Changes Brought by Shen Shanden (14)

Sun Li was deeply disappointed by this.

Huang Li, whose words had once seemed so full of reason, now appeared utterly pale and powerless.

The things he used to lecture her about were riddled with holes, incapable of convincing her at all.

The Start of filming ceremony for The Grand Director had almost recreated the media frenzy surrounding the Launch ceremony.

Shen Shanden's energetic image in a white T-shirt, Han Sanping's powerful endorsement, the appearance of the all-star cast, and Shen Shanden's tearful "Banned accusation" had all helped propel the The Grand Director film project.

To ask Sun Li to believe now that The Grand Director would fail was simply an insult to her intelligence.

Making mistakes was not frightening; what mattered was admitting them!

Could it be that her teacher could not even accept his own mistakes?

Sun Li did not want to waste her breath. She reminded him, "A reporter wants to schedule an exclusive interview with you this afternoon. Don't forget to reply."

Huang Li returned a call to a journalist he knew well.

The other party hinted that he should once again take the opposing stance and criticize The Grand Director and Shen Shanden.

"I've been a little busy lately, so I haven't really been following it."

Huang Li declined, laughing it off. "We'll see. I might not have time."

Han Sanping's description of him as a "Vanguard" carried far too much weight.

It was practically an official endorsement.

He had personally attended, stood in the center position, shaken Shen Shanden's hand firmly, patted him on the shoulder, and leaned in to speak. The message could not have been clearer.

By tying Shen Shanden's personal efforts to national strategy, he had made it plain that he fully supported Shen Shanden's work.

Huang Li could not understand why Han Sanping supported him so strongly.

But that was the reality.

Even if he kept saying Shen Shanden might misstep, criticizing him without pause, claiming that art stood above all else and that putting commerce first was vulgar—

How could he not understand Han Sanping's weight, and Shen Shanden's current momentum?

Shen Shanden did not need to enter a circle. He had already become a circle unto himself!

Around him gathered a new generation of mainland actors eager to break through the Hong Kong and Taiwan ceiling.

Shen Shanden's standing in the industry was shooting straight up. The film had only just begun shooting, yet he already showed signs of building an entire system.

When all was said and done, who in this circle had the ability?

Wasn't it simply whoever was declared capable became capable?

Even if Shen Shanden was not capable, he could become capable now!

Even if Huang Li's heart bled, even if the pain tore him apart and made him want to roll on the ground crying and howling, he still had to keep smiling.

That was reality: they did not target the bad, nor the stupid—they targeted those too blind to see.

Sixth-generation directors could continue criticizing him, and so could certain literature professors and film theory experts, because they entertained themselves in a smaller circle where no one could do anything to them.

Huang Li was different. He still wanted to make money in the bigger circle, so he had his reservations.

That was what circles were. That was how the world and human relationships worked.

Before, he had thought there was no need to care about Shen Shanden's bigger picture; Shen Shanden should be the one considering his.

Now it was Huang Li's turn to consider Shen Shanden's bigger picture.

Sun Li saw it all, and her disappointment deepened by another degree.

It would have been one thing if he refused to admit his mistakes. He was a coward, too.

Early the next morning.

Little Steel Cannon stared at the overwhelming coverage of The Grand Director, at Shen Shanden dominating the pages once again, dumbfounded and unable to believe it.

"Again? This isn't making a movie. This is fucking making an idol."

Then he checked a text message on his phone, and Feng Xiaogang frowned.

"What is it?" Xu Fan, who was taking care of their daughter, asked. She guessed it was some woman.

"Little Wang wants me to say something."

He even showed Xu Fan the text message, proving that it really was work.

Wang Zhonglei wanted Feng Xiaogang to come out and fire off a shot as well.

Han Sanping had negated the very model on which they had built their success. He had elevated Shen Shanden's status far too highly, making him a genuine threat.

Feng Xiaogang had no interest whatsoever.

"Pick a fight with Third Master? Is he sick, or does Little Wang think I'm sick? Third Master was right. I support him too. Am I supposed to deny myself?"

If they were divided into old and new forces, Little Steel Cannon himself counted as a new force.

"Little Wang can't sit still. They failed to ban Fan Bingbing, and Huang Xiaoming still joined the cast despite the pressure. They can't save face, so they want me to stick my head out."

"Do they really think they're local emperors?" Xu Fan did not approve of Feng Xiaogang stepping forward either.

Feng Xiaogang thought for a moment. "Still, we need to fire a shot."

"Oh?" Xu Fan looked puzzled.

Feng Xiaogang said helplessly, "I'll set a small target too. Otherwise, all the headlines will be snatched by The Grand Director."

Huayi.

Smash!

Wang Zhonglei hurled his teacup to the floor.

"They have no sense of propriety! It would have been one thing if Shen Shanden had refused the goodwill we extended, but he's even openly going against us. That bitch Fan Bingbing, and Little Steel Cannon too—their wings are getting harder and harder."

"Don't rush." Wang Zhongjun cautioned, "This is a good thing for us."

"I don't get it!" Wang Zhonglei was utterly baffled.

