Chapter 25: CH 25

Bullet screen: Exactly what kind of background does Ruan Song have???

The afternoon itinerary of the variety show was indeed the same as what Gu Yuzhou had leaked.

After Ren Qinming left, the program team called all the guests to sit in a van, then drove on the winding route around the mountain for about 45 minutes.

Everyone finally met the indigenous community that also lived on the mountain — Tile-Roofed Tea Village.

Here, mountains were connected to more mountains, and villages were scattered throughout the mountains. The tea trees on both sides of the road were littered throughout, and each was greener than the next.

The van drove into the village, and the road was filled with the elderly who walked with their hands behind their back. Everyone was dressed simply, and from time to time, they would cast their gaze towards the van.

Those in the bullet screen who were familiar with the situation began to introduce it.

Because the journey to and from the mountain takes at least an hour, and the resources in the mountain are limited, very few young people live here.

Usually those who have more strength in the family go out to work, leaving behind the elderly who are unwilling to leave their hometown. The elderly neighbors in the neighborhood grow old together and grow tea, and it was also a good source of income.

[Then the problem arises. I live in City A, can I ask, if I hurry over, will I make it in time, starry eyes.jpg]

[The person above, stop thinking about it. If you aren’t a local, then few people would dare to drive on that mountain road. Also, the program team definitely has people blocking the road at the bottom of the mountain. Even if you hid from the program team and secretly got in, you definitely can’t find a car willing to drive up the mountain]

[Raises hand, I’m a local. The road up the mountain really is difficult to drive, when I’m driving I have to focus 120,000% of my energy on driving. Guys, don’t be so impulsive]

[I’m regretting it, I’m regretting it. I’m already regretting the fact that an unfilial son like me hasn’t gone back to my hometown to see grandpa and grandma, 15551]

[Me too! I just went back last week to sleep over for a bit, but the internet sucks, the signal sucks, and I really couldn’t hold on so I left the mountain early. Now I regret it, really regret it, crying.jpg x3]

The discussion in the livestream was in full swing, while the van had already entered the entrance of the village. In less than two minutes, the car full of people pulled up to an outdoor theater.

They said it was a movie theater, but in reality, it was just a spacious and sloping piece of land, as if it were a scene from the ’70s or ’80s.

It is said that the village chief organizes events once a week.

The elderly in the village were accustomed to it, and every time, they would more or less come on time and in turn bring benches from their home over, lining them up in a picturesque fashion in front of the projector screen.

The sky at that time was no longer the clear and cloudless afternoon sky. Black clouds densely covered the sky, but there was no sign of rain. The overcast sky pressed down, and the dusky sky was suitable for watching a movie.

Although those living in the village were all elderly people, and probably didn’t recognize the artists of the new era, in order to avoid being so conspicuous, everyone heeded the suggestion of the program team, and prior to setting out, they had all changed into their plainest outfits.

They had even brought their own benches.

There were quite a few people coming and going at the scene, and it looked as if more than half of the village had come. Even those whose homes were farther away, who hadn’t brought their own seating, instead rode on bikes and used that as their seat.

While wearing face masks, they gradually mixed within the crowd in an inconspicuous way, then brought out their benches in a lowkey manner, placing them in the last row.

The projector screen was already unfurled, and the program team openly set up their filming equipment beside it.

The villagers chatted as usual, and said what they ought to, paying no mind when facing the cameras.

[why1, I don’t understand. These elderly people shouldn’t be actors that the program team hired right, question mark.jpg]

[Raising my hand again, no they aren’t. It’s just that the scenery in our village is good, and the architecture is a bit more tasteful, so TV stations, production teams, and students from academic institutions filming for projects will often come to this village to film the scenery, and everyone is already used to it]

[Although I’m not from this village, I live nearby. The forest in that mountain is quite sentimental. Every week they’ll organize a movie viewing for everyone, and I will also use my camera to film the process to commemorate it]

Over time, although the villagers were born deep in the mountain, they would be even more familiar with cameras than most city folk.

They would also occasionally see young people like Ruan Song and the others coming by car, and also thought they were just filming the scenery.

The movie was arranged to start at five in the afternoon.

