

The versions sold previously were all beta versions with many features removed.

The current official version is completely different.

This generation of robotic dogs can basically run up and down stairs just like normal dogs, and they are particularly resistant to falling.

It also supports facial recognition systems.

After the user acknowledges the master, the voice interaction system will be activated.

It can engage in games, provide family companionship, and offer basic education for children under the owner's command.

It can serve multiple functions, including security guard, playmate, and deliveryman.

The only downside is its relatively short battery life.

After all, current battery technology has not yet reached the standards of the future.

Next, Brother Gao already has a direction for the trend of product updates and iterations.

That means adopting cluster collaboration.

Multiple robotic dogs are operating in a coordinated mode to assist the police in completing search and rescue missions, replacing some of the functions of police dogs.

If this research and development is completed, the valuation of Far East Technology will reach a new level, no longer just a geek toy, but something with social value.

Police dogs also need training and are assigned to specific organizations.

Buy a mechanical dog; you don't need to train it. Just take it on patrol during the day, and put it in a corner at night. Add some oil, charge it, and that's it.

You don't have to worry about the mechanical dog biting you, and there's no issue with it shedding fur.

……

"I hope you take care and look forward to the auspicious day."

Gao Yuanyuan murmured to herself, a smile appearing on her face.

I have a feeling that Lu Zhiyuan is hinting at something.

Keep it up, Xiao Gao, you're getting closer and closer to your goal!
……

The Real Steel project has officially begun operations.

The project company was established, funds were secured, equipment was shipped to China, and the film crew was recruited.

In an instant, countless manpower and resources began to be transported to that remote border town in the northwest.

The production of a mid-sized Hollywood commercial film typically involves nearly five or six hundred people behind the scenes, in addition to the actors.

About 150 of them are the special effects team.

The remaining three or four hundred people will continue to follow Lu Zhiyuan and carry out filming work until the project ends.

……

Kashgar.

This is Lu Zhiyuan's first stop.

Because this place looks a lot like the Middle East, both in terms of architecture and local customs.

They are all full of exotic charm.

And as long as you capture this kind of Middle Eastern landscape, you don't need to say anything; it will give the audience a hint.

It seems that the overexploitation of resources by humankind in the real world has gradually made the world barren and material conditions scarce.

This is why the cyber world exhibits a high-tech, low-living lifestyle.

As material conditions began to deplete, people started to pursue spiritual enrichment, which led them to seek increasingly realistic virtual reality games.

This makes the immense popularity of the virtual reality game "Real Steel" seem to have a real basis.

This sounds a bit like escaping reality, an ostrich mentality... But aren't gamers addicted to virtual online games precisely because they're unhappy in real life?
For them, games are utopia!

……

"Xiao Su, have you managed to get the featured actor I needed sorted out?"

In Kashgar, Lu Zhiyuan needs to film a scene.

A woman with obvious physical disabilities, resembling a witch, gave a hint, guiding the group of protagonists to Muztagh Ata.

But this is not the point.

The key point is that this is the first scene the protagonist, Ophelia, enters in the game.

Here, he needs to capture a picture that is completely opposite to the real world, yet subtly connected to it.

Ponte Tower in South Africa, the protagonist's real-world home, symbolizes the dark and decaying wasteland world, making her feel oppressed and fragile.

The old city of Kashgar, on the other hand, should evoke the complete opposite, brimming with sunshine and vitality.

Kites, symbols of freedom, should be floating in the sky.

The pure silver thread that holds the kite extends from the child's palm, gradually turning transparent as it approaches the horizon.

【Ophelia】's leap from the real world into the virtual reality game symbolizes the dissolution of worldly constraints in this spiritual world.

In addition, the wind blowing from afar carries fragments of posters depicting the collapse of modern civilization. For example, one poster shows an old advertisement for new homes in Ponte Tower.

However, the contrast with the current decline and decay of [Ponte Tower] is instantly sobering.

What a glorious human society it once was has now become a wasteland!
This contrast will leave a lasting impression on the audience.

Besides, Lu Zhiyuan acted as a prophet, telling the world to stop speculating on real estate, as it has no future.

Speculating in real estate is tantamount to self-destruction!

—The subprime crisis has just ended, and housing prices are plummeting all over the world except for China. I believe that most viewers who see this scene will smile knowingly.

In addition, the beginning of the film should also contain some vibrant life force.

The camera locks onto Ophelia's elfin eyes.

Employing Eastern gaze aesthetics.

Following Ophelia's gaze, through the diamond-shaped window lattice, we looked into the distance... Our eyes followed the direction the kite was drifting, and together we looked down upon the world.

In the distance, there is a sand dune.

Camel caravans are faintly visible on the sand dunes.

