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

Chapter 326, Tang Wei: Your eyes are so innocent. Li Xuan: Because I've seen quite a lot.
In fact, the filming of "Hidden in the Dust" was not entirely unknown.

The combination of Yu Hua, an outstanding director of the seventh generation, and Liu Yifei, an international star, creates a strong and wonderful sense of eclectic fusion.

A top-tier idol, a textbook-worthy writer, and an outstanding figure in the entertainment industry—a seventh-generation elite who excels as both an actor and a director.

At this moment, Lu Chuan's partner, Chen Tairan, spoke up from the side.

"He's just a gigolo who lives off women. Using an 'idol' to make an art film, he really has some nerve. And Liu Yifei, with her status, is also involved in this mess. That's quite something."

Both Liu Yifei and Li Xuan expressed their disdain.
Lu Chuan clearly sensed that his business partner viewed Li Xuan with prejudice—of course, he was from the Manchu bannermen, his ancestors were genuine Manchus, and he also held a green card from the Manchu bannermen.
In this circle, being in a higher position in the value chain does not necessarily indicate one's ability, but rather one's ability to leverage resources.

While ability can certainly influence the extent to which resources can be leveraged, what is more authoritative than the resources themselves when it comes to leveraging resources?
That's just how the entertainment industry works.

If you're not convinced, don't play.

Therefore, there is a natural aversion to 'rebels' like Li Xuan.

Although Lu Chuan often referred to Li Xuan as a peasant, he didn't really care about Li Xuan's background; he felt more that Li Xuan had stolen his thunder.

He probably felt more unhappy about being overshadowed as the leader of the seventh generation.

"I hope his film 'Hidden in the Dust' can be released at the same time as my film 'Nanjing,' and then I will ruthlessly crush it."

Lu Chuan secretly wondered, "When I crush Li Xuan into dust, will you have a look of regret?"
Lu Chuan now needs nothing to prove that he is the leader of the seventh generation.

If it was directed at Li Xuan, it was purely out of personal vengeance and desire.

"President Chen, when we do the publicity for 'Nanjing,' let's use him as a stepping stone. Didn't he use Yu Hua and Liu Yifei to live off women? Let him live off them."

"He lives off women, we'll live off him!"

"Just what I wanted."

For Chen Tairan, whether out of self-interest or personal likes and dislikes, he was extremely fond of this matter.

Using the things Li Xuan, the 'pretty boy,' to get as a stepping stone for himself—that's quite a clever move.

Lu Chuan needs to establish his authority by truly stepping on others to rise to power.

Li Xuan was establishing his authority; those sixth-generation leaders who spoke in a sarcastic and unfriendly manner would be the next to be ousted.

Who knows, maybe even that arrogant fifth-generation strongman won't be as good as me next.

Climbing to the top by stepping on others
After finishing filming, Li Xuan went to Hong Kong.
The sale of the rights to "Buried Alive" still went through Focus Entertainment.

And Andy Lau didn't hold back either, squeezing a hefty sum out of the copyright fee.

It's really comfortable to be friends with Andy Lau. Even when we're collaborating, it's very comfortable.

During his trip to Hong Kong, Xiang Huaqiang hosted a dinner party, inviting several people, including Andy Lau, Xiang Zuo, two Red Sticks, and someone who surprised Li Xuan.

A woman of unparalleled beauty.

If Li Xuan is the male actor who reaped the biggest benefits during this film season, then Tang Wei is the female actor who 'reaped' the biggest benefits.

With her curvaceous figure, she is incredibly alluring to any man.

In particular, the maturity within youthful naiveté is an absolute weapon.

Big killer!
In a sense, Tang Wei's influence in this circle is absolutely no less than that of Liu Yifei!

A female celebrity with a 'famous beauty'!
"Come, come, let me introduce you. This is Sister Tang Wei." Xiang Zuo whispered lewdly in Li Xuan's ear, "She's super hot!"

"Forehead."

Li Xuan knows, as anyone who has seen "Lust, Caution" knows.

At the dinner table, amidst the clinking of glasses, Tang Wei, as a female companion, was very well-behaved, not initiating any topics, but simply going along with the conversation.

“Next time you make a movie, you won’t need to ask anyone else; just come to me,” Xiang Huaqiang assured him. “I can guarantee to provide you with all the resources I can.”

Even a wrecked ship has three nails; moreover, the Xiang family of Hong Kong is no longer a wrecked ship.

at this time.

Andy Lau, who was standing next to him, smiled slightly and teased, "Don't forget to include me in your party."

It could be said that at the dinner table, what was not a 'private matter' became a 'business matter,' essentially a statement to Li Xuan that he could provide the corresponding resources.

Provide support as 'capital'!
Li Xuan is now showing signs of rising in popularity; he is no longer the unknown kid he once was.

He is the strongest among those of the same age.