By the time Ruan Song and the others sat down in their seats, it was more or less about time.

The director group didn’t tell them what film they would be watching today, only telling them that it was related to the next guest that they were going to welcome.

Qin Sijia and Zheng Qing guessed that it might be something like the lead role in the movie.

But Ruan Song knew that before the director of ‘Blue Lake’ won an award, he was a young and poor artist who had no money.

Not only was the subject matter not often seen in this trade, but the actors that were invited were also all obscure. ‘19 Days of Cohabitation’ definitely wouldn’t invite the main actor.

The last time Ruan Song saw this film was when he had just moved in together with Chen Yan.

The two screenwriters closed the door of their room, pulled their curtains closed, then placed their computer on a chair in front of the table. From beginning to end, not a word was spoken, and they quietly finished watching the film.

Because he disliked the theaters for being noisy, it had been a very long time since Ruan Song watched a movie in a movie theater.

He believed that this kind of outdoor theater would definitely have the similar circumstances of hearing the sounds of melon seeds or idle chatter.

But contrary to his expectations, once it reached 5pm and the projector screen lit up from black, the originally lively villagers immediately quieted down.

Everyone focused their attention and raised their heads, staring as the large words ‘Blue Lake’ appeared on the screen.

So much so that the first idle chatter that Ruan Song heard, originated from his own companions.

Zheng Qing used an extremely quiet voice to say that he had heard of this film before but he had never watched it, and even thought they would have chosen a more easy to understand film.

Jiang Qiqi was also concerned: “Would old people understand this kind of film……”

The bullet screen had already begun to fill up with question marks.

Although some had not watched this film yet, it did not affect everyone’s rough understanding of the style of the film.

[Not to mention the elderly from the mountain, even my mom and dad probably can’t understand it]

[Not even mom and dad, I don’t even understand it myself]

[No way, what are they thinking, having the elderly watch such an artistic film???]

[I’ve watched this film before. It is a good movie, and it isn’t an art film, but the topic isn’t really commonly seen……]

[It has a score of 9 on Douban2, but only 130,000 people rated it, just, you guys understand right?]

[Ah this, turns out it’s this. My roommate pulled me to watch it together, and the both of us fell asleep. Awkward.jpg]

[Sorry, I’m already a bit angry. Can I understand it as, in order for the villagers to accommodate the program team, they made a last minute choice for the movie??]

[I don’t understand, if they just wanted to bring out the flying guest, they could have the five of them watch it in the wood cabin with the doors shut. Why did they have to drag the elderly villagers into the water, what kind of animosity is this???]

The bullet screen began to kick up a fuss, and responded en masse.

Quite a few people had already begun scolding on the public screen, feeling as if they had misjudged the program team.

Saying they had even gone so far as resorting to cultural bullying.

Believing that the program team was really arrogant for having the villagers on the mountain watch a film that even young people wouldn’t necessarily understand.

And after this kind of criticism was entered as a caption on the bullet screen, the discourse only grew louder and louder.

Because the actual beginning of ‘Blue Lake’, the camera focused on two elderly villagers picking vegetables and didn’t move for five moments, capturing their following verbose yet silly conversation.

The bullet screen crazily @Program team, resulting in huge swaths of criticisms.

After watching half of this conversation, even Liang Yi couldn’t help but quietly raise his head to look at the villagers’ reactions, and found that everyone was the same as when the movie had just begun.

It was unknown whether they were listening to instructions to act, or if they really were willing to watch this film.

“Will we be scolded?” Jiang Qiqi couldn’t help but nestle into his embrace and quietly asked.

After working in the entertainment industry for so long, everyone was definitely a bit sensitive to this kind of situation.

“It’s very likely that they’ve already started scolding us.” Liang Yi exposed an unhappy expression, then lowered his head to pull out his phone to watch the bullet screen in the live broadcast.

Ruan Song originally didn’t plan on participating in the conversation, but he really had a bit of an ‘obsession’ with watching movies, and couldn’t stand when nearby viewers weren’t focused, not to mention using their phones.

He directly reached out to press down on Liang Yi’s phone, then spoke stuffily with a face mask covering his mouth: “You’re already here, we’ll talk about it after watching it.”

