Abstract Art Award Winner

Chapter 379 How about inviting Bao Qiang?

The discussion in the planning group chat for the second season of "Five Ha" is still going strong.

After a heated discussion, the suggestion regarding female guests was ultimately put on hold for the time being.

The production team took into account the unique program effects created by the all-male cast in the first season and the program's "rough guy travel" theme.

There are concerns that adding female regular guests might change this unique atmosphere, and there are also concerns that actresses might not be able to let loose in physical challenges and certain segments where they don't care about their image, or that they might be burdened by the show's effects.

This could cause unnecessary controversy.

"Let's put the female regular MCs on hold for now," the director summarized in the group chat. "We can consider guest appearances, but for the regular lineup, we'll stick to an all-male cast this season and delve deeper into the concept of 'brotherhood travel'."

Now that the direction has been set, the selection of participants is much easier. Everyone's goals are clear: they need to be able to endure hardship, have a good sense of humor, be outgoing, have audience appeal, and be able to blend in perfectly with veteran guests like Deng Chao, Chen He, Lu Han, and Zhou Le.

Soon, two names were proposed with high approval.

The first one is Wang Baoqiang.

The name was first suggested by Deng Chao: "How about Brother Baoqiang? He can definitely endure hardship, has high national recognition and is down-to-earth. Moreover, his honest and straightforward nature, combined with a bit of cleverness, will definitely make him good for variety shows."

We've worked together before and have always had a good relationship. I can confidently say that if we could get him on the show, it would definitely be a huge hit.

Chen He immediately chimed in, "Baoqiang is awesome! Absolutely awesome! With him around, there's bound to be lots of laughs! And isn't he trying his hand at directing recently? Our show can definitely give him some new inspiration."

Lu Han also sent a voice message: "With Brother Baoqiang here, we'll have solid logistical support for our team... oh no, I mean, we'll have a lot of support. Come to think of it, I don't think I've worked with Brother Baoqiang much before. I think it would be great if he could come!"

Everyone laughed knowingly. Wang Baoqiang's professionalism, simplicity, and unique comedic sense had been proven through multiple variety shows, making him an excellent choice.

The second name is Xu Zhisheng, which was mentioned by Lu Han and Zhou Le: "That stand-up comedian, Xu Zhisheng, he's really popular lately, what do you guys think?"

He's hilarious just standing there, and he tells jokes. Plus, he's cheap. He's got a knack for making people laugh. If he participated, there would definitely be a great show, and the effect would be phenomenal!

The proposal was passed by almost unanimous vote.

They had all heard of Xu Zhisheng, after all, among the well-known comedians in recent years, Xu Zhisheng was one of the most famous.

Although the company signed Xiaoguo, Xiaoguo itself is also promoting artists outside. They had previously considered bringing in a stand-up comedian named Wang Mian, but at the time they didn't need that type of comedian. Now, in Zhou Le's own opinion, Xu Zhisheng's comedic effect is definitely better.

After all, some people are just naturally gifted at comedy.

Actually, there's another good guy named He Guangzhi, but his humor comes from jokes and texts; simply standing there doesn't have the same effect as his actual performance.

The production team was also impressed; such cross-disciplinary combinations often produce wonderful sparks.

However, these chats took place in an official group chat created by the production team. In private, Deng Chao told Zhou Le that the production team originally planned to directly arrange for two people to join.

One is Guo Jingfei, and the other is Peng Yuchang.

After all, this variety show is jointly invested by iQiyi and Tencent, so both sides naturally need to arrange their own people.

If Zhou Le weren't there, it wouldn't really matter to Deng Chao and the others, as long as he's easy to get along with, can create good on-screen effects, and can bring his own audience.

But right now, Zhou Le alone can rival them in terms of traffic. At least in their group, only Lu Han's traffic can compare to Zhou Le's.

After all, Zhou Le's fan base is very diverse, including those who like his work, those who like his character, and those who are part of a fandom.

In contrast, Deng Chao's fan base is not as large.

Fandoms actually represent the most direct form of online traffic.

Therefore, with Zhou Le involved, they actually gained greater say.

However, when they were chatting in the group, the production team was also there, just to see who they would choose. After all, the production team also had to consider things; they couldn't just agree to let Zhou Le, Deng Chao, or Lu Han randomly bring in a few ordinary people.

Every program has risk control measures and needs to be reviewed.

But right now, Xu Zhisheng and Wang Baoqiang have been confirmed, and there are no problems with these two people.

Xu Zhisheng is basically a nobody in the entertainment industry, but he has a decent online presence and his shows are quite entertaining. As for Wang Baoqiang, he needs no introduction; his variety show skills, popularity, and character have all been proven by the market.

