Huayu: The Big Players Behind the Scenes

After the musical "Jinsha" on April 8th,

Zhuang Huai'an still felt that Tan Weiwei was absolutely worth signing. Putting aside everything else, just considering that a professional bel canto singer using popular singing techniques is indeed a game-changer.

The only pity is that Tan Weiwei's voice naturally has a metallic quality. It's not obvious when she sings in the middle range, but it comes out when she hits a high note. If her voice were a little clearer, she could have taken over Pang Hong's path.

Yao Beina was also signed at the same time. This was not due to Liu Yifei's influence, but rather the decision of Du Hua, the company's head of human resources. Her reasoning was quite reasonable: Strawberry Music was lacking a singer who could command respect. Such a singer is jokingly referred to in the industry as a "national team player."

Yao Beina doesn't qualify yet, but she has the potential.

So Zhuang Huai'an agreed, and as a token of his sincerity in signing the contract, he gifted her a hit song, "Dust in the Fireworks".

It can only be said that Yao Yibian, who is based on the Minmei Academy of Fine Arts, sang it so well that it was even more breathtaking than Huang Xiaoyun's cover version.

Tan Weiwei didn't overlook this either, sending her signature song "If There Is a Next Life," but the effect was just average. I don't know if it's because she hasn't reached the mindset she was on the right track yet. She's always a little lacking in her feelings and needs to work on it some more.

I was originally thinking of giving "Shu Embroidery" to Chun Ge, but Wang Zhengliang strongly objected after reading the score, saying that Chun Ge is not yet able to handle this tender style, and that if she forced herself to sing it, it would be as awkward as Tan Weiwei's performance.

That makes a lot of sense. After all, singing is like acting; you can't bring out the essence of a performance without putting in the emotion.

Zhuang Huai'an stopped worrying about it. As his predecessors had already proven, no matter how good he was, he still needed to listen to the advice of professionals on some things. The consequence of always wanting to micromanage things himself was like playing Boom Beach.

Niang Xipi!

Qiu Fengzi: President, your insight is brilliant!

Happy times fly by, and it's time to head to the film set again.

On April 16th, after celebrating his 22nd birthday, Zhuang Huai'an plunged into Lenghu Town to continue his plan to rescue soldier Jiang Wen.

...

Time passed, and June arrived.

Just as everyone on the Mars crew was happy about the potato's good growth, the treacherous minister finally jumped out!

One is a kushiko, and the other... is Ryutaro!

At the recently opened Shanghai International Film Festival, Chuanzi's "Kekexili" was selected as the opening film by the organizers because of its profound significance.

Perhaps it was this honor that made Chuanzi feel like he was someone important, and his words and actions became quite arrogant, as if he regarded all the heroes of the world as nothing.

In an interview with Shanghai Entertainment Daily, he blurted out: "Director Zhuang's films are too formulaic. In fact, they are no different from those of Lou Ye and Section Chief Jia. In the end, they are just selling emotional anxiety. In contrast, my film 'Kekexili' is about humanistic sentiment, which is a higher position than theirs."

This statement shocked the entire entertainment industry.

How much shit must this guy have eaten to say something like that? Let's not even talk about Zhuang Huai'an, the "holy son" of Beijing Film Academy. The blood from the three people he killed last year, including Zhang Ziyi, is still fresh in our minds.

Take Lou and Jia for example. Lou is a graduate student from the Beijing Film Academy's directing department, and Jia is a graduate student from the literature department. Moreover, Director Jia is a judge for the Asian section of this year's Shanghai International Film Festival. You, a graduate student from the Beijing Film Academy who joined halfway through his studies, openly belittle your senior? And you even dare to insult him?

It's one thing to bully Section Chief Jia, this "peasant," but Lou Ye is a proper young master from Shanghai, and his family background is no less than that of Father Lu!

Shocked as it may be, no one in the industry has commented on the matter, not even Lou and Jia.

Everyone remained silent in tacit agreement, while the major media outlets were also keenly waiting for something. Wang, the veteran of Enlight Media, once again made his move, personally leading a team to Lenghu Town, determined to reap the first wave of benefits.

Here

Upon hearing this news, Zhuang Huai'an was not angry but delighted; he was practically laughing to death. His original plan was to wait until Chuanzi was at the peak of his popularity after the Golden Horse Awards before crushing him, but he didn't expect him to jump out so impatiently now.

The rain stopped and the sky cleared up, and Chuanzi felt like he was back to normal.

Very well, you started this! Beijing Film Academy, your disciple Zhuang Huai'an is here to clean house!

"Damn it, that skewer-eating bastard! If it weren't for wanting to experience being a director, I would never have fucking joined the 'Looking for a Gun' crew!" Jiang Wen slammed the newspaper down, her voice still ringing despite her slender frame.

