2001 Media Godfather

Chapter 93 The Pinnacle of Themed Performance

If Wang Zhan had previously steered Chu An's recitation question towards highlighting his screenwriting abilities rather than assessing his directing skills, Chu An could have understood it as: "This old man is quite fair and probably doesn't have any malicious intent."

But now that the question about holding hands has been raised, he's not sure anymore.

Chu An just couldn't understand why Wang Zhan was targeting him, even bringing up such a potentially fatal question.

"Holding Hands" is not a film that a director cannot conceive of performances for; as long as one breaks out of traditional thinking, one will find many scenes suitable for this theme.

But the problem is, it depends on the person and the occasion!

If you bring in someone with extensive directing experience, they'll most likely be able to find a solution.

But it's a bit much to ask eight test takers to answer this question.

Not to mention, there were only three minutes to come up with the idea.

He glared at Wang Zhan intently.

Yes, Chu An didn't hold back at all. He glared at the old man and thought to himself, "You just wait."

Then I forced myself to calm down, stopped thinking about why I was being targeted, and focused all my attention on the exam.

Moreover, it wasn't enough for Chu An to remain calm himself; he also had to keep the other candidates in his group in check.

At this moment, even Wang Chengzhi was a little flustered, let alone the other six young people.

They all looked at each other, at a loss for what to do.

Wang Chengzhi frowned deeply, the thirty-year-old man scratching his head anxiously, and finally looked to Chu An for help.

"How to do?"

Chu An forced a calm smile. "What's the panic? I'm the screenwriter, and Lao Wang is the director. No problem is a problem for us!"

Upon hearing this, the other six people indeed calmed down considerably, but the burden fell entirely on Chu An and Wang Chengzhi.

Chu An didn't have time to continue arguing with the other six people, and immediately started discussing things with Wang Chengzhi.

The two walked aside under the pretext of studying the exam questions, trying their best not to be disturbed by others.

Chu An didn't waste any words, "The test questions are difficult, but not impossible to solve."

Wang Chengzhi nodded. "How do you want to solve this?"

He actually had no clue what to do and could only pin his hopes on Chu An, the professional screenwriter.

Chu An immediately began to break down the topic, "Generally speaking, when we think of holding hands, we first think of couples holding hands."

Following Chu An's line of thought, Wang Chengzhi suggested, "It could also be an adult leading a child."

Chu An said, "But there are eight of us, so this approach to solving the problem obviously won't work. We have to break out of our conventional thinking."

Chu An immediately searched his memories from his past life, trying to find a suitable scenario for this topic.

Upon closer reflection, it actually exists!

For example, during flood control and disaster relief, people held hands in the floodwaters and used their bodies to build long dikes.

For example, in the Galwan Valley, soldiers hold hands with their arms outstretched, with a picture of their motherland behind them.

All of these can be demonstrated through the performance of eight people.

Immediately, Chu An described the two scenarios he had envisioned to Wang Chengzhi.

Wang Chengzhi's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he thought to himself, "A great screenwriter is indeed a great screenwriter; now we have a direction!"

He immediately stated, "Although it's not easy to perform, there's no problem conveying the theme. In my opinion, let's choose the theme of flood relief!"

Chu An felt relieved. He could only say that although Wang Chengzhi was an advertising shooter, he was still a director and his skills were still there.

Just as the two decided to use flood relief as their strategy and discussed with the other six people how to act it out, Wang Zhan, the examiner, kept a close eye on Chu An and Wang Chengzhi.

Because the two were to stay away from the other six people, they were closer to the examiners' seats, and the examiners were able to hear a general outline of their problem-solving process.

The other examiners were initially worried for this group, but...
I have to echo Wang Chengzhi's sentiment: being a screenwriter really makes a difference. In such a short time, his thinking is so clear; he's truly a promising talent.

To everyone's surprise, just as the two turned to return to their group, they saw Grandpa Wang Zhan slowly pick up his thermos and take a sip of strong tea.

"These young people nowadays, all they have left is disappointment!"

Both the examiner and Chu An were taken aback by these words.

Wang Zhan continued rambling, "A screenwriter with a proven track record of commercial success, plus a professional who is well-versed in directing techniques."

"If they can't even come up with original solutions to a slightly challenging exam question, what's the point of admitting them to the Central Academy of Drama?"

Chu An frowned even deeper. Was this old man crazy?!

They're obviously trying to provoke him with gossip!

It means that even though they passed the preliminary exam using their current problem-solving methods, he still doesn't think much of such students.

Wang Zhan clearly didn't intend to hide anything, looking directly at Chu An, "Young man, don't be unconvinced. Just now, the group in front of you was acting out a flood relief operation, and they were holding hands!"