The elite and powerful leaders of the seventh generation.

"Nature requires resources."

Li Xuan would certainly have agreed at this point.

If we all prosper together, after this year, it will be hard for anyone to be poor.
Of course, Li Xuan has not yet made any plans for his next project. His biggest project at the moment is "Three Kingdoms," which has taken a full three months to complete. After finishing this project and working on "Hidden in the Dust," it should be the end of the year by then.
The year-end is approaching, and there's still a lot of work to do regarding awards, box office results, and everything is going smoothly, with plenty of plans and goals in place.

The plan is also very clear.

Trying to win a prize.

Awards are medals of merit, awarded by the system based on merit.
At the same time, this goal also serves a larger objective.

Once I've collected all the TV and movie awards, I should be more powerful than ever before, a power that can move anything.

Then go and do the thing of conquering the Statue of Liberty.

But conquering the Statue of Liberty is more realistic, requiring more money, fame, and resources to create a masterpiece.

Even if you can carve beautiful patterns on rotten wood, it won't have the same impact as someone using thousands of taels of gold to build a spectacular statue.

At this moment, at the dinner table, Tang Wei looked into Li Xuan's eyes.

Keep watching.

After the dinner ended and everyone had achieved their goals, they generally went home.

Li Xuan was enjoying the breeze on the top floor of the Ginza Building. It was the time between summer and autumn, with thunder rumbling in the sky, carrying away the heat, and there was also a refreshing thunderstorm and light rain.

"smokes?"

"No, thank you."

Li Xuan looked at the woman next to him who was offering him a cigarette, somewhat surprised to find that it was Tang Wei.

Very strange.

Cough cough, she looked unfamiliar in her clothes.

"Everyone says you have eyes like Tony Leung, a killer weapon for conveying emotions, and now it seems that's truly true." The mature young woman lit a cigarette and smiled faintly: "Your desires are quite obvious."

"If I didn't feel anything for a beauty like you, I'd be impotent," Li Xuan frankly admitted.

The mind and desire are two separate things.

“But you are different from them.” Tang Wei smiled faintly again.

"them?"

"Yes, their eyes are different. Compared to your eyes, the way they look at me is more like they're looking at a toy, a toy full of fun to play with. Your eyes... are probably more mature and respectful?"

Is it possible that I've simply watched too many of them and found them uninteresting?
Li Xuan silently thought to himself, "This girl really thinks too much."

"Actually, we're not that familiar with each other that you need to tell me so much."

"Yes, there's really no need. We met today. Maybe you haven't met me for the first time. After all, my movie roles are now 'famous'. It's hard for anyone in the industry not to know me. Among the new generation in the entire mainland, I'm afraid only the female lead of 'The Forbidden Kingdom,' that international star, can be compared to me."

"Congratulations then."

Li Xuan seemed to know what Tang Wei wanted to express.

What's the cost?

What kind of movie is "Lust, Caution"? How did she become famous?

It was obvious at a glance. She became famous overnight after stripping.

That's her label.

Her status has always been accompanied by a lot of laughter and ridicule.

A mocking laugh tinged with aggression.

"You've surprised me once again."

"how."

"I thought you'd look at me with pity and feel sorry for me," Tang Wei joked. "That's usually how it is, right?"

"This was your own choice, and no one forced you. You wanted to take a shortcut to success, and now you have succeeded. Even if you paid a price, I have no reason to pity you."

Li Xuan's words were quite crude.

But for Tang Wei, it was actually quite pleasant to hear; the words, devoid of any insincerity, were simply so comforting to listen to.
"Becoming famous overnight—most people don't even have the chance to become famous overnight. The price most people pay for taking their clothes off is just becoming a toy that gets played with again and again. I'm lucky; everyone in China knows that I've taken my clothes off."

Tang Wei's eyes held a strange kind of indifference and melancholy.

I gained my current fame at the cost of 'taking off' my clothes.

Some people don't even need to take on kissing scenes to get abundant resources, and the status they have now is something she can never catch up to in her entire life.

International stars, Jet Li, Jackie Chan, leading ladies.

Liu Yifei could obtain these accolades effortlessly, while I would have to strip naked to even have a sliver of a chance to catch up—and even when I'm in this position, the people here see me as nothing more than a toy.

"I'm not resentful or in pain, because I've achieved a status that I, as an ordinary woman, could never have imagined through this method, and I'm very willing. In a sense, we are the same kind of people. It's just that your overflowing talent can support you to go to more and higher places, but when you reach that point, there is always a limit to your potential. When you want to improve further, you will experience the limit. At that time, there will naturally be something to drive you to either have sex or be sexed."

Tang Wei spoke frankly.
original.

Tang Wei's jealousy wasn't directed at Liu Yifei, but at Li Xuan, someone who, it seems, gained such a position without sacrificing any dignity, and she felt envious of him.

