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

Chapter 265, Flashback, Catching the Wind!
The Chinese-language television industry is fiercely competitive.

This year's Hong Kong film market is dismal, with Hollywood movies currently leading the pack, such as Mission: Impossible III and The Da Vinci Code.

"Don't look at me. My films 'Dragon City Years' and 'Peace is Precious' weren't made for box office success. Don't come to me if you're looking to boost box office numbers." Du Qifeng shook his head. It was no use having him handle box office matters.

"Of course I know it's no use looking for you."

Liu Dehua looked at Du Qifeng in front of him and said, "This is to win an award, and it's also a small summary and farewell to your past film career."

"Ah."

Du Qifeng is good at gangster movies, but this kind of movie is already a thing of the past in this era. He should be retiring soon after he finishes making them.

Maybe he'll come out again to make a quick buck?

Who knows? In this position, making a quick buck in a slump market isn't exactly difficult.
But Liu Dehua could see that Du Qifeng was the soul of the director, and his desire to express himself was waning.

Perhaps one's abilities haven't declined, and may even be improving, but the decline in the desire to express oneself is more terrifying than the weakening of abilities or the passing of years.

He may still produce excellent works in the future, but we probably won't see works like "PTU" again.

"Alright, I don't have a say in the market. Let's be optimistic, all three projects this year are quite interesting."

Jet Li has made a strong comeback from Hollywood with the project "The Warlords".

Hollywood's return is all about beating up the weak and beating up the idiots. Unfortunately, Andy Lau was the one who got beaten up. This time, he's going to go back to second place.

Of course, he himself is also very interested in the prototype of "The Warlords," the assassination of Ma Yun, which is a historical subject. He had previously played Zhao Zilong, and Andy Lau has a strong interest in those important historical figures in Chinese history.

For actors, acting is not just about fame and fortune, but also about a kind of 'joy'. For Andy Lau now, playing those profound, diverse, and charming roles is a source of joy.

Similarly, I'm also very interested in "Protégé," a film co-starring Derek Yee and Chen Kexing.
At this moment, Du Qifeng joked.

"Why don't you watch Li An's work? His movie should have a good future."

“No, there are too many R-rated scenes of his, I’m afraid it will ruin my image.” Andy Lau smiled slightly.

Du Qifeng, standing nearby, burst into laughter, saying that wasn't the reason at all.

Your requirement for playing a villain is that he must die.

But if it's rare, or even a famous rare character based on a historical figure, you wouldn't act in it. Even if you know for sure that the work has a lot of "perks," you still wouldn't go.

He wasn't tempted by money, benefits, or the prospect of winning a Cannes award.

Liu Dehua neither confirmed nor denied this, after all, some of his colleagues had indeed taken on similar roles.

No comment!
"I know who you are and what your pursuit of film is. I won't betray my principles."

"Hmm~" At this moment, Andy Lau smiled and said, "Actually, there should be another movie, which should also be at the end of this year, or maybe next year. Together with those three movies, it can also be considered a movie in our Hong Kong circle."

"what movie?"

Du Qifeng was slightly curious.

"A movie called 'Buried Alive' was directed by Li Xuan."

Li Xuan!

"He!"

Actually, it's not easy to remember an actor if they're not very familiar with their face. But Du Qifeng remembered Li Xuan.

It's amazing that someone of his stature can remember a young actor.

"He left a deep impression on me. I didn't expect him to be making movies." Du Qifeng paused for a moment: "As an actor, he is excellent. I will not comment on his directorial work."

The implication is that they are not very optimistic about it.

Andy Lau smiled slightly. This work is a bet between me and him; I'll have to bring it under my wing when the time comes!

“You absolutely have to see Buried Alive, that’s what Liu Weiqiang said.”

"Oh?"

"I can't really say for sure, but he just said that you absolutely must go see it, and once you've seen it, you'll understand."

At this time, in the mainland television circle, the "Watching the Wind" episode was also about to end, and Huang Yiyi's "imperfections" were more fully displayed, including her charm. In the current internet popularity evaluation and ranking of "Plot Against", it is the number one spot by a cliff.

Her distinctive features further enhance her charm, and coupled with her naturally beautiful appearance, her allure is quite strong.

"Her career has taken off; congratulations to Chen Shu!"

At this moment, everyone in the Central Academy of Drama circle is very envious of Chen Shu.

Popularity represents a star's capital.

Although the Central Academy of Drama trains actors, who wouldn't want to be a star if given the chance?

Who wouldn't want to be a shining star?

It achieved both box office and award success.

