Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Rising Chinese Director Once Expelled From University Due to Racial Discrimination!”
The Yahoo news article had shocked the masses as much as the movie itself did. According to the article, rising Chinese director, Wang Yang, whose work had recently topped the box offices and generated a “horror movie craze”, had been a freshman who had majored in television and film production at USC just four months prior to his rise to fame. The articles had also stated that he had later been expelled from his school on the grounds of racial discrimination. James Grant, the official spokesperson for USC, had confirmed the news to be true in an interview with reporters.
As silently and abruptly as a depth charge, news of Wang Yang’s dishonorable discharge detonated underwater, lifted the surface of the sea perceptibly for a moment, foaming white, then erupted into a spectacular geyser hundreds of feet into the sky, disrupting the calm of the sea.
In forums all over the internet, the movie’s fandom had begun to waver. Outraged black movie fans swore to boycott Paranormal Activity as well as any movie produced by Wang Yang and Lionsgate, should the news turn out to be true.
The story even made it to NBC’s evening television news program. The coverage was brief, but the damage had been done. By the end of the program, every household in America watching the news had learned about the skeleton in Wang Yang’s closet.
“Jessica, is it true?” Mark Alba bellowed in his fabric sofa. His eyebrows knitted tightly as he watched the news, and his originally stern face turned a shade darker. “Is that little punk a racist? Does he hate black people?” he asked Jessica as he looked sidelong at her.
Sitting in the middle of that sofa, Jessica looked stupidly at the television. She was devastated. The nightmare that she had been dreading had finally come true. “D*mn it! Why did that incident have to come out and ruin everything just when Wang Yang had gotten his big break?” Jessica lamented. Her eyebrows furrowed as she drifted into terrible thoughts.
“Jessica, Jessica!” Mark Alba shouted. But Jessica was seemingly lost in her own world. “Perhaps Wang Yang had kept Jessica in the dark about this?” Mark thought as his expression grew darker and darker. Cathy, who was sitting on Jessica’s left, gave her daughter a shake. Then, Jessica snapped out of her daze. “Huh? What did you say?” Jessica asked, gazing at her parents from face to face. “Jessica, is it true? Is Yang a racist? Did you know about it?” Mark Alba repeated his question sternly.
Overwhelmed, Jessica sank into the sofa. She wagged her head and said, “No, Dad. I’ve known about it for quite a while. But…”
“What?” Mark Alba seemed to grope for words. Never in his wildest dreams would Jessica willingly associate herself with such a despicable character. When he regained his composure, he reproached sharply. “If you knew it all along, why are you still with him? Jessica, what’s the matter with you?”
The truth was that Mark Alba had been angry at Jessica for quite a while. As of late, Jessica had been frequenting the movie theaters with Wang Yang and staying out late until the wee hours of the night. As a devout catholic, he had been naturally upset. But he also accepted that his daughter had grown up and was at an age when dating was normal. Besides reminding her to stay safe, he mostly held his peace.
But now that he realized his daughter had been dating a man of questionable character, he was absolutely furious. He had envisioned a life of happiness, fulfillment, and greatness for Jessica ever since she had been a little girl. To that end, he had provided Jessica and her brother with the best childhood and education that money could buy. When he’d retired, he’d made a career shift and had gone into business. In the end, he had managed to pull his family up the ranks of society with his very own hands. He regretted neither the long hours nor the grueling challenges he’d had to put up with as a businessman.
He seldom worried about Jessica, as she had always been a very mature daughter in his eyes. But now that she was dating a racist, his faith was shattered. He imagined the racial slurs that Wang Yang would say to Mexicans and felt at once agitated.
“No, no! Daddy, please, listen to me…” Jessica protested in desperation. She felt overwhelmed, worried, and confused. Wang Yang’s problem was troubling enough as it was, and she no longer had the capacity to deal with her father. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on her palms, seemingly lost for words. None of this was right, and she was having trouble processing everything at once. What would happen to Yang, now that this lie had been perpetuated through the media?
“Mark, calm down,” said Cathy, trying to cheer up her husband. Then, she turned her face to her wreck of a daughter and said gently, “Jessica, tell me, what really happened?”
