Who said this top flow is crazy! This top flow is awesome!

Chapter 158: The Number One Madman in the Chinese Entertainment Industry – Suggests a Thorough Investigation; It Doesn't Seem to Be Acting.
The film "Big Boss" is one of several projects that Guangying Shimeng was preparing for in the middle of this year as part of its transformation.

However, because Hong Kong has always loved this type of crime film, but has repeatedly failed in recent years, the investment in "The Boss" was not large, and after purchasing the script, the "connected" Ikeno was allowed to "make all sorts of changes".

Therefore, the overall atmosphere of the film crew didn't really feel like a large production crew.

After Ikeno joined the production team, "The Boss" was basically ready, because they had been waiting for Ikeno to finish filming "My Love from the Star".

Even though the Hong Kong entertainment industry isn't doing so well now, this kind of treatment is still something only top-tier celebrities can enjoy.

Who is the male lead?

"I heard they have very strong connections."

"I've been waiting for so many days, it's finally here."

Most of the crew members were from Hong Kong, including the director, who was also a relatively unknown director of a Hong Kong crime drama series, surnamed Chen.

That day, with Ikeno joining the group, rumors about him began to circulate within the group.

"I heard the script went through several revisions, and he revised it himself..."

"What the hell?"

Everyone shook their heads, but before long, the group leaders and assistant directors shouted, "Teacher Ikeno Ikeno is treating everyone to coffee and milk tea, come and line up to get them!"

"Thank you, Teacher Chi!"

The crew instantly erupted in chaos, with heated discussions taking place.

That's right. On his first day on set, Chi Ye followed the old lady's example of "winning people's hearts" and bought coffee, milk tea, and small fans for the entire crew.

The underlying message is also to tell everyone: the male lead has joined the production team.

"That's how it's done, it's normal."

inside the house.

Teacher Wu sat down next to Chi Ye and looked at him with a smile: "But you're very skilled. When I joined the group, I didn't buy anything for everyone."

Chi Ye was surprised: "I know you like money, Zhenyu, but I'm only taking care of my own share."

Teacher Wu was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "What? You're afraid I'll ask you for reimbursement?"

Everyone laughed.

Director Chen, who was recently recruited this year for "The Boss," put down the script and looked at Chi Ye: "We've read the new script, and it's definitely better than the original... It's just a matter of censorship; we don't know if it will pass censorship in mainland China."

"Leave this to the boss."

After Ikeno finished speaking, he asked in confusion, "Aunt...didn't President Jin say she was coming today?"

"She's in the inner room, she'll come out in a bit."

Director Chen offered an explanation.

"You'd better prepare to be 'tortured'," Teacher Wu reminded him gleefully. "This time, the boss has found you several 'teachers,' tsk tsk...you'll suffer."

Ikeno paused for a moment: "Teacher?"

"Yes, the acting coach and action choreographer who's with the crew."

"..."

……

at the same time.

Back room.

This year, she did not go out to see Chi Ye immediately. Instead, she flipped through the script. Ten minutes later, she put down the script and looked at the two "teachers" who had been hired at a high price and were sitting next to her.

One of these two teachers is a veteran actor from Hong Kong, who was invited to join the production team this year to teach Ikeno acting skills.

The other one is a well-known crime screenwriter in Hong Kong.

That's right. To prevent any accidents and to "back up" Ikeno, they hired quite a few people this year.

—Things that weren't done this summer, this year the aunt did them directly, vaguely forming a "cycle".

"What does Teacher Wu think of this script?"

This year, I look to screenwriter Mr. Wu.

"Hmm..." Teacher Wu smacked her lips and said honestly, "It looks very good."

Looks good?
So there are still some downsides?

This year, I looked at him but didn't say anything.

"Well... its storytelling is very good, you can tell that Mr. Chi has a story in his mind, but... can he handle the character design of Zhao Tai at his age? And... will the content of 'The Boss' be approved in mainland China?"

Teacher Wu is quite capable; he asked the right question.

This year, after a long silence, he suddenly smiled with satisfaction: "Indeed, you are talented."

Everyone inside the room: "?!"

