usenovelgroup Chapter 150 The Roar of France, the Collapse of Capital
Chapter 150 The Roar of France, the Collapse of Capital
Chen Yan picked up the suit jacket from the hanger.
He put his arms into the sleeves.
"Let's go."
Chen Yan buttoned up his suit jacket.
"Go collect the award."
Su Wan pushed open the door.
The carpet in the hallway absorbed the sound of footsteps.
Zhang Yuan walked at the back, carrying his camera bag.
He closed the door behind him.
The door lock clicked.
Paris.
The underground screening room of the Gaumont Independent Cinema.
Old John placed his hands on the edge of the mixing console.
The cooling fans in the power amplifier cabinet are running at full speed.
Scenes from "Broken Bridge" were playing on the screen.
Lin Qingqiu raised the iron hammer.
The low-frequency sound waves that shattered the granite burst out of the horn speaker.
The sound waves struck the walls of the screening room.
Cracks have appeared in the plaster trim on the ceiling.
White powder fell onto the seat back.
The audience members were not seated.
Three hundred people stood in the aisle.
They stared at the screen.
The sound waves vibrated the fabric of their coats.
A banging sound came from outside the screening room.
The iron gate shook.
The door hinges made a metallic scraping sound.
The Champs-Élysées in Paris.
The low-frequency sound waves continuously vibrated the glass display window.
Three hundred moviegoers who were unable to enter the cinema gathered in front of the Gaumont Cinema.
Raindrops pattered on the black umbrella.
Raindrops splashed water.
A cultural ministry official stood on the steps with two riot police officers.
The clerk was holding a megaphone.
"Disconnect the power."
The officer gave instructions to the police behind him.
Police officers carrying riot shields walked toward the electrical distribution box.
An empty beer bottle flew out from the crowd.
The glass bottle shattered on the metal sheet of the electrical distribution box.
Glass shards were scattered everywhere.
The crowd pushed forward.
The students in the front row knocked over the yellow warning tape.
"Artistic freedom".
A student holds up a piece of cardboard.
French slogans were written on the cardboard in red paint.
Take a step back.
The police officer drew his baton.
Police batons struck riot shields.
It made a dull thud.
Pierre squeezed his way from the back of the crowd to the front.
He was holding a handheld camera.
The camera was focused on the officer's face.
"You are killing French cinema."
Pierre handed over the microphone.
The staff member raised his hand to block the camera.
"This is an administrative order."
The clerk pushed the microphone away.
A short-haired female student rushed up the steps.
She grabbed the officer by the collar.
The police officer brandished his baton.
The police baton struck the female student's arm.
The crowd erupted in shouts.
The audience in the back rows pushed and shoved those in the front rows.
The human wall pressed down on the steps.
The police were pushed into a corner.
The shield was pressed against the wall.
The megaphone in the officer's hand fell to the ground.
The leather shoes broke the plastic casing.
The sounds of physical impacts in the screening room penetrated the walls.
The sound drowned out the sirens blaring on the street.
Pierre is holding a camera.
He documented the scene of the staff member being pushed and shoved by the crowd.
Pierre turned to his assistant behind him and gave the order.
"Send the videotape to AFP."
Pierre said.
The 8th arrondissement of Paris.
Downstairs from Miramax's office.
Five hundred college students blocked both ends of the street.
They were holding up a photocopy of the front page of Le Figaro.
The paper was printed with the scars on Lin Qingqiu's arm.
Jean-Paul, president of the French Independent Film Critics Association, stands on the roof of an abandoned car.
He was holding a megaphone.
"Capital out of Europe."
Jean-Paul shouted out from the second-floor window of the office.
"They bought out Cannes's spirit for twenty million dollars."
Jean-Paul points to the sign on the second floor.
"Today they ban a Chinese film. Tomorrow they will ban all independent films."
The crowd repeated the slogans.
The sound vibrated the trees lining both sides of the street.
Several students picked up the stones from the ground.
The stone smashed the glass window on the second floor of the office building.
Glass shards were scattered on the sidewalk.
It reflects the light from the streetlights.
The office security guard pulled down the metal roller shutter door.
The roller shutter door emitted a screeching sound.
The latch is engaged.
Three news broadcast vans were parked on the street corner.
The camera's red indicator light comes on.
The reporter broadcasts the news into the camera.
"This is the 8th arrondissement of Paris. Hundreds of film fans are protesting Miramax's interference in the Cannes Film Festival."
The reporter held a microphone.
A video feed on a mobile broadcasting van.
The videotape sent by Pierre was playing.
The officer was surrounded by a crowd on the steps.
The French Ministry of Culture building.
Minister's Office.
The television screen showed images of the office being surrounded.
The scene shifts to the conflict in front of the Gaumont Cinema.
The Minister of Culture sat behind his desk.
He picked up the red landline receiver from the table.
"Get that clerk out of here."
The minister gave instructions into the microphone.
"Issue a dismissal notice within five minutes. Inform the Paris police department to withdraw police forces from in front of the cinema."
The minister hung up the phone.
He pressed another button.
Dial the Cannes Organizing Committee's hotline.
