The only sun in Huayu

Chapter 146 Devoted Love, Storm Approaching!

activity ends.

Shen Shan got into his car, a black MPV.

Honey, who had been following her around, also squeezed in.

The car started slowly.

Shen Shandeng asked Ma Youde in the front row, "Youde, did you get it recorded?"

Yes, Shen Shandeng recorded another video.

At times like these, it would be so pointless not to record a video.

Ma Youde said, "There are four camera positions, covering all angles. Moreover, we packed up our equipment before entering the venue, so only we and Nortel have the on-site footage."

Shen Shandeng smiled and said, "Find a candid shot and post it online. Keep the others safe and make multiple copies; they'll be very useful later."

Shen Shandeng wanted the paperclip to be neither alive nor dead.

If you can't kill him, beat him to death.

No matter how the internet changes—from 2G to 3G, 4G, and 5G—this video will always go viral every now and then.

In public opinion, it is firmly nailed down.

Shen Shandeng can kill him, he can give him life, and he can make him suffer a fate worse than death.

Ma Youde quickly took notes.

Shen Shandeng then instructed, "Youde, maintain contact with Mark Muller. This line is now even more useful."

"Understood, boss." Ma Youde nodded. "What's the specific direction?"

Shen Shandeng looked at the scenery rushing past the window and said calmly, "Remind him not to forget what he should be doing now: comforting Paperclip."

What a great dog! He wants to keep one too!
Indirect ownership is perfectly acceptable!
"The Bend of Water" is a classic, striking a chord with another group of people.

Shen Shandeng said, "This master is at his most vulnerable right now and desperately needs recognition and comfort. Mark Muller's timely help will have a far greater effect than usual and can deepen their friendship."

Ma Youde understood immediately: "Yes, I will remind Mr. Muller."

The privacy partition wall was lowered.

Da Mimi, who was sitting next to Shen Shandeng, finally couldn't contain her curiosity and sat on his lap.

Why did you speak up for Paperclip in the end? What are you trying to do? Tell me!

Shen Shandeng sighed, feigning a sigh, "Honey, this is so hard for me!"

"Huh?" Da Mimi was stunned.

Shen Shandeng threw himself into her arms, playing the victim, and said, "If I don't stop, I won't be able to win any more awards in the future. Of the three major awards in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and overseas, the only one I might win is the Huabiao Award."

"Honey, your man life is so tough! Will you be my best maid?"

"Huh?" Da Mimi was convinced.

You had the upper hand just now, so why are you still acting so aggrieved?

Da Mimi exclaimed, "Don't bite!"

Shen Shandeng looked at her pretty yet confused face and smiled: "Actually, I just want to be a good person. I suddenly realized that there are still more good people than bad."

Da Mimi couldn't keep up with Shen Shandeng's pace: "Can you say something I can understand?"

Shen Shandeng explained, "I used to think that Chen Kexin and Wu Yusen weren't very good, and even other directors in the industry weren't very good. But now I think they are all good people."

Shen Shandeng's words were truly heartfelt.

This struggle with "The Creation" broadened his horizons.

It can be said that the top companies and directors in the film industry, as long as they are market-oriented, are all good people compared to a small group of artistic types.

Shen Shandeng finally understood Lao Deng's pain.

This small group of people are neither feudal nor capitalist; they are progressive.

He wasn't even a traitor.

Selling out one's ancestors for personal gain, at least brings "glory".

This small group views "selling out one's ancestors" as a fashionable accessory, and considers reflection, rebellion, and criticism as "honor."

“Good people, how are they good?” Da Mimi pouted: “Wu Yusen even blacklisted you, but we didn’t offend him.”

Shen Shandeng looked at her questioning eyes and smiled, "It's a secret."

"Hmph! Keeping it a secret again!" Da Mimi pouted and playfully punched him.

But his eyes couldn't hide his pride and admiration.

In her eyes, Shen Shandeng was omnipotent, capable of striking with deafening force in silence and turning the tide in dire straits.

Its image is as tall as a mountain, and its depths are unfathomable.

Recalling the thrilling scene on stage, she said angrily, "But those three on stage dealing with you alone was really infuriating! Especially Director Tian, ​​how could he not help his own people? And you, you almost drove Paperclip to a breakdown in the end, my heart was pounding in my chest! You're too amazing!"

