The only sun in Huayu

Chapter 163 Go Easy on Me (14)

In April, the air in Changchun was still a bit chilly.

Upon learning that Lu Chuan's father, Lu Tianming, had arrived, Shen Shandeng did not go to the hotel where the "Nanjing" film crew was staying.

Since the Nanjing production team still has disputes, Shen Shandeng has no need to get involved.

He's here to help; there's no need for him to rush over.

If it weren't for Han Sanping's intercession and his own interest in "Nanjing," Shen Shandeng wouldn't have come.

The project "Nanjing" has been in preparation since 06. That year, there were four or five films on the theme of Nanjing that applied for approval, and Zhang Yimou was among the competitors.

The story of Nanjing is neither about first come, first served nor about seniority.

Lu Chuan first borrowed money to set up the stall, and then Han Sanping helped organize the event, found Tan Hong, and brought in investment.

Then, the project got stuck at the approval stage.

Because of its subject matter, "Nanjing" needed approval from several departments besides the Film Bureau.

Directors who wanted to film this subject that year included Zhang Yimou, Stanley Tong, Germans, and Americans. If all of them were approved, it would cause dissatisfaction among the scriptwriters, so these projects were simply shelved.

Afterwards, the production team of "Nanjing" visited many departments, and all the leading departments, big and small, supported the project and none of them had any negative opinions.

But there was a lack of a pretext; no one dared to make the decision to film it, nor did anyone say, "Don't film it."

It dragged on until the two investment institutions withdrew, and then at the end of 2006, it was said that the relevant foreign affairs department had rejected it.

It wasn't until a benefactor helped that the project was approved.

This is somewhat similar to Guo Fan's later work on science fiction films. First, you have to work hard and persevere on your own. Gradually, when others see that you are really serious about getting things done, people will be willing to help.

In general, there is room for idealists to exist in China.

According to Lu Chuan himself, he didn't want to pat someone on the back pointing to the scars on his face or the bumps on his head and say, "You hit me," or cry and complain.

We need to talk about the Chinese people, not just the Germans in the public memory. In the end, all the children will remember is that a German saved 20 Chinese people.

Given Shen Shandeng's current status, it's easy for him to get information; he's also familiar with other film scripts on this subject.

It wasn't a lament, it was just the kind of thing foreign saviors say.

Shen Shandeng came to give Lu Chuan a push, to help him do things better, and he meant what he said.

"I didn't expect you to come."

Gao Yuanyuan took Shen Shandeng on a trip to Changchun to relax and unwind.

Of course, it seemed that she needed to relax more, as her brows betrayed her exhaustion.

Shen Shandeng and Gao Yuanyuan knew each other before, but they were just ordinary friends.

Gao Yuanyuan's romantic history is quite interesting. To put it nicely, she likes to pick good partners; to put it bluntly, she's more suited to the role of Li Xiaolu in "Lost in Thailand".

Of course, she's really good-looking and has a great personality, except for her figure.

Shen Shandeng said, "I came to see how the 'Nanjing' film crew is doing, out of respect for Chairman Han?"

"A complete mess."

When Gao Yuanyuan mentioned movies, her tone immediately became somber.

Shen Shandeng's heart stirred. Lu Chuan was indeed a scoundrel, and Qin Lan had been helping him in various ways, even lending him money.

That bastard talks about making good movies, but secretly he just uses them to seduce actresses.

Shen Shandeng felt it was necessary to let Lu Chuan focus on filming and stop her from thinking about other things.

Shen Shandeng took the blame for him!
The atmosphere at the hotel where the film crew of "Nanjing! Nanjing!" was staying was even colder than the weather.

Lu Chuan locked herself in her room, with the script that Shen Shandeng had criticized as worthless spread out on the table, and the ashtray stuffed with cigarette butts.

There was a knock on the door, and Lu Chuan opened it impatiently.

Standing outside the door was his father, Lu Tianming.

Lu Chuan was stunned, her face flashing with embarrassment, surprise, and a hint of awkwardness at being exposed.

"Dad? You, what brings you here?"

For a man in his thirties, being called to the parents' house when he couldn't beat them was even more unbearable than being scolded by Shen Shandeng in person.

Lu Tianming looked his son over a few times, his brows furrowed, and said, "If I hadn't come, would my son have been bullied to the point that he couldn't even stand on the set?"

Lu Chuan blushed, but stubbornly replied, "No, that's not true! It's just a slight difference in creative ideas, but I can resolve it."

"Resolved? Resolved to the point where the investors have to replace the director?"

Lu Tianming interrupted him, his tone becoming more serious, "Take me to see Tan Hong."

Tan Hong's room. The aroma of tea wafted through the air, but there was also a sense of utter chaos and turmoil.

Upon seeing Lu Tianming, Tan Hong was displeased, but he still got up.

"Teacher Lu, what brings you here? Please have a seat." Tan Hong personally poured tea.

