I'm just trying to ride the wave of popularity!

Chapter 388 He has always sheltered us from the wind and rain.

A gentle breeze blew, and the warm sun shone on Zhou Yang's face.

Deng Xingzu, the director of "Kung Fu Soccer", stood at the edge of the stage, his gaze fixed on that not-so-tall figure.

His gaze was somewhat complicated...

In the sweltering heat of July, as he stood at the entrance of [Xuan Shi Entertainment] holding the script for "Kung Fu Soccer," he still felt a little apprehensive.

Despite Zhou Yang's promise of "creative freedom" over the phone, Deng Xingzu, the once-glorious king of Hong Kong comedy, still couldn't hide his unease.

Over the years, he has never been able to forget that nightmare from the late 90s...

That year, Hollywood movies and countless amounts of capital flocked to the Hong Kong film industry; that year, the Hong Kong film industry was in its most chaotic period...

That year, the investors forced in popular stars, resulting in the box office failure of his last and first film as a director, plunging him into a deep abyss...

After that, he witnessed a major change in the entire industry and began to fight desperately for control over film creation. He constantly resisted, refused to compromise, and even openly confronted many artists and capital forces in Hong Kong.

However, the price of upholding artistic ideals is heavy.

Ultimately, he was blacklisted by the entire industry, with some even issuing warnings: "Anyone who dares to use him is making an enemy of the entire Hong Kong film industry."

From then on, no one dared to hire him to act in movies anymore.

That ban nearly ended his career. After the millennium, he remained silent for many years. He even went to the mainland, where he gained popularity, but he never met a benefactor. He wasted his years and eventually returned to Hong Kong in silence, spending year after year in regret, but never seeing any hope...

In the most desperate year of 2003, he witnessed Zhou Yang's rise...

As if seeing another ray of light in the same predicament, he witnessed a figure who, despite being blacklisted, went against the tide and gradually climbed to the pinnacle of the mainland film industry...

So he brought his work to their door.

Time has worn away his vigor; he is no longer young and cannot afford to waste any more time.

He was filled with both hope and anxiety, fearing that this equally talented young director would, like the investors of the past, brutally interfere with his creative process!
After all, the clash between talents and the friction between ideas are never easy to resolve...

He even prepared for the worst...

however……

Just then, Zhou Yang silently walked to the center of the stage.

Looking at everyone, amidst countless lights and cameras, he didn't speak as he had before.

Instead, after a long silence, he finally smiled, but his voice was slightly low.

"Dear friends..."

"Today is the premiere of 'Shaolin Soccer,' a significant day for me, for some directors, and even for countless colleagues across all industries under [Xuan Shi Entertainment]..."

“These days, I’ve seen a lot of discussions online…”

"Everyone is asking whether the company isn't giving enough importance to the two movies, 'Shaolin Soccer' and 'Love Is Not Blind'?"

"Some people even asked me directly..."

"Why is my name not credited as director, screenwriter, or even in the cast list of the movie?"

"Aside from the fact that the production company is listed as 'Xuanshi Entertainment,' the entire work shows absolutely no trace of 'Zhou Yang's style'..."

"This is too abnormal, and it's so out of character for [Xuan Shi Entertainment]..."

"..."

When Zhou Yang finished speaking, he looked around and his gaze swept over the crowd, which was layered three or four deep.

Media reporters, armed with cameras and microphones, crowded the front row, while fans surged in from all directions, excitedly watching him, completely blocking the area outside the Feihe Cinema. In the distance, traffic police were diligently maintaining order, and security personnel stood ready, constantly watching everyone with heightened vigilance…

He heard the reporters excitedly asking questions and saw the flashes of light going off one after another, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

Is this unusual?

The noise at the scene was extremely loud.

However, his voice was exceptionally clear amidst the noise, so clear that it could even reach everyone's ears.

"That's more like it!"

"No, this is how the film industry, the entire entertainment industry, should be..."

“【Xuan Shi Entertainment】Over the years, every movie has had my name attached to it…” He paused, “That’s abnormal.”

Before he could finish speaking, the entire audience erupted in uproar.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at Zhou Yang on the stage in disbelief.

No one expected him to suddenly say such a thing. Deng Xingzu was slightly startled, his gaze fixed on the figure bathed in sunlight…

"This year, or rather, these last two years..."

"Many people say I'm the savior of Chinese cinema, that I've raised the banner against Hollywood..." Zhou Yang silently gripped the microphone, and then his voice echoed across the square: "But today I want to say, I am not. I never have been..."