"Cough cough."

Sister Zhang, who was standing next to her, coughed lightly twice.

"The review was fine." Jin Sui realized what was going on and waved her hand, "I had someone review this script before it was even prepared, there's nothing seriously wrong with it, don't worry."

"Okay, that's fine."

Considering the background and influence of this year, everyone fell silent.

“Hmm…acting is indeed a problem…I’ve also read the script, and the character Zhao Tai…it’s difficult for young actors to portray his complexity.”

After a moment's hesitation, he looked at another veteran actor surnamed Zhang and said, "Then please ask Mr. Zhang to teach Chi Ye properly in the crew... He actually has some acting skills; he acted very well in 'Loop'... You know what I mean?"

The acting teacher nodded hurriedly: "I understand, don't worry, I will definitely teach him well."

As he spoke, he suddenly gave a wry smile and pointed outside: "Actually, Wu Zhenyu is much better at playing villains than me. He even has scenes with Chi Ye..."

"Teacher Wu is busy with her own role and can't follow him full-time."

This year, she laughed and said, "The villains you played when you were young were no less impressive than Mr. Wu's."

The acting teacher was pleased, but still remained modest for a few moments before saying, "...Shall we go out and take a look?"

"Well, let's go."

Nod this year.

The opening ceremony for "The Boss" was held in the morning, and after being severely punished in recent years, the Hong Kong entertainment circle has lost its bad habit of dawdling on the day of the opening ceremony.

With the crew waiting for Ikeno, the entire crew got to work in the afternoon, and Ikeno got his first movie role.

When the group walked out this year, Chi Ye had already finished her makeup and changed into Zhao Tai's clothes from the movie—a brown Armani haute couture suit.

At this moment, while other staff and actors were preparing, he was looking down at the character biography, adjusting his state of mind.

—Zhao Tai.

What kind of person is he?

In the original version (Teacher Bao's version), Zhao Tai is an extremely evil person.

He is the illegitimate son of the big boss of a listed group in Binhai City.

He was a man of high status, arrogant and domineering, disregarding the law, and engaging in drug use, murder, and the abuse of women.

In short, he is a villain who has done all sorts of bad things, so bad that people feel disgusted at first glance and wish he would die any minute now.

In other words, he is an extremely one-dimensional and stereotypical villain.

In "The Boss," Zhao Tai is still evil, but he is no longer one-dimensional. He is a more complex evil, even a kind of crazy evil, a neurotic madness. Yet, at certain moments, he can make people feel that he is both pathetic and pitiful.

Yes, it incorporates many elements of classic mad and wicked young men like Ah Zu from the Korean versions of "Veteran" and "New Police Story".

But it's not a fusion monster.

Because Ikeno has her own understanding of this character.

There is no doubt that Zhao Tai is a spoiled brat and a madman.

However, he is also an illegitimate child. He has studied abroad and, under the spotlight, he must be a refined, witty, and humorous highly educated overseas returnee elite.

This was determined by his upbringing, upbringing, and experiences from childhood to adulthood.

In fact, he maintains an extremely regular daily routine and has dabbled in various martial arts techniques, including Taekwondo, wrestling, and Muay Thai.

That's why there are so many action scenes in "The Boss".

If such a person is simply shown to be mindless and evil, then that is actually very illogical and unscientific.

Perhaps to pass censorship, the original version didn't dare to be filmed like the Korean version, or there were other reasons. In any case, Teacher Bao didn't show this quality. At most, the director hinted at it a few times in the visual language, but it was never really realized.

This resulted in Zhao Tai becoming a breakout character, but leaving the impression of being a one-dimensional villain with no other redeeming qualities or "personal charm."

It's far less classic than the story of Azu on Earth.

Ikeno is different; he is now "leading" this project. He wrote the character himself, so naturally, he has to give "him" life.

—Logic, the logic line is key.

No one turns "bad" for no reason, so why did Zhao Tai become a seemingly refined, humble and polite person who is actually extremely crazy, eccentric, violent and neurotic in private?
It was his status as an illegitimate child that made him feel inferior, sensitive, and even suspicious.

