This director only directs blockbusters.

I turned around and saw a man.

Short hair, black jacket, carrying a huge camera bag, and a Leica M6 hanging around his neck.

"Director Yang?" the man laughed, speaking with a strong Taiwanese accent. "I'm Chen Qiming."

Yang Ning sized him up.

He's thirty-five, but looks like he's in his late twenties. His eyes are bright, and he looks directly at people without flinching.

"Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Chen." Yang Ning reached out her hand.

Chen Qiming shook hands, his hand steady: "Just call me A-Ming. Director Yang is younger than I imagined."

"Being young isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"Of course," Chen Qiming grinned. "Only the young dare to take risks."

On the way back to the city by taxi, Chen Qiming kept looking out the window.

"Beijing has changed a lot," he said. "The last time I came here was in 97."

"Here to film something?"

"Just playing around. Back then I was still an apprentice to Director Hou, and I sneaked off here." Chen Qiming turned to Yang Ning, "Director Yang, may I take a look at the script?"

Yang Ning took one out of her bag and gave it to him.

Chen Qiming took the book and flipped through it quickly. But when he came to certain paragraphs, he would stop and tap his fingers lightly on the page.

Upon seeing the scene of the battle on the city walls, he suddenly asked, "What aspect ratio do you want to use for this scene?"

"2.35:1," Yang Ning said. "Only a widescreen can accommodate that scale."

What about camera movement?

"Start using a stabilizer to follow Lu Ran as he runs on the city wall. Once the lightning is at its strongest, switch to high-speed photography, slow motion, and high-speed video to make every flash of lightning clear."

Chen Qiming nodded and flipped through a few more pages: "How do you want to implement the light effect for healing supernatural abilities?"

"Gentle, warm, just like Lin Xue's core personality. Don't show off your skills, let your influence be subtle and pervasive."

"Understood." Chen Qiming closed the script, looked at Yang Ning, and said, "Director Yang, before I came here, Boss Jiang told me that you were a ruthless person, and I didn't quite believe it. But after meeting you, I truly believe it now."

"Whether it's ruthless or not depends on the job," Yang Ning said. "You'll be at the script reading this afternoon too. You'll be the deputy head of the photography team, starting with that. You'll be working with Chen Lei; he's from China, young, but he has a lot of ideas."

"No problem," Chen Qiming smiled. "I love hanging out with young people."

When I got back to the office, it was already 11:30.

Yang Ning introduced Chen Qiming to everyone. Liu Yong and Lao Xu were both seasoned veterans; they exchanged a few polite words and that was it. Chen Lei was a little nervous and shook hands with too much force.

"Teacher Chen, please give me your guidance."

"Don't call me teacher, call me A-Ming." Chen Qiming patted him on the shoulder. "We'll sit together for the reading session this afternoon."

While eating his boxed lunch at noon, Han Shanping's secretary called.

"Director Yang, Chairman Han has read the script and wants you to come to his office at four o'clock this afternoon."

Did they say anything?

"They didn't say. They just asked you to take a script with you."

After hanging up the phone, Yang Ning ate a couple of bites of rice, but had no appetite.

Old Xu leaned closer: "Is the summons from Chairman Han good news or bad news?"

"I don't know," Yang Ning said, "but he read the script and didn't reject it outright, which is a good thing."

"What if we need to change it?"

"Then let's change it." Yang Ning finished the last bite. "But we can't mess up the muscles and bones."

At 2 p.m., the small conference room was full.

The core team is all there, plus Chen Qiming.

Lin Xuan was also there, sitting by the window, looking down at the script, his fingers gripping the corner of the page tightly. He was originally chosen by Yang Ning to play Su Man.

But after revising the script, they felt that the solo team might be more suitable for her.

Yang Ning walked in, and everyone looked up.

Yang Ning glanced at his watch; it was 3:40.

"I'm going to see Chairman Han." He picked up the script. "You guys continue discussing the technical solutions. I need to see the storyboard sketches for the city wall scene when I get back."

