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

Chapter 276 A ready-made "gun" has been delivered to my door! (Seeking monthly votes)

"The historical/war film 'Red Cliff,' co-produced by China Film Group, Polybona Films, Yinghuang Films, and Orange Sky Films, directed by Wu Yu, and starring Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and Lin Chih-ling, has quietly started filming in the Shidu Scenic Area."

The 60th Cannes International Film Festival awards ceremony officially concluded last night, with the Romanian film "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" winning the Palme d'Or.

"Tudou.com's new round of financing has been successfully completed..."

...

It was another new Saturday, and Lü Rui got up early and went straight to Ruixing Group.

As one of the fastest-growing video websites, Tudou.com, with the continuous support of Ruishijie over the past two years, has consistently ranked among the top in the industry in terms of both content reserves and user scale.

Even so, if it wants to continue to develop, it will inevitably need to continue to raise funds.

After all, starting a video website requires burning through a lot of money in the early stages.

Buying copyrights, building servers, and doing promotion all require huge sums of money. If you slack off even slightly, you will be ruthlessly crushed by your competitors.

Since Zhou Haoran was transferred to be in charge of Ruixing Cinema's business, the task of coordinating with Tudou.com was handed over to his former deputy, Xu Tao.

As soon as Lü Rui entered the office, Xu Tao immediately stood up to greet him: "Chairman Lü, you've arrived."

"Sit down." Lü Rui waved his hand, walked straight to the sofa and sat down, asking directly, "Did Tudou.com run into any problems with this round of financing?"

“No problem, the talks went very smoothly, and the funds have been arriving in installments.” Xu Tao handed over a financing report.

Lu Rui took the report, flipped through two pages, and focused on the shareholding ratio column: "What is the total shareholding of Tudou.com that we currently hold?"

In previous rounds of financing, Ruixing Group has never been absent, and its current share has already exceeded 30%.

Xu Tao blurted out, "It's already reached 41%."

"Okay." Lu Rui nodded in satisfaction, then his expression turned serious and his tone became solemn: "You must keep a close eye on that side in the coming days, especially on Wang Wei. Don't let him mess things up in terms of operations. You must stabilize the current situation."

That guy's been flying around abroad a lot lately, and whenever we talk on the phone, he keeps talking about making a Chinese YouTube. He's getting so arrogant..."

In Lü Rui's view, Tudou.com's current core focus should be on stabilizing its core business, rather than pursuing unrealistic goals like "internationalization."
It's not a good sign to be eager to fly before you've even learned to walk.

With Sohu, LeTV, and Youku all closely following behind, if something were to happen to them at this time, it would be like digging their own grave!
“I understand, Chairman Lü. I will emphasize this to him next time we meet,” Xu Tao quickly replied.

Lu Rui then gave a few more instructions regarding the details of the content collaboration, and seeing that it was getting late, he stood up and said:
"Alright, I have a lunch appointment, I'll be going now."

"Let me see you out." Xu Tao quickly stood up.

"No need, you go ahead with your work."

Lu Rui waved his hand, left Ruixing Group, and drove straight to a private restaurant on the East Third Ring Road.

Yesterday, he made an appointment with Zhang Piming and Han Sanping to get together today and talk about the approval of "Qin's Moon: The Night Ends and the Dawn Begins".

The car sped along and soon stopped in front of the private restaurant.

Lu Rui got out of the car and went inside, where he met with the front desk manager to discuss the preparation of the private room and the food.

After confirming that everything was in order, he waited in the lobby for a while.

About ten minutes later, an Audi A6 pulled up in front of the door.

Lu Rui quickly greeted them with a smile, and greeted Han Sanping and Zhang Piming who got out of the car.

"General Manager Han, Director Zhang..."

"Haha, we're not late, are we?" Zhang Piming said with a smile.

Lü Rui added, "The timing is perfect; I just arrived a little while ago."

Han Sanping glanced at his watch and explained, "We just came from the Shidu Scenic Area. We rushed here as fast as we could, but luckily we weren't late."

