It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 257 A God's Kneel! A Gentleman Judges by Actions, Not Intentions (Including Daily Life) (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Harbin, the sandy beach in the middle of the Songhua River.

In the vast white sky, goose feather snowflakes poured down like surging white waves, turning the world into a boundless expanse of white.

In the Pacific Rim crew, everyone is making final preparations.

The staff bustled about in the ankle-deep snow, their breath condensing into frost on their face shields, and the equipment in their hands gleaming coldly in the wind and snow.

Liu Ye has rejoined the crew, and his silver-gray mecha pilot suit makes him look tall and straight.

At this moment, he is moving his joints in front of the heat lamp, making final adjustments to his movements.

The hardest working team was the camera crew. Several camera assistants crawled on the snow, repeatedly adjusting the track and camera parameters, and pointing the lens at the open area in the middle of the river, all to capture the stunning scene that would be recorded in film history.

Half an hour later, the wind and snow intensified, and everyone was in their positions.

"Action!"

Lu Rui's command pierced the cold wind, and filming officially began.

In the footage, a father and son, dressed in heavy winter clothing, are seen slowly moving on the beach, holding a detector.

The snow reached up to their calves, leaving deep footprints with every step.

Before they had taken more than a few steps, suddenly! The detector emitted a rapid beeping sound.

As the father bent down to examine the scene, his expression grave, the distant snowstorm suddenly raged violently!
A rumbling sound came from the wind and snow, initially a dull tremor, followed by the clanging of metal joints turning.

Amidst the disbelief of the two, a hundred-meter-tall mech broke through the snow curtain, its shoulder thrusters spewing pale blue flames, slowly revealing its outline amidst the swirling snow.

The mecha's outer shell was covered with a thin layer of ice. Snowflakes crashed against the alloy armor and slid off with a soft rustling sound. Every step it took caused the beach to shake violently, and snowflakes splashed everywhere.

The mech, which should have been operated by two people, was now being piloted by only Qiu Qing in the cockpit.

His forehead veins bulged, his hands gripped the control lever tightly, and sweat slid down his cheeks, soaking through his inner lining.

The mecha swayed and adjusted its posture in the wind and snow. Its right arm slowly rose to support itself on the ground, while its left arm struggled to protect the core component in its chest. Then, its knees slowly bent.

The moment the metal collided with the snow, it instantly stirred up a cloud of snow mist!

The mecha's massive body knelt down in a highly ceremonial posture, its shoulder spotlights piercing through the wind and snow, illuminating the astonished faces of the father and son.

The strain of piloting the mecha alone made Qiu Qing tremble all over, but he never let go of the control stick.

The mecha's head bowed slightly, as if paying homage to this land, and also interpreting humanity's indomitable will in the face of adversity!

"Cut!"

Lu Rui's loud voice pierced through the swirling snow and reached the ears of everyone present.

This command also signifies the perfect conclusion to the "God's Kneel" scene, officially marking the end of filming for the entire "Pacific Rim" movie!
Instantly, enthusiastic applause erupted on set, spreading out amidst the wind and snow.

The commotion even drew applause from the surrounding crowd.

Lu Rui looked around, feeling both amused and exasperated.

Even though it was snowing heavily today, the news that a film crew was shooting on the riverbank still attracted a large number of residents from the surrounding area.

The Chinese people's love of joining in the fun is something they can't change no matter where they go.

Even more outrageous, some older people even drove over in donkey carts, showing more interest than the director himself.

"Son? Is it over already?"

Mr. Lü squeezed through the crowd and came over. His son was back in his hometown filming a movie, so how could he not come and join in the fun?
In addition, a group of leaders from the cultural and tourism system also rushed over in a grand procession, still clapping along in a daze, somewhat confused about the situation.

That big guy just kneels down and the whole movie ends?
Lu Rui smiled and nodded: "Yes, it's finished filming. We only need this one shot here."

The reason why Lü Rui insisted on returning to Harbin for filming and even transported the mecha from afar was actually due to his own considerations.

Firstly, of course, he wants to make a triumphant return home, after all, this is every man's dream after achieving success.

Secondly, he mainly wanted to use filming as an excuse to build good relationships with the leaders in his hometown.

He knows all too well the weight of the word "hometown." It is a person's foundation, especially for a public figure like him. Maintaining a good relationship with one's hometown can bring great benefits.

Just like Dongzi and Suqian in their past lives.

Back in his hometown, it's no exaggeration to say that he was just like Xiang Yu, the "King of Suqian" praised by everyone!
There are similar examples in the entertainment industry, such as Huang Xiaoming and his hometown of Qingdao.

Later, he fell into a slump because of his ex-wife, and it was his hometown that helped him and even acted as his guarantor.

One thing after another, one event after another, made Lü Rui personally experience the benefits of maintaining good relations with his hometown.

