Huayu: I'm reborn, but you still force me to be a scumbag?

Chapter 499 My Talent is Limited

After Zhang Yimou finished speaking, Chen Nuo was also somewhat moved.

He suddenly felt like saying more.

Then he asked, "Regarding this, I actually have a personal experience I'd like to share, it might be a bit boring, but I don't know if you'd like to hear it?"

"Yes!!" The voices in the auditorium merged into a huge roar.

Unseen by Chen Nuo, Zheng Zhongjian and Zhang Tianyou exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of surprise in each other's eyes.

Looking at the young faces below the stage, filled with curiosity, excitement, or agitation, he saw them staring at him.

At this moment, Chen Nuoneng could truly feel a special sense of intimacy.

Once upon a time, he too stood and hesitated at the gate of the film academy with this same expression, didn't he?

If he hadn't met Zhang Yiyi, he might have remained at the door forever.

"Regarding what Director Zhang just said, that I experience life for every film I make, I want to clarify that it's not that I want to do it, but rather that I have to. For example, the award I received today is for 'Inception.' But the filming of 'Inception' wasn't very smooth. I don't know if you've seen the behind-the-scenes footage of this film..."

"have!!!!!"

Chen Nuo laughed and said, "Really? So many people have seen this?"

Zheng Zhongjian, who was standing next to him, laughed and said, "Professor Chen, you don't know this, but we require all teachers and students in the school to watch this play. Not long after the DVD was released, the school bought it as soon as possible and used it as an acting textbook in some public performance classes. Most students have indeed seen the behind-the-scenes clips in the DVD."

Although she felt uncomfortable with being addressed as Professor Chen, Chen Nuo maintained a natural smile, showing no sign of anything amiss. In this respect, everyone who needs to engage in mushy social interactions should learn some acting skills.

"Really? There's such a thing." Chen Nuo turned his head to look at Zheng Zhongjian and said with a smile, then turned back to his head, "Since that's the case, I wonder if everyone remembers that there was a scene in the behind-the-scenes footage where Director Nolan and I were talking alone."

"Remember!!!!"

Another shout rang out in unison.

Okay, Chen Nuo didn't delve into it further and continued, "That was Nolan giving me some pointers. Because the protagonist, Cobb, is a married man whose wife has passed away, he thought I didn't act well and didn't portray the feeling of a married man losing his beloved after death."

"This bothered me a lot at the time. Because it was obvious that I had never been married, let alone... right?"

"Hahahahaha..." The whole audience burst into laughter.

Chen Nuo laughed and said, "It's funny to talk about it now, but at the time, it really bothered me a lot."

"That's how actors are. The characters we play in plays may be absurd, bizarre, or even ridiculous. But you have to bring them to life with a realistic expression. To act well, in addition to the various techniques we learn in school, you must have real-life experiences to support your emotions so that you can act with feeling."

“In this situation, I tried many methods but couldn’t find the right one. But luckily, at that time, there happened to be a male actor in our crew who was going through a divorce with his wife and was crying his eyes out in front of me every day. I found some feelings of being a couple with him.”

"Hahahaha." Another burst of laughter.

At this moment, everyone in the audience was completely engrossed in listening.

Those who were recording videos with their phones, and those who had taken photos to post on social media, all momentarily forgot what they were doing and stared at the stage.

Don't think it's an exaggeration.

Honestly, listening to Chen Nuo recount the real filming details of *Inception* is something that, even at any high-end film forum in Cannes, Berlin, Santa Barbara, Toronto, or Los Angeles, would have directors, actors, and audience members holding their breath, afraid of missing a single word. It would also have garnered impressive ratings on any daytime or late-night TV show.

Not to mention the students who are still studying at the film academy.

It felt just like listening to God tell you how He created the world in seven days.

"What about the loss of a beloved relationship? I can only find the answer from my own experience."

Chen Nuo didn't elaborate here, but jumped directly to the conclusion.

"Have you noticed that Cobb exudes a sense of anger throughout the entire film? Every line he speaks, every action he takes carries an emotion, making you feel as if a fierce emotion is constantly pounding against his nerves?"

"have!!!!!"

