Huayu: This director is pretty strong.

Chapter 29 Fractured Film

The door slammed heavily against the wall.

Lin Shufen burst into the house, breathing rapidly, with a few strands of wet hair sticking to her forehead.

She held a few sheets of fax paper in her hand, the edges of which were already damp and curled with sweat.

"Trouble is brewing."

She spoke breathlessly, "Hemingway filed a complaint with Pierre, accusing 'Night Watch' of copyright disputes, and the organizing committee decided to postpone the premiere."

No one made a sound from inside the room.

Su Wan was sitting on the edge of the bed organizing documents when her fingers slipped, causing her briefcase to fall and scattering documents, loose change, and half a loaf of bread all over the floor.

"That's not right."

She crouched down and quickly searched through the documents, saying, "The original contract has always been with me."

She pulled out the official contract and checked it page by page.

The official seal and signature are correct.

Chen Yan took the faxed copy, glanced at the first two pages, and stopped at the third page.

An additional clause was added, stating that if filming is interrupted due to force majeure, the copyright will automatically belong to the investor for safekeeping.

The handwriting and layout are flawless.

"I've never seen this before."

Su Wan stood up, supporting herself on the edge of the bed, her body slightly unsteady.

"It's none of your business."

Chen Yan placed the copy on the table. "The review process in Beijing is complicated, so it's easy for Lu Haiming to get the original manuscript."

Zhang Yuan came out of the inner room, a toothbrush clenched between his teeth, and mumbled, "Who has touched the contract?"

He looked around the room, his gaze lingering on Lin Qingqiu, who was applying medicine in the corner.

Lin Qingqiu looked up at him: "I can't even read all the words, so I stole the contract and read the plot to you."

That's enough.

Chen Yan spoke up to stop her, looking at Su Wan, "Stand up straight."

Su Wan loosened her grip on her lower lip and held onto the edge of the table.

"I went to show the organizing committee the original notarized document."

"It won't work."

Lin Shufen shook her head. "Cannes is extremely wary of copyright disputes. They won't easily offend the capital behind Hemingway. The premiere is tomorrow, and we simply can't hire a suitable French lawyer right now."

Chen Yan walked to the window and looked at the white sails on the distant sea.

"He wanted to push things to the extreme."

He turned around and said, "Then let's muddy the waters. Sister Fen, go and contact a few media outlets, avoid the mainstream newspapers, and specifically look for those left-wing tabloids that advocate art criticism and are averse to capital operations. The more radical their stance, the better."

"What do you want to do?"

Lin Shufen asked.

"Release the news."

Chen Yan took out a cigarette and fiddled with it in his hand. "Just say that 'The Night Watchman' was blocked by a cross-border capital because it exposed the dark secrets of a certain conglomerate's rise to power. The copyright dispute is just an excuse."

"This will completely enrage the organizing committee."

"Won't."

Chen Yan looked at her and said, "This is France. The local art circles have always been resistant to capital interference in art. The more a work is suppressed, the more legendary it becomes. The stricter the ban, the stronger the audience's curiosity. This fire will burn them back to themselves."

"What should we do about Pierre's side?"

Su Wan asked.

"I'll go negotiate."

……

That evening, at a bar on the back street of the Palais des Festivals.

An empty wine glass sat in front of Pierre, his hair slightly disheveled.

"Chen, you've given me a lot of trouble. The legal team of Haiming Group has extensive connections in Paris. If I force the screening, the Palais des Festivals will face a lawsuit."

A glass of soda water was placed in front of Chen Yan.

"Pierre, the clock tower that was demolished in the movie was designed by a French architect."

He pushed the rusty film reel to the center of the table. "Lu Haiming is not protecting copyright; he is erasing history. He is building on ruins, and beneath the foundation lies not only the blood and sweat of workers but also the architectural remains of France."

Pierre gripped the wine glass.

The concept of "cultural destruction" touched a nerve with him as an old-school filmmaker.