Jessica took a deep breath, shook her head, and said, “Yang didn’t discriminate against anyone. He was wronged.” After explaining the entire story to her parents, she glanced at Mark Alba and said indignantly, “Mom, Dad, Yang helped me out countless times when we were little. Besides, you’d met him at my birthday party, didn’t you? You know very well what kind of person he is.” She huffed out a sarcastic laugh and said, “Does he look like the type to say ‘n*gger’? He’s not that stupid, you know!”
“Oh, Lord! That poor child. He doesn’t deserve any of that,” Cathy exclaimed sympathetically. Jessica gave her mother a look of gratitude and said with a nod, “Yeah. But Wang Yang came through strong and struck it big in the end. But then, this happened…”
Unlike his wife, Mark Alba was more skeptical of Wang Yang. After a period of silent thinking, he said, “I admit, Yang is a mature guy. But guys like him have a way of lying about themselves and manipulating others. Look, he’s made tens of millions of dollars in just a few months. There’s got to be more to him than meets the eye.” He fixed his eyes on Jessica’s and declared authoritatively, “Anyhow, Jessica, I don’t want you seeing him until the dust has settled.”
Jessica rolled her eyes in defiance. She knew her stubborn father, just like her brother Joshua, would never trust Wang Yang so easily. She wheeled from Cathy to Mark and said solemnly, “I have faith in Wang Yang. I won’t break up with him just because of a stupid misunderstanding.” Her relationship with Wang Yang, initially kindled by serendipity, had only grown stronger as time went by. To her, breaking up with him was out of the question.
As she looked at her father in all his pigheadedness and ever-widening eyes, she felt an urge to pour out her heart to him. “Besides, Yang and I are not dating. Even if we were, that would be my own freedom, and you would have no right to tell me who I can or cannot date,” Jessica challenged.
Appalled, Mark Alba let out a ringing laugh. “Freedom? Sure, you’re entitled to your freedom,” he said, snorted, and added in a tone that Jessica felt was offensively confident, “However, you’re not yet an adult. According to the law, I have the right to protect my daughter. And as a parent, I can’t allow my daughter to mingle with low-life scum like Yang. So, as long as you’re under my roof, you’ll live by my rules.”
“Mark, calm down,” Cathy said in an attempt to soothe the tension between her husband and her daughter. Then, she turned to her daughter and said, “Jessica, please don’t argue with your father. You know how much we love you and want the very best for you.”
“I know, I know,” Jessica muttered and then sighed. She knew her father had her best interests at heart and she did not want to get into an argument with him. “I’m sorry, Dad. I shouldn’t have raised my voice at you. But I really believe in Yang, I know he’s a good person,” she apologized. Then, she rose from the sofa and said, “I’m going to my room,” before heading upstairs.
Mark Alba and Cathy gave each other looks of acquiescence as the loud stamping on the stairs trailed off and their daughter disappeared from view. “Looks like our daughter’s all grown up. She doesn’t need her old man anymore,” Mark Alba said in a sad, self-deprecating manner, with his hands thrown up in the air. “Mark, Jessica is a dependable young lady. She can judge things for herself. There’s no need at all to worry about her,” Cathy consoled with a smile while softly patting Mark on the arm.
“Sorry, the number you are calling is currently unavailable…” Back in her room, Jessica put down her cell phone with a frown. She paced back and forth in front of her computer, checking the internet every now and then for people’s views on Wang Yang’s incident. When she saw the protests, jokes, and derisive remarks made at Wang Yang’s expense, her stomach crawled. She turned away from her computer, picked up her cell phone, and dialed Wang Yang’s number again. But no matter how many times she tried, the call would not connect…
Wang Yang had been inundated with phone calls that entire night. At first, he’d received a call from Zachary, then he’d received a few calls from friends and ex-schoolmates. Finally, his parents had called him. He paced anxiously around his living room with his cell phone in his hand, visibly distraught. He gritted his teeth, pressed the “answer call” button with trepidation, and answered as calmly as he could, “Hi, this is Wang Yang. I am unable to answer your call right now. Please leave your message after the beep.”
