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

Chapter 272, Wu Yanzu: The advantage is in my hands!
For Huayi Brothers, their biggest focus should be on the upcoming films "Curse of the Golden Flower" and "The Banquet," works by two of the most prominent directors in the Beijing film circle. Everything else is just scrap material.

The entire group has exhausted its resources for these two works.

They stirred things up, really stirred up both works; all the marketing department's resources were allocated to this one.

If we had to name someone in the entire group who really paid attention to this little guy, it would probably only be Wang Haiyang, Jiang Li, and Wang Yuping from the marketing department.

"How come this person is still alive!"

Wang Haiyang looked at Wang Yuping, this forty-year-old unmarried woman who was gritting her teeth, and wondered why she looked at Li Xuan with such deep hatred.

You two probably have no connection and no personal grudges.

Frankly speaking, Wang Haiyang also felt that his conflict with Li Xuan was between the group and an individual, and that Wang Yuping had come to hate him. Jiang Li, who was next to him, also kept her distance from her. If it weren't for the fact that she had to deal with the marketing department and couldn't get away from it, she wouldn't want to get involved with this guy. It was quite embarrassing.

Of course, Wang Yuping didn't like Jiang Li either. After all, Jiang Li was originally recruited by a talent scout to work in the film and television department, but her talent was discovered and she was transferred to behind-the-scenes work. Jiang Li was a woman with a curvy figure and a slender build. Although she had the marks of time, she was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful women among ordinary people.

She's often been the subject of rumors that she's a "slut".

However, Jiang Li was very magnanimous and at least wouldn't stoop to the level of the marketing department over such a thing.

Anyway, Jiang Li interacted normally with her colleagues in the group who were all of similar build, appearance, and social standing.

There are still plenty of normal people!
“Well, the marketing department should be focusing on the film market right now,” Jiang Li chimed in from the side. “There aren’t any resources available here.”

"You're actually taking his side? Are you on our side?!"

Ah I?
"Let's put Li Xuan's matter aside for now." Wang Haiyang thought to himself, "You're from the marketing department, you should focus on the things that are most important to you right now."
Currently, "To Live" is quite conventional and steady, and aside from showcasing Li Xuan's changing acting skills and masterful command of the role, it hasn't generated much buzz.
The popularity and viewership of a typical period drama, combined with the popularity brought by the original novel "To Live," is what the actuaries calculated for normal popularity—nothing 'exceeded' expectations.

"Plot Against" has exceeded expectations, not only in terms of viewership but also in its influence. Several spy dramas are already preparing to be released. It has become the "pioneering work" of this genre, and many works have followed suit.
If the spy film genre can truly flourish in the future, then no one will forget "Plot Against".

The significance and influence of this pioneering work—being the first to try something new—can likely be measured in decades.
Damn it, I'm starting to feel bad again. Suddenly I have this feeling that if Huang Xiaoming isn't given any help, he might actually be quite formidable.

Although Wang Yuping seems strange, she is right about one thing: the time between "Chu Liuxiang" and "The Return of the Condor Heroes" is the best time to take the initiative and to solidify Li Xuan's status as a stepping stone. In a sense, the higher Li Xuan is now, the greater the pressure Huang Xiaoming will face later. But the bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish.

The storm is getting bigger and bigger.

But the temptation is even greater now, as Huayi Brothers is looking to recruit Huang Xiaoming.

Huang Xiaoming and Zhou Xun will be joining Huayi Brothers as two more key members.

From this perspective, Li Xuan seems truly insignificant. Compared to Huayi's scale, my system can attract more talent, even established actresses with numerous awards have come under my wing. Your persistence seems more like childish squabbling, while my targeting is more like making an example of someone to scare others and to prove myself.

We can elevate a person, and we can also destroy them.

It's simple if you're willing to pay any price.

Exploit the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of a work like "Chu Liuxiang"—it already has enough scandals: disrespect for the original work, poor production, and refusal of a literary consultant. Then, add some more money and release some more material. TVB will definitely try to capitalize on this, throwing Adam Cheng out for a bit of hype.

"The Plot" should be Li Xuan's highlight this year.

On the way to Hong Kong, Li Xuan was still looking at the script.

Rice money, Hong Kong dollars, damn it, these little terms come in all shapes and sizes.

The Hong Kong films have some advantages over the mainland films in that many of the details are excellent, and the filming and location scouting are also impressive. The initial trip to Hong Kong was for reporting and filming interior scenes, and some of the filming locations were in the 'Golden Triangle' region.

That is, the border area between Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos.

Derek Yee is quite impressive; he filmed the 'plantation' on location.

"His ambition is enormous."

At this moment, Li Xuan looked at the script and murmured to himself.

