madnovel Chapter 67 Continues to Launch an Attack
Chapter 67 Continues to Launch an Attack
"This... even if the costume itself isn't insured at Chubby, the Actors Guild's safety labor representative..." Wayne tried to grasp at the last straw, turning to look at the union representative beside him.
"Regarding the spacing of the safe evacuation routes mentioned by the union representative."
Lin Ruiyang sneered, giving the other party no chance to breathe, and pointed directly to the movement lines of the extras marked on the ground with yellow tape.
"Mike, show him the storyboard."
Mike was so excited that his hands were shaking, and he quickly handed over the storyboard.
"Mr. Wayne, Article 42 of the 2004 Screen Actors Guild Safety Manual clearly states:"
Within a closed, real-life film studio, if a handheld, moving camera (Steadicam) is in motion, the dynamic avoidance area for extras can be automatically converted into a temporary safe passage.
Lin Ruiyang's words were always insightful, and he knew every industry regulation by heart.
"Just now, my camera was moving, and all the extras were dynamically avoiding obstacles according to the domino effect. No one was in a blind spot, and no passage was blocked."
"Mr. Union representative, would you like us to study the safety manual word for word?"
The actors' union representative's face turned pale and then red.
He originally just followed Wayne to make a brief appearance, earn some extra money, and put pressure on the studio to demonstrate the role of the union. However, he didn't expect to kick a titanium alloy steel plate.
"That's just your side of the story..." Wayne gritted his teeth, still stubbornly holding on.
"Whether it's a one-sided view or not, you can call the public relations director of the PPR Group in New York right now. Or, I can call Mr. François-Henri Pinault's assistant directly."
Lin Ruiyang slowly took out his phone, waved it in front of Wayne, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt.
"Then tell them that an underwriter from Chubb Insurance is trying to use a forged risk assessment to withhold PPR Group's most core unreleased haute couture products this fall in a storage room at McGraw-Hill, thereby giving LVMH Group an unfair competitive advantage at next month's Paris Air Show."
Mr. Wayne, do you think PPR Group's legal team will take Chubb Insurance to court before tomorrow morning? Or will they send a representative to the Élysée Palace?
A huge accusation of "transnational commercial espionage and unfair competition" was slapped directly on Thomas Wayne's head.
Wayne's face turned completely pale.
He was just a salaried senior employee who accepted bribes to be used as a pawn in the studio's factional infighting.
However, if things escalate to a legal battle between two French luxury goods giants and a multinational insurance behemoth, he will definitely be among the first casualties thrown out to feed the sharks.
The studio was deathly silent.
All those Americans who were usually so arrogant now looked at Lin Ruiyang with an almost awe-inspiring gaze.
This Chinese director didn't engage in the kind of nonsense that traditional art film directors would spout to insurance companies about "artistic creation not being trampled on."
Instead, they used the most sophisticated Hollywood business rules to drive this arrogant nuclear protection officer to a dead end.
"I think... this might be a misunderstanding." Wayne swallowed hard, his hands trembling as he handed the contract back to Lin Ruiyang, forcing a last shred of dignity as he loosened his tie.
"Since PPR Group has its own independent insurance policy and the site layout complies with the union's safety supplementary clauses, then Chubb Insurance will reassess the risk. Well then... see you in forty-eight hours."
"No, Mr. Wayne." Lin Ruiyang did not take the contract, but looked at him coldly.
"Once you walk out this door today, you don't need to come back. Kara, on behalf of the Fox production team, filed a complaint with Chubb Insurance headquarters, demanding an immediate replacement of the film's underwriter."
If I don't see a new underwriter by tomorrow morning, Fox's legal department, in conjunction with Allianz, will formally sue Chuck Insurance for malicious interference with film production.
Kara Hack, her face flushed with excitement, exclaimed, "No problem, Director! I'll send the complaint to the Chubb board's email address within five minutes!"
Thomas Wayne opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. He fled the scene in a disheveled state, accompanied by the security personnel and union representatives, amidst a chorus of boos.
"Oh God! Lin! You are my god!"
As soon as Wayne stepped out, Mike grabbed Lin Ruiyang's shoulder and started yelling excitedly.
The set erupted in applause and cheers that were ten times more enthusiastic than before.
Meryl Streep walked over with a smile, clapping softly, her eyes filled with undisguised admiration:
"Lin, I take back what I said yesterday. Not only can you stay on film sets for thirty years, you could even go straight to Wall Street and become the CEO of one of those vampire companies."
