Back to 17, My Brother is the Cult Leader

Two weeks after the start of the semester, Fang Yuan handed the two manuscripts to Xiao Mei.

Tell her to send it to the magazines "Contemporary" and "Harvest" respectively.

Xiaomei agreed and took the two manuscripts, "I Am Not Madame Bovary" and "Tangshan Earthquake".

That's right, it's a future work by Director Feng.

I Am Not Madame Bovary

In order to get an extra apartment, rural woman Li Xuelian discusses a "fake divorce" with her husband Qin Yuhe (played by Li Zonghan).

Unexpectedly, her husband soon married another woman, and the fake divorce became a real one.

When she confronted her ex-husband, he publicly humiliated her, saying, "You are the modern-day Pan Jinlian!"

To prove that her previous divorce was a sham and to clear her name of the stigma of "Pan Jinlian," Li Xuelian embarked on a ten-year legal battle.

From the county court to the municipal government, and then to the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, she petitioned at each level, turning a small request into a "hot potato" that gave officials at all levels a major headache.

Ultimately, Li Xuelian's ex-husband died unexpectedly, and she suddenly lost her target for complaint.

The film's ending is filled with dark humor and a sense of powerlessness, showing how an ordinary person is consumed in a vortex that he doesn't even fully understand.

"Using an absurd shell to house a realistic core" is the most accurate description of the film.

A rural woman creates a mess, causing chaos and headaches for the entire bureaucratic system. The process may seem absurd, but it is full of genuine moments that bring a smile to your face.

Released in 2016, the film was directed by Feng Xiaogang and written by Liu Zhenyun. The cast included Fan Bingbing, Guo Tao, Dapeng, Zhang Jiayi, and Yu Hewei.

The film grossed 4.83 million RMB at the box office and received a score of 6.7 on Douban.

Feng Xiaogang won the Best Director award at the 53rd Golden Horse Awards for this film, which was also nominated for Best Feature Film at the 31st Golden Rooster Awards.

Tangshan Earthquake: A 23-second disaster, a 32-year-long psychological aftershock.

The story takes place in Tangshan in 1976, where an unprecedented 7.8 magnitude earthquake razed the city to the ground.

Li Yuanni's twins were trapped under the same concrete slab; prying one end would collapse the other, and she could only choose to save one. In immense pain, she chose to save her brother.

These three words were clearly heard by Fang Deng, the daughter trapped under the rubble. She miraculously survived and was adopted by a kind couple from the People's Liberation Army, but she chose to bury this memory deep in her heart, growing up in silence with the enormous trauma of being "abandoned" by her mother.

For the next 32 years, the mother, Li Yuanni, lived with guilt towards her husband and daughter, punishing herself in an almost self-destructive way, and refusing all possibilities of rebuilding a new life.

It wasn't until the devastating Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, when the siblings, who were on the front lines of the rescue efforts, were unexpectedly reunited, that this family, torn apart for 32 years, finally saw a glimmer of hope for reconciliation.

Released in 2010, the film was directed by Feng Xiaogang. The main cast included Xu Fan, Zhang Jingchu, Li Chen, and Chen Daoming.

This film is adapted from Zhang Ling's novella "Aftershocks". It grossed 6.49 million RMB in 2010 and became the highest-grossing domestic film of the year with a Douban score of 7.8.

Fang Yuan had not read the original novels of these two films, so he could only create the novels based on his memory of the movie plots.

Furthermore, adjustments were made to reflect current events.

Submitting these two short stories to literary journals was not his usual practice, but he felt that the nature of these two subjects meant that they should first be explored in the literary market.

As for whether it can be published, and what the reaction will be after it is published, that's a matter for later.

All he has to do now is send out the manuscript and then wait.

When Xiaomei returned to the studio, Fang Yuan was already looking at the filming plans for "Saw".

James Wan sent over a scene breakdown sheet from Melbourne, marking the corresponding visual scheme for every key beat in the script, which Fang Yuan is reviewing line by line. He wrote some annotations in red next to Wan's markings, some saying "Agreed," some "Adjust," and some "Contact via phone."

Two days later, Fang Yuan met Zhu Yongde in his office.

"Fang Yuan, the matter you mentioned last time has been discussed in a factory meeting."

When Fang Yuan last spoke with Zhu Yongde on the phone, he mentioned something—Li Xinyu graduated from the Central Academy of Drama this year, and he wanted Zhu Yongde to recruit Li Xinyu into the Shanghai Film Studio, not as an actress, but as a producer.

Li Xinyu and Fang Yuan have been working together for quite some time.

"I've looked into Li Xinyu's situation," Zhu Yongde said.

"He's a graduate of the Central Academy of Drama's acting department, has a good foundation, and has quite a few works to his name."

You mean you want her to come to Shanghai Film Studio as a producer?

"Yes," Fang Yuan said.

"After joining Shanghai Film Studio, you can follow the studio's projects to familiarize yourself with the operating system as a producer, and later you can lead projects independently."

Given time, her ability to control project timelines and manage budgets is comparable to that of any producer.

"Sure. But let me make this clear: Shanghai Film Studio doesn't support idlers."

She had to work when she arrived. For the first two years, she worked in the factory following projects, starting as an assistant producer to familiarize herself with the whole process.

Whether she can stand on her own in the future depends on herself.

I can offer her a position with a cadre status, but whether she can stay or get promoted depends on her own ability, not your connections.

"Your influence, Fang Yuan, might get me to open a door once, but it can't guarantee her safety forever."

"She won't let you down."

"Then it's settled. Have her prepare her resume and go through the proper procedures."

I've assigned someone to handle the job placement for this year's graduates from the Central Academy of Drama.

Submit the materials before April to meet this year's allocation plan.

Fang Yuan responded with a "Okay".

Zhu Yongde then casually mentioned a few things about where this year's graduates were going.

"China Film Group recruited six people from Beijing Film Academy this year, including Huang Xiaoming and Yan Danchen."

The General Political Department's Cultural Troupe wanted Zeng Li, so she went there.

This year's graduates are all finding good jobs; employers are fiercely competing for them.

Fang Yuan believes that Li Xinyu is the most regrettable.

In his eyes, he is very well-rounded, with excellent acting, singing, dancing, choreography, and even organizational and coordination skills. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a particularly outstanding appearance, which prevents him from making a quick impression on the audience.

She herself is not very enthusiastic about performing.

After a frank conversation between the two, Fang Yuan gave this suggestion, which Li Xinyu readily agreed to.