The Central Academy of Drama's circles are buzzing with discussion, and some of the younger generation are even a little jealous, all thinking that this Chen Shu is probably currently at a dinner party, busy recruiting for various film and television productions.
After all, both on and off screen, she has the air of a caring older sister.

But only those who know Chen Shu well know what she's been up to lately. Instead of being in high spirits, moving from one film set to another and taking on various commercials, she's been sitting alone by the window, watching the red leaves bloom outside, seemingly reminiscing about someone.
Whom are they reminiscing about?
At this moment, Chen Shu was thinking.

What is he doing now?

At this moment, in Beiping, Cai Yulong sighed. The production of "Young Warriors of the Yang Clan" was a complete flop, and it seemed unlikely that the ratings and reputation could be salvaged. It really was a difficult situation.

However, she is not someone who easily loses confidence; otherwise, she wouldn't have resigned and single-handedly built Tangren Media, filling the current market gap.
If you make a mistake, correct it and don't dwell on it. This can be considered as an experience and a model for the upcoming "Chinese Paladin 3".

"Alright, I'm not going to argue with you anymore, sister. You should go home early today too. You're making zongzi for the Dragon Boat Festival. Your daughter should be waiting for you, right?"

“Our family isn’t very enthusiastic about celebrating Chinese festivals,” Liu Lili said. “This child grew up in America, so I doubt he knows how to make zongzi.”

"Hey~"

Liu Lili did not comment on this, after all, most people in the arts have a kind of worship and admiration for the West, since it is called the 'world stage'.
She couldn't control what other families did, but at least her family should be eating zongzi (sticky rice dumplings).

Liu Yifei blushed slightly at this moment, not for any other reason than that the rice dumpling in front of her was wrapped too ugly.

There are three zongzi in front of me. One of them is a mung bean and pork filling zongzi made by Liu Yifei. When the zongzi is opened, the rice inside has already spread out.

"You need to use glutinous rice to wrap zongzi, you didn't know that?"

"I"

"You really are a very pure young lady."

At this moment, Gao Yuanyuan looked at Liu Yifei with a strange expression.

There were three kinds of zongzi: one made by Wei Ming, a very proper alkaline zongzi; one savory zongzi made by an elder brought by Gao Yuanyuan; and one zongzi made by Liu Yifei herself.

During this Dragon Boat Festival, Liu Yifei and Gao Yuanyuan both came to visit.

We bumped into each other here.

Liu Yifei was initially a little flustered, wondering if she had arrived at the wrong time.
It feels a bit messy.

"It's actually quite well done," Li Xuan said cheerfully. "The taste is really good."

"Of course, food made by a girl tastes good~~" Gao Yuanyuan teased from the side, her emotions unreadable.

At least Wei Ming's emotions were not visible.

Two beautiful girls came to visit during this Dragon Boat Festival.
Everyone was holding their own zongzi (sticky rice dumplings).
Um.
Wei Ming felt it was best not to get involved in the affairs of young people.

"Put the leftovers in the refrigerator first. Come on, come on, try my Cantonese soup, poached chicken, and char siu."

"Uncle's cooking is superb!" Gao Yuanyuan gave a thumbs up in praise.

Liu Yifei nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

"Yes, yes, they make amazing desserts too."

The two girls, each with their own thoughts, sat down, right to Li Xuan's left and right.

At this moment, Li Xuan could smell two fragrances: the gardenia was Liu Yifei's, and there was also a faint milky scent. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.

Gao Yuanyuan's flavor is more like peach blossoms, the flavor of blooming peach blossoms, passionate and enthusiastic.

Each one has its own unique charm.

They were mixed together.
It tastes really good.

Just then, the phone rang; it was a call from across the sea.

"Wait a moment, I need to take this call."

"Ah."

"Hey"

"Oh, it's you."

"Hmm~ Just wanted to say happy holidays~ Dragon Boat Festival." "You celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival on the peninsula too?"

"We call it Gangneung Danoje Festival here."

After saying a few words, Li Xuan hung up the phone, followed by strange expressions from Liu Yifei and Gao Yuanyuan.

"Oh, Kim Sun-hee, wish me a happy holiday!" Lee Hyun said. "I didn't expect the peninsula to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival too."

Wei Ming rubbed his forehead.

Even the peninsula has its awesome people, my nephew!
The Dragon Boat Festival is a major festival in China, a time for family reunions.

The happiest person today is Wei Ming. As someone in the entertainment industry, he is always on the go filming, so he doesn't have many days to reunite with his family, especially during major holidays.

