Global Film Emperor

Chapter 423 The Good Man Should Do Good Deeds

“The evil thoughts of minors are far more terrifying than those of adults. These evil thoughts have no source; they may simply be a way to express themselves, and they unleash their malice without any disguise. What’s even more terrifying is that they cannot control themselves and cannot take responsibility for their actions.”

"What's even more ironic is that the law protects these underage scoundrels, which only fuels their arrogance, making them increasingly violent, eccentric, and unruly. While the law safeguards their personal rights, it never considers who will compensate for the wounds suffered by the bullied, or who they can tell about their suffering. Look at the suicides each year; how many of them had happy childhoods? And look at those serial killers; their childhoods were always accompanied by violence in their families and schools, even sexual assault and sexual abuse."

"Don't tell me about karma, that good and evil will be rewarded in the end, or that they are destined to repent for their childhood misdeeds and will eventually be punished. That's utter nonsense. A person's future is not determined by their upbringing, but by the wealth of their family."

"Yes, many bullies become repairmen, low-level gang members, or even prisoners after leaving school. They don't have a good life. But a large number of bullies drive luxury cars, wear expensive watches, attend parties for the rich, travel all over the world, and sleep with one sexy girl after another. What kind of retribution is that!"

"And what about the bullied? This will be a lifelong psychological shadow, and it will even affect him for the rest of his life. Lu Ze, look at me. I am of mixed race, what they call yellow skin. So I was isolated and bullied when I was in high school. I know what that feels like. Even now, I still resent my cowardice back then. If I hadn't chosen the path of film, I might have become a vengeful brute, stabbing them through with a knife, or simply becoming a family murderer and wiping their house clean."

“But then I would be finished. I wouldn’t be able to realize my dreams, I wouldn’t be able to realize my value. I would no longer be director Mickey Taylor, but serial killer Mickey Taylor. I would no longer enjoy praise, but only bear infamy, becoming a cold-blooded killer recorded in British history.”

"My original intention in making this film was simply to show those bullies whose values ​​are not yet fully formed what heinous things they have done. I know that school violence can never be completely eradicated, but it is enough if it can make a small group of bullies with some conscience realize their cruelty and make some changes."

"Furthermore, I hope that children who have experienced the same thing as me will not do anything foolish. Life should be spent in a world of birdsong and fragrant flowers, not behind cold iron bars. Even if we have suffered a lot, it is also proof of growth. At the same time, I hope that the public can also pay attention to these kinds of incidents. Only by mobilizing the power of all sectors of society can we minimize the scope of school bullying incidents. This is absolutely impossible for an individual or a small group."

……

Lu Ze lowered his head and smoked his cigarette, leaving long ash behind. He listened to Mickey's long-winded speech without interrupting, seriously considering whether the script would have a positive effect rather than cause secondary harm to the injured children. After all, the controversy caused by this movie might be even greater than that of "Rebirth".

"Rebirth" easily resonates with adults, but adult resonance is cheap. Social laws can be divided into three stages: learning the law, adapting to the law, and obeying the law.

For adults who are in the stage of obeying the rules, as long as certain people control public opinion, they can't stir up any waves. It is also because of the intentional suppression by these people that "Rebirth" has not broken out of the niche circle and has not become a phenomenon-level film. It has only had a sensational response in a few Asian countries.

Unlike school bullying, which exists outside the law and is not recognized by people at any stage, it gains recognition and condemnation from all sectors and social classes, thus generating a huge sensation.

Filming this script means they're going to get into trouble again, whether for better or worse, there's bound to be a huge media storm centered around them.

He weighed the gains and losses, the advantages and disadvantages, and was inclined to refuse, but after hearing Mickey's words, he couldn't bring himself to say it. His thoughts kept spreading and extending outward until the tobacco burned his fingers, at which point he suddenly realized what was happening.

Some things should not be considered in terms of gains and losses or the pursuit of benefits. They should originate from the good intentions in one's heart and be accomplished under the guidance of a kind heart. They should not be concerned with advantages and disadvantages or gains and losses, but rather a sense of mission that compels you to do them.

As for the pros and cons of things, why bother thinking about them before doing them? Everything is meaningless before the results are in. If you don't do it, the bad results may not happen to you, but if you don't do it, the good side will never come. They have already spoken out for those who have become fuel in this cruel society, so why not speak out for a group of children who need to be saved?
If he continues to calculate gains and losses with a businessman's mentality, he will lose the fundamental principles of being a person. Lu Ze doesn't want to be like that, so he won't refuse Mickey's request this time.