“Yang, you’re in deep trouble! When were you going to tell us?” Wang Yang’s father boomed angrily over the phone. “Your mom and I are very disappointed in you. If it weren’t for the news, we’d never have known about it! Our son made a movie? Our son got expelled from college? What’s all this about? Yang, I know you’re listening. Tell me what really happened. Your mom and I are worried sick.” Then, his mother’s voice came into the mix. “Yang, how are you holding up? You gave us such a fright,” his mother said, her voice full of urgency.
“Mom, Dad… I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, please.” Upon hearing his parents’ concerned voices, Wang Yang decided not to play games with them anymore. He tittered awkwardly and consoled them. Then he proceeded to tell them the entire story in great detail. “I made a DV movie using the refunded college tuition fees, the living and traveling expenses you sent me, and the money I earned from my part-time jobs. Then, I got lucky. Lionsgate Films liked the movie and decided to publish it… but then, today, my expulsion from USC got exposed.”
He tried to keep his tone upbeat and his story optimistic. He insulated his parents from all the woes and hardships he had experienced as he saw no point in bothering them about things from the past. All he wanted was for them to feel happy for him and proud of him.
Wang Yang’s extraordinary story was greeted with silence. Then, his mother spoke up. “Yang, you’ve been very brave. Your father and I are very proud of you,” she praised. Then, she scolded, “But you shouldn’t have kept this incident from us. We’re a family. We’ll support you no matter what. You can talk to us about anything at any time!”
Wang Yang was noncommittal. He knew his parents meant well. But there came a time in every man’s life when he must take responsibility for his own actions and stop relying on his parents to bail him out. Besides, given the circumstances, it would be better for him to carry the burden by himself. “I was afraid you might make me go back to San Francisco. There’s no way I’m taking over the family restaurant,” he said half-humorously.
“Yang, I wouldn’t let you have it even if you wanted to. It’s my restaurant. What would I even do if I were to hand it over to you?” his father said jokingly. Wang Yang smiled. He could tell that his father was already in better spirits. “Do you think we don’t know what you want to do with your life? You want to make movies. That’s your dream. Your mother and I know it. Do you think we’re going to stop you? I’d have gladly sold the restaurant to fund your movie, if only you’d asked; but no, you kept us in the dark. You make it sound as if it’s easy, but I know you’ve been through a lot. Why didn’t you tell us? You’re our son, for God’s sake!”
Tears welled up in Wang Yang’s eyes as a sudden flood of solace went through him. He realized that he had been wrong about his parents all along. In his misguided imagination, they would have nagged, bickered, and reprimanded. Instead, they offered him nothing but kindness and support. In an outburst of gratitude and remorse, he cried, “Mom, Dad, thank you so much!” His father and mother smiled and said, “No need to thank us. We’re family, after all.” Wang Yang cleared his nose and smiled. Then, he began to boast, hoping to ease the blow that his disobedience had dealt his parents, “You don’t have to worry about me, really. I’m doing very well. In fact, I’m about to receive my dividend and become a multi-millionaire. I could buy you anything you wish.”
“It’s okay. We’re happy the way we are. You don’t have to buy us anything,” Wang Yang’s father snapped at him, then added, “but we can’t just let other people demonize our son and accuse him of a crime that he didn’t even commit!””Your father’s right, Yang. What are you going to do?” his mother asked.
“It’s no big deal. I just need to come out and clear things up, that’s all,” Wang Yang said, not wanting to exacerbate his parents’ worries. “Once we get my ex-teachers and classmates to vouch for my conduct, everyone will see that I’m not a racist,” he assured. Of course, the public would need to believe it in the first place.
Wang Yang’s father expected the worst. He knew the problem would not be so easily resolved. “Yang, why don’t we file a lawsuit against the college?” he suggested solemnly.
“No, that won’t be necessary—at least not at this point,” Wang Yang said, shaking his head. His odds of winning a lawsuit were good. With his newfound wealth, he would have no problem hiring a capable lawyer. But even if he had won, it still might not change the public’s perception of him. In fact, it might even backfire and arouse more controversy. Hence, Wang Yang had pinned all his hopes on the private detectives hired by Lionsgate, praying they would be able to find the evidence required to clear his name.
