RPAGF Chapter 25, "The Great Buddha+", 3rd and 6th drafts
Chapter 25, "The Great Buddha+", 3rd and 6th drafts
Gao Huan did not answer directly, but instead picked up the water glass on the table, took a sip of water, and then put it down.
When he spoke again, his speech was a beat slower, and each word seemed to be stuck in his throat, requiring effort to squeeze out.
"I...I think...this case...is not that simple."
It's not a deliberate stutter, not the kind of repetitive "I I I I," but an inner blockage.
The words were already on the tip of my tongue, but my mind was still racing, and my mouth couldn't keep up with the speed of my thoughts.
Chen Sicheng stared at him for two seconds, then leaned forward slightly.
"Let's do it one more time."
Gao Huan put down his water glass and changed his rhythm.
This time, the stuttering was in a different place; it wasn't stuck at the beginning, but rather in the middle of the word where the pause was least expected.
"In this case... I... I feel... the chain of evidence is incomplete."
After he finished speaking, he resumed his normal speaking pace and looked at Chen Sicheng.
"Stuttering is not a label."
Everyone stutters differently, and it is related to their personality, their thinking habits, and their history of stuttering.
I need to find the stuttering sympathy that belongs to this genius boy.
Chen Sicheng leaned back in his chair and remained silent for about ten seconds.
Then he laughed, a very complex laugh.
"How long have you been preparing?"
"I just received the script," Gao Huan said.
He said this in a very ordinary tone, not like he was showing off, but more like he was stating a fact.
Chen Zhixi added from the side:
"Sicheng, you heard that."
They just received the script and read it for a short while, yet they still managed to deliver such a performance!
Where can you find an actor like that?
Chen Sicheng didn't respond to her words. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and put it down.
"Zhixi, you know I can't make that decision."
Chen Zhixi glanced at him but didn't say anything.
She knew, of course, that Chen Sicheng was telling the truth, and she also knew that the role of Qin Feng had to be played by Gao Huan; that was already a given.
Today's meeting was just a formality, a chance for the director and actors' teams to get acquainted, and also to give Gao Huan face to Chen Sicheng.
For the "Detective Chinatown" project, Wanda Group held a 60% stake in the investment, Chen Zhixi was the producer, and the casting direction was never solely in the hands of Chen Sicheng.
Chen Zhixi and Chen Sicheng can only make recommendations and suggestions, but the final decision, especially for one of the two most important figures, depends on Wanda's opinion.
Wanda's intentions are quite clear from the fact that Chen Zhixi brought people over for dinner today.
"Professor Gao," Chen Sicheng turned to Gao Huan, "do you know how the billing order is determined in this play?"
Gao Huan nodded: "I know. It's a dual male lead series, I'm the lead actor, and Baoqiang is also the lead actor."
Chen Sicheng was stunned for a moment, then laughed.
"You're quite impolite."
"This isn't a matter of being polite or not."
Gao Huan's tone remained calm. "Director Chen, my current market position is what it is. Being the lead actor is my standard requirement."
He said this without the slightest hesitation, as if he were talking about something he had thought about many times before.
The system is there.
Points are earned from legitimate income within the entertainment industry; every penny must be earned honestly and legally.
The order of billing not only affects the amount of pay, but also serves as the benchmark for all subsequent business negotiations.
He may not care about his billing in TV dramas, but movies are his main source of system points, and he cannot afford to lose even a step.
Chen Zhixi nodded beside him, his tone resolute:
"Sicheng, this is non-negotiable. Gao Huan said this is Wanda's decision, and it's also my decision."
Chen Sicheng glanced at her, then at Gao Huan, remained silent for a few seconds, and then smiled.
"Okay, one round it is."
Audiences go to the cinema to see the show, not the rankings.
"As long as the box office is high, as long as we succeed, then everything else will be fine!"
He raised his glass and clinked it against Gao Huan's.
"What other thoughts do you have about the script?"
Gao Huan put down his wine glass, took a brown paper envelope from Yang Yangjin's hand, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Chen Sicheng.
"Director Chen, take a look at this."
Chen Sicheng looked at him with suspicion, opened the envelope, and took out the contents.
It was a stack of bound A4 papers, with the words "The Great Buddha+" printed on the cover.
"This is?"
"A notebook I wrote."
Gao Huan said, "It's a dark comedy, absurd, about a small-time guy who accidentally sees the secrets in a rich man's dashcam and gets caught up in a series of events."
Chen Sicheng turned two pages, his brows furrowed, then relaxed.
He didn't rush to comment, but instead read through the pages one by one.
The private room fell silent.
Wang Baoqiang also came over to take a look, but he couldn't quite understand it and didn't say anything.
