Chapter 92

As the plot gradually unfolded, Neo demonstrated a thrilling escape in his office, “Turn left, wait a moment... go straight, three steps then turn right, go straight, stop...” The voice in his earphone kept giving instructions. In the maze of office corridors, several computer police were lurking. Several times, they almost caught him; sometimes, a simple turn would reveal him, but he managed to evade them skillfully, as if he had the ability to foresee the future.

“Another great scene, this young man has a vivid imagination.”

Unfortunately, the audience who were expecting to see Neo bravely climb the exterior of a skyscraper and into a crane was in for a disappointment. Neo gave up and was caught. Even so, many viewers were on the edge of their seats, especially when the wind blew Neo’s tie and his phone fell from a great height, making for a truly thrilling and exciting moment.

By now, the film critics were somewhat surprised, and their initial disdain had diminished significantly.

The film’s arrangement was unexpected yet logical. After all, Neo was just a hacker; how much trouble could he be in? The pacing was very satisfying. Special praise should be given to the music, which was superb. It was unclear who the composer was, but the music was excellent, and he would have to pay attention to the credits later.

“Well, this is a movie that can make you sit quietly and watch it through to the end.” Some critics put down their pens, deciding to focus on finishing the movie before discussing work.

As the plot progressed, they were once again taken aback. In the police station, Neo confronted the police, showcasing his eloquence and rebellious personality. Unfortunately, the scene where his mouth was sealed left the audience stunned. Even more shocking was when an electronic listening device turned into a bug and crawled into his navel.

Chen Tiandu had watched this 120-minute film multiple times, and he was familiar with every shot, including the shooting, editing, dubbing, and color grading. Despite this, he still found it engaging and never got tired of it.

“There’s something wrong with this world, something you can’t quite put your finger on, but you know it exists, gnawing at you, keeping you awake at night. The feeling that brought you here is the same one that brought you to me. Do you understand what I mean?”

On the big screen, Neo was finally brought out. The police knew him but didn’t take him seriously, and Trinity found him again. Morpheus, with his bald head, made his first appearance, leaving the audience speechless, “How does he keep those small round glasses on his nose without a frame?”

“Idiot, don’t take it seriously... maybe his nose is very short, or they’re glued on,” came a few low murmurs from behind, causing Lawrence to turn red with embarrassment, and the audience couldn’t help but chuckle, even Hugo Weaving couldn’t resist laughing and turned to see Lawrence’s reaction.

“Cough, cough.” Lawrence, feeling the eyes on him, coughed to pretend he hadn’t heard.

“the-matrix?” The movie continued, and Neo answered uncertainly.

This dialogue was originally a bit dragging, with a lot of obscure lines and a lot of unnecessary talk. Chen Tiandu, considering the overall pacing, made many changes to the script, and the faster speaking speed gave a different feel.

When Neo took the red pill and woke up from the “Matrix,” the audience in the cinema was stunned, and the critics were also taken aback.

“Good heavens, the entire world is a virtual world, not just a virtual world you enter. The Matrix, that’s what it means?” The vast mechanical empire and the fields of human bodies were a dystopian vision.

Then, the mind-bending journey began. Neo learned for ten hours straight, and when he opened his eyes again, his first words were, “I know kung fu!”

Morpheus: “Show me.”

Many people suddenly realized that Trinity’s exceptional skills were learned here. The next scene, however, was a revelation to many Americans, who found it incredibly novel, magical, and surprising! For many Chinese Americans in the 3,200 North American theaters, it was a moment of deep excitement, “That’s the Great Wall!”

Through intercutting, the first stage of training was set on the Great Wall.

“North country scenery, a thousand miles of ice, ten thousand miles of snow.” It was the season of snow, and the Great Wall was covered in white. Two men in training clothes stood on the highest section of the wall, ready to spar.

“Come on, Morpheus and Neo are sparring.” The small operator on the ship quickly informed the others who were still eating, and everyone gathered in the control room to watch the sparring.

This was right, cool moments needed an audience. Sharing the fun was the highest level of being cool.

The powerful strength and agile movements, displayed in a place like the Great Wall, were incredibly impressive. When the scene shifted to Wudang Mountain, it was even more eye-opening. A group of young Taoists practicing kung fu was a rare sight for Americans, “Chinese kung fu, this doesn’t look like Shaolin Temple, where is this place?”

In this stage, Neo’s speed and strength far exceeded Morpheus, showcasing his potential as the chosen one. Even though Neo had already won, he proposed another match. The third stage was set in an ancient, rustic estate, with snow on the ground and red plum blossoms. Readers of Gu Long’s novels might have thought of Ximen Chuixue and the Ten Thousand Plum Blossom Estate.

“But does this match have any meaning? Neo has already won in terms of speed and strength.” Some astute critics felt that this part might overemphasize kung fu, adding an unnecessary touch.

Unfortunately, they were wrong. They didn’t know that Chinese kung fu had a realm called "returning to simplicity." From this stage on, Morpheus’s speed surpassed Neo’s, but Neo easily turned the tables, completely outmatching him.

In a North American theater, a Chinese man wearing a baseball cap, about 1.7 meters tall, sat in the cinema. He was the famous kung fu king, Jet Li. Chen Tiandu was the only one from mainland China who had made a name in Hollywood without kung fu, and Jet Li was curious about this newcomer. He took the time to watch the movie, and was pleasantly surprised by its originality.

“Four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds, softness overcoming hardness.”

“This is... Bak Mei? Yes, it’s authentic Bak Mei. The director must have had a Bak Mei master on set during this scene.” His eyes widened in recognition.

Whether it was authentic Bak Mei could be seen at a glance by an expert. Bak Mei emphasizes explosive power, shock, and sudden attacks. The power is like a mountain collapsing, the shock like an earthquake, and the attacks are sudden and decisive. In Bak Mei, the whole body is a weapon, with power flowing through the shoulders, elbows, fists, hips, knees, and feet. The power is released like a bowstring, as sudden as a thunderclap, with the movement and spirit moving together, as fast as lightning.

Even a layman could tell the difference between real Chinese kung fu and special effects.

For example, in the first two stages, the first stage on the Great Wall focused on destructive power, like a child suddenly gaining centuries of power but not knowing how to use it; the second stage, with good potential and centuries of power, allowed for rapid surpassing of predecessors in speed and strength, but this wasn’t Chinese kung fu. It was only in the third stage that the audience realized this was the true realm of Chinese kung fu.

A different kind of Chinese kung fu from Bruce Lee.

If at the beginning, the media and critics had come with a critical and nitpicking attitude, they were now changing their views. They began to sense the “unexpected” quality. This wasn’t a bad movie, not a boring or childish plot, not a character with a confused personality... No, it was none of that. This Chinese person had created a work of above-average quality, a sci-fi film.

With a budget of $100 million, it might recoup its costs. Just look at the audience; their emotions were completely caught up in the movie.

“Cool, absolutely cool!”

Yes, the audience was fully engaged. They were there to watch the movie and were easily captivated.

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