Chen Nuo now understood why school leaders and teachers always gave extended speeches; it felt so good to have such a powerful and influential presence.

He said, "Regarding this Oscar nomination, I spoke with one of the Academy's acting members. He's a veteran actor in his seventies, the kind who's relatively unknown. He approached me at the Vanity Fair dinner after the Oscars. He said that's what he liked most about me, so he voted for me in the Best Actor nomination."

I asked him why.

He said he was just an old man who lost his wife a few years ago.

"That's what he felt at the moment he lost his wife."

"It's not sadness, it's anger."

"At first he was numb, then he became angry with himself, angry that he hadn't taken good care of her. He was angry with the doctors for not being able to cure her, and angry with his children for not being able to help her. This anger overwhelmed all other emotions, to the point that over the years he went from a mild-mannered, kind man to an eccentric old man who was estranged from his children. Even today, he can't accept his wife's death, and so all sorts of anger have entered his life."

He believes that the character Cobb in the movie is himself.

"Anger, constant anger."

“I want to say that if I didn’t have the experience in my life, I probably wouldn’t be able to portray this kind of anger. This real experience cannot be compensated for by any technique. No amount of conviction can make up for it. Because, if you haven’t experienced it yourself, you simply can’t imagine it. After losing a loved one, it’s not sadness or despair, but it turns a man into an angry bull.”

Chen Nuo paused at this point.

And Dean Zhang Tianyou... no wonder he was able to become a dean.

As soon as Chen Nuo stopped, someone else immediately filled the gap.

"Let me interject. Students, I often say in meetings that our school has always encouraged students to truly pursue the limits of art. Now, you must carefully remember and deeply understand what Professor Chen is saying. Every word is worth its weight in gold..."

“Look at the octopus monster. It’s usually so imposing, but as soon as Brother Nuo comes, it turns into a little octopus. Tch,” Bao Wei said casually.

Dilraba was startled and turned to look around. Fortunately, everyone around her was listening attentively, just like her. She couldn't help but whisper, "Hey, keep your voice down."

"What's there to be afraid of? Ah Zi, don't you think so?"

Yang Zi didn't answer. She didn't even turn her head, as if she hadn't heard anything, staring at the stage, completely still.

After Zhang Tianyou finished speaking, Chen Nuo started talking again.

He spoke into the microphone, pondering as he spoke: "What I'm saying isn't that you necessarily have to experience life for a role. If you're playing a vampire or a monster in a TV series, you can't experience that kind of life yourself. You can only rely on your usual acting training, writing detailed character biographies, and mentally refining the character. But in some realistic films, because of my limited personal talent, I think..."

"Waaaaah~~~~~~"

Before he could finish speaking, a loud jeer broke out, interrupting him.

The enormous noise forced him to stop.

Dilraba, who was in the audience, saw Bao Wei cup her hands to her mouth and cheered, "Waaah~".

She couldn't help but let out a couple of sobs along with the people on stage.

It wasn't just the two of them; the classmates who were engrossed in their studies just a moment ago were all joining in the teasing around her.

Seriously, that's too much.

Saying that is like not wanting people to live.

……

It's estimated that Chen Nuo is the first person to be booed while giving a speech in this auditorium.

However, he was thick-skinned. After the boos subsided, he continued without blushing or panting, "...I'm not being modest. I genuinely believe that rich life experiences are perhaps an actor's most valuable asset."

"If you want to be an actor, then I think you should be more courageous in experiencing every emotion, every stage of life, feeling pain and joy, touching the boundaries you never thought possible, and doing as much as possible and experiencing as many emotions as possible in the shortest amount of time."

"Love, pain, failure, success, perseverance, giving up... experience these real feelings, and they may, at some point in the future, become the material for your acting, to move a judge, and to win a trophy."

"Live life to the fullest and make the most of your youth."

"Okay, that's all I wanted to say."

……

……

The video on the computer was clearly shot with a mobile phone camera, and the image quality looked very poor. Even though he had selected the highest quality setting, it still looked blurry.

