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

Chapter 245, Wang Jinsong: To you, Li Xuan, all I have to say is two words: Awesome!
"This is my masterpiece, a work that I've been working on for 10 years. I've been conceiving it for a very long time, and it's definitely a great piece."

At this moment, Chen Kaizi, sitting in the main seat in the movie theater, was quite confident.

I was very satisfied with everything expressed in the movie, and I felt even more content after watching it.

I delivered a performance that showcased my talent, style, and confidence.

She was so confident that she didn't even notice the strange expressions on other people's faces, but she didn't want to lose face, so she could only smile awkwardly while feeling confused.

Congratulations!

Another masterpiece, appearing out of nowhere. Colleagues and industry insiders are praising it to the extreme. This is Chen Kaige's work, the work of the person who made Farewell My Concubine. If you can't understand it, it must be because our artistic literacy is insufficient, not because of any other problem.

This work was indeed filled with too much hope for Chen Kaizi. With this film, "The Promise," he wanted to challenge the leader of this generation.

Look closely, Zhang Yimou, this is me in my full form!

Are you scared yet?
A surge of confidence, a powerful desire to conquer, and self-confidence spread through Chen Kaizi's heart!

The opening day box office lived up to expectations, with a record-breaking 20 million yuan, which, apart from "Hero" in 2016, almost broke the record for the highest opening day box office for a Chinese or foreign film.

Explosion results.

As stable as Mount Tai.

Someone, prepare the best champagne for me.

He was also curious about the box office performance of "The Myth," a film of similar quality to his own.

Eight million in box office revenue.

It's still pretty good. Even though Cheng Shilong has had some setbacks recently, his box office appeal is still unmatched in China, making him one of the actors with the strongest box office draw.

It's a pity that we couldn't collaborate with him on "The Promise" this time, otherwise it would definitely have been a powerful alliance.

The box office could break records even higher.

However, it still broke the record, at least the record of the last two years. The original "Hero" was too special. As the pioneering work of Chinese commercial blockbusters, it also brought together the top resources. It seems that no one can break its record at present.

But it's okay, I can still catch up.

The box office war is raging.

By the second day, the smile on Chen Kaizi's face had turned into a smile that wasn't there anymore.

The next day's box office revenue increased from 20 million to 15 million.

The myth next door is that eight million turned into twelve million.

This is not a good sign.

This trend has now manifested in public opinion across the internet, media, and various other sectors.

This is even worse.

"The Promise" is a work by Chen Kaizi, a fifth-generation director who once made "Farewell My Concubine". His strength, honors, awards, and box office success all prove his power.

Well, and his life has been spent chasing one goal: to become the number one director in the world today, Zhang Yimou, who is hailed as the director with the highest overall return on investment.

Awards, profits, and box office revenue form an impossible triangle, but Zhang Yimou has managed to combine this impossible triangle, which is his most praised and superior achievement.

He is a perfect director.

Okay, Chen Kaizi, no one dares to criticize his work, because you can really see how much thought the director has put into it. If you come out to criticize, it might mean you don't understand it. So most people use neutral words to comment.

However, when it comes to praising "The Myth," everyone is quick to chime in.

"Myth" is awesome.

One dared not comment, while the other dared to praise.

"To be honest, the moment I saw the handsome man and beautiful woman on the poster, my DNA kicked in. It's not that a time-travel romance theme is bad. The ancient and modern war between Qin Terracotta Warriors was also a romance-themed show, and it achieved excellent results and was just as good. I went to see it with those expectations, but the final response was different. It not only has a touching love story that makes people cry, but also extraordinary character charm. It allowed me to appreciate the spirit of the Qin Dynasty."

This is perhaps the most surprising aspect of the work, the myth: the charm of the characters does not come entirely from their appearance.

Both General Meng Yi and Princess Yu Shu possess their own charm and are not merely tools in the plot.

Good movie, good work.

And at the end, this film critic added a subtle comment.

Just like the story of Farewell My Concubine.

That feeling is exactly the same.

And it wasn't just the film reviews that reversed; even the box office trend wasn't looking good for Chen Kaizi.
Upon seeing this reversal in box office trends, Chen Kaizi's face turned completely pale, and he could no longer sit still.

On the third day, the box office of "The Myth" and "The Promise" began to be equal. Online media led by Sina.com, as well as some amateur communities, took the lead in attacking the movie "The Promise".

"I don't understand, what are they filming?"