"No wonder they said they were aiming for awards and box office success."

The original choice for Andy Lau was already a 'star,' one of Hong Kong's top Four Heavenly Kings, so it's pointless to talk about his level of fame.

Wu Yanzu goes without saying; he leans towards the idol route, but at the same time, he is no weakling in terms of appearance, acting skills, and popularity.

From various perspectives, Er Dongsheng also had expectations for him.

That's probably why she showed some 'dissatisfaction' with herself, emphasizing that this role was given to her by Andy Lau.

That's true. The high-end version has become the low-end version, and to save face, using Andy Lau is definitely the safest option.
At this time, when Li Xuan went to the film crew to join the cast.

I also saw many familiar faces, including Gu Tianle, who played a supporting role.

"Long time no see, our Hong Kong Film Awards nominee."

Gu Tianle looked at Li Xuan and smiled slightly. The last time they met was when they were trying out the underworld, when they exposed their scars and lost.

"Mr. Gu."

"Just call me Gu Zai, Mr. Gu is too formal." Gu Tianle patted Li Xuan on the shoulder and said with a smile, "You acted very well in 'Election' and 'Peace is Precious'."

These two sentences can be considered an acknowledgment of Li Xuan. Since his last failed audition, he had had the dark thought that he might be even happier if these two films failed.

But it's just a thought; there's no such thing as "failure," only "relative failure."

Even the failures of great directors represent peaks that smaller directors can never reach or catch up with in their entire lives. This is a very simple truth. Moreover, the "Hey Society" series of films can be considered one of Du Qifeng's relatively successful works.
Even if you don't understand Hong Kong culture, the power struggles and underhanded battles within it are truly fascinating.

Not to mention the detailed description of the club culture, which is very realistically contained in the core of the power struggle within the club culture. This work can be said to be both a grand funeral for the past and a story well told by the director.

It pleased both sides of the audience.

However, Gu Tianle might not be without a little regret at this point, regretting that he didn't give his all during the audition. It was that pathetic sense of shame and the last bit of pride that caused him to miss out on the role. It was indeed a pity that he missed out by such a small margin.

However, to be fair, regret is a pointless thing. Regret now is useless and only adds to internal conflict.

Make this movie well, and let everyone see your strength.

At least, even though I can only play small roles due to scheduling conflicts and the film's star power, it's not bad.

This is a movie by Derek Yee.
He was an actor who turned director. He became a leading man in martial arts films after starring in "The Sword of the Three Young Masters". He also starred in films such as "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" and "The White Jade Tiger". He was an actor for Shaw Brothers and later transitioned to directing. "The Lunatics" made him famous. He also produced many works such as "New Endless Love", "One Night in Mongkok", and "Eat Drink Man Woman".
He can be described as a highly capable director who can make both critically acclaimed and commercially successful films. This time, "Protégé" is a work that embodies his great ambitions.

At this moment, Gu Tianle patted Li Xuan on the shoulder and said.

“Wu Yanzu is very impressive. When you are in the same frame as him, most people can spot him at first glance.”

“I know I’m handsome enough, but when I’m in the same frame as him, I still can’t help but be the one who steals the spotlight. You’re handsome too, but you’re not as unique as him.”

Don't even mention you, even Andy Lau himself is here, and he'll steal the spotlight the moment he's in the same frame as Daniel Wu.

Because he is not only handsome, but also unique and has a certain charisma. This charisma may limit his acting roles, but it also allows him to stand out in specific environments and characters.

Li Xuan, you're quite good, handsome, and have a great physique. But compared to Wu Yanzu, you lack some of the striking features and charisma that can immediately captivate someone.

"You seem to lack charisma, which is a disadvantage, especially when you're in the same frame as someone else. And this time, Andy Lau isn't there. To boost the ratings, they'll definitely give Joe more screen time and more positive shots, since he's in charge of the box office this time."

Wu Yanzu possesses considerable box office appeal. He is a leading actor whose appeal has been proven by the market.

She's a celebrity.

In fact, Gu Tianle said so much to Li Xuan just to remind him of one thing.

The chances of you being overshadowed here are very high.

More screen time and attention will be given to Daniel Wu, and to this star.

It's different from "Myth".

Working with Cheng Shilong, you weren't the lead actor to begin with, so there was no expectation of it. But now it's different; the project has been moved down to this position, so you can compete with him for it.

Although the probability is not very high.
However, you could also leverage his fame—he can attract more people—and see if you can 'take advantage' by converting his fans and influence into your own.

"Sounds pretty fat." Li Xuan found Gu Tianle's statement rather strange.