The call was connected.
"Chairman Quentin."
The minister looked at the television screen.
"The Ministry of Culture fully supports Cannes' artistic independence. The fire inspection is terminated immediately."
The sound of papers turning over came from the other end of the phone.
"Thank you for your support, Minister."
Quentin answered in English.
The minister put down the receiver.
He picked up the pen.
Sign your name on the dismissal document.
The pen tip glides across the paper.
It left blue ink stains.
The top floor of the Martinez Hotel.
Harvey's suite.
The television was broadcasting breaking news from Canal+.
The image shows a crowd protesting in front of the Gaumont Cinema.
At the bottom of the screen, an AFP news flash was scrolling: the Ministry of Culture official has been dismissed.
Three hundred independent cinemas have reopened.
Harvey grabbed the remote control.
It smashed against the TV screen.
The remote control casing broke off.
The battery rolled onto the carpet.
White scratches have appeared on the screen surface.
Harvey picked up his phone from the table.
Dial the number of the inside judge.
The phone went dead.
Harvey pressed the end call button.
Try dialing again.
Still a busy signal.
The suite door was pushed open.
The assistant strode in.
He was holding a fax document in his hand.
"The jury list has changed."
The assistant placed the file on the desktop.
Harvey picked up the document.
The paper has creases along the edges.
"The organizing committee held an emergency meeting overnight."
The assistant was standing by the table.
"The three judges who resigned were expelled. Quentin promoted three independent French directors to the jury."
Harvey tore the fax paper in his hand.
The piece of paper fell to the ground.
"What about the closing ceremony broadcast?"
Harvey stared at his assistant.
"Canal+ has just returned the broadcast buyout check."
The assistant swallowed hard.
"They said they couldn't afford to offend all the viewers in France. The broadcast van has reconnected the signals from all the cameras."
Harvey kicked over the coffee table in front of him.
The glass countertop shattered on the floor.
"Go contact Thomas."
Harvey pointed to the door.
"Send out all the press releases."
Thomas refused to answer the phone.
The assistant took half a step back.
"The Hollywood Reporter withdrew our column. They didn't want to get involved in the protests in the European film industry."
Harvey walked toward the wine cabinet.
He grabbed a bottle of whiskey.
Unscrew the bottle cap.
He poured a mouthful of wine directly into the bottle.
The liquor dripped down his chin and into his shirt collar.
"Call the organizing committee's finance department."
Harvey smashed the bottle on the counter.
The glass bottle is cracked.
The wine flowed.
"Freeze the 20 million in sponsorship funds."
The assistant took out his phone.
Dial the number.
Ten seconds later.
The assistant put down his phone.
"The finance department said."
The assistant looked into Harvey's eyes.
"The sponsorship agreement contains a breach of contract clause. The recording of our interference in the selection process has been released. The 20 million yuan in sponsorship funds will be withheld in full as liquidated damages."
Harvey slumped onto the sofa.
The leather pad is sunken.
Martinez Hotel.
Third floor corridor.
Chen Yan walked out of the room.
Su Wan followed behind.
Zhang Yuan was carrying an equipment bag.
Lin Qingqiu stood at the end of the corridor.
She was wearing that minimalist black suit.
Sleeves rolled up.
The scars on his arm were visible.
"Let's go."
Chen Yan said to Lin Qingqiu.
Lin Qingqiu caught up with the group.
Leather shoes stepped on the carpet.
The elevator is going down.
The digital indicator light is flashing.
"Pierre sent a message."
Su Wan looked at her phone screen.
"The Ministry of Culture rescinded the shutdown order. The official was dismissed. Three hundred cinemas reopened their ticketing systems."
The elevator stopped on the first floor.
The metal door slid open to both sides.
The hotel lobby was packed with reporters.
The flash went off.
White light illuminated the lobby.
Chen Yan stepped out of the elevator.
Six security personnel set up a cordon.
They blocked the reporters who rushed towards them.
The microphone was extended beyond the police cordon.
"Director Chen, what are your thoughts on the street protests in Paris?"
A reporter asked a question in English.
Chen Yan did not stop.
He walked through the lobby.
Will "Broken Bridge" win the Palme d'Or?
Another reporter shouted loudly.
Chen Yan walked towards the hotel entrance.
The glass sensor door slides open to both sides.
A black Mercedes-Benz was parked at the bottom of the steps.
The car door bears the Palme d'Or logo from the Cannes Film Festival.
The passenger door opened.
Thierry got out of the car.
He was wearing a black tuxedo.
Thierry opened the back door.
He looked at Chen Yan.
"Director Chen."
Thierry straightened up.
"The organizing committee sent me to pick you up."
Chen Yan walked down the steps.
Leather shoes stepped onto the wet asphalt road.
"Go to the awards ceremony."
Chen Yan got into the car.
Su Wan boarded the car from the other side.
Lin Qingqiu and Zhang Yuan walked towards the van behind.
The car door closed.
A Mercedes-Benz drove into the rainy night.
The taillights cast a red reflection in the puddles.
The searchlight beams of the cinema palace swept across the night sky.
A beam of light pierced through the rain.