The only sun in Huayu

Chapter 108 As if on the brink of an abyss (14) Requesting monthly votes!

new York.

Paperclip sat in his study, the sky outside the window was clear, but his heart was filled with gloom.

Paperclip couldn't remember the last time it had been so troubled; the statement had been posted five or six days ago.

There was absolutely no sound from over there!

The time difference was inexplicable. Sometimes he wondered if Shen Shandeng was too busy to respond.

Pinching my brow and looking out the window at the sky, an indescribable sense of irritability and suffocation welled up in my chest.

busy?
Shen Shandeng is practically dominating all the entertainment headlines in China right now, how could he not have seen it?
This statement was written by Paperclip after much deliberation, with a heart full of pain.

The attitude is humble enough, and the praise is given with style.

It saves face and seems to encourage those who are less advanced, but in reality, it subtly extends an olive branch.

Let's stop here and go our separate ways, okay?
He gave up!

He anticipated all sorts of reactions from Shen Shandeng: an arrogant response, a contemptuous disregard, or even more intense attacks; he had prepared countermeasures for all of them.

But he never expected it to be such a complete, silent silence, as if he didn't exist at all.

It's like punching a pile of cotton with full force; you don't hear a sound, but you strain your back.

"These things will pass in time," Mrs. Paperclip comforted her.

The paperclip didn't say anything.

The computer screen in front of me moved; it was from China, and there was also an email from my best partner, James.

Open news links and emails from China.

At the celebration banquet, Shen Shandeng, star of "The Eunuch," won 300 million at the box office and received a 10 million bonus.
These words repeatedly assaulted his vision.

He also saw Han Sanping's speech.

The four words "damp metaphor" were like a sharp knife, piercing his deepest doubts and anxieties.

The excuse of pursuing the complexity of art and the darkness of human nature has been exposed, and it seems so fragile and so out of place.

Especially when compared to the grand narrative of "The Eunuch"—a work of righteousness and historical brilliance—and the market frenzy, his works seem like murmurs hidden in the shadows.

Paperclip tried calling several friends on the mainland to get a more accurate picture of the situation.

But the responses were either vague or the person said they were already asleep and couldn't answer the phone.

An invisible chill is spreading from across the ocean.

Paperclip suddenly realized that Shen Shandeng had been brewing something even more ruthless!
The silence itself is the harshest response to his statement!

His "certification" seemed to have sunk without a trace, not even making a splash.

Shen Shandeng simply ignored the challenge, giving him no opportunity to make an excuse or even ease the situation.

Instead, the last remaining voices that were struggling to defend him and "The Sin" lost all their confidence and quickly fell silent due to the suspected defection of the head coach.

The spotlight of public opinion is now focused even more intensely and without reservation on "The Eunuch" and Shen Shandeng!

Shen Shandeng used his statement as the final fuel to push the popularity of "The Grand Tutor" to an unprecedented peak!
In fact, Shen Shandeng succeeded!
Looking at the trend in the third week, it still exceeded 100 million!
Ten million dollars in box office revenue in a single week is not a low figure even in Hollywood!
Behind the celebration banquet for "The Eunuch" was the complete exploitation of all the value of "The Sinner," leaving not even a scrap of bone!
The paperclip felt a chill.

This young man's grasp of public opinion and timing is ruthless and chilling.

He found that he had not only lost the argument, but even his last attempt to leave gracefully had become part of the other party's feast.

This feeling of being completely exploited and ignored is a hundred times more humiliating than being verbally abused!
Suddenly.

The paperclip felt deeply uneasy.

He recalled Shen Shandeng's "praise-to-death" remarks at the premiere, at which time he only felt that the young man was too arrogant and even somewhat rude.

Looking back now, it wasn't rudeness, but a precise prediction and a fatal blow!
Shen Shandeng had long seen the malice hidden in "Creating Sin" and did not hesitate to choose the way that was most beneficial to himself, standing on the moral and market high ground.

Too perceptive, and too ruthless!
An unprecedented sense of powerlessness and fear gripped the paperclip.

In his mind, Chinese people always know when to stop!

Shen Shandeng never directly named him.

Sarcastic or unsavory remarks don't count!

It's also possible that Shen Shandeng is wrong; we should be more tolerant of young people.

Paperclip wasn't afraid of criticism, nor was he afraid of implicating his partners who trusted and supported him.

He was afraid of losing a burgeoning cultural market, a market that, though not explicitly stated, was indeed his most important asset.