However, the guy filming the video is probably a photography or directing student; his hands are very steady. In the 20-minute video, except for a few moments when the young man on stage said he wasn't very talented and joined in the commotion, causing the phone screen to shake slightly, the screen remained almost perfectly still. No wonder it has the highest view count and completion rate among all the related videos uploaded today; within 24 hours, the former surpassed 200 million views, and the latter nearly 100 million.

A conversation can be faintly heard coming from the speakers in the video.

"His talent is limited? Hahahaha, damn it, why doesn't Noah say he's ugly?"

"I guess it's because even fewer people would believe that."

"He himself said his talent is limited, so how are those acting students supposed to survive? On our school's BBS, the actor widely recognized as the most talented Chinese actor in history says he's just an average person. What are those acting students then? Cow dung?"

"The key question is, if he didn't say those things, would those acting students be able to survive? Listening to him on stage talking about how he collaborated with Christopher Nolan, how he filmed 'Inception' in Hollywood, how he made billions from one movie, and how he topped the Forbes Celebrity List. Then thinking about how they could only end up playing minor roles in Hengdian after graduation, how could they possibly have the courage to live?"

"Haha, you're right, luckily I'm not a performing arts major."

"Luckily? Sorry, I didn't finish my sentence. At least those acting students who go to the film crew to play minor roles are good-looking and handsome. What about you? You know what you'll be called on the film crew? Ugly freak janitor, only fit to associate with garbage, even the water you drink smells like shit."

"You son of a bitch..."

This was clearly a conversation between the video's owner and a friend, which was also recorded.

Zhang Hongye couldn't help but laugh.

These young people born in the 90s these days... are quite self-aware.

At that moment, a vague idea suddenly flashed through Zhang Hongye's mind.

But it was fleeting, and he couldn't remember what it was right away.

The video continued playing, so he didn't pay any attention to it for the time being. After the Q&A session ended, Zhang Hongye felt that the leaders of the film academy were clearly not going to let go of this hard-won golden sheep, and were determined to fleece it.

Next, they actually called several acting students onto the stage, and the two specially appointed professors who had just received their appointments gave the students some acting guidance on the spot.

Without a doubt, this should be the most awesome acting class in all of China.

Zhang Hongye chuckled as he imagined the handsome and beautiful students from the Beijing Film Academy going on stage to show off their acting skills in front of Chen Nuo and Zhang Yimou.

I was able to concentrate on watching it a little more.

"...If it were me, I would first think about why I'm in jail. Was it for theft or murder? These are different things that can be portrayed differently. If it were theft, and my wife came to visit, I probably wouldn't be too upset, since I'd be out in a few days. But if it was murder, it's different... From the initial indifference to hearing that my wife is pregnant, from not caring about death at first to not wanting to die and wanting to live, if this student could portray this psychological shift, I believe it would be much better than it is now. Director Zhang, what do you think?"

"...These two students acted very well, I think they were great. But if I really have to nitpick, I think the girl looked down too much. You two are a couple who haven't seen each other for a long time and are about to part again. I think in this situation, especially for the girl, she would be reluctant to look away, and would feel that she couldn't bear to look away for even a second less. As for the boy, I think everything else was good, but when you turned around at the end, I think the details could be improved. For example, when your girlfriend tries to stop you, when you turn around, your head and body turn at the same frequency. But do you know that to look good on camera, the frequencies of your head and body need to be different, like this... You can practice that later."

"...You acted terribly, dragging down your co-stars. They had so many punchlines to deliver, and you didn't catch a single one. Don't make so many excuses. None of the performers just now rehearsed; it was all improvisation. On set, the director won't listen to your excuses. Nervousness is no excuse. You're nervous, OK, next one. There are so many actors in China, and every opportunity is precious. Don't say you want to find the best. There's no best. When you're called on, you should immediately find the most powerful reason to support your acting. What's wrong with the woman you're playing? Why did her boyfriend break up with her so decisively? Did she cheat? Or does she have some quirks? Or is it her family background or her parents' opposition? You need to decide all of this before the performance. Don't think about the best; just find the reason that best supports your performance, understand?"

Seeing that beautiful woman with deep-set eyes and a high nose, she was so scolded that she couldn't even lift her head.

