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

Chapter 258, The Prestige of an International Superstar! Aspiration!
The film "The Young Students" encountered obstacles even before filming began.

Not only Li Xuan, but Wang Fengsheng was also impeached in various ways, and there were even reports of him abusing his power for personal gain.

It wasn't driven by self-interest, but rather by a genuine feeling that Principal Wang Fengsheng was problematic.

The reasons are not unfounded.
I think this Principal Wang must have been involved in some kind of collusion for personal gain, because it does seem quite unbelievable at first glance, and there's no way to refute it.

"The beginning of this project was indeed fraught with difficulties," Wang Jinsong said with a complicated expression. "There were obstacles from all sides."

But Wang Fengsheng was very optimistic, and just chuckled as he said it.

"Isn't this great? Our drama hasn't even started filming yet, and the hype is already coming one after another. They're even using top-tier resources from the Beijing capital circle for publicity and distribution. Isn't this great? We've even saved on publicity and distribution costs."

Did I make a mistake?

They've made their intentions public; nobody wants this work to be created.

They wanted to nip it in the bud.

The biggest difference from before is that...

They used to be cost-conscious, and when they found that they weren't making money, they would stop what they were doing.

This is driven by self-interest; it's a result derived from calculating gains and losses.

But when they don't calculate gains and losses, but elevate it to a matter of stance, then capital is a terrifying operating machine.

The fact that the marketing department was brought out now shows that they have keenly noticed something.

When it comes to issues of interest, it's not the time to calculate gains and losses.

They're not ordinary young people anymore; we have to use strong measures.
Previously, targeting Li Xuan was to establish authority, but ultimately it was still about 'making money' and getting Li Xuan under their control. This time, however, it's a real fight, and they've come to regard Li Xuan as an 'enemy'.

Wang Jinsong, however, felt that Li Xuan should continue to cultivate his skills as an actor.

It's moving too fast now. It's really too fast.
This time, an entire class of students was also involved.
"In fact, instead of discussing this here, why don't we go and see what the parties involved are doing?" Wang Fengsheng said at this point. "We should also see what the parties involved think, or rather, what their attitude is."

That's certainly true. It's important to see what the person in question is like. Ultimately, the person in question is Li Xuan, and the person who needs to assemble the crew is this top scorer from the 2002 class of the Beijing Film Academy.

When I arrived at the classroom, I saw Li Xuan, who was all smiles and acting as if nothing had happened.

Despite these challenges, I remained calm and composed.

I thought at least he would be a little upset?

As it turns out, that didn't happen.

The 2002 class of the Performing Arts Department has now become the focus of attention for the entire school.

Everyone knows that the 2002 class of the Performing Arts Department did something big: the class monitor asked the entire class to put together a graduation play—not the kind of play that's performed on stage, but the kind that's broadcast on television. This was groundbreaking. Opinions on this initiative were mixed.

However, it cannot be denied that for young people, this courage and awareness are indeed more of a compliment.
It's inspiring to think that someone has the courage to do something groundbreaking, and that so many people are responding to their call.

The 2002 class of the Performing Arts Department is now a true "star class" on campus.

At this moment, Zhu Yawen was somewhat sullen in class.

"They're not steadfast or loyal! They betrayed our class outright, easily won over by a few sweet words. These kinds of people have no vision."

"That's not entirely true. We must respect individual choices; everyone has the right to choose their own future," Li Xuan said with a smile. "I appreciate your trust in entrusting me with taking that first step into the future, but at the same time, there's no need to interfere with others' choices or blame them."

"Yeah, I'm just a little angry. Damn it, if Huayi Brothers contact my agent again, I won't even answer the phone. I'll make them furious!"

Zhu Yawen has a bit of a temper, but she's not unreasonable, and she knows that decisions about one's future shouldn't be made lightly.

He could entrust his future to Li Xuan so readily, not only because of 'trust', but also because of 'friendship' and 'loyalty'.

This cannot be compared to normal circumstances.
The main problem is that the capital circles in Beijing are utterly unethical. These tactics, used against a young man like Li Xuan, are incredibly despicable from every angle. It's unbelievable that capital would treat a young person this way.
It's a matter of 'enemy' or 'position'.

Li Xuan was also somewhat surprised, but not because he was being targeted, but because the other party's reaction was faster than he had expected—it was an unreasonable and confrontational confrontation.
Before, the Beijing Film Academy was there to protect us, but now that we're about to graduate, we're not pretending anymore, and neither are they.

