Such a July and An Sheng

Who says there aren't any good directors in China right now!

Aren't these people right in front of us just perfect domestic tools?

I can't believe I didn't notice it before, or rather, I didn't think of it. It's such a waste!

Realizing what was happening, He Yi'an was like a thief who had fallen into a rice jar and stolen oil. He quickly ranked the strategies of these teachers in his mind, then greeted them with a bright smile:

"Oh, I didn't expect all the teachers to be here. That's perfect, saves me the trouble of looking for them one by one."

Xue Xiaolu pushed a chair over for him, gesturing for him to sit, and then casually asked, "So you don't have to look for them one by one? Director He, didn't Teacher Mu say you came specifically to see me?"

"Why have you changed your wording again?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, the Palme d'Or director came to me? I've been hoping for nothing. And it looks like Director He is here to poach people? And not just me?"

These people weren't very familiar with He Yi'an, but since they were from the same school, they had met before.

Now, Xue Xiaolu, being a woman, took the initiative to lighten the mood, and as soon as she finished speaking, several teachers burst into laughter.

The atmosphere among them instantly became harmonious.

The reason for this is entirely due to the difference in their status. Although He Yi'an is nominally still a student, and they usually act stern and unsmiling towards other students, none of them dare to act arrogantly when facing He Yi'an, even though they are teachers.

Nothing more!

He Yi'an's awards and achievements are too impressive.

People are all capable of assessing the situation, unless they are completely ignorant fools. There are very few people in the entire Beijing Film Academy who dare to use their status to control him now.

Moreover, judging from their demeanor, they seem to be preparing to treat each other as equals.

He Yi'an naturally sensed this attitude as well.

He's a pretty straightforward person, so since they've gone to such lengths, he doesn't need to be overly polite.

Moreover, He Yi'an himself does not have the habit of humbling himself after becoming famous.

Since we're here, let's make the best of it.

He pulled over the chair that Xue Xiaolu had pushed for him and sat down, smiling as he continued, "Dear teachers, saying 'poaching' sounds really awful."

"Isn't that right?"

Jiang Wei chuckled and joked, "We all heard Teacher Mu's phone call to Xiao Lu just now~" "Hi," He Yi'an replied casually, as if chatting with someone, "I just wanted Teacher Mu to help me get an introduction, and I'm here to deliver a project to all the teachers."

Hearing him say this, Cao Baoping and Yili, who had been silent, finally looked over, and Xue Xiaolu also became interested.

The project that He Yi'an gave us is not something you can get easily.

Not only Jiang Wei, but also looked at him curiously: "What project? Can you show it to us so we can learn from it? We've heard so much about Director He's screenwriting abilities."

"That's right, everyone knows now that Director He, all the movies you direct are either adapted or written by yourself, and even the hit dramas in your company were written by you!"

"We just analyzed your script in class a few days ago, and we learned a lot!"

Speaking of He Yi'an's forte—screenwriting—even Cao Baoping, who had been silent until now, couldn't help but chime in: "Writing, directing, and winning awards—Director He's ability is currently unmatched in the mainland film and television industry, especially your dissection of human nature..."

"Teachers, you flatter me! If I keep going, I'll get cocky, and you'll just make me make a mistake!"

"Hahaha~"

Everyone laughed again, and after the initial burst of laughter, Xue Xiaolu finally asked about the specific project.

"This is a coming-of-age film about women and crime; it's mainly about the story of two girls."

Please visit...to see the latest chapter! Address: dEqixs.oRg He Yi'an said, taking out the script he had prepared earlier from his bag and handing it to Xue Xiaolu.

"That's not a complete picture; it should be two sides of a girl."

"Oh?"

Xue Xiaolu picked up the script, flipped through a few pages, and her eyes grew increasingly surprised.

She's a seasoned screenwriter; how could she not tell the quality of a script?

He Yi'an's adaptation is not exactly the same as the original novel, but it is completely different.

Similar to the adaptation of "Love Comes Again," he only retained the names "July" and "An Sheng."

