The Best Director

Chapter 227: Chapter 27: Cool to the Bone!

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“Why would you do that?” On the big screen of the 3354 movie theater, there was a modest-sized classroom, with Daniel Wu in casual winter clothes looking puzzled. Between cuts, MIT team members were either smiling or playing with poker cards, while Natalie spoke in a light tone, yet exuding an overwhelming confidence as if she owned the world, “Because we can.”

Following an opening sequence that kept movie fans so captivated they could barely breathe for a second, the film did not waste any time, moving with brisk country music as Jeff Ma rode his bicycle past the beautiful banks of Charles River, arriving at the MIT campus to park his bike, then quickly walked toward Maclaurin Building across the spacious “Killian Court” lawn, filling the screen with the collegiate atmosphere of MIT.

“My name is Jeff Ma, an MIT student studying econometrics,” Daniel Wu’s voice-over narration quickly introduced the situation. On the screen, he asked a fellow student about a classroom location, revealing some intricate details of MIT that left many in the audience astonished, wondering if Ivy League schools really were filled with geniuses. The screen swiftly transitioned to Jay Baruchel leading Daniel Wu to the blackjack club.

In the classroom, Natalie and others clearly explained blackjack and invited Jeff Ma to join. Curious, he asked about the specifics of card counting. The MIT team didn’t hold back in their explanation, and Natalie concluded with a chuckle, “Card counting is nothing without a team.” Thus, when Daniel Wu asked why, and she responded with “Because we can,” it seemed like a taunt, a disdainful challenge, “You can too, or maybe not.”

The dimly lit theater was silent, as every eager viewer of card counting kept their eyes fixed on the screen, afraid to even blink, lest they miss something important.

Clair was so busy she didn’t even have time to reach for popcorn. Listening to the underlying principles explained, her mind felt exhilarated, whirring at high speed as pluses and minuses popped up, Stanford Wong, Edward Thorp, +1 point, the Hi-Lo system… She said, “Adam.” Adam, sitting next to her, picked up some popcorn and carried it to her mouth. After eating, Clair watched Natalie on the screen and mumbled through a mouthful, “Because we can… ”

At Caesar’s Palace Theater, film critics maintained keen interest, and what surprised them was that Wang Yang really did become quite the talker! He devoted a good deal of effort to discussing card counting, from historical origins to its principles, matching what he claimed, “This is professional, and it’s actionable.” Whereas previous movies about card counting and gambling would just gloss over these elements.

Not wordy? It did not seem to bore the audience at all; only upon reflection did they realize how much had been discussed.

The Los Angeles Times’ columnist Betsy Sharkey felt her interest piquing, everything on the screen seemed so credible and genius. This was crafted from the characters’ charisma and polished dialogue, with rapid cuts and character transitions within that lengthy speech, making sure everyone in the scene was considered and played a part, with occasional humor — probably the reason it didn’t feel wordy…

But no one realized that a storm was about to break.

Only Wang Yang, Margaret, Valery-Firth, and other post-production creators, as well as the main cast involved in the shooting, could guess what was coming next. Watching Daniel Wu on the screen, he smiled slightly, hearkening back to his audition performance; Natalie glanced at Wang Yang next to her, faintly hearing his voice, “I want to create a certain flavor!” “Professional, cool!” “We’re going to make this the pinnacle of gambling films that can’t be surpassed!”

It really wasn’t dragging or wordy! She was starting to understand what he meant now; this was a storytelling approach brimming with confidence, fearless in its focus, card counting is card counting! A long, casual explanation, then suddenly something fast… She suddenly laughed, “Impact.”

“A deck has 52 cards, with 16 tens; three decks have 156 cards…” Daniel Wu stood on the big screen, expressionless, willingly provoked to display his talent, speaking rapidly and clearly, summarizing the card counting principles they had just explained: “10-point cards, 48; six decks, 312 cards, 10-point cards, 96; all starting with a ratio of 4/13, the probability of the next round producing a 10-point card is 0.307692, the dealer holds the advantage.”