This led to the current outcome.
Before filming of "The Young Pioneers" even began, the other party came to stop it.

It would be best if you couldn't film it, but if you did, I'll make sure you fail miserably.

This kind of independent, self-reliant approach that bypasses the established industry chain is exactly what they despise most and need to eliminate.
They might be regretting now why they didn't push themselves to their limits during their student days.
After all, I was quite 'well-behaved' during my student days.

Overall, it still follows the industry framework and doesn't deviate from it, except for "The Young Pioneers," which does deviate from the framework.
"This conflict was inevitable. You can decide my life or death with a single word, so why should I succumb to this insecurity?"

Don't you remember Wang Haibo? He offended someone, and his acting career was ruined.

I will not succumb to that feeling.

The production is proceeding smoothly. The core roles of Zhu Yawen, Luo Jin, and Jiang Yan are all confirmed, and there are enough actors for the remaining roles. If there are not enough, they will hire extras and other actors from the market.

Of course, there was also an unexpected person who came to report to the film crew.

"Hmm~ Are you surprised?"

"I'm not surprised. In fact, even if you hadn't come looking for me, I would have gone looking for you."

"I don't believe it." Gao Yuanyuan smiled, her eyes narrowed. "You haven't called me once in all this time, nor have you sent me a single QQ message. How can you say you remember me?"

"Everyone is focused on building their careers, so they know what's important."

Li Xuan then spoke frankly and righteously.

Gao Yuanyuan had no reason to refute what she said.

Gao Yuanyuan is also quite remarkable this year. She rose to prominence with the film "Shanghai Dreams" and has gained some fame in the art film field. She was even nominated for Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival.

Although she was only nominated, and entered the competition through an art-house film, it shows that she is no less dedicated to her career than anyone else.
Not only is she moving forward, but she is also moving forward in her own way.

Given her position, she probably won't be involved in small projects anymore, such as "The Young Pioneers".

But she still came, even when her career was booming.

Li Xuan still spoke.

"Thank you."

"No need. I only came to take a gamble because I value your talent. You mustn't let me down!"

"That's for sure."

At this moment, Zhou Zhiruo's eyes shifted away, as if she were saying one thing but meaning another, and at the same time, she was also annoyed, because she had clearly come because Li Xuan was there.

It's not because of talent or anything like that.
Damn it, I can't say that.

After a long silence, Gao Yuanyuan finally spoke.

"I'm not bad off now!"

"Well, it's not bad now." Li Xuan smiled. "Because you're Gao Yuanyuan, of course it's not bad."

It's not bad because of you, not because of anything else.

These honest words made Gao Yuanyuan blush and not know how to reply.

But she really appreciated those words.

After dealing with Gao Yuanyuan's matter, we discussed her salary and the tentative start date of filming. Gao Yuanyuan didn't ask for much in terms of salary, but she couldn't refuse it either. Even close brothers need to be clear about these things. The tentative salary is 30,000 yuan, which is considered Gao Yuanyuan's support. Her current salary of 30,000 yuan is far from enough.

Of course, as Gao Yuanyuan said, she has made some achievements in art films in the film industry, but in the television industry, apart from Zhou Zhiruo, she has not had any decent roles. In recent years, the only decent role she has played in TV series is the supporting role in "The World's Number One". The rest are all flops.

She also has her own ideas and doesn't want to follow the route of simply making art films that are too highbrow and won awards. This time, "The Young Pioneers" is a work that just meets her expectations.

And so, she explained why she was giving Li Xuan a discount. After returning home, she told her best friend in Beijing about it and was scolded by her friend with a hint of disappointment—"Are you planning to give it away for free, my dear sister!"
After discussing these matters, Li Xuan prepared to return to his dormitory.
When I got back to the dorm, I saw my two roommates secretly practicing, going over their lines and trying to get into character.

"Who rules the fate of this vast land?"

"They do not mold me for my own sake, but for the sake of the nation; they do not seek knowledge for my own sake, but for the sake of knowledge itself."

Zhu Yawen and Luo Jin, Cai Sen and Xiao Zisheng
At this moment, Luo Jin truly exuded a refined and scholarly air, while Zhu Yawen possessed a more 'sharp' and spirited quality—but overall, they remained within the realm of students. This didn't need to be acted out; simply expressing their natural student identity was sufficient.
Right now, they're going over their lines and getting into the flow.

Li Xuan was secretly watching from the side.

From the beginning, there were many doubts, including from people at the school. A large part of the people felt that these students couldn't cause any trouble, as they had no experience in filming and were still blank slates.