As the vice president of Youku Tudou Group, Zhang Hongye certainly knew that this wasn't a case of men having low emotional intelligence or being overly serious about things that shouldn't be taken seriously. Rather, these two weren't like other people who were senior and junior classmates; they were boss and employee. In this situation, being strict wouldn't be called being harsh, but rather expressing disappointment and frustration.

Didn't you see that the leaders from the film academy next to them didn't say anything? They obviously all knew about this.

The phone video was too far away for Zhang Hongye to see the specific performance details. He could only hear the man's voice coming through the speakers. It sounded a bit muffled, but he could still make out what he was saying.

At first, Zhang Hongye listened with great interest.

Although any film school teacher could say these things, he wasn't a performance major and had never taken an acting class. It was the first time he had heard someone instruct others on acting, and he found it quite interesting.

Especially coming from this man, it felt particularly convincing, making him even want to hear it again.

It was at this moment that the vague thought that had flashed through his mind earlier suddenly rushed back to him, making him freeze in shock.

The video is still playing.

The man's voice from the video is still coming through.

However, Zhang Hongye had lost interest in listening any further. He turned off the video, picked up the landline next to him, and dialed a number.

Within two minutes, a bald man in his thirties and a woman in her forties knocked on the door and entered.

"Mr. Zhang, you were looking for us?"

"Hmm. How are things going with your discussions with Huanxin Company regarding the variety show?"

"Well, there's still no progress. After their initial proposal was rejected, we're still discussing it."

Hearing this, Zhang Hongye said irritably, "I told you before that it was impossible. Even if it were possible, could we afford it? Li Li and the others got Gao Xiaosong to talk about the inside story of the Oscars, and it became a hit. You want to just copy that?"

"I'm saying, can't you guys use a little more logic in your brains? Can't you use a little common sense? Huh? Why did that 'Xiaoshuo' talk show become so popular when it talked about the Oscars? Isn't it because Chen Nuo didn't win the Oscar for Best Actor this time? The whole country is angry and wants to find out exactly where he lost?"

"You've already achieved great success by just touching on a concept, and you want to invite the main character to talk about your business today? Xiaoshuo gets a million views in 24 hours, and you're planning to make hundreds of millions in 24 hours, right? Dreams are beautiful, but is it realistic? If Chen Nuo wants to make money by doing variety shows, I estimate that the line of people giving money could stretch from Beijing to Los Angeles. Do you think you'd even get a chance?"

He launched into a tirade, leaving the man and woman sitting opposite him pale and ashen-faced.

This is why Zhang Hongye felt a strong sense of empathy when he saw Chen Nuo criticizing Dilraba.

Tudou and Youku, two former rivals, merged into one company in March this year under the influence of capital.

Although they have merged in form, the two websites still operate separately, and the two factions are clearly distinct.

His faction consists of the original group from Tudou.com, who followed Yang Weidong, the former president of Tudou.com, and is known as the Tudou faction. This faction is not aligned with the Youku faction led by the current chairman and president, Gu Yongqiang.

Youku has recently brought in a talented individual, Li Li. He has been with the company for less than two months, and with the help of Gao Xiaosong, a returned overseas intellectual, and two senior screenwriters who joined the company with Li Li, they launched a talk show that became an overnight sensation, greatly boosting the company's reputation.

Of course, they were not to be outdone and wanted to launch a show to compete with the other side.

However, this bunch of good-for-nothings wanted to get rich quick. Although they contacted Huanxin and they were interested, the first proposal they submitted was to have Chen Nuo come forward and talk to everyone about Oscar.

To be honest, Zhang Hongye was also interested in this concept when it was first proposed.

If such a program really existed, and if it could actually invite people to personally gossip about Hollywood in America with domestic audiences, what would "Xiaoshuo" be? It wouldn't even be worthy of shining someone's shoes.

But reality is harsh; the submitted proposals were rejected without hesitation. After about a month of negotiations, nothing has been reached. As far as he knows, other companies, including Youku, are also in contact with them. Seeing his deal about to slip away, he's at his wit's end.

After all, producing content for a variety show is both simple and difficult. It's simple because you can do it if you have money, but it's difficult because you have to consider many different needs.

Partners, company staff, broadcasting bureaus, audiences, etc.