Wang Baoqiang appears on fewer variety shows now, not because others don't invite him, but because he doesn't want to go.

"Of course, the two people the production team chose were both right, and Guo Jingfei and I have a good relationship, but I still want to make our show more interesting."

These are Deng Chao's original words.

With the initial casting decided, filming for "The Long Ballad" was also nearing its end.

The weather in Hengdian is not getting cooler; in fact, it's getting hotter.

With the weather outside hot, the hotel air conditioning was naturally set even lower.

After filming a night scene, it was already late at night.

Naza, wearing a slip dress with a silk shawl over it, walked side by side with Zhou Le towards the hotel.

As the filming was about to end, the feeling of parting made Nazha a little depressed.

"Le'er, is our filming almost finished?" Nazha asked softly, her breath sweet as orchids. Although she was trying her best to remain calm, Zhou Le could still detect a hint of resentment in her voice.

"Yes, it'll be soon, at most another half month." Zhou Le nodded.

"So what are your plans after you finish filming? Are you going straight to the next group?" Naza asked casually, but her eyes unconsciously drifted over.

Zhou Le thought for a moment and said, "There's a variety show I need to record. I promised it before, the second season of 'Hahahahaha,' so I have to go with them for a while."

"The Five Huskies? I've seen the first season, it seems pretty fun."

Naza's eyes lit up slightly, and she asked with a mix of anticipation and tentative curiosity, "So, do you need any female guests this season? Do you think I can go?"

After she finished speaking, she lowered her head somewhat embarrassed.

After all, these words are quite straightforward. Although the two of them had already been honest with each other, she is, after all, a girl, and when talking about certain topics, she always carries a hint of probing.

Looking at her like this, Zhou Le felt both amused and tender.

But he still frankly said: "The regular guests this season are still the same group of men, plus Bao Qiang and Xu Zhisheng, all of whom are men."

As for female guests... they can only participate as guest stars in one or two episodes at most. If you're interested, I'll recommend you to the production team and see which episode would be suitable for you to come and have a look."

Although she was just a guest star, Naza was still very happy and nodded vigorously: "Great! Flying is fine too! I feel like traveling with you guys would be a lot of fun!"

The sense of disappointment lessened considerably, replaced by an anticipation of participation.

Back in the hotel room, the air conditioning was on full blast, which chased away the heat.

Perhaps it was because their parting was imminent, or perhaps it was because the night was too dark, but the atmosphere between the two became somewhat sticky and ambiguous. Zhou Le naturally helped Nazha take off her shawl, his fingers inadvertently tracing her slender neck.

Naza trembled slightly, but instead of dodging, she raised her head and looked at him with moist eyes, as if a thousand words were hidden in them.

"tired?"

Zhou Le asked in a low voice, which was deeper than usual.

"Hmm... a little." Naza's voice was soft.

"Then...you should get some rest?"

Zhou Le's words sounded like a question, but he moved even closer to her, almost able to feel each other's body temperature.

Naza did not answer, but simply closed her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes trembling gently.

The answer is self-evident.

Zhou Le lowered his head and kissed her forehead, then the tip of her nose, and finally covered her soft lips with his kiss.

The kiss began gently, with a soothing quality, but quickly grew passionate and deep in the quiet room.

With parting imminent, it seems that all emotions have found an outlet.

He was like a tireless steed on the grasslands, and she was like a peony from Chang'an blooming completely for him...

In the following days, during breaks in filming, Zhou Le often joked and chatted with Deng Chao and Chen He in a small group chat about the preparations for the second season of "Five Ha".

Deng Chao sent a voice message filled with wailing: "Le'er! I've missed you so much! When are you coming to suffer? Oh no, I mean to enjoy the journey!"

Chen He followed closely behind: "That's right, come on over, it's not fun to bully Xiao Lu without you."

Lu Han sent a string of angry emojis: "You just wait! When Brother Le arrives, we'll team up and take you two old guys down!"

Zhou Le replied with a laugh via voice message: "Almost done, almost done. We're almost wrapping up filming here. Are Baoqiang and Zhisheng sure they can come?"

Deng Chao: "It's basically settled! Baoqiang happens to have a new movie in preparation and he's been quite stressed lately, so he needs to relax. As soon as he heard about our program, he immediately agreed, saying he'd treat it as a way to experience life and find material."

Xu Zhisheng was even more excited, after all, he was collaborating with our Brother Le.

Chen He: "So they can go straight to the set and start recording the pilot episode. No rush, you can join us after you finish filming. We have a long journey ahead of us~"

After discussing the variety show, Zhou Le remembered Tian Xiwei and made a special trip to meet with her to talk.