Accompanied by the oud, nei, and rik drums unique to the Middle East, the music immediately evokes the atmosphere of Middle Eastern caravans.

The camera slowly pans down, focusing on the caravan.

The caravan was filled with songs and joy, as if they were about to make a big deal.

At the same time, the camera angle changes.

In the sky, a giant eagle circled once before suddenly swooping down like lightning, putting the camel caravan on the sand dunes on high alert.

Immediately afterwards, the eagle snatched a camel away with lightning speed...

But at this critical moment, a cool robot warrior suddenly emerged from beneath the sand dune, drew his sword at close range, and cleaved the giant eagle in two.

The eagle died, without a drop of blood, and instantly transformed into a surge of electronic turbulence, bursting forth with countless gold coins.

The female lead was stunned.

That's when I realized I had entered a virtual reality game.

However, this game is so exciting!
At 13, she experienced for the first time how beautiful the world was. Even living in a filthy sewer, she found hope in life.

……

This is the very first scene of the movie.

We must seize the initiative!
It makes all viewers realize that this is a commercial blockbuster, full of exotic charm, yet as beautiful as a poem or painting.

Desert camels, elven girls, cyber robots, super monsters!

A series of elements are layered together, directly impacting everyone's brain with visual effects, so that the audience has no time to react before being pulled into this magical virtual reality world.

This is the effect you want!

"The camera starts from the little girl's perspective, paying attention to detail, an Orientalist gaze."

"When the camera pans out towards the desert along with the kite and its string, the focus should be on the vastness of the desert environment and the awe-inspiring feeling of its remoteness."

"Besides, the sunlight here is too bright. When shooting, please use a soft focus lens to create a dreamlike, virtual feel, not too realistic."

"To make the audience realize once again that this is a game world!"

"Oh, and please make a note here: when they're doing the special effects, make me a magnificent pyramid in the large plaza in the foreground..."

“I know it’s absurd that the pyramids are here. But there has to be this kind of absurd spectacle to make the audience realize in an instant that this is not the real world.”

Before filming even began, Lu Zhiyuan wandered around the old city of Kashgar, explaining to his photographers, assistant directors Su Lun and Xin Yukun, the effects and scene setups he wanted.

Those around him were filled with indignation.

But honestly, everyone's gotten used to it by now.

Setting up some scenes and finding a camel caravan are all things that can be done technically.

In any case, it's still more humane than risking the safety of the entire filming crew during a typhoon and then throwing the female lead into the sea, right?

……

Lu Zhiyuan wandered the streets of Kashgar for a few days.

The crew members gradually began to gather and started to build the set in an orderly manner according to the requirements, and to find suitable extras.

During this period, Lu Zhiyuan also filmed one or two test shots and collected some footage.

For the first five minutes of the story, Lu Zhiyuan needs to film more than 30 scenes... This will take 10 days.

These opening scenes, though unrelated to the main plot, are crucial.

This will establish the artistic style for the entire film, set an anchor point, and create the surreal atmosphere that Lu Zhiyuan needs!

……

"Brother Yuan is awesome."

"Aside from being a bit demanding in terms of visual effects, there's nothing wrong with it."

"Anyway, we have more budget than we can spend for this movie, so let's go all out."

Su Lun was extremely excited.

Although she was very tired from work these past few days, so tired that she missed her period, she felt it was all worth it.

Working with a great director is a great way to broaden your horizons.

She had worked with Feng Xiaogang for a while before, serving as his assistant director. However, when Feng Xiaogang was filming, he would curse and swear all day long, and it was impossible to understand what he was saying.

Anyway, I spend half the time lecturing people.

Lu Zhiyuan was different; after assigning the task, he asked everyone to figure out how to complete it.

Everyone is working towards the same goal, united as one.

The entire crew was full of energy!

If there's anything that can't be completed, Lu Zhiyuan doesn't yell at people. Instead, he works with the staff to figure things out, try different methods, or even resort to unorthodox approaches, to get the job done.

In short, he is a truly high-quality human male!
"Damn it, you can't even do this? Is your brain full of shit?"

Hearing the profanities coming from afar, Su Lun rolled her eyes and continued writing and drawing at her workstation.

You can tell from the way he swears that he has a genuine Inner Mongolian accent, definitely Brother Kun.

Since work started, Lu Zhiyuan has forbidden Xin Yukun from going out for a stroll in the middle of the night, which has left Brother Kun full of pent-up anger with nowhere to vent it.

They had no choice but to open fire on the staff.

Seeing that Xin Yukun's insults were getting increasingly offensive, Su Lun had no choice but to put down his work and go over to persuade him: "Brother Kun, stop swearing. Swearing won't solve anything, just deduct his salary instead."

