The expeditionary force began to dominate Southeast Asia by recruiting defeated soldiers

Two days later, on the morning of September 22, a special screening of feature-length animated films was held.

This time there were even more viewers, and many families brought their children.

The Tintin adventures in Southeast Asia have begun.

The opening sequence features Hergé's signature "clever lines" style, but with much more vibrant colors; the Nanyang team used newly developed color film technology. (Image)

The story is simple: Tintin receives an invitation letter from the Southeast Asian Tourism Board and takes Snow White by boat to Yangon.

At the dock, he met a Chinese boy named Amin.

The adventure begins.

Dingding and Amin cycled through Yangon.

The animation depicts the colonial-era architecture of Yangon's Old Town in great detail: shutters, arcades, and street murals.

They stopped in front of a food stall, and Ah Ming treated Ding Ding to fried kueh teow.

The animation shows the whole process of stir-frying kueh teow: heating the pan, adding oil, adding kueh teow, bean sprouts, shrimp, sauce... the colors are so tempting.

"I'm hungry," Wu Xinjue said honestly.

Next up is a rainforest adventure in Borneo.

Dingding and Amin discover a group of poachers catching proboscis monkeys.

They set traps and used vines, branches, and monkeys to drive away the poachers.

The action scene was drawn smoothly and humorously, and the children laughed out loud.

Interspersed throughout the program were cultural displays. They attended a Chinese wedding, where lion dances, red envelopes, and banquets appeared in the animation; they also attended a Malay harvest festival, which featured bamboo pole dancing and traditional music.

The villains are a group of comical Western adventurers who want to steal the "Emerald Buddha" from an ancient temple.

Tintin and Amin outsmarted them, and in the end, the villains were trapped in their own trap and ended up in a sorry state.

The film ends with a scene of Tintin and Armin standing on the beach watching the sunset.

Amin asked, "Dingding, will you come to Southeast Asia again next time?" Dingding nodded with a smile, and the white dog barked.

End credits: "Thanks to Mr. Hergé, National Art Advisor of Nanyang. Nanyang Animation Production Center."

-----

This time the reaction was more direct.

The children were clapping and cheering.

The adults were laughing and discussing.

"Mom, that monkey is so cute! I want to have one too!"

"Dad, is Southeast Asia really that beautiful? Can we go next year?"

Professional visitors, on the other hand, were discussing the technology.

A man wearing glasses said to his companion:

"The color control is excellent. The green of the rainforest has at least twenty shades, and there's also the texture of water—look at the scene where they're rowing the boat, the treatment of the water ripples is almost on par with Disney's 'Bambi'."

"The key is the construction period," his companion said. "It's only been a little over two years since Hergé went to Southeast Asia. How did they manage to build a team, train people, and produce a complete film?"

This is ridiculously efficient.

When Lin Zhenhua and his three companions walked out of the screening room, they were surrounded by praise.

An elderly woman with white hair grabbed Zhou Xiaomei's arm: "Darling, is your Southeast Asia really as beautiful as it is in the movies?"

Zhou Xiaomei smiled: "You're even more beautiful than in the movies, Madam. Welcome to visit us."

"I'll consider it!" the old lady said happily.

-----

The awards ceremony took place on the evening of September 25th.

In the banquet hall of the Cannes casino, crystal chandeliers illuminate the entire space.

The men wore tailcoats, and the women wore evening gowns.

Waiters were walking around carrying trays full of champagne.

The eight members of the Nanyang delegation, plus four international students, sat at a round table on the side.

Everyone was a little nervous.

The awards were presented one by one.

The international jury award went to the French film "Railway Fighters".

The Best Director award went to René Clemence, director of "Railway Fighters".

Best Actor, Best Actress...

"Equatorial Beacon Fire" did not win any awards.

Assistant Director Liu Qiming sighed, but remained relatively calm: "After all, this is our first time. Just making it to the finals is a victory in itself."

Finally, it was time for the Best Animation Design award.

The award presenter was René Clemenceau, the renowned Gallic director who had already won an award.

He opened the envelope, looked at it, and smiled.

“The award-winning film is—” he paused, “Tintin’s Adventures in the South Seas, from the United States of Southeast Asia.”

"boom--"

The table in Nanyang exploded.

Liu Qiming jumped up.

Chen Siyuan hugged Lin Zhenhua tightly.

Wu Xinjue roared, startling Zhou Xiaomei.

Everyone around looked over.

applause.

Hergé stood up from another table.

He was dressed in a well-fitting suit, his hair was neatly combed, and he had a gentle smile on his face.

Joining him on stage was the head of the Nanyang animation team, a young Chinese man in his late twenties named Li Wentao, who was so nervous that he even moved his hands and feet in unison.

René Crémont handed the trophy to Hergé.

Hergé handed the trophy back to Li Wentao, then took the microphone and said in Gaul:

"This award belongs to Nanyang."

It belongs to the young, passionate, and talented artists there.

They accomplished what many considered impossible in less than six months.

Southeast Asia not only gave me new inspiration, but also proved one thing: when creativity is respected and supported, it can blossom most beautifully.

He looked at Li Wentao: "Li, it's your turn."

Li Wentao's hands were trembling. He took a deep breath: "Thank you... thank you to the film festival. Thank you, Mr. Hergé. This award is an encouragement to all of us animators in Nanyang. We will continue to work hard and tell more good stories."

