Chapter 67: Past Events of Qin Feng and the Truth Behind "The Sinking Village"

Qin Feng smiled. "Manager Kennedy, I appreciate your kind intentions, and I don't mind at all. The very first movie I made when I came to America was with Universal Pictures, and I will never forget that."

"It's just that I have already signed a contract now and cannot change it. If there is a chance, we can collaborate again in the future."

Seeing that his mind was made up, Kennedy found it difficult to say anything more.

After all, it was she who had insisted on following the rules back then, which led Qin Feng to submit his script to another company; otherwise, *The Matrix* would have been filmed at Universal Pictures.

"Alright then... Qin Feng, go ahead to the HR department to sign the contract. The screenwriter's compensation will be the same as the previous one."

"However, if there are any changes during filming, you will still need to cooperate with us for remote support."

"No problem, Manager Kennedy."

Qin Feng signed the contract, completed the paperwork, and finally brought this matter to a close.

Even if Director Spielberg's next film was the sequel to Jurassic Park, it would still require a period of preparation.

Because in the script, some of the visual effects sequences had been upgraded, and shooting them would not be simple.

...

The entire production of *The Matrix* was complete.

After watching the final cut, Qin Feng found it even more breathtakingly stunning than the one in his original world.

He was full of confidence.

At the same time, he posted the ultimate trailer on Twitter.

Accompanied by the text:

[The ultimate trailer for *The Matrix* is released! Premiering globally on the 15th of this month.]

[AI revolution, sci-fi epic—stay tuned!]

The ultimate trailer was quickly reposted by numerous netizens, and Qin Feng's follower count rapidly surpassed 190,000.

The distribution department of Warner Brothers also continued their promotional efforts.

Everything was ready.

For the past few days, Qin Feng had been on vacation, frequently accompanying Scarlett shopping and touring all the scenic spots around Los Angeles.

Peace and quiet were rare in life.

He had also taken off his suit, replacing it with a T-shirt and jeans.

In the suburbs, by the lake, a gentle breeze was blowing.

Groups of people were scattered about, enjoying a picnic.

Qin Feng and Scarlett sat on a picnic mat, surrounded by scattered snacks and drinks.

Scarlett turned her head. "Qin, you've been in a good state of mind lately. It seems you're very confident about the box office."

"Heh, it's fine. It won't lose money anyway."

"I just love this confident look of yours."

"Thank you, esteemed Miss Scarlett."

Scarlett inched closer, pinched his cheek, and said playfully, "Come over to my place tonight. You've been busy lately, and I've missed you."

Qin Feng pretended to be startled, put on a serious expression, and said, "Miss Scarlett, please don't always covet my physical body. No matter what, I am a good man with a career and ambitions. Don't try to seduce me with your beauty."

"Then forget it."

"Huh? Don't..." he hurried to say. "I'll go! No matter what dangers lie ahead, even a mountain of knives and a sea of fire, I will go!"

"Where is there a mountain of knives or a sea of fire? Is this a Chinese idiom?"

"Uh... just a metaphor. Please don't mind the details."

Scarlett stroked his hair. "Do all you Chinese men like to keep your hair long?"

"No, quite the opposite."

"Then why do you..."

Qin Feng looked out over the lake, recalled the past, and smiled faintly.

"When I was in college, I majored in directing. Back then, many students idolized famous domestic and foreign directors and imitated them. Some students grew their hair out, while others started growing beards."

"So I got used to keeping my hair long since back then. It made me feel... well, more free, I suppose."

The time node when he transmigrated was right after college graduation.

However, after such a long time, his previous memories had long been shared and gradually integrated with him.

This feeling was very subtle; sometimes he felt as though he possessed the memories of two lives, yet they were both the same person.

He firmly believed that his transmigrated identity was simply the Qin Feng of a parallel world.

Therefore, he was also filled with love for his family.

Because they were the closest people to him in this world.

Qin Feng sighed. "Come to think of it, my journey as a director hasn't been smooth sailing either. That first year after graduation, finding a job was genuinely difficult."

The past events were still vivid in his mind.

At that time, Qin Feng had just transmigrated and was immediately faced with the reality of employment for graduates.

Every day he ran from one film crew to another, hitting wall after wall, and his employment remained unsettled.

He often thought: As a transmigrator of extraordinary talent, how could he not even have a system? Not only was there no system, but he couldn't even secure a job.

Destiny must have played a huge joke on him!

His transmigration must have been a mistake.

Of course, he couldn't tell Scarlett about the transmigration.

"Later, through a teacher's connections and with a great deal of effort, I managed to become a director's assistant on a film crew in Hengdian, and it was even an intern position."

Scarlett listened quietly. She had been an actress since childhood and her path had been smooth sailing without experiencing any major setbacks.

She had never been to China and could only imagine how heartbreaking and helpless Qin Feng must have felt at the time.

"Yet you managed to become a film director in five years and even directed your first sci-fi film. You're already very successful."

Qin Feng pursed his lips. "Back then, I figured I just had to work harder than anyone else, so I immersed myself in the film set every day, learning whatever I saw."

"I learned very quickly, catching onto things on the set instantly, and within two months I became a full-time employee."

"After that, I continued working as a director's assistant, then an executive director, an assistant director, signed with a company, and finally became a full director."

Scarlett wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're still pretty amazing."

"Amazing my foot," Qin Feng gave a self-deprecating smile. "I messed up my very first movie..."

"Speaking of which, that movie *The Sinking of the Entire Village* back then wasn't entirely my fault."

Scarlett listened quietly.

"At the time, our general manager had several well-connected relations, including coal mine bosses. They had a huge say in the movie itself, and even the female lead and second female lead were people they appointed."

"From the early preparation of the movie to the late-stage visual effects, the general manager's connections were everywhere."

"I wrote the original script, but he forced me to rewrite it over and over again until it ended up completely unrecognizable in the end."

"As for the post-production visual effects, it was handled by a company belonging to his wife's cousin, and those special effects didn't meet the standards. I argued and negotiated with people from their company for over two months before it finally barely met the standard."

"The outcome of everything seemed predestined. I admit that I lacked experience at the time, but if I had the final say, at the very least, it wouldn't have lost money."

His gaze dimmed slightly. No matter what, his first movie in life had ended in failure, which was also the reason he later came to Hollywood.

This was a humiliation that could never be erased.

"From that movie, I finally understood that while I had always dreamed of being a director, a director is not almighty and still has to take orders from capital."

"If you want more say, you either need powerful capital or you must become the most exceptional director."

Scarlett said softly, "Qin, this is the first time you've told me all this... Don't be sad. Look, you're already very successful now, aren't you?"

"I'm not sad, Scarlett."

Qin Feng looked at her and gently stroked her hair.

The confident expression returned to his face once again.

An intangible aura made even Scarlett feel moved.

"The past experiences are very important to me. They serve as a spur, constantly reminding myself..."

"To become the top super director in Hollywood."

(End of this chapter)