Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 567 I'm so damn grateful to you, Wu Chen

The atmosphere in Huayi Brothers' office was oppressive.

Wang Zhonglei and Feng Xiaogang remained silent, each smoking a cigarette. Amidst the swirling smoke, their faces looked ashen, as if they had been constipated for half a month.

Both of them were extremely frustrated.

They were hoping to use this time to downplay the matter of gratitude, but then this happened.
Who knows if Wu Chen will give them a sarcastic remark if they don't show any appreciation when "Aftershock" actually breaks 600 million at the box office?
At that point, wouldn't we be the laughingstock of the entire industry?

Just thinking about this gave Wang Zhonglei a terrible headache.

So, all that hard-earned 600 million yuan at the box office of "Aftershock" ended up being used to give Wu Chen all the credit?
He couldn't help but glance at Feng Xiaogang beside him, feeling incredibly angry.

Damn it, it's all because of this big mouth!

Knowing he was in the wrong, Feng Xiaogang could only remain silent.

He felt his eyes welling up with tears, as if he had been deeply wronged.

If it were someone else, it wouldn't matter; they would just be bullied.

But it just so happens that Wu Chen is involved, and both companies are top-tier private film and television enterprises in China. This whole mess is likely to circulate in the industry for years to come.
Meanwhile, Jiang Wen saw Wu Chen's Weibo post at home. He was stunned at first, then exclaimed "Holy crap!" which earned him a big eye roll from Zhou Yun.

"Learn from Wu Chen. Look how well he handled this. Stop using 'damn it' all the time!"

"I can't learn it, I can't learn it!" Jiang Wen shook his head violently, clicking his tongue in amazement. "This convoluted way of doing things is too damn brain-draining."

He could almost picture Lu Xun's back teeth being bitten to pieces.

as predicted.

In the Lu family's study, Lu Xun was smugly scrolling through the "positive" comments about himself online.

When Wu Chen's Weibo post came through, he was initially resistant and even thought it was disdainful.

But after patiently reading the first sentence, "I definitely have 100% support for Director Lu Xun's prodigal son's return," I breathed a sigh of relief.

He knew that no one could break his "moral blackmail" tactic! He was already in a commanding position, so what could Wu Chen do to him?
He glanced smugly at the rest of the text and couldn't help but mutter, "So much nonsense."

However, as his gaze swept over the last few sentences word by word, the expression on his face changed repeatedly, from smugness to astonishment, then to terror, and finally, all color drained from his face, turning into a deathly pale blue.

"Snapped!"

He slammed the phone to the ground, but luckily it was fairly durable.
"I'm so damn grateful to you, Wu Chen!"

He forced out those words through gritted teeth, then, unable to contain himself any longer, launched into a string of effusive, highly complimentary greetings to Wu Chen in his study.
The media had already smelled blood and quickly began to interpret the situation.

[Wu Chen posts late at night in support of Lu Xun: Looking forward to his unique perspective on history!]

[In-depth analysis: Why did Wu Chen's "expectations" make Lu Xun's "repentance" so dangerous?]

Behind the "unique perspective" lies a hidden concern: Who can guarantee that the fate of "Nanjing! Nanjing!" won't be repeated?

The article will also "kindly" review the major controversies surrounding "Nanjing! Nanjing!" and "well-intentionally" raise the question: How will Director Lu avoid similar "artistic expressions" in "The Founding of a Republic"?
Netizens were initially puzzled by the title, but after clicking on it, they burst out laughing.

"Damn it, I knew it! Wu Chen wouldn't 'support' Lu Xun. This move is hilarious, it's so outrageous!"

"Hahaha, you have to kill him and destroy his spirit! Lu Xun is probably crying and thanking Director Wu for his 'support' right now."

"Alright, Lu Xun's probably finished again. I don't believe the General Administration won't have any concerns after seeing this public opinion."

The results were largely in line with netizens' predictions.

The next morning, in the office of the Film Bureau of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, several people from relevant departments were sitting together, with the latest news clippings spread out on the table.

"Comrade Lu Xun wants to reform himself, which is a good thing, and we should encourage him."

"Yes, but we can't move too fast."