Liang Yi and Jiang Qiqi subtly glanced at each other.

Although they weren’t purposely absentminded, they somehow felt as if they were small children that had been caught doing something bad.

If Ruan Song remembered correctly, this film wasn’t long, and would be over in an hour and a half.

But in that hour and a half, Qin Sijia and Zheng Qing also couldn’t persevere, and after watching half of the movie, they began to whisper amongst themselves.

In actuality, Liang Yi and Jiang Qiqi also wanted to chat, but they had just been caught by Ruan Song, and the scene of the crime was really a bit too quiet.

While Liang Yi avoided Ruan Song’s gaze, he quietly glanced around to tally up the audience.

Not only did people sit on motorcycles and bicycles on either side of the outdoor cinema, but there were also at least six rows of benches in the center. At least 12 or 13 people sat in each row, and even just casually tallying up the number of people, there would be nearly a hundred people.

As a result, out of nearly a hundred of these villagers, other than a few who would occasionally lower their heads to glance at their old phones, unexpectedly, not one of them opened their mouths to chat idly.

On the contrary, the guests that ‘should understand the movie’ sitting in the middle looked like a group of misfits.

Gradually, the scolding in the bullet screen stopped.

[What the, how come these grandmas and grandpas are watching so seriously, my entire head is filled with question marks]

[Are you sure they’re not actors? @Program team, question mark.jpg x3]

[I just yawned several times. I’m just like Sijia, I want to walk after sitting too long, but also am too embarrassed to move xs]

[I just searched it up, this film actually focuses on the social issues of the elderly that are left behind to take care of things. I’m dumbfounded, I still actually thought it was just to show the daily life of the villagers?? They didn’t directly talk about the matter of being left behind to take care of things]

[That may be so, but could it be that I was the only one who stared at Ruan Song’s face from beginning to end? Teacher Ruan being focused is also too amazing, pitiful.jpg]

[No, no, no, me too! It’s like there’s a light in his eyes, pervert.jpg]

[Ah, the grandmas, grandpas, and teacher Ruan are all watching so seriously. Suddenly I started to suspect that I am the clown myself……]

Amongst the five guests, the only person who seriously watched the film from beginning to end with the villagers was Ruan Song.

Qin Sijia, separated by Liang Yi and Jiang Qiqi, felt the urge countless times to question him and ask exactly what was so interesting about this film.

But Ruan Song’s eyes didn’t stray from the projector screen, and as if he were a Buddhist monk entering a meditative state, he didn’t receive any signals at all.

This kind of comparison exemplified the difference in the two worlds of an excellent student, and a slacker.

They could completely imagine how Ruan Song studied in order to obtain the grades to be recommended to A university, and it made Qin Sijia feel embarrassed to disturb him.

By the time they endured until the end of the movie, they thought they could finally speak, but the villagers instead faced the darkened projector screen, and for a long while, no one spoke.

For a moment, the bullet screen thought their internet was lagging.

[What happened? Why aren’t they speaking]

[Wait a minute, what the fuck. Is that grandma in the lower left corner wiping her tears??]

At this point, the sky was already completely dark.

It wasn’t until the village chief turned on the huge light in front of the audience, that everyone discovered that it wasn’t just one person who was wiping their tears.

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The bullet screen and Qin Sijia and the others watched the situation in front of them, and were so shocked they were unable to move a step.

Less than two seconds later, the village chief held a microphone and appeared in front of the projector screen: “Then just as before, we will retain ten minutes for discussion. If anyone has anything they want to share, you can come up and use the microphone to speak.”

Usually, such a thing as going up on stage to make a speech would be regarded as ‘embarrassing to death’ for those of the younger generation, but it was evident that the older generation didn’t feel the same.

In order to speak through the microphone, several took the initiative to form a long line.

Some said that the way the main protagonist killed chickens was exactly the same as their own practice.

Some said that they also love to gaze into the distance while standing on the mountain with their hands behind their back, sometimes staring into the distance for half a day.

They didn’t say much, and at first, it didn’t seem quite substantive at all as it was far from the level of discussion that everyone could share in public.

But the other villagers who sat below them seemed to sympathize greatly.