"Moreover," holding up two fingers, "just two people!! They portrayed the spirit of a thousand troops, ready to fight to the death!"

Eyes gleaming, staring
Staring at Wang Chengzhi, he said, "Don't think you're the only genius. In front of true geniuses, you're nothing!"

"You!" Wang Chengzhi glared, his eyes slightly red. "You're deliberately making things difficult for me!"

Wang Zhan: "Making things difficult!? I'm just stating a fact, you!! Wang Chengzhi!! You are not suitable to be a director, let alone the Central Academy of Drama."

Chu An, "."

Suddenly I'm a little confused. Why does it feel like this old coffin is targeting Wang Chengzhi more?

But Wang Zhan hadn't yet revealed what was even more heartbreaking!

He waved his hand dismissively, "Go act!!"

He looked at the two of them with a smile and said, "Don't worry! The requirements for the preliminary test are not high. Just act out flood relief and rescue, and you'll basically pass."

"However, the second interview won't be that simple!"

chap!
Hearing this, Chu An had no choice but to pull Wang Chengzhi aside. "What's going on? Did you offend him?"

Wang Chengzhi glared fiercely at Wang Zhan, and simply shook his head at Chu An's question, not wanting to say anything more.

Having already turned thirty, Wang Chengzhi remained composed. "Don't worry about that old bastard! Let's just perform our act. He's not the only one who decides what happens in the exam!"

As he spoke, he called on the others to answer the questions.

Unexpectedly, Chu An stopped him, "No!"

Wang Chengzhi asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"

Chu An: "I don't know why he's targeting you, and I don't know if he's targeting me too."

"But I know that if we really just use the same repetitive problem-solving scenario to get through the exam today..."

"Even if you get into the Central Academy of Drama, you'll never be able to hold your head high again."

Wang Chengzhi, “.”

Of course he knew that. The old bastard had already put it so bluntly. If he still had the nerve to pretend to be fighting floods and doing disaster relief, wouldn't that just confirm his mockery?
"Then what do you think we should do?"

Chu An raised the corners of his mouth in a sinister smile, "I suddenly thought of a better way to solve the problem."

Wang Chengzhi: "What?"

Chu An immediately described the scenario he had envisioned.

Wang Chengzhi was stunned. It took him a few seconds to react. "Awesome!"

But their momentum crumbled, and they exclaimed, "But we don't have time!"

There are only three minutes allotted for brainstorming solutions, and half of that time has already passed. The scenario Chu An envisioned was far more complex than his previous solutions, and there simply wasn't enough time.

After thinking for a moment, Chu An immediately said, "I'll take care of the time issue!"

"You're in charge of arranging the scene and everyone else!"

Wang Chengzhi: "Then I need 5 minutes!"

Chu An: "No problem!"

After saying that, they went their separate ways with Wang Chengzhi.

Chu An turned around and returned to the examiners' table. He first scanned the examination room, and just as the examiners were wondering what was going on, Chu An suddenly clapped his hands and gave orders to them.

Bang bang! !
"We need all the teachers to switch positions for this scene."

The examiners: "???"

What's going on? Are we changing seats?
Before they could figure out what was going on, Chu An had already started eating without any hesitation.

He pulled up the table at the very end and directed the examiner sitting there, "Come on! Give me a hand, get moving!"

The examiners, “.”

As mentioned before, the exam room setup was very simple.

This is an ordinary dance studio. To the left of the entrance, against the wall, is the examiner's seat, facing a full-length mirror on the other side of the studio. Opposite the studio door is a regular half-wooden lattice window.

Chu An's move effectively changed the direction of the examiners' seats, moving them from facing the dance mirror to facing the window.

Seeing that a table had already been moved over, the other examiners, including Wang Zhan, were speechless. They had never seen such a bold candidate who arranged the table without asking for consent.

But then again, they had already started moving the table. The herd mentality is amazing. Even if they resisted, they still stood up reluctantly and watched Chu An and a young teacher move the table.

Okay! We've already done a huge favor by agreeing to cooperate with your group, and you expect us to do it ourselves? Dream on!
This is exactly what Chu An wanted. They won't help, huh? That's perfect!

He wasn't in a hurry, and slowly moved the table.

Three minutes later, the thing had only moved halfway. Wang Zhan finally realized, was it trying to stall for time?
They immediately lost their composure and quickly gathered the other teachers to help, moving the boy over to see what kind of trouble he was up to.

Two minutes later, the examiners' seats were finally moved.

Wang Zhan then realized that the examination room had already been set up by Wang Chengzhi.