They really go for it when something happens!

Let's not talk about distant figures, but about his father.

The old man wasn't highly educated; he used to work in a factory as a technician.

Although I wasn't laid off after the restructuring, I was relegated to a secondary position due to my age, and my salary wasn't very high.

But because he raised such a good son as Lü Rui, he was directly assigned by the government to work in the Bureau of Culture and Tourism.

This is what they call being born with a talent for writing; you don't even need to look at the book!
Furthermore, Ruixing Cinemas' expansion in Harbin has been swift and smooth, with no other city experiencing such success.

All of this strengthened Lü Rui's resolve to give back to his hometown, as it was a win-win situation of mutual help.

Upon hearing from his son that filming had ended, Mr. Lü quickly pulled him aside and began introducing the leaders present one by one.

"Xiao Rui, this is Director Yang Jie, who is in charge of local tourism, and this is Director Li Xiaoping from the Culture Bureau..."

"Director Yang, Director Li, hello."

Lu Rui extended his hand and shook hands with the two leaders in turn, his attitude humble yet tactful.

"Director Lü, I've heard so much about you."

"I never thought that a great director could come out of Harbin, haha."

Both of them spoke in a very polite tone.

Yang Jie, who was in charge of tourism, was beaming with joy when he looked at Lü Rui.

With such a great director, there's absolutely no need to worry about tourism promotion in Harbin. As long as we maintain good relations, we're guaranteed to achieve great things!

Moreover, this morning while watching the news, he saw a news report that came from abroad.

It says that a really awesome foreign director, whose movies grossed $200 million, actually praised Lü Rui as his benefactor and mentor.

This completely changed Yang Jie's perception of Lü Rui.

It turns out that this director, who hails from his hometown, already holds such international renown!
This is truly an honor for the locals!

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two leaders immediately offered to treat Lü Rui to dinner.

"Do not bother……"

He made a few perfunctory polite remarks, and the two men opposite him immediately brought up Mr. Lü to smooth things over: "Director Lü, please give us a chance to show some hospitality. Let's all sit down and chat. And Old Lü, please come along too..."

Seeing that things were going well, Lü Rui accepted the offer.

Since they've made up their minds to give back to their hometown and solidify their foundation, they'll naturally have plenty of opportunities to strengthen relationships.

At the dinner, he didn't mince words and directly stated that the mecha they had filmed could be exhibited at the Harbin Ice and Snow World.

Of course, we won't put it on display right now; we'll have to wait until the movie is released to maximize its popularity.

Upon hearing this, Yang Jie's eyes lit up instantly. He immediately picked up his wine cup and drank three cups in a row, then tightly grasped Lü Rui's hand and said:
"Director Lü, thank you so much! Your words put my mind at ease! I also hope you can add more Harbin elements to the film and help us promote it!"

"No problem, Director Yang can rest assured about that."

Lu Rui readily agreed, but in his heart he was already planning to leave a few extra seconds of background footage during the later editing.

After all, if a lot of extra factors were added, the finished film would never be able to be released.

However, a separate promotional clip featuring Harbin could be edited in post-production.

The stunning scene of "God kneeling" alone is enough to attract many movie fans to visit the Jiangxin Beach, which is a real boost to the local tourism industry.

After the dinner ended, the leaders left.

Lu Rui first went back to the film crew, arranged for everyone to return to the capital immediately, and handed over the footage to Zhao Peng, asking him to take it back and arrange for it to be sent to Hollywood immediately.

The post-production of this scene required extremely high standards and had to be handled by Hollywood.

"After you're done with this, you can go straight home for the New Year. I've prepared a script for you. Come find me after the New Year and I'll give it to you."

"Okay, Brother Rui!"

Zhao Peng nodded excitedly, showing great enthusiasm.

Shen'ao has already submitted the script for "Nanjing Photo Studio" to the bureau for review, and it is expected to be approved smoothly in about ten days to half a month.

Zhao Peng has been a little anxious lately, thinking that Lü Rui has forgotten about him.

But now, with Lü Rui's personal promise, he is completely at ease.

Immediately afterwards, he took Rao Xiaozhi and the rest of the crew and headed straight for the airport.

After finishing up his work with the film crew, Lü Rui planned to stay overnight in his hometown before returning to the capital.

I'm usually too busy with work to come home often, so I always make sure to spend time with my family.

Besides, there's a silly girl who came with him waiting at home; he can't just leave her behind.

After filming Pacific Rim, Liu Yifei had some free time again.

Upon hearing that Lü Rui was going back to Harbin, she begged her mother for permission and then came along with him.

It was too cold today, so she decided not to go to the riverbank and stayed at home instead.

The car stopped downstairs in the residential area. As soon as Lü Rui got out of the car, he saw a figure wrapped up tightly, looking like a round little penguin, busy in the snow.