"This time, 'The Promise' should be considered Chen Kaige's biggest Waterloo in recent years. I can't imagine there could be an even bigger Waterloo. It's simply a disaster."

At this moment, on the campus of Beijing Film Academy, regarding the evaluation of "The Promise," the two school principals were standing nearby, feeling extremely sorry that this former "genius" had produced such a disappointing result after so many years.

Even Xu Xiang, the principal of the Central Academy of Drama, had to admit that he had misjudged Chen Kaizi. He had thought that after so many years of experience, Chen Kaizi would maximize his ambition and ability, but things turned out differently. This seemed to prove a small rumor that the film "Farewell My Concubine" was not actually completed by him alone.

He was initially somewhat dismissive, but after watching "The Promise," he genuinely felt the same way. Moreover, the sense of eagerness and opportunism in the film felt like a desperate attempt to prove to the world that his talent, that "Farewell My Concubine," was something he created independently without any underhanded tactics, was undeniable.
Recently, Xu Xiang has been enjoying listening to Jay Chou's songs—of course, that's because his daughter loves them and often says a few words.

If you tell our idol Jay Chou that he can't sing, he might just smile slightly, but if you tell him that he can't play basketball, he'll probably get angry. It's a similar principle.

"Everyone has their peak and trough, which is only natural. Even someone as great as Zhang Yimou can't make every film reach the level of the 'Impossible Triangle'. It's just that he has a higher probability of success."

A higher probability of achieving good results doesn't mean there's no chance of failure. It simply means that fluctuations in talent are normal at this level, but having too high a range for failures is also abnormal.
It's clear that Chen Kaizi is in a hurry.

But don't rush.

"Yes, everyone has their peak and trough periods. This is important and normal. No one can stay young forever and freeze their peak performance indefinitely. If someone could stay at their peak forever, that would be too freakish."

Actors, singers, directors, and producers all have a lower limit and an upper limit to their careers. This fluctuation is normal for any artistic profession.

If the fluctuations are abnormal, it's understandable that people would have doubts.

"Of course, I think your student is quite remarkable."

"Oh, you mean Li Xuan, right?"

"His [performance], it seems, from his debut until now, I've never seen him hit a low point. Every performance he gives me brings a different surprise," Xu Xiang recalled, referring to Li Xuan's performance in "The Myth" which he had just watched.
The last time I saw him on the big screen was during the movie "Kung Fu Hustle".

At that time, it was just right to feel that, as a student, his performance had fluctuated to the upper limit. There might have been Stephen Chow's guidance and the script's support, and there might have been various external factors involved, but this time, it was truly, once again, that he had fluctuated to the upper limit.

In this era, even someone as strong as Zhao Yanzi couldn't match her performance in "Moment in Peking" as well as in "Romance in the Rain" and "Princess Pearl." Her performance only dipped to the middle.

But Li Xuan is different; this guy is truly different.

Looking back, it seems that he has always been at the "upper limit," or even "exceeded the upper limit," giving higher acting value, and it seems that he has always fluctuated within the upper limit range.

Even Xu Xiang had never seen such a person before.

"Will he always be in such good shape?"

"You've noticed it too, haven't you? His condition is always in a good range. That's probably what makes this guy so unique and terrifying—he's always in a good state."

At this moment, Wang Fengsheng clicked his tongue and said, "His body, his spirit, his condition—I always feel that he never experiences a low point..."

"I hope it's just a coincidence."

Xu Xiang then said leisurely.

"If it's true, then it's incredibly enviable and terrifying."

But no matter what, this time it's "The Promise" vs. "The Myth".

The biggest winner is definitely "The Myth".

As for who won the role in "The Myth," opinions vary, but among the younger generation of actors, there is one person who cannot be overlooked.

No one can ignore the existence of Li Xuan.

His portrayal of General Meng Yi is among the best in this year's film roles!

Hong Kong.

Xie Jinfeng has two films in this release window: "The Promise" and "A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella".

At this moment, Edison Chen remained silent in front of the movie theater for a moment before speaking.

"So, what's the story of this movie?"

"It tells the love story of a woman, her intertwined fates with several men, and her bet with the goddess. It's a Cinderella story about a woman and men from different social classes."

"Isn't that Uncle's Mercedes and Takumi's 86?"

Xie Jinfeng: “.”

"Great directors always make films that are a little different; your understanding is too superficial."

Xie Jinfeng himself couldn't continue speaking.

Because at the time of filming.

