The only sun in Huayu

Chapter 131 My Home, My Country! A Boiling Roar!
Shen Shandeng doesn't mince words; he's playing the honest card, directly laying his cards on the table!

The narrative in "The Hidden Dragon and the Hidden Tiger" that caters to Western imagination is distorted, while his new grammar and new paradigm are perfectly legitimate.

Since it's all aboveboard, then when it's time to speak, speak freely.

And when you are able to speak, speak out.

There's a saying that goes, "The best time to plant a tree was ten years ago, the second best time is now."

There's always a slight disconnect between the group on stage and the media.

Before another group comes along, we need to break out and plant the "Chinese core + Chinese visual effects" logic in the industry.

Shen Shandeng's approach was an open and aboveboard strategy.

Since it's all aboveboard, there's no need to hide it.

Shen Shandeng even learned Jiang Wen's way of doing things and wanted to invest money?

I still need to see if you're qualified!

However, Shen Shandeng doesn't use metaphors; he's all straightforward!
China's future development to that level would be absolutely impossible without strong national capital.

He's already painting a very appealing picture of "lasting fame" and "three immortal achievements," so he's sure no one will be tempted.

Even if next year, when Da Piao Liang brings in a new group of people to strangle him, and his situation becomes difficult, broadcasting these words today will still garner him countless potential allies and support.

No Chinese person can resist the allure of achieving lasting fame!
This is his confidence!
Chai Jing clearly hadn't given up yet; she tried to maintain a professional smile and steer the conversation back to a familiar mode.

At least in her view, she was exploring the topic: "Director Shen's views are very sharp and have a grand vision. But I wonder if such a grand vision needs more specific and actionable measures to support it?"

“Of course,” Shen Shandeng said confidently. “We have a clear internal plan.”

"In about three years, by 2010, we will release a historical action movie that will gross over 500 million yuan!"

"Within five years, around 2012, the box office target is to break one billion!"

"Seven years, 2015, broke 2 billion!"

"Ten years ago, around 2017 or 2018, we aimed to reach 5 billion!"

"Fifteen years, by around 2022, the goal is to break 10 billion!"

Shen Shandeng looked up at Chai Jing and said, "We're not just talking; we have very clear goals and a timetable."

Chai Jing felt a surge of irritation. No matter how they talked, they were just going around in circles within the framework of Shen Shandeng's pre-set discourse.

Shen Shandeng's logic was self-consistent, and he was bursting with confidence. Most importantly, he didn't reflect on his actions at all!
No psychological weakness could be found in Shen Shandeng.

Chai Jing's face beamed with agreement, but her tone subtly shifted to a more dangerous area: "Our history is indeed brilliant, with many topics worth exploring. Director Shen, you just mentioned the Ming Dynasty, the Qin, Han, and Tang Dynasties, but it seems you didn't mention the Qing Dynasty?"

Chai Jing, in the most agreeable tone, posed the most insidious question.

Off-screen, Ma Youde's expression changed, and he suddenly looked at the production manager.

This is completely beyond what was intended!
The production manager's face instantly darkened; Chai Jing had passed!
However, to everyone's surprise, Shen Shandeng just smiled and said, "The Qing Dynasty? I also have creative ideas, but I may need more time to prepare."

Chai Jing pressed on relentlessly, ignoring the creative process altogether and directly plunging into the more sensitive core issue: "So how do you personally view the Qing Dynasty? For example, compared to the Ming Dynasty?"

Shen Shandeng still smiled and said, "This is just a normal dynasty in the long river of our history. Let's just look at it normally."

Chai Jing pressed on: "So you mean that prioritizing filming the Ming Dynasty was due to personal preference?"

“Everyone has a different perspective on each dynasty,” Shen Shandeng said calmly. “That’s one of the reasons why I don’t easily touch on Qing Dynasty topics. I think we need at least some more time to allow the discussion to mature.”

"Because the Qing Dynasty is closely linked to our modern history, on the one hand, it contains a lot of national trauma; on the other hand, this field is particularly susceptible to the influence and interference of external narratives,"

Shen Shandeng paused, his gaze sweeping over Chai Jing with a meaningful look: "Especially that 'Manchuria and Mongolia are not China' argument that the Japanese used to spread, its poison is still deep."