Wang Zhongjun had no choice but to explain it to his foolish younger brother. "What does Shen Shanden have? He's just a director, and he doesn't even have a work to his name yet. Huayi is the leader of mainland Film and Television Companies."

"If The Grand Director succeeds and breaks the ceiling that mainland actors have no box-office pull, he'll gain fame—but we'll be the ones reaping the real benefits."

"Li Bingbing, Zhou Xun, and Huang Xiaoming will all see their value soar."

"And look at it: President Han might appear to be rejecting the Big Three Directors, but what are the Big Three Directors doing now? One is handling the Olympic Games, one has shifted toward war films, and one is making celebrity biographies."

"Costume blockbusters are currently in the hands of the Hong Kong circle. The ones truly profiting from that are John Woo and Peter Chan."

Wang Zhonglei blinked, an innocent look in his eyes. "No way?"

"Put out the news that we never Banned Fan Bingbing. Deny it publicly, then give her a few benefits." Wang Zhongjun was mentally exhausted and didn't want to explain further. "Shen Shanden specifically accused someone of Banning people. We all know he meant John Woo, but we have to guard against someone deliberately shifting the blame onto us—claiming he was accusing us of banning Fan and putting pressure on Huang."

"Then we'll support a small or mid-sized director as well, echoing President Han's strategy."

Emotions could not sway Wang Zhongjun. What he valued were tangible profits.

He was at the peak of his career. Huayi had yet to go public, and his drive had not yet faded. He saw the situation with perfect clarity.

On the mainland side, the top Big Three Directors remained silent.

Feng Xiaogang did not want to wade into muddy waters.

Chen Kaige himself had always been close to China Film Group.

Zhang Yimou had even less energy to spare; his whole heart was focused on the Olympic Games.

They had all withdrawn from costume blockbusters as well. Their interests did not lie here.

Other Film and Television Companies such as Bona Film Group and Enlight Media were themselves project participants, as well as observers.

They were shocked that China Film Group was backing a rookie project so strongly, and awed by Shen Shanden's marketing methods and Han Sanping's boldness.

They were watching to see whether The Grand Director would succeed or fail. If The Grand Director succeeded, it would prove that Shen Shanden's formula—an all-star cast plus powerful marketing—was highly effective.

As for industrialization, they automatically ignored it.

Yet the New Generation of actors and directors on the front lines were deeply encouraged.

Shen Shanden had proven the possibility of a new path, and they would be its direct beneficiaries.

In contrast to the mainland industry's support or tacit acceptance, Hong Kong and Taiwan were completely different.

"What does Third Master mean by this?"

John Woo summoned China Film Group's production representative and demanded the answer, both furious and alarmed.

At the Start of filming ceremony, Shen Shanden had publicly accused someone of "Banning" people. He had not named anyone, but the spearhead pointed straight at him.

This was not merely an insult to him personally—it was a challenge to the "transcendent status" Hong Kong and Taiwan directors enjoyed on the mainland.

John Woo was furious.

He was a firm practitioner of borrowing a chicken to lay eggs.

For Red Cliff, he used the mainland's hottest actress, Zhao Yutian—a female star known in every household through My Fair Princess—to play the second female lead, "Sun Shangxiang."

Lin Chi-ling, a Taiwan model who had only acted for the first time at thirty, played the female lead, "Xiao Qiao."

Then he paired international Best Actor Tony Leung with Lin Chi-ling.

Song Jia, the mainland actress who had lost the "competition" for Xiao Qiao, was made to play a bit-part maid.

In this way, Lin Chi-ling was effectively Treading on Zhao Yutian to rise to prominence, ascending to the heavens in a single step and joining the ranks of first-tier Chinese-language film actresses.

Meanwhile, Song Jia, a mainland actress who had already starred in numerous television dramas, would forever rank below Lin Chi-ling—a complete newcomer with no acting skills whatsoever—in terms of standing and resources in the film industry.

John Woo had not merely been publicly accused of Banning people, leaving him unable to save face. Deep down, he was even more deeply worried and wary that control of the mainland market was shifting.

"Director Wu, The Grand Director has done a truly fine job with its industrialized process management. I think you and Director Shen could exchange notes," the China Film Group production representative suggested.

When it came to veiled mockery, an old hand who had spent decades battling through state-run studios needed only one sentence to make John Woo see red.

John Woo understood. This was a jab at Red Cliff's chaotic management and high costs, saying it could not compare even to a rookie director.

The reason China Film Group had become so much tougher was also that The Grand Director's bright prospects were plainly visible to the naked eye.

On the surface, Han Sanping was tying himself to Shen Shanden not merely for the future, but for the present as well.

Only with cards in hand could one act with confidence.

John Woo's face turned livid with rage. He wanted to quit and walk away, but reason told him that China Film Group was not merely an investor—it was also a market leader.

Secretly skimming money was one thing. Confronting Han Sanping head-on was something he was unwilling to do.

Even Hollywood giants had to pay this man a visit first when they came here, waiting outside his office.

John Woo had never imagined that Shen Shanden, whom he had thought he could dispose of at will only a few months ago, would make him feel so wretched.