Abstract Art Award Winner

Because Zhou Le has already prepared a role for himself.

Although it's a movie he directed and starred in, there's nothing wrong with him being the lead actor. The problem is that he's already decided on his role: he wants to be the villainous male lead, and Zhou Le knows very well how dark that area is.

It would be a huge waste not to do something about such a pretty young girl being deceived.

So girls should avoid going if possible.

As for the men, they were first locked up and extorted, but many who considered themselves tough became obedient after arriving.

They come up to you asking for money, and if you don't give them any or have none, they'll just chop off one of your hands.

Ask again; if it's still not there, cut off the other one.

With today's advanced technology, they have plenty of ways to inflict pain all over a person's body without causing them to die.

Having your skin cut open and then slowly picking out the tendons inside your arm one by one—there's always a point where you can't take it anymore.

The second method is to simply extort money and then sell it to a random industrial park for telecom fraud, or to drain its internal organs and sell everything that can be sold.

This harshness is what prompted Zhou Le to accept the script.

Thinking of this, Zhou Le called Zhou Ye again to talk about playing a role in the movie.

Zhou Ye also had no problem, saying that she was ready to go whenever the organization needed her and summoned her.

However, apart from Meng Ziyi and Zhou Ye, Zhou Le thought that Yu Shuxin and Tian Xiwei were not very suitable for this drama, and there were no particularly suitable roles for them, unless they continued to add scenes and plot.

But then there's not much need for that.

The production of "Love and Redemption" is currently in its final stages. It is estimated that after a few more scenes with Zhou Le, filming will wrap up, and the remaining cast will stay to continue filming the remaining parts.

But Xiao Zhan's case continues, and its impact is growing, to the point where he is being boycotted and criticized by official media.

When an artist runs into trouble, their management company and fans will start trying to reduce the hype.

Since New Classics Media is now under Tencent, their idea is to find some external smokescreens to divert some of the attention, rather than trying to find Zhou Le, who doesn't get along with Xiao Zhan.

However, the fans also have their own opinions. In their view, the official actions are inaction, so as fans, they have also started their own actions.

Their first target was Zhou Le.

The fan community is quite amazing. Although most of them are ordinary people, among the big fans, there are always people from all walks of life.

So some people quickly released a schedule of Zhou Le's from a few months ago, based on what they knew.

At the time, the area was under lockdown, and the official advice was to avoid going out unless absolutely necessary. However, Zhou Le still went back to Shanxi.

"Why is he allowed to run around like that?"

"Is no one in charge? No one cares about such matters of principle, but instead they're meddling in Xiao Zhan's little things. Besides, it's all the fans' doing."

It has to be said that these big fans are really good at writing long posts, and they quickly put Zhou Le on a pedestal.

But Su Yingxia only mentioned this to Zhou Le once, without letting Zhou Le worry about it.

"Brother Le, I'll just call a few people, it's a small matter. I'll also talk to Tencent later."

Su Yingxia quickly contacted the recipient of the supplies, who expressed their willingness to clarify the matter. After all, Zhou Le was from the same hometown, and at the time, they simply wanted to contribute their own strength without making a fuss.

It would actually be better to have some publicity now, because so far, there is still a shortage of various supplies. Although Zhou Le is constantly sending supplies over, the supply is still not keeping up.

More publicity will encourage more people to lend a helping hand.

"President Su, don't worry about that. Our leaders take this matter very seriously. We will make sure that those who offered help are not disappointed. We also held a small meeting and came up with a solution to reach out to some more medical staff to respond as well."

This is the reply from the recipient of the supplies.

"Mr. Su, I still have that order. You guys spent a lot of money on it, so it's only right that you help explain things now. I'll post a video later. As for what you said about them coming over to yell at me, I don't care. A grown man like me isn't afraid of them. We're doing a good deed, nothing shameful. If they go too far, I'll call the police."

The foreman of the truck fleet that Zhou Le came with also gave a reply.

