"They didn't cause any trouble?"
This was the most surprising thing for Xiao He.
The three great virtues of the Chinese entertainment industry: playing the victim, engaging in online feuds, and promoting products online.
Now that "The Thief" has stolen their summer blockbuster season, how come these people are still so good-natured and haven't made a move?
Based on Xiao He's understanding of these people, in the past, they would have already jumped out to attack "The Thief Catcher" or hired a large number of online trolls to launch an attack. In any case, they would have taken some kind of action. But Xiao He never imagined that they would remain calm until now.
This doesn't make sense...
Liu Rulan had anticipated this: "They wouldn't dare."
Xiao He: "Huh?"
Xiao He dragged a chair in front of Liu Rulan and stared at her suspiciously: "Do you know something?"
"uh-huh."
"About Director Lin? I noticed you weren't in a good mood last time."
"Oh dear, I've been busy backstage all night and haven't even had a chance to drink some water—" Liu Rulan played with her nails, keeping everyone in suspense.
Xiao He very tactfully offered the water: "To my dear Sister Liu, you've worked hard today! Sister Liu is beautiful and kind-hearted, she'll definitely tell me about it, right?"
Liu Rulan picked up her water glass, took a sip to moisten her throat, and deliberately coughed lightly before slowly saying under Xiao He's expectant gaze, "Do you know who the representative figures of the fifth generation of Chinese directors are?"
The term "Nth generation directors" refers to a group of directors from different periods who possess the creative characteristics and styles of that era.
For example, Liu Rulan asked about the fifth generation of directors. These directors generally emerged in the 1980s, and most of their films still carry the historical and cultural connotations and background of that time, such as "Sorghum Red" and "Black Soil". Just by hearing the names, you can tell that they are works from that era.
Several of the key figures from this group are still active in the public eye. Even if Xiao He hadn't formally studied film history, he could probably name several—
After Xiao He finished listing the people he knew on his fingers, Liu Rulan finally put down her water glass and said unhurriedly, "Lin Jiexiu, you mentioned this director earlier, so you must know something about him, right?"
Xiao He nodded: "I've seen his film 'The Man Who Never Returns' and several other award-winning works, but I don't know much about his personal life."
Compared to the big-name directors who are still active in the industry, Lin Jiexiu is an outlier.
He possesses works and talent that rival those of other directors, and has won numerous awards both domestically and internationally to prove his abilities. However, more than a decade ago, he paused his directing career and returned to school to become a teacher.
Even so, he has never left the public eye, because most of the students he taught have become pillars of the directing industry, and are more outstanding and excellent than the other students he nominally mentored.
Some people even jokingly say that most of the future eighth-generation directors in China may be Lin Jiexiu's students—this is not an exaggeration, but a reality.
Especially among directors in the Shanghai film circle, if you randomly ask any one of them, they will all be students taught by Lin Jiexiu.
If they are not Lin Jiexiu's students, then it can only mean that they are students of Lin Jiexiu's students. Moreover, these students may not all be working in the directing industry; they may be involved in other jobs within the industry and spread throughout various corners of the industry.
Upon hearing Liu Rulan's words, Xiao He's eyes widened: "So, Lin Yipeng is Lin Jiexiu's son?"
Liu Rulan nodded: "Although he changed his name, it should be correct. I heard years ago that Director Lin had a son born late in life. He was very mysterious and never appeared in the industry. At that time, I went to great lengths to add him as a friend and ask him if he had any thoughts about becoming an actor, but I never got a reply."
Nevertheless, Liu Rulan persisted in sending text messages to these gentlemen during holidays to greet them, hoping to become familiar with them and maintain a superficial relationship.
Xiao He was embarrassed: "Sister Liu, you actually had such thoughts?"
Going to kidnap someone else's son to become an actor... cough cough, that's really clever.
I never expected Lin Yipeng to have such a powerful background. No wonder Lin Yipeng knew everything so quickly.
It turns out that he has connections everywhere in the industry, from directors to insignificant production assistants and logistics staff!
“What do you know? Lin Yipeng’s family has members working at the broadcasting station, in high positions, who are in charge of us.” Liu Rulan patted Xiao He’s shoulder earnestly: “You have no idea how happy it is to be carried around by these young masters and ladies.”
Directors from that era could never be from ordinary families. They were surrounded by connections in the entertainment industry, some even famous, with three generations of their families holding official positions. Their families might have existed even longer than the founding of the nation, and their descendants were naturally swarmed with favors as soon as they entered the industry.
"Qin Lezhang, you know him, right? He's from the {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Beijing entertainment circle. Although he's not particularly good-looking and his acting is passable, he has amazing resources. He can get any role he wants with a wave of his hand, regardless of genre or subject matter. Even if he doesn't act well, he still has countless fans who adore him and try to save face for him. His manager posts on WeChat Moments every day to show off. I really want to block him."
Xiao He didn't know Qin Lezhang, but that didn't stop him from watching the drama unfold: "Is that even possible?"
Liu Rulan shrugged: "That's right. If you're interested, you can check out his comment section. It's like they're possessed. They keep calling him 'Young Master' all the time, and the fans call themselves 'Old Slave.' Even though the Qing Dynasty is over, they still want to be slaves to this ugly man. It's really baffling."
"Furthermore, they do not allow other celebrities or fans to use the title 'Young Master,' saying that Qin Lezhang is the only true 'Young Master' in the entire industry, and the only person qualified to be called 'Young Master.'"
Xiao He: "..."
Fans are truly a terrifying bunch.
—Oh right, excluding his fans.
"So, our crew was carried by Director Lin this time?"
"Perhaps that's part of the reason, but it's definitely not the main reason." Liu Rulan shook her head. "I deduced Director Lin's identity based on the contact information I left behind. Others probably don't know yet. The quality of the thief catchers is also good. There's no way Director Lin would use his identity to help with vote-rigging or anything like that. So I guess he's just using his identity to protect the thief catchers and prevent others from causing trouble."
Of course, from the perspectives of filming, direction, and script, it's not unreasonable to say that Lin Yipeng carried her to success.
"Director Kobayashi's talent is truly a direct inheritance from his father..." Liu Rulan exclaimed. "He can be considered a successful example of a son following in his father's footsteps in the industry."
It's quite strange, really. Many famous directors and actors emerged from that era, but very few of their descendants successfully followed in their footsteps, especially directors. Their children either chose acting or went into other industries, without getting involved in directing. Even those who wanted to inherit their fathers' positions remained unknown for years, far from being recognized by the audience.
Lin Yipeng's ability to make a name for herself is truly remarkable.
Xiao He echoed his agreement: "Indeed—"
Before he could finish speaking, the phone on the table rang.
Xiao He glanced at it and realized that it was Lin Yipeng, the person he and Sister Liu had been discussing.
"You answer the phone first."
Liu Rulan gestured and left the room.
"Hello, Director Lin."
Xiao He answered the phone, his tone unchanged, showing no change even after learning Lin Yipeng's identity. He even joked, "You're not calling to tell me about The Thief Catcher 2, are you?"
Lin Yipeng remained silent for a while, then gave a wry smile: "I'm sorry, but I just wanted to tell you that it's probably very difficult to have a second part."