Tian Xiwei has become incredibly popular recently, with her inbox overflowing with scripts, endorsements, and event invitations.

The sheer volume of work was enough to overwhelm her team.

In a quiet private room at a coffee shop, Tian Xiwei looked a little thinner than she did on the show, but her eyes were still bright, though there was a hint of fatigue and confusion between her brows.

"Brother Le."

She saw Zhou Le and gave him a sweet smile.

"Xiaotian, how have you been lately? Looking at your schedule, you're almost surpassing mine."

Zhou Le jokingly said that he ordered her a cup of hot milk.

Tian Xiwei held the warm cup and sighed, "Brother Le, please don't tease me. I am quite busy, but... to be honest, I'm a little panicked."

"What's the rush? This is the best time of your career."

Zhou Le encouraged him.

"It's precisely because it's too good that I panic."

Tian Xiwei said seriously, "Brother Le, look at the scripts being handed to me now. They are almost all idol dramas, sweet romance, fantasy, urban romance... They are all similar in type. They are only interested in my current popularity and sweet girl label. I know that continuing to strike while the iron is hot will maximize profits, but I don't want to keep doing this."

She paused, her eyes hardening: "Brother Le, I need to calm down. I feel like I'm too popular right now, a bit too much of a hype, all just a bubble."

I want to stop and learn something new, to further my studies, whether it's learning more about how to act, performing in a play, or simply taking a break to live a good life and accumulate some genuine feelings.

I don't want to be driven by trends; I want to walk my own path steadily.

Zhou Le was somewhat surprised, then revealed an appreciative look.

In the entertainment industry, a place of fame and fortune, there are very few young people who are willing to take the initiative to reflect and resist temptations during their peak years.

He nodded and said solemnly, "Xiao Tian, ​​it's really remarkable that you can think this way. You're more clear-headed than many actors I've met."

That's right. Popularity comes and goes quickly; only real talent and quality work can take you far.

After thinking it over carefully, he said, "Since you want to settle down, I support you. You can hold off on writing scripts for idol dramas that are particularly similar to each other, or you can be more selective and choose carefully. I can help you contact some theaters to see if you can act in some of their productions, even if it's free."

It can also help you find scripts with more realistic themes or characters with greater depth, even if you have fewer scenes, it can still hone your acting skills.

As for exposure, occasionally appearing on variety shows is enough, like a guest appearance on "Five Ha Ha" or a reunion on "Peach Blossom Village" if there's a second season. The key is not to exhaust yourself.

As Tian Xi listened to the plan Zhou Le had made for her, her eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if she had found her pillar of support: "Thank you, Brother Le! I knew it was the right thing to do to talk to you! That's exactly what I was thinking!"

I may miss some opportunities in the short term, but I think it's worth it because I used to think about making money, but now I've made quite a bit of money, and I feel like I can accumulate more.

Moreover, I've always felt that although my image is cute and pretty, and I have good qualities in all aspects, the key issue is that my face is a bit too limiting, which makes my acting roles a little narrow.

“It’s definitely worth it,” Zhou Le said confidently. “You’ve been accumulating experience for a long time. Your acting range is indeed narrow, but if you have enough ability, you can make up for it. Look at your sister Zhao Liying. She used to act in all kinds of roles just to become famous, but now she’s starting to act in serious dramas. She also has a baby face, doesn’t she? But as long as you act well enough, these are not big problems.”

After finishing discussing business, the atmosphere relaxed.

Tian Xi blinked: "Brother Le, when are you going to record 'Orchid Grass' that you collaborated on with Brother GAI? I can't wait! I was thinking that after we finish working together, we could find another opportunity to collaborate on another song."

"It'll be soon. Once filming here is finished, we'll schedule a time to record it. GAI has already sent me the adapted demo. Your hook is really good. I'll help you promote it later."

"That's good! Just don't end up like Sister Meng..." Tian Xi said unconsciously, then immediately covered her mouth. The two looked at each other and saw the smile in each other's eyes.

Meng Jie's singing is indeed a bit abstract, but for them, that only shows that Meng Jie has an interesting soul.

This meeting was just Zhou Le taking a break from filming to chat with Xiao Tian. Afterwards, he had to go back and finish filming the last part of "The Long Ballad".

Especially towards the end, everyone was exhausted, but it was precisely at this point that Zhou Le couldn't afford to mess things up. As the saying goes, what the superiors do, the subordinates will follow suit; when the attitude of those above becomes lax, it will naturally affect those below.

"Okay, then you should go back and rest for the next few days, or learn about your song. We'll record it together later. Even though he's a rapper, he's still a singer. We shouldn't let him down and make him look down on us."

(End of this chapter)