The only sun in Huayu

Chapter 127: Fighting the Elite! (24)
Unlike her tentative approach when rehearsing lines, once the recording officially began, Chai Jing sat upright in front of the camera with her signature calm and slightly melancholic expression.

Her voice also became more peaceful, magnetic, and gentle.

"Good evening, and welcome to Face to Face. This week, a new record was set in the Chinese film market. A film called 'The Eunuch' has achieved an astonishing box office figure, surpassing 'Titanic,' which held the record for nearly ten years, and is now close to 4 million RMB."

"This number has put its director, Shen Shandeng, who is only 25 years old, in the spotlight. Applause and controversy have come at the same time. Today, we will have a face-to-face conversation with director Shen Shandeng."

The camera slowly pans to Shen Shandeng.

Shen Shandeng still didn't wear a suit, even though the production team asked him to.

After all, the production team couldn't make him say thank you for several minutes in a row.

She was still wearing a white long-sleeved T-shirt, only with a fleece lining, and jeans. Her expression was calm and composed, exuding a youthful, student-like vibe, without trying to appear mature.

His face, though not conventionally handsome, was brimming with vitality, a stark contrast to Chai Jing's serene and lifeless demeanor.

"Welcome, Director Shen."

Chai Jing nodded slightly, a cold smile playing on her lips. The rehearsal just now was merely an appetizer; she would show Shen Shandeng the true capabilities of a media professional.

"Director Shen, congratulations. How does it feel to break a record? Especially surpassing a symbol like Titanic that is almost considered a 'myth'."

Shen Shandeng met her gaze, smiled, and said, "Thank you. It feels like the market has come alive. It proves that Chinese audiences are willing to go to the cinema for the movies they like. This record doesn't belong to me, it belongs to all the ticket buyers. It's more like a signal, telling us that this path is viable."

Chai Jing nodded slightly, but then subtly shifted her tone, offering a friendly reminder: "A very strong signal. But sometimes a strong signal can mask weaker voices. Are you worried that this success is too powerful?"

If the interviewer is unfamiliar with Chai Jing or is unprepared, they would be stunned at this moment.

Chai Jing changed her previous straightforward approach, starting with a small entry point and gradually unfolding the topic using her best ability to empathize.

However, Shen Shandeng merely raised an eyebrow and retorted, "Isn't being strong a good thing? Chinese cinema has been weak for too long."

Chai Jing's eyes were full of concern, not doubt or denial, but genuine care.

"I'm referring to another concern. When one voice becomes too loud, does it make it difficult for other voices to participate? For example, while 'The Eunuch' was released and achieved great success, another highly anticipated film, 'The Sin,' was pulled from theaters early. What do you think of this ebb and flow?"

Her tone was gentle, yet every word she spoke carried a sharp edge.

The competition for commercial slots has been cleverly transformed into a struggle for cultural space, subtly pointing the finger at the success of "The Eunuch" itself.

This was a meticulously planned surprise attack!

Shen Shandeng did not follow the route that Chai Jing had planned at all.

Upon hearing this, her eyes gleamed slightly, and her voice trembled with emotion: "We've been wronged so much!"

Chai Jing was stunned.

It's different from when we're matching words!

Chai Jing also considered that Shen Shandeng might have different responses.

Perhaps the emphasis will be on market behavior, that once a film is released, it will be taken off the screens;
Perhaps it will be said that "The Eunuch" and "The Sinner" are different genres, and that the audience can choose what they want;

Perhaps they're pushing it to the relevant authorities.
Or it can still emphasize matters of principle, such as maintaining a basic sense of awe for history and heroes in any work of art, which is the bottom line.

The only option that wasn't Chai Jing's choice was to suffer injustice, because Shen Shandeng had always been the one with the upper hand in the struggle with "The Creation of Evil".

During previous rehearsals, Shen Shandeng and Shen Shandeng were evenly matched, so why is he feeling wronged?

