Huayu: Are you even sitting up straight? You're going to be the director?

Chapter 30 The Entertainment Industry's Level 8 Storm
As soon as Cao Zhong finished speaking, many people below turned green with rage.

They were all in a daze for a moment.

Isn't this a project approval ceremony?
Weren't we here to be your audience?
How did I end up getting scolded for no reason?

Most importantly, some people feel that being scolded is actually quite satisfying.

Some people get impatient and disagree.

But some people have changed their mindset.

After hearing Cao Zhong's words, it's hard to say that you weren't moved at all. Besides, when it comes to movies, everyone has their own interpretation and preferences.

When studying, people might say some empty or nonsensical things to prepare for the course and avoid delaying graduation.

However, when others actually used theory to explain it, some of the student audience members suddenly felt uncertain.

"What he said seems to make some sense, doesn't it? I didn't know about Ozu's background before, but now that I've heard it, why are my fists clenched?"

"That's because you still have some backbone. I'm really angry. I've watched that movie so many times and I still can't see how good it is. I admit I'm a bit lazy and didn't search for his biography online, but why don't they give us a proper biography of this kind of person?"

"This Cao Zhong is a student just like us, he's amazing! Is this what they mean by 'unyielding and inflexible'?"

Many people were excited.

Cao Zhong's words are excellent.

Especially that last sentence, it's full of heroism, it's so damn awesome!
Your... mission?
That sounds a little bit cringeworthy.

But for many young people under the age of twenty, they are like prophets who have sounded the charge and led the charge.

A few scattered bursts of applause rang out from the audience.

But some people have a completely different attitude.

"Explosive remarks, clownish behavior, linking art to other fields—I don't know if he's showing off his knowledge or trying to gain fame through such radical statements. I'm not going to watch this project launch ceremony; I'm leaving."

Some people frowned, unable to listen to or understand what was being said. They didn't even analyze it in their minds before feeling uncomfortable all over and got up to leave.

"That movie was so good! I cried many times watching it. I think it's the best movie in East Asia. He wrote about the suffering that countless people will eventually experience in such an early era. Isn't that something worth learning from? Isn't that amazing?"

"That's right. They're using nationalism as a shield, deliberately making strange statements, and saying, 'Let's go together, let's go together.'"

"Are you all so easily agitated?" A student nearby asked, offering a different perspective.

"Thank you for your blessing, but I would prefer to be reborn in America in my next life."

The person was relatively calm and didn't want to cause trouble, so they really turned around and left.

The auditorium was in complete chaos.

The media's flashbulbs were all over the place, and some people even left the scene.

Some people really can't stand Cao Zhong's criticism. They feel that Cao Zhong is too radical. Art is a refined thing, how can it be interpreted in such a utilitarian way?

But some people wanted to keep listening, to hear what else Cao Zhong had to say.

In their minds, some cracks have already appeared in their thinking. For example, regarding the evaluation of the movie "Tokyo Story," if you say the movie is okay, it seems not unacceptable.

But creating a god? It seems a bit too much, doesn't it?

It was only by following the perspectives of those European and American magazines, newspapers, and artists that my understanding of this film gradually changed.

Doesn't that mean you lack your own artistic appreciation?

Or perhaps their appreciation of art has been distorted by others.

Isn't this the opposite of what they want to learn, such as improving one's aesthetic sense, artistic cultivation, character building, and appreciation?

This has left some people truly bewildered.

……

At that moment, a chaotic commotion indeed erupted throughout the auditorium, leaving everyone surprised.

Xing Na was taken aback by Cao Zhong's explosive statement. Looking at Ning Hao beside her, she felt a chill creep down her spine.

"What should I do if I get a little nervous? I feel like I'm about to get covered in blood."

Ning Hao remained relatively calm. "I'm already here. If I leave now, it will only cause a bigger uproar. Let's stay calm and pretend we didn't hear anything. If the media asks us questions in the future, we'll just give an awkward smile."

Xing Na said, "That's a bit awkward."

Huang Xiaoming, a well-known actor, had no worries or fears at the moment. Cao Zhong did it, so what did it have to do with him?
As for the movie, I've already signed the contract, who's going to pay the penalty for breach of contract for me?

He is very calm.

Several actors from Nanjing, including Zu Feng, Mei Ting, and Hai Qing, are older. It's not that they had never heard of this person's name or life story before, but for various reasons, they didn't take this matter very seriously.

At this moment, having been exposed by Cao Zhong in court, a sinister feeling suddenly arose in his heart.

While a few exceptions might wear kimonos among people living in Nanjing, for most, the sounds of explosions on special occasions during childhood and the memorial halls for victims organized by schools are etched into their minds as imprints and symbols.

Being awakened at this moment, I felt a strange surge of excitement.

Xu Zheng was deep in thought, his face blank. He glanced at the others and, seeing that none of the main creators had moved, he did not move either.

Soon, the noise in the room stopped and it became quiet again.

The host was very experienced; even at this point, he continued to control the flow and prepare to cue the proceedings.

But the host was actually sweating profusely.

I didn't get much money for this job, but the story is pretty sensational. The host was so excited listening to it that he almost wanted to sing the national anthem to liven things up.

She's pretty amazing; even with all that, she managed to salvage the process.

The ceremony continued.

Han Sanpin took the stage to speak.

Han Sanpin, who had been smiling calmly, was now starting to feel the pressure.
He didn't actually want to go up, but he was being held back; he couldn't just walk away.

After hesitating for a moment, he went up on stage and took a group photo with all the main creators of the film.

However, when taking a group photo, he stepped back slightly and shielded everyone in front of him.

Afterwards,

Cao Zhong began by introducing the main creators and the background of the film.

"I hope to tell the story of a city's darkest hour through this film, through the lens of a small photo studio."

Many people are unaware that, not to mention the left-wing scholars who are constantly downplaying the veracity of these events, even scholars in Europe and America are largely unaware of such matters, or they simply don't care, viewing them as mere conquests by a primitive agrarian civilization.

They are too good at packaging things, because once these things are exposed, some of the things they did before seem to lose their rationality and legitimacy.

This narrative, which shows contempt, distortion, and disdain for countless Chinese lives, is vastly different from the international condemnation of Berlin's genocide.

Therefore, I hope to give the entertainment industry, and even the broader industry, a wake-up call.

Let them know that some things are truly awful.

Let them know that the Nanjing Massacre, an absolute tragedy for all humanity, should be rehabilitated and placed where it belongs.

But this film is not an invitation for people to be restless or to go to war.

It simply lets people know clearly what kind of people Nanjing encountered back then. They were not isolated individuals like Ozu, and Ozu himself is not even worthy of being recorded or reflected in my film.
I want everyone to see what components made up that intricately functioning 'Faxi Temple Tank,' which served as its driver, commander, tracks, and searchlights.

I hope my film will remind people of something,
I hope to give all viewers a good story.
Furthermore, the film conveys our reflections on the essence of history.

I hereby announce that the project launch ceremony for "Nanjing Photo Studio" is now completely complete.

But Cao Zhong was unaware that after he finished the ceremony, a storm that would sweep through the entertainment and art circles began to brew with lightning speed, and then unleashed a gale comparable to a level 8 hurricane.

(End of this chapter)