Chai Jing didn't expect Shen Shandeng to be so direct, pointing out the complexity of the problem.

Not wanting to provoke further, she decided to be more direct: "If you could only use one sentence to describe the Qing Dynasty, what would it be?"

Shen Shandeng said, "Clear is not as good as bright."

Chai Jing couldn't help but slightly curve the corners of her mouth into a smile, but before her smile could fully unfold, it froze completely on her face.

Shen Shandeng then calmly continued, "Purity surpasses beauty."

Shen Shandeng also made a point of repeating: "Qing is not as good as Ming, but Qing is worse than Mei."

"What?" Chai Jing blinked several times, thinking she had misheard. "I can understand 'clear is not as good as bright,' but 'clear surpasses beauty'? Which beauty is it?"

“It’s gorgeous.” Shen Shandeng said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Chai Jing blurted out instinctively, her voice becoming several shrilly: "How is this possible?!"

Shen Shandeng countered, "Hmm? Do you have a problem with the Qing Dynasty, or do you look down on it?"

Chai Jing was taken aback by this sudden counterattack and quickly explained, "No, that's not what I meant. But the Qing Dynasty was just a feudal agricultural dynasty, while Great Pyeong is a modern superpower. There's no comparison at all!"

Shen Shandeng smiled: "To be precise, in certain specific aspects, purity surpasses beauty."

Shen Shandeng calmly began to present the data, "Let's speak with facts. In 1945, the population of Da Piao Liang was about 1.3 million. In 1975, it was 2.2 million. By 2005, it was about 2.9 million."

Have you noticed the problem?

Shen Shandeng looked at Chai Jing and discussed, "For a full thirty years, or even sixty years, the population of this superpower, Great Pyeong, has grown slowly. In thirty years, it has only increased by about fifty million? In sixty years, it has more than doubled?"

"And what about the Qing Dynasty?"

Shen Shandeng emphasized, "Just as you said, a feudal agricultural dynasty, with that level of productivity, managed to feed 400 million people! Tell me, in terms of feeding the population, didn't the Qing Dynasty win big? Didn't the Qing Dynasty surpass the United States?"

Chai Jing was almost in tears. How could this be calculated like that?!
"You can't make that analogy! In the Qing Dynasty, high-yield crops like sweet potatoes and corn were already widely available."

Shen Shandeng laughed and interrupted her: "Dapioca is a world superpower! It has an endless supply of sweet potatoes and corn, right?"

"Moreover, in Da Piao Liang, there's no concept of late marriage or late childbirth. People can get married in their teens, and in some places, child marriage still exists. There's no family planning either. Their traditional values ​​emphasize that many children bring many blessings!"

"The cost of raising children is very low; they almost never starve, and children who don't die of disease can be raised to adulthood. Every family will continue to have children before they lose their fertility. According to this logic, the population growth should be terrifying, right?"

"But the reality is that its population growth is slow. Don't you think that in terms of the two most important standards for a country, land and population, it is even inferior to the seemingly backward Qing Dynasty in terms of population? Isn't the Qing Dynasty superior to the United States?"

Chai Jing was almost in tears. "Can it be calculated like this?"
How could the Qing Dynasty possibly compare to Great Beauty!
Moreover, although Shen Shandeng did not say it explicitly, given her expertise in news reporting, how could she not understand the terrifying direction that Shen Shandeng was pointing to?

Where is the beautiful woman?
It's important to know that America has immigrants. According to some people's calculations, America experiences a major famine every year, the kind that kills millions of people, otherwise it doesn't make sense.

Moreover, Ming is superior to Qing, and Qing is known to be superior to Mei, so wouldn't Ming be far superior to Mei?
This shut down Chai Jing again.

If she were to refute it, the pit she dug for Shen Shandeng would bury her own soul.

If she doesn't argue back, she can't accept it at all, and she feels so frustrated she's about to explode!

How could such a great country as Great Britain be inferior to the Qing Dynasty?
Shen Shandeng watched with amusement as Chai Jing's expression changed; he hadn't even gone on to elaborate yet.

If we really want to elaborate, what's closely related to Chai Jing is that the number of beautiful Chinese immigrants has always remained at a very low level despite various immigration circumstances.