The examination room was...
To be precise, the stage was set up very strangely.

The exam provided some simple props, but Wang Chengzhi didn't use any of them. He only used a movable screen, vertically dividing the stage in two.

Moreover, it was right in the middle of a window, so Wang Chengzhi casually pulled the curtains halfway up, creating an effect where half of it was dark and the other half was bathed in sunlight.

Everyone was confused. Wang Zhan asked, "Does flood relief and disaster relief require such a stage setup?" But Chu An replied with a forced smile, "As Teacher Wang said, we are a professional screenwriter and a professional director. If we repeat other people's solutions, it would be somewhat disrespectful to the Central Academy of Drama."

Wang Zhan, “.”

Chu An said, "So please enjoy our hand-holding. I hope Teacher Wang can understand it."

That was a pretty provocative statement. Chu Shikuai wasn't exactly a kind person; if you weren't friendly, he definitely wouldn't be polite either!
They didn't give Old Man Wang any face at all, saying bluntly, "Don't be so clueless, or you'll lose face."

Before Wang Zhan could react, Chu An turned around gracefully and went back to find Wang Chengzhi.

Wang Chengzhi, on the other hand, lived up to expectations and had already prepared his performance with the others.

Seeing Chu An return, he said, "We can begin."

Chu An scanned the crowd, "Come on! Let's amaze the Central Academy of Drama!"

Under the watchful eyes of Wang Zhan and the other examiners, Chu An and his eight companions began their performance.

However, the examiners found the performance of the eight-person group to be quite strange.

They didn't perform in the center of the classroom, nor did they even approach the screen that divided the classroom in two.

Six people were gathered at the far end of the dimly lit classroom. Chu An and five other young examinees sat neatly at six desks, seemingly listening to the lesson.

Wang Chengzhi plays the role of a teacher, making a gesture of holding a book while lecturing to the audience.

Right next to the seven people, the last girl was curled up on the ground, her hair disheveled and her face covered in dirt, making a begging gesture with her hands holding food, as if she were a begging child.

The scene was designed strangely, with the young people in class ignoring the pitiful beggar.

What's even stranger is that there are no lines!

Yes, it was a silent play performed by everyone? The entire performance was completely silent, with only gestures and language.

This situation lasted for a good ten seconds.

Wang Zhan's brows furrowed deeply, and the other examiners were equally puzzled, whispering among themselves, "What is this performance?"

Just as the discussion was about to begin, the people on the stage suddenly changed.

Wang Chengzhi immediately exits the painting, and the six students in the classroom instantly transition to the next scene. They hold their books to their chests and walk forward side by side. There seems to be laughter and cheerful chatter, showcasing the youthful vigor and vitality.

However, some details made the examiners realize that they did not seem to belong to the young people of this era.

For example, the gesture of holding the book.
For example, the carefree way he lifted his long robe.
As they passed by the beggar-like child, some people left money out of pity, while others draped their clothes over the child.

Then, a transition.

It was that kind of rough, unpolished transition. The six people had already walked to the front of the classroom, then immediately turned around and went back to the farthest end, the only difference being that this time they were closer to the center of the classroom.

The moment the play began, the examiners understood: it was a parade!
Some people held up signs, some shouted slogans, while the begging child remained curled up on the ground.

When the marching students passed by the beggars, they stopped giving them money and instead handed them leaflets that represented hope, giving them a firm and hopeful look.

Some teachers have already realized, "They divided this half of the stage into four equal parts, which should be to show four scenes."

"This is the second march."

"So it's obvious that the time period of this scene is the Republic of China era."

Wang Zhan frowned and remained silent, but he had a plan in mind. Wang Chengzhi and Chu An's plan to turn it into a silent play was obviously a clever one.

Without dialogue, relying solely on gestures and language, they are able to choreograph a complex performance within minutes.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to do so.

However, even now, Wang Zhan still can't see what this scene has to do with holding hands.

With a hint of disdain, he said, "What kind of utter mess was that?"

Chu An and the others on stage continued their performance.

The parade scene was also very short. In fact, the examiners were right; it was indeed a four-act scene, and the average length of the first three acts was only twenty seconds.

The second act ends when the procession reaches the end of the classroom and is almost touching the examiners' seats.

The transition was still abrupt; it was Act Three.

The third act is about blood and death.
The young students no longer carried books and slogans, but rifles and bayonets. They charged forward, falling one by one!
The beggar boy with clasped hands was still on their way forward.
This time, the soldiers protected the beggars behind them, building a Great Wall with their lives.

In the end, only one person rushed to the front of the examiners' table.

