Chapter 33: This Thing Called Feelings

The seven-city promotional tour had concluded, leaving only Ludong Island. Li Xiaoran returned to Beijing, intending to accompany Cao Yang to the island.

A spring trickled with a gentle murmur, turning the mountain’s tranquility into the most beautiful song.

After a long while, the singing ceased abruptly.

Li Xiaoran nestled in Cao Yang’s arms, her voice soft as she said, "If I had known you were starting a new film so soon, I would have turned down the audition for the National Director. Now, the momentum has built up so much that I'm riding a tiger and can't get off. If I don't beat 'International Zhang' in the end, I’ll surely be mocked."

Currently, International Zhang and Li Xiaoran were either locked in a battle or on the way to one.

As the box office for *On the Beach at Night Alone* continued to climb, Li Xiaoran, carrying the film as a solo act, basked in the spotlight.

International Zhang had already gone to the United States to campaign for the Oscars. Perhaps fearing that the domestic media would focus solely on Li Xiaoran during the lead-up to the ceremony, she had reignited the rivalry.

The domestic media was more than happy to oblige; watching two high-profile actresses spar across the Pacific was quite entertaining.

Cao Yang knew well that both Li Xiaoran and International Zhang were manufacturing buzz. What looked like a petty feud was, in reality, a tacit mutual effort to elevate their respective statuses.

Li Xiaoran felt that aligning herself with International Zhang was a smart move; after all, Zhang was truly established in the international market.

International Zhang, meanwhile, didn't feel at a loss either. Li Xiaoran was a Berlin Film Festival Best Actress winner, and the film was performing strongly at the domestic box office. It had recently begun screening in Europe, where, by all accounts, it was receiving a warm reception.

Their agents were operating under the idea that by binding the two together, they could elevate themselves into a tier of their own, leaving the other so-called "Three Actresses" behind.

Both women were incredibly ambitious.

"Once your momentum is up, people will naturally compare you to International Zhang. Even if the National Director eventually chooses her, it’s no matter. Everyone knows she rose to fame thanks to him; they are old partners, so it's natural for him to lean toward her."

"But I still want to win."

Li Xiaoran tugged at Cao Yang’s sleeve, pouting coquettishly, "Darling, could you speak to 'that one' of yours and ask her to help me? I could call her 'sister'—I’m even willing to be the secondary partner, would that work?"

Cao Yang sighed. He knew it would come to this; she had really fallen for this dynamic.

And yet, why did he feel a faint sense of excitement? Why was there also a twinge of guilt?

Did this count as a form of infidelity?

Forget it, he thought. Just follow his heart.

Ludong Island was the location for the film’s shoot and the final stop of the promotional tour.

On that day, almost all the main cast members arrived. Everyone gathered on the island, joyous over the film's success, as each of them stood to gain something from it.

After the event, a dinner was inevitable.

After a few rounds of drinks, Sun Honglei walked over with his glass. "Director Cao, thank you for giving me the opportunity to be in such a classic film. I’d like to toast you. I’ll finish mine; you drink as much as you like."

Cao Yang took a sip and said, "Honglei, your acting is excellent. I have high hopes for your future."

"Thank you, thank you for those kind words, Director Cao. With your blessing, I’ll drink another to you."

Cao Yang took another sip, observing the hesitant look on the other man's face. He suspected something was up.

Beside them, Ding Jiali nudged Sun Honglei and spoke up directly, "Why are you being so shy? There are no outsiders here."

"Director Cao, I’d like to toast you too." Ding Jiali filled her glass, but just as she was about to drink, Cao Yang pressed his hand down on hers.

"Sister Jiali, if you have something to say, just say it. Don't play these games. As you said, there are no outsiders."

"Very well, Director Cao. I'll be blunt. Director Sun Zhou is currently preparing a film. Someone recommended Honglei to him, and he was quite satisfied, but there are a few other competitors that have him hesitating. We remembered that Director Sun is also a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, so we were hoping you might be able to put in a good word for us."

At this moment, Liu Shan leaned in and whispered in Cao Yang’s ear, "Director Sun was in the 1984 Directing Department’s cadre training class. He has a classmate who is none other than Hou Keming, the head of our Beijing Film Studio."

Cao Yang understood instantly. They must have discovered the connection between Sun Zhou and Hou Keming and, knowing that Hou valued him highly, wanted to leverage that relationship.

It sounded complicated, but it was simple: they wanted him to build a bridge, to give Hou Keming a nudge so that he would take the matter to heart.

Ding Jiali was certainly persistent.

Curious about the project, Cao Yang asked what the film was.

"The film is called *Zhou Yu's Train*. Director Sun says it might start filming in July," Sun Honglei explained.

Huh.

Cao Yang was at a loss for words. As far as he knew, the lead actress was Gong Li, and because of this film, rumors of an affair between her and Sun Honglei had surfaced after reporters captured intimate photos of them.

The crucial detail was that Gong Li was already married at the time, and Sun Honglei had a girlfriend.

Because of this incident, Sun Honglei eventually left Ding Jiali, but Gong Li never divorced... and in the end, the two never stayed together.

After a moment of silence, looking at Ding Jiali, who was staring at him with hopeful eyes, Cao Yang sighed. Some things couldn't be stopped. Even if he didn't call Hou Keming, they would find another way, and they would likely succeed regardless.

What a pity.

"I’ll give President Hou a call later to mention it."

Ding Jiali’s face lit up. She insisted on clinking her glass against Cao Yang’s and drained it in one go.

The next day, Cao Yang went with the production manager, Cheng Jianye, to scout several filming locations.

Cheng Jianye was diligent; the spots he found met all of Cao Yang's requirements, and this time, the production had secured the support of the local government.

This support was more than just verbal; it included policy incentives and financial backing.

Of course, the financial support came with conditions—for example, bonuses contingent upon the film winning awards or hitting certain box office targets.

Cao Yang realized something he had subconsciously ignored: he was no longer an unknown. Making an award-oriented film made him quite attractive to advertisers.

For instance, the digital camera that the protagonist uses to take photos every time he enters a new home.

In this era, most digital cameras had three to five megapixels and were already beginning to eat into the market for traditional film cameras.

"Teacher Cheng, get in touch with brands like Canon, Fuji, Olympus, and Leica. Ask them if they want product placement. Tell them we can provide plenty of screen time, close-ups, and that the film will be heading to Europe to compete for awards."

Cao Yang thought for a moment and added, "We can structure it as a performance-based agreement. For example, a base fee, with additional payments if we enter the main competition at one of the 'Big Three' European festivals, and even more if we win. It’s all negotiable."

"Also, look into the motorcycle the protagonist rides and the cars in the film. Organize a list and have us pitch to the major brands."

"Understood. I'll reach out to several and make them compete for it." Cheng Jianye was eager, ready to show his worth.

He had realized that Cao Yang’s ambitions were not small. Having just returned from Berlin, he was already looking at Venice. Could it be that the Beijing Film Academy was about to produce another master director?

And who wouldn't want to be part of a master director's core team?