Shen Shandeng simply smiled and gently squeezed her hand.

Because he was the one who came!

the other side.

In a hotel suite.

As Jiang Zhiqiang poured hot water for the distraught Paperclip, he comforted him with lingering fear, "Brother An, don't think too much about it, take a rest first."

"That Shen Shandeng is a madman, too brutal, and doesn't play by the rules at all."

Jiang Zhiqiang was incredibly grateful for his previous choice.

Humility and seeking reconciliation is the right thing to do.

If he had continued to resist, he would probably have been the next one to be publicly executed and socially dead on stage today.

At that moment, Mark Müller rushed over.

As soon as she entered, she took the initiative, looking heartbroken: "Tian Lili was really too hasty this time! She completely disrupted my rhythm!"

"I wanted to take a gradual approach and slowly guide public opinion to clear the name of 'The Sin', sigh!"

He turned to look at the paperclip, criticizing it with a look of disappointment and frustration.

"Li, you were so careless! How could you bring up that topic?"

Having just suffered a great humiliation, Paperclip not only received no support, but also had to force himself to apologize to Mark Müller.

"I'm sorry, Marco, it's my fault. I didn't handle it well and let you down."

Mark Muller nodded slightly; he knew how to train dogs.

Jiang Zhiqiang, who knew a little about the inside story, couldn't help but feel pity when he saw this scene.

This famous director probably still doesn't know that he was set up by his "friend" in front of him.

Of course, so what if I know?

That's how it is with dogs.

Feeling sorry for Paperclip's fate, Jiang Zhiqiang walked to the window, a complex smile playing on his lips, and downed the wine in his glass in one gulp.

Mark Muller knows how to handle people like Paperclip.

After a few words of criticism, the tone shifted to gentle comfort and encouragement.

This indicates that it is only a temporary setback, and the value of art will eventually be proven by time.

It was easy to make the depressed Hui Xing feel grateful to him.

soon.

The two then turned to their shared condemnation of Tian Lili, agreeing that the head of the Beijing Film Academy's department was incompetent, more trouble than she was worth, and one of the main culprits behind the current situation.

He cursed Shen Shandeng again.

The shared hatred of the enemy quickly brought the two closer together.

Calm the paperclip down.

Mark Muller rushed to the place he had arranged to meet with Smith.

"Damn Americans!"

Marco Müller watched the scenery rushing past the window and couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath.

He's now a traitor to three countries: Italy, Great Britain, and China.

They were also caught in the middle, between the American and Shen Shandeng, and between Paperclip and Shen Shandeng.

too difficult!
Upon seeing Smith, Smith's eyes were filled with anger and doubt.

"Mark! What on earth happened?! My information is that the situation is completely out of control! Paperclip has been publicly humiliated beyond recognition! Is this the 'successful dialogue' you promised? You have to give me an explanation!"

Mark Muller looked bewildered, even somewhat innocent.

“Failure? Mr. Smith, where did you hear about failure? I don’t understand.”

"On the contrary, I believe that under your strategic guidance, we have achieved tremendous success!"

"success?"

Smith almost laughed in exasperation, "You call this a success?!"

"Of course it was a success!"

Mark Müller spoke with a firm tone and began to speak at length.

"What was Shen Shandeng's original public demand? It was for Paperclip to issue a public apology for 'The Sin'! And now? No apology! We held our ground!"

"This is a win!"

"The dialogue itself was a success! The fact that a director like Shen Shandeng, who strongly criticizes Western art trends and has huge box office appeal, is willing to sit down and have a dialogue with Hui Xing is itself a positive signal, a kind of disguised 'co-optation'!"

"This is a win-win situation!"

"The most crucial point is that Shen Shandeng, despite having an absolute advantage, took the initiative to ease the tension and even spoke up for Paperclip! All because of me!"

"What does this show? It shows that he is not completely opposed to dialogue, and even yearns for Western culture!"

“Mr. Smith, you should know that some filmmakers are incredibly resolute in the face of adversity, but once they achieve success, they crave recognition through awards.” “This is a major breakthrough for our future work!”

