It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 3 Whose university professor keeps using "fuck" like that?!

In the story of "Gone Girl", the male and female protagonists are a seemingly loving couple.

However, their marriage faced a crisis on their fifth wedding anniversary.

The female lead suddenly disappears, and the male lead becomes the suspect in the police investigation...

As the investigation deepened, all the evidence seemed to point to the male protagonist, who was portrayed as someone who was unfaithful to his wife and might even have killed her.

However, the male protagonist insists that he is innocent!

In reality, this was a carefully planned scam by the female protagonist.

Driven by disappointment and anger towards her husband, she decided to fake her death as revenge; she staged her own murder and misled the police and the public through her diary and other means.

However, things did not go entirely according to her plan.

When she discovered that her husband was trying hard to salvage his image in front of the media and even winning some sympathy, she changed her mind and decided to go back to him and continue to maintain their seemingly perfect but actually riddled-with-holes marriage...

The story of "Gone Girl" is not very long.

The reason Lü Rui used an entire thick notebook was that, in addition to recording the story content, he also wrote a large number of character biographies and marked many shooting details.

He wrote this story from the dual perspectives of director and screenwriter.

During his university years, he not only systematically studied directing but also taught himself screenwriting.

With years of creative experience, completing the Chinese translation of "Gone Girl" was not a difficult task for him.

But for Jiang Wen, who had read the script, it was utterly unbelievable!
Because the script is logically sound, has a dramatic plot, and includes nuanced character portrayals and cleverly designed camera annotations, it doesn't seem like the work of a newcomer at all.

"You're a freshman this year?" he couldn't help but ask again to confirm.

"Correct."

"how old are you?"

"19."

boom--

Jiang Wen suddenly slammed the script on the table, staring intently at Lü Rui with scrutiny and skepticism: "This script wasn't written by you."

Lu Rui was taken aback by his sudden action, but quickly calmed down and met his gaze firmly.

“I wrote it,” he replied.

“Absolutely impossible!” Jiang Wen shook his head decisively. “You’re only 19 years old, a freshman in college. How could you possibly handle this kind of subject matter? The complex entanglements of betrayal, deception, and control in marriage are beyond what someone your age can comprehend.”

Tell me, whose work did you plagiarize? Did you steal it, or did someone give it to you?

The air in the room seemed to freeze at that moment.

Jiang Wen's stubborn temper had already kicked in. If Lü Rui couldn't come up with a satisfactory answer tonight, he would definitely use his connections in the industry to investigate thoroughly.

If such a high-quality script is proven to have been obtained through improper means, he will absolutely defend the fairness of the creative process as an upright official!

However, Lü Rui's expression did not change at all.

Because this questioning was exactly what he had anticipated!

A 19-year-old college student suddenly submitting a mature script like "Gone Girl" would raise suspicions in anyone's mind.

He spoke in a calm tone: "Director Jiang, you can inquire about it. My university directing professor, Zhang Jiandong, and my counselor, Jiang Wei, are currently collaborating on a TV series called 'Don't Talk to Strangers'."

This drama also focuses on marriage, domestic violence, suspicion and betrayal...

Jiang Wen interrupted, "Did your teacher show you the script?"

Lü Rui nodded: "Yes, in the early stages of creation, Xue Xiaolu and Jiang Wei, who were in charge of screenwriting, both used this script to teach us. You can find out about that."

The American novel *The Rose Madman*, with its dramatic plot, also inspired me a lot.

Jiang Wen had just read this novel; it was recommended to him by his wife Sandrine, who was far away in France. The book tells the story of a woman who suffered domestic violence and struggled to escape her misery.

Actually, when Lü Rui mentioned this novel, most of his doubts had already disappeared.

Furthermore, the composition and storyboarding skills displayed in the sketches drawn by this young man are simply amazing. His control over light and shadow and emotional atmosphere is comparable to that of Zhang Yimou.

Such amazing talent is enough to prove his extraordinary gift.

Even so, Jiang Wen was still deeply impressed that a 19-year-old could create such a complex and profound script as "Gone Girl".

Unable to resist, he launched into a series of more technical questions.

Although he did not have formal training in directing, he has directed two excellent films, "In the Heat of the Sun" and "Devils on the Doorstep," which were nominated for the Golden Lion at Venice and the Palme d'Or at Cannes, respectively, demonstrating his exceptional talent as a director!

