I'm not a drama freak, I can really see through the script

Chapter 241, Master Huang: Why is he always haunting me?
"A pointless hype."

At this very moment, director Chen Kaizi is watching the hype and sensationalism that is popping up on the internet.

There's Zhang Jizhong's "The Return of the Condor Heroes," with all sorts of unsubstantiated rumors about Xiaolongnu and Yang Guo.

There's also Sung Si-ryong's "The Myth," some interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, as well as the interactions between the male and female leads, the hottest young actor and Kim Sun-hee spending their school days together, and their ultimate CP chemistry.

The path.

They're all minor paths.

Using such a boring, even somewhat uninteresting and disdainful method—at least Chen Kaizi absolutely despises this kind of publicity—is a sign of a lack of confidence in one's strength and 'purity'.

Chen Kaizi is someone who has confidence in the 'purity' of his work.

I would never use that kind of promotional method; I would only use the most normal promotional procedures, and I would never take such a boring path.
This reflects confidence in one's own abilities.

A fifth-generation director who once reached the pinnacle of his career with "Yellow Earth" and "Farewell My Concubine".

Extraordinary strength.

Especially Farewell My Concubine.

This directly drew him into the ranks of the 5th generation of directors, making him an absolutely indispensable member.

My achievements all stem from my own abilities.

This time, "The Promise" is the time to prove everything.

My strength, my achievements, everything I have.

This time, regardless of whether it's Emperor Motion Pictures or a top international film, my work, which combines artistry and commercial appeal, this masterpiece from the future, will show you what true strength is.

However, since our competitors have already started hyping it up...

Well, I'll do my part too.

A press conference was held right then and there.

An interview was held.

The content of the short interview was very simple.

Chen Kaizi's interview only contained one central idea.

This time, I wasn't aiming for awards, nor was I simply aiming for box office success.

Instead, they want both.

It's a work that tries to balance both commercial appeal and artistic merit.

"He's arrogant, but he has the right to be arrogant because he's Chen Kaizi, one of the top fifth-generation directors."

At that moment, in Principal Wang Fengsheng's office, he was holding an invitation to the premiere of "The Promise".

The scenes in "The Promise" are extremely large.

Basically, all the prominent figures in the industry were invited.

This naturally includes him, the current president of the Beijing Film Academy, as well as Xu Xiang, the president of the Central Academy of Drama, who are also on the invitation list.

Wang Fengsheng has extremely high expectations for this work.

The main reason is actually quite simple, stemming from the film "Farewell My Concubine" from back then.

The performance of Farewell My Concubine back then was absolutely stunning.

From actor to director: a script.

They are all at the level required for performing arts academy textbooks.

As for the second most anticipated film, it would still be "The Myth". Although Cheng Shilong has had his share of mishaps, he really did a complete disaster in his previous film, New Police Story.

You can tell they are sincere.

It's even an extraordinary level of sincerity.

But it's not good-looking.

If it's not good, it's not good; if it doesn't sell at the box office, it doesn't sell.

This work is great in every way.

The plot is a major flaw, making it impossible for viewers to empathize with the protagonist's motivations.

I can't get into the body of a stubborn, self-righteous fool.

All I can say is that the action scenes are absolutely spectacular.

Of course, this version of "The Myth" has a rich cast, and I heard that Brother Long did not participate in the script production, which makes it even more anticipated.

Of course, there is another, most important reason.

That's the work he created, and he had his most promising students participate in it.

This student is truly admirable; before the film even premiered, he had already pulled off a major production, leading two exceptionally beautiful women from the peninsula on a tour of Beijing.

This made Wang Fengsheng feel emotional.

It's really good to be handsome.

It's mainly when you're actually standing next to a beautiful woman.

Li Xuan didn't seem out of place at all.

It's not just a matter of being handsome.

Rather, it's a truly wonderful match of temperaments.

Whether standing next to Choo Ja-hyun or Kim Sun-hee, there's a perfect sense of harmony between them.

This is probably the most unbelievable part.

What young people often refer to as "couple chemistry"?
That's really exciting.

Even standing next to these two, you can create a sense of being a couple.

This is probably the most unbelievable part.

That's why the internet can generate this kind of tension and power.

It's not just because the man is handsome and the woman is beautiful, but because they give off an incredibly harmonious vibe. This harmony is the most important thing, and the most appealing aspect.

"The most beautiful woman on the peninsula, and another beautiful woman who has achieved great success in mainland China, are they worthy of our Li Xuan?"

At this moment, Wang Jinsong felt that Kim Sun-hee and Choo Ja-hyun were barely worthy of our Li Xuan.

