The only sun in Huayu

Without a second thought, Chan Hok-sin assured him, "If it's you, Inspector Wu, who's taking the lead and wants to challenge him, I, Chan Hok-sin, will definitely support you! No problem! The Hong Kong entertainment circle is all in this together. How can we just stand by and watch some mainland guy cross the line and disregard our rules?"

Chen Kexin harbored intense hatred for Shen Shandeng.

He definitely wouldn't dare to do it himself, but if Wu Yusen takes the lead, he will support him 100%.

He didn't believe that the failure of "The Warlords" was his fault.

It was Shen Shandeng's "The Eunuch" that gave Han Sanping courage!

Without "The Eunuch" which dragged Han Sanping into the mess, plus the star-studded cast, how could it have been such a box office disaster!

Now he shamelessly attends premieres, practically offering himself up, which has become a laughing stock in the industry.

After a moment of silence, Wu Yusen said casually, "Red Cliff is about to be released, and everyone is looking forward to it. It's not convenient for me at this time."

"There's no need for these formalities when we're alone. Are you really willing to swallow the crushing defeat of 'The Warlords'?"

Seeing his dejected demeanor, Chen Kexin quickly composed himself and said, "It's a market-driven activity; everyone has their own fate. In the end, it's because my own film didn't satisfy the audience, so I can't blame anyone else."

He continued to persuade, "However, if you feel that Shen Shandeng is blocking your way and want to teach him a lesson, you have more seniority and higher prestige. If you step in, the effect will definitely be different."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yusen's eye twitched slightly.

Chen Kexin's words are utterly meaningless.

What he wanted was concrete action, someone to rush out and draw fire first, not empty promises.

“Inspector Chan,” Wu Yusen said earnestly, “we both came from the golden age of Hong Kong films, so we should understand one thing: two tigers cannot share one mountain.”

"It's not a question of whether we want to fight or not; they've already put a knife to our throats!"

"The whole thing that Shen Shandeng is doing, with his industrial system and his claim to the right to speak, is clearly designed to cut off the path for us directors who want to go north!"

"He has succeeded once again. With more directors emerging from the mainland, will there still be a place for us?"

Seeing that Chen Kexin did not respond, Wu Yusen raised his voice: "If you are willing to stand up first and express some different opinions, it doesn't have to be too intense, just point out some problems."

"When my film 'Red Cliff' is released and becomes a box office hit, I will definitely stand up to support you immediately! When we respond together, the situation will naturally be different."

Chen Kexin almost sneered on the other end of the phone.

Let him be the scapegoat, bear the wrath of Shen Shandeng, who is known for his vindictive nature, while Wu Yusen watches from behind.

Even if he succeeds, Shen Shandeng will still hate him.

And it's pointless anyway, Shen Shandeng's "Lost in Thailand" was a success, the momentum was already there.

"You think too highly of me."

Chen Kexin didn't want to directly confront him, so he deflected, saying, "Director Shen Shandeng and I don't actually have any direct conflict. The little misunderstanding we had before was already cleared up at the premiere of 'Lost in Thailand.' We're all filmmakers, so let's keep things peaceful."

Shen Shandeng is currently at the height of his power; who would dare to easily provoke him?

Chen Kexin is good at fanning the flames, but he wouldn't dare to start a fire.

Wu Yusen sensed Chen Kexin's hesitation and cursed inwardly, but still had to persuade him aloud: "Some things you can't avoid just because you want to. I heard that when 'The Eunuch' was first launched, you had some private conversations with some friends and didn't think much of the project?"

Chen Kexin's heart sank, and his face instantly turned ugly.

"Is this a threat? You can't just say things like that." Chen Kexin's voice turned cold: "There are plenty of unfounded rumors in the industry. It's best not to mention something as baseless as this."

"Whether it's completely unfounded or not, you and I know." Wu Yusen also became firm: "Some things are never pleasant to hear when they get out, especially when that person is riding high."

Chen Kexin finally understood that Wu Yusen had resorted to coercion after failing to entice him with bribes.

He didn't take advantage of their kindness, so he didn't hold back either.

"Inspector Wu, if we're talking about grudges, I'm sure more people know about your feud with Director Shen Shandeng, right?"

“Back before ‘The Eunuch’ even started filming, you made a statement on some occasion, and Shen Shandeng hasn’t forgotten it.”