At the same time, all the melodramatic love stories and other clichés in the novel were deleted.

What's the point of having these useless things? Romantic entanglements will only slow down her ability to draw her sword.

Under He Yi'an's design, July and An Sheng are transformed into a glamorous girl in a normal life and a shadow struggling in a secret identity.

But in reality, they are different personalities of the same person, two sides of the same coin.

July is, on the surface, a top student at school, a good daughter at home, and a well-known obedient girl. But An Sheng is her hidden side, the desires, depravity, anger, madness, and escape that she dares not admit.

Two names, one soul, two sides of the same coin, each a reflection of the other.

After He Yi'an's adaptation, this ancient story is no longer just a simple coming-of-age story, but a story about self-torn, mental schizophrenia, and feigned reconciliation.

After all, this was a movie that He Yi'an had previously wanted to direct himself.

As a renowned director, he would never make a film about youth; that would be beneath his dignity.

Moreover, this kind of youth story isn't compelling enough to win awards.

That's why he made a lot of changes.

In July's story, she and An Sheng are childhood friends and orphans from the same orphanage, who are eventually adopted by different families.

However, due to their different personalities and their increasingly striking beauty, the families that adopted them later exposed some ugly problems.

As a child, An Sheng killed her own family members, as well as the family members who bullied her.

They then fled to the port area, where they lived alone. July maintained her image, studying, learning, and being a good girl. Eventually, through her own efforts, she transformed into someone who appeared elegant and glamorous, joining the ranks of celebrities.

An Sheng, on the other hand, mingles in the underworld, using her beauty to navigate the fringes of society and clearing obstacles for herself through criminal means. The two girls seem to be living on separate paths, yet they have very few points of intersection at certain crucial moments, arousing suspicion from the police who have been investigating them.

Because several murders seemed to be connected to them in some way.

One day, after An Sheng committed another crime, the police found July and arrested her.

After years of investigation, the police finally uncovered the truth and reached a startling conclusion.

They are actually the same person!

All of this was simply a criminal personality forcibly created by July due to extreme fear during her childhood.

When all of this is revealed, the balance between the two "people" is broken, and the police officer in charge of interrogating her wants to help her good personality overcome her evil personality.

Through tireless efforts and with the help of the police, July finally devoured the evil personality An Sheng and became a complete person.

She was still sentenced, but her sentence was reduced due to mental health issues.

However, the subsequent developments did not follow the expected logical progression.

First, the police learned that in July, for reasons unknown, she had become pregnant and received a further reduction in her sentence. She was released not long afterward.

Then the police officers in charge of investigating the case, and everyone who knew the whole story, continued to die one by one.

It turns out that before everything was discovered, July had already used her own methods (beauty and talent) to win over a former warden of the prison.

Ultimately, this former director also died at home for unknown reasons.

The final result is that July has abandoned all its shady history and past, and is once again living calmly in the sunlight.

When the veteran policeman, who had discovered all of this, found July again, July, fueled by fear and disguise, once again fooled the policeman and then killed him in retaliation.

After doing all this, the person who emerged from the shadows had completely transformed into An Sheng.

She looked at the policeman lying in a pool of blood and gave him an innocent and radiant smile.

Yes, there's no such thing as a kind or evil personality. In reality, all that matters is July's greatest talent: hypocrisy and pretense.

July and An Sheng are the same person.

Her real name should be An Qiyue.

All the kindness and evil were just her disguises... That's why July, who looks ordinary, is often troubled by her beauty.

Because the most beautiful and glamorous An Sheng was her true physical appearance.

After finishing all this, An Qiyue tidied everything up in an orderly manner, then pushed open the door again and walked into the crowd.

Her beauty attracted a lot of attention, and she thrived in the crowd.

That concludes the script.

After reading the script, Xue Xiaolu looked up at He Yi'an, her eyes filled with shock: "It's such an ending... but this adaptation idea is very interesting..."