Where did everyone go?
Where have all the Chinese elites who valued "passing down poetry and books" and "cultivating the land and studying for generations" gone? Why can't they form influential political families?

If we were to extrapolate from this, it would terrify a spiritual convert like Chai Jing. But he's not here to argue today.

Shen Shandeng continued to structure his film system: "We have more specific requirements than just box office targets."

"Action design should be energy-concrete and physically logical!"

"Visual spectacles should serve historical narratives and thematic expression!"

"Character development should be rooted in a specific historical context, the narrative pace should be information-intensive, and the core values ​​should be upright, rooted in the nation and its people, and convey protection and hope!"

As Chai Jing listened to these clear directions for film production and looked at the light shining in the young man's eyes, she felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

All attempts to steer the tide were met with a brutal counterattack.

Chai Jing forced a smile: "Director Shen has a strong sense of patriotism."

Shen Shandeng shook his head and emphasized, "It's not about patriotism!"

Chai Jing was taken aback: "Isn't that right?"

“It’s not sentiment,” Shen Shandeng corrected. “It should be the nation itself! This isn’t some floating emotion, but a real foundation, the land beneath our feet, the heritage flowing in our blood!”

Shen Shandeng's expression was full of pioneering confidence: "This is not only different from those films with Westernized cores, but also different from the very excellent Hong Kong film representatives of the past, such as the Wong Fei-hung series."

"The most crucial reason why 'The Eunuch' was able to break records is that it embodies a stronger sense of ownership!"

Shen Shandeng said powerfully, "We are not telling an ancient legend that has nothing to do with us; we are creating new history!"

"We don't need to envy other cultures, because we are living in them, we are part of history! We are creating new history!"

Shen Shandeng's words struck like a hammer blow to everyone's heart: "This is where I was born! This is where my ancestors were born! This is my history, my home, my country! And this is who I am!"

"This is my home! This is my country!"

These four words, spoken with resounding force, seemed to carry immense weight.

Shen Shandeng aims to establish a completely new set of standards through the "Du Gong" (a book titled "The Supervisor").

He wants to reshape the audience's aesthetic expectations, showing that local stories and heroes can also be so passionate!

He wants to point out the way for the industry, shape industry standards, and standardize, industrialize, and localize – this is the only way to a bright future!

He wanted to rectify the cultural chaos, and with the phenomenal success of "The Eunuch," he would completely overwhelm the distorted narrative of "The Creation of Evil" and defend the dignity of history!
Most importantly, regarding the future, through enormous market benefits and a lasting appeal, we will become an inextinguishable sun, illuminating a clearly visible path!

Shen Shandeng not only completely exploited "The Creation of Sin," but he also treated his own works the same way!
He wanted to make "The Eunuch" more than just a movie; he wanted it to become a sharpened giant axe, cleaving through the heavy shackles of outdated paradigms and unleashing a dragon's roar that resounded through the heavens!

This heralds a new era for Chinese martial arts epics, and even the entire domestic commercial blockbuster industry, where they set their own rules and define their own standards!

Reshaping the standards!

To establish a new grammar, a new standard, and even an unshakeable new monument!
As Chai Jing listened to this calm declaration, which sounded almost like a roar to her ears, she felt a chill, alienation, and disgust in her heart.

Why are they always talking about these grand things?
Why can't we focus more on the dignity and suffering of specific individuals?
She couldn't help but interrupt this torrent of passion, posing a sophisticated question: "Director Shen, have you ever considered cultural export? How can we take our films to the world stage?"

Shen Shandeng looked directly at Chai Jing and said, "I want to ask the Chinese audience, are you even human?"

"Huh?" Chai Jing was completely dumbfounded.

Shen Shandeng provided detailed data: "Behind the nearly 400 million yuan box office of 'The Eunuch' are millions, even tens of millions of Chinese viewers! They bought tickets one by one with the money they earned through hard work! They chose 'The Eunuch'!"

Are their choices insignificant? Are their emotional needs trivial?

Shen Shandeng repeated, "I have to ask this: are Chinese audience members considered human beings?"

Chai Jing opened her mouth, unable to utter a single word; she couldn't answer "it doesn't count."