"This is a win-win-win situation!"

"After this event, the negative repercussions of 'The Creation' have been completely quelled. Shen Shandeng personally promised me that he would not take any further action on this matter."

"In subsequent media reports, you can steer the focus to the dialogue, downplaying minor controversies and mentioning the intense atmosphere lightly. The public relations crisis is resolved!"

This is the fourth win!

“Through me, we have established an effective and high-level communication channel with Shen Shandeng! Wasn’t that one of our original goals? Now, we’ve achieved it!”

This is the fifth win!

Marco Müller spoke and gestured, bringing his hands together in the classic Italian gesture, becoming more and more confident as he spoke.

"Moreover, I saved the image of the paperclip. It's not easy to cultivate a master, especially one who can change aesthetics."

"As long as he doesn't completely fall from grace, there will definitely be directors here who take the route of serious history plus explicit content."

"I did a quick count, and we've won big. There are definitely other wins elsewhere too."

Smith, a kid from a very ordinary family, would never have been able to control Mark Muller if he weren't in this position.

I've never seen anything like this before.

Senseless.

I was overwhelmed by this string of "wins".

Smith pondered Mark Muller's words carefully, and it seemed, perhaps, that there was some truth to them.
Most importantly, admitting the failure of the event would be a major blunder on his part.

But if we acknowledge that this "success" was guided by his "strategy," wouldn't that be his achievement?

How could the empire's propaganda machine possibly fail?
It has to be a big win; if a big win isn't possible, then it has to be a medium win!
However, Smith wasn't entirely mindless; he grasped the most crucial point.

"Wait! Mark, no matter how nicely you put it, what about the most important question? Shen Shandeng, can he be used by us?"

Mark Muller remained silent for a moment, knowing he needed to provide more substantial evidence.

He took a deep breath and became extremely solemn.

“Mr. Smith, words are not enough. I will verify it for you right now. I will call Shen Shandeng right now, and you can hear for yourself whether he will answer my call and what his attitude will be.”

Smith held his breath, his heart pounding: "Now? Okay! Go ahead and hit me!"

Mark Muller took out his phone and, as Smith waited expectantly, dialed Shen Shandeng's number.

Shandeng Culture.

Shen Shandeng's office.

The atmosphere inside the room was completely different from the cold outside.

Da Mimi nestled beside Shen Shandeng, her face still flushed.

She glanced at the man beside her with bright, sparkling eyes, her fingertips gently tracing circles in his palm.

Shen Shandeng let her act coquettishly; the passionate encounter just now had not been easy.

at this time.

My personal cell phone vibrated.

It seemed somewhat out of place in the quiet room.

Da Mimi looked up curiously.

Shen Shandeng glanced at the caller ID; it was Mark Müller.

He didn't answer immediately, but instead called Ma Youde over.

Da Mimi playfully slapped him, then hurriedly started cleaning and hid in Shen Shandeng's usual rest room.

Ma Youde came over, keeping his eyes down and his mind at ease. After receiving instructions from Shen Shandeng, he understood, took out his phone, and answered the call.

With a hint of complaint and resentment, he said, "Hello? Mr. Muller? Yes, it's me, Ma Youde. The boss is unavailable to answer the phone right now."

I could faintly hear Mark Müller's voice on the other end of the phone.

Ma Youde continued, "Mr. Muller, not to be rude, but the way things were handled today, wasn't it supposed to be mainly about getting Director Paperclip to acknowledge our boss's filmmaking style?"

"How did things turn out so differently in the end? Paperclip pulled out 'The Sin' on its own, which is completely different from what we discussed before! This makes things very difficult for our boss. How can we trust your promises about the Venice main competition in the future?"

On the other end of the phone.

Mark Muller was on speakerphone.

Smith's face was beaming with amusement, and his gaze toward Mark Muller became full of admiration.

Shen Shandeng actually had his eye on the main competition section of the Venice Film Festival?

Sure enough, Soviet jokes never go out of style.

When Shen Shandeng actually wins an award, it's completely different from usual.

Marco Müller maintained his composure as the artistic director of Venice, saying with a helpless and serious tone, "Mr. Müller, please calm down. No one can predict what will happen on the spot."