"Isn't that how idols are? The old ones mentor the new ones. It's easy for old idols to mentor new ones because the competitiveness of old idols is easily replicated and absorbed. When the old idols grow old, new idols take over, and it's another cycle." Gu Tianle joked, "That's how Johnny's Entertainment is. TVB was pretty much the same back then. They didn't have their own competitiveness and just had handsome idols. That's how they all ended up."

Gu Tianle is still very clear-headed, extremely clear-headed, which is why he was able to leave the secure job at TVB and find his own way out – he understands how this system works.

This is a cycle that could even be described as somewhat pathetic.

"Thank you for reminding me."

Gu Tianle's words were undoubtedly a reminder that this was an opportunity, even a bigger one than "The Myth".

The Myth was a collaboration with the older generation; you can't siphon too much from them. In a work, it's always the older generation that plays a role.

The last time the Terracotta Army incident caused a huge uproar, but in reality, it was Chengshilong's influence that played 80% of the role, both in terms of box office revenue and overall impact.

In the same generation, there is fierce competition for roles in the same frame, on the same screen, and in the same billing.

You can 'steal' the popularity that belongs to him.

"No need to thank me, this is common sense, you should know that Wu Yanzu is different. In a sense, his status is half a level higher than Xie Jinfeng and Chen Guanxi. Among the younger generation, he should be considered to be in a class of his own."

"He's almost entering his middle age, and his skills are at their peak among his peers."

Gu Tianle was just thinking about his guilt over his previous dark speculations and expectations of Li Xuan. Let him say these words, even though in the end, he was the one who had fallen behind.

It's actually quite ironic.

However, they ultimately lacked the strength and failed to seize the opportunity.

Let's see if you can steal the spotlight from Ah Zu this time.

"Li Xuan? That name sounds familiar."

Meanwhile, in the lounge, the handsome Ah Zu was looking at the script. Even Derek Yee, who was next to him, was somewhat moved. Indeed, he preferred Ah Zu a little more in this crew.

His delicate, youthful charm easily evokes pity and affection, an attraction that transcends gender.

Moreover, seeing Daniel Wu reminded me of myself when I was young.

I was just as handsome when I was an actor at Shaw Brothers.

Looking at the handsome young man.

Just like me back then!

Let's look at Azu again.

However, he himself is not as fragile as the handsome young man suggests. On the contrary, he is very wise and hardworking. He analyzes the character's temperament and insights with a calm and rational approach, making him a mature methodologist.

He can play the role of an undercover police officer well.

This was Derek Yee's first thought after talking to him, and he became increasingly satisfied with the male lead.

The real leader is Police Officer Ali.

Are you and Li Xuan very familiar?

"No, we just saw each other's work back then. I've seen his work, and he's very good, really very good."

The old "New Police Story" vs. "Kung Fu Hustle".

Wu Yanzu didn't suffer a loss back then. Although the box office was a loss, his acting skills were widely recognized, and it was also the time when he got the biggest price increase, directly raising his value from the million level to the three million level.

Of course, this applies to Li Xuan.

Azu didn't hold back his praise, extolling Li Xuan.

"Although it's a pity that I couldn't work with Andy Lau this time, working with Li Xuan was still quite good. He has great acting skills and the aura and presence to play villains."

"Ah."

Derek Yee: You don't regret it, but I do. I still really hope Andy Lau will personally act in my film.

For Wu Yanzu, this is indeed a good choice. After all, Andy Lau is one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Hong Kong, standing at the top of the Hong Kong entertainment industry, a monster with both acting skills and box office appeal.

If we were to quantify actor salaries, actors of Andy Lau's caliber would earn ten million Hong Kong dollars.

Wu Yanzu's film salary was between three million Hong Kong dollars. The two works, "New Police Story" and "One Night in Mongkok", directly boosted his value, from one million Hong Kong dollars to three million Hong Kong dollars.

Under precise calculations, his net worth is roughly one-third of that level.

Perhaps in terms of ability.

But it's definitely not as good. When appearing in the same frame as someone else, they are easily overshadowed, making their efforts and acting skills less impressive.

Li Xuan's words.

It's just right.

A rising star whose progress is comparable to that of Shenzhou V—unbelievable. Wu Yanzu really likes the elements of space and rockets, so this is the only way he can use this analogy.

But no matter what.

They are also a formidable new generation.
Judging from the results, he won't steal the spotlight from himself. He can't compete with himself, and he can freely express himself, having a stage performance like a solo act. He won't be out of character or make the audience feel uncomfortable because the target of his performance is too bad.

That's how acting works; both sides need to be at a similar level and have a good feel for each other.

I earned three million for a film, while he earned seven hundred thousand.

The advantage is definitely in my hands.

(End of this chapter)