"She's the most beautiful woman on the peninsula."

"Tch, it's just a peninsula."

"Now everyone is influenced by the 'Korean Peninsula' culture, including our students, who are all chasing after the Korean wave."

"Principal Wang, the Korean wave is ultimately a minor phenomenon. I believe that soon, this form of culture and art, I won't say it will be eliminated, but it will certainly not be considered high art. It is completely confined to petty love and even likes to play with some tragic ethical dilemmas. To be honest, I feel a little physically uncomfortable watching it."

Wang Jinsong had a very deep and far-sighted view at this time. From his perspective, the works that would ultimately prevail were those that emphasized 'great love' and had a grand vision.

Those are the works that will eventually reach a higher level of artistry, just like the currently popular Lord of the Rings and Star Wars series. These not only have commercial success, but also contribute their own 'ideas'.

Who can't recite a few words like "democracy" or "freedom" these days?

These are all effects brought about by works of art and literature.

It is also a higher form of artistic works.

It carries not only the stimulation of dopamine, but also the carrier of 'thought', a more advanced structure.

Why was "Farewell My Concubine" so impactful back then? This work truly embodied the author's state of mind. A work that carries thought and is expressed artistically can become a successful and timeless masterpiece.

Wang Jinsong also has high hopes for "The Promise".

Judging from the lineup of Chinese films released during this period, "A Chinese Tall Story" is clearly a commercial film, the idol series that Emperor Entertainment Group loves most. The "Twins Effect" series is actually quite successful, otherwise, they wouldn't have followed this path. The so-called path dependence is that a path has been proven to be viable before it exists.

That formula worked out, with Charlene Choi and Xie Jinfeng. It's just a matter of how the script will turn out. However, Wang Jinsong isn't really the target audience, so it's more of a pure idol production.

However, given that the director is Lau Chun-wai, it should still be able to achieve some box office success.

In summary, this reflects both expectations and public demand.

"The Promise" is the king this time.

This year's box office king, a film with a 3 million yuan investment, has the ambition of achieving both commercial and award success.

It seems that there might actually be such a possibility.

At this very moment, in Hong Kong, Emperor Motion Pictures' CEO, Yang Shoucheng, is also handling matters related to "A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella".

This time, the director is Lau Chun-wai, one of the most imaginative directors in Hong Kong and a senior director at Emperor Entertainment Group. He directed the "A Chinese Odyssey" series and created characters such as Supreme Treasure, Bai Jingjing, and Fairy Zixia.

The success of "A Chinese Odyssey" back then, and its current influence, prove that Liu Zhenwei was simply too ahead of his time.

Being one step ahead is genius; being ten steps ahead is madness.

The fact that Liu Zhenwei's "A Chinese Odyssey" was a Waterloo and what happened afterward proves that he was just right for this era!

I wouldn't dare say anything about "The Promise," but I'd still dare to dabble in "The Myth."

At this moment, Xie Jinfeng, one of the parties involved, was looking at the posters of the two movies in front of him.

One is Initial D, and the other is The Myth.

Let's not even talk about Initial D. It has its old rival Edison Chen and Jay Chou, the top superstar in the music industry. Many pure musicians have joined this project, clearly crossing over to make money.

They still have influence.

However, what he cares about most is actually "The Myth".

The main reason was that he was still not at peace with the previous "Kung Fu Hustle" movie. Li Xuan's performance as the Fire Cloud Evil God made him feel a sense of shame and inferiority.

To feel such inferiority in the face of someone of such low status is itself infuriating. As for Xie Jinfeng, he feels he was born into a wealthy family, with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Bringing resources.

Throughout his rise through the ranks, he always treated others with respect and courtesy, but he never considered them to be on the same level as him, until he saw their expressiveness and acting skills.

This deeply shocked him and even made him feel somewhat inferior.

This feeling of inferiority is almost a feeling of shame.

His inferiority complex drove his actions, and in "A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella" and "The Promise," he pushed himself even harder.

Shame and inferiority drove his inner demons.

This time, it's about getting revenge.

From the perspective of two top-tier film projects, "A Chinese Tall Story" and "The Promise," let Li Xuan, this inner demon, leave his own world.

Face him directly.

He doesn't care what kind of success "A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella" and "The Promise" achieve this time. He only has one goal: to kill Li Xuan and eliminate this inner demon.

Let that sense of inferiority and humiliation leave your world.

"I should thank you. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have been able to dedicate myself so much to training my acting skills and would still be immersed in the false honors constructed by my elders."

At this moment, Xie Jinfeng squinted and said.