Chen Zhixi held his teacup, sipping slowly, glancing at Chen Sicheng's expression every now and then.
Gao Huan sat opposite him, calm and composed.
He spent a long time copying this notebook.
The previous life of "The Great Buddha+" was a 2017 Taiwanese film directed by Huang Hsin-yao, who won the Golden Horse Award for Best New Director.
At its core, the story is a dark allegory about a lowly, ordinary person, absurd, tragic, and with a detached, detached humor.
He changed it to a Hong Kong setting, keeping the framework the same, but emphasized the characters' sense of fate and the era.
He wants more than just a good script.
He wants to make his official debut as a screenwriter.
And this plan will begin to be laid now.
Chen Sicheng finished reading the last page, closed the script, and looked up.
The way he looked at Gao Huan changed.
It wasn't the kind of "scrutiny" I'd seen at the dinner table before, but rather a look that was both cautious and even appreciative.
After all, he genuinely believed that he was also a handsome man with exceptional talent!
"Did you write this notebook yourself?"
"Um."
When did you write it?
"I was already conceiving this idea when I was filming 'The Coffin in the Mountain,' and I started writing it after filming wrapped. I just finished the third draft recently."
Chen Sicheng leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers lightly on the table a few times.
"Teacher Gao, there's something in this notebook of yours."
"Director Chen, what areas do you think could be further refined?"
Chen Sicheng thought for a moment, then picked up the script and turned to a page.
"This section."
The premise of lower-class individuals discovering secrets from a dashcam is excellent.
But your approach here is too straightforward.
He should have felt fear first, then struggled, and only then made a decision.
You need to show the audience the process they go through internally, instead of skipping over it.
Gao Huan nodded and listened attentively.
Chen Sicheng flipped through a few more pages and pointed to another paragraph.
"And here, the level of dark humor."
Your script is very humorous in the first half, but suddenly becomes somber in the second half.
The transition is fine, but the transition in the middle could be a bit more subtle.
The right approach is to make the audience laugh until they suddenly can't laugh anymore.
Gao Huan's eyes lit up.
The two points Chen Sicheng mentioned are precisely the areas where he himself has been hesitant.
"Director Chen, I'll go back and revise your suggestion."
Chen Sicheng waved his hand: "Wait, I haven't finished yet."
He flipped through a few more pages, talking as he read, while Gao Huan listened, occasionally nodding and occasionally asking a question.
The two chatted for almost half an hour.
Wang Baoqiang appeared to be idly eating sunflower seeds, but in reality, he was eavesdropping intently.
Chen Zhixi listened attentively, glancing at Gao Huan every now and then, his eyes revealing something more.
Finally, Chen Sicheng closed the script and looked intently at Gao Huan.
"Teacher Gao, I really like this notebook of yours."
If you don't mind, send me a copy after you've finished revising it, and I'll take another look.
"Then I'll have to trouble Director Chen."
"No trouble at all." Chen Sicheng paused for a moment. "Who are you planning to direct?"
Gao Huan thought for a moment and then said three words.
"Zhang Yimou".
The private room fell silent for a moment.
Chen Zhixi paused for a moment while holding his teacup, and Wang Baoqiang also stopped eating sunflower seeds.
Chen Sicheng stared at Gao Huan for several seconds, then smiled.
"You have big ambitions."
"The notebook is worthy of it," Gao Huan said.
Chen Sicheng didn't say anything more, picked up his wine glass, and clinked it with his.
"Then I'll wait and see."
After the dinner ended, Chen Zhixi left first, while Chen Sicheng and Wang Baoqiang chatted behind him.
Gao Huan stood at the restaurant entrance, the night wind blowing, carrying the chill of November.
Yangyang Jin handed him the coat, which he took and put on.
"Huan-ge, do you think Chen Sicheng's suggestion was really useful?"
"It's useful," Gao Huan said. "He makes commercial films, so he knows what the audience wants. My script can't just be praised by people in the industry; it has to be enjoyable for the audience as well."
Yangyang Jin nodded, then hesitated for a moment.
"Um... Director Zhang Yimou, are you really planning to invite him?"
Gao Huan glanced at her, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
"No rush. Let's wait until the script for 'The Great Buddha' is perfected before we talk about it."
He turned and walked towards the car.
Yangyang Jin followed behind, muttering under her breath, "Zhang Yimou... that's the Imperial Advisor..."
Gao Huan didn't turn around; his voice, carried by the night wind, carried a hint of amusement.
"Even the Imperial Advisor has to read the script."
……
The car drove onto Chang'an Avenue.
In the dead of night in Beijing, streetlights swept overhead one after another, casting a flowing pattern of light and shadow on the windshield.