"Is the opening ceremony for 'Red Cliff' already taken place?" Lu Rui asked as he led the two inside.

He saw the news that the film had quietly started shooting in the Shidu scenic area that morning.

"Nothing can be done, but China Film Group is the producer after all, we can't just turn a blind eye." Han Sanping's tone was clearly tinged with frustration as he said this.

Lu Rui wisely refrained from pressing further and instead said to the waiter, "Everyone's here, let's serve the food."

The three of them then went into the private room.

While waiting for the food to be served, Zhang Piming took a sip of tea and, without waiting for Lü Rui to ask further, said:

"I've already found out about the matter you asked me to do before. It's mainly because of the influence of 'Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit Seven Heroes' that the animation censorship is quite strict now."

Don't worry, I've already communicated with the relevant departments. The content of "Qin's Moon" is fine; it just needs a few shots adjusted slightly. We should have the results next week.

Hearing this, Lü Rui finally felt relieved: "That's good, thank you for your trouble, Director Zhang."

“Why are you being so polite with me?” Zhang Piming smiled. “Besides, if Ruishijie’s animation is good, it’s contributing to the industry, so I definitely have to support it.”

"So what exactly is going on with Rainbow Cat?"

Upon hearing this, Lü Rui's expression instantly turned cold.

He suddenly remembered those toxic textbook incidents from his past life; weren't they also caused by this group of people behind the scenes?
They all use the guise of internationalization, but are actually smuggling in their own agendas...

"These people are a real black sheep!" he couldn't help but curse, his tone full of anger.

Zhang Piming didn't continue the conversation, but simply lit a cigarette in silence.

There are some things that Lü Rui, as the owner of a private film and television company, can say, but as someone within the system, he cannot freely discuss them and can only touch upon them briefly.

Fortunately, at that moment, the waiter brought the last dish to the table.

Lu Rui quickly refilled their glasses and changed the subject: "Let's not talk about these unpleasant things. You two should try the signature dishes here. I come here often, and the taste is quite good."

"Okay, have a taste."

"I was just feeling hungry, haha."

The three chatted over a meal, discussing everything from animation censorship to future trends in the film and television industry, and then moved on to the post-production of "Pacific Rim".

Lu Rui specifically mentioned that the special effects team is adjusting the details of the fight between the mechs and the monsters in order to present a more stunning visual effect.

Han Sanping and Zhang Piming listened with great interest.

"By the way, what are your plans for that 'Reversal of Life' project, with its 3.5 million investment?"

As they were chatting, Han Sanping suddenly changed the subject.

He was quite interested in this project, but so much time has passed and there's still no sign of it from Ruishijie.

That's strange, isn't it?
Lu Rui put down his chopsticks, smiled and said, "I plan to organize a meeting next Tuesday to invite all interested investors to come and have a chat."

This project involves combining portrait special effects with realistic themes; it's quite complex, and we need to finalize all the details first.

"Okay, then I'll go there myself." Han Sanping didn't press the matter further.

He knew that Lü Rui always had a plan and would never neglect China Film Group, after all, the two sides had cooperated for many years and had a tacit understanding.

After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation eventually turned to "Red Cliff".

Han Sanping's face visibly darkened. He took a big gulp of wine and couldn't help but complain, "That Wu Yu, he really keeps ruining my plans!"

He is currently at a crucial stage of succession, but "Red Cliff" is facing constant troubles.

First, the budget was overrun, then the filming schedule was delayed, and even higher-ups started to take notice.

He had no choice but to add a large sum of money to barely get the project started.

Lu Rui asked instinctively, "Since it's so troublesome, why can't we cut our losses in time?"

In his view, if Ruishijie were in this situation, they would have replaced the director and stopped the project long ago, and would never have stubbornly endured the pressure to increase investment.

Doing so will only lead to further trouble and will be completely counterproductive.

"Sigh! Don't even mention it." Han Sanping sighed deeply, downed another glass of wine, and looked utterly dejected.

Seeing this, Zhang Piming, who was standing nearby, offered an explanation: "State-owned enterprises are different from your private enterprises. If it were you, you could withdraw your investment and cut your losses."