Hearing her say that, the others around her also perked up and were eager to see the script adapted by the Palme d'Or director.

Xue Xiaolu glanced at He Yi'an, after all, this script belonged to He Yi'an, and she didn't know if she could expose it.

He Yi'an wouldn't care about such a trivial matter.

She then handed the script to Jiang Wei, and the others gathered around to watch it together.

"Director He, this story seems to have the structure of 'Journey Under the Midnight Sun'..."

"Yes, I not only chose the structure of the story 'July and Ansheng,' but also 'White Night.' Don't worry, Langyuan has already bought the adaptation rights to both books." After all, the original July and Ansheng was a story about two young girls' love and romance.

And what's more, they've fallen in love with a man in such a melodramatic way that it's unbearable to watch, so He Yi'an decided to give them a real shock.

Moreover, such films are actually very helpful for transformation.

Breaking away from preconceived notions, she's crazy and wicked, using her beauty to commit crimes, like a highly poisonous poppy, and also has a mental illness setting...

Upon hearing this, Xue Xiaolu was completely relieved and asked again, "Director He, are you sure you want me to direct this?"

"Teacher Xue, I've come all this way to ask you to be the director."

By this time, the others had also finished reading the script, and both Cao Baoping and Jiang Wei were somewhat unsatisfied.

Especially Cao Baoping, he was a master at shooting crime films...

Only Yili didn't like this style, so he didn't say anything.

Xue Xiaolu's eyes darted around, and she suddenly said, "I can take this movie, but there are some crime scenes and content in it, which might be more suitable for Teacher Cao..."

"Then let's invite Teacher Xue, Teacher Cao, and Teacher Jiang to join us. As long as it doesn't violate this theme, you can decide how to film it."

With a buy-one-get-two-free offer, why would He Yi'an refuse? He couldn't be more eager for these people to get on the bus. Jiang Wei and Cao Baoping were also surprised that He Yi'an was so agreeable, and even wanted to buy them all up.

However, although they were itching to try it out, one script was just too few, wasn't it?

"This is the first time these teachers have worked with Langyuan. Our style at Langyuan is that we provide the script and investment, and you are fully responsible for the filming. I will not interfere arbitrarily."

"Moreover, after the results of this shoot are in, it will be easier for everyone to work with Langyuan in the future."

The office fell silent; several people were clearly tempted.

Even Yi Li asked, "Director He, do you invest in other films?"

"Of course, Langyuan could also invest in Teacher Yi's films!"

He Yi'an was just worried about not finding an opportunity to contact the other party, but unexpectedly, Yi Li took the bait himself.

"Alright, I do have a movie that's about to be filmed that I'd like to discuss with you..."

"That would be an honor for our Langyuan!"

It's no exaggeration to say that I'm honored, because the movie that Yili is about to film is definitely "Zhang Side". You can check the production companies of this movie and see what the other two are besides China Film Group.

If they're willing to cooperate, it truly gives Langyuan a chance. Even if they don't invest in "Zhang Side," they're willing to accept any other film, even if it loses money!

Seeing that He Yi'an and Yi Li were talking, the others remained silent.

After they finished talking, Jiang Wei chuckled and said, "Director He, your script is pretty good. And this isn't just giving us a project; you're practically making us work for you."

"Not at all, not at all. Besides, to film a good story that you want to tell, in your own way, without having to worry about money, I think the three of you would be willing to do this kind of work, right?"

"Of course I'd be happy to, I'd be happy to give you a dozen more!" Xue Xiaolu's words meant she agreed.

Cao Baoping picked up the script again and flipped through a few pages: "If this film is well-made, it has a good chance of winning awards, but it's not easy to get it approved."

"I plan to film this movie in the port area, or maybe on Lotus Island, and when it's released, I can add a line at the end saying that he will eventually surrender in July, or be arrested..."

He knew, of course, that the film was unlikely to pass censorship in China, which is why he agreed to collaborate in advance.

Upon hearing this, the others suddenly realized, "We almost forgot that Director He has already acquired Jiahe!"