You old scoundrel, you finally admit that you took the picture of the missing gun!

"Brother, take him down!"

"Should we take him down?"

"Do it!" Jiang Wen's tone was resolute. "If you care about your sect, leave this to me. I have nine ways to kill him, nine ways!"

"Hey, I think we do need to work on people, but we have to take it one step at a time. If we take too big a step, snip, we might tear our balls."

My mentor, Wang Hongwei, smoked his cigarette with an unpredictable expression. He was also itching to strangle Chuanzi, but he still calmly analyzed the situation.

"Disciple, the string of characters isn't the point. The point is that not only is Old Dog Lu occupying the latrine, but he's also holding hands with the old men in the surrounding latrines."

These old men were all afraid that they might lose their footing and fall into the latrine, ruining their reputation in their later years, so they held each other's hands very tightly, one ring around the other, so that pulling one would affect the whole group, which made things a bit difficult.

He truly deserves to be called my mentor; his explanation was both subtle and straightforward.

Zhuang Huai'an gave Lao Wang a thumbs up. He had anticipated this situation and had prepared a solution in advance.

In reality, this so-called circle is very difficult to break through by external forces. But what if what comes from the outside is not a fist, but a bullet? Or a 160mm rocket launcher?

And "Me and the Tibetan Antelope," which had already entered MGM's film library, was this very shell.

It capitalized on the opportune timing of the Shanghai International Film Festival, the advantageous location amidst international disputes, and the support of the Beijing Film Academy's top student.

In addition, there was another trump card: a postal express package with a postmark date. This was a contract and the finished film that he had specifically instructed Director Liu to mail to the company when he bought the documentary copyright two years ago, following his usual little habit.

This is a separate backup material, and it hasn't been opened yet!

If he could still make it in the industry after a series of quick moves, Zhuang Huai'an would pack up his belongings and head to Hollywood overnight!

Accidentally entered the Heavenly Palace~

After telling his old mentor and good brother about his prior preparations, the two of them looked at Zhuang Huai'an with different expressions.

My little brother (apprentice), have you been wanting to get involved in this mess for a while now?

"Zhang Lu, tell Zhong Lifang I want to eat fish... cough, it's getting cold, so how about fish skewers... no, never mind, pass on my order: kill him!"

"Okay." Zhang Lu was already used to her boss's intermittent erratic behavior. She had figured out the pattern: she didn't need to remember the middle part, just the beginning and the end.

The next day,

A chilling warning came from across the sea, and the corpse headed straight for the organizers of the Shanghai International Film Festival.

The jury chairman for this year's Shanghai Film Festival is Wu Tianming, a fourth-generation director, a core figure in the Northwest film circle, the mentor of Zhang Yimou and Kai Ge, and the lifelong rival of the womanizer Teng Wenji.

His representative works include "The Changing Face" and "Song of the Phoenix".

His famous quote was during a visit to the set of Zhang Yimou's "Big Steamed Bun" and the soul-searching question he asked: "I heard you went hiking alone in Hong Kong, so why do you need two bodyguards on your left and right when you come to the mainland? Is someone trying to assassinate you?"

After experiencing several years of decline in the United States, he returned to China and remained true to his original aspirations. He is a very tough old man.

"MGM sends a lawyer's letter to sue a barbecue restaurant? Why did the documents end up here?"

Director Wu rubbed his bald head, staring at the cover in bewilderment.

"Director," the assistant timidly suggested, "you'll find out when you turn to the last page."

Upon seeing this, Wu Tianming's eyes widened in fury, and he unleashed a torrent of Qinqiang opera curses to quell his anger.

"You scoundrel! You've spent your whole life playing with eagles, and in your old age you almost got your eyes pecked out by one!"

The beginning didn't matter, I don't remember the middle, but at the end, there was a line in large font:

The documentary "Kekexili" and our company's documentary "Me and the Tibetan Antelope" have 21 similarities, including plot, concept, scene, shot composition and even dialogue. For example, the scenes of "tracking poachers in the snow" and "team members taking off their pants to cross the river" are highly similar.

Furthermore, our company's documentary was officially registered for copyright on January 1, 2004.

According to international copyright law, our company believes that more than 10% similarity constitutes plagiarism, and the film itself looks more like a documentary than a feature film.

This letter merely serves as a reminder to the organizers of the Shanghai International Film Festival that using a film suspected of plagiarism as the opening film is truly damaging to the image of an international A-list film festival.

"Damn it! *beep beep beep* You coward, you bastard…"

After a long string of Tang Dynasty-style elegant language that couldn't pass censorship, Wu Tianming finally stopped cursing. It wasn't that he ran out of words, but rather that he was getting old and his voice was weak, so he could only curse up to the 28th generation of his ancestors.

