"Damn, it sounded awful, but... it actually kind of made sense? Look at the films that won awards—what kind of look did the European Big Three give us?"
"A strong nation also has no art? Hollywood doesn't need art? Th-that angle is way too sharp! But thinking about it, that really did seem to be the case!"
"Abandon art for commerce? Art alone cannot save Chinese cinema? Borrowing Lu Xun's words, he was putting himself in the position of 'saving the nation'! That's... that's insanely arrogant! But it's also fucking exhilarating!"
Quite a few male students excitedly slapped their thighs.
"Good!!!"
"Well said!!"
"Senior Brother Shen is awesome!"
"Fuck those strong film nations!"
Crash, crash, crash!!!
The student section erupted in thunderous, sustained applause.
This applause was no longer mere polite support. It carried intense resonance, release, and fighting spirit that had been ignited!
Shen Shanden's words shook everyone to the core!
Their hot blood had been thoroughly set ablaze!
Especially the young students from the acting, management, and cinematography departments—an unprecedented light burst from their eyes!
Shen Shanden had not indulged in empty talk about artistic ideals. He had pointed out the cold reality and painted a vision of a future that needed them to strive for and build.
This declaration, which faced reality head-on, challenged authority, and set immense goals, made their blood boil!
Like a heavy hammer, it viciously shattered the vague shackles of "the sanctity of art" that had been instilled in their hearts.
Some students had vaguely held such views before.
But within the academy, they would have been labeled "rebellious."
After Shen Shanden summarized it like this, they could finally stand tall and say it with conviction. The exhilarating feeling of being awakened surged through their chests.
The students from the directing and literature departments who prided themselves on their artistic pursuits wore expressions of utter disbelief.
"Holy shit, a weak nation has no art? That... that's way too brutal!"
"He meant we didn't even have the right to talk about art?"
Yet beneath the thunderous applause, after the silent majority expressed their support, their former views appeared so pale and feeble that they were not worth refuting, not even worth bringing into the open!
The teachers who had not yet left the guest seating wore a variety of expressions—shock, contemplation, concern.
A very small number even revealed a barely perceptible agreement in their eyes.
It was as though something had been ignited by the power in Shen Shanden's words, leaving them deep in thought.
Amid this fervent atmosphere, most teachers chose to applaud along with everyone else.
No matter what, it was a good thing for young people to have some ambition.
The reporters were the most crazed of all.
They had completely erupted!
If Wu Jing's "betting everything I own" had been an appetizer, and Shen Shanden's comparison between Hollywood and the European Big Three had been a powerful teaser before the main course, then the triple blow of "a weak nation has no art," "Abandon art for commerce," and "art alone cannot save Chinese cinema" was a succession of blockbuster bombs that blasted the news value straight into the heavens!
Every reporter, whether from the serious China Film News or sharp-nosed city papers and web portals, seemed pumped full of adrenaline!
"Quick! Write it down! Don't miss a single word!"
"The headline! We have the headline! <Beijing Film Academy's Wild Shen Shanden: A Weak Nation Has No Art, Abandon Art for Commerce to Save Chinese Cinema!>"
"A flashpoint! An absolute flashpoint! Tomorrow's front page! No, the hot topic for the coming week!"
"Contact the editor-in-chief! Reserve the front page immediately! No, a special feature section! This Shen Shanden really knows how to create a topic!"
The camera flashes were no longer a continuous blaze. They now exploded madly and without pause.
They were aimed at the young figure onstage, whose astonishing words contrasted with his exceptionally resolute expression.
The shutters clicked as densely as torrential rain striking a tin roof, recording a moment destined to stir up enormous waves.
The long-haired directing student who had asked the question looked utterly out of place.
Under the mountain-shaking applause and the complex gazes of countless classmates—some sympathetic, some contemptuous, some indifferent—
his face faded from flushed red to pale white, the color draining from it as the smugness and provocation on his face vanished completely.
He had tried to claim the moral high ground, only to be utterly crushed by Shen Shanden's even greater cause.
"A weak nation has no art!"
Shen Shanden's response had completely exceeded the scope of the "commerce versus art" debate he had anticipated, rising directly to the level of national dignity and the foundations of the Film Industry!
Under the blunt yet devastating strike of "Hollywood crushed the European Big Three," it was as if an invisible giant hand had instantly drained every ounce of strength from his body.
He opened his mouth but could say nothing. Even if he wanted to speak, no one would listen, and the microphone had been taken away.
Everyone else was celebrating. Only he was silent.
He could only silently feel the fervor of everyone around him.
Yuan Shanshan and Zhang Xiaofei beside Da Mimi had long since been left dumbfounded.
Zhang Xiaofei murmured, "He... he really dared to say that!"
Da Mimi proudly straightened her back, her eyes gleaming with excitement. She was proud, but also a little worried.
Her man was challenging certain "rules" of the entire industry all by himself!
"This is going to turn everything upside down."
Yu Jianhong looked at his student, feeling both pride and vexation.
He was shaken by the vision and courage that far exceeded Shen Shanden's age, but he was also worried by those words.
He had just finished saying they would benefit from his fame, and now he would have to clean up after him.
Fortunately, Shen Shanden was a management student. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
As for Teacher Huang's expression—
it had already changed from livid to dark purple, his teeth clenched tightly.
Shen Shanden's words were not merely a counterattack against the student who had asked the question. They were more like a resounding slap across the faces of every self-righteous faction that only talked about "art" while remaining detached from market realities.
Teacher Huang also saw himself as an artistic youth!
That was his pride!
At this moment, he felt as though his "artistic dignity" had been ground into the floor, yet the other man's grand yet realistic logic crushed him so thoroughly that he could not even find a point from which to argue back.
The stifled frustration and rage nearly gave him internal injuries.
In contrast, Shen Shanden onstage remained exceptionally gentle, like a refined gentleman of jade.
The host announced that the launch ceremony for The Grand Director had concluded successfully.
Shen Shanden bowed to everyone in thanks, responding to their support.
In truth, he was far less calm inside than he appeared.
Making major news today had been part of the original plan, but what he had intended to unveil was "the small target of one hundred million"—a box-office projection of one hundred million.
But when someone tried to suppress him with moral posturing, he had no choice but to strike back.
Because this production no longer belonged to him alone.
It contained the team's hard work and China Film Group's investment. On a larger scale, it also concerned Han Sanping's strategic direction and the independence of the film industry.
But the pressure remained immense.
In this era, as someone in the film industry, making commercial films came with psychological baggage. Declaring that he would strive to make China a strong film nation brought even greater pressure.
Of course, what surprised and pleased Shen Shanden was how enthusiastic the response had been!
Thinking about it, though, it was only natural.
These students were basically born in the 1980s, most of them after 1985. Aside from some people in the directing and literature departments, most were fairly normal people.
The moment the ceremony ended—
Shen Shanden, Wu Jing, and even Zhou Qifeng were immediately surrounded by a frenzied mob of reporters.
Countless microphones and recording pens were practically shoved into their faces.
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