But if China Film Group withdraws its investment and the project falls through, it could be considered a loss of state-owned assets, which would change the nature of the case.

Lü Rui suddenly realized!

He hadn't considered the concerns within the system just now.

No wonder Han Sanping had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it. If he didn't film it, his future might be affected, but if he did film it, even if he lost money in the end, he could explain it as an investment failure, which was better than being accused of losing state-owned assets.

Moreover, film investment is notoriously risky, so it's normal to lose money.

However, Wu Yu was too greedy in the "Red Cliff" project, causing too much trouble and making everyone look bad.

Thinking about it, Lü Rui couldn't help but sigh, "President Han, your job isn't easy either!"

He used to think that state-owned enterprises had a lot of resources, but now he realizes that the pressure they bear behind the scenes is not small at all.

"Who says it's not?"

Han Sanping started muttering complaints again, beginning with Wu Yu's two-faced and shady dealings, and then moving on to this year's Cannes Film Festival...

China Film Group sent several films there, but they didn't even get a consolation prize; it was a wasted trip...

Lu Rui listened to his complaints, but most of them went in one ear and out the other.

In this circle, such private complaints are common, and it's even a way to build relationships.

But everyone knew in their hearts that they had to keep quiet once they left the private room.

People who spread gossip and make slurs will never go far in this circle.

As the drinking party was nearing its end, Han Sanping was already quite drunk, and Zhang Piming and Lü Rui helped him into the car.

The three said goodbye in the parking lot.

Han Sanping didn't forget to remind Lü Rui, "I'm counting on you from now on. The projects 'Dying to Survive' and 'Pacific Rim' absolutely cannot go wrong... If they succeed, I'll owe you a huge favor..."

"Okay, don't worry."

Lu Rui nodded seriously in agreement, and only after watching the two get into the car and leave did he turn around and get into his own car.

He had just vaguely sensed that it might be a bit difficult for Han Sanping to take over smoothly.

It seems someone is using "Red Cliff" and "The Warlords" as a pretext to keep dragging him along...

"Dying to Survive" and "Pacific Rim" have undoubtedly become some of his current hopes.

Thinking of this, Lü Rui immediately had an idea.

The relative importance of favors between the vice president of China Film Group and the chairman of China Film Group is self-evident.

This weekend, Lü Rui was busy every single day.

The following morning, he drove to another private restaurant.

However, this time someone else treated him to dinner.

The person who extended the invitation was none other than Jia Zhangke, a leading figure among the sixth generation of directors!

As soon as Lü Rui arrived at the restaurant entrance, he saw Jia Zhangke waiting in the lobby, a cigarette between his fingers, looking worried.

"Director Jia."

After getting out of the car, Lü Rui stepped forward and greeted them upon entering.

Actually, his feelings about Jia Zhangke were quite complicated.

In terms of talent, the other party's works such as "Platform" and "Still Life" do indeed demonstrate profound insights into reality, making him one of the best among the sixth generation of directors.

However, when it came to ideas, the other party's occasional deliberate attempts to "show off their poverty" made him somewhat uncomfortable.

"Director Lü, we've been waiting for you! Please come in."

As soon as Jia Zhangke saw Lü Rui, he quickly stubbed out his cigarette and greeted him warmly, his tone unusually familiar, "I've been wanting to talk to you for a long time, but I haven't had the chance until today. I'm so glad I did."

The two walked into the private room side by side.

Several small dishes of appetizers were already laid out on the table.

Jia Zhangke skillfully poured tea for Lü Rui: "The Shanxi cuisine at this restaurant is very authentic. I specially asked the chef to prepare a few dishes from my hometown. Director Lü, would you like to try them?"

Lü Rui smiled and nodded: "Okay, thanks to Director Jia, I'll try this Shanxi cuisine."

As he spoke, he unconsciously thought of what Chu Yunfei said in the TV series "Bright Sword".