Cao Baoping didn't rush to comment. He looked at He Yi'an and asked, "Director He, does your company have any other scripts?"

He Yi'an understood what he meant; he was clearly itching to try it out himself. Collaborative filming definitely didn't meet his requirements, and he wanted to try it out on his own.

He Yi'an was more than happy to accept this request: "Yes, I have ideas for spy films, suspense films, crime films, and even realistic films... but we have to do them one by one." Cao Baoping nodded, and Jiang Wei and Xue Xiaolu, who were familiar with his personality, already understood what he meant: he agreed to cooperate!

But He Yi'an didn't know, so he turned to look at Jiang Wei.

"Mr. Jiang, our company has just invested in and produced a spy drama called 'Plot Against,' which should spark a spy film craze. I wonder if you'd be interested in learning more about it?"

"If you're interested, I can have someone send you the script later, or we can take a look at it after it's been produced and discuss it further?"

Who directed it?

"Liu Yunlong".

"Him~"

Jiang Wei did not immediately agree, but he did not refuse either: "How about this, I'll contact Liu Yunlong first and see."

"OK!"

This trip was truly worthwhile. Not only did Xue Xiaolu and Cao Baoping take on this project together, but they also got to know Jiang Wei and Yi Li.

If they agree to cooperate, it will make things much easier for Langyuan in the next few years, and he will finally not have to rely on himself alone.

Of course, he didn't want to force them to make a decision, so after speaking, he stood up and cupped his hands in greeting to the teachers: "Then please take a look. If you agree, you can contact Zhong Lifang or me at any time. I won't disturb your meeting any longer." He prepared to leave and let them discuss it among themselves.

"etc!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Xue Xiaolu shouted something.

She was a decisive person. After speaking with Jiang Wei and Cao Baoping, she gave a direct answer: "Director He, there's no need to wait. We'll take this script."

"I'll be filming with Lao Cao, and Jiang Wei will be the producer. If you think it's okay, I'll give you the budget later."

He Yi hadn't expected these teachers from the Beijing Film Academy to be so straightforward.

It seems they all want to be directors, and they're quite eager to do so.

Come to think of it, they all succeeded later on. The reason they're not making movies now is simply because no one is investing in them. Making movies costs money.

However, this was a good thing for him, so he gave her a thumbs up: "Teacher Xue is indeed decisive! Well then, teachers, it's a pleasure to work together."

After discussing the casting of the two female leads with them, He Yi'an left the office.

After he left, Xue Xiaolu seemed to have finally understood something deeper: "It seems that our Director He really is with that Liu Yifei..."

"Who cares? It's normal for young people to have feelings for each other, and besides, they're not that far apart in age." Jiang Wei was quite easygoing and didn't seem to care. Cao Baoping, on the other hand, was thinking about the actors' performances: "I was thinking of finding some good actors, but I didn't expect Director He to use someone so young."

"As long as the age is right, that's fine. We can hone our acting skills over time."

"I reckon Shu Chang's acting is fine, it's just that her face isn't really suited for the big screen. As for Liu Yifei... I think her performances in her previous films were alright?"

"We'll see when we try!"

……

After leaving the office, He Yi'an did not go to see Mu Deyuan again.

He took out his phone and sent a message to the driver. After He Yi'an got into the car and left Beijing Film Academy, he sent a message to Zhang Jing.

"We've found a director for 'Soulmate'. We'll go through the project approval process later."

"In addition, prepare a copy of the script for 'The Plot,' as Jiang Wei may need it later."

When he returned to the company, he saw Zhong Lifang receiving several people. Upon seeing him return, the group immediately approached him.

"Mr. He, Ning Ying's people have arrived. These people just arrived at the company."

Ning Ying? What do they want with me?

Wait, it can't be...

If that's the case, then today is truly a good day.

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P.S.: Today's update is 1.1 words, including a bonus chapter for reaching 500 monthly votes and bonus chapters for donations.