He longed for the approval of his father, who was like a mountain to him, so he studied desperately, became excellent, and became strong (practicing fighting skills), but because of his identity, he never received the recognition of those around him.

Even if he did a hundred times better than his older brother, his father and the people around him would not look at him with admiration, but would only mock him in private: he was just a bastard raised by a stepmother.

Therefore, more than 20 years of repression and his experiences from childhood to adulthood gradually distorted Zhao Tai's personality.

In public, he is a high-and-mighty young nobleman, a super-rich third-generation heir who has the final say, and he closes one deal after another. He is known as a "rising star in the business world" by his business partners. In private, however, he is capricious and his sensitive pride makes him unable to accept anyone going against his wishes.

Even after he grew up, he began to habitually use violence to solve problems because no one dared to resist him, and more importantly, because this was the most satisfying and stress-relieving way to solve problems—except for a few people in his family, no one could put him in his place!
With this logic in mind, and by presenting the character's contradictions, the character becomes more than just a two-dimensional person, and the audience will resonate with his tragedy at some point during the film.

How did the iconic villain characters that have gone down in film history come about?

That's how it happened.

Of course, the prerequisite is that you have the ability to portray such a complex character. Teacher Bao didn't succeed, the Korean version of "Veteran" was successful, but Ikeno felt it wasn't enough.

He can do better.

……

set.

The noise gradually subsided, and this year, along with the acting teacher and screenwriter, walked behind Director Chen.

"To be honest, almost no young actor can handle this role."

"...Let's see how it goes first. If it doesn't work, we'll just keep working on it."

Hearing voices behind him, Director Chen turned around and put his index finger up to shush. The two teachers next to him immediately shut up.

Director Chen nodded, then turned to the camera.

At this moment, Zhao Tai's first appearance in "The Boss" is being filmed.

……

The LED lights in the underground parking garage crackled, their stark white light slicing cold lines across a black Maybach.

Close-up shot – the license plate “Bin·A88888”.

hum.

The wheels made a dull thud as they rolled over the speed bump. A man in a bespoke Armani suit was crushing half a cigar with the tip of his shoe, the last sparks bursting red on the sole of his shoe.

"Mr. Zhao, the board members are all waiting for you."

An assistant jogged over, a tablet in his hand displaying today's meeting agenda.

Zhao Tai stepped out of the car with a blank expression and perfectly posture.

The bodyguards on both sides bowed, some went to the car to clean and change the carpet, and the leader ran to catch up, inadvertently revealing a ferocious snake tattoo on his neck.

Zhao Tai strode ahead, loosening his tie before entering the room. Above his collarbone was a scar that had not yet scabbed over, and there was a faint smell of blood between his fingers.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.

Everyone was stunned and stopped abruptly.

He glanced back at the head of bodyguards beside him, then suddenly reached out and straightened his slightly crooked tie, saying softly, "Make sure you pay attention to your attire before entering the company. Don't forget next time."

The head bodyguard, smelling the lingering, indelible scent of blood, turned pale with fright, swallowed hard, and nodded hastily, "Yes...yes...Mr. Zhao, I was wrong."

Zhao Tai pointed to the head of the bodyguards and smiled, "Nice tie color."

After saying that, he stepped into the company building.

The others following behind immediately lowered their heads to make sure their ties and clothes were in order before taking small steps to catch up.

"...Holy crap, such a strong aura?!"

Off-camera, the crew was completely dumbfounded as they watched Chi Ye, who had almost no lines but whose mere glances and gestures instantly stunned everyone.

Yes, her aura is too strong.

It was as if he hadn't been acting; he had truly transformed into the ruthless, crazy young man that everyone around him feared.

Especially the scene where he pauses at the end to help his subordinate adjust his tie.

This little detail probably wasn't there before, and it's fortunate that the actor playing the head bodyguard is a veteran, otherwise... I really wouldn't have been able to handle it just now.

but…

"It's a pity that Teacher Ni was a step too slow just now, otherwise it would have been perfect."

Director Chen sighed in regret: "We have to reshoot!"

The people around remained silent.