Upon closer inspection, well, it was indeed Liu Yifei building a snowman.

"Aren't you cold?" Lu Rui asked her softly.

Liu Yifei was focused on building the snowman's belly and didn't notice anyone approaching.

She turned around abruptly when she heard the sound.

When she saw it was Lü Rui, her big eyes blinked excitedly: "Senior, you're back!"

Just then, a snowflake landed on her eyelashes, making her face look even more radiant.

Lu Rui's heart skipped a beat, and he was somewhat stunned by this sudden and amazing sight.

"What are you looking at?" Liu Yifei asked, feeling a little embarrassed by his gaze. "Looking at you," Lü Rui replied seriously.

"Am I pretty?"

"It looks good." He nodded without hesitation.

"Hehe, look at my snowman, isn't it pretty?"

After saying that, she laughed and lightly jumped to the side, revealing the "masterpiece" she had worked so hard to create behind her. She even opened her hands as if introducing some rare treasure, and said with a voiceover, "Ta-da, surprise!"

Lu Rui looked up and almost couldn't hold back his laughter.

The snowman she built, just like her aesthetic sense, was simply... bizarre!
Her belly, which should have been round and plump, was full of dents, and her head was crooked. She had picked up a twig from somewhere and stuck it on the snowman's head.

But looking into her bright and expectant eyes, Lü Rui couldn't bear to undermine her confidence, so he told a white lie: "It's excellent, you did a very good job."

"Right! I think so too!" Liu Yifei put her hands on her hips, admiring her masterpiece with satisfaction. "I copied yours, and the more I look at it, the more similar it looks."

Lü Rui: "???"

Did you build this ugly snowman based on yourself?

His lips twitched, and he suddenly regretted lying.

Seeing that Liu Yifei wanted to squat down to continue making improvements, Lü Rui quickly pulled her back: "Let's go, it's too cold outside, let's go upstairs to eat."

"Oh! My snowman..."

"Don't worry, it won't get lost, no one will steal it."

Without a word, Lü Rui took her hand and led her into the apartment building, secretly thinking, "So ugly, who would want her?!"
After arriving at the top floor, Lü Rui raised his hand and knocked on his own door.

Liu Yifei silently let go of his hand, after all, the two were still in the stage of secretly dating, and very few people knew about it.

As for both sets of parents, they were completely kept in the dark.

Anyway, Lu's mother, who opened the door at this moment, definitely didn't know anything. She treated Liu Yifei as her goddaughter, unlike Liu Xiaoli, who had already raised countless questions in her mind.

"Girl? Is it cold downstairs? Come in and warm yourself up on the radiator."

Mother Lü pulled Liu Yifei over and warmly led her into the house.

“Auntie, I’m wearing gloves, so I’m not cold,” Liu Yifei replied with a smile.

The two chatted and laughed as they went straight into the living room, not even giving Lü Rui a second glance.

"???"

At the doorway, Lü Rui stood there, his head full of questions.

No, your own son just came back from the snowstorm, and you didn't even ask him a question? You just gave him a glance and sent him away?
Lu Rui almost thought he had either topped up his phone credit or been picked up from a trash can.
"Ugh."

He sighed helplessly, then changed his shoes and went to the bedroom to find his pajamas in the closet and put them on.

When she came out to take a look, good heavens, Lu's mother was holding a newly bought pink set of pajamas, letting Liu Yifei try it on.

"Auntie, I've booked a hotel..."

Liu Yifei had barely opened her mouth when she was interrupted by Lu's mother:
"Why stay in a hotel? We're back home now, it's not like we don't have a place to sleep. We'll stay here tonight, I've already prepared the guest room for you."

Without any explanation, Lu's mother made the decision for Liu Yifei, and even brought up Liu Xiaoli's name.

“When your mom came back before, she gave me your house key too. I just brought over the blanket you used to sleep with, and the big stuffed animal you used to wrap yourself in at night, I brought it all over with you as well…”

Liu Yifei blushed, secretly glanced at Lü Rui, and whispered, "Thank you, Auntie."

She went to the bedroom to change into her pajamas, while Lü Rui simply lay down on the sofa and picked up her laptop to browse the news.

Zack Snyder's praise of him has been reprinted by domestic media, accompanied by a very sophisticated headline.

[The Chinese 'Godfather' of Hollywood's Top Directors!]

Lu Rui watched with amusement.

That's right, that's how you praise someone!
He loves to hear it!
Besides that, the hottest news right now is the news about the "The Forbidden Kingdom" film crew.

Jackie Chan has successfully returned to China from "Rush Hour 3" and has begun training for the production team.

Li Lianjie, who is also undergoing training, launched the "One Foundation." With the help of Huayi Brothers, many celebrities in the industry donated money and supplies, creating a huge buzz.

Online, many netizens are now commenting on the blogs of various celebrities, urging them to take action and do good deeds instead of pretending to be dead...