I don't think anything else is important.

Defeating you is very important.

That night, one more person was heartbroken.

The heartbroken man is Huang Xiaoming. Originally, he thought he could create some buzz with Xiaolongnu during the hype surrounding "The Return of the Condor Heroes".

But this time the topic was cut off. Originally, this was just a casual move, and it wasn't meant to achieve any particular effect.

Gossip in this world is always emerging, and there are always more, more outrageous, and more explosive gossip stories.

Zhang Dongya, who has been single for many years, and Xu Jinglei's sweet romance is a real relationship, not just a rumor or gossip.

Zhang Ziyi's role in "Memoirs of a Geisha" was also very eye-catching, and the film greatly increased her international influence. However, the fact that the role was played by someone of Chinese nationality always has a strange feel to it.

Many news stories can overshadow the early hype surrounding Xiaolongnu and Yang Guo in "The Return of the Condor Heroes"—after all, it's a film that hasn't been released yet.

If "The Return of the Condor Heroes" were still in the theatrical release phase, it would probably generate some follow-up buzz.

It's still in the hype stage.

Huang Xiaoming originally had no other ideas.

But now, frustration is inevitable.

It wasn't for any other reason than a young man who was always in his field of vision, but whom he had never respected.

His name is Li Xuan.

He had actually given up on paying attention to Li Xuan, because the two of them were simply not on the same level. He was a star from the class of '96, one of the four most popular young actors, while the other was a student from the class of '02, who hadn't even graduated yet.

The gap between us is greater than the gap between heaven and earth.

This is a fundamental difference.

It is a fundamental difference.

When this gap appeared, I shouldn't have lost my composure like that; I should have maintained my dignity.
But this time, when I saw him appear...

I have to admit, this guy feels like a persistent ghost. Whenever I'm about to forget him, he appears in front of me in a strange way, making it so uncomfortable that I can hardly breathe.

This time was no different. She appeared before him in such a manner, dating and taking photos with the most beautiful woman on the peninsula and a renowned beauty who frequently filmed in China. This made Huang Xiaoming, as a man, extremely envious.
"What makes that kid so special? Could he really be Xiang Huaqiang's brother?"

At this moment, Huang Xiaoming felt an even stronger urge to eat shit when he thought of this, remembering that this person was his 'uncle'.

that feeling
It's so frustrating.

Why are you so persistent?!

At this moment, Li Xuan was bombarded by his roommates +1.

As he saw off the two peninsula beauties, Li Xuan couldn't stop thinking about why his roommates wouldn't give him any space to explain.

Okay, it's true that I dated two beautiful women, but that's just the truth!
"That's probably the privilege of being a handsome guy. To be honest, I'm really envious." Huang Bo next to him was quite envious. Damn, there was no sense of incongruity when standing with these two beauties, and the two beauties seemed to be very happy to stand next to Li Xuan. That feeling was the most important thing.

They were quite happy to agree.

Standing next to Li Xuan, or rather, standing together next to Li Xuan, is something that I'm quite happy to do and not averse to. This is the source of the so-called 'CP' feeling. From an outsider's perspective, these two girls only have eyes for you.

This feeling doesn't necessarily need to rise to the level of 'liking' or 'loving,' but there's definitely a basic sense of goodwill.

Privileges, oh privileges, the privileges of handsome men.

Li Xuan shrugged – it's perfectly normal for feelings to develop while filming.

Chu Liuxiang loves Shi Guanyin, and Meng Yi also loves Princess Yu Shu.

That feeling is the feeling in the play. If you don't really feel it in the role, how can you show it to the audience? — If you can't even convince yourself, how can you convince the audience?

Li Xuan explained it to his roommates, convincing Luo Jin and Zhu Yawen. However, Huang Bo just chuckled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, completely remaining silent. It seemed like these kinds of things were always right no matter how you looked at it.

"I'm inviting my buddies to see this film, 'The Myth'."

"You're the richest person here. Of course, it's your treat!"

"Yes Yes Yes."

At this moment, Li Xuan smiled. He was no longer the poor student he used to be. After filming so many movies, in terms of assets, he should be considered to have achieved "student-level financial freedom".

You can stay up all night at internet cafes, spend real money playing Legend of Mir, and build a computer that can run World of Warcraft.

I'm already far ahead in acting.
However, Luo Jin and Zhu Yawen don't always take advantage of their friend's wealth. In most cases, they split the bill, or if one treats the other, the other will treat the next day.