Shen Shandeng was also helpless!
Chai Jing's performance, to some extent, confirmed Shen Shandeng's bad premonition.

When Chai Jing talks about "The Sin," she doesn't discuss why it was taken off the screens; she goes straight to the point. It's like someone defending themselves and only focusing on the act of fighting back, without discussing why they fought back.

This is too much like journalism magic. The formal interviews were even more subtle and insidious, frankly, a bit vicious.

However, Shen Shandeng was targeting elite troops!

"Feeling wronged?" Chai Jing panicked for a moment, her tone questioning. Realizing what she had done, she immediately lowered her voice and returned to a concerned tone: "What are you feeling wronged about?"

Shen Shandeng became increasingly dejected: "We seem to be the ones taking the initiative, but in reality, I'm the one on the defensive. I'm just a college student, a kid who's been brought to my doorstep and forced to fight back in self-defense."

“If I could, I wouldn’t want to do this either. But using the blood of heroes to whitewash traitors is not only an insult to my intelligence, but also an insult to my character and the dignity of the nation.”

Chai Jing was completely dumbfounded!

Shameless! Utterly shameless! You destroyed "The Sinner" and you're still complaining?
They keep referring to students as "college students," but who doesn't know the special weight that the term "college student" carries in the domestic communication context?

Chai Jing reluctantly grasped the word "insult," attempting to steer the conversation back onto her pre-set track: "You mentioned 'insult.' But does artistic creation need to be..."

She plans to discuss the boundaries of art, then transition from "controversial historical details" to "the complexity of human nature" and "the light in the shadows," and finally compare it with the black-and-white image of Chen Mo in "The Eunuch," thus completing a series of rhetorical shifts.

Who would publicly admit to having a biased opinion?

Chai Jing aims to use her superb narrative skills to allow the audience to develop their own senses. She argues that such a clear-cut view of right and wrong, good and evil, would be too simplistic and thus reduce the depth of the art.

Without explicitly stating it, it points to "The Creation of Evil" as "profound art".

But Shen Shandeng didn't give her a chance to speak, interrupting her directly and asking, "Is telling the truth an insult?"

Chai Jing was taken aback again.

Shen Shandeng tolerated her blunt provocation during rehearsals, but now she's interrupting him directly?

Before Chai Jing could answer, Shen Shandeng spoke like an indignant young man.

That's true; he's still a graduate student, still a student.

Shen Shandeng stated clearly, "I think that even from the very bottom line, from an industry perspective, we must completely destroy 'The Creation of Evil'."

"The history of the Republic of China and modern history offer countless stories to tell, serving as a source of inspiration for us filmmakers. If we fail to draw clear lines, we will harm the interests of the entire film industry!"

Shen Shandeng not only stands on the moral high ground, but also on the industry high ground!
Not only did they predict Chai Jing's biased stance, but they also predicted that someone would definitely try to whitewash "The Sin".

"Excuse me."

Chai Jing had to suspend recording.

The red light on the video recorder went out. She looked at Shen Shandeng scrutinizingly and said with displeasure, "Director Shen, please cooperate with us."

Shen Shandeng, however, looked sincere and even belatedly impressed, and quickly thanked him: "Your interviewing techniques are too clever. I feel that this is the real interview."

"Don't let this get to Matrix Partners' ears. Your interviewing skills are amazing. I feel like I've discovered my true self."

Chai Jing: "."

She was like a mute eating bitter herbs, unable to express her suffering.

The production manager stepped forward and whispered a reminder: "Chai Jing, get into character quickly, let's continue recording."

He knew to some extent about the voices behind Shen Shandeng's back; he didn't want to fuel the flames, but he wouldn't deliberately stop them either.

Shen Shandeng suffered losses due to his own improper handling of the situation; that's his problem.

But if the interview itself goes wrong, then it's his fault as the production manager.

(End of this chapter)