He didn't quite understand either, and could only fulfill the duties of his role as Wu Huan in the script.

Act according to the script; play the role of whatever character you are.

The same goes for "A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella"—he did exactly what the director told him to do, even though he had already pushed his own boundaries.

Full of confidence.

To be honest, he didn't care about the success of these two films. He really didn't care. He didn't care about the creators of "A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella" or the director of "Farewell My Concubine." All he cared about was his own Wuhuan and Tang Sanzang.

Can these two characters overcome their goals?
At his level, his parents had already accumulated enough wealth, and for him, acting and becoming a star were more like a source of self-satisfaction. Or rather, money was no longer the deciding factor in his behavior.

What determines his motivation is his reputation, his status, and the degree to which he is known to people in the world.

That is, a pure name.

A name that allows me to remain in this world after I die, to live on in this world in another way.

This is Xie Jinfeng's higher ideal, and it's also the reason why he always looks down on his peers of the same level.

Lao Tzu is even more advanced!

Lao Tzu is far superior.

Until one day, Li Xuan shattered his dream of becoming a hero.

In kung fu, you use your fists to fight.

This time, the myth is equivalent to being slashed with a knife.

Purely acting skills and character portrayal ability.

Xie Jinfeng could only remain silent for a moment after seeing this.

I am really not as good as him.

"You're not even a little bit unhappy."

"Losing is losing. What can you do if you're unhappy?" Xie Jinfeng said calmly. "I'm not someone who can't accept defeat. I won't be discouraged by this loss, nor will I think that he's superior to me."

Whether it's Tang Sanzang this time or not.

Still, there was no joy.

In terms of both the role and the acting, they were almost completely outshone.

This general from the Qin Dynasty gave a truly excellent performance, one that is unparalleled from every angle.

If there's any flaw, it's that the difference between General Meng Yi and Jack Cheng is too great. Not only could the princess not tell the difference between their past and present lives, but even I, as a viewer, wouldn't think that they are the same person in their past and present lives.

However, looking at it all together...

You'll understand that if the character development goes wrong here, it's not Li Xuan's problem, but Cheng Shilong's.

From the perspective of character development, it is clear that Li Xuan's character is superior.

"When did you become so magnanimous? No, this isn't like you. You shouldn't be this narrow-minded."

Is this all I am in your eyes?

Edison Chen neither confirmed nor denied this. He didn't need to say too much about what kind of person his old classmate was; he certainly knew his basic personality traits.

Anyway, he's definitely not a very generous person.

Xie Jinfeng's eyes flickered slightly. Well, he wasn't as magnanimous as he claimed, and he was indeed a little upset.

But in reality, he did not doubt himself because of this.

After all, I am on the path of a star, a path that combines film and television with music, and these two paths are advancing side by side and developing together.

If I had to say whether I felt uncomfortable or not, I would say I felt a little uncomfortable, but it certainly wouldn't reach the level of depression that would make me want to die.

Although the plot of "A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella" is a bit crazy, the music is top-notch—it was composed by Joe Hisaishi from Japan, the GM's go-to musician. How could the music be bad?

Originally, the idea behind "A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella" was that if one thing failed, another would succeed. Even if the movie flopped, the music would be a hit—that was the plan, that was the initial thought, until the music from "The Myth" came out.

Xie Jinfeng wasn't afraid at all just now, but now it feels like he's been slapped across the face, it hurts really badly.

The song "Beautiful Myth" was a duet between Li Xuan and Kim Sun-hee. To be honest, before this, he really didn't know that Li Xuan could sing.

I've always thought Li Xuan was an extreme case of someone with exceptional acting skills and script comprehension, possessing immense talent as an actor, but never excelling in minor details, such as his voice.

Even Edison Chen knows that his idol's strength lies in his artistic perception and comprehension, which allows him to absolutely empathize with the character and the script. It is this empathy that gives him an incredible expressive ability in understanding the script, making him stand out!

Edison Chen knew that neither Cheng Shilong nor Tang Jili had the ability to portray General Meng Yi so delicately—they didn't have the emotional resonance to do so!
According to Teacher Chen's guess, the original General Meng was probably a person whose mind was only on Princess Yu Shu and who only had "small love". It was Li Xuan's scriptwriting ability that infused the character with "great love".

Even if everyone thinks that this is the credit of Tang Jili, the screenwriter and director, those who know Li Xuan know that this charm was definitely created by Li Xuan.

What shocked Edison Chen was actually the song "Beautiful Myth".

