novelraw Chapter 126 The Crescent Moon
Chapter 126 The Crescent Moon
Chapter 126 The Crescent Moon
Li Jun thought for a moment and shook his head: "No."
Why?
"Because at least we tried."
He said.
"At least we made a movie we wanted to make and sang a song we wanted to sing."
At least we've let some people know that there are still people in this industry who are serious about their work.
He paused for a moment, then added, "And, I've come to know you."
Zhang Liangying's tears finally fell. Not from sadness, but from being moved.
"Me too."
she says.
I don't regret knowing you.
Li Jun reached out and wiped away her tears.
The movements were very gentle, as if handling something precious.
"Beautiful."
He said.
"Once all this is over, we—"
"What about us?"
Let's be together.
Li Jun spoke very directly.
"It's not sneaking around, it's being open and aboveboard. We're telling everyone we're together."
Zhang Liangying was stunned.
She looked at Li Jun, at the seriousness and determination in his eyes.
"are you sure?"
She asked.
"At this very moment—"
"It's precisely because it's this time."
Li Jun held her hand.
"I don't want to hide anymore. I want to hold your hand and walk in front of everyone."
Tell them, this is the person I like.
Zhang Liangying's tears welled up again, but this time, she cried with a smile.
"it is good."
she says.
"We'll be together once all this is over."
Li Jun smiled; it was a warm and genuine smile.
He finished the rest of the chicken soup, then stood up: "I have to go back. I have a show early tomorrow morning."
"So rushed?"
"Um."
Li Jun put on his coat.
Time waits for no one.
Zhang Liangying saw him to the door.
In the corridor, Li Jun suddenly stopped and turned to look at her.
"Beautiful."
"Um?
'
Sing well.
He said.
"Use your voice to tell everyone what true art is."
"I will."
Zhang Liangying nodded.
"You should also make good films. Use your lens to show everyone what real cinema is."
The two looked at each other, and then Li Jun lowered his head and gently placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Wait for me to come back," he said.
"I'm waiting for you."
Li Jun turned and left. Zhang Liangying stood in the corridor, watching him disappear around the corner, then raised her hand to touch her forehead.
The warmth of his lips still lingered there.
The next morning, Hong Kong.
Li Jun received a call from Chen Zeshi as soon as he got off the plane.
"Director Li, there's been progress."
Chen Zeshi's voice carried a hint of excitement.
"We found that there were problems with the flow of funds for three Huayi projects, involving more than 50 million yuan."
In one of the projects, Wang Zhonglei misappropriated 20 million yuan to cover losses from his private investments.
Is the evidence conclusive?
"Bank statements, contracts, transfer records, everything."
Chen Zeshi said.
"Furthermore, we found the accountant for that project, and he was willing to testify."
Li Jun's heart skipped a beat: "Why would he want to testify?"
"Because Wang Zhonglei didn't give him the money he was owed."
Chen Zeshi sneered.
"Wang Zhonglei wanted him to take the blame for that deficit, promising to compensate him afterwards."
But after it was done, they turned their backs on him. Now he's desperate and willing to step forward.
Is it reliable?
"I had someone check, and what he said is true."
Chen Zeshi paused for a moment.
"Director Li, if this evidence is released, Wang Zhonglei will not only be disgraced, he may go to jail."
Li Jun remained silent. This was not what he wanted.
He only wanted to make movies, not send people to prison.
"Mr. Chen."
He spoke slowly.
"Can we focus on the issue, and not the person?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.
"Director Li, you mean—"
"What I mean is, we can disclose Huayi's problems, but we don't need to involve Wang Zhonglei personally."
Li Jun said.
"Let him choose for himself: either stop or face the consequences."
Kent Chan sighed, "Director Li, you should leave some room for maneuver."
Li Jun said, "He did the same thing, didn't he?"
The two of them were fighting back and forth just to force each other out of the entertainment industry.
Silence again.