Just at the time the guests and the bullet screen were dazed and lost in thought, the director group secretly and quietly appeared behind several people.

As if they felt that they had finally come up with a trick that no one could understand, the chief director had the face of someone who was fully content: “What do you guys think, can you guess which guest we’ve invited this time? If you guess correctly, you can win 1,000 yuan in living expenses.”

Liang Yi had always been an activist. Not understanding the movie didn’t mean he couldn’t search up a film review on Baidu.

As early as the point when he figured that he wouldn’t understand the film, he had already created a table of all the awards the film had won, and reasonably drew a conclusion: “It’s probably the director. The director and screenwriter for this film are the same person, and this film is their first film upon debuting. Because the reputation for this film blew up, they grew famous overnight.”

The director group grew even more upset, and had just wanted to have the five of them discuss it a bit more.

But Ruan Song had already suddenly spoke up: “The executive producer. The flying guest is the film’s executive producer.”

Everyone: “?”

Generally, those who pay attention to the behind-the-scenes post-production personnel would at most look at the director and the screenwriter. If not, then they would look at the filmmaker. Who would remember to look at the executive producer3?

Liang Yi scrolled all the way down to the bottom of the table that he created, and found that he didn’t write down the name of the executive producer.

As for whether or not this answer is correct, it was already clear by the incredulous expression that appeared on the director’s face.

It was as if they had just seen a ghost: “What the, did you hide a mole in our team? How do you even know this??”

Ruan Song also didn’t want to bully others, and directly lay his cards on the table: “I’ve already seen this film before.”

Everyone: “???”

Qin Sijia didn’t dare believe her ears.

[He’s already seen it once, but he could still watch it so seriously just now?! Pupils shaking.jpg]

Ruan Song opened his mouth and was just about to explain himself, when a young man’s voice from amidst the crowd could be heard: “No let me just say, this kind of crap movie that relied on resources to win awards can’t even be sold outside, but you guys still brought it to our village to con the elderly?”

Everyone turned to look over at him.

The man who stood up in his seat looked very young, and was most likely a college student that returned to his hometown to visit the elderly. He wore glasses and looked educated but the words that came out of his mouth were quite harsh, as if he didn’t take into consideration the fact that he was interrupting the speeches of the villagers on stage.

“In the past, I’ve heard my grandparents say that every family in the village pays five yuan every month and are quite happy to be able to organize together to watch movies. I just happened to be able to rush over to watch a movie with them, but as a result, you put out these things to fool people? It’s really hard for me not to suspect that you just want to deceive others of their money.”

When this boy spoke, he directly attacked the village office’s secretary on the stage.

The secretary’s skin was suntanned, and the forty-something year old man also looked quite honest. When faced with such a sudden interrogation, he was also very helpless: “How could ‘Blue Lake’ be called something to deceive people, this film has even won awards……”

“It has already been torn apart on Douban. The director of this film isn’t famous, but the executive producer is famous, and he’s a professor at the university the director is from. ‘Blue Lake’ is the graduation project that he provided guidance on. It was able to win an award because of this executive producer’s reputation. If you guys want to collect money to show movies, then just casually choose a film and happily watch it then be done with it. Why choose this kind of dumb movie to cause unease? As if saying that those of us who left home all purposely choose not to return home to visit the elderly.”

The boy raised his phone, clearly showcasing an article with ‘explosive allegations’, as he eloquently spat out a mouthful of words, like a machine gun, his words fiercely burst out as if they were crackling bullets.

The secretary was immediately stunned by the spray of gunfire, he had never encountered this kind of warfare before: “I…… don’t know these things about the director’s background, I just purely feel that this film is good, and wanted to share it with everyone as they would probably resonate with it. I had no intention of causing unease or anything like that……”

But that man was unwilling to forgive, and each sentence he spoke was more and more impolite: “If you’re acting as the village chief, can’t you act more human? There are so many comedies, but you insist on showing this film. If it weren’t for the fact that I came back home impulsively, I wouldn’t have known what my grandparents were watching all day long. Even if they aren’t sick, you’d make them sick!”

At this point, not to mention the secretary, even the bullet screen was struck dumb.

[What the hell is up with this guy. Although I also can’t see how this movie is good, what if the children here learn his bad behavior and play like this with their parents??]