Just at this time……

The huge poster of "Shaolin Soccer" behind him rustled in the wind, and the sunlight was so bright that people couldn't open their eyes.

"Zhou Yang, who jumped into the river three years ago, never wanted to be a hero. I was just unwilling to accept that our cinemas would only ever show other people's myths, unwilling to accept that young directors' scripts would rot in the wastebasket, and even more unwilling to accept that Chinese audiences would only get half a good movie for fifty yuan!"

Just then, the camera panned across the young directors sitting in the audience.

There's Shen Long, Che Xiao, Jiang Litao, Ding Rong...

Upon hearing this, some people suddenly teared up, some silently lowered their heads, and some fell into a daze, feeling slightly uneasy.

Over the course of three years, a number of directors joined [Xuanshi Entertainment], bringing with them a variety of films, some of which were criticized and trended on social media...

"Savior? No, I'm just a bricklayer building the stage." He suddenly pointed to the newly hung "Windrise Live" sign on the top floor of the mall. "Like this platform, it shouldn't belong to Zhou Yang alone. Those voices strangled by capital, those madmen drawing storyboards in rented rooms, those stories rejected by theaters—this is what I initially wanted to obtain..."

Just then, images began to appear on the large screen in the distance…

When the images on the big screen flashed by—the crude special effects of "Sun Wukong vs. Superman 2," the awkward scenes of "Wu Hun 1," the horror of "The Haunted Village," the immature performances of "Demonic Knight," and the exaggerated costumes of "Transformers"—the young directors in the audience suddenly had tears in their eyes.

Shen Long clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging slightly into his palms.

this moment!
He was somewhat dazed...

Then he finally understood why every movie poster had the words "Screenwriter Zhou Yang" printed on it.

For the past three years, Zhou Yang has borne all the brunt of the criticism from the media for being "vulgar" and "copycat," and the accusations from film critics that he "ruined the industry."

New directors who have just entered the industry, including him, only need to unleash their talents freely in the shelter, and even if they fail, they can be forgiven for "Zhou Yangjiang's talent running dry".

……

The directors trembled slightly!

this moment!
Some people in the audience were shocked!

Then, looking at that figure, their eyes turned red!

Some media outlets were bewildered...

They finally saw through the gentlest lies behind those exaggerated movies!

This man standing in the light has already silently cleared away the thorns in the shadows, leaving them with the safest side and building a stage for them to shelter from the wind and rain.

Not far away, in the crowd, Su Muqing, the administrator of [Zhou Yang's Home] and one of Zhou Yang's closest fans, was desperately leading the way, waving a "Zhou Yang, Fighting!" flag, already sobbing uncontrollably...

The group of girls around her were also deeply moved at this moment!
"He took all the blame, just to encourage more people to bravely pursue their dreams..."

At that moment, sobs echoed throughout the square...

The group of young directors at the front, dozens of them, silently stood up and bowed deeply to Zhou Yang.

..............................

Zhou Yang stood in the center of the stage, sunlight shining on his shoulders, as if gilding him with a faint golden edge.

He took a deep breath, and then, in a soft but powerful voice, said, "Over the years, I've often wondered, what is film? Is it a story, a dream, or the most genuine cry from the bottom of each of our hearts?"

He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over every face in the audience. "Some people say that [Xuan Shi Entertainment] cannot do without Zhou Yang, but today I want to say that's not the case."

“Look at the directors around us!” He turned and pointed to the big screen behind him, which was playing a clip from “Shaolin Soccer”: “When Director Deng returned after seven years of silence with this film, I knew that he never needed Zhou Yang. What he needed was a stage that was not controlled by capital, an opportunity for the audience to see his talent.”

At that moment, Deng Xingzu, who was standing next to him, trembled slightly and couldn't help but wipe away his tears. He even lost his grip on the microphone.

“Three years ago, we squeezed into a leaky rented room, filled our stomachs with instant noodles, and warmed ourselves with our dreams. At that time, I said that one day, we would let the whole world see our light.” Zhou Yang’s voice was a little choked up: “But now, this light no longer belongs to me alone. It belongs to Shen Long, to Che Xiao, to every young person who revises the script late at night, and to all dream chasers who are unwilling to be mediocre.”

"Everyone has their own path to walk, just like saplings that will eventually grow into a forest, finally able to survive the swaying of storms and grow even taller..."

"When you are able to stand on your own, when I see your works no longer need the title of 'Zhou Yang screenwriter' to protect them, that will be my proudest moment."

"Because that means that Chinese cinema has truly grown up."

"And now..."

"Or rather, at this very moment, this day has officially arrived!"

"..."

(End of this chapter)