Upon hearing this, the employee who had been scolded immediately changed his expression, his IQ suddenly skyrocketed, and he shouted, "Brother Kun, I've got it! I'll get on it right away!"

……

It's about to be turned on.

Although he had a lot of pent-up anger with nowhere to vent it, Xin Yukun was full of energy.

He had a feeling that "Real Steel" would be a huge hit.

While the fight scenes in "Upgrade" are very sharp, the overall style of the film is filled with a cold and lonely tone.

There's a faint sense of melancholy in it.

In the movie, all the characters are under tremendous pressure.

After all, at the end of that movie, AI replaced humans, the new gods killed the old gods, it was a rebellion, and it succeeded!

In the end, it means that all of humanity will be enslaved by AI.

The atmosphere, of course, shouldn't be too cheerful.

However, Real Steel is different; its colors are too bright.

Even in the desolate desert, Lu Zhiyuan's visual effects reveal a festive golden atmosphere.

Moreover, this is IMAX 3D technology!
One ticket is equivalent to three tickets for "Upgrade"!
Even if the number of viewers is the same, the box office will be at least twice as much!
"Hey bro, watching kites again?"

Xin Yukun, holding a cup of goji berry tea, went to the roof of the low brick house and stood with Lu Zhiyuan, looking into the distance.

He couldn't help but chime in to help Gao Yuanyuan out: "Is the kite really that beautiful? More beautiful than President Gao? She called you, but you didn't answer."

"She must have really fallen in love with you."

"To avoid making you dislike her, she pretends to be perfectly clear-headed every day, as if her IQ has suddenly exploded."

"Only I know how hard she's putting on this act. How can she be so clear-headed? She does so much research before each call to you."

Aren't you even a little bit moved?

I was touched, and I liked it.

But so what?
All I know is that she won't harm me or hurt me.

But Jing Tian doesn't know how either.

I already have a great girlfriend, why would I want to switch for no reason?
Lu Zhiyuan's feelings towards Gao Yuanyuan gradually became complicated. He simply stopped answering Gao Yuanyuan's calls to avoid letting her fall deeper into the situation.

Moreover, he is currently engaged in artistic creation and does not want to let messy romantic relationships disrupt his train of thought.

"Brother Kun, the photography director you found this time is very skilled. His lens language and lighting schemes often coincide with my own."

"Tell him that when the camera is free, he can film more children flying kites."

"I don't want this film to be too profound, or to use any messy artistic symbols. I just want to film all kinds of kites."

"Kites can be seen everywhere in the world."

"When children fly kites, the visual language in a movie represents nostalgia."

"The world in the movie is about to be destroyed by monsters. We want to use visual symbols to deepen the audience's sense of nostalgia."

In this world, there are countless people who leave their hometowns to work in other places.

Lu Zhiyuan wouldn't force them to grasp the concept of nostalgia, but he could use visual symbols, like long shots with melancholic colors, to give them a psychological suggestion.

"learn!"

"This is the Easter egg you put in the movie."

"You always do this, leaving a small visual mark of yourself in the movie. When the audience comes to their senses, they will realize that you had already given a hint."

Xin Yukun has been working with Lu Zhiyuan for a long time, and she understands Lu Zhiyuan's little schemes even better than Miss Jing Tian.

A male god with a strong artistic flair.

No wonder Gao Yuanyuan can't forget him.

"Brother, I'm here! Did you miss me?"

The two were chatting on the roof when suddenly a hearty laugh came from behind them.

Reba ran over with a giggle, and when she saw Lu Zhiyuan turn around, a smile appeared on her face. She ran even faster and leaped up from a great distance.

He gave Lu Zhiyuan a big, flying hug.

"Another moth drawn to a flame."

Xin Yukun glanced at Reba a few times, sighed inwardly, and silently turned and left.

I won't be this third wheel.

"Brother, where's Honey? I heard she's depressed. She's becoming more and more like the fragile, beautiful girl you've been looking for?"

Reba heard about Hanikezi's situation.

I told her a long time ago to be careful of the perverted Teacher Lu.

That girl just wouldn't believe in superstitions!

This is just great.

Before filming even began, Hanikezi had already been successfully trained by Lu Zhiyuan and transformed into a fragile, delicate, and melancholic young woman of the [Takehisa Yumeji] clan!
However, at the same time, she most likely became a "pure sacrifice" created by Lu Zhiyuan for making the movie.

Dedicated to the goddess of art!

After all, is it so easy to make a movie for the leader of my AI God Cult?

Is it so easy to be a saint?

In the whole world, only I, Dilraba, am tough, high in defense, and resilient enough to withstand any hardship! I even survived being thrown into the sea during a typhoon, such a hellish ordeal.

(End of this chapter)