The TV was showing "My Own Swordsman," and Bai Zhantang was using the "Sunflower Acupuncture Technique." Every time Li Xuan watched the Sunflower Acupuncture Technique, he felt ashamed and thought that this thing was probably similar to the "time stop" series.

Fortunately, Bai Zhantang only steals things, not flowers.
The big news on Sina is that the second season of Super Girl, featuring Han Han and Bai Ye, is also being broadcast.

Jay Chou's songs dominated the trending charts on Qianqian Music, with "Far Away" and "Chrysanthemum Remnants" trending. Jay Chou is still the king. His new songs always top the charts. Of course, Li Xuan and Kim Sun-hee's "Myth" is also holding out strong on the charts!

The anonymous song "Blooming Life" is also on the list.

Besides these songs, Pu Shu has produced a good number of new songs this year—thanks to a friend, his depression has improved a lot, and he can devote himself to creation again. Pu Shu's fans on Sina Blog are even burning incense and making offerings—thank you for the encouragement from that unknown friend of Mr. Pu Shu!

"The period from now until the Lunar New Year will be a lull in business."

At this moment, Gao Yuanyuan, who was standing next to her, squinted and said, "Only your 'The Young Pioneers' is waiting to be released."

"I only have The Return of the Condor Heroes and the movie The Story of Ah Bao."

"I have quite a few films that I'm going to release."

Li Xuan then recounted all the works he was going to be released soon.

Upon hearing about Li Xuan's upcoming film, Gao Yuanyuan was truly impressed. It wasn't a matter of resources, but rather the sheer amount of effort he put in.

Many people don't lack resources, but filming so many movies at once can be physically demanding.

Such a top-notch physique is something that others envy.

"Brother Li, you shouldn't be exercising so hard."

Liu Yifei, however, has a different focus.

"Exercise can be quite taxing on the body; Li Lianjie's health has never been very good."

"Is that so?" Gao Yuanyuan was somewhat surprised. "I always thought he was in very good health."

Action actors always deliver powerful and impactful performances on screen.

At this moment, Liu Yifei spoke.

They have suffered a lot.

Every movement comes at the cost of health.

if you can.

I still hope Brother Li stays healthy.
A person who admires Li Xuan's "power".

One concern is for Li Xuan's 'health'.

Wei Ming stopped thinking about it at that moment.

I was just thinking about holidays.
It's more fun when there are lots of people.

"Alright, I know my own situation. Today marks the start of the 'Hunting the Wind' chapter of 'The Plot.' Let's start watching the show."

At this moment, the TV station played the ending theme song of Tongfu Inn, followed by a 20-minute barrage of brainwashing commercials, before finally switching to the nighttime slot.

The final chapter of "The Plot".

"It should be a closed case by now. Regarding 'The Plot,' there were three episodes, three main characters, but An Zaitian really had nothing to do with being a 'main character.'"

At this moment, Wang Haiyang was observing the current public opinion.
Li Xuan's performance was slightly beyond expectations, mainly because his acting was solid and natural, and his image was very fitting and natural. He absolutely brought out the beauty of a military officer to the fullest.

It's safe to say that the industry's demand for endorsements for mature men's magazines will likely shift towards this young, well, let's assume he's a top-tier idol.

That should be the case, I think. All I can say is that Li Xuan is indeed a talented person.

If he were willing to make peace with capital, he could definitely be on the same level as Huang Xiaoming now. Not to mention the role, he has quite a few people behind him adjusting the script.

Sometimes, if an agency is powerful enough, it can even influence your storyline and screen time in a project, and prevent actions that could damage your image.

If it were Huayi Brothers, they could simply add more scenes for An Zaitian and highlight his moments in the "Plot Against" project, even if it was forced upon him.

This is the purity of the background, the advantage of a background; this is what it looks like without a background.

Back then, Huang Xiaoming was able to get Chen Daoming to give him a separate shot, add scenes for him, and have veteran actors 'help' him out and act alongside him.

They specially arrange for veteran actors and award-winning actors to accompany you, to showcase your acting skills so that you can shine.

This is the power of capital.

But without this help, the more popular "The Plot" becomes, the stronger your idol's image will be, and the more it will reinforce your feeling of being a low-budget version of Huang Xiaoming.

"However, this Huang Xiaoming is really interesting. At this crucial moment of promotion, he found a suitable 'supporting actor' to help him reach the next level." Wang Haiyang clicked his tongue and said, "He is bound to achieve great things."

If we're talking about appreciating Li Xuan purely from the perspective of 'purity', he does indeed admire him.