Also no one.

Even though Lü Rui was unwilling to follow the crowd, he had no choice but to take action now that he was being swept along by the tide.

So he decided to go online and check it out first.

Han Hong's charity foundation has not yet been established...

After much thought, the only reliable approach seems to be to address the issue through national-level channels.

More than ten minutes later, Lü Rui picked up his phone and dialed Hou Hongliang's number.

"Chairman Lü? Is something the matter?"

"Please make arrangements to donate a sum of money to Project Hope in my own name and in the name of my company. It would be best to ensure that the funds are used to build schools and other tangible projects."

"Okay, I understand. I'll contact the person in charge of Project Hope right away."

"Find some media outlets to give it some publicity, but don't go overboard. Find the right balance," Lu Rui advised.

Ordinary people can do good deeds anonymously, but public figures should try to leave their names.

If the primary school could be named after Rui Vision, Lü Rui wouldn't mind making an additional donation, or even taking direct responsibility for the construction of a Hope Primary School in a certain area.

He never considered himself a great philanthropist, but he never refused or resisted doing what he could.

Even if I am maliciously smeared in the future, it doesn't matter.

A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions; at worst, one can just be a "hypocrite" for life.

...

As darkness fell outside, Mr. Lü returned home with a radiant face; the swirling snow could not dampen his burning passion.

"Oh? What's wrong? Why are you so happy? Did you find some money?" Mrs. Lü looked at him in surprise.

"Haha, the boss praised me for having a good son, which has brought honor to Harbin."

"Look at how smug you are. You're a grown man, aren't you ashamed?" Mrs. Lü rolled her eyes at him, then called out to the living room, "Qianqian, dinner's ready."

"I'll serve the food!"

Liu Yifei rushed into the kitchen, but before she could even reach out, she was pushed out by Lu's mother: "You're not needed, let him do it!"

Lu Rui, who followed behind, shook his head helplessly, walked into the kitchen, and complained while carrying the dishes: "Anyone who didn't know better would think she's your biological daughter and I'm an adopted child."

These words made Liu Yifei cover her mouth and giggle.

After dinner, the family of four sat around in the living room and watched the currently popular TV series "New Shanghai Bund" for a while.

Huang Xiaoming's Xu Wenqiang and Sun Li's Feng Chengcheng have undoubtedly been the focus of online discussion recently, and the show has also achieved very high ratings.

However, Lü Rui stared at Ding Li, played by Huang Haibo, for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.

In his previous life, the controversy surrounding him was a hot topic in the industry.

But later there was no definite answer, and nobody knew who he had offended, thus ruining his promising future for no reason...

After watching just one episode, Mr. and Mrs. Lü started yawning.

"You two should go to sleep early, don't you have to catch a flight tomorrow?"

After giving a few words of advice, the two went back to their bedroom to sleep.

The moment the bedroom door closed, Liu Yifei quickly moved closer to Lü Rui and slipped her small hand into his arms.

Why are your hands so cold?

Lu Rui felt the coolness on his skin and looked at her with some surprise. The heating in the house was clearly quite strong.

"Girls are all like this, they get especially cold in winter. I always sleep with my mom at home."

As she spoke, she moved even closer.

Unlike her, Lü Rui was like a giant furnace, his body burning hot.

"Why don't you come sleep in my room tonight? I can warm your bed for you," Lü Rui suggested seriously.

But the next second, Liu Yifei saw through his little scheme, crossed her arms over her chest, and glared at him reproachfully: "You're trying to be a pervert!"

She is a person who is relatively open-minded in thought, but rather conservative in body.

Many female celebrities and actresses in the industry go to take sexy photos or even act in exaggerated and revealing film and television works.

But she is different; she takes special care of her body and will not actively cross her own boundaries.

She would take the initiative to boldly express her desire to get closer to Lü Rui, but that doesn't mean her initiative was cheap.

Although the two are currently in a romantic relationship, she feels that it's not yet time to do the kinds of intimate things described in books.

It wasn't just because it was inconvenient here; more importantly, she felt she hadn't yet found enough reasons to entrust herself to someone else.

When that day comes, she will automatically release all her love without Lü Rui even having to ask.

It's the kind of complete and unreserved!

Good girls should not be let down.

Lu Rui chuckled and reached out to tap her head: "You still don't trust me? I promise you, I'll just hold you while we sleep, I absolutely won't do anything inappropriate."

Liu Yifei looked at him intently, and after a moment, nodded gently.

She had a lot of faith in Lü Rui's credibility.

The main reason is that he fulfilled all the promises he made to her and helped her in many, many ways.

So, what can she give back?

You know, she's not the kind of person who has no conscience, especially since they're currently in a relationship...

"Okay, that's decided then. Let him act a little bit like a hooligan..."

(End of this chapter)