But Li Xuan saw two actors with potential.

After all, they were all quite outstanding actors in later generations.

They simply didn't have the opportunity back then, which is why they rose to prominence later. It doesn't mean they were weak or lacked talent; it just means that such talent was buried.

It has truly been buried in obscurity for a long time.

Many people simply lack an opportunity, but when that opportunity arrives, they can soar to great heights.

At this point, Li Xuan stopped reading and quietly gave the two of them time to understand the script. Whether it was correct or wrong, it was their own understanding of the underlying principles and blueprint.

The influence of Huayi and Guangying has indeed brought a lot of noise, but it's not enough to affect Li Xuan.

It's the case that having too many lice doesn't cause itching.

There are quite a few objective difficulties.

After all, what he was doing was something that Beijing Film Academy had never dared to do before since its founding.

This is the first time in history that tradition and convention have been broken.

Even his usually supportive homeroom teacher expressed her opposition. Too much haste, too fast. It's good for young people to be spirited and ambitious, but rushing things this way has indeed thrown off balance.

Li Xuan also expressed his gratitude for his teacher's guidance and continued to do so.

Wang Jinsong didn't say much, but as a mentor, he simply offered his encouragement.

What I'm most worried about during this time is my uncle's health. Objectively speaking, I really want this all-around agent and family member to be able to rest properly for a while, but the objective circumstances don't allow it.

He doesn't trust anyone else, because he doesn't think anyone else can be as wholehearted as he is.

Moreover, health is an objective issue; regardless of fatigue, it will naturally arise as one ages.

Li Xuan's memories of his parents in his previous life were very vague.

That's because when you're already an orphan before you have much of a conscious awareness, you don't have many feelings, you've never possessed anything, so you can't talk about being afraid of losing it.

But things are different now. With Wei Ming's meticulous care and dedication, Li Xuan has come to understand what fatherly love truly means.

Understood.

What does it mean to be terrified?

To be honest, even when he himself wasn't feeling well, Li Xuan didn't have any particular feelings, but when Wei Ming's health was in trouble, the fear he felt was real.

There was a sense that they would rather have problems themselves than have problems with Wei Ming.

Li Xuan was initially feeling this irritable.

But at that moment, a voice rang in my mind.

A voice that always appears before and after someone wins an award for their film.

[Have you forgotten about this system?]
"system?"

Li Xuan was stunned for a moment.

I really didn't expect the system.

But my relatively healthy body now, and the ability to squander it at will, is a gift from Him.

"No way, Uncle, you can do that too?"

[This is part of the system's functional modules, but the host cannot unlock it at the moment.]
You're awesome!

At this moment, Li Xuan felt as if the gloom had been swept away.

I had thought about it before, but I never expected this thing to be so amazing!
Actually, Li Xuan asked.

"What level do I need to reach before I can unlock your functional modules?"

[At least it's time to completely transform this industry.]
Upon hearing this, Li Xuan couldn't help but chuckle.

"Isn't this what I'm doing?"

The desire to direct and lead a film from top to bottom stems from a genuine desire for "freedom" and to shed "insecurity." It allows for comfortable filming, seamless integration with upstream and downstream scripts, and better utilization of the script and one's strengths. This is because good scripts and projects are always available, not always readily available. Since the system rewards scripts, one must be in complete control.
Now, the system's words have given me another reason to move towards my predetermined goal.
Even so, Li Xuan still wanted to say something.

You're really awesome.
We then flew directly to Seoul, spent some time there on company-funded trips, and then went to Busan.

Of course, in Tang Jili's words, it was about using Cheng Shilong's name to go around drinking tea and wine, getting to know people, and cultivating social skills.

This is still very important for a personal director like Tang Jili. When he was on the set of "The Myth", Tang Jili proudly said that he had an amazing alcohol tolerance and that three or five civil servants couldn't outdrink him! Such an incredible alcohol tolerance.

Of course, it was also important to Li Xuan—but Wei Ming did most of these things for him.

At this moment, Tang Jili came to pick up Li Xuan, looking at Li Xuan with slight curiosity.

"What happened? Why are you in such a good mood?"

"Just thinking about some happy things."

Li Xuan was thinking about this the whole way.

What exactly is the goal of this move?

Starting with "The Young Students," this round aims to solidify the status of leading actors, strive for the level of the "Four Little Heavenly Kings," and establish a stable path as a leading man. A stable path as a leading man will unlock leading roles with higher investments and more top-tier scripts. The ultimate goal is to achieve both awards and market value, reaching the "peak" in both. This requires the support of acting skills and star power, and both market value and awards can only be achieved with strong scripts and strong works in their respective fields.