Gao Huan took out his phone and glanced at it.
On Weibo, the hashtag #Gao Huan at 22 years old# is still trending at number one.
His number of followers has exceeded 1100 million.
In the comments section, the fans were still celebrating.
"Gao Huan's four songs topped the charts! He's the number one celebrity in the Chinese entertainment industry!"
"Lu Han and Wu Yifan's combined fanbase doesn't even equal Huan Ge's. Disagree? Let's debate."
"From 'Gu Jian' to 'Xin Mi Gong' to 'Medal of Honor,' Gao Huan has hit the mark with every step of the way."
"This isn't about popularity, this is about real talent."
He locked the screen and put his phone in his pocket.
I mentally went over tonight's dinner plans.
Chen Sicheng's scrutiny, Chen Zhixi's domineering nature, Wang Baoqiang's honesty, and the Buddha statue that Chen Sicheng had flipped through.
The corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
"Detective Chinatown" is a strategic move.
The Great Buddha+ is another step.
Between two moves, there is an entire chessboard.
He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
My phone vibrated.
That was the last message Nazha sent.
Brother, are you home yet?
Gao Huan replied with two words.
[On the road.]
Then please be careful.
Let me know when you arrive.
【it is good. 】
He put his phone back in his pocket.
The car continued driving forward.
Yangyang Jin sat in the passenger seat, hesitated for a moment, then turned around and asked softly.
"Huan-ge, the script you showed Chen Sicheng... was it the third draft?"
I remember you revised it to the sixth draft, and the final version was much more mature than that one.
Why didn't you show him the final version?
Gao Huan leaned back in his seat, looking at the neon lights flowing outside the car window, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"I need to give him the space to guide me."
Yangyang Jin was stunned for a moment.
"He is a director and screenwriter, and he started out as an actor. He has been in this industry for so many years, and what he is most proud of is his professional judgment."
Gao Huan said calmly, "If you put something perfect in front of him, he won't know how to respond."
You have to leave him some openings so that he can poke his needle in and feel that he has helped you and that you have listened to him.
"Let him feel superior to you, and he'll eat this."
Yangyang Jin thought for a moment and slowly nodded.
"So those 'problems' in the third draft were intentionally left out?"
Not entirely.
Gao Huan said, "There are indeed some areas that could be better."
But after the sixth draft had explored all the possibilities, when he looked at it again, he would at most say "It's pretty good," and then that was it.
The third draft was different; he could point out things like "this part is too straightforward" or "that transition is insufficient."
I've revised almost all of his suggestions, but I still listened carefully, nodded, and said I'd revise them as soon as I got back.
Yangyang Jin smiled.
"Brother Huan, you..." Yangyang Jin paused, not finishing her sentence.
Gao Huan looked at her and asked, "What about me?"
Yangyang Jin shifted her body and moved closer to Gao Huan, whispering, "Is this how you usually lie to Meng Ziyi and Wu You?"
Gao Huan didn't reply, and looked out the window.
It's not time to lie to you yet, agent! Remember your place!
The lights receded one by one, like a revolving lantern.
"He is not my director."
Gao Huan finally spoke, his voice very soft, "The script for 'The Great Buddha' is by Zhang Yimou."
But before that, I need a qualified industry insider to help me "get it approved" and also to spread the word.
Ideally, this person should be someone I haven't crossed paths with before, and it can't be Aunt Bing. Actually, Teacher Wang Jinsong would be suitable too, but it just so happens that we're meeting this time!
As long as I present this script, Chen Sicheng will definitely offer to take a look at it for me later, so I'll let him.
After he reads it, I can use this notebook to endorse others in the future.
Yangyang Jin finally understood.
It's not about asking for advice, it's about leveraging someone's help.
It's not about soliciting opinions, it's about getting people to willingly participate.
"What about the salary for 'Detective Chinatown'? You didn't discuss that with him today."
"There's no need to talk to him."
Gao Huan closed his eyes. "He signed a director's contract with Wanda. He has no say in who the actors are, how much money they are paid, or how the billing is arranged."
Chen Zhixi relayed my message today, and that's enough. When the contract arrives, it will be exactly what it should be, not a penny less.
Yangyang Jin nodded, turned away, and asked no more questions.
She wasn't skilled enough in this area and overestimated Chen Sicheng's influence and control over the film, but what can you do when she's good-looking?
Gao Huan took a liking to her at Hesong at first sight, not because of her work ability.
The car drove quietly forward in the night.
Gao Huan leaned back in his seat, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Outside the window, the capital city was brightly lit.
There are so many flowers waiting for him to pick, and he decides to be a hard-working person who strives for his own happiness!