“Every time a 10-point card is taken out, the probability decreases by 0.019230, conversely, it increases; when the probability goes up to 3.666666…” The close-up shot began to rotate and zoom out from Daniel Wu’s face to behind him, transitioning from a close-up to the whole scene as expressions of mild shock appeared on Natalie and others’ faces. Daniel Wu emphatically repeated six SIXES, declaring, “The player holds the advantage. The Plus-Minus strategy, Got——it (understood).”

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“With different winning probabilities P(i) and different bets B(i), the sum of victory probabilities ΣP(i) is less than 1/2. But as long as you place a large bet when P(i) is high and a small one when P(i) is low, you can ensure that the total return ΣR(i)P(i) is greater than ΣB(i), Got-it (understood),”

“2, 3, 4, 5, 6 count as plus one point; 7, 8, 9 count as zero points; 10, J, Q, K, A count as minus one point. At zero points, the house has a 0.5% advantage; at one point, it’s a tie; at two points, the player has a 0.5% advantage; at seven points, the player has a 3% advantage.” Daniel Wu barely took a breath, paused for half a second, then showed a “that’s all there is to it” smile and said nonchalantly: “High-low system, I-got-it (I understand).”

In the scene, Alexis gasped, Jay Baruchel also let out a gasp, and then Nick Cannon MAN-ed, while Natalie spread her hands: “What happened?” Daniel Wu smiled and said: “Can I do it?”

Everyone in the theater was caught off guard, hearing a lot in less than two minutes, at first, they didn’t even have time to get excited, but slowly they started to feel really smart! People around muttered in low voices, the sensation akin to encountering something that makes your heart skip a beat, like a great beauty or a love letter from the past, stunning! They all unconsciously adjusted their postures or expressed their emotions with oohs and aahs, so cool!

“Whew…” Evelyn took a long sigh, as if Jeff Ma’s words had come out of her own mouth. She muttered to herself: “I know why I can’t get into MIT now, how could I possibly…” Next to her, Kelly also sighed: “Genius.”

The film critics at Caesar’s Palace Theatre also found the storytelling in the film more interesting. In the front row of the audience, Wang Yang’s shoulder was tapped by Natalie, who praised with a laugh: “Genius!” Even she, someone ridiculed by Jeff Ma, was excited—what about the others? She laughed: “It’s so thrilling to watch now!” Jessica also smiled and said: “NICE!”

“Thank you.” Wang Yang nodded with a smile. The art director had considered using special effects to add some numerical symbols to the scene, but he opted not to in order to keep the atmosphere more real, and it seemed his aesthetic was spot on; this was just the beginning, Las Vegas was where the real thrill lay.

Jeff Ma quickly learned the principle of card counting, and the underestimated MIT team casually played card experiments with him. The movie’s first gambling scene with three decks let the audience see the simple practical application of addition and subtraction, the high-low system, and indeed Jeff Ma had learned it; the following eight decks, simulating an actual casino’s dealing, saw the rookie Jeff Ma predictably wiped out.

“If you play like you just did in the casino, always betting big when the count and odds are high, and not playing when they’re low, why not just take a megaphone and scream ‘I’m here to count cards?’ Maybe the casino will think you’re an idiot and not pay attention to your anomalies,” “You still have a lot to learn!” “I’m in, I can handle it!” “Card counting is like a finely-tuned machine; beyond counting, each of us has different skills. A counter knows how to shuffle track, a controller knows how to track aces… A big player knows it all, and that’s what I want you to be!”…

What followed was Jeff Ma’s learning phase, with detailed shots and quick cuts, voiceovers, and dialogues. He practiced in the club’s classroom, in his lectures, at home… and grew closer to the MIT team members through frolics and camaraderie.

Interspersed lines always kept the audience excited and their spirits high, making them feel like they were learning to count cards too. Many began to feel they had nearly mastered it, ready to strut their stuff in Las Vegas! If they were watching the DVD at home, though, they would rewind and watch a few times more to understand clearly before savoring the Las Vegas feast.