Act IV.
Chu An had arrived at the dividing line of the screen. This time, he was playing the role of the young man who was about to walk to the execution ground.

Dragging heavy shackles, covered in wounds, he walked forward step by step.
The beggar boy remained seated, his hands no longer gesturing for begging, but instead he looked up at the sky and wept in despair.

to be honest.
The four acts were already above average; if the theme wasn't holding hands, Wang Zhan wouldn't have found anything wrong with them.

Chu An's screenwriting skills and Wang Chengzhi's directing skills were showcased to the fullest.

There isn't a single line of dialogue!

The film vividly portrays the journey of patriots from that era—from ordinary people to awakened individuals, and then to warriors and heroes—in just one minute.

That's a very high level.

Many teachers couldn't help but look at Wang Zhan with resentment, thinking to themselves, "What a terrible question! This group performed so well, but they couldn't answer the question properly. It's such a pity."

According to these experienced teachers, the performance at this stage, while good, no longer resonates with the theme of "holding hands".

However, just as everyone was completely immersed in the experience...

Wang Chengzhi suddenly spoke, uttering a voice-over, which was also the only line spoken in the entire play.

"Later, we became like them."

The examiner was startled by the sudden outburst of lines.

Then I found myself pondering Wang Chengzhi's line.

later??
Which one came later?

Are we like them too? What does that mean?
On stage, the answer was immediately provided.

Aside from Chu An, who walks in shackles, and the desperate beggar.

Others suddenly appeared on the other half of the stage, which represented light.

they
They sat in the classroom bathed in sunlight.
Some people listened attentively to the lecture given by the teacher played by Wang Chengzhi, while others lazily slept on their desks.

With a wave of Wang Chengzhi's hand signaling the end of get out of class, everyone seemed to regain their energy and rushed out of the classroom.

They walked side by side, laughing loudly. The boy made dribbling and shooting motions, while the girl linked arms and whispered secrets that were only for them.

Even without a sound, the examiners were infected by that dazzling youthful energy and smiled.

Combined with Wang Chengzhi's narration, it's clear that this time they are not young people facing national crisis, but young people living under the sun, happy and joyful.

Wang Zhan was so shocked that he couldn't speak.

Because I understood it!!

The examination room was divided in two by a screen, one half black and the other half white.

One half is heavy shackles, a desperate beggar; the other half is sunshine, laughter and joy.

Half of it is the smoke and fire of the old world, and the other half is the happy life of the new era.

With a sudden jolt, Wang Zhan stood up, his eyes filled with horror.

The other examiners stared at him blankly, some of them seeming to understand something as well, their eyes wide as they watched the performance unfold.

And the next moment.
Wearing heavy shackles, Chu An finally reached the beggar's side.
This time, he neither gave alms nor offered words of encouragement; he simply looked at him.
Gently take the beggar's hand
Leading the beggar forward, amidst his bewildered gaze!
Keep going!

Until we step out of the screen and encounter the happy smiles of the new era.

Chu An stopped walking and looked at those smiling faces with a sense of relief and happiness.

Then he pushed the beggar forward, signaling him to follow the smiling face.

The smiling faces were also looking at him, still innocent and full of energy.

He waved to Chu An, signaling him to come along.

Chu An shook his head and stood still, refusing to move forward.

Signaling them to move forward, straight ahead!!

then
The smiling faces understood and waved goodbye to Chu An.

Then, take the beggar's hand and walk forward!

But there was a hint of determination in that smile, as if he would never stop.

The performance is over.

Wang Zhan was speechless. His gaze fell on the clasped hands, the sunlight streaming into the classroom through the light, and the distant buildings and bustling city of the campus bathed in sunlight.

Wang Zhan seemed to see that hand in hand that transcended time and space.

.

Since it's late anyway, let's chat for a bit.

First of all, Lao Cang wasn't faking his death, he's just been too busy lately.

The hard decoration of the new store is about to be completed, which is the most crucial time.

The next step is to finish up the work, move in the soft furnishings, take photos and make preparations, and refine the details during the trial operation.

In short, this period, until around the middle of next month, will be the busiest time.

During the day, Lao Cang has to run around construction sites, coordinate renovations and various suppliers, and purchase soft furnishings and furniture. Basically, when he gets home, he just wants to be a paralyzed person and really doesn't have the energy to write much.

I can only guarantee an update of about 4,000 words per chapter, so please bear with it.

Once I'm done with this busy period, I'll definitely write a book and make up for all the debts I owe my readers.

As for extra chapters, forget about it for now. Just keeping updating regularly will be good enough.
Ah!
That's all.

Bye-bye.

(End of this chapter)