But if he were to ask who he thinks will achieve the greatest success among the younger generation of male actors, he would be a prime example.
That was Huang Xiaoming. He was exceptionally clear-headed, flexible, and able to utilize all available resources. His path and Li Xuan's path seemed to be two completely extreme examples.

One is adept at navigating social situations, the other is focused on his own interests.

They are indeed an interesting pair of rivals.

But ultimately, the world is materialistic, and those with more friends will inevitably have an advantage and be more likely to win—Huang Xiaoming is a case in point.

"Jiang Li, what are you thinking about?"

"No, what else could I be thinking about? It's about Li Xuan."

"You're still holding a grudge against him? Why would you still think about someone who could turn 'The Young Pioneers' into a coming-of-age film?"

“Let’s leave that matter for now. I won’t comment on it until the finished film is released. But I have read the novel ‘The Plot’,” Jiang Li paused and said, “The first two chapters, ‘Listening to the Wind’ and ‘Watching the Wind,’ are included, but I haven’t read ‘The Wind Catcher’. It’s not in the content of this novel.”

"Isn't that simple? The Wind Listener is a genius at listening to the radio, the Wind Watcher is a genius at codes, so the Wind Catcher must be a genius at catching spies?"

At this point, Wang Haiyang joked.

"It seems quite reasonable. The plot only has three chapters. Could the third chapter be something different? Could it be that after studying in the Soviet Union for many years, An Zaitian has become a genius at catching and identifying spies?"

The story of "The Plot" is easy to understand. It uses An Zaitian as a medium to depict the various people in Department 701, a microcosm of the times, and people both worldly and otherworldly.

Mai Jia's skill lies in his ability to balance artistic expression with authenticity, creating a nostalgic and immersive historical context.

What makes this work so powerful and captivating is its incredibly realistic portrayal of espionage work. This is perhaps its strongest and most compelling aspect – its genuine depiction of the realities of espionage.

That kind of authenticity.

Li Xuan's realism and immersion were sufficient. Jiang Li felt that this was the natural feeling that an agent, an underground worker, should be like. He didn't show his emotions, and those in power had no way of seeing through his thoughts.

Chaos, unclear, and unknowable.
Jiang Li wondered if the character An Zaitian could be placed in one of Mai Jia's other novels—for example, in a more positive spy war setting—would the performance be different?

But there are no "what ifs." In an era that was already relatively 'peaceful,' an era where covert warfare became the norm...
According to the timeline, the next installment, "Catching the Wind," will surprisingly take place in 2005.
It makes one wonder, did the spy hunt begin in 2005?
In short, the current structure of "Plot Against" has been finalized and solidified.

There is no possibility of a comeback. In the third chapter, the Wind Chaser, the most that can happen is to promote another character from another unit.

That's all, there's really nothing special about it.

That was his original thought, when "Catching the Wind" actually began.

When the elderly, kind, and most authentic An Zaitian appeared on screen in 2005, it was still a surprise.

If the first two chapters focused on emphasizing An Zaitian's "handsomeness," highlighting his tall and dashing figure in military uniform, this impression was consistently reinforced.
In constructing this impression, it can be said that Li Xuan is the visual representative of this work. Saying that the idol representative can carry the ratings is a bit of an exaggeration. This kind of ensemble work is not a work that can prove to carry the ratings.

But it is definitely an absolute element that 'attracts' people. At least a group of viewers who were originally watching "Young Warriors of the Yang Clan" were drawn in. This group of people are not the audience for war dramas or spy dramas, but this time they were attracted by Li Xuan's appearance.
Where can't you see handsome guys? There are even more handsome guys here, so of course I'm going to see the more handsome ones!

Huang Yiyi's chapter reached the pinnacle of idol appeal. Even friends from Taiwan specifically told Wang Haiyang that it was a pity he wasn't the one to direct it. Otherwise, the "Watching the Wind" chapter of "The Conspiracy" could have been made into an idol drama of more than 40 episodes, which would make you feel anxious with its heart-wrenching moments and sweet with its cloying sweetness. If they had created a sweet idol queen or something, the ratings would have been guaranteed.

In the final chapter of "Catching the Wind," An Zaitian becomes an old man, dressed in the simplest of clothes, wearing the most plain cotton coat. His face is devoid of any mystery or scheming, revealing only a serene, kind, and aged appearance.
A beauty ravaged by time.

He is no longer a secret agent, but an old man named An Zaitian.

At this moment, the kind old man, An Zaitian, said with a slight smile.

“Every agent has a day called Declassification Day. Today is my Declassification Day. It is also my parents’ Declassification Day.”

It is in reverse order
Time goes back.

The era of white terror has arrived.

(End of this chapter)