Huayu: This director is pretty strong.

Chapter 154 Hidden Reefs and Interceptions in the Ice City

"Go to the restroom."

Chen Yan spoke into the microphone.

A loud cracking sound came from the phone as the wooden plank snapped.

"Push a heavy object to hold the door open."

Chen Yan stood up.

The sound of furniture being dragged could be heard coming from Lin Shufen's side.

The solid wood wardrobe glided across the wool carpet.

"The door lock is deformed."

Lin Shufen spoke faster.

The sound of iron bars hitting the door panel rang out one after another.

The sound of sawdust flying through the receiver.

Lin Shufen went into the restroom.

She locked the door from the inside.

She forcefully pushed the marble sink behind the door.

Marble rubbing against tile.

It made a piercing sound.

Chen Yan pressed the speakerphone button on the desktop.

"Wu Gang".

Chen Yan shouted.

The door to the lounge opened.

Wu Gang walked out.

He was holding a black windbreaker in his hand.

"Take ten people to BJ Station to take the K51 train. We'll arrive in Harbin at 7:00 AM tomorrow."

Chen Yan looked at the map on the table.

Wu Gang put on his windbreaker.

Zip up the zipper.

"Lin Shufen was blocked at the Shangri-La Hotel. The projector was impounded at an abandoned building materials warehouse at the entrance of the Harbin Ring Expressway."

Chen Yan took out a bank card.

The card was pushed across the table.

Wu Gang picked up the card.

"Both the equipment and the people must be brought back intact."

Chen Yan said.

"Lu Haiming's remnants."

Wu Gang put the card in his pocket.

"Break their hands."

Chen Yan spoke in a flat tone.

Wu Gang turned and walked out of the office.

The sound of shattering glass came through the phone.

The suite's floor-to-ceiling windows were smashed.

"The police have arrived."

Lin Shufen's voice came from the speaker.

The sound of sirens echoed in the background.

Chen Yan hung up the phone.

The top floor of China World Trade Center Phase III.

Zhang Jianguo sat in his executive chair.

The phone was held to the ear.

At the long mahogany table, Mr. Li, the general manager of Dadi Cinemas, and Mr. Liu, the general manager of Jinyi Cinemas, sat on either side.

"Wang Biao confiscated Yan Ying's equipment."

The voice of Wang, the representative of China Film Group, came through the phone.

Zhang Jianguo picked up his coffee cup.

"A local thug in Harbin. Lu Haiming's former henchman."

Zhang Jianguo took a sip of coffee.

"He led his men to surround Lin Shufen's hotel. He intercepted four trucks that were passing through Tianjin Port at the highway entrance."

Representative Wang said.

"Should we add fuel to the fire?"

Representative Wang asked.

"Stop all old film prints from the two hundred independent cinemas in the north."

Zhang Jianguo put down his coffee cup.

"Notify the distributors. Whoever dares to supply films to them, the five major cinema chains will remove their films from the theaters."

Zhang Jianguo tapped his fingers on the table.

"They'll cut off the supply tomorrow. Without films, the theaters will have to close."

Representative Wang said.

Zhang Jianguo leaned back in his chair.

"Let Wang Biao cause trouble up front. We'll cut off their film supply."

Zhang Jianguo picked up the pen on the table.

"Chen Yan wanted to use European projectors to overwhelm his opponent. Now he doesn't even have the films, and he can't get the equipment either."

Zhang Jianguo removed the pen cap.

Mr. Liu picked up his teacup.

"Send someone to Harbin to make contact with Wang Biao."

Zhang Jianguo said to General Manager Liu.

"Take him in?"

"Mr. Liu asked."

"Give him a little incentive. Let him consolidate those two hundred independent cinemas. We'll supply him with films."

Zhang Jianguo drew a circle on the paper.

"Kick Chen Yan out of the northern market completely."

Zhang Jianguo hung up the phone.

Yanying Culture Headquarters.

Su Wan pushed open the office door.

She was holding a fax in her hand.

"Sixty independent cinemas in the north called. The five major cinema chains cut off their access to older films."

Su Wan placed the fax on the table.

Chen Yan picked up the fax paper.

The paper was filled with a dense list of cinema names.

"The Red Flag Cinema in Changchun and the Oriental Cinema in Shenyang. They originally scheduled a second run of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The film prints were forcibly taken away by people from China Film Group."

Su Wan pointed to the list.

"How's the acquisition of the rights to Hollywood B-movies going?"

Chen Yan asked.

"The negotiations in Los Angeles went very smoothly. Letters of intent were signed for seven action films and three science fiction films."

Su Wan replied.

"The import process takes at least a week."

Su Wan added.

Chen Yan put down the fax paper.