[Are you sure he’s a student who’s studying at university? I’m completely confused, question mark.jpg]

[There’s nothing wrong with bringing up your complaints, but you can’t speak so impolitely. Everyone there is all older than him, haa]

[No need to say anything else, I bet he definitely doesn’t know there’s a variety show broadcast there today……]

Not only did the man not know, but he even continued to criticize with great concentration: “The problem is that you said that you think this movie is good, but I really don’t know if it’s because you have never seen a good film because you’ve only seen the world of the mountains every day. Isn’t this film just creating a high concept narrative4 of ‘left behind elderly’ as a gimmick to cheat the box office? It’s so terrible yet you still think it’s worth watching.”

[?????]

[Why is this person still personally attacking others]

[ok, let me apologize to the program team, this is actually cultural bullying, goodbye.jpg]

[SOS help, my anger really burst up in a second. Has no one taught him how to speak nicely?]

The director group completely crashed, and it was clear that this dispute was completely not within their plans.

Although it was true that ‘Blue Lake’ was a solemn film that criticizes realism, compared to the common linear narrative, it uses an extremely lengthy period of time to display the local customs and human environment of the loess land. However, the core topic behind it is very consistent with the tea village, and it can basically be said to be a true portrayal of the life of the villagers.

The director originally planned to confuse the viewers and the guests, then after having the elderly give a speech on stage, it would reveal that this film was actually very close to the lives of the elderly who were left behind.

Everyone wouldn’t be able to understand the film, and would feel that it was uninteresting, only because everyone hadn’t experienced this lifestyle themselves. This was to create a reversal that would arouse their sympathy.

But as a result, this……

Qin Sijia actually had an explosive temper, and her fundamental sense of justice nearly reached its brink. She was just about to stand up to argue.

But a person whom everyone thought was the least likely to argue suddenly fought to speak up first: “The matter of the ‘left behind elderly people’ is a high concept narrative used as a gimmick? I’m confused as to who the person who hasn’t seen the world is here.”

[!!!]

Everyone turned their head in shock to look at Ruan Song.

The secretary on stage would never have thought someone out there would help him out.

The others didn’t know, but he knew that these few people were celebrities and the livestream was still broadcasting live. He didn’t want this situation to get any bigger, and wanted to persuade the man to stop.

But once that man heard someone question him, he was even more invigorated, and immediately looked over: “Who are you to be wearing a face mask? I’m concerned about my grandparents and my family, if you’re not part of our village then don’t butt in, okay? High concept narratives are just made up by Hollywood to cheat the box office via marketing and deceive those who don’t understand the industry.”

As a professional, Ruan Song had always chosen not to police the problems and ideas of those that weren’t in the industry.

But this boy talked rubbish so excessively and confidently, making a fool of himself in front of an expert, and it really made others can’t help but want to toss a bowl or two of cold water on him to calm him down.

It just so happened that he sat down for an hour and a half without moving, and he could now get up to exercise himself for a bit.

“I really don’t know where you learned these phrases from and now have the guts to speak nonsense.”

Under everyone’s eyes, Ruan Song removed his face mask and stood up, and his aura of a 2.8 meter tall man was revealed. He hadn’t opened his mouth yet when his entire person already carried a pre-installed teaching buff, as if imperceptibly warning everyone that he was about to say something important.

“In the film industry, ‘a brief summary’ is always used to evaluate projects. This is because a brief summary can quickly arouse the audience’s mental association and curiosity. What you just said about the left behind elderly could at best be considered ‘a brief summary’, but a ‘high concept narrative’ depends on the premise that the story is simple and easy to understand, which can promote the narrative and even advance marketing. It is indeed a common means used by Hollywood in recent years, but it is often based upon an unconventional reality, which is not the same thing at all.”

[?????]

The bullet screen was entirely filled with ‘fuck’.

[This is the first time Ruan Song said such a long sentence? Right? Right!! I’m dead, I’ve been attacked to death by his handsomeness!!!]

[Although my head is empty and I didn’t understand what he said, but this output of words is really too cool wuwuwu]

[Ahhhhhh, teacher Ruan, hurry up and kill him! Hearing him talk really makes people angry!!]

