On January 11, 2002, a Friday evening at 8 o'clock, "[Immortal]" premiered in Shanghai. As it was Jiang Cheng's first film and he knew too few people in the entertainment industry, he didn't hold a grand premiere to attract attention. There wasn't even a red carpet. But that didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the journalists, who had been eager for any news from Jiang Cheng, who had been reclusive lately, making the media feel somewhat snubbed. Now that he was finally making a public appearance, how could the media not be excited?
Jiang Cheng held the premiere at the Shanghai Cinema in Changning District, Shanghai, an old and esteemed movie theater where he had always watched films and decided to pursue his dream of filmmaking. Therefore, the cinema held significant meaning for him, making it the perfect venue for his debut.
Besides him, the other seven actors also arrived, each bringing their friends and family. Li Ruotong even rallied members from her show "[Legendary Fighter: Yang's Heroine]" to support, with celebrities like Zheng Peipei, Guo Jin'an, Zhang Zhiyao, and Ning Jing all attending. Huang Lei invited several friends from the circle, including Chen Hong, Geng Le, Bao Jianfeng, and others from the "[Lu Bu and Diaochan]" crew. Sun Li was no exception; actors from her "[The Book and The Sword]" series like Zhao Wenzhuo and Guan Yonghe also came. Their presence inevitably excited Jiang Cheng.
Naturally, as it was also a film they were part of, it was expected for them to promote their own movie.
The theater's auditorium was only so big, accommodating around two to three hundred people at its limit. Some space was reserved for the stars and the rest for the general audience, leaving limited seats for the journalists, some of whom had to stand. But that was no matter to Jiang Cheng, as he hadn't invited them personally.
While Jiang Cheng was busy arranging seating for the audience, Liu Qing approached him, saying, "Acheng, Miss Liu Yifei is here!"
"She's here?!" Jiang Cheng was delighted, though he kept a calm demeanor and nodded, "Is Mr. Chen here too?"
"Yes, not only Mr. Chen, but there's also a lady with him, probably Miss Liu's mother."
"Really?" Jiang Cheng thought to himself, surprised as Liu Xiaoli was supposed to be in the United States. Why had she suddenly returned?
He hurried out of the theater and indeed saw Liu Yifei accompanied by Chen Jinfeng and a middle-aged lady. He quickly went to greet them, "Mr. Chen, Liu Yifei, you're here!"
"Brother Jiang Cheng, I came to support you!" Liu Yifei sweetly said, "And my mom's here too. Mom, this is Brother Cheng I've told you about, he's very talented! The script I showed you the other day was his work."
"Hello, auntie," Jiang Cheng greeted Liu Xiaoli.
Liu Xiaoli looked him over and said flatly, "You're quite handsome! Liu Yifei and Jinfeng have mentioned you, saying you're very talented. Now that I see you, you indeed have the looks of a talented person."
"You flatter me," Jiang Cheng replied humbly.
Liu Xiaoli smiled slightly, seemingly pleased with Jiang Cheng's modesty.
"Acheng, you're really promising! It hasn't been long, and you've already produced your first movie! And Liu Yifei told me you're about to shoot a second one, that's incredible!" Chen Jinfeng said with a laugh, "I've read the script too, it's really good. I'd love Liu Yifei to act in it. But this time, the decision isn't mine alone; you'll have to convince another person."
"Oh?" Jiang Cheng looked towards Liu Xiaoli, guessing her return to China was for this reason, having heard of her daughter's movie offer.
"Yes, I've read your script too, and honestly, it's excellent, top-notch even by American standards!" Liu Xiaoli said, her tone full of praise before changing slightly, "But if it were another director, like Li Guoli from Shanghai Tangren, I might have agreed. But you..."
She assessed Jiang Cheng again and shook her head, "Young man, I must admit you're talented, your scripts and novels are great! But you're just too young! Too young for me to trust. I don't mean to offend you."
Jiang Cheng smiled and shook his head, saying he didn't mind, as it was a natural concern.
Liu Xiaoli continued, "But Liu Yifei is smitten with your script, insisting on playing the lead role. I can't argue with her." She looked fondly at Liu Yifei, who stuck out her tongue at Jiang Cheng and smiled sweetly. Jiang Cheng smiled back, feeling a wave of warmth.