But he was still taken aback by Lü Rui, a reincarnated character with an overpowered personality. Lü Rui not only answered fluently but also demonstrated exceptional analytical skills, even offering insights like "good movies all tell the same story," which resonated deeply with him!
"Haha, great, that's totally spot on!"

Seeing Jiang Wen's overwhelming joy, Lü Rui seized the opportunity to ask, "Director Jiang, since you think this script is quite good, could you support me?"

support?

Jiang Wen joked, "You want me to play the male lead?"

Lu Rui's lips twitched: "Uh, your image doesn't seem quite right, after all, the male lead is supposed to be a refined and elegant university teacher."

"Hey? Holy crap!" Jiang Wen's eyes widened instantly as he questioned, "How the hell am I not refined? It's just a teacher role, why can't I play it?"

Lü Rui: ...

What university professor keeps using "fuck" like that?!

He quickly changed the subject: "Director Jiang, let's not rush the casting. The key right now is to secure investment. As a new director, I really don't know who to approach..."

“That’s easy!” Jiang Wen waved his hand confidently and said, “Go back and rest first, and I’ll introduce you to someone in a couple of days.”

"Who?"

"You'll know then."

"Alright, I'll wait for your good news."

Seeing that Jiang Wen insisted on keeping it a secret, Lü Rui didn't press further and could only take his leave.

Actually, he did have other options.

The Beijing Film Academy has always encouraged student creation and has a special fund to support new directors.

But he was just a freshman, with no work to show for it and no connections to back him up, so getting investment from the school was going to be incredibly difficult!
What's even more challenging is that he is well aware of the complexities of the film and television industry.

If the script is submitted to the school, it may be shelved after layers of approval, or even risked having its creative ideas intercepted by others.

In contrast, Jiang Wen's side is undoubtedly a more reliable entry point.

First of all, he is now well-known and cherishes his reputation, so he would never do something as despicable as plagiarism.

Secondly, he is currently under a directorial ban and cannot personally direct films, so the conflict of interest is minimal.

Finally, if we can persuade him to take a cameo role or be named as a producer or executive producer based on the quality of the script, we can not only enhance the project's prestige but also leverage his network of contacts, achieving multiple benefits in one fell swoop!
With this in mind, Lü Rui immediately began to work diligently to refine his subsequent plans.

Jiang Wen was also busy.

During breaks in filming "Looking for a Gun", he quickly used his connections in the industry to inquire about information.

Within a few days, detailed information about "Don't Talk to Strangers" was presented to him.

Directed by Zhang Jiandong and Jiang Wei, with a screenplay by Xue Xiaolu, and starring Mei Ting and Feng Yuanzheng, the story focuses on Mei Xiangnan's struggles after marriage, including being misunderstood and subjected to domestic violence by her husband An Jiahe, and how she eventually finds her way out of these hardships.

Every detail matches Lü Rui's account perfectly!
After reading it, Jiang Wen casually tossed the documents onto the table, lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes: "Damn, this time I actually stumbled upon a good prospect?"

I'm not afraid to compare goods, I'm afraid to compare people!

In the past few days, Lü Rui's talent in drawing manuscripts, writing scripts, and directing ideas has been amazing!

Especially when compared to Lu Chuan's pig, his black horse appears all the more precious.

Upon thinking of this, a sharp glint suddenly flashed in Jiang Wen's eyes.

There are many good horses, but there are few good horse trainers!

Lü Rui's talent is obvious to the naked eye. If we can be his mentor and personally push this "thoroughbred" into the film and television industry, it may become a legendary story of discovering new talent in the directing world!

Another reason is that Lü Rui's words and actions are just to his liking.

He even keeps a diary to record his inspirations, which is extremely rare among young directors.

For example, after their conversation that night, Lü Rui actually wrote in his diary: "Director Jiang Wen is very experienced and gave me a lot of inspiration..."

When Jiang Wen accidentally came across this passage in the diary, he almost burst out laughing.

He then made a decision immediately.

"Let me, the talent scout, train this thoroughbred horse."

So, a few days later, one morning, Lü Rui successfully met the big shot that Jiang Wen had introduced him to.

Han Sanping, the current vice chairman of China Film Group Corporation and its future leader!

(End of this chapter)