[So teacher Ruan is a professional! Or else why would he even understand these things! Pervert.jpg]

[It’s really refreshing hearing teacher Ruan scold others!!!]

As soon as the man heard Ruan Song speak, he knew he probably encountered someone who was difficult to provoke, but his self-respect made him unwilling to cower: “How is it not the same, I just feel that it’s the same thing. You also said yourself that it’s a type of marketing strategy. Doesn’t this rotten film always use ‘left behind elderly’ as a tag for promotions?”

Ruan Song didn’t bother with superfluous words, and immediately began to give examples: “Zombie movies are also high-concept narratives, setting the premise that a virus breaks out and zombies are rampant in society, forcing human beings to find ways to survive. ‘Triangle’, ‘Groundhog Day’, ‘Source Code’ are also all high-concept narratives. The main protagonist enters a cycle again and again and can’t escape. Can I ask, what is the high concept of the ‘left behind elderly’ in “Blue Lake”?”

The man was reluctant to admit his mistake: “So what if it isn’t high-concept, this film is still garbage! What the hell is it filming, just a few scattered and fragmentary villagers yet it can still win an award. Isn’t it just relying on the favoritism of the executive producer, Jiang Zhi!”

While the pair were arguing, the bullet screen had already pulled up the information regarding ‘Jiang Zhi’.

He indeed was a big boss with no doubt.

All of the projects by this executive producer were films that everyone had heard of. It wasn’t frantically sold in the box office, but it did win a crazy number of awards.

Ruan Song laughed in a down to earth manner, then raised his eyebrows and asked: “Or how about you ask your grandparents if their lives are ‘scattered and fragmentary’ as you’ve described it, a lifestyle undeserving of winning awards?”

The man was indeed choked up.

Ruan Song helped describe the meaning of the creative work clearly in a few sentences: “After watching ‘Blue Lake’ and you feel that it is dull and boring, then the director has achieved his goals. He purposefully portrayed it in this way, emptily sitting around in vain is the truest portrayal of their life.”

[!!!]

The bullet screen suddenly achieved supreme enlightenment.

[‘Emptily sitting around in vain is the truest portrayal of their life’, what the, is he some supernatural being, how could he say such words!!!]

[Ah, I suddenly remembered the villagers who just went on stage to give a speech……]

[Who was so moved that they suddenly started crying, turns out it’s me, 15551]

After the dispute, the situation was quite clear.

The secretary stood on stage at a loss, without interjecting with a single word. With wide eyes, he watched as the boy whose face was slapped ran away from the outdoor theater in a huff.

Directly announcing Ruan Song’s victory.

Meanwhile, Jiang Qiqi, as the person who was closest to Ruan Song, watched from beginning to end, and felt her blood rushing up. She grabbed Ruan Song’s sleeve and frantically shook it in a burst while quietly screaming: “Song ge, you look so handsome when criticizing others!!”

But Ruan Song didn’t have a hint of joy at all, as if he just saw an injustice on the road then casually kicked aside a rat. He calmly sat down, then opened a thermos that Ren Qinming prepared for him to clear his throat.

Then he turned to look at the camera to say: “Don’t dox people, or else when the time comes, people will say I’ve bullied others.”

[…………?]

The bullet screen who was directly spoken to by Ruan Song for the first time immediately grew crazy, and the entire screen was filled with their excited “Ahhhhhhhh”.

[No one has any problems with me saying that teacher Ruan is the most hooking A beauty right!!]

[No need to vote, there’s really no need to vote. I announce that from now on, teacher Ruan is my life!!!]

1. why originally written in English

2. Douban = a movie rating platform in China

3. I’m sorry y’all, I searched it up but don’t quite know the difference between these roles. All I can say is that the executive producer oversees the production of the film (I think)

4. High concept narrative is a type of artistic work that is easily pitched with a succinctly stated premise. This is compared with ‘low concept’ which is more concerned with character development and other subtle nuances that are more difficult to summarize. High concept focuses on broad appeal rather than character study, which makes it easy to sell because of its easy to grasp idea. In the case of the movie ‘Blue Lake’, the one liner idea is ‘the left behind elderly’.

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