Winning awards is an affirmation of a person's status in the entertainment industry, and market value is the foundation. Awards without market value are castles in the air—and these are also things that a 'star' needs to possess.

It is the ultimate combination of 'actor' and 'idol' – a star.

After getting off the plane, Li Xuan saw Tang Jili who came to pick him up. He didn't expect that the director would come to pick him up in person. This was indeed a big deal.

Tang Jili didn't think much of it; on the contrary, he felt that Li Xuan was truly deserving. The success of "The Myth" could be attributed, objectively speaking, to Li Xuan's performance. Li Xuan's performance exceeded Tang Jili's expectations for "The Myth." The ancient storyline was filmed so brilliantly, which was truly impressive. Originally, he thought that the ancient storyline would only be a foil to the modern storyline, after all...
The modern line is dominated by Chengshilong.

The original idea was that Cheng Shilong would be the main facilitator, while Tony Leung would lead the dramatic scenes.

Now, there's another leading figure in both historical dramas and martial arts films. Meng Yi and Li Xuan truly bring out the weight and depth of history.
The sheer weight and texture of the performance convinced everyone that this was a general from the Qin Dynasty, exuding a unique and dignified aura of the Qin people. When filming this fictional historical drama, no one had ever expected him to achieve this level of skill. In fact, if Cheng Shilong had played the role, he probably wouldn't have been able to pull it off except for the scene where he took off his clothes.

It's not about acting skills, but a feeling. A genuine feeling of the character and the actor becoming one.

But Li Xuan actually did it.

He can do that.

Tang Jili felt that this was indeed an outstanding young man.

"Alright, let's go to the hotel first. Brother Long is very busy."

"Where is Brother Long now?" Li Xuan asked with slight curiosity. "Of course, you don't have to say if it's inconvenient."

"There's nothing inconvenient about it."

At this moment, Tang Jili sized up Li Xuan, thought for a moment, and teased, "It doesn't matter if you go and take a look. We can just watch from outside and see how dashing Brother Long is."

"I'll follow Director Tang's instructions."

Li Xuan was unfamiliar with the place and didn't understand the babbling garb of the peninsula's language, so he just felt a headache coming on.

Taking a quick look around isn't too boring, is it?

"The Korean Peninsula is one of the most powerful exporters of Asian culture through television. Korean culture was incredibly popular back then, though it's not as dominant as it used to be. The most powerful exporters of culture in Asia are island nations, whether it's movies or TV dramas. They're the only ones in Asia that do that."

Good heavens, so our Chinese culture isn't even worthy of being served at the table?

Li Xuan listened to what Tang Jili was saying, which was quite an interesting history of the development of the entertainment industry.

However, Li Xuan also wanted to understand why the old men had been so nostalgic about the past from then until now.

The days when Hong Kong's entertainment industry was dominant.

Because what they dominated back then wasn't just the Chinese mainland.

They were active throughout Asia, and their Cantonese films were incredibly popular back then.

It also produced international superstars like Bruce Lee.

That's why his decline is even more regrettable and memorable.

“Indeed, the days when China exported its influence abroad were a time of great prosperity.” Li Xuan nodded, showing no sign of being perfunctory.

"Yes, that was the real golden age. Culturally, our culture and our totems became known and worshipped by people from other countries."

Tang Jili felt a sense of nostalgia.

But all that's left is nostalgia.

At that moment, the taxi had already arrived at the hotel.

Tang Jili looked at Li Xuan and smiled.

"We'll just watch from the outside."

Through the window, one could see Cheng Shilong toasting and receiving drinks from all sides. He handled the occasion skillfully, greeting everyone with a smile, making them feel warm and comfortable.

This is also what makes Brother Long so amazing.

She also has high emotional intelligence.

Only then did Li Xuan see the people who were having dinner with Brother Long and the people who were toasting Brother Long.

Tang Jili, who was standing next to them, was also introducing those people.

The places these people come from.

There are Sanchen Group, Longhua Construction, and Jiuxing Electronics, which together form a significant part of the peninsula. Next to them is a man wearing glasses, surrounded by the most bodyguards.

"The guy with the most bodyguards is from the Blue House."

At this moment, Li Xuan looked at them.

I finally understood a truth, a truth that I had never really grasped before.

What exactly is Cheng Shilong's status?

What do international superstars look like?

This is an international superstar.

A true superstar!
(End of this chapter)