So soon, various clarification videos were released amidst the controversy.

After all, it wasn't just Zhou Le's studio that was being discussed at the time; everyone else was also affected.

"So, are some people's fans obsessed? And those marketing accounts, why don't they broadcast the weather forecast when there's no news?"

"Yes, it's because of people like you that people who want to do good deeds are hesitant and timid."

"Heh, who knows if this was a last-minute contact? Can you really believe what this person says? If they were really doing good deeds, why didn't they say so beforehand?"

"It's really too difficult. If I say it, I'll be criticized for putting on a show. If I don't say it, I'll still be criticized. And why should I give you their itinerary? They just need to report where they're going to the local authorities. Who do you think you are?"

Another group of people started arguing online, but it was clear that Zhou Le was in the right.

The situation was indeed quite serious at the time, so they contacted everyone they could before setting off.

Seeing that the war was about to break out again, they had no choice but to continue to look for other ways to share the firepower.

But sometimes things just take a dramatic turn. They were subtly spreading dirt on other people everywhere, but they didn't make a ripple. Then one day in May, Tong Zhuo started a live stream on Douyin.

After all, her family has some background and resources. Although she hasn't reached great heights since entering the entertainment industry, she has indeed accumulated a considerable number of fans.

The last time Zhou Le collaborated with the other party was in a Chinese restaurant.

A long time has passed in the blink of an eye, to the point that Zhou Le has almost forgotten about this person's existence.

After the other person started a live stream, I don't know what they were thinking, but they got really into the conversation and started talking about their past.

Because he was determined to get into the PLA Academy of Arts, but he didn't outperform others in the previous exams. They were recruiting five people, and he ranked sixth. So he repeated a year of high school. Since the PLA Academy of Arts only recruits current year graduates, he used some means to change his status from a previous year graduate to a current year graduate.

The following year, although he managed to manipulate the process through these means and applied to both the Central Conservatory of Music and the PLA Academy of Arts, he did not have any problems with the Central Conservatory of Music. However, he ranked fifth in the professional exam at the PLA Academy of Arts, but since only four people were admitted that year, he still failed to get in and ended up going to the Central Conservatory of Music.

But this very issue was quickly compiled into a video and released online. Everything else was fine, except for the matter of changing the status of a previous graduate to a current graduate.

Even Zhou Le didn't know what the other party was thinking.

If you're not popular, just shut up. Continue promoting what you need to promote. The current situation is tantamount to admitting your mistake.

Sure enough, the next day, slices of this part started appearing everywhere.

Ordinary people are somewhat hostile towards the privileged class, but in many ways, even if they speak up, it's useless. After all, the environment cannot be changed based on what ordinary people say, unless there are enough of them.

But the situation is different when it comes to educational resources.

Moreover, it felt like there was someone else pushing things along, perhaps a competitor of our company, or someone from another company. In any case, the matter was quickly investigated and clarified.

Tong Zhuo is indeed an honest kid; he didn't utter a single lie during the live stream.

His degree was soon revoked, and it also implicated some other people.

"Brother Le, what do you think he's thinking? I remember when you and Sister Meng went on a variety show, you mentioned him. He's probably from your hometown too."

"Yes, he is indeed from the same hometown, but I don't know what he's thinking."

"But Brother Le, it seems you're quite strict when it comes to education."

Tian Xiwei also sighed.

Zhou Le smiled and said, "Yes, it is strict, but how should I put it? Sometimes when a child is not up to par, it cannot be said that it is entirely the child's own fault. If his family could have gone to a higher level, had a wider network of connections, and used stronger relationships, even if there were public opinion storms, it would not have come to the point of being blacklisted now."

After the official announcement, take a break, film a few movies, and then try to produce something positive and uplifting. This matter will then be over.

After listening, Tian Xiwei thought for a moment: "So if his parents had been more ambitious, maybe he could have gotten into the PLA Academy of Arts back then? And this time, his career wouldn't have ended so quickly."

