Global Film Emperor

Chapter 238 "The Past"

"Jinghan! Thank you so much, you've solved a huge problem for me. Hello Mr. Lu, you're much taller than I imagined. Please, have a seat."

Two days later, Lu Ze and Shen Jinghan arrived at Shanghai TV station. As an actor who had little contact with TV stations, watching a group of TV station employees with work badges around their necks running around, setting up venues, installing equipment, and communicating with walkie-talkies from time to time was indeed a very new experience for Lu Ze.

Because he had planned ahead and had enough time, Lu Ze visited various places before finally meeting the excellent host who had 22 years of experience.

She wasn't very tall, probably only about 1.55 meters, with shoulder-length black curly hair. Her figure was quite standard, not out of shape due to age. Her looks weren't top-notch; on the contrary, she was similar to Lu Ze, both having the kind of "outdated" beauty that older generations would consider attractive.

What truly attracts people is her temperament: gentle, intellectual, dignified, and with a warm smile on her face. Coupled with her standard Mandarin that melts your heart, it's hard for anyone to dislike her.

Only after meeting Liu Huixin in person and experiencing her maturity, high emotional intelligence, and exceptional cultural refinement will you find it no wonder that she has achieved success in her career.

She hugged Shen Jinghan and shook hands with Lu Ze. She then led the two into the TV station's conference room. First, she thanked Lu Ze for supporting her work. Then, she placed the contract on the table for Shen Jinghan and Lu Ze to look at.

The contract is very generous. Shen Jinghan had told Lu Ze yesterday that due to low ratings, the program hosted by Liu Huixin didn't receive much investment from advertisers or much funding from the station. However, this contract was priced at 700,000 yuan, which shows that Liu Huixin has invested a lot.

Seven hundred thousand in half a day, that's quite an astonishing income, especially considering the low budget and low ratings of the show. No wonder so many celebrities love to appear on variety shows; they don't need much professional skill, they can earn more just by their looks and fame than by acting or singing.

Lu Ze had no objection to the offer. Although after taxes and commissions, Lu Ze would only receive less than 400,000 yuan, the offer showed sincerity, so he readily signed the contract.

"Then Mr. Lu, I wish us a pleasant cooperation this afternoon. Here is a basic question sheet for you to take a look at. Are there any issues I should be aware of and avoid?"

He moved the table in front of him. It was mostly filled with work-related questions and personal preferences, which were all quite normal. The only topic Lu Ze didn't want to talk about was Jiang Wenshu, but that name was no longer mentioned by the TV station. Besides, given Liu Huixin's emotional intelligence, she would have to be out of her mind to bring her up.

"It's nothing, I'll think of some words first?"

"Okay, the director will call you when the audience enters. Jinghan, you're here too? Great, I'll go get ready too. See you later."

After Liu Huixin left the reception room, only Lu Ze and Shen Jinghan remained in the room. There was an ashtray on the table, and there were no no-smoking signs in the room. Lu Ze reached out and picked up the ashtray, placed it in front of him, took out a cigarette and was about to light it when he glanced at Shen Jinghan and put it back in his pocket. The decompression top was spinning rapidly on his fingertips as he picked up the question sheet and began to read it.

"One box a day now?"

"About that, I'll probably have three or four left. I don't usually smoke that many."

Shen Jinghan got up and poured Lu Ze a cup of hot water. Just as he put it on the table, his phone rang. He took it out, glanced at it, and went outside to answer it. The room became quiet.

"Mr. Lu, the audience has already entered. Let's go and get ready."

The staff knocked on the door and asked Lu Ze to go to the dressing room with him. He didn't change his clothes, but put on the clothes he had brought with him, did his hair, and applied some powder to his face. That was it.

At the edge of the stage, Lu Ze saw the director instructing the photographer to check the equipment. After a while, Liu Huixin, dressed beautifully, walked up to Lu Ze.

"All departments, get ready. Three, two, one, the program begins."