It sounds really good.

Besides the ability to resonate with emotions through the lyrics, this voice is also surprisingly good.

Originally, Edison Chen thought he still had some advantages.

Unexpectedly, Li Xuan really is an all-around warrior!

"I rarely feel inferior, but now someone has made me feel inferior twice."

At this moment, Edison Chen looked back with a somewhat complicated expression.

Originally, I thought he was an opponent, a nemesis.

Later, he became a role model and an object of emulation.

Now, just when you think you've mastered your skills, this sudden move tells you that you're neither the one to chase nor the nemesis.

Rather, it is witnessing the rise of a powerful figure, someone destined to leave his mark on the entertainment market of China in the future—something that Xie Jinfeng, now, and many other famous and wealthy film stars pursue.

Leave your name.

Let your light shine a little longer.

After returning to the Beijing Film Academy campus, Li Xuan felt that people looked at him with a touch more awe.

The Myth was a huge hit this time, and in terms of box office, it was probably slightly behind The Promise.

But the problem is that "The Promise" cost him 300 million yuan!

But "The Myth" has an investment of around 100 million yuan.

The two films had similar box office figures, but they were not comparable in nature. "The Promise" was likely to lose a fortune.

This time, the main battlefield of "The Myth" is still carrying a political mission, which is to export the "Terracotta Army" to Asia. It is a film that shoulders the mission of exporting Qin culture, and is not just a commercial film.

It can be said that "The Myth" was a complete success. Cheng Shilong made a great comeback, director Tang Jili gained both fame and fortune, and Li Xuan was the most dazzling young generation during this period.
Xie Jinfeng, a third-ranked actor and the first-ranked actor in a series, is no match for Li Xuan, a general named Meng Yi. Anyone with a little common sense can see the truth of the matter.

This time, Li Xuan defeated Xie Jinfeng. He even excelled in music – some people even started to carefully analyze his voice, wondering how his voice was so similar to that of the anonymous singer who was the top-ranked artist on the Qianqian Music Download Chart and a supporter of the two giants, Black Panther Band and Seven Pieces Band.
It can't be hidden anymore, it's becoming increasingly difficult to conceal.

"This time, truly no one can stop your rise in the film industry."

At this moment, Wang Jinsong and Wang Fengsheng looked at Li Xuan as if he were a work of art—a beautiful jade that had already been carved and was still developing its value.

I thought that the four years of university until graduation would be a process of 'turning a rough stone into a beautiful gem'.

As it turned out, he had already completed his path to success in just four years of university. He did it much faster than anyone expected.

“This time, I should get some lead roles in movies.” Li Xuan stroked his chin. This time, “The Myth” doesn’t even need to wait for the release of “Election” to prove a lot.

His commercial value, acting skills, and understanding of the character are enough for him to be a leading actor in a film.

"Yes, you should be able to land lead roles in some low-budget films; your level of influence is quite high now."

Wang Fengsheng looked at Li Xuan and paused before saying, "Especially when it comes to choosing endorsements, you really know how to pick them."

"Huh? He chose a spokesperson?"

Wang Jinsong was taken aback, thinking that Li Xuan, who was focused on his acting career, hadn't chosen anything to endorse.

"Teacher Wang, who was selected, is the spokesperson, which is a bit special."

"Don't go through with endorsements! This is no joke; it's directly related to your future and reputation. If you choose a rubbish product, the impact on your future will be immeasurable."

Wang Jinsong, standing next to him, was worried that Li Xuan might choose the wrong products to endorse. The impact of such endorsements could be significant or minor; if he chose a substandard product, it could also negatively affect him.

As a result, Wang Fengsheng had a strange expression on his face.

Li Xuan, standing next to him, hesitated and stroked his chin.

"Teacher Wang, you don't need to worry. This brand is guaranteed to be safe."

"What brand is truly immune to mishaps? Otherwise, endorsement fees wouldn't be so high or low."

The high cost of endorsement fees actually includes a component of "risk buyout".

This applies to both Party A and Party B.

Advertisers are not afraid of artists collapsing, as the contracts clearly state this.

"He definitely won't have any problems. Guess what he's endorsing?"

"What is it?"

"He is now the spokesperson for the Xi'an Terracotta Warriors."

at this time.

Wang Jingsong's expression was blank; he was stunned. Terracotta Warriors?

Terracotta Army?
A thousand words.

It can be transformed into two words.

Awesome.

(End of this chapter)