"Let's save one, let's save one first..."

The acting coach looked at Jin Sui: "Something's not right... his... his acting..."

Teacher Wu was equally bewildered.

It wasn't because of Ikeno's acting skills, but rather... he vaguely saw a reflection of his younger self in Ikeno.

Yes, it has the charm of my younger self, but... it seems different.

It was so natural; every gesture and movement... it was even more imposing than him!

what's the situation? !

Teacher Wu frowned in classic surprise, but this time, it wasn't just encountering a historical figure, but rather the feeling of encountering a treasure.

He became genuinely interested, and his initial attitude of just going through the motions changed somewhat.

As a result, the following days made this transformation even more intense, even unbelievable.

……

"The Boss," the classic elevator madness scene.

Zhao Tai had previously forced food into a female celebrity's collar at a dinner table, beaten his sparring partner half to death at a boxing gym and broke his leg, and severely injured Chen Yongqiang, who went to demand compensation for his demolished property, and then faked it as a suicide attempt.

After experiencing a series of events, his inner turmoil, arrogance, and disdain for everything around him reached their peak, which then erupted while riding the elevator.

In the elevator.

The lights were a stark white, and the silence was somewhat oppressive.

Zhao Tai stood there, seemingly surrounded by an invisible aura of rage, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with impatience and disdain.

His tall, slender figure was reflected in the mirrored elevator doors.

There was no one around. He loosened his meticulously tied tie, shook his neck, and made a crisp "crackling" sound.

"Danglang"

The buttons on the bespoke suit suddenly popped open and fell onto the handrail in the elevator lobby with a clattering sound.

Zhao Tai tilted his head and stared at the button, then suddenly noticed himself in the mirror.

Hmm... my hair is a mess, and my clothes aren't neat either...

What should I do...?

Suddenly, he grabbed a fire axe from the corner and smashed it against the mirror.

"哐——!"

The explosion-proof glass shattered like a spiderweb, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses flew out from the shards and smashed against the wall.

"This broken mirror."

Zhao Tai ripped off his tie completely and licked the blood from his mouth: "It makes people's faces look distorted."

"It looks much better this way."

"..."

……

The blinds in the conference room on the 23rd floor were all lowered.

Wearing a gray suit, Cui Jingmin pushed the contract onto the table: "Mr. Zhao, regarding this acquisition..."

"Call him General Manager Zhao."

Zhao Tai slammed the crocodile-skin wallet onto the contract, his face expressionless.

The overturned coffee leaves brown stains on the purchase price figures, gradually decaying.

……

The female secretary handed over the wrong document for the third time. Zhao Tai was playing with his lighter when the clicking sound of the metal cap opening and closing suddenly stopped.

"Are you afraid of me?" A flame flickered on the corner of the document as his handsome eyes fixed on his female secretary. "Do you recognize me?"

Amidst the acrid smell of burning paper, he gripped the woman's chin and flicked cigarette ash into her collar: "Remember now?"

"I eat people."

……

The Zhao Group building.

In front of the panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows.

Zhao Tai stood overlooking the city, a long trail of blood from his fingertips trailing on the glass.

Three hundred meters below, in the plaza, police cars were surrounding the contractor who had jumped from the building.

Migrant workers are holding up a banner that reads "Give me back my hard-earned money".

"Prepare the helicopter." Zhao Tai said calmly, tossing his blood-stained tie to his secretary. His phone screen lit up with a call from the deputy director of the Public Security Bureau: "Tell that young officer in uniform..."

Cigar smoke blurred the arrogant look on his lips: "I am the law."

……

half a month later.

There was silence.

This year, she covered her mouth and said: No, I have to tell Xiaxia that Chi Ye might have violent tendencies!

A thorough investigation is recommended; it doesn't seem like an act!
Director Chen frowned and shook his head: "Not crazy enough."

"Huh?" Teacher Wu next to him was dumbfounded: "Isn't this crazy enough? Are you trying to film a real lunatic?"

"No," Director Chen corrected, "I meant that the character Zhao Tai isn't crazy enough."

(End of this chapter)