Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 558 Insulting, utterly insulting!
The night in Leicester Square, London, was completely ignited by an unprecedented hustle and bustle.

Inside the theater at the premiere of "Inception," the applause, which arrived a dozen seconds late but erupted like a volcano, still echoed in the air, its warmth lingering.

Surrounded by media and guests, the creative team entered the pre-prepared interview area through a side door of the theater.

Amidst a barrage of questions, they came flooding in like a tidal wave.

Leonardo DiCaprio and others were the first to be surrounded by veteran film critics and mainstream media, while Liu Yifei was targeted by another group of reporters, especially those from Asia and Europe.

"Crystal!"

A reporter from the Daily Mail managed to get a good spot.

“You delivered an impressive performance in the film, especially in the scene in the zero-gravity corridor.”

Could you share with us, as an actor, what was the biggest challenge in entering and understanding such a complex, nested dream world?

This is a rather specialized and in-depth question.

Liu Yifei pondered for a few seconds, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows under the light.

The surroundings fell silent instantly, everyone expecting her to give a philosophical or skillful answer.

She finally spoke, her tone sincere and clear:
"The biggest challenge may be maintaining the balance."

The reporter's eyes lit up, and she pressed for an answer: "Does this refer to the character's inner emotional balance?"

“No,” Liu Yifei shook her head, her expression extremely serious, “I mean, maintaining balance in that 360-degree rotating corridor.”

It spun so fast I almost bumped into Joseph several times. Chris was really amazing; he actually built a giant roller instead of relying entirely on special effects.”

"puff"

Wu Chen couldn't help but let out a suppressed chuckle first, and Nolan and the others couldn't hold back either.
Immediately afterwards, a knowing laugh spread among the reporters.

They clearly hadn't expected to receive such an honest answer.

This answer precisely avoided all possibilities for in-depth discussion, yet in a peculiar way, it praised the director's spirit of practical filmmaking.

The media clearly wasn't going to let it go, and immediately shifted their focus to the hottest topic of the evening.

“Wu, during the post-screening Q&A, Christopher attributed the core concept of ‘dream levels’ in the film to you. Does this mean that the craziest and most subversive part of this story actually came from your idea?”

“Of course not,” Wu Chen denied almost immediately with a smile. He glanced at Nolan, who was talking to someone not far away, and said loudly.

"Chris is a very generous director; he always likes to share credit with his collaborators. I only did part of the work."

As night deepened, the global media frenzy had completely erupted after the premiere.

The Times' entertainment headline was concise and powerful: "A magnificent brain raid."

The Hollywood Reporter is very good at this.

"Nolan and Wu Chen: Two of the most outstanding structuralists in the film industry today have joined forces to define a new benchmark for 'intelligent commercial blockbusters'."

This is not just a movie, but an intellectual challenge presented to a global audience.

The report repeatedly mentioned the amusing incident of the two directors "passing the buck" to each other, which was interpreted by the media as "mutual appreciation between geniuses";
The chemistry between Nolan and Wu Chen, after being tested at the premiere, is widely considered to have far exceeded expectations of "1+1>2".

This storm crossed time zones and stirred up an even more intense wave of public opinion in China, on the other side of the Pacific.

"At the London premiere of 'Inception,' Nolan and Wu Chen staged a blame-shifting scene, taking the mind-bending level to a whole new level!"

"Inception Premiere Sparks Global Frenzy: Mind-Bending Movie Requires a Second Ticket? Wu Chen's Reminder Becomes a Hot Meme!"

Liu Yifei's interview once again showcases her phenomenal talent.

Meanwhile, on Weibo, hashtags such as #InceptionLondonPremiere#, #WuChenNolanPassingTheBag#, and #LiuYifeiInterviewingBlackHole# trended on the hottest topics, generating unprecedented discussion. Netizens were extremely curious and discussed it extensively in the comments.

"Just how mind-bending is it? I want to see."

"It has to be Liu Yifei! I burst out laughing after watching her interview!"

"Multiple layers of dreams? What does that mean? I'm curious."

"."

Of course, there were plenty of congratulatory messages under Wu Chen and Liu Yifei's Weibo posts. They may not have seen them, but everyone who was supposed to send their congratulations did.

Even several top actresses offered their congratulations from below, a rare occurrence for them.
Inside a high-end apartment in Shanghai.

Fan Binbin, who had just finished a business event, was having her makeup removed by her assistant.

On the assistant's phone screen was a photo of Liu Yifei chatting and laughing with Marion Cotillard, Leonardo DiCaprio, and others on the red carpet.

Fan Binbin looked at herself in the mirror without saying a word, but her gaze involuntarily drifted to the photo.

What she saw was not just the premiere, but the composure of being at the center of the world stage and being pursued by global media.

That's a realm she can't reach for now, no matter how gorgeous her "dragon robe" or how much she tries to stand out on the Cannes red carpet.

"Oh well, I'm so lucky. Oh well, I'll release the press release next week."

She sighed inwardly and then made a decision. Publishing the article now would be a waste, as the whole week would probably be dominated by "Inception," so there was no need for it.

To be honest, she's a little troubled right now.

I have a lot of film offers these days, but the box office performance of each film is worse than the last; it's almost unbearable to watch.

They're practically stuck with the label of "box office poison."
Meanwhile, in London, it was late at night.

Outside the hotel suite's floor-to-ceiling windows, the Thames flows quietly, scattering the lights on both banks into a flowing patchwork of light.

The room was filled with the sweet scent of champagne and the steam from a shower, creating a languid and ambiguous atmosphere.

The heavy curtains obscured the night, and the sounds of ambiguous breathing filled the air.

Liu Yifei slumped against the headboard, her hair disheveled and her cheeks flushed.

Her eyes still glistened with lingering moisture, and her expression was full of charm.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder;
This is true.

He could only feel Wu Chen's large hand starting to wander aimlessly again;
Liu Yifei's body trembled slightly, and she quickly pressed his hand down, her voice soft and slightly hoarse as she said coquettishly, "I can't take it anymore!"

"Huh? Why?" Wu Chen asked in surprise.

"I'm worried your body can't handle it," Liu Yifei buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled. "You have to go back to the film set tomorrow, you'll be too tired later."

As she spoke, she playfully stuck out her tongue;

She pursed her slightly moist lips.

This seemingly insignificant little gesture was like a spark.
“Who said I can’t handle it? I’m in great shape, that’s nonsense!” Wu Chen retorted almost immediately.

"You know that's not what I meant!" Liu Yifei's voice became even softer, tinged with a hint of shyness.

Wu Chen's eyes widened.

"Insulting! Utterly insulting! Today I'll show you what it means to be able to withstand this!"

(End of this chapter)