"So, I agreed to watch your movie first, to gauge your directorial skills, before deciding on Liu Yifei's involvement in 'High School Musical.' What do you think?"
"That's only fair," Jiang Cheng nodded, "If I were you, I'd do the same. You're being responsible for Liu Yifei. She's fortunate to have a mother like you!"
"Thank you, you're quite the sweet-talker!" Liu Xiaoli laughed, apparently quite satisfied with Jiang Cheng.
"But I'm confident in my movie, and I believe you'll understand once you've seen it," Jiang Cheng confidently stated.
"Oh, I'll be watching closely then!" Liu Xiaoli replied.
After some more conversation, Jiang Cheng asked Liu Qing to escort Liu Yifei and her party into the cinema. He stayed outside for a while longer, and when no one else arrived, he headed towards the screening room.
"Cheng Ge, wait for me!" Suddenly, he heard someone calling him. Turning around, he saw Jin Sha running towards him, sweating profusely.
"Susu, how did you get here?!" Jiang Cheng was surprised. He hadn't invited Jin Sha because he heard she was extremely busy with TV station work, vocal training, and preparing her album. How did she manage to come?
"Phew, I made it!" Jin Sha arrived, panting. "I was afraid I'd miss it. Once the TV station was clear, I rushed over. Just in time!"
"You!" Jiang Cheng shook his head, smiling, "Look at you, all sweaty. Here, wipe off."
He handed her a tissue.
"Thank you!" Jin Sha took it and wiped her sweat.
"Shouldn't you be in the training room practicing your singing? Did you sneak out?" Jiang Cheng asked, and Jin Sha smiled mischievously.
"You really are..." Jiang Cheng shook his head again, touched by her effort to come. He said affectionately, "Hurry in, the movie's about to start."
"Okay!" Jin Sha nodded and followed Jiang Cheng into the cinema.
She sneaked glances at Jiang Cheng, her eyes filled with sweetness.
The theater was packed as the movie began.
It started with the logo of the General Administration of Press and Publication, followed by a dark screen that transformed into an ink painting of the Great Wall meandering through rugged mountains. An eagle soared above it, eventually landing on a beacon tower with a flag bearing the words "Apex Films."
The screen darkened again, and suddenly, a piece of white paper appeared, with a hand neatly writing the word "Tangren" in bold, vigorous strokes. The words then morphed into a classical golden font, with "Shanghai Tangren" appearing below.
"Looks pretty good!" Cai Yinong nodded in approval, and Li Guoli, sitting beside her, agreed, "My handwriting isn't bad either!" The handwriting was indeed his work.
This was the logo of Shanghai Tangren Company. After seeing the logo of Jiang Cheng's Apex Films Studio, Cai Yinong felt Shanghai Tangren needed one too and asked Jiang Cheng for help. He readily agreed and, after some thought, designed an animation logo for Shanghai Tangren, which was now featured in "[Immortal]." Cai Yinong was quite pleased with the result.
"Oh!" A murmur of surprise echoed through the cinema, likely impressed by the opening logos, signaling a well-produced movie and raising expectations.
After these animations, the title of the movie, "[Immortal]," appeared on the screen.
The film began unassumingly, with no fancy action, special effects, or stunning visuals, just a simple story about a college professor who suddenly resigns from his five-year-long job and plans to move. His colleagues visit him and find him packing, and the story unfolds through their conversation.
"What is this?" many in the audience wondered, questioning whether this was even a sci-fi movie. But remembering previous speculations about the film's modest budget, they weren't too surprised. However, they pondered how such a movie, seemingly at odds with the essence of a sci-fi film, passed the strict scrutiny of the General Administration of Press and Publication.
Despite its role in stifling many creative scripts, the administration's strictness also meant rigorous script review. How did a script so divergent from typical sci-fi get approved?
With such questions, the initially restless audience began to settle down, curious about why the film wasn't rejected.
As the movie's story unfolded, they found themselves unable to look away from the screen!
Their attention deepened with every question the characters posed to the protagonist, who answered with seamless logic, making it seem as if everything he said was true. The audience, initially ready to dismiss the film, became increasingly engrossed, wondering, "Does immortality exist?" "How has the protagonist lived for over two thousand years?" "Who is he in history?" These mysteries captivated their minds.