"clear."

---

Han Shanping's office is on the top floor.

When Yang Ning knocked on the door and went in, Han Shanping was making tea.

"Sit down." He gestured to the sofa.

Yang Ning sat down and placed the script on the coffee table.

Han Shanping poured two cups of tea and pushed one towards him. Then he picked up the script and turned to a certain page.

This is the ending of the Battle of the City Walls.

Lu Ran collapsed, exhausted, and Lin Xue rushed over to hug him. The faint light of the healing spell shone through her tears.

The city was saved, and the survivors gathered around, their applause going from sporadic to thunderous.

"This part," Han Shanping tapped the page, "you wrote it very well."

Yang Ning didn't respond, waiting for what followed.

"But that's where the problem lies." Han Shanping put down the script and looked at Yang Ning. "It's too idealistic. Applause, cheers, the hero's return... won't the audience find it fake?"

Yang Ning picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Mr. Han, have you seen 'Saving Private Ryan'?"

"I've seen it."

"What did Captain Miller say before he died?" Yang Ning asked. "He said, 'Don't let everyone down,' and then he looked into the distance, his eyes empty. There were no grand words, no applause."

He put down his teacup: "In my script, the applause is background noise. What Lu Ran actually heard was tinnitus."

He lay there, and all he could see was the sky and Lin Yu's tear-streaked face.

What's he thinking? Maybe he's not thinking about anything, just tired.

Han Shanping remained silent for a while.

"Can Lin Xue's healing techniques really save him?"

"No," Yang Ning said. "We can only stop the bleeding. The real wound is in the heart. But the audience doesn't need to know that. They just need to see that he survived, and she's still here. That's enough."

Han Shanping smiled.

"You rascal..." He shook his head. "Fine, I've approved the script. Let's film it this way."

Yang Ning breathed a sigh of relief.

"But there's a personnel change," Han Shanping said. "Li Xue mentioned it to me, saying that you don't take her opinions seriously."

I've put her in charge of other projects. From now on, I'll communicate directly with you regarding the review process.

Yang Ning was taken aback.

This was an unexpected delight.

"Thank you, Chairman Han."

"Don't thank me." Han Shanping waved his hand. "You'll truly thank me if the film turns out well. If it's a disaster, we're both finished."

He paused for a moment: "That photographer from Taiwan, you used him?"

"Used. Deputy team leader."

"Jiang Zhiqiang just called me, saying that kid's not bad, and he wants you to mentor him." Han Shanping said with a half-smile, "Do you know what that means?"

"I know," Yang Ning said. "It'll be good for us to cooperate in the future."

"Good, I understand." Han Shanping stood up. "Go. Hurry up. I want to see this film released during next year's National Day holiday."

"clear."

Yang Ning got up and walked to the door.

"By the way," Han Shanping called out to him, "Have you chosen someone for the female lead?"

Yang Ning turned around: "There is one. But we still have to try."

"Who?"

"Fan Binbin".

Han Shanping thought for a moment: "She's pretty enough, cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and her image is suitable, but can her acting skills support it?"

"Yes," Yang Ning said. "I've seen her act. She has a kind of energy, the kind that's suppressed, but when it explodes, it's terrifying. But those aren't the most important things; in commercial films, the female lead just has to be beautiful."

"You decide," Han Shanping waved his hand. "I only care about the result."

Yang Ning walked out of the office and closed the door.

The corridor was quiet.

He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

The script has been approved.

The biggest hurdle has been overcome.

Next, it's time for real action.

He took out his phone and sent a text message to Lao Xu.

"Chairman Han has approved the script. Come over tomorrow."

After sending it, he glanced at the time.

4:20 PM.

The sunlight was still bright, streaming in through the window at the end of the corridor, shimmering golden.

He suddenly remembered that line from the script—

"Light is never given; it is earned by the cracks itself."