The idea he just came up with seems to perfectly meet all these needs, and it seems quite interesting.

"What do you think about us making a show about acting?" Zhang Hongye said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" the bald man asked.

Zhang Hongye said, "Have you all seen that video that's been all over the internet today? It's the video of Chen Nuo going back to the Beijing Film Academy to receive an award and teaching the students there how to act."

"Looked."

"I've seen it, Mr. Zhang."

The two of them said.

Zhang Hongye said, "I was just watching this, and while I was watching, an idea suddenly popped into my head. What do you think, if we do this and that... what would happen? Huanxin wouldn't be able to resist a show like this, right? We could even..."

……

……

Chen Nuo listened to what Li Jing said and felt a little surprised.

Isn't this just a variety show from South Korea from a past life? After it became popular, it was, as usual, borrowed and adapted into many shows in China. Every time it airs, it generates a lot of buzz and gets decent viewership.

At this point in time, Korean programs probably haven't been released yet. How did Youku come up with this idea?
He was just about to give his opinion when the phone rang.

He looked at the number and realized it wasn't Linghu, but someone he hadn't expected.

"Hello, how are you, Mark?"

"Hello, Chen, I hope I didn't disturb your rest?"

"No, I'm already at work. Is there anything I can help you with, Mark?"

"Yes. I wanted to tell you that I successfully proposed to Priscilla yesterday."

"Wow, congratulations!" Chen Nuo feigned excitement. "I'm so happy for you guys."

"Here's the thing, we're planning to have our wedding in August, and I was wondering if you'd have time to attend. I'd like to invite you to be my best man."

Chen Nuo was taken aback.

That's right, the person on the other end of the phone was Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The two hadn't been in contact since Chen Nuo signed the agreement and received his 2% stake.

Chen Nuo knew that although Xiao Zha had been forced to sign the agreement with him for various reasons, he must have harbored resentment. He didn't care, though; once he had the shares, what could Xiao Zha do to him?

But to his surprise, this ruthless person suddenly called him and asked him to be his best man.

Chen Nuo asked doubtfully, "August?"

“Yes. Priscilla is pregnant, and we don’t want to wait any longer; we want to get married as soon as possible.” The voice on the other end of the phone sounded a little unnatural. “We sincerely invite you to attend.”

"Oh~" Chen Nuo said, "Has a specific date been set? I think I'm available anytime except the end of August, because I'm going to Venice for the film festival then."

"Understood, then we'll arrange it for mid-August. How about that?"

"Sure. The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th of August, which is a very auspicious day. You can consider it."

“I will consider it. I will contact you again after I discuss it with Priscilla and set a time. Thank you, Chen.”

"It's alright, I'm glad you invited me."

"Thank you, then I won't bother you any longer, goodbye."

"Goodbye."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Nuo rubbed his temples.

Could there be some kind of scam involved?
Hmm, probably not. He's probably just taken the wrong medicine for some reason. Chen Nuo doesn't believe that this billionaire Jewish man would use his life's most important matter to scheme against him.

But why?

Chen Nuo thought about it for a few seconds but couldn't figure it out, so he stopped thinking about it.

Turning to Li Jing, who was waiting to the side, he said, "I think this concept is good, and we can follow up on it."

"Understood, then we'll do it this way."

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Li Jing turned her head and glanced at him, then immediately stood up and said, "Then I won't bother you any longer, Mr. Chen. I'll report back to you after we've discussed everything."

Chen Nuo hummed in agreement and said, "Okay."

Li Jing went out, Linghu closed the door, and then came in.

The man had disappeared; he seemed to have gone on a long trip, looking travel-worn.

Chen Nuo looked at him and asked, "Why did you take so long?"

Linghu said, "He must have sensed something; he had already run away when I arrived. I suspect that woman surnamed Yang wasn't professional enough, and he probably sensed something was wrong. But I had a friend investigate and found his hometown address; he's from Changsha. I took Ms. Yang there and found him; he was indeed hiding there. Now I have Ms. Yang keeping an eye on things. It's not convenient to discuss these things over the phone, so I came back. Mr. Chen, what do you think we should do next?"

(End of this chapter)