Losing this asset would be a huge loss for him.

Shen Shandeng's "theory of interests" is crude, but the reasoning is incisive.

The competition in Hollywood is brutal!

After calming his turbulent emotions, Paperclip opened James's email again.

It's to send him back to China.

James Shams was pacing anxiously on the other side.

"They saw everything! They saw everything!"

When James learned that Shen Shandeng had proclaimed the "Chinese core + Chinese visual effects" as the key to wealth, he broke out in a cold sweat.

This is even more shocking than when "The Creation" was banned. It's a completely new market logic and a completely new discourse system.

If Shen Shandeng succeeds, the cost for them to manipulate culture in the future will be several times, or even ten or dozens of times, greater than it is now.

Paperclip closed James's emails, no longer wanting to deal with them. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

The study was eerily quiet; the only sound was my own somewhat disordered breathing.

He knew that Jiang Zhiqiang was under several times more pressure on the mainland than he was, but there was nothing he could do, nor did he want to.

After all.

He has titles such as art master, film master, and internationally renowned director.

Even in the worst-case scenario, there is still a way out.

BJ Night.

early morning.

"We failed! We failed completely! It's over! Everything is over!"

Chalperic was dejected.

Everything has collapsed; the situation and public sentiment are in serious trouble!
What are we doing now, and how are we going to do it?
To whitewash "The Sinful Acts," to fabricate "The Eunuch," and to target Shen Shandeng?

However, this is currently a trilogy, and "The Eunuch" broke records, making Shen Shandeng the highest-grossing director, backed by the support of millions of viewers.

Smith didn't expect the commissioner to break down like this: "Commissioner, we have a hidden network."

"It's no use," Chapel Peric said in despair. "Nothing works anymore. It's become a system. It's not about industrial upgrading, or Eastern costumes, or the soul of the East. It's about raising the banner of Chinese core + Chinese visual effects. The root is the film industry, and the market fully recognizes it."

"The film industry! This is a real industry; it receives so much support. Narrative is self-narrative, completely crushing the narratives of others." "Deconstructing the influence of the Olympics, linking it to Zhang Yimou and 'The Sin,' and then guiding the film market strategy here—our initial goals have become outdated topics. Everything has been overturned! Completely ruined!"

Smith comforted him, "Commissioner, look on the bright side. Even if you succeed, it'll just be for your own amusement; you won't be able to go to sea."

Chalperic didn't even look up: "They have 1.3 billion people. We're not those dogs. Don't we understand the market power here? This isn't just potential; it's a terrifyingly massive market! Shen Shandeng has opened it up!"

Smith was numb, and Chalperrick had even lost his basic courage, but he had to encourage him: "We have many ways. This is a conservative cultural direction, and Han Sanping has a tendency to be closed off."

Chalperrick dismissed the notion: "With record-breaking achievements and a promising film industry in the face of such a situation, it's pointless unless it's a complete failure."

Smith was seething with anger. If it weren't for the fact that his relationship with Smith wasn't over, he wouldn't have bothered with any more words: "We can put pressure on them through the WTO."

Chalperic shook his head again: "Too slow, and it only proves that this direction is correct."

Smith advised, "We still have sugar-coated bullets, and we can also block the subsequent review. We have a net that can strangle him."

Chalperrick denied this, saying, "But our deterrence has run out. Not only is there no more deterrence, we are also being deterred in return. From now on, filmmakers here will have to consider Shen Shandeng's opinion before making any historical films."

"The 'Creation' was completely wiped out, in every aspect and around the clock, from professionalism to public opinion to the market! Do you understand?"

"We can't stop it anymore, we've failed! Utterly failed!"

Smith gritted his teeth and said, "We still have a prepared plan, and we haven't played many cards yet. We can offer him terms, and Shen Shandeng has always praised us."

"Then go ahead and do it." Chalperic said listlessly, took out a bottle of painkillers, mixed them with alcohol, and gulped them down.

After waiting a while, she broke down: "Damn it! I can't even relax here! What kind of medicine is this? The dosage is so low! It's so bitter!"

Upon seeing this, a fierce glint flashed in Smith's eyes.

Early Friday morning.

A suite in a five-star hotel in Beijing.

The heavy curtains blocked out the morning sunlight, as well as vitality and warmth.

Only one dim wall lamp was on inside.

The room was filled with anxiety and bitterness.

Jiang Zhiqiang hadn't slept all night and abruptly stubbed out his cigar.