After a long chat with his parents, Wang Yang had more or less assuaged their fears. But as soon as he ended his call and started for the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water, his cell phone buzzed again.
Wang Yang glanced at the caller ID and answered the call. “Hi, Rachel, is that you? If you’re calling because of that news, please hang up now because I’m totally fine and there’s nothing to worry about. Otherwise, keep talking. I’d really appreciate it as it would keep the other busybodies away,” Wang Yang said smilingly. “No. I’m just calling to say hi,” Rachel answered in her cheerful voice, clear as a pitch pipe.
“Okay, great! You know, I was just on the phone with my parents, and they really surprised me. I thought they’d give me an earful, but boy was I wrong. If only I’d known how much they love me…” Wang Yang lamented as he made his way to the sofa with a glass of water in his hand. “All parents love their children, Yang,” Rachel said gently. “I know. I just didn’t think they actually knew what my dream was. But it turns out that they did, and they’ve been supporting and encouraging my passion all this while. When I was a kid, my mom knew how much I loved watching movies. She would take me to the theaters every day…”
“Sorry, the number you are calling is unavailable…” Jessica chucked her cell phone on her bed in frustration. She had been calling Wang Yang intermittently for the past hour, but she had yet to reach him. Her brows furrowed as she paced compulsively in her room. Suddenly, she decided to pick up her cell phone from her bed, grab her keys from her desk, and head downstairs.
Cathy heard Jessica’s tread on the stairs. She twisted her head away from the television set and looked over the sofa. Jessica was trotting briskly down the stairs, keys jingling in her hand. “Jessica, are you going out?” she enquired. Jessica nodded as she made her way to the door. “Yes, Mom. I’m going over to Yang’s apartment. I’ll be back soon,” she replied. At that moment, Danny the Labrador ran up to her and began circling her legs. “Danny, shoo. This is no time for fun and games,” she said smilingly.
Mark Alba was sulking in his sofa. “Can’t you see what time it is? It’s way past nine!” he said grumpily. “What is this family coming to? My daughter’s going out late at night, and my son’s not even home yet,” he muttered to himself with a sullen frown.
At that moment, the sound of a lock opening came from the front gate. Danny dashed outside, only to return a few seconds later as Joshua swaggered through the door. He had been partying at a friend’s house all night. He surveyed the living room, twirling his keys, and announced his arrival boisterously. “Hey, everyone!” Then, he looked Jessica’s way, and said excitedly, “Jessica, I was hanging out with Ronnie and the gang, and when I told them that I knew Paranormal Activity’s director, they were gobsmacked. Haha, you should’ve seen their faces! By the way, they asked me if they could meet Wang Yang, so I tried calling him to ask him if he was okay with it. But for some reason, I just couldn’t get through. I wonder what’s up with him.” He wheeled gleefully upon Jessica as she walked past him and asked, “Have you any idea?”
“Why don’t you check the internet?” Jessica put on her shoes hurriedly, pushed the door open, and rushed off.
“What’s going on?” Joshua scratched his head in confusion, and at that moment, Mark Alba’s voice boomed across the living room. “Joshua, where have you been all night?” he asked. Joshua was stymied. He did not know where his father’s rage came from. “I was at my classmate’s…” he answered.
It was no wonder that neither Jessica nor Joshua had been able to contact Wang Yang. No sooner had his conversation with Rachel ended than he received more calls from his other friends. Afterward, John Feldmeyer called him once again. At that point, he was acting almost like an agent for Wang Yang. He said he had contacted a media company that had good relations with Lionsgate. They had arranged for a phone interview in order to clear up the misunderstanding. And so, Wang Yang accepted the interview with the Los Angeles Daily News. He told them his side of the story and answered some questions from its reporters.
After the interview, Wang Yang flopped onto his dilapidated sofa. As he rubbed his temples with his eyes closed, pondering the ridiculous situation he found himself in, he could not help but wish he were out in the streets, handing flyers under the hot sun instead of dealing with the scandal. Then again, he had already dealt with his parents, which was the most dreaded part of the entire ordeal. He had bitten the bullet, confessed his situation to his parents, and laid their worries to rest. And in return for his honesty, he had acquired their support and goodwill. He had overcome a monumental hurdle, and all that was left to be done seemed like trivialities in comparison.