"I've changed my mind."

Chen Yan leaned forward and said, "If the organizing committee issues a ban on the use of real footage documenting Lu Haiming's rise to wealth in the final cut, and you, as the projectionist, make a technical error during the operation and accidentally play the backup footage, that's within the rules."

Pierre looked at Chen Yan.

Replace the content.

"It's about correcting the facts."

Chen Yan picked up his water glass and lightly tapped it on the table. "This is a response to capital intervention."

Pierre finished the newly added spirit in his glass and placed the empty glass back on the table.

"The risk is extremely high. If it gets exposed, my career will be over."

"If you compromise, another work will be buried in obscurity, and you will become an accomplice."

……

Late night, apartment.

"There's something wrong with the machine."

Zhang Yuan pointed to the screws on the base of the video recorder, "Someone has touched the equipment; there are new scratches on the waterproof sealant."

"They've started their operation."

Chen Yan looked towards the corner.

Su Wan sat on the floor, holding the incubator containing the mother's strap.

The days of travel had left her in extremely poor condition.

"I didn't keep the contract safe."

She began to speak.

Chen Yan walked up to her and squatted down.

"The responsibility does not lie with you."

"What if the movie can't be shown tomorrow?" Su Wan's eyes reddened.

"The movie will be released as scheduled."

Chen Yan looked at her and said, "You are responsible for delivering the master tape to Pierre in the projection room. That's the producer's job."

He turned to look at Zhang Yuan, "Take your toolbox and go to the site ahead of time, the reason being to assist Pierre in repairing the equipment."

……

Half an hour before the premiere, in the backstage corridor of the Debussy Theater.

Lin Shufen's message has had an effect. The rumor that "the director was banned for exposing the inside story" has attracted a large number of French film critics to protest outside the venue, and the organizing committee and security personnel are busy dealing with it.

At the entrance to the screening room, staff members stopped Chen Yan.

"Mr. Pierre instructed that only the producer was allowed to enter to deliver the master tape."

"I'll wait for you outside."

Chen Yan said to Su Wan.

Su Wan hugged the master tape case tightly, pushed open the door, and walked into the projection corridor.

Just past the corner, Wang, the comprador, emerged from the side with two burly men.

He was wearing a suit and holding a cigar cutter in his hand.

"Miss Su, why are you in such a hurry?"

Wang, the comprador, spoke up to stop people.

Su Wan stopped and protectively held the box in her hands: "What do you want to do? This is the Cinema Palace."

"I know where I am."

Wang, the comprador, smiled and said, "As long as President Lu doesn't agree, what you have is worthless."

He took out a check and showed it to him.

"One hundred thousand US dollars. Leave your things behind, take the money with you. This money is enough for you to buy a house in Beijing, plus pay for your father's medical expenses."

Su Wan stepped aside to avoid him: "Get out of the way."

A burly man stepped forward and blocked her way, grabbing Su Wan's shoulder.

Powerful.

"President Lu instructed that things wouldn't end so easily."

Wang, the comprador, stepped forward and reached out to snatch the box.

Su Wan pressed hard on the lid of the box, her fingernail breaking off at the metal edge and bleeding.

Just as she was about to speak, Wang, the comprador, took out a handkerchief and covered her mouth.

"Quiet down, Director Chen is outside dealing with reporters, no one will come."

Wang, the comprador, increased the pressure on his hands.

The soundproof iron door opens from the inside.

Zhang Yuan walked out.

He was carrying a pipe wrench covered in grease.

His gaze fell on the hand that was pressing down on Su Wan's shoulder.

"Let go of my hand."

Wang, the comprador, suppressed his smile.

At the end of the corridor outside the door, Chen Yan's phone screen lit up, showing a text message from Lin Shufen.

[The fish is in the net, the reporter is in position.]

Chen Yan put his phone back in his pocket and looked at the closed door of the screening room.

The plan is to close in.