The only sun in Huayu

Chapter 166 A heavily modified version of "Nanjing" (44)

The entertainment industry is full of treacherous people.

Boys can easily get taken advantage of if they're not careful!

The next morning.

Shen Shandeng appeared on set looking refreshed, with no sign of fatigue in his eyes, but rather a sharper edge.

Gao Yuanyuan also overcame her previous depression and her mood improved significantly after being exposed to direct sunlight.

Shen Shandeng felt the time was about right, and the map of Yan was long enough.

He walked straight toward Lu Chuan, who was communicating with the director of photography.

"Good morning, Director Lu."

Shen Shandeng said in a normal tone, "I have some ideas about the emotional transition between Teacher Jiang and Mr. Tang in the next few scenes."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chuan's face fell.

Determining the roles and screen time is the director's most crucial power!
Lu Chuan subconsciously retorted, "Director Shen, I understand the character's psychological development very well."

“Clear is one thing, but presenting it is another,” Shen Shandeng interrupted him, his expression compassionate, revealing a technique he had learned from the Shiba Inu.

It can only be said that Shen Shandeng is indeed a fast learner.

Shen Shandeng suggested to Lu Chuan, "Now that filming is more efficient, we have more time to handle more details. I'm also helping you to make the character more solid and the show more entertaining."

Lu Chuan felt as if her throat was blocked, and she couldn't say a word.

In an instant, Lu Chuan understood what it meant to lift a stone only to drop it on one's own foot.

The rumors he spread about merging roles have ironically become the perfect excuse for Shen Shandeng to legitimately intervene in the character development process today.

Lu Chuan felt as bitter as if she had chewed raw bitter melon.

What frustrated Lu Chuan even more was yet to come.

Before starting work, Shen Shandeng's team held a short meeting with all staff members.

The daily morning meeting was a new rule established after Shen Shandeng arrived.

At the meeting, Shen Shandeng didn't waste any words and directly announced: "Everyone has worked hard during this period. After the filming plan was reorganized, it is progressing very smoothly and is expected to be fully completed in mid-May."

"I've also spoken with General Manager Tan and Factory Director Han, and we've decided that starting this month, all staff salaries will be increased by 50%!"

"This money is a token of our gratitude to everyone for their hard work on this film!"

Compared to the costs of delays and the losses from not being able to complete the film, increasing staff salaries is a small expense.

After he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence, followed by a huge burst of cheers and applause!
Fifty percent!
This level of generosity is unheard of in the industry!
Everyone knows that Shen Shandeng is very generous and happy to share profits, and they have now witnessed it firsthand!
I truly felt the warmth of the sun.

The subtle unease that had arisen from the change in leadership was instantly dispelled by the real money.

Everyone looked at Shen Shandeng with eyes full of gratitude and unwavering devotion.

loyalty!

Lu Chuan stood on the periphery of the crowd, watching the scene, and felt a chill run through her body.

He recalled the fear of being completely dominated by Jiang Wen when filming "Looking for a Gun".

But Jiang Wen is a tyrant on set; he drags the entire crew into a frenzy and madness with him.

And Shen Shandeng, that smiling tiger! That tyrant of the production crew! That bastard! He used hot meals, high salaries, and a smooth process to steal his production crew with a smile and without leaving a trace!
He was overwhelmed by a tremendous sense of humiliation.

Calling for Dad won't help at this point!

During the lunch break, Lu Chuan, with a livid face, pulled Cao Yu and Zhao Yisui to a secluded corner.

"I can't take this anymore! Is this still my film crew? What have I become? A puppet in name only? I'm going to quit directing! I'm not making this movie anymore! This isn't my movie anymore!"

Cao Yu and Zhao Yisui turned pale with fright and quickly pleaded, "Director Lu! You can't leave!"

"I'm not leaving?" Lu Chuan abruptly shook off Zhao Yisui's hand, her eyes bloodshot. "What am I supposed to do here if I don't leave? Huh? Let him make a fool of me?"

"Look at me! Who listens to me now? They're all fawning over Shen Shandeng! Why didn't you speak up for me earlier?!"

Cao Yu said with a bitter face, "Director Lu, calm down. If you leave, you'll completely lose control of the crew! If you stay, you're still the nominal director, and you can still think of ways to make things work out; maybe there will be opportunities in the future."

"A chance? What chance?!" Lu Chuan sneered, "I'm the one who built this production team! I'm the one who came up with the script ideas! I led you guys through the process of filming and writing, polishing it bit by bit!"

"Without me, can Shen Shandeng really manage? I don't believe it! This production crew will fall apart!"

Zhao Yisui sighed.

Lu Chuan was unaware that Shen Shandeng was even more humane than him.

He privately hinted that after finishing "Nanjing" and getting the team in sync, they could work with him on a big project to completely solve everyone's livelihood problems.

Shen Shandeng's place has a huge talent shortage, so he accepts anyone who comes.

If Lu Chuan chooses to leave, she can probably only take a few people with her.

Zhao Yisui changed her perspective and whispered, "Director Lu, actually, looking on the bright side, this may not be a bad thing. Director Shen is indeed very capable. The plot has remained largely unchanged, filming is going smoothly, and the financial pressure is also reduced."