"Director, please take a break."

The assistant handed over some tea and asked, "You need to make a decision about this as soon as possible, because if word gets out, it will affect our film festival this year..."

"This kid is interesting. No wonder Zhang Yimou and Kai Zi praised him so highly in front of me."

After taking a sip of tea, Wu Tianming came to his senses. Everyone knew that Zhuang Huai'an was in charge of MGM, and given the inappropriate remarks made by the scoundrel yesterday, he didn't expect the other party's counterattack to come so quickly.

Moreover, it was done in a well-organized and methodical manner, using courtesy before resorting to force, leaving no room for criticism.

That's the method...

Wu Tianming then focused his attention on the publication date on the official letter: January 1, 2004, which was indeed earlier than the filming period in Hoh Xil. Could it be that he had made preparations in advance?

Impossible, it must just be a coincidence.

The old man lit a cigarette and instructed, "Draft a statement: the opening film, Hoh Xil, is suspected of plagiarism. It was due to my inadequate oversight, and I will publicly apologize for this at the closing ceremony."

"Director, what?!" the assistant exclaimed in shock. "This will severely damage the film festival's credibility!"

"Negative impact?"

Wu Tianming said ambiguously, "It was just an award for my own amusement. Now that they've gone from polite to forceful, that kid is already giving me, an old man, face. If we don't deal with it promptly, the impact will be huge."

"But…"

"No buts. The responsibility for this lies with me, and I will take full responsibility."

The old man exhaled a puff of smoke, his expression enigmatic. "It's a society based on personal connections. If you owe someone a favor, you have to repay it. If you want to maintain relationships, you have to help them. What about me? What about Zhang Yimou? Not everyone is like that kid, able to transcend the three realms and be outside the five elements..."

The assistant seemed to understand but not quite, feeling as if his director had been drained of his energy; his once straight back now appeared somewhat hunched.

With the release of the official announcement from the Shanghai International Film Festival,

The entire entertainment industry has been rocked again.

Some people think that Zhuang Huai'an's influence is so great that an international film festival would stand up for him and directly attack the traitors on principle.

Only those familiar with Wu Tianming know that the plagiarism is indeed true.

At the house of the swan,

Father Lu's face was gloomy, and Chuanzi looked panicked.

"Father, you must save me!"

"Save what? How? You copied homework when you were in school, and this time you're copying movies, huh?!"

"Dad, I really didn't. I just borrowed a few shots. It's the director's job. How can that be called plagiarism? At most, it's a tribute, Dad!"

Listening to Chuanzi's sophistry, Lu's father felt a sense of helplessness.

"Stop talking. I know Wu Tianming better than anyone. I used all my connections to persuade him to appear in your movie. Power can't bring him down. There's only one truth: this movie is definitely not as simple as just a few scenes you mentioned!"

Chuanzi burst into tears, looking like a wronged little wife. "How can a scholar's actions be considered plagiarism? Father, believe me, this time it was Zhuang Huai'an who framed me! What did I do wrong? It was just a slip of the tongue... that's all..."

"Shut up!"

Father Lu was furious. "You still have the nerve to say that! Firing at three people at once! Even if your father's face is made of gold, it won't work against these three!"

Chuanzi didn't say anything, she just kept crying, thinking that this was a way to awaken her father's love.

It worked; in the end, Father Lu softened.

"Go wash your face and get dressed, I'll take you for a walk."

"Okay, Dad, please wait a moment." The man's expression changed faster than a female actress who had just finished her period.

As soon as the father and son stepped out of their apartment building, a large group of reporters swarmed around them, all eager to capitalize on the news.

"Masturbation... Um, Director Masturbation, what's your opinion on the announcement issued by the film festival?"

"Director Lu, did you really plagiarize?"

"Hey, MGM just announced they're suing you. What do you think?"

"Director, you just criticized Zhuang Huai'an yesterday. Is this retaliation?"

Upon hearing this, Chuanzi finally stopped.

I don't know if it was because Lu's father gave him too much confidence, but Chuanzi fired again.

"I did not plagiarize. Kekexili is my masterpiece, a success achieved through the joint efforts of the entire crew. It is a great work."

As for your claim that I criticized Zhuang Huai'an? I'm sorry, I didn't criticize him. I'm a graduate student at the Beijing Film Academy, but he got in through bribery.

A commotion erupted among the crowd. An internationally renowned director bought his way into the Beijing Film Academy? Could it be that all his awards were also bought? This was huge news!

Zhuang Huai'an: You have discovered the truth.

Seeing his own idiot son looking so smug, Father Lu felt utterly helpless.