Li Xuan took too many steps forward.
Without realizing it, while we were still in our ivory towers, the other person was already standing on a stage competing with veteran stars. This feeling and the resulting gap are quite disorienting.
Back then, he was a popular figure on campus, but overall, he couldn't escape the label of "popular figure on campus." No matter how great you are, you're only half a step ahead; you can't create a huge gap in popularity.

But then, at the start of his sophomore year, it suddenly became clear that his lead wasn't just half a step ahead. Looking back, it became apparent that his lead was all-encompassing—from the astonishing talent he displayed in that midterm assignment, to later roles as a supporting actor, to winning the crown at a prestigious awards ceremony, and the Best New Actor award—all these honors and accolades demonstrated that he had come a long way.
Luo Jin and Zhu Yawen have always aimed to emulate Li Xuan, but it seems that catching up with him has become more difficult for them now.

Most importantly, Zhu Yawen and Luo Jin, like most college students, were impacted by a feeling of confusion as they approached graduation and entered their junior year. Where does my future lie? Which path should I take?

This is what happened to these two confused college students.

When roommates and the eldest have gone so far away, how should they face and follow them?

While I was still searching for my graduation play, perhaps just following the school's arrangements to play a supporting role or make a brief appearance, the other person was moving towards their own goal.

This feeling of moving towards the sun in one's heart.

This made Luo Jin and Zhu Yawen feel a little inferior, a little admiring, and a little wanting to follow.

I really want to follow the boss.

I don't ask for any particular achievement; I only want to enter the world of the boss.

Just looking at him is enough.

I don't want to fall behind him, I don't want to not see him when I graduate, I don't want us to go our separate ways.

At this moment, Li Xuan is waiting for the upcoming release of "The Myth" and also going home to check on the projects his uncle had found for him. He said that some projects had contacted him and asked Li Xuan to go back and take a look.

Before I went back, I saw someone waiting for me—a girl who didn't seem to be in a very high mood.

"Liu Yifei! Have you finished filming 'The Return of the Condor Heroes'?"

"Um"

"Sure." Li Xuan looked at Liu Yifei with some emotion. The growth of girls is truly amazing. When Liu Yifei first entered university, she was only a few years old and looked like a child. But now, at eighteen, Liu Yifei is like heaven and earth compared to back then. She is truly at her 'peak'.

Especially since her face still had that puffy, teenage-style look.
That little feeling is quite magical.

"What's wrong? Who's made our little princess angry lately?" Li Xuan teased from the side.

At this moment, Liu Yifei looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't, and she was fuming. Why was that?

For Brother Li? What reason or right do I have to be angry? He was just visiting Beiping with an actress he worked with. As friends and acquaintances, visiting their hometown is a perfectly normal thing. So why, why do I feel uncomfortable now?
"Hey, let me tell you, that Choo Ja-hyun we met today, when we were filming 'The Legend of Chu Liuxiang,' her acting was amazing. She perfectly embodied both good and evil, good and evil."

"As for Kim Sun-hee, she's prettier, but she doesn't have the same quirky and mischievous charm as Choo Ja-hyun."

Li Xuan took the initiative to talk to Liu Yifei about his experiences filming on set, mostly about what happened during filming.

Hearing these words, Liu Yifei felt as if a little sun had risen on the back of her head, dispelling the shadows.

Yeah, Brother Li, he's still the same Brother Li!

Nothing has changed.

That Brother Li.

At this moment, Liu Yifei suddenly felt better.
"It's so annoying, the production team's hype. Before, 'The Return of the Condor Heroes' even used me and Huang Xiaoming to create hype. But the hype was directly stopped by you taking two beauties to walk around the campus~~~ It means my mom doesn't have to spend any extra money to create hype."

"Publicity stunts, that's Zhang Huzi's traditional skill. As expected of him, he started the publicity stunts so long before the film's release."

"Speaking of which, Brother Li, it seems that your 'Chu Liuxiang' production team has encountered some problems. It seems that you've fallen out with the literary consultant of CCTV. What's going on? This has greatly boosted the morale of our 'The Return of the Condor Heroes' production team."

"Well, the biggest problem with this literary consultant is that she probably hasn't read 'Chu Liuxiang'."

"How can you be a literary consultant if you haven't read it?"

"That's a good question. You'll understand when you grow up."

"Oh, okay, I'll also tell you about what happened to me on 'The Return of the Condor Heroes'. Our senior, Huang Xiaoming, all the actresses in our crew loved talking to him. It made their skin so oily that they didn't need any extra makeup touch-ups."

"Is it that amazing?"

When I was with Brother Li.

It really feels like time flies by. Even trivial and boring things don't seem so uninteresting when you talk to him about them.

(End of this chapter)