Apart from a few who found the pace too slow, watching Wang Yang’s cameo on the big screen—a student in an MIT classroom, who asked Jeff Ma a dumb question: “Do we need playing cards for today’s class?”—critics like Betsy Sharkey secretly applauded. Not because his bit part was performed so well, but because in this nearly half-hour opening, up to now, their thumbs were up high: “Magical Yang has completely grasped and controlled the viewers’ psychology!”

The constant excitement and anticipation made viewers eager to watch without missing a single shot. This is the mark of a successful blockbuster, a successful film.

On the big screen, Jeff Ma had finally completed his training, and the MIT team felt he was ready for the real gambling tables. However, before heading to Las Vegas, he had to complete a trial by participating in a team operation in an underground casino—a test that was actually the ultimate challenge. In reality, Kevin Spacey never faced this trial; it was a fictional scenario created by Ben Mezrich in his novel.

“Winner-winner, Chicken-dinner!” In the dingy back alley underground casino, gamblers shouted and bustled about, the atmosphere thick with seediness.

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Daniel Wu sat at the gambling table with a face full of confidence, beside him was the composed dealer Alexis, and together they had already won a heap of chips. Just then, the dealer busted again: “The player wins!” Daniel Wu let out an excited YES, and immediately a new round started on the table. He chuckled and muttered, “Winner-winner, Chicken-dinner.”

With a whoosh! Suddenly, a burlap sack was thrown over his head, and his arms were restrained by two people who could only be seen from the torso in the frame, dragging him backwards; Daniel Wu struggled fiercely, letting out a loud yell. Whether they had read the original work or not, the audience was startled, just as they were enjoying the thrill of counting cards and winning money, and suddenly… Evelyn, who was already engrossed in the film, had her heart skip a beat and screamed reflexively: “Ahh—ah—”

The audience around her were startled too, but did they really need to scream as if watching a horror film? Several people showed their disapproval with a hiss, and Kelly covered her forehead: “Sure enough, something happened.”

“Kid, you dare to count cards in my place!? You tired of living?” The next scene was in a small room, and with a coarse, menacing voice, Daniel Wu was pushed onto a chair by the two men. He didn’t resist any longer and calmly said, “I knew it was you guys, right? There were too many flaws. You don’t need to disguise your voices any longer, Amanda, I know it’s you.”

Another whoosh, and the sack was removed from Daniel Wu’s head, and sure enough, it was Jay Baruchel and Nick Cannon holding him, while Natalie, Alexis, and three other girls stood in front, with a satisfied Natalie smiling broadly: “Cool under pressure, GOOD. You didn’t lose your senses and judgment to an unforeseen event, GOOD…” She suddenly asked, “What was the count at the gambling table just now?”

“+16 points,” Daniel Wu said coolly. Under Natalie’s delighted smile, he shrugged his shoulders and stood up, shouting angrily, “What kind of joke is this!?” Alexis laughed reassuringly, “Jeff, you don’t have a reason to be angry; I was crying out of fear back then.” Jay Baruchel and the others raised their eyebrows and shrugged, giving a “it wasn’t my idea” look.

“Mm-hm-hm-hm-haha…” The camera zoomed in on Natalie’s close-up, a mischievous radiance emerged on her face as she burst into a creepy, low chuckle, as if squeezing it out from her throat, almost making her seem deranged, as she laughed, “Welcome to officially joining the MIT 21 team!”

Facing that smiling face on the screen, fans who loved “Juno” quickly got the hint—a touch of evil! Totally different from the sharp-tongued, tough-on-the-outside-but-soft-on-the-inside high school girl Juno; this was a crazy yet cool university genius who seemed to have a destructive edge… Clair wanted to try imitating that bizarre laugh, but considering she was in a cinema and no longer at an age to be unconstrained, she refrained.

She silently cheered WOO in her mind; indeed, in Yang’s magical movies, Natalie was always especially cool, cool to the core! With Juno and Amanda… Compared to the wooden Queen in the “Star Wars Prequel,” this was just too unique and amazing!

“Let’s go make a fortune in Vegas!” On the big screen, Natalie slapped Daniel Wu on the shoulder and led the way out of the storeroom. The camera quickly switched to a full shot front view, capturing Daniel Wu, Alexis, and other members of the MIT team with various expressions, then it switched back to a shot of Natalie’s receding figure, who let out another bout of strangely amusing laughter.