Besides noodles, Shanxi doesn't seem to have many other distinctive dishes, does it?
During the meeting, Jia Zhangke first talked about filmmaking.

He spoke of the current living conditions of sixth-generation directors and the market predicament of art films, his words filled with emotion.

Lu Rui listened patiently, occasionally interjecting a few words, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.

After several rounds of drinks, Jia Zhangke finally put down his glass and revealed his true purpose.

"Director Lü, the reason I invited you here today is actually to discuss something with you." He leaned forward slightly, his eyes serious. "As you know, art films have very little room to survive in China. They are shown in theaters very rarely, and many good films don't even have the chance to meet the audience."

Ruixing Cinemas is a rising star in the industry. Could you consider opening a few dedicated theaters for art-house films? That way, they could get more screenings of future Chinese art-house films, preventing good works from being overlooked.

Upon hearing this, Lü Rui instantly understood.

Previously, when "Still Life" was released, Jia Zhangke publicly criticized Zhang Weiping's "Curse of the Golden Flower" for "squeezing out screenings of art films."

That war of words caused quite a stir in the industry!

From that moment on, he was determined to fight for more space for art films.

However, he lacked the capital to build his own cinema chain, so he could only negotiate with major cinema chains.

Seeing that Lü Rui remained silent, Jia Zhangke became somewhat anxious and added, "Director Lü, this is not just my idea; it's a shared thought among the fifth and sixth generation of art-house film directors."

"As long as you're willing to help, we're happy to lend a hand whenever Vision needs us, whether it's for script polishing or director resources. Mutual support is always better than working alone."

Lu Rui's heart stirred slightly.

He clearly understood the characteristics of the Fifth Generation directors.

Many of these people are referred to as "underground directors".

The works produced by these people are often either banned or taken down due to sensitive subject matter, or are frequently prohibited from being directed.

However, some of these individuals are exceptionally bold, frequently challenging the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, demanding that Hollywood adopt a film rating system, and even publicly criticizing the censorship system as "rigid."

They had previously submitted joint letters to the government, calling for the relaxation of censorship restrictions, but had not received a response from higher authorities.

"Huh? They're letting the censors go?!"

Lu Rui's eyes suddenly lit up, and an idea quickly formed in his mind.

He's currently worried about how to completely shut down the path for introducing "Lust, Caution" to the mainland!
This film deals with sensitive topics and contains explicit scenes. If Bona Film Group wants to import it, it will most likely do so under the guise of art films requiring open censorship.

The fifth generation of directors has been calling for "relaxation of censorship."

If we can get them to exert their efforts at this juncture and publicly demand reform of the review process, it will inevitably arouse the vigilance of the higher authorities, leading to a tightening of the review standards.

At that time, not only "Lust, Caution" but also other films that skirt the line will be strictly controlled.

"Isn't this a ready-made 'gun'?!"

Lu Rui instantly became excited.

By having the fifth-generation directors fight for him, he could both use their influence to suppress "Lust, Caution" and save himself some effort—a win-win situation!
However, he remained expressionless, took a sip of his wine, and slowly said, "Director Jia, I need to discuss the matter of art-house film screenings with the theater chain team. After all, it involves operating costs and box office revenue, so I can't make the decision on my own."

However, I do agree with your thoughts on the censorship system. Good art needs to be inclusive, and art films should indeed be given more space.

He did not make a direct promise, but he subtly expressed his support for relaxing censorship on the production of art films.

This gave Jia Zhangke hope and also laid the groundwork for leveraging external resources later on.

Jia Zhangke thought that Lü Rui had relented, and immediately perked up: "If Director Lü agrees, we can speak out together in the future. The more people there are, the more strength we have, and we can always push for change."

"Great! If we have the chance, we can find more like-minded friends and chat together."

Lu Rui smiled and agreed, but he had already figured out the next step of the plan in his mind.

Next, all he needs to do is quietly fuel the flames and raise the profile of the fifth-generation directors, and things will naturally develop in the direction he desires.

Lust, Caution must die!

Even if Jesus came, he couldn't keep them!

He said it!
(End of this chapter)