Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 572, page 570: I did not plagiarize!

In a small meeting room at the headquarters of Huayi Brothers Media Group in Beijing.

Lu Chuan, the director and screenwriter of "Kekexili", sat on one side of the long table, his face ashen, his fingers unconsciously tapping the tabletop, making a dull thud.

Sitting opposite him were three people who would decide the fate of this film: Wang Zhonglei, CEO of Huayi Brothers; Chen Guofu, producer and co-producer; and Du Yang, director in charge of on-site production and publicity.

Du Yang broke the silence first, her voice slightly sharp with anxiety, and a faint scar from the car accident on the plateau was still visible on her forehead: "Director Lu, President Wang, Producer Chen, now is not the time to discuss artistic pursuits! Public opinion has exploded! The 'plagiarism' accusation has been leveled, and the theaters have just issued an ultimatum. If we cannot produce strong evidence to clarify the situation, a nationwide mass withdrawal tomorrow is a foregone conclusion!"

She pushed several freshly printed newspapers, still warm from the printer, to the center of the table.

The front page headlines were almost all sensational, with headlines such as "Who stole the memories of the glacier?" and "Kekexili embroiled in plagiarism scandal, prototype director files lawsuit."

Wang Zhonglei rubbed his throbbing temples. He was wearing a well-fitting suit, but the fatigue between his brows was hard to hide.

He looked at Lu Chuan, his tone heavy, with a final hint of confirmation: "Lu Chuan, there are no outsiders here. Tell me honestly, regarding Liu Xinyu's accusations... character settings, key scenes, narrative structure... did you actually 'borrow' from his documentary? Even unintentionally?"

Lu Chuan seemed to be pricked by a needle, and suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger at being questioned and the stubbornness of an artist: "President Wang! How can you ask such a question? 'Kekexili' is something I and my team worked on for several years on the plateau, eating frozen potatoes, risking our lives to create!"
Every shot, every line of dialogue, is based on what I personally saw and heard, and then artistically refined! Liu Xinyu's documentary is at most one source of material, just like the background information that all journalists look at!
How can this be considered plagiarism? This is an insult to me and to the entire crew's sacrifices and dedication!

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, waving his arms, "Producer Chen knows best how many times we polished the script. The documentary style was something we decided on together! How could this be plagiarized?"

All eyes turned to Chen Guofu, who had remained silent.

The producer, known for his meticulousness and deep thinking, had a furrowed brow and his hands clasped on his knees.

He was indeed deeply involved in the creative direction of "Kekexili", helping Lu Chuan to organize his scattered observations and abundant emotions into a script with narrative power.

He acknowledged the film's artistic value and uniqueness.

However, the comparisons listed by Liu Xinyu... the composition of certain scenes, the setting of character relationships, and even some details... the coincidences are indeed unbelievably high.

Is the similarity inevitable due to shared themes? Or...?

Chen Guofu opened his mouth, feeling a dryness in his throat: "I understand Lu Chuan's original intention and process in creating this film; he poured a tremendous amount of effort into it. The final presentation of the film is indeed an independent artistic creation. But..."

He paused, then chose a more cautious approach: "Some of the 'similarities' listed by the other party, especially the correspondence between the early script drafts and the documentary... may require more specialized legal definition. We currently lack a decisive chain of direct evidence to prove that we are absolutely 'original'."

"What we need is something that can convince the public and theaters! Not legal jargon!" Du Yang said urgently. "Producer Chen, the public doesn't talk to us about the law now, they only talk about emotions! Theaters are looking at attendance and word-of-mouth! If we can't come up with a solution, forget about competing for awards, it's questionable whether the film will even be released!"

Just then, Wang Zhonglei's cell phone, which was on the table, rang sharply, breaking the tense atmosphere that was on the verge of exploding in the conference room.

He glanced at the caller ID; it was an emergency line from the head of the distribution department.

He took a deep breath, pressed the answer button, and turned on speakerphone.

"Mr. Wang! Something terrible has happened!"

The voice on the other end of the phone was visibly panicked. "We just received official notification! 'China Film Shengshi Cinema Line' has posted an announcement on its official 'Maoyan Movies' community account, declaring... declaring that, effective immediately, all screenings of 'Kekexili' scheduled for tomorrow in all of its cinemas will be cancelled! The reason given is 'respect for originality, protection of intellectual property rights, and a firm stance against any work suspected of plagiarism'! They also said... that until the truth is revealed and the film is proven innocent, they will not consider resuming the screening!"

With a "buzz," Lu Chuan felt as if his head had been struck by a heavy hammer.

China Film Group Corporation (CFG) is the absolute dominant distribution channel, controlling over a quarter of the nation's screens. Its statement is tantamount to a death sentence for "Kekexili" in the mainland commercial market! Other cinema chains will inevitably follow suit quickly!
"It's over..." Du Yang slumped into a chair, his face deathly pale. "With them leading the charge... it's all over..."