On the coffee table in front of him were several copies of today's newspapers spread out.

The eye-catching headlines in the People's Daily and Guangming Daily were like red-hot branding irons, burning his eyes.

"A grand celebration banquet was held for 'The Eunuch,' and Han Sanping claimed it 'rectified the reputation of Chinese films'!"

Shen Shandeng announced a multi-million dollar reward for the team and unveiled the "cinematic universe" plan!

Experts are enthusiastically discussing: "The Du Gong" successfully proves that the path of "rooting in local culture" is the right direction!

Every line of text was like a slap in the face, a hard blow to his cheek.

Han Sanping's assertion that the film "is not a film with dark and metaphorical undertones" is, in this industry, no different from pointing fingers and cursing in the street, even though he did not name names.

This practically defines the nature of the "Creating Evil" incident: it's not aboveboard, not upright, it's gloomy, and it's metaphorical.

"Rectify his name! Whose name does Han Sanping want to rectify? Whose corpse is he using to bolster his reputation?!"

Jiang Zhiqiang's voice was filled with barely suppressed anger and despair.

I knew things would turn out badly, but now the moment has finally arrived.

That kind of despair burned in his heart.

He knew that Han Sanping's words were not meant for the public, but for other parties, for all those who were still observing and hesitating.

This is using the overwhelming success of "The Eunuch" with its 300 million yuan box office to drive the final showdown.

The movie channel is currently broadcasting a montage of reports on the celebration banquet for "The Eunuch," followed by a preview of tonight's interview with Shen Shandeng.

Shen Shandeng's young yet composed face, Han Sanping's spirited speech, the scene of industry leaders raising their glasses in congratulations, and the ice shards and champagne flying during the "ice-breaking" ceremony.

All of this together forms a grand picture of victory, vibrant, passionate, and full of power.

Every frame of this picture is like a cold needle piercing Jiang Zhiqiang's heart.

He recalled that just over a month ago, when "The Sin" was at its peak, he was also surrounded by flashing lights and congratulations.

At that time, he was a visionary producer who propelled Chinese-language films onto the international stage.

But now, the once splendid and prosperous times have turned into a mirage.

All that remains is the biting cold and endless darkness before the final judgment.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the celebratory banquet for "The Eunuch" was still in full swing, and the golden rain seemed destined to fall forever.

the phone is ringing.

It was an old acquaintance of his, and Jiang Zhiqiang practically lunged forward to answer the phone.

"Director Li, how's it going? Any news?"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a heavy sigh: "Producer Jiang, alas, now, the focus of the argument is no longer you two."

"What is that?" Jiang Zhiqiang was initially delighted, but his heart sank suddenly.

Producer Jiang.
You used to call me Old Jiang!

"Yes, how will it ultimately be characterized?"

The other party's voice was extremely low: "At present, it is probably an extremely serious error in historical perspective. The achievements of 'The Eunuch' are too frightening. This is real public opinion, and it is demanded that we deeply reflect on this and set an example for others."

"Extremely serious?" Jiang Zhiqiang wanted to laugh, but found that he didn't even have the strength to laugh. He could only laugh and cry at the same time.

The discussion wasn't really about the production company, but he desperately wanted the focus to be on them!
This is an extremely serious error in historical perspective. The prefix "extremely serious" indicates that it is not just serious, nor is it relatively serious; it is extremely serious.

If this is the final characterization, what does it mean?
This means that "The Creation" will become a negative example, and that everyone involved, especially the creators and investors from this side, front-end and back-end developers, may face a long period of cold treatment or even more serious consequences.

This means that the network and market that Jiang Zhiqiang has cultivated over the years may, no! be, being destroyed or already destroyed.

The key point is that he can't escape either!

Yes, 300 million in box office revenue, an unshakeable mountain.

At this point, any defense of "The Creation" appears pale and laughable in the face of this naked market choice.

Yes, the shoe is finally dropping.

Shen Shandeng praised "The Creation of Evil" to death, giving it so much leeway and room for maneuver. In the end, if it didn't fall on their heads, whose heads would it fall on?

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Zhiqiang slumped onto the sofa, his back soaked with cold sweat.

Fear, like cold vines, slowly coiled and tightened around his heart.

"Jiang Sheng, are you alright?" Tang Wei asked with concern and fear.

Jiang Zhiqiang was in excruciating pain, but he still had to smile.

First, it was a fake smile, then a thought flashed through my mind, and it turned into a real smile.

(End of this chapter)