Chapter 742 - 507: Dare Not Invite

Hmm, Wu Mu does have some personal grievances, but what he said wasn’t entirely unfounded.

He looked around the room, speaking slowly and deliberately:

"Many people, including Director Lin himself, likely think he’s perfectly suited to direct ’Dawn Star Plan,’ right? After all, ’Dawn Star Plan’ is a mainstream story, and Director Lin specializes in making mainstream films, so it seems like a great fit, doesn’t it?"

Isn’t it?

Is there any director in the country more adept at making mainstream films than Lin Xueming?

The people around showed no expression, and no one spoke.

Wu Mu didn’t mind and continued: "Actually, that’s not the case at all. Even within mainstream stories, there are distinctions. Director Lin excels in portraying patriotism, collectivism, and the power of organization, which can be seen in ’Long Night,’ ’Guardian,’ and even earlier works like ’Great River.’

"No matter the story’s background or the protagonist’s identity, Director Lin always tells the story of a group of revolutionaries and heroes coming together to form a collective, overthrowing old orders and establishing a new world."

"But with ’Dawn Star Plan’? Although the undertone is also about the power of the people, it is told from a completely different perspective. ’Dawn Star Plan’ mostly tells the story from an individual’s point of view, with few grand organizations as the narrative’s main subject."

"It’s not just about the narrative subject and perspective, but also the characters within. Possibly because Director Lin mainly works with real historical figures, the characters are more positive, acting as leaders, revolutionaries, and heroes of the people.

"The characters in ’Dawn Star Plan,’ on the other hand, are all flawed minor characters. The protagonist acts recklessly, living day by day; the female lead is a hedonist, enjoying each day as it comes, while others are selfish, cowardly, and pessimistic. It’s a bunch of small characters who accidentally come together, barely sustaining the world, representing the people themselves."

"This is entirely different from what Director Lin is usually good at."

Everyone was stunned.

This.

This...

Everyone originally thought Wu Mu was just here to be a nuisance, acting impertinently without regard for the occasion.

But after hearing him out, they suddenly felt like what he was saying actually made sense?

From his words, it’s clear he isn’t spewing nonsense out of ignorance.

On the contrary, he seems to know quite a lot and pretty deeply?

At least, he’s clearly well-versed in Lin Xueming’s films and the content of ’Dawn Star Plan.’

But Wu Mu wasn’t done yet. He continued, "Not only are the styles completely different, ’Dawn Star Plan’ might be covering exactly what Director Lin struggles the most with. Director Lin excels at portraying revolutionaries and heroes, but what about small characters? Hmm, can everyone think back to the least well-received characters in Director Lin’s films?"

Wu Mu started listing them for everyone, "The greedy underground worker in ’Guardian,’ the villager in ’Great River’ who wouldn’t leave his piece of land, and the hesitant warrior in Director Lin’s debut work who’s been criticized to this day for missing opportunities."

"These roles aren’t technically villains, and you can feel Director Lin attempted to show they falter in minor ways but hold up in major aspects. Yet, ironically, the audience dislikes these flawed minor characters more than the actual villains."

Everyone was even more stunned. Following Wu Mu’s recollection, they found it to be quite true.

Wait a minute, why is what he’s saying feeling increasingly sensible?

Wu Mu felt quite justified, spreading his hands and turning back to Lin Xueming, "So, Director Lin, I honestly think your film is bound to flop. Your statement about ’constantly worrying whether you can create a story the people like’ resonates with me. I genuinely don’t want your reputation to be damaged beyond repair by this."

He then turned to those around him and said, "Plus, as everyone knows, I’m a sci-fi fan with a genuinely selfless personality. I’m genuinely concerned about ’Dawn Star Plan’ getting ruined, which is why I dared to speak up."

I’m saying your movie is bound to flop for your own good, where’s the sense in that!

Lin Xueming’s face was already an ashen gray.

The atmosphere was also completely silent.

It was suddenly awkward.

Just before, everyone considered Wu Mu to be incomprehensible, publicly declaring a renowned director’s new film to be a flop—it could be viewed as purely disruptive. Kicking him out wouldn’t be excessive.

But having listened to it all, it wasn’t right to fully say he was just being disruptive. What if he genuinely was selfless and couldn’t bear to see it...

That’s just too far-fetched! You believe he’s selfless when he’s always out there ripping people off!?

The main issue is the negative impact. In private, say what you like and no one cares, but to say it publicly, in front of so many distinguished guests, with so many online and offline viewers watching...

Everyone’s eyes were on Lin Xueming, the main character in all this, wanting to see how he would handle the situation.

Lin Xueming, undoubtedly boiling with anger, wanted to lash out at Wu Mu and throw him out.

But he was still keeping the last bit of restraint in his mind—having a shouting match here would just be too unsightly.

However, he couldn’t just let Wu Mu speak freely without any response.

Lin Xueming took a deep breath, looking at Wu Mu with disgust, "Wu Mu, you have no right to evaluate how I make films, and you’re in no position to do so. I advise you to learn how to be a decent person before trying to be an artist. Not everyone will tolerate your reckless behavior."