Free Web NovelChapter 310: Chapter 310: Pandas Are Piyao
Where did it go? All he saw were a few sticks of incense scattered on the ground, but Hah’Er was nowhere to be seen. Shen Yibin twisted his head around, trying to find it in the crowd, but then he noticed that all the crew members behind him were staring straight ahead, dumbfounded.
Shen Yibin subconsciously followed their gaze. The sight made him suck in a sharp breath. ’Hah’Er, what the heck are you doing! You can’t do that!’
Somehow, Hah’Er had run up to the offering table. It was standing on its tiptoes, having pulled the apple from the roasted pig’s mouth, and was now holding it in its paws, happily munching away! CRUNCH, CRUNCH! Next to it, Director Kong stood flustered, at a complete loss for what to do. In his twenty or thirty years in the industry, he had presided over countless launch ceremonies, but he had never encountered anything like this.
If any other crew member had dared to do such a thing, Director Kong would have slapped them silly. But he couldn’t do that to Hah’Er. If a reporter snapped a picture of him hitting a panda, this movie would be over before it even began.
"I’m so sorry, so sorry. I took my eyes off Hah’Er for a second," Shen Yibin said, rushing forward to scoop Hah’Er up while explaining to Director Kong. "I think the hotel food didn’t agree with it. It barely ate anything earlier, so it must have been starving." As he spoke, he pried the apple from Hah’Er’s paws. But the apple was already half-eaten. Putting it back seemed inappropriate. Shen Yibin stood there awkwardly, holding the apple, unsure of what to do.
"Haha, we were all going to share the roasted pig after the ceremony anyway. Since Hah’Er has taken the first bite, let’s all dig in!" Director Kong, having finally recovered, waved his hand. Someone brought over a knife and began carving the roasted pig to be distributed among the crowd, effectively defusing the awkward situation.
Fortunately, the crew members he had brought to Yunzhong City were all young and not too particular about such old-fashioned traditions. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so easy to smooth things over.
Shen Yibin gave the apple back to Hah’Er, who once again held it and began to crunch away. The surrounding reporters quickly raised their cameras to take pictures. Hah’Er munching on an apple was just too adorable.
After the launch ceremony concluded, Director Kong led the main crew members to a prepared area nearby for a press conference. The moment they sat down, countless reporters raised their hands, eager to ask questions.
"Welcome, friends from the media, to the press conference for Director Kong’s new film, *Panda Hero*..." The host droned on with an introduction. Yes, that was the name of the film: *Panda Hero*. One listen and you knew it was a superhero movie starring Hah’Er.
Once the introduction was over, it was finally time for questions. Director Kong first called on a reporter he knew. "The friend from Tencent." Tencent was also an investor in the film, so of course, their own people would get priority.
"Director Kong, could you please tell us what kind of story this film will tell?" the reporter asked, posing a pre-arranged question.
"Just as the title suggests, this is a superhero movie with a panda as the protagonist. It’s about a panda from the Kunlun Immortal Realm who accidentally comes to the human world and the things that happen afterward. Hah’Er will be giving us a spectacular performance in the film..." Director Kong rambled on, highlighting the film’s main selling points without revealing too many details, all to entice more people into the theaters.
"Everyone knows that in filmmaking, child actors and animal actors are the most difficult to manage. So, Director Kong, aren’t you worried?" The second question came from a reporter from Weibo.
"I’m not worried at all. Hah’Er is incredibly smart. With Mr. Shen’s help, Hah’Er will absolutely deliver a perfect performance." Director Kong then turned to Shen Yibin. "Mr. Shen, how about you have Hah’Er say hello to our friends from the press?"
Shen Yibin whispered a few words to Hah’Er. With a silly grin, Hah’Er raised its right paw and waved a few times, instantly triggering another barrage of camera flashes that left Shen Yibin dizzy and seeing spots. ’Now I get why celebrities are always wearing sunglasses,’ he thought. ’It’s to block all the camera flashes!’
For the most part, the press conference was quite harmonious. Director Kong was well-connected and highly respected in the industry, so most media outlets were unwilling to offend him. But there are always those who aren’t satisfied with a normal interview and want to make a big splash. A reporter from some small-time tabloid, who had somehow gotten in, stood up and shouted without waiting to be called on, "Director Kong, we saw that Hah’Er ate the offering before the launch ceremony was even over. According to tradition, this is an inauspicious sign. I was wondering what Director Kong’s thoughts are on this matter?"
Director Kong couldn’t help but glare at the host. ’Who let this clueless guy in?’ The host could only offer a bitter smile; this development had caught him by surprise as well.
Upon hearing this, the other reporters fell silent, waiting for Director Kong’s response. If he didn’t handle this well, it would surely cast a shadow over the film’s production.
But who was Director Kong? Was there a major Hollywood studio he hadn’t dealt with? American producers and film critics were leagues above this small-time reporter, and Director Kong could chat and laugh with them at ease. How could he be stumped by such a trivial problem?
"Haha, young people these days... they don’t read enough, so their perspective is always so shallow and simple," Director Kong said with a chuckle. "Do you know what pandas were called in ancient times? You don’t, do you? Let me tell you, in ancient times, pandas were known as the Piyao! Sima Qian described them in the *Records of the Grand Historian - Five Emperors*, as did Sima Xiangru in his *Shanglin Fu*. During the Tang Dynasty, someone gifted the great poet Bai Juyi a screen painted with a giant panda, and Bai Juyi even wrote an essay called *Pipin Screen Praise*. All of this proves it!" Director Kong was a cultured man; these historical references rolled right off his tongue.
"And what is a Piyao? The Piyao is a mythical beast in ancient Chinese legends. It feeds on the wealth of the four corners of the world, devouring everything but expelling nothing. It can attract fortune and treasure, only taking things in and never letting them out. It has extraordinary powers. You’ve all seen people wearing Piyao bracelets and pendants, or displaying Piyao statues made of various materials in their homes to attract wealth and prosperity, right?" Director Kong’s voice grew louder as he spoke. "To have a Piyao eat our offering during the launch ceremony is a sign of great fortune! It means our film has received the Piyao’s blessing and is sure to be a huge success! This is a wonderful thing!"
This speech left the crowd of reporters speechless. Their faces were all filled with expressions that said, ’You make a surprisingly good point, and I have no comeback.’
Only then did Shen Yibin let out a breath of relief. ’Director Kong really is brilliant,’ he thought. ’He turned a disaster into a blessing with just a few clever words.’