"Thank you, Meryl. They're just a bunch of cowardly bureaucrats who bully the weak and fear the strong." Lin Ruiyang's emotions didn't fluctuate much.
He turned around, took the megaphone from the microphone, and scanned the entire room with his gaze:
"Everyone, back to your posts. Lighting crew, double-check the lighting for camera group B; costume crew, bring out the dress Annie will be wearing next. Our time is precious, don't waste a single second on unimportant people."
The entire crew started operating at high speed like a sophisticated machine again, but this time, the gears meshed more tightly than ever before.
Four o'clock in the afternoon, the last hour and a half before the crew wrapped up.
Before everyone could recover from the exhilarating counterattack, Roger walked in from outside with a livid face, clutching a copy of today's New York Post.
"Lin, our troubles aren't over yet."
He spread the newspaper out in front of Lin Ruiyang.
The entertainment section's front page headline reads, "Chinese director loses control on set, New York City Transit Commission forced to take the blame."
The accompanying photo is the one taken early yesterday morning on the closed section of Fifth Avenue: a black Mercedes is parked in the middle of the road, a camera track is laid across the street, and the "ROAD CLOSED" warning sign is framed in the most conspicuous position in the picture.
The main text was even more malicious: "According to sources, Ryan Lam, a director from China, requested a relighting on the first day of filming due to lighting issues, causing the Fifth Avenue closure to last longer than expected. The Manhattan Department of Transportation stated that it is verifying the situation and does not rule out additional fines."
"We finished filming yesterday 25 minutes early for the road closures." Lin Ruiyang said, placing the newspaper next to the monitor after reading it.
"That's right! The Manhattan Department of Transportation's on-site supervisor signed off on our work, and not only did we not exceed the deadline, they also praised our efficiency!" Roger was so anxious that he kept pacing around, but his words were full of anger.
"This is pure fabrication! Smear campaign! Has the New York Post gone mad? They didn't even bother with the most basic industry verification? They're directly blaming us for a Chinese director's incompetence causing Manhattan's traffic chaos—it's clearly a smear campaign against you!"
Lin Ruiyang raised his eyes, but instead of answering Luo Ge, he turned his gaze to the rest area not far away.
There, Kara Hack, who was originally basking in the joy of "outwitting the insurance underwriter," was now holding an identical copy of the New York Post.
The air on the entire set seemed to be sucked out in that instant, and the temperature plummeted.
Anyone who looked over would notice that Kara Hack's expression was beyond just ugly.
It was a deathly pale color, as if a calamity was imminent, followed by an uncontrollable flush that spread from her neck all the way to her ears.
Her knuckles turned white from gripping the newspaper so tightly that she crumpled the entire newspaper into a wad of waste paper.
"Lin..." Roger was about to say something when Lin Ruiyang raised his hand to stop him.
"Don't panic," Lin Ruiyang said with a faint smile.
"Rogge, do you remember who the parent company of the New York Post was on this day in 2005?"
Roger paused, momentarily confused: "The parent company? It seems so... wait a minute!"
Roger's eyes widened suddenly, and he gasped.
News Corporation.
Twentieth Century Fox is also a core asset of News Corporation!
In other words, the New York Post and 20th Century Fox are like brothers, sharing the same bloodline and operating within the same capitalist empire.
"Do you understand?" Lin Ruiyang's lips curled into a mocking smile.
"This is an insider or outsider using Fox's own guns on Fox's own turf to shoot through the very foundation of a project that Fox values."
Who do you think is the one who should really go crazy?
Before she finished speaking, Kara had already rushed out of the studio like a whirlwind, her high heels making a harsh clattering sound on the concrete floor.
She didn't even greet Lin Ruiyang; she simply pulled out her phone in the hallway and dialed the number almost hysterically.
"Get Elizabeth here! Right now! Immediately!"
Kara's angry voice echoed in the empty corridor.
As the supervisor of the Fox production team, Kara's task was to ensure the smooth progress of the project and the proper and safe use of funds.
But now, right under her nose, her own newspaper is smearing the A-list blockbuster it's been supporting with its front-page headline, even using extremely vicious racial and regional labels to attack the director.
This is no longer a simple smear campaign on set; it's a slap in the face to Fox President Elizabeth Williams in front of the entire Hollywood and News Corporation executives!
This puts Kara Hack's career in jeopardy!