I wonder if my wife can still have children.

Forget it, even if it can reproduce, it's no good. If another one of this breed comes along, even ghosts will be afraid!

[Shocking! A barbecue vendor said Zhuang Huai'an got into Beijing Film Academy by buying his way in, and doesn't deserve to be compared to this graduate student!]

[Can you still buy a bachelor's degree? A look at the chaos in art school admissions!]

[Beijing Film Academy scandal, Central Academy of Drama scandal, Shanghai Theatre Academy: We're the only ones who shine!]

[Director? Businessman? What's the real one?]

As soon as the news broke, people all over the country were watching the drama unfold.

Zhuang Huai'an was holed up in the tent, laughing so hard he was practically going crazy.

Meanwhile, Nortel,

The dean's office was filled with smoke. Zhang Huijun had an angry look on his face. On both sides were the heads of various majors and some elders.

"Tell me your thoughts on this matter."

After the sect leader spoke, Elder Tian Zhuangzhuang took the lead with a concise and to-the-point statement: "Issue a statement, and then we'll have some skewers."

"I support Professor Tian's opinion!"

Ma Junxiang, the head of the Literature Department, followed closely behind and sneered, "He made a mockumentary and made it the opening film of the Shanghai International Film Festival, and he thinks he's so great? If he actually got into one of the top three film festivals, wouldn't he be flying high?"

"Exactly! Huai'an is practically the best in the country, right? Every time he goes back to school, he's still incredibly respectful to us teachers. This kid is sensible and grateful; I support him!"

The speaker was Professor Zhou, the head of the Fine Arts Department. Almost all of his prized students in recent years have been working under Zhuang Huai'an.

"I think it's best to prioritize harmony."

Chung Ta-feng, the former head of the Literature Department, is more conservative. "Both of them graduated from our school. Last year's Little Swallow incident caused quite a stir. People said that our Beijing Film Academy is a modern-day Whampoa Military Academy, with juniors beating up seniors. Now this has happened again. If the school makes a public statement again, people will say that we are too biased towards Chuang Huai-an."

"Is the 'Little Swallow Incident' the school's stance?"

Chen Yi, the head of the Performing Arts Department, sneered, "Professor Zhong, what you're saying is ridiculous. Besides, a student like Huai'an is one in a hundred years. Since his debut, the banner at our school gate has never been taken down. It would be a shame if the school didn't show favoritism to such an outstanding student!"

"I support Huai-An!" said Yu Jianhong, head of the Department of Management. Just like the Department of Fine Arts, most of the outstanding students in the College of Management in recent years have been poached by Zhong Lifang to work as on-site producers at 91 Company.

"Me too!" Huang Yingxia, the head of the recording department, echoed, and the students were also recruited.

Of the seven top-tier majors at Beijing Film Academy, the Directing, Acting, Fine Arts, Management, and Sound Recording departments have chosen Zhuang Huai'an. The Literature department is slightly controversial but not a major issue. Only the truly core major, Cinematography, has not yet made a statement.

Seeing everyone looking at him, Mu Deyuan, the head of the photography department, exhaled a puff of smoke and said in a deep voice, "I choose Zhuang Huai'an. He can take us to Mars!"

Upon hearing this, the tense atmosphere in the room suddenly eased, and everyone burst into laughter.

The $8000 million co-production between China and the US, with China as the main producer, "The Martian," features a cast and crew entirely composed of students from the Beijing Film Academy. It would be a fool for the school not to support such outstanding students!

No one mentioned the word "buy" at all; this kind of thing definitely can't be made public!

In short, once the barbecue stalls are shut down, the storm will pass.

After the voting is completed, there is one more crucial thing to do.

The crowd then turned their attention to the two elderly people standing to the left and right of Zhang Huijun at the head of the table.

The old man on the left laughed and said, "I'll go and take care of Lu Tianming."

"This matter really requires your intervention," the old man on the right squinted his eyes, "and I'll handle the officials."

"With you two here, this matter will be simple!" Sect Leader Zhang Huijun made the final decision.

"Then it's decided. Xiao Jing, go draft a statement. Make sure the wording is strong, and stamp it with the official seals of all the relevant departments. Damn it, some outer disciple thinks he can climb over our precious darling to get ahead? We won't allow it!"

Xie Xiaojing, who had just been promoted to vice dean of the Beijing Film Academy, said helplessly, "Okay, I'll go prepare."

"Remember to sign my name."

"And mine too."

The two elderly people smiled at each other, everything understood without a word.

Zhang Huijun was completely relieved.

The Supreme Elder Tie Li, and the previous generation Elder Fei.

With these two backing them up, the domestic entertainment industry is in no danger.