Then Kent Chan said, "Okay, do as you say. But if he keeps bothering me..."
"Then I have no choice but to play along."
After hanging up the phone, Li Jun went straight to the film set.
Today we're filming the climax of the movie, where Shen Mo escorts the revolutionaries out of the city and engages in a decisive battle with the Qing soldiers at the city gate.
This scene was extremely difficult, involving hundreds of extras, complex staging, and a large number of action scenes.
Cheng Guoqiang had been preparing for a month, and all the stuntmen had rehearsed repeatedly.
When Li Jun arrived, Nicholas Tse was already warming up.
The scar on his forehead had scabbed over and was clearly visible under the light.
The makeup artist asked if he wanted to cover it up, but Nicholas Tse shook his head.
"that's all."
He said.
"Silence is bound to cause injury."
Zhang Ziyi also arrived. Her scene today is the last one. Bai Yulan is performing on the city wall to cover for the revolutionaries.
She insisted on singing live for this scene, without dubbing.
"I practiced for a month."
She said to Li Jun.
"It should be fine."
Li Jun nodded: "I believe you."
At nine o'clock in the morning, everything was ready.
"Action!"
The city gates opened, and Shen Mo, played by Nicholas Tse, rushed out protecting the revolutionaries.
Outside were densely packed Qing soldiers, their swords and spears arrayed everywhere.
The battle begins.
Nicholas Tse was like a trapped wild beast, charging and struggling through the crowd.
His movements had lost their initial elegance; they were all practical killing moves—thrusts, slashes, parries, and thrusts—each aimed at a vital point.
Sweat, blood, and mud mixed together, making him look like a demon crawling out of hell.
The look in their eyes, that of someone who knows why they are fighting, strikes right at the heart through the lens.
Meanwhile, on the city tower, Zhang Ziyi began to perform.
Dressed in theatrical costume and heavily made up, she stood by the city wall, singing to the battlefield below: "The crescent moon shines over the nine provinces, some families rejoice, some families grieve—"
The voice was clear and bright, piercing through the sounds of battle, like a ray of light shining into the darkness.
The Qing soldiers were distracted by the singing and their movements were a beat slower. Shen Mo seized the opportunity and fought his way out.
This scene took a whole day to film.
From 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., everyone was working at a high intensity.
Nicholas Tse changed into three costumes, each one soaked in blood and sweat.
Zhang Ziyi sang it seven times, and her voice was already hoarse, but she insisted on not using dubbing.
When the final "Cut! That's a good take!" sounded, the entire set erupted in cheers.
Cheng Guoqiang was the first to rush up and hug Xie Tingfeng: "Good lad! Well done!"
Nicholas Tse collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, but with a satisfied smile on his face.
As Zhang Ziyi came down from the city wall, Li Jun handed her a bottle of water.
"Thanks."
Her voice was completely hoarse.
"Thanks for your hard work."
Li Jun said.
"This scene will become a classic."
Zhang Ziyi smiled; although her voice was hoarse, her smile was radiant.
After finishing work, Li Jun stayed alone in front of the monitor to watch the replay of today's work.
The scene features Xie Tingfeng's gaze, Zhang Ziyi's singing, the fighting among the extras, and the grandeur of the city gate.
All the elements blended together perfectly, creating a tragic and moving picture.
This is the kind of movie he wanted to make.
There was blood, tears, struggle, and perseverance.
There is a glimmer of humanity in desperate situations.
My phone vibrated; it was a message from Kent Chan: "The evidence is ready. It will be released tomorrow morning at 10 AM. Are you sure you want to do it your way?"
Li Jun replied: "Confirmed."
Then he sent Yuan Tao another message: "Tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock, release the evidence of Huayi's financial problems."
The focus should be on industry standards, not targeting individuals.
Yuan Tao quickly replied, "Understood."
After doing all this, Li Jun leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
Tomorrow will be another tough battle.