Picking up the manuscript paper, the ink already dried, Lu Ze carefully read it, his brows furrowed. After about ten minutes and reading five pages, he put the script back on the table. The two looked at each other, and Lu Ze gave a frustrated, bitter laugh, raising his hands and waving them away.

"It seems I have no reason to refuse."

"You shouldn't have refused in the first place."

Mickey smiled, folded the manuscript paper on the table, put it aside, jumped onto the table, sat next to Lu Ze, held a coffee, dangled his feet in the air, looked out the window at the security guards standing guard at the door, tossed his long hair, and took a sip of coffee.

"Okay, I'll give you some references for the parts of the script that are still unfinished, but I don't know if they'll work. After all, writing a script is still too difficult for me. If they don't work, you should find someone else. This is a big deal, so you must be careful and meticulous. Once you've finished writing these parts and finalized the draft, give me the storyboard part, and I'll handle it."

"OK, then I'll take care of the written script. I trust you with the storyboarding. Two years is plenty of time for us to polish it. We can work on it slowly. If it really doesn't work, I'll think of another way—borrow a few screenwriters from Gambiano Pictures." "It's just that your character setting is a bit too much. How much weight do I have to lose this time? 120 pounds?"

"Pretty much. With your height, it's unrealistic to lose weight to under 100 pounds."

"You want to kill me, don't you...?"

Lu Ze got up, filled a kettle with water and placed it on the microwave. He waited quietly for the water to boil. The pour-over kettle for making coffee for Mickey Mouse hadn't been cleaned yet, but Lu Ze didn't mind. He emptied the filter paper into the trash can, replaced it with a new one, poured in coffee grounds and spread it evenly, then picked up the hot water and slowly poured it in clockwise, starting from the center of the coffee grounds.

"Dong dong dong..."

"Enter."

Lu Ze turned and gave Mickey a look. Mickey realized what he was doing and, before the door opened, quickly stuffed the script into the desk drawer. Then he sat back down on the desk, put his feet on the stool, and casually glanced at the person who pushed the door open.

As expected, the visitors were the Russian brothers. They asked Lu Ze how he slept last night, and after receiving an affirmative answer, they ran out of things to say. They pulled out chairs, sat down obediently, crossed their arms, and waited for the big boss, Mickey, to speak, looking like bears performing in a circus.

"Would you like a coffee?"

"No, thank you, Lu. I'd like to ask for your opinion. After all, the two actors sent by the sponsors are your compatriots. I think it would be more appropriate for you to arrange their roles."

Lu Ze raised his hand and shook the watch that was causing discomfort on his wrist. He picked up his cup, smelled it, blew on it, and then took a sip. He sat back down, put the cup down, rubbed the ring on his left pinky with his right thumb, crossed his legs, raised his heel, and tapped his calf lightly. He glanced at the two of them and grinned.

"Heh... You don't need to consider my feelings. You can decide the casting yourselves. Kesha, you're the director, so you make the final decision. When do you want them to report?"

"It would be best if we set off tomorrow or the day after, to conduct training here. That way, I can assess their skills and set a filming schedule. We already agreed in the contract that they would be available whenever I needed them, so they should be cooperative, right?"

"If you don't cooperate, go back to China and never come out again. If you want to enjoy life and act like a big shot, go somewhere else. You don't need to give them face just because they are my compatriots. Do what needs to be done. If they really don't listen, follow the contract. Sue them if necessary. If you want to make a living, you need to consider your ability and your awareness. If you want to make a name for yourself through me, I don't have that much influence."

Lu Ze reassured the two brothers, lest they think that since they were all from the same Chinese family, Lu Ze would stand up for his compatriots and make things difficult for them.

This is impossible. It's natural for compatriots to stick together in life, but if you dare to disobey Lu Ze and break the class barrier at work just because you're a compatriot, don't blame Lu Ze for speaking up to the people in China. At that point, not only will you be unable to get ahead in China, but you might not even be able to get ahead in the country.

Kesha breathed a sigh of relief, nodded to show his understanding, then seemed to remember something, exclaimed "Eh?" and asked, "When will the foreign aid you brought from China arrive?"

"That's a good question," Lu Ze thought, slapping his forehead. He glanced at the time, realizing he'd almost forgotten, picked up his car keys from the table, and got up to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"Didn't you mention the foreign aid? I almost forgot the time. He contacted me last night and said his flight is at noon today. I have to go pick him up. You can decide the rest with Mickey, or we can talk about it after I pick him up. Mickey, find a clockmaker to come over. The pendulum on the clock in my office is broken. It just swings but doesn't make a sound. Fix it for me. That's all. I'm leaving now."

"..."

(End of this chapter)