Chapter 491: Leaving the Stage

Even without Murphy explicitly stating it, everyone could infer that by "psychologically imbalanced," he was referring to Cheng Baoguang. When new-generation stars enjoyed the applause of young audiences while he was left neglected, his reaction was far from what one would expect from someone supposedly of high virtue and artistic excellence.

There are always some so-called "experts" and "professors" who, under the guise of academic knowledge, attempt to elevate themselves above the secular world, presenting themselves as the epitome of sophistication. Truth be told, these experts and professors don't think about staying above the secular world when they vie for titles, secure projects, or distribute housing, using their purported elegance to display their lofty morals.

Frankly, clashing with someone like Cheng Baoguang, a so-called virtuous and artistically accomplished veteran of red art, brings Murphy no benefits. No one knows which official line Cheng Baoguang might be connected with. Murphy's films already struggle to enter this market, and if Cheng Baoguang has connections with the film bureau, future entries could be even harder.

From a pragmatic standpoint, Murphy should have remained a bystander rather than stepping forward to slap Cheng Baoguang in the face.

However, some things can't be considered solely from a pragmatic perspective. Murphy is indeed a pragmatist, but as he mentioned before, sometimes pragmatism isn't paramount. With Gal Gadot already stepping up out of dissatisfaction, he certainly wouldn't remain silent.

People like Feng Daya, Jiang Xiaojun, and Fan Bingbing might fear Cheng Baoguang, but Murphy had no such qualms. Even if Cheng Baoguang were influential, what could he do? Bite him? Or use his supposed high-level connections to make things difficult? Even if he could, such high-level connections wouldn't affect Murphy. Even if high-level officials complained to the American president, it wouldn't make a difference.

Cheng Baoguang's face turned ashen, unable to utter a word. The host seemed to want to smooth things over, but seeing that it was a top Hollywood director speaking, he didn't know how to proceed.

The host knew very well that any slip of the tongue might escalate the issue to a diplomatic level, and anything involving diplomacy was no small matter for the officials here.

Thus, he chose to watch and wait.

"Look at that old man's sour face. It's so satisfying!" Jiang Xiaojun whispered to Feng Daya, not hiding his feelings, "The foreigner spoke very well!"

Feng Daya nodded slightly, "Cheng Baoguang really thinks he's some kind of royalty. Now, a foreigner has called him out. Let's see what he can do."

Face lost! Completely lost! Cheng Baoguang's mind was filled with this thought. He knew he needed to say or do something to regain his dignity, but what?

He looked up at Murphy's high-bridged nose and deep-set eyes...

Having started, Murphy didn't plan to stop abruptly, "Society progresses, and some people's psychological imbalances are inevitable. Instead of realigning themselves, they choose to elevate themselves by demeaning others."

He stared at Cheng Baoguang, each word piercing, "Mr. Cheng's use of the term 'xizi' (actor) for Miss Fan is a clear manifestation of such psychological imbalance!"

With that, Murphy moved to the center of the stage, facing hundreds of spectators, and loudly declared, "These 'pre-market' era relics create a utopia of pure intellectualism in their minds, preserving their imagined spiritual purity. To them, the presence of actors is like courtesans invading their boudoir, casting doubt on their own purity."

Laughter erupted from the audience, followed by enthusiastic applause.

Even kindergarteners would know that the laughter was directed at Cheng Baoguang, while the applause was for Murphy.

"Well said! Well said!" someone in the front row cheered loudly, "Some people just love to play the seniority card!"

"Thank you!" Murphy smiled and nodded to the audience, then continued, "These people almost shout, 'This disrupts social order, ruins propriety.' To some, the world should still adhere to strict hierarchies and defined social strata."

He raised his voice, "Tell me, does this contradict your country's constitutional spirit and advocated moral standards?"

The audience responded with a near-deafening roar, "Yes!"

Feng Daya and Jiang Xiaojun exchanged glances, feeling not only satisfaction but also realization. This foreigner seemed very knowledgeable about their country and adept at rousing the crowd, easily swaying the audience.