Contact Pierre.

Chen Yan looked at Su Wan.

Su Wan took out her phone.

Press the number.

"Pierre, I need films from Gaumont's film library."

Su Wan said in French.

"Censorship in mainland China is very strict."

Pierre's voice came through.

"We don't need a dragon seal. We only screen it in independent cinemas in the North."

Su Wan replied.

"Your cinemas have been banned?"

Pierre asked.

"They cut off our film supply."

Su Wan looked at Chen Yan.

"I'll send you the digital key for the film library. Do you have the equipment to receive it?"

Pierre asked.

Yes. Settlement is based on a single game.

Su Wan said.

She hung up the phone.

"The key will be sent to the company email in five minutes."

Su Wan said to Chen Yan.

"Have the tech department prepare for the download."

Chen Yan stood up.

Zhang Yuan walked in from outside the door.

He was carrying a metal briefcase.

"Director Chen, Brother Wu has left with his men."

Zhang Yuan placed the suitcase on the desk.

"Go to Zhongguancun and buy thirty large-capacity hard drives."

Chen Yan opened the briefcase.

"Fill it with European films. Deliver it to two hundred cinemas in the north by tomorrow night."

Chen Yan closed the suitcase.

"How should I deliver it?"

Zhang Yuan asked.

"Hire a car. Drive there tonight."

Chen Yan looked at Zhang Yuan.

"The five major cinema chains cut off their funding. So we'll feed them meat."

Chen Yan said.

Zhang Yuan picked up the suitcase.

Step out of the office.

Harbin Ring Expressway Exit.

Abandoned building materials warehouse.

Four heavy trucks were parked in the open space.

The words "Tianjin Port" were printed on the carriage.

The four truck drivers had their hands tied behind their backs.

They knelt on the snow.

Dozens of men in military overcoats surrounded the truck.

They were carrying steel pipes and pickaxe handles.

Wang Biao sat on the hood of a Land Rover.

He was holding an iron rod.

"Brother Biao, the cops went to the hotel. They didn't catch that woman surnamed Lin."

A henchman ran over.

"They ran away, so what? The equipment is in my hands."

Wang Biao swung the iron rod.

The iron bar smashed into the truck's bumper.

Sparks flew everywhere.

Two men climbed onto the truck.

They used hydraulic shears to cut the lead seal on the carriage.

The lead seal broke and fell onto the snow.

The carriage door opened.

Wooden packaging boxes were neatly stacked inside.

The box is printed with French text.

Wang Biao jumped off the hood.

He walked to the front of the carriage.

The top of a wooden box was pried open with an iron bar.

The wooden plank broke.

A black digital projector was revealed.

The metal casing reflected the light from the searchlight.

Wang Biao threw away the iron rod.

"Equipment worth 20 million."

Wang Biao reached out and touched the projector's casing.

"Lock these four drivers in the basement."

Wang Biao pointed at the driver kneeling on the ground.

The men in military overcoats dragged the driver away.

Heading deeper into the warehouse.

"Notify our brothers in Changchun and Shenyang. We're having a banquet at the Songhua River Hotel tomorrow night."

Wang Biao took out his phone.

"Call all the owners of those two hundred independent cinemas."

Wang Biao spat out the toothpick from his mouth.

"I want to establish the Northern Cinema Alliance."

Wang Biao looked at the projector in the carriage.

"Chen Yan's equipment will be our equipment from now on."

Wang Biao dialed the number.

"Report back to Zhang Jianguo. I agree to the conditions of the five major cinema chains."

Wang Biao spoke into the phone.

"From now on, 200 cinemas in the north will only show films from the five major cinema chains."

Wang Biao hung up the phone.

The younger brother handed me a Zhonghua cigarette.

The lighter flame shot up.

Wang Biao took a puff.

The smoke was exhaled into the cold air.

Train K51 sped along the tracks.

A loud metallic scraping sound came from the connection between the carriages.

Wu Gang sat on the hard seat.

Outside the car window was a pitch-black night.

Snowflakes are hitting the glass.

He took a whetstone out of his backpack.

A tactical dagger rested on his thigh.

Wu Gang picked up the dagger.

The blade rests against the whetstone.

Metal rubbing against stone.

It made a piercing sound.

Ten security guards in black jackets sat in the surrounding seats.

They kept their heads down.

Wipe the baton in your hand.

The security guard sitting opposite looked up.

"Brother Gang, there are quite a few of them."

The security personnel spoke.

"The dog that Lu Haiming keeps has soft bones."

Wu Gang flipped the dagger.

A whetstone is attached to the other side of the blade.

"Smash their bones."

Wu Gang said.

The train whistles.

They rushed into the wind and snow.