"As long as the film is successfully completed in the end, you'll still be credited as the director, and the awards and fame will still be yours, right? All the hardships we endured in the early stages were for this result, weren't they?"

These words were like a needle, gently piercing Lu Chuan's heart.

He stole a glance at Shen Shandeng, who was surrounded by a crowd in the distance, and had to admit that with this man backing him up, the film would most likely be a success, and possibly even better than what he could have produced on his own. But he still stubbornly insisted, "I am the director!"

Lu Chuan had already tacitly agreed in her heart, but she needed a way to back it up.

Cao Yu told Qin Lan about it.

Upon hearing this, Qin Lan simply replied, "I understand."

Lu Chuan waited and waited, but Qin Lan didn't come to persuade him. He wanted to leave but was conflicted.

Instead of persuasion, Shen Shandeng revealed his true intentions.
Having taken control of the film crew, Shen Shandeng became ruthless.

After dinner, Shen Shandeng found Lu Chuan and got straight to the point.

"Director Lu, the scenes and perspectives of the Chinese characters are fine as we've adjusted them; they're powerful enough. But I think the storyline involving the Japanese Kadokawa soldier needs some work."

Lu Chuan's emotions, which had just calmed down, exploded again.

"Kadokawa's perspective is the essence of the entire film! It's my most meticulous design! It shows the war and the massacre through his eyes, revealing the absurdity of war and the complexity of human nature! This cannot be changed!"

Shen Shandeng was prepared and said calmly, "I didn't say I wanted to delete his perspective. Maintaining consistency, and even through him, we can more profoundly reflect the distortion of the war of aggression. However, his suicide in the end is not a good ending."

"Why not?" Lu Chuan retorted, her neck stiff. "Atonement! Suicide! This is the most thorough form of repentance! It's very impactful!"

"You've created an impact, but then what?" Shen Shandeng looked at him and asked rhetorically, "Are you trying to immerse the audience in a sense of powerless grief and hatred? Is our ultimate goal in filming this historical suffering to wallow in it?"

"No. It's not just about remembering, but also about moving beyond history. So, I think we can help this Japanese soldier, who felt guilty, give up on suicide at the last moment."

"Chuan, you need to move beyond Schindler's List and create your own cinematic art."

Shen Shandeng's words were like the whispers of a devil.

"What?" Lu Chuan was stunned.

“Make him put down his gun and pick up the camera.”

Shen Shandeng said with a burning gaze, "Let him repent and redeem himself in another way, by throwing himself into film, making family comedies and dramas, and using images to awaken the humanity of more people who have been blinded by militarism."

"This is not about avoiding history, but rather about better facing history and opposing war. This has more dramatic tension and more practical significance than simply dying."

Lu Chuan opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but couldn't find the words.

Moreover, after carefully considering Shen Shandeng's words, he abandoned his suicide attempt, picked up a camera, awakened humanity, and opposed war.

It seems that this is indeed more sophisticated and advanced than simple suicide?
Lu Chuan's artistic vanity was touched.

It seems that this change does indeed better reflect the depth of his thinking?

Plagiarism of "Schindler" is plagiarism, "Looking for a Gun" was also done with Jiang Wen's help, and "Kekexili" was also plagiarism.

A little more help wouldn't seem like much.

After hesitating for a moment, Lu Chuan finally acquiesced out of habit.

He was completely unaware that Shen Shandeng's seemingly casual alteration had completely reversed the narrative tone of "the complexity of human nature" that he had originally tried to construct, turning it in a completely different direction.

Shen Shandeng also gave a death scene to "Old Zhao" and "Little Bean" that Kadokawa had let go.

From the perspective of the Chinese characters, this doesn't need to be discussed with Lu Chuan.

Shen Shandeng didn't make many changes, he just altered the ending.

Let's go back and look at the character Kadokawa.

He misses home, but he's still causing trouble.

He felt guilty, but he was still committing sins.

His love for comfort woman Yuriko was pure and unwavering, but he still slept with her, committed a heinous crime, and the comfort woman still died.

To prevent Jiang Shuyun from being humiliated, he killed her. He still killed her, and he still committed a sin.

At the end of the film, he resolutely let two Chinese people go, but they still died, which was still a tragedy.

Who killed him? Is there even a need to ask? It wasn't Kadokawa, it was the Kadokawas.

He felt guilty, he reflected, he contemplated suicide. He was full of humanity, compassion, and remorse, yet he still lived on, even though those he tried to save were all dead.

Kadokawa is just like all Japanese people.

This is something Japan did!
Just like the blood debts they incurred in Nanjing, their current attitude towards history is the same.

It seems no one knows who did it, or who made the decision.

This is the true nature of a notebook.

Those who know minor etiquette but lack great righteousness, who are bound by trivialities but lack great virtue, who value minor details but disregard integrity and shame, who fear power but do not cherish virtue, will inevitably become bandits when strong and thieves when weak.

They say all the nice things, but do all the bad things.

They wear human skin but are beasts at heart.

of course.

With the film's release, Lu Chuan may face some controversy.

In particular, Kadokawa picked up the camera.

(End of this chapter)