Huayu: Are you even sitting up straight? You're going to be the director?

Chapter 158 Civilization in Desperate Circumstances, Upright and Honorable!
The office was completely silent.

Cao Zhong's words sounded upright and honest to these two, but were they really feasible?

So many great directors, but no one wants to make this film.

Therefore, he was momentarily stunned.

Cao Zhong smiled.

"When the movie is released, I, Cao Zhong, will not keep this glory of saving Chinese history to myself!"

"Even if the movie fails, you won't lose anything,"

Cao Zhong looked at the two of them, offering his assurance, his gaze filled with deep affection.

"Please, both of you, help me!"

Prince Ma had already proven his immense talent in his previous life, becoming the most expensive author with intellectual property rights, bar none. Several of his historical novels have been adapted into film and television works, all of which have received high ratings.
Although Yu Gengzhe is relatively unknown, he has been a longtime friend of Ma Boyong and his professional skills are also top-notch.
One excels at integrating historical elements into modern narratives, while the other specializes in analyzing social phenomena from a historical perspective; they complement each other perfectly in the fields of history and literature.
Cao Zhong believes that the collaboration between these two is greater than the sum of its parts!

Although neither of them were screenwriters by profession, Cao Zhong's words hit the two of them hard on the G-spot.

Ma Boyong's expression hardened.
What Cao Zhong needs to do
The approach is insightful, the story is engaging, the language is powerful, the message is profound, the support is forceful, and the selection of personnel is accurate.
His eyes turned red just from looking at Yu Gengzhe!
They don't care that much about screenwriting credits.

Three million for screenwriting fees is not a small amount for them, but it only shook their minds for a moment.
However, Cao Zhong's description of the glory of Chinese "history" and "film" encompasses its cultural connotations and its influence on history, literature, and film art.
The decision to appoint these two as head screenwriters, demonstrating their unwavering trust in their abilities, made them constantly shout "loyalty" in their hearts!
The two were deeply moved!

It was just a simple request, yet the two of them instantly stood up, overwhelmed with emotion.

The fatigue from traveling from out of town vanished instantly!

That indescribable feeling rushed straight to the top of my head and struck my soul!

Ma Boyong looked down and saw that his Samsung phone had automatically reached full charge, with six bars of power per second, which was just the limit of its power generation!

Cao Zhong's gaze swept over the two men, clearly sensing their excitement, and he continued calmly:
"Brother Ma, Professor Yu, I've been pondering a question: Our Chinese history is vast and complex, so why hasn't anyone brought it to the screen, allowing some of those moments to transcend time and touch people's hearts?"

He paused slightly, letting the question linger in the air for a moment, before getting to the point.

"The hundred-plus years from the Battle of Talas to the fall of the Tang Dynasty were a crossroads of an era, marked by the violent clash between Eastern and Western empires and the astonishing changes in domestic and international politics, resulting in countless tragedies and reunions."

Ma Boyong leaned forward slightly, and as a lover of "historical possibilities," he keenly grasped the vast narrative space contained in Cao Zhong's words.

Cao Zhong's voice became deep and somber, and he said with a sense of melancholy:
"Think about it, the Tang Dynasty, at its most prosperous in the Western Regions, encountered the Tibetan Empire, which was expanding most fiercely, and on top of that, it suffered a series of earth-shattering internal upheavals..."

The An Lushan Rebellion depleted the elite forces of Hexi, allowing the Tibetan cavalry to seize the opportunity and sever the vital ties between Anxi, Beiting, and the Central Plains.

Yu Gengzhe nodded slightly. As an expert on Tang Dynasty history, he was very familiar with this period of history, but he was curious about the director's perspective.

"But what I wanted to film was not the decline itself,"

Cao Zhong's tone suddenly shifted, his eyes turning cold.

"What I want to film is how the spirit stands firm when the body and the land inevitably slide into decay!"

I want to tell the audience that the battle flag of the Anxi Protectorate is important not only because wherever it is planted, that place represents the Tang Dynasty;
More importantly, it is because the place where the flag is located carries such a lofty spiritual weight!
But now, many people have forgotten. They've forgotten our romantic, enduring, and magnificent spiritual civilization.

“We have our own narrative soil and creative logic. Although there are limitations at times, such as the Thirteen Families of Kuidong, which may not be able to be filmed, why can’t the Tang Dynasty be filmed?”