"Director Tian's impatience and Director Paperclip's mistakes did disrupt the original rhythm. But that was not my intention."

Marco Müller skillfully deflected all responsibility, even becoming somewhat assertive.

“This matter cannot be explained over the phone. I would like to speak with Director Shen directly. Please convey to him that this is not the way to treat a business partner.”

Smith stood by, holding his breath nervously, staring silently at Mark Muller.

sure!
the other side.

Ma Youde covered the microphone with his hand, seemingly making a difficult request for instructions.

Shen Shandeng quickly called over Da Mimi to enjoy the performance by the Venice Artistic Director together.

"What is this?" Da Mimi asked.

Shen Shandeng laughed and said, "It was a good dog we acquired before."

Da Mimi: "???"

Da Mimi felt like she was about to stop breathing, and her head was spinning. Could it be that Shen Shandeng hadn't lied to her before?

Did they really win over the artistic director of Venice?
after awhile.

Ma Youde spoke again, reluctantly saying, "Our boss has agreed. Please wait a moment."

Hear this.

Smith on the other end of the phone almost jumped up with excitement, silently clenching his fists!

It worked!
what does this mean?
This means that Smith's strategy might work!

If we could influence or even win over Shen Shandeng, even if it was just to make him slightly biased, the value and symbolic significance would be immense.

It also far surpasses those sixth-generation directors who, while obedient, are mediocre in ability and have limited market appeal!

Shen Shandeng doesn't need to be completely obedient. As long as he deviates slightly from his original hardline approach, the resulting rift and demonstration effect will be invaluable!
Smith suddenly realized what was happening, quickly grabbed a piece of paper, wrote a few words, and handed it to Mark Muller.

Is he listening?

Mark Muller glanced at it, nodded slightly, and responded on the paper.

[He seemed to be listening the whole time. He still treated me with respect and thanked me when he spoke to me.]

A dozen seconds later, Shen Shandeng hugged the limp Da Mimi, his voice distant and dissatisfied.

“Mr. Muller, you’re not a good friend. It seems you haven’t kept your promise.”

Mark Muller felt a chill run down his spine and almost apologized on the spot, but then he realized he had to maintain his public image.

"Director Shen, you can't say that. You've seen the situation today; it wasn't entirely within my control. And, in some ways, your actions were indeed a bit excessive."

Smith, standing nearby, stared anxiously and silently mouthed a reminder.

"Don't go too far! Don't provoke him!"

Looking at Smith's impatient manner, Mark Muller suddenly had an absurd thought.

It's likely that not only Paperclip, but also this Assistant Commissioner Smith in front of us will soon be "tamed" by Shen Shandeng.

This kind of crushing dominance based on rules and strength is truly terrifying.

On the other end of the phone.

Shen Shandeng shook his head and chuckled, not taking up the topic, but simply said, "I hope to see more sincerity from Mr. Muller in our next collaboration. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll hang up now."

There were no promises, no substantial information revealed, and not even a chance for Mark Müller to continue playing his part.

The call ended abruptly and decisively.

But Smith was already satisfied!

He slapped his thigh and shouted excitedly, "Yes! Well done, Mark! He answered the phone! He's willing to communicate! That's a breakthrough!"

He patted Mark Muller on the shoulder forcefully, immersed in immense joy, and inadvertently revealed a piece of news.

“Great! Chalperic was originally planning to use our connections here to hold him back in the subsequent filing process.”

"While it might cause him some trouble, it would also deplete the manpower we've painstakingly trained. Now it seems we can perhaps avoid these losses! Gentle infiltration is the best strategy!"

Meanwhile, after Ma Youde left, Da Mimi felt weak all over.

Shen Shandeng's eyes were filled with longing.

"kiss Me."

It was already late outside the window, but inside, spring was in full bloom.

A fierce storm is coming!
The influence of Shen Shandeng's "dialogue" with Paperclip is spreading rapidly from the Beijing Film Academy to the entire Chinese-language film industry and even further afield.

Each person who hears a different version of the story experiences a different kind of emotional response.

The storm did not subside with the end of the dialogue.

Instead, a new and more intense clash is brewing.

Everyone was in an uproar!

(End of this chapter)