"I helped Liu Bang defeat Xiang Yu under the alias of Zhang Liang..."
"During Emperor Wu of Han's campaign against the Xiongnu, I enlisted as Huo Qubing..."
"I practiced medicine across the land as Hua Tuo..."
"I once wrote alongside Wang Xizhi..."
"Li Bai was nothing but a drunkard!"
"I taught Su Dongpo how to make Dongpo pork!"
"Zhu Yuanzhang wasn't ugly, but he did have a prominent chin!"
...
Jiang Cheng's loyal fan Li Zhongbai also watched the movie in a Beijing cinema that day. Despite the film's harsh online critiques, Li Zhongbai was surprised to find a full house. Many, he learned from their conversations, were there to see what Jiang Cheng's movie was like, especially given its short production period.
"Watch, this movie will surprise many!" Li Zhongbai thought to himself.
As the film progressed, the audience, initially impatient, became seriously engaged.
Watching the college professors from various fields like biology, archaeology, neuroscience, and psychology analyze and challenge the protagonist's story, and seeing Jiang Cheng's character eloquently defend himself, Li Zhongbai was reminded of a term newly popular in the English-speaking world—brainstorm.
Yes, this was a brainstorm, a term describing an unstructured group discussion to stimulate innovative ideas. In Li Zhongbai's view, the movie depicted a perfect example of a brainstorm—the colleagues doubted the experiences Jiang Cheng's character shared, suggesting they were merely learned from textbooks. But Jiang Cheng presented a compelling argument: no one's knowledge can observe the world from an absolute perspective; one can only see what's in front of them, so their impression of an era is shaped by what they read.
This realization struck Li Zhongbai—wasn't his own understanding of China's international situation and world affairs derived from various media, essentially from books?
If someone challenged Li Zhongbai, saying his knowledge of China's current international situation was merely from later articles, he'd struggle to refute them. He couldn't observe the entire human society from a global perspective.
Moreover, if someone doubted Li Zhongbai's 20 years of life as they doubted Jiang Cheng's character's 2000 years, he'd have no proof beyond bone age verification or similar evidence.
As the plot deepened, the audience felt as if a storm had swept through their minds!
The initial sense of deception faded, overshadowed by the more pressing question of whether the protagonist's claim to immortality was true. As the protagonist casually referenced significant historical events and figures in China's history, his words seemed so plausible and coherent that the audience couldn't help but believe he had indeed lived for over two thousand years.
The film gradually convinced viewers of its sci-fi credentials, only for the protagonist to overturn everything, leaving them frustrated.
The story climaxed with a twist, returning to the protagonist's home where his colleagues slowly verified that his furniture was genuine antiques. Was he truly immortal? If so, why did he deny it?
The movie ended there, leaving the true nature of the protagonist's immortality ambiguous, sparking endless questions and theories.
"Applause erupted throughout the cinema, seemingly spontaneous.
"What a great movie!" Liu Xiaoli exclaimed after watching the film.
"Yes, this young man is a master storyteller!" Chen Jinfeng agreed, "I'm still pondering some of the movie's questions. I wonder how he came up with this story!"
"I told you, Brother Jiang Cheng is very talented! So, Mom... what do you think?" Liu Yifei asked, hope shining in her eyes.
Liu Xiaoli chuckled and shook her head.
"Ah! Why?" Liu Yifei exclaimed in disappointment, "You just said it was a great movie!"
"Silly girl!" Liu Xiaoli patted her head, "I think you're too hasty. You agreed without any agreement in place. Are you giving up your remuneration?"
"Mom, you mean you agree!" Liu Yifei exclaimed joyfully.
"Yes, although the filming techniques are a bit immature, they're already better than many directors. With such a brilliant script and the lead role at stake, I have no reason to refuse."
"YEAH! Mom, you're the best!" Liu Yifei hugged Liu Xiaoli.
"This child!" Liu Xiaoli stroked her head, affectionately.
Chen Jinfeng smiled at their interaction.
Cai Yinong, noting the excited audience, said with a hint of amusement, "I bet tomorrow's newspapers will be buzzing!"
Li Guoli nodded in agreement, "Yes, indeed!"