Wang Zhonglei abruptly hung up the phone, his face so dark it seemed to drip water.

His last shred of hope was utterly shattered. He looked at Lu Chuan, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger and helplessness: "See? Lu Chuan! This is reality! Once China Film Group makes a move, all those other opportunistic theater chains, without exception, who dares not follow suit? No matter how good your movie is, what's the use if nobody shows it?!"

"Someone is deliberately targeting me!"

Lu Chuan slammed his hand on the table, stood up abruptly, his chest heaving violently, his eyes bloodshot with anger. "That Liu Xinyu is just a front! Where would he get the money to hire such a good lawyer when he's just a documentary filmmaker?"

"Where did they get the power to get all the media to speak with one voice? And Maoyan! They're Wang Sheng's lackeys! He just doesn't like me! It's because I didn't follow his rules! I didn't reserve a role for one of his artists!" "What's the use of saying all this now?!" Wang Zhonglei roared. He also suspected that Sheng Ying Group was behind it all, and he had heard about the background of that "Han Hai Public Opinion" company.

But without evidence, accusing the powerful Wang Sheng and Shengying Group will only hasten their demise. "Even if someone is fanning the flames, Liu Xinyu and the 'evidence' he has are at least real, right? The media's overwhelming coverage will cost money, right? The other side is too well-prepared; they've pinpointed our fatal weakness—the last day before the release! They're aiming for a fatal blow!"

The conference room fell silent again, with only Lu Chuan's heavy breathing remaining.

After a long while, Wang Zhonglei forcibly suppressed his anger and analyzed the situation in as rational a tone as possible: "Lu Chuan, listen to me. If we stubbornly resist now, we'll only end up dead. Theaters will pull the film, public opinion will be one-sided, and the lawsuit will drag on for ages. By the time the court verdict is handed down, it'll be too late! Movies have a time limit!"

He leaned forward, staring into Lu Chuan's eyes, "The only solution now... is perhaps to... bow down first."

"Lower your head? How do I lower my head?" Lu Chuan asked warily.

"Contact Liu Xinyu and talk to him."

Wang Zhonglei said slowly and deliberately, "We apologize and admit that we did refer to his documentary during the creative process, and there were problems of 'inappropriate borrowing' or 'insufficient communication'."

Then, give him a substantial compensation, essentially "get on the bus first and buy the ticket later," and characterize the matter as a "cooperation dispute" rather than "malicious plagiarism."

We need to try and get his understanding to drop the lawsuit. If he softens his stance, we can issue a joint statement, which could reverse public opinion and give theaters a reason to reschedule the film!

This is currently the only way to save the film and minimize losses!

"Impossible!" Lu Chuan refused resolutely, his face filled with the inviolability of an artist's dignity. "I did nothing wrong! Why should I apologize? And give him money? This is extortion! If I bow down to this today, how can I ever face anyone in this industry again?"
My creative reputation is completely ruined! I'd rather this film not be released in mainland China; I'll take it to international film festivals! Venice, Berlin, Cannes! I refuse to believe that the world's juries are blind!

Chen Guofu, who had been silent all along, finally spoke again. His voice was not loud, but it was like a bucket of ice water poured on Lu Chuan's burning anger: "Lu Chuan, what if... I mean what if, the other party's goal is not just to ban you domestically? What if they take this plagiarism scandal to the international stage as well?"
Have you ever wondered how the selectors at the Venice or Berlin film festivals would view *Kekexili* if they received a letter of complaint and detailed comparative materials from a 'Chinese documentary director'? International film festivals also value originality and the integrity of the filmmakers.

Lu Chuan froze on the spot, the color draining from his face at a visible speed.

If even this last resort is blocked...

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but found that he couldn't make a sound.

A bone-chilling cold instantly spread from the soles of my feet to my entire body.

Seeing his dejected state, Wang Zhonglei sighed, his tone softening somewhat, but still realistic: "Lu Chuan, just admit defeat. In this industry, sometimes attitude is more important than the truth. Apologize, split the money, and get through this difficult time first."

Once the movie is released normally, the box office is good, and the word-of-mouth gradually turns around, who will remember this trivial matter today?

If the court actually rules in favor of you, even if it only finds partial 'infringement,' there will be absolutely no room for maneuver! You'll be utterly disgraced!

Lu Chuan clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms.

He glanced around the conference room at the three faces, each with a different expression, but all etched with a sense of "reality": Du Yang's anxiety, Wang Zhonglei's helplessness, and Chen Guofu's worry.

The immense sense of humiliation and powerlessness nearly consumed him.

He abruptly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes burning with a final, defiant resentment, and almost roared:

"No! I will never apologize!"

"I did not plagiarize!"

"Let him sue if he wants! See you in court!"

"I refuse to believe that there's no place in this world where reason prevails!"

(End of this chapter)