"You are the audience for films. Without an audience, there are no films. Those who truly determine the value of film art…"

Murphy pointed forward, seemingly addressing each person individually, "It's you, it's you, it's you, it's people like you!"

These words ignited the students' emotions, aligning them with Murphy.

"You, the film audience, are the true judges of film art!" Murphy loudly asked, "Should Mr. Cheng leave the stage?"

Hearing Murphy's question, the host knew things were about to get out of hand. He grabbed the microphone, ready to intervene, but the auditorium was filled with a unified chant.

"Leave the stage! Leave the stage! Leave the stage…"

Murphy glanced at Cheng Baoguang, whose face had turned from ashen to crimson, and then turned back, winking at Gal Gadot.

Gal Gadot returned the gesture, understanding that Murphy wasn't usually so aggressive. He was doing this entirely for her.

"Leave the stage! Leave the stage…"

Once the students' emotions were stirred, calming them was nearly impossible. The auditorium descended into chaos, filled with the chant demanding Cheng Baoguang's departure.

"Everyone, please calm down!" the host shouted into the microphone, "Please calm down!"

"Leave the stage! Leave the stage…"

His voice was drowned out by the students.

Given the situation, continuing the film forum discussion was impossible. The organizers quickly decided to cancel the day's activities.

Murphy and Gal Gadot left the stage and returned backstage. As they waited for their car, Gal Gadot could still hear the students chanting against Cheng Baoguang.

"We are guests here," she said, leaning against Murphy and helping him change from his suit into casual clothes. "Wasn't that a bit too much?"

"It's fine," Murphy shook his head, gently squeezing Gal Gadot's smooth, fair cheek, "Anyone who offends you deserves to be sent to hell."

Hearing this, Gal Gadot felt sweet inside, leaned in to peck Murphy on the lips, and let her hand slide down his chest. Her fingers brushed his sensitive area. If the setting were different, she might have done more.

"Let's go back quickly," Gal Gadot said, eager.

Murphy took out his phone and called, soon after which the chubby man who had greeted them arrived, informing them that the car was ready.

They returned to the Peace Hotel on the Bund in a business car.

The film forum discussion had to be temporarily canceled due to the unexpected incident. With no rescheduled date from the organizers, Murphy and Gal Gadot treated the rest of their trip as a vacation.

Besides spending time together at the hotel, they visited some famous nearby cities over the next two days.

The debate over the term "xizi" (actor) was reported by the media. Among the audience at the event were many local journalists.

Murphy kept an eye on the news while sightseeing. The official media's consensus was that Cheng Baoguang was wrong to use the term, but the Hollywood director behaved worse—arrogant, rude, dismissive, and offensive…

In the official media's narrative, Murphy Stanton was far from a friend of this country.

Online opinions were more varied. This land never lacked patriotic youth. To them, a high-nosed foreign director publicly challenging and criticizing a virtuous, artistically accomplished old artist was undoubtedly wrong, leading to numerous insults directed at Murphy.

However, the internet also had rational voices. There were cameras at the event, and though official versions of the videos were quickly taken down due to pressure, many clips still circulated. Many viewers who saw these clips praised Murphy.

In any case, Murphy's reputation here was mixed, leaning more towards negative, an outcome he couldn't avoid.

But Murphy wasn't too concerned. This market was indeed vast, coveted by every Hollywood company, but for him, it would be of little use for many years.

Moreover, the official evaluation held little sway with the public here, a similarity shared across the Pacific.

After a tour of the surrounding cities, Murphy and Gal Gadot returned to Shanghai and received a notification from the Chinese organizers. A new discussion session would be held in three days, and they were expected to attend.

Along with the invitation, there were also some persuasive words. The organizers, hoping to avoid further issues, had canceled Cheng Baoguang's participation. However, they hoped Murphy and Gal Gadot would exercise caution in their statements to avoid harming bilateral relations.

"They're restricting freedom of speech!" Gal Gadot was displeased with the organizers' admonition. Just then, Murphy received an urgent call from Bill Rossis. An unexpected situation with "The Wolf of Wall Street" required his immediate return to North America.

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