The stage lights, which were quite dazzling, began to flash. Liu Huixin slowly walked onto the stage, smiled and waved to the audience, and bowed to them from the center of the stage. "Thank you for the past, which has made us who we are today. Hello to all the audience members here and those watching on TV. Welcome to 'The Past,' which airs every Saturday at 9:00 PM and is co-sponsored by Yili Miaomiao and Changyi Probiotics. I am your host, Liu Huixin."

Ordinary people know that there are no real viewers on TV, and this show was no exception. Everyone there was a professional, so they naturally gave the audience a lot of face, and the applause was very enthusiastic.

"The guest we invited today is a little different from the guests of the past. He is no longer an outstanding young entrepreneur in the private enterprise circle, but an excellent actor. In his short acting career, he has created many classic characters that have moved and inspired people. When I met him today, I was really surprised. I had always heard that he was very tall, but when he actually appeared in front of me, I had a real understanding of his height."

"I'm sure you all know who I'm talking about when I mention a tall celebrity, right? Yes, no need to think, he's the first one that pops into your mind. Let's give him a round of applause, Lu Ze."

Lu Ze knew this process. The moment he stepped onto the stage, the applause and cheers from the audience reached his ears. Although he knew it was fake, he still enjoyed it in a self-deceptive way. He greeted the audience before sitting down on the sofa opposite Liu Huixin.

The character introduction segment was added in post-production and was not played during the recording. Lu Ze adjusted his in-ear monitor and microphone, preparing to listen to Liu Huixin talk about the first topic.

"Actually, when I first met Lu Ze, I felt like I was meeting someone my age. I thought that at his age, he would be lively and cheerful, but to my surprise, he was very composed and didn't talk much. Is this related to his upbringing? After reading about your life experience, I was really impressed. Behind every successful person is untold hardship, but you have really had a tough time."

Was this intended to be a tearjerker from the start?

Lu Ze made a joke that made the whole audience laugh. It was clear that Lu Ze didn't want to make the show too serious, so Liu Huixin changed the topic of conversation.

"Lu Ze, is there a family of four in your family? I'm actually very curious, how did you get into acting? Who recommended you to work as an extra in Hengdian?"

"Because I was poor. Who would go to Hengdian to be an extra if they had money? At that time, my family owed more than 100,000 yuan in debt, so I dropped out of school. After four years of working to pay off the debt, I was working as a waiter in a restaurant. The restaurant always had the TV on, and the restaurant owner mentioned that being an extra in Hengdian was very lucrative. You could earn at least 100 yuan for each role, and if you did a good job, you could earn several thousand yuan. I was tempted. At that time, I was working in a restaurant in the county, and my salary was only 1,800 yuan. I thought I could earn more money to support my family, so I took more than 3,000 yuan and went to Hengdian."

"What then?"

"Later, I actually earned more than I did back home. I went to the Shanghai Theatre Academy every day, and if I was lucky, I could earn more than 4,000 yuan a month. But I found that after paying rent and other miscellaneous expenses like food, I only had about 2,000 yuan left. As a result, I was able to earn 200 yuan more than I did at a restaurant that provided food and lodging, even though I was more than 2,000 kilometers away from home."

You have to admit that Lu Ze had a very tough life for the first twenty-four years of his life. He had a disabled father, a mother who was not very literate and whose only means of survival was farming, and a younger sister who was studying in a city like the capital with extremely high prices.

But when he recalls the family difficulties he faced back then, he still uses an optimistic attitude and humorous language to narrate a story that could have been heartbreaking.

In Lu Ze's words, he was very poor back then, so poor that the only shining quality he had was his resilience. But fortunately, he is no longer poor, and that resilience still shines through him.

It's hard for anyone to dislike someone like this. He wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and his family doesn't have a mine. Such a person's success won't be envied, just like few people criticize self-made millionaires because they earned it through hard work.

The scene was filled with laughter from time to time because of Lu Ze's humorous and witty remarks, but this was not what the production team wanted. Since it was "The Past", you definitely had to recall the bitterness and appreciate the sweetness. A few laughs were enough, but you also had to show the bitterness!

So the director rearranged the order of the questions by using the in-ear monitors worn by the two men, and asked a topic that Lu Ze found very boring.

"So, Lu Ze, what are your criteria for choosing a partner?"

"."

(End of this chapter)