Her logic was completely and utterly crushed by the numbers, and by Shen Shandeng's even more meticulous logic!

Chai Jing suddenly remembered that Shen Shandeng majored in civil engineering as an undergraduate.

Shen Shandeng firmly stated, "The audience's choice is the greatest value! They are willing to pay for good-sounding and good-looking Chinese films, and this is our greatest confidence for future creations!"

"The Eunuch is just the beginning. We will use a more industrialized approach to film 'Jiajing,' 'The Embroidered Uniform Guard,' and create a cinematic universe that belongs to the Chinese people! Because Chinese audiences deserve it!"

The interview has actually ended here.

Chai Jing's subsequent summary appeared rushed and weak, completely outmaneuvered by Shen Shandeng's logic.

The moment the recording indicator light went out, there was a brief silence in the studio, followed by enthusiastic applause!
Many staff members were deeply moved and couldn't help but applaud enthusiastically.

The production manager excitedly stepped forward and shook hands with Shen Shandeng: "Director Shen! Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Your perspective is truly refreshing and inspiring!"

He wants to improve!
Shen Shandeng smiled and turned to Chai Jing, whose expression was not very good, and extended his hand: "Reporter Chai's questions were very insightful, very real, and very sharp, but they certainly sparked a lot of interesting discussions. Thank you!"

"."

Shen Shandeng's sincere smile seemed incredibly hypocritical to Chai Jing, making her feel a tightness in her chest, but she had no choice but to smile and say, "You're welcome."

Just then, Ma Youde, who was standing nearby, timely reminded him: "Boss, the pre-launch publicity for our 'Du Gong Cinematic Universe' has already begun. Why don't you write a powerful article based on the core content of today's interview in a few days? It will definitely spark a huge discussion."

Shen Shandeng seemed to realize something, but waved his hand and said, "Let's wait until the show airs. It would also be a way to promote and respond to the show."

Ma Youde nodded immediately and smiled at the production manager, saying, "Our boss has a huge influence now. Once this article is published, it will definitely bring more attention and popularity to our program."

The production manager was shrewd enough to understand the implication: he was hinting at the post-production editing!

If the program is poorly edited during broadcast, distorting Shen Shandeng's original intention and causing controversy, then Shen Shandeng's counterattack with a powerful article will damage the program's credibility!
“Of course! It’s a win-win situation!” the production manager immediately declared, beaming. “Director Shen’s interview was a great success! The content was solid, the viewpoints were clear, and it was definitely the most exciting episode recently!”

Chai Jing said to Shen Shandeng in a slightly aggrieved voice, "Director Shen, you're very clever. You're digging traps for me everywhere."

"Dig a trap? Did I?" Shen Shandeng asked innocently, "I thought the interview atmosphere was very friendly. Maybe it's because my way of expressing myself is too direct."

When asked, the responses were: "I didn't notice," "I thought it was a friendly exchange," "Go tell my grand plans," "We're all wronged," and "Why are you wronged too?"

Chai Jing was utterly helpless; this guy was completely impervious to reason and slippery as a leech.

After the interview, Chai Jing went to the restroom alone, closed the door, and made a phone call.

An excited voice came from the other end of the phone: "How did it go? Did you manage to win him over?"

Chai Jing leaned against the cubicle door, closed her eyes wearily, and said in a low voice, "I did my best."

The person on the other end of the phone was stunned. What did "tried your best" mean?
I have a bad feeling!
Stepping out of the studio, Ma Youde excitedly pumped his fist: "Boss, awesome! This interview is going to be a hit! It'll definitely be a sensation when it airs!"

Ma Youde was right.

The "Face to Face" production team worked overtime to cut out as many shots as possible of Chai Jing when she was clearly stumped by questions and lost control of her facial expressions, in order to maintain the intensity of the interview while preserving the host's basic dignity.

The latest episode of "Face to Face," titled "Shen Shandeng: What is a Historical Action Cinematic Universe?", will premiere on Sunday night at 22:15 PM.

The program had been airing for less than half an hour.

The entire public opinion field was as if a bomb had been dropped on it!
Public opinion exploded!

Crazy explosion!

(End of this chapter)