Chinese entertainment: What's wrong with actresses wanting to improve?

Chapter 587 "The Room" and "Shoplifters"

On November 13, when Ning Hao emerged from the editing room, he looked as if he had just climbed out of a mine, with dark circles under his eyes and a full beard.

He was clutching a portable hard drive containing a heavily edited version of "Detective Chinatown," which he had finally finished adjusting the last frame of last night.

He ran into Lao Zhou in the corridor. Lao Zhou glanced at him and said, "Director Ning, have you not slept for days?" Ning Hao waved his hand and said, "It doesn't matter, the film is finished."

He went to the restroom, washed his face with cold water, tidied himself up in front of the mirror, and then took the elevator to the 28th floor.

Seeing his appearance, Zhang Xinyu didn't dare to ask any questions and simply pushed open the door to Fu Yibai's office for him.

"Mr. Fu, I'm done cutting."

Fu Yibai was looking at the casting list for "Si Teng" when he looked up and saw Ning Hao, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curve into a smile.

"How many sleepless nights have you been staying up?"

"Not many, three."

Ning Hao sat down in the chair opposite Fu Yibai and placed the portable hard drive on the table.

Would you like to take a look?

"We'll see later. You should go back and get some sleep first."

"I'm not sleepy at all right now, I'm even a little excited."

"…"

I'm really fed up with you. I didn't rush you, so why are you in such a hurry?

"If I ruin my health, Sister Na will kill me!"

"Hey, let's not talk about that."

Do you still stand by what you promised me?

"What did I promise you?"

Fu Yibai was teasing him on purpose.

Ning Hao is such a shrewd person; he saw right through Fu Yibai.

"Stop messing around, hurry up and show me the script."

Haha, you!

Is it really necessary, just for a script?

Fu Yibai took out two scripts, "The Room" and "Shoplifters," from the drawer, which he had already redeemed from the system.

Both scripts have been systematically localized and improved. As long as Ning Hao doesn't go overboard, winning an award shouldn't be a problem.

Fu Yibai placed the script in front of Ning Hao.

"I wrote both of these scripts myself."

The subject matter of "Room" is more suited to Berlin, while "Shoplifters" is more suited to Cannes.

You choose one.

Ning Hao was stunned. He hadn't expected that both scripts were Fu Yibai's work, and that they were even suitable for two different film festivals.

Who is Fu Yibai? He's a legend in the film industry.

His scripts have all won awards, and now he's given two to choose from. Ning Hao felt like he was dreaming.

The Room tells the story of a young girl who is imprisoned in a room of less than ten square meters for seven years, during which time she gives birth to a child.

The mother and son depended on each other for survival while imprisoned, and eventually managed to escape. However, after escaping, the outside world was no more welcoming to the mother than that prison cell.

Half of the script's narrative perspective unfolds through the eyes of children, and the interplay of innocence and cruelty is sure to captivate the Berlin jury.

Shoplifters tells the story of the daily life of a working-class family that makes a living by stealing.

The members of this family are not related by blood, but they come together because of their respective needs for survival, finding warmth in each other in the cracks of the city.

The first half of the script depicts the mundane details of daily life, while the second half, due to an unexpected event, reveals all the secrets of this fragile family, ultimately leading to their disintegration under societal scrutiny.

Ning Hao first picked up "Shoplifters" and started reading.

Just as he was engrossed in reading, the door to Fu Yibai's office was pushed open again.

"Mr. Fu, is Haozi here?"

As soon as Lu Yang entered the room, he saw the two folders in Ning Hao's arms, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Aren't you editing 'Brotherhood of Blades II'?"

Fu Yibai glanced at him.

"Finished cutting?"

Lu Yang scratched the back of his head and chuckled.

"Not yet, just a little bit more."

"Why did you come up here before you finished cutting your hair?"

"I just came to take a look."

Lu Yang's gaze never left the two folders in Ning Hao's arms.

"I heard that Director Ning finished editing the film, so I wanted to come and see it."

Really, I'm just looking.

Ning Hao hugged the two scripts to his chest and shrank back into the chair like a cat guarding its food.

"What are you looking at? You haven't finished editing your video yet. Go back and finish your work first."

"There's no rush to edit the video; I'll finish it while I work overtime tonight."

Lu Yang walked over to Ning Hao, bent down and leaned in to look at the covers of the two folders.

Are these two scripts? What kind of subject matter are they?

Brother Ning, just let me see it once, just once.

In just one minute, Lu Yang used three different ways of addressing Ning Hao.

"I won't let you see it, it's mine."

"You haven't finished editing the video yet."

Ning Hao pulled the folder tighter into his arms.

Lu Yang went around behind Ning Hao, put his hands on Ning Hao's shoulders, and began to massage his shoulders.

"Brother Ning, Director Ning."

We've known each other for so many years, and you can't possibly direct two scripts by yourself, so could you share one with me?

"So you really were after my script."

Ning Hao shrank back as Ning Hao's shoulder was pinched, his tone carrying three parts helplessness and seven parts wariness.

"Hehe, we're like brothers."

What's yours is mine, and what's mine is yours.

Lu Yang increased the pressure in his hands, making Ning Hao's shoulders twitch.

"Brother Ning, your shoulders are really strong. You should get more rest."

Don't give me that.

Ning Hao took the two folders out of his pocket and placed them on his lap, then turned to look at Lu Yang.

"You've made my shoulders stiff."

Lu Yang chuckled, didn't argue, and continued to massage his shoulders.

After kneading for about two minutes, Ning Hao sighed, took out the script of "Shoplifters" and handed it to Lu Yang.

"I'll let you take a look. Just one look. Give it back after you're done, don't you dare try to take it."

"I promise I won't steal it!"

Lu Yang took the script with both hands, plopped down on the chair next to him, and started flipping through it.

The office fell silent, save for the sound of pages turning.

While Lu Yang was reading "Shoplifters," Ning Hao picked up "Room" and continued reading it carefully.

The two directors were each engrossed in their own scripts, while Fu Yibai leaned back in his chair, sipping tea, and didn't urge them on.

About twenty minutes later, Lu Yang finished reading "Shoplifters".

He looked up at the book "Room" on Ning Hao's lap.

"Finished reading?" Ning Hao looked up.

"I've finished watching it."

Lu Yang returned "Shoplifters" to Ning Hao and then reached out his hand to him.

"Let me see that one too."

Ning Hao hesitated for a moment, then handed over "The Room" as well.

Lu Yang took the script and started reading it again.

The structure of "Room" is more focused than that of "Shoplifters," the conflicts are more acute, and the emotional impact is stronger.

After Lu Yang finished reading the last page, he closed the script and looked up at Ning Hao.

Ning Hao was reading "Shoplifters" when, twenty minutes later, he had finished reading both scripts.