“Yo-ho.” Natalie, watching in the cinema, let out a soft laugh. On-set, there had been nothing cool about these laughing takes; she had NG’d many times, as no matter how she laughed, the director wasn’t satisfied until she finally nailed the manic quality. At this moment, Yang chuckled next to her: “You laughed well.”

The camera then returned to the full frontal view, everyone had a look of helplessness with their captain or were expressionless, only Alexis laughed, “She didn’t mean any harm.” Down the corridor came a louder laughter: “Wahaha…” Daniel Wu shrugged his shoulders, and Alexis nodded in agreement with herself: “Yes, I know.”

Tonight, a light chuckle emerged in over three thousand screening rooms across North America. Like “The Hangover”, which made people laugh uncontrollably and roll on the floor, “21” had humor without the guffaws, but the audience was more engrossed and focused.

“Oh my God, my Alexis…” Joshua took a deep breath, too cute! Played so well!

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It wasn’t that he was biased, but the film critics in the theater were all silently praising the performances of the cast on the screen. Kirk Honeycutt, the film critic from the Hollywood Reporter, had already decided to express his admiration in his article. These actors, along with the director Wang Yang, fully mined and utilized the qualities of each lead; they gave the audience a fresh feeling. For instance, Natalie Portman, her current level of performance is not inferior to Juno’s…

Suddenly, Kirk Honeycutt remembered something. Rachel McAdams hadn’t appeared yet, had she?

“Tap, tap, tap…” Footsteps resonated in the movie theater, and the big screen abruptly showed the hallway of a luxurious hotel. With quick cuts and shots transitions, the mysterious woman walked into an office with two security guards. The burly bald head of security said cheerfully, “Miss Kaylee, it’s a pleasure to see you!…”

As the camera slowly ascended, the audience all held a breath of anticipation to uncover the mystery, although they knew it must be Rachel McAdams. Indeed, there she was, her face donning a faint, enigmatic smile. “Is the thing I asked for ready?” “All set, right over there.”…

From Rachel’s entrance, the editing of the shots visibly became more rapid and sharp. Nancy adjusted her chin, vaguely thinking of Wang Yang’s possible rationale. Besides creating atmosphere, the movie had been playing for more than half an hour, and it was about to formally move to the next stage, which is the story’s center of gravity, Las Vegas. How to distinguish the gambling city from Boston, how to make it look cooler? She wondered if it might feature a cult film style, or MTV style…

However, this half-hour had already been unique and cool enough, and not just because of the content of the film. As someone studying film direction, she knew very plainly that to express a theme like this, in such a narrative way, was truly unprecedented! Content always seems monotone in studies, but which ordinary viewer would care or deliberately take notice? Taking advantage of the lighting, Nancy glanced at the audience seated to her left and right; they all seemed to be enjoying themselves.

In any case, her interest had not waned, but her anticipation for truly heading to Las Vegas to count cards kept rising. Now her heartbeat was a bit faster than usual, this was surely the beginning of the story.

“This group of people shows up only on weekends, which means they have regular jobs; but in the past few months, they suddenly started to appear every few days – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday… These months, it’s the summer break,” Rachel said after examining some files, analyzing the investigation. She put down the file in her hand and said, “This suggests that they are most likely teachers, or…students.”

The audience in front of the big screen couldn’t help but brighten up. They had already seen themselves as members of the MIT group, and now they were surprised by the formidable female detective’s revelation, naturally feeling excited. Was the detective talking about the MIT group? This must be a flashback, the MIT group had conquered Las Vegas!

Meanwhile, on the screen at the airport, the MIT group, dressed casually and carrying their luggage backpacks, were getting ready to head to Las Vegas for the first time after Jeff Ma joined the team.

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PS: I had intended to finish the screening in one chapter, but alas I realized that I can’t finish today and wanted to rest early. I will continue tomorrow. If you have tickets, send some my way! (To be continued, for more information on what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com, with more chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)