Ultimately, it's because nobody is willing to put in the hard work.

If we don't take control of our own discourse, we can only watch other people's stories, pretending they're epic films, eroding our civilization, and being mistaken by our audiences for responsibility and loyalty in Hollywood.

If our film succeeds, it will not only be a step forward for the Chinese film industry, but also a new path for Chinese historical commercial blockbusters, and a new narrative with substance and depth.

Uncompromising, refusing to compromise—only by following the righteous path can we broaden our path, achieve ultimate victory, and ignite the flame of Chinese civilization.

"puff--"

Ma Boyong gasped for breath, feeling like he'd been hit hard; his heart pounded wildly!
He is an author, and as an author, no one would not want their story to be brought to the screen.

Cao Zhong's words left him speechless for a moment.

He clenched his fist unconsciously, his knuckles turning slightly white. "Where the flag stands...the spiritual high ground..."

Countless images flashed through his mind in an instant: an old soldier with white hair looking up at a tattered military flag in the yellow sand, a young man in Chang'an imagining the grandeur of the Western Regions in his poems... The weight of history and personal destiny intertwined at this moment.

Yu Gengzhe, a scholar known for his rationality and composure, also felt a surge of heat in his chest at this moment.

He studied Sui and Tang history for seventeen years, reading countless cold historical materials and tedious reports.

But Cao Zhong's words were like a key, unlocking the floodgates of his deepest emotions.

He seemed to see those soldiers who were holding the fortified city, protecting not only the territory, but also the belief in a civilization.

This interpretation possesses both the structural strength of history and the warmth of humanity.

Cao Zhong accurately captured the emotions of the two men, and he continued, his voice full of infectious enthusiasm:
"Gentlemen, I believe that you and I can definitely do something for that period of history."
As you can see, the screenwriters on my team are all very young.
I chose you because I believe in your passion and your warmth towards that era. This is different from the shrewdness of many well-known screenwriters in the industry.

We need to establish true aesthetic rules for historical epics, rules that reflect the spiritual civilization that has been passed down through thousands of years of Chinese history.
Moreover, this could even become a system in the future.

A historical epic, a revolution in artistic narrative structure.

After the Anxi Army, I can think of a trilogy, and of the most resilient and noble posture that civilization displays in the face of adversity.

And all of this requires the participation of ambitious individuals like you.

Ma Boyong stood up, his throat bobbing.

"I'll join, I'll fight tooth and nail."

He didn't want to wait any longer; he wanted to resign and even join Chengying.

He thought that as an author, writing a story like "The Wind Rises in Longxi" already showed him great talent and vision.

But compared to Director Cao, it's too small!

The layout is small!

Yu Gengzhe also stood up and shook hands, saying only four words: "It is our inescapable responsibility."

Cao Zhong nodded: "I can't represent the entertainment industry, nor can I represent the audience. I can only express my gratitude to you both on my own behalf."

His voice was firm:
"The story of the Anxi Army is the beginning, but I believe it is by no means the end. In the thirty years since the beginning of Chinese art and culture, such narratives have been rare. It is a path that no one has walked before."

But I believe this is the right path.

Outsiders' epic tales are all based on fantasy, but only China's epic tales, in the long river of time, are the real destinies of individuals.

These people embody the true spirit and creative logic of Chinese culture and art; they deserve to be celebrated and remembered.

So, thank you both!

After thanking him, Cao Zhong left and went to arrange other project matters for Wang Renjun and Qi Jiuzhou.

Walking down the street, for some reason, he suddenly thought of Yi Zhongtian's assessment that "the Ming Dynasty fell because of Zhu Yuanzhang".

For many people, the answer itself is not important; what matters is the right to score.

But Cao Zhong has a different opinion, and the answer is very important.

However, the definition of this group is difficult to grasp, and many of them actually have to be swept into the dustbin of history.

In this respect, unlike the secretive, underhanded approach of going to Hollywood to secretly drive nails,
He needed to do what he did to Wang An:
Upright and honorable
Draw them into the trend of the resurgence of the psychological advantage of historical and cultural heritage!

Bring out the cognitive framework and cultural confidence, shower them with praise! Encourage them enthusiastically! Establish a paradigm!

Let the West's petty schemes be swallowed up by the vast ocean of people's spiritual civilization!

(End of this chapter)