"The 'Founding of a Republic' project is of extraordinary significance for next year, so we need to proceed cautiously. It's still young; we can take our time. I think we should definitely suggest to China Film Group to handle it with a gentle approach."

"Yes, to prevent him from being thrust into the spotlight again, it's also to protect young directors!"

In just a few words, everyone reached a consensus.

The results of the discussion quickly reached Tong Gang's ears.

After summarizing the opinions, the secretary waited for his final words. Tong Gang pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Let Han Sanping make his choice. The film is very important; we must be cautious in everything we do."

The secretary's eyes lit up, and she immediately understood.

Some things, once said outright, are a different story;

But not saying it outright is what everyone tacitly understands.

Films like "The Founding of a Republic" must accept the opinions of the bureau; there is no doubt about that.

Not long after, Han Sanping received a call from the bureau.

The first half of the sentence fully affirms Lu Xun's positive attitude of wanting to reform himself.

But Han Sanping, who has been working within the system for many years, knows these tricks all too well.

If the first half of the sentence says something positive, there's only one possibility: it's laying the groundwork for the "but" or "however" in the second half.

On the contrary, if the first half of the sentence says something negative, then the matter is more likely to succeed.

as predicted.

"However, considering the current online sentiment, in order to protect Lu Xun and prevent him from being pushed into the spotlight again, I think we should put it aside for now. This is for his own good."

The reason given for the refusal was flawless.

Even Lu Xun himself, upon hearing this, had to tearfully thank the bureau for its "protection."

Soon after, China Film Group revealed the preliminary shortlist of co-directors for "The Founding of a Republic" through unofficial channels, and Lu Xun's name was conspicuously absent from the list.

The news caused quite a stir in the industry.

In the Starlight Pictures office, Qin Hong's expression was not good.

They recently reached a cooperation agreement with Lu Xun for "The Last Supper," but judging from the current situation, it seems to be not very optimistic.

There's only one reason: Wu Chen.

It seems the other side has no intention of letting Lu Xun go at all.

If Wu Chen causes any more trouble when "The Last Supper" is released, how will the film recoup its costs?
"Damn it!" Qin Hong cursed inwardly, immediately making a decision: "I need to control the production budget of the film crew!"

At the very least, we can't let Lu Xun make the same reckless moves as last time.

Meanwhile, in Songyuan, Jilin, in that vast cornfield...

Wu Chen is currently focused on a new shoot.

In the film industry, for scenes that require specific changes in natural landscape, the production team usually adopts a "segmented shooting" strategy.

Interstellar is no exception.

I photographed the cornfields in late August, in the early stages of the apocalypse, before the wilt disease had fully spread, and then in September, I photographed the cornfields as they naturally turned yellow and diseased.
Finally, the sickly, withered corn was set on fire.
And at that moment, the sun was setting.
The wind blows through the cornfield, and large green leaves flutter and roll, as if spreading out boundless waves on the black soil.

This scene depicts Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) struggling internally after cracking the gravitational wave code and learning NASA's coordinates, ultimately deciding to say goodbye to his family and drive away.

Wu Chen stared intently at the monitor; the wind was just right, making it the perfect time.

In the footage, Matthew McConaughey drives his old Dodge pickup truck slowly out of the farmhouse.

He didn't turn around, but through the rearview mirror, he could see his son Tom and daughter Murphy chasing after the car, their figures growing smaller and smaller in the dust and the afterglow of the setting sun.

Wu Chen requested that the camera be fixed inside the car, with a long lens that was always pointed at Matthew McConaughey's face.

He didn't shed tears, nor did he show much expression, but his blue eyes were filled with suppressed pain, reluctance to leave his family, and a hint of resolute determination to embark on an uncertain future.

"Cut!" Wu Chen shouted, "Great! One take! Let's prepare for the next shot, the car chase."

He wanted to use a helicopter to shoot from above, showing how that lone pickup truck drove through the boundless, green maze-like cornfields and finally disappeared on the horizon.

This still-vibrant cornfield is both a home and a giant cage.

Cooper, however, is about to break free of this cage and head towards the stars and the sea.
For his daughter!

(End of this chapter)