At this moment, the host suddenly said, "We have another special guest coming on stage, Mr. Huang Mingxuan, Ambassador of the United States of Southeast Asia to Gaul."

Ambassador Huang stood up from the audience and walked onto the stage.

Curious murmurs arose from the audience.

Ambassador Huang took the microphone with a composed smile.

"Thank you to the Cannes Film Festival for awarding this prize to Tintin in Southeast Asia. This award has two meanings."

"First, it proves that art and creativity can transcend national borders. Tintin is from Flemish, but his adventures in Southeast Asia were given new life by the artists there. This is a dialogue between civilizations and a crystallization of friendship."

"Secondly," he looked at the audience, "it proves that Nanyang is not only capable of producing industrial products, but also of producing cultural products that touch people's hearts. We welcome artists, filmmakers, and creators from all over the world to Nanyang to find inspiration and collaborate on creations."

The doors to Southeast Asia are always open.

There was thunderous applause.

As Ambassador Huang stepped down, he passed by the Nanyang table and winked at the four international students.

Those eyes seemed to say: Look, we did it.

-----

After the awards ceremony, there was a celebratory banquet.

The Nanyang delegation booked a small restaurant by the sea.

The champagne was opened, and everyone clinked glasses.

Liu Qiming, his face flushed from drinking, said, "Do you know what? This afternoon, three European film distributors came to us to discuss the distribution rights for 'Equatorial Fire'."

Two other travel companies are interested in collaborating on a 'Nanyang tour'.

Li Wentao was still clutching the trophy: "Our team's average age is twenty-five... Many of us were so moved we cried."

Ambassador Huang also arrived, and he toasted with everyone.

When he reached the table of international students, he said, "How was it? This trip wasn't a waste, was it?"

"It's totally worth it." Chen Siyuan nodded vigorously.

"What are your thoughts?" Ambassador Huang asked.

The four of them fell silent for a moment.

Lin Zhenhua spoke first: "I used to think that science is objective truth and culture is subjective feeling. But now I think... culture is also a kind of power. A power that can change people's hearts and change impressions."

Zhou Xiaomei said, "When I saw that old lady say she wanted to travel to Southeast Asia, I suddenly realized that a well-made movie can directly bring economic benefits. This is a tangible fact."

Wu Xinjue scratched his head: "I only have one idea: In Southeast Asia, we must do everything to the best of our ability. If we're going to make steel, we must make the best steel; if we're going to make movies, we must make the best movies."

Chen Siyuan summarized: "Hard power makes people dare not bully you, and soft power makes people want to like you. We need to be strong in both areas."

Ambassador Huang laughed heartily: "Well said. Come on, let's drink to 'both hands must be strong'!"

---

On the train back to Huadu on September 26.

The four of them were still in the same private room, but the atmosphere was completely different.

They were all writing things down—Lin Zhenhua was organizing his movie-watching notes, Chen Siyuan was drawing mind maps, Zhou Xiaomei was writing letters to her family back home describing what she had seen and heard, and Wu Xinjue was… studying the metal composition of the trophy.

“This should be a gold-plated alloy, and the base is marble… but the craftsmanship is indeed exquisite,” Wu Xinjue said.

"Old Wu," the three said in unison.

Wu Xinjue chuckled: "It's an occupational hazard, I can't change it."

The train passes through the vineyards of Provence.

The sun is shining brightly.

Zhou Xiaomei put down her pen and looked out the window: "What do you think Southeast Asia will be like when we return to China after we finish our studies?"

“It will become even stronger,” Lin Zhenhua said. “Not just in terms of steel production and electricity generation, but also… there will be more and more film festival trophies like these.”

Chen Siyuan suddenly said:

"I have an idea. Once my particle physics research yields results, I will also suggest to the President that we make a movie about scientists from Southeast Asia."

We'll talk about how we built accelerators and discovered new particles. We'll let the world know that Chinese people are not only capable of fighting and painting, but also of exploring the most fundamental laws of the universe.

“We need to see results first,” Wu Xinjue said pragmatically. “When I return to China, I’ll go to the steel plant and raise the pass rate of special steel to over 95%. Otherwise, we won’t have the confidence to make a movie. We can’t exactly make a film about how we produced substandard steel, can we?”

Everyone laughed.

Lin Zhenhua pushed up his glasses: "Actually, they're all the same. Scientific research, industry, and culture all require the same thing."

That is the spirit of fighting to the bitter end.

Refusing to admit defeat, refusing to back down, we forge ahead step by step.

The train continued north.

----

A week later, the Parisian magazine "Gallic Screen" published Lefevere's film review, titled "A Double Appearance in Southeast Asia: From the Pain of War to Childhood Adventures".

The article concludes with the statement: "This emerging nation is showing us through film that they not only have a history, but also a future; they can not only fight, but also create. It's time for the world to rediscover Southeast Asia."

Meanwhile, in local cinemas in Southeast Asia, "Helios" and "Tintin in Southeast Asia" began to be shown.

After the first screening, a teenage Chinese boy in the audience said to his mother, "Mom, I want to make movies when I grow up. I want to make stories about our own Southeast Asia."

His mother stroked his head: "Okay. But first, you have to study hard."

The boy nodded vigorously.

At the same time, because the White Party labeled a large number of filmmakers as "pro-rebel filmmakers," a large number of cultural figures in the Republic of China began to head south, with Southeast Asia becoming their preferred destination.