"That's roughly the idea. You have to understand that there are always these kinds of people. Although they are not you, me, or the people around us, even though we are artists now, earn more money, and may be exposed to more high-end things, what we can see is only a corner of the Heavenly Palace."

Taking this matter as an example, besides taking the national college entrance examination, there are many other ways to get into these schools, such as the art exam.

There's nothing they can't do, only things we haven't thought of.

Tian Xi shook her head slightly: "Forget it, this kind of thing is not really suitable for me. I have no background and no connections. The best person I know right now is you, Brother Le."

Zhou Le laughed out loud: "Hahaha, then you've got it for life."

"It's a must, okay? Don't you even know who my boss is?"

However, Tong Zhuo has indeed temporarily replaced Xiao Zhan in online discussions.

But Zhou Le understood that from now on, Xiao Zhan would probably only be able to follow the idol route.

Wang Yibo currently has several films and television dramas awaiting release or filming, and Xiao Zhan, as an artist who is completely comparable to Wang Yibo, is naturally no exception.

But after this incident, from February to now in May.

In just three months, Xiao Zhan has completely ruined his public image. It might be slightly better if he appears in TV dramas in the future, since both web dramas and TV dramas on satellite channels are judged by their ratings, and high ratings are king.

Fans are best at manipulating data.

Movies are different; you have to pay to see them in a movie theater, and each viewing costs tens of yuan.

Unless you find some well-known IPs to naturally attract a group of people first.

After all, a good actor does have a strong box office appeal. Zhou Le is an example, but others like Wu Jing, Xu Zheng, and Huang Bo are all capable of carrying the box office.

However, having an actor like Xiao Zhan in a movie might actually be a drawback. This kind of news is enough to pique the interest of many casual fans, since there are so many movies released each time, one more won't make a difference.

After filming wrapped on "Love and Redemption," Zhang Yimou also announced within the industry that he would be making a movie and released a list of the selected actors.

"Filming will officially begin in September and is expected to last three to four months."

"September? That's still a long way off, no need to rush."

Zhou Le relaxed as he looked at the time. He had finally finished filming a TV series and planned to take a good rest before filming the variety show.

She had just finished drinking at the wrap party the day before and hadn't even recovered by the next morning when she received a call from her agent, Su Yingxia.

"Brother Le, have you finished filming over there? If so, come back to Beijing quickly! It's very important."

"What's wrong? Why are you so anxious?"

"A role, a role! There's a really important role here right now. If you want to get it, Brother Le, you have to be back before tomorrow!"

"What kind of movie is it? I'm going to film Director Zhang's movie in September. If I take on another role now, won't it clash with my schedule?"

"Brother Le, really, listen to me, if you can get this role, it'll be much better than that movie!"

This immediately piqued Zhou Le's interest. Zhang Yimou's film was aiming for various mainstream awards, and as the lead actor, he might even be able to win a Best Actor award.

But the new drama and new role that Su Yingxia mentioned is actually more important than this "Cliff Walkers".
"Let me think about it. Then you can book the ticket for me. I'll pack my things now and take the next flight back. But you have to tell me what kind of movie it is, and who made it. Is it another new installment in the Founding of a Republic series?"

"No, it's not that. This time it's a TV series called 'The Age of Awakening.' Most of the other roles have actors specializing in their roles, but the male lead is better overall. When I noticed him before, I also recommended him. Then today I suddenly remembered to ask him and found out that they are preparing to start auditions."

First, select a group of people internally to compete for some key positions, and then publicly recruit the remaining people.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Le thought to himself that this was indeed more authoritative than "Cliff Walkers".

Zhou Le already knew just by hearing the names of those characters.

After all, what kind of dramas can use character actors?
"Hmm, what kind of role would I be?"

Su Yingxia quickly replied with three words: "Li Dazhao!" (End of Chapter)