Lu Tianming took the tea and went straight to the point: "President Tan, we're old acquaintances. This matter isn't in accordance with the rules, is it? No matter how difficult things are for the production team, how can you change directors at the last minute and invite an outsider to give orders? Xiao Chuan is the director, and his creative decisions are his to make."

Tan Hong cursed inwardly, but said bitterly, "Teacher Lu, my dear brother! What you say makes sense, and that's the rule. But you have to be understanding of me!"

Tan Hong began to pour out his grievances.

"This project was in preparation since October 2006, officially approved last March, but it didn't start filming until October. A lot of money was wasted in the early stages alone!"

"Sets are built and dismantled, dismantled and built again; actor contracts are negotiated repeatedly—all of this involves money."

"There's been a huge internal argument about this project, and so many people are advising me to cut my losses!"

Tan Hong looked at Lu Tianming, his eyes hardening. This was all his money!
It's true that you hold a noble position, but if you're truly noble, then you should fill the hole for him.

“Teacher Lu, it’s not that I didn’t give Lu Chuan a chance. Back in January and February, when it looked like the market was about to collapse, I withstood the pressure and added more investment. I believed he could pull it off.”

"But what about now? It's almost April, and there's no end in sight. Every day I open my eyes, hundreds of thousands of dollars are flowing out of my pocket! This isn't making a movie; it's burning my money!"

“If this drags on any longer, forget about the finished product, the entire crew will fall apart! At that point, it won't just be a problem that Lu Chuan can't finish the work; he'll completely ruin the project and all the brothers who have been working on it for months!”

Tan Hong is not afraid of burning money.

The problem isn't just burning money; the film can't even be completed, and that's a mess to explain!

Seeing Lu Tianming's unpleasant expression, Tan Hong softened his tone and said, "Brother, let's be honest. I never deny that Lu Chuan is talented."

"But it also requires the help of benefactors. Jiang Wen helped control the production of 'The Missing Gun,' and 'Kekexili' was a good example of how to learn from others, winning awards and establishing its reputation."

"With a subject like Nanjing, as long as the film is completed smoothly, how could it not win awards? It generates buzz and evokes nationalistic sentiment, so how could it not do well at the box office?"

"At that time, Lu Chuan will be the top young director in China!"

Tan Hong gave a thumbs up and said, "What are these setbacks? The key is to finish the film and make it beautiful!"

Lu Tianming fell silent.

He originally came to support his son, but now he realizes that this makes sense, so he'll grab the benefits first.

He glanced at Lu Chuan, who was pale-faced and silent with her lips pursed, and he knew what was going on.

Tan Hong pressed his advantage, adding pressure: "Brother, getting Director Shen Shandeng on board isn't an easy task. He's currently the highest-grossing director in Chinese film history, having broken the record set by 'Titanic'!"

"He's busy building his 'cinematic universe' and expanding into different genres. It was only after Han Sanye made two phone calls, swallowing his pride, that he finally agreed to come and take a look."

"Moreover, Third Master said that Director Shen must not be wronged in any way."

"Director Lu, Teacher Lu, it's a stroke of luck for our project that Director Shen took over this task. It also shows that he sees we really want to get things done. It's an opportunity that others would beg for. We should be grateful."

When Han Sanping, the current manager, was brought up, Lu Tianming took a deep breath and completely lost his temper.

He patted Lu Chuan on the shoulder.

"Xiao Chuan, what President Tan said makes sense. The most important thing is to finish the film smoothly. Listen to Director Shen, and you young people should communicate more."

Lu Chuan: "."

The parties finally sat down together.

Han Sanping arrived at the hotel conference room, accompanied by Tan Hong and Lu Tianming.

Lu Chuan sat on the far side, her face gloomy.

Shen Shandeng arrived last, dressed casually, with his usual expression.

Lu Tianming was the first to stand up, his attitude changing from his previous accusatory one to one of politeness.

"Director Shen, thank you so much! Thank you so much! I'm so sorry to trouble you to come all this way despite your busy schedule. The young people here are encountering some creative blocks and need some guidance from an expert like you. I hope you can take me around and see more of the world."

Shen Shandeng shook hands with a smile: "Teacher Lu, you're too kind. The factory director asked, and President Tan trusts me. I'll definitely help if I can. It's all for the good of the project, for the good of Chinese cinema."

After the meeting, once the priorities were clear and he said thank you, Shen Shandeng was finally satisfied.

These people may not think highly of him, but so what?
Even the big and small kings of Huayi might not look up to the Little Steel Cannon. They can hold the Little Steel Cannon in high regard, but they can't hold the Big Cannon in high regard.
They were just a group of people who had been eliminated from the previous era.

After the meeting.

Han Sanping instructed Shen Shandeng, "That's good enough, don't let it affect your project."

"Besides, this subject matter is not easy, so we should go a little easy on it."

Han Sanping wasn't afraid that Shen Shandeng couldn't cure the film industry; he was afraid that she would cure it too well.

(End of this chapter)