"When you start filming, you clearly state that you're being blacklisted. If the public is certain it's you, and considering what you're doing now, what do you say?"

Wu Yusen was speechless for a moment, his face turning ashen.

He was indeed in the wrong in this matter, having underestimated Shen Shandeng's abilities and ruthlessness.

Chen Kexin said, "To be honest, the market dominance that Shen Shandeng is showing now is something we've both seen when Jackie Chan and Stephen Chow were at their peak."

"They could have whatever they wanted."

"If he is really determined to target someone, he doesn't even need to take action himself. He just needs to announce who his new film will be released at the same time, and probably not many investors will dare to stand up to him."

"You have connections with China Film Group for 'Red Cliff,' so you might be able to maneuver around it. But what about after 'Red Cliff'? Have you really thought this through?"

These words precisely struck at Wu Yusen's concerns. His stated reason was merely for the sake of the Hong Kong entertainment circle.

What comes after Red Cliff?

Shen Shandeng is still so young, yet his output is frighteningly high. He has several series of projects in hand, and the prime time slots for the next few years will probably all be dominated by him.

Wu Yusen reluctantly replied, "He may have some influence in mainland China, but I, Wu Yusen, am not without a foundation in Hollywood and internationally."

Chen Kexin sneered inwardly.

Don't you know how you got back?

But he didn't expose it, and suggested, "Perhaps you could contact Li An? Shen Shandang really embarrassed him last time. Those videos can still be found online."

When this was mentioned, Wu Yusen became even more discouraged.

He's already tried it!
For some reason, Ang Lee remained tight-lipped about the matter and didn't respond at all.

Wu Yusen wasn't acting recklessly; he intended to form an "anti-Shen alliance."

Hong Kong and Taiwan suffered losses due to Shen Shandeng's rise, in addition to the Western art directors in mainland China who were severely beaten by Shen Shandeng.

To deal with evil forces, people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong and Macau must work together side by side.

But they couldn't even put together a basic prototype.

"We are all directors from Hong Kong Island, after all, we should be of the same mind."

John Woo attempted to play the nostalgia card one last time.

“Inspector Wu,” Chen Kexin interrupted him.

Two choices lay before Chen Kexin.

First, go and deal with Shen Shandeng.

Given Shen Shandeng's temper, he would definitely take him down.

Once Shen Shandeng makes a statement about targeting him, there are only a few important slots available, so who will give him the funds to make big-budget productions?
The second option is to swallow your anger.

Although it was painful, Han Sanping maintained a superficial relationship with Shen Shandeng. He was tough, but he wouldn't break off relations.

Before the summer movie season was even over, five films had already grossed over 100 million yuan, demonstrating the rapid expansion of the mainland market.

In this situation, he could easily become a film producer, gradually build his network, and still have the opportunity to direct big-budget productions again.

Chen Kexin knew which of these two choices to make without even thinking.

Everyone's out here to make money. If making money is possible, why would anyone risk their life?

Chen Kexin concluded the conversation: "We're all adults. When we go out to work, it's all about making money and having films to shoot. There's no need for us to fight to the death."

"Harmony brings wealth. I have some things to attend to, so I'll hang up now."

After saying that, Chen Kexin hung up the phone without waiting for a response.

I support you if you go, but he's not stupid if he goes.

I don't really want to contact Wu Yusen anymore, for fear that Shen Shandeng will misunderstand!

"Selfish! Short-sighted! They're all so short-sighted!"

Hearing the busy tone from the receiver, Wu Yusen slammed his phone on the table, his chest heaving violently, his face so dark it looked like it could drip water.

The air conditioning in the private room was still strong, and he felt a chill.

For the first time, I clearly felt that an era might really be coming to an end.

Shen Shandeng is standing at the forefront of the new era with an unstoppable momentum.

This once prominent figure seems to be relentlessly pushed to the edge by the tide.

After much hesitation, Wu Yusen finally pulled out Jiang Zhiqiang's number.

After the call connected and a few words of polite conversation, suppressing his anger, Wu Yusen immediately said, "Jiang sir, Shen Shandeng pointed his finger at 'Lust, Caution' and put you and Tang Wei in a very difficult position. Are you just going to let this go like that?"

"You're busy making Olympic movies and singing praises now, don't you really have any resentment at all?"

"No!" Jiang Zhiqiang insisted without hesitation.

Wu Yusen was stunned! (End of Chapter)