He half lay on the sofa. Just as he was about to drift into sleep, the doorbell suddenly rang.
Wang Yang rubbed his eyes and got up from his sofa. He wondered who it was at that hour. He looked through the peephole on his door and froze up for a second—it was Jessica. She was wearing a pretty white dress. Her auburn hair hung over her delicate shoulders. Her big eyes, brown, liquid, and shiny with concern, touched Wang Yang’s through the peephole.
“Jessica…” Wang Yang’s heart lurched. He felt grateful and somewhat flattered by her presence. He imagined Jessica must have rushed to his apartment out of concern as soon as she saw the news. He opened the door and greeted Jessica with a pleasant smile. “Hi, Jessica.”
“Hi…” When Jessica saw Wang Yang in the flesh at the doorway, the chatter in her mind instantly died down. A smile took over from the anxiousness on her face. She twirled her wavy, auburn hair as she looked at Wang Yang. “I couldn’t reach you through the phone. It was engaged the whole time. So I thought I’d come over and see you,” she said.
Wang Yang hit his head with the heel of his hand and said smilingly, “Oh, I was on the phone the whole time. I didn’t know I had so many friends.” They both laughed. Then, he noticed Jessica had been standing awkwardly at his doorway for the last minute and realized he had yet to invite her into his apartment. “Would you like to come in?” Wang Yang asked with a smile.
“Sure,” said Jessica with a nod before entering.
The next day, Los Angeles Daily News published their interview with Wang Yang. The article, which was republished by Yahoo on the internet, had gotten mixed opinions. While some people believed that Wang Yang was innocent, most of them were skeptical. They had a hard time believing that a well-established school like USC would ever malign a student. Consequently, the interview did little to change movie fans’ views on Wang Yang. In fact, his reputation in online forums even took a dive. Because of that interview, many saw Wang Yang as an unrepentant monster who did not deserve to be forgiven.
John Feldmeyer had been naturally unhappy about the outcome of Los Angeles Daily News’ article. At once, Lionsgate contacted the San Francisco Chronicle—a media company based in San Francisco—and arranged for an interview. They managed to speak with a few teachers from Wang Yang’s high school—Lincoln High School—as well as several ex-high school classmates who were then studying in colleges in San Francisco, and every one of them spoke positively about Wang Yang’s character.
“He was a pretty decent basketball player and a clever point guard. He had a great physique and basketball IQ. I’ve always felt he was good enough to make it to North Carolina or Duke if he wanted to play college basketball. A racist? No. He was very outgoing. He’s the type who liked to get involved and participate in activities, you know. And he’s always looking out for his fellow classmates. He had a great relationship with everyone at school,” Wang Yang’s gym teacher stated.
“Dude, let me tell you something. Yang is a class act. He’d never discriminate against anyone or any race. He never did and he never will. I vouch for him as a black person,” said John Jones. He was an African American college student.
Despite praise after praise from his high school teachers and classmates, the interview hardly moved the needle on the public’s perception. Of course, some had come around to their point of view and begun to believe Wang Yang was innocent. But for the most part, people were still unconvinced. Many assumed the interview was staged and that the media, as well as the witnesses, had been paid for by Lionsgate and Wang Yang.
Prospects of appearing on the Oprah Winfrey Show was still up in the air. Wang Yang and Lionsgate felt as if they were in limbo. The producer had neither called them nor expressed signs to rescind their invitation. They might be unaware of the incident. Then again, they might welcome the publicity. Having a contentious character like Wang Yang on their show might spice things up and boost ratings. Of course, Wang Yang would also get to tell his side of the story to an audience, potentially garnering more support.
Meanwhile, the purported victim of Wang Yang’s racism, Terrance Ben, had begun to speak up in interviews as well. “Wang Yang was like a mad man that day. He went out of control and assaulted me. I could’ve sued him for beating me, but I decided to forgive him, instead. But now, he’s spreading lies about the incident, and I simply can’t stand for that,” said Terrance Ben as he aired his grievances to the media. His charade, as blatant and shameless as it was, managed to win him some supporters. They stormed Paranormal Activity’s official website, demanding a public apology from Wang Yang on one hand and threatening to boycott Lionsgate’s movies on the other.
Just when the group had Wang Yang and Lionsgate’s backs against the wall, a miracle happened. Wang Yang and his well-wishers could hardly believe their good luck as the winds of change blew heavily and abruptly in their favor.
On Sunday, four days after Wang Yang’s expulsion incident had been leaked, Wang Yang and his gang canceled their trip to Chicago. It was not because the Oprah Winfrey Show had retracted their invitation, but rather because, on that particular Sunday, The Los Angeles Times had suddenly published a news article titled “Rising Chinese Director is Innocent!” And on their official website, The Los Angeles Times had even posted a video along with the article.
As it turned out, a man named “Ian” had come out of the blue and contacted The Los Angeles Times. He’d told them he had a video recording that could shed light on the purported racial discrimination incident. He was not a student of USC, but rather a tourist. On the day of the incident, he had been touring USC’s campus and capturing its scenery with a DV camcorder. Coincidentally, he had seen the fight between Wang Yang and Terrance Ben and decided to record it. He knew the truth about the incident, and he told it to The Los Angeles Times.
“I saw the fight break out from afar. I thought it was just a regular school fight, so grabbed my DV camcorder and recorded the whole thing out of interest. When I saw a professor come to break up the fight, I went off to film other places on the campus. After that, I went home. I didn’t know Wang Yang had been expelled over it until I saw the news on television a few days ago. Then, I remembered I took a video of that incident, so I rummaged through my collection, and finally, I found it,” he explained.
“From what I can tell, the Chinese director wanted to leave him alone. He didn’t say anything. But Terrance Ben kept taunting him with some very mean words. All I’m saying is, Wang Yang’s not the racist here.”
The video on The Los Angeles Times’ website, while slightly blurred, was still intelligible. At a distance, Terrance Ben was blocking Wang Yang’s path. When Wang Yang tried to ignore him by walking past him, Terrance strode in front of him and blocked him again. He even shoved Wang Yang and hurled a number of racial slurs at him, which were barely audible in the video as it was shot from a distance. Then suddenly, Wang Yang knocked him to the ground with a few blows and began thrashing at him.
Thanks to the video, the truth finally came to light. Movie fans ceased to rage. Those who had spoken out against Wang Yang apologized and turned their criticisms, instead, toward Terrance Ben and the University of Southern California.
The media also began to sing a different tune. They questioned USC’s investigation methods, calling their decision to expel Wang Yang rash, careless, and irresponsible. Soon, the tables had turned against USC—it was now their turn to issue a public apology. USC’s official spokesperson, James Grant, admitted to the media that the school had made a terrible mistake. Terrance Ben would be expelled. At the same time, USC would rescind Wang Yang’s expulsion and readmit him to the School of Cinematic Arts with open arms.
Wang Yang appeared in a news report on television, emancipated, galvanized, and already in better spirits. “My freshman year at USC had been some of the happiest days of my life. It was a shame that it was so short-lived due to that incident. I just want to put it all behind me. I won’t be pressing charges against anyone. Terrance Ben has gotten the punishment that he deserves; I’ve finally been redeemed, and that’s all that matters. It was nothing but a stupid misunderstanding, and I think it’s time to let it go,” Wang Yang said into a reporter’s mic. When asked if he would return to USC to finish his degree, he smiled and replied, “I might, but not now, as I’m heading to Chicago for the filming of the Oprah Winfrey Show.”
Jessica chuckled when she saw the news on television. She turned her smug face to Mark Alba and said cheekily, “See, Dad? I told you so. Yang’s a good guy!”
Mark Alba did not know what to say, so he said nothing at all.
The entire fiasco had lasted less than a week. During that time, a significant portion of black movie fans had pledged not to watch Wang Yang’s movie, but that hardly dented Paranormal Activity’s phenomenal box office figures. The movie grossed 31 million and 241.5 thousand dollars in box offices during the fourth week and remained unchallenged in the weekly box office ranking.
And so, Wang Yang, John Feldmeyer, and Zachary Levi set off together to Chicago for the filming of the Oprah Winfrey Show on the following Wednesday.