He kept talking about Liu Yifei, but in reality, he was jealous of Li Xuan.

In terms of fame and status, Tang Wei, who collaborated with Li An, was a stronger actor than Li Xuan in some respects.

He's considered an 'international star,' completely different from Li Xuan, who's a domestic star.

However, when people mention Tang Wei, they look at her with a mocking and inexplicably aggressive gaze, and freely use vulgar language to describe this international porn star.

But even if one thinks Li Xuan is overestimating himself, one will still show respect for his existing talent and works.

Tang Wei said calmly.

"I'm here to advise you to turn back from your wrong path as soon as possible."

"I don't feel like I'm on the wrong path."

"Let's make a bet. If you can climb to the next level, I'll grant you one request—any request, as long as I can do it. If you lose, you won't have to give me anything in return. Just acknowledge me, genuinely acknowledge me, okay?"

Under the night sky, Tang Wei's cheongsam was very alluring.

She wanted to prove one thing.

I am 'right'.

"However, looking at his life as a whole, he does have some commendable aspects; at this point, he even dares to provoke the Huayi Brothers."

“The conflict between Li Xuan and the Beijing circle is getting more and more intense. When he graduated, the choice he made was already cutting off his own path.”

"He just didn't follow the existing system, but isn't what he's achieved already quite impressive?"

"No matter how powerful it is, it's still just burning."

"Why have you suddenly become a pessimist today?" Principal Wang Fengsheng looked at Xu Xiang. He wasn't like this before; he used to have considerable admiration and confidence in Li Xuan.

Xu Xiang took a sip of tea.

Looking at the lists of graduates from this year and last year, there are no peers who can be compared to Li Xuan.

No.

Huang Bo, who is from the same class at the Beijing Film Academy but not the same age, may have a similar acting feel.

Otherwise, none of his peers could compare to him.

If I had to say, among those of the same generation, only the top few could be compared to him.

This is the embodiment of 'strength'.

Absolutely stunning performances, including "Buried".

The rights to it were even bought by Hollywood.

This is a manifestation of talent.

Wang Fengsheng then expressed his opinion in a very objective and restrained manner—his talent is absolutely amazing, incredibly amazing and powerful.

"I've only come to understand one point: Li Xuan's ability to mobilize resources is indeed somewhat lacking compared to others. An individual is indeed insignificant compared to a group or a system."

"Things I didn't understand before, I think I understand a little bit now."

“If Li Xuan really rises to prominence, he will be challenging not just a single circle, but the ‘stable system’ created by it.”

The path to advancement in the entertainment industry.

Those with financial backing bring resources, manage talented individuals to create works, and reap profits.

Those who control the company, profits, and resources today are all beneficiaries of this system—even Xu Xiang and Wang Fengsheng are beneficiaries of this system.

He may be unreasonable.

But someone has already taken it, so I'll take it first. I'm full, I have the right to speak, and that's reasonable.

There is no right or wrong.

That's 'reasonable'!
That's the logic.

If his existence has the potential to disrupt existing rules, the resulting backlash will be quite different.

"I have a feeling now that he won't try to get by in this industry by pandering to others; he'll find another way to carve out his own path in the entertainment world."

"How to say?"

"He is not a striver, but a changemaker, which is the biggest difference between all the talented people I have ever met."

At this moment, Li Xuan returned to Hengcheng, the place where his dream began.

The upcoming "Three Kingdoms" series will have a lot of filming taking place in Hengcheng, and as one of the directors, I also need to be there to handle some of the work.
Ultimately, Hengcheng is their homeland.

My initial identity was not that of a 'graduate of Beijing Film Academy', but rather that of an 'extra actor'.

If I had to say, calling myself the strongest graduate of the Beijing Film Academy in history wouldn't be accurate; calling myself the strongest extra would be more appropriate.

Now, it seems everyone has forgotten their status as 'extras'. Even our beloved teacher Wang Jinsong and Principal Wang Fengsheng haven't mentioned their extras' names much.

The only ones who might remember this identity are probably some adversaries who want to discredit them. They might occasionally bring up this identity to humiliate them.

Li Xuan didn't feel that his status as an extra was shameful.

After all, many actors who later surpassed even those in serious dramas achieved their success by being selected from Hengdian and working on short drama sets.
It was only after watching short dramas that Li Xuan realized the later explosion of different forms of entertainment, such as web dramas and short dramas. He understood that it wasn't that the domestic entertainment industry was bad, but rather that the current batch of people selected by the domestic entertainment industry was incompetent.
At this moment, Li Xuan was strolling around the place where the dream began, familiarizing himself with the film set, and even running into familiar people.

I even ran into Wang Baoqiang; he was filming "Soldiers Sortie" here.

Wang Baoqiang was somewhat promoted in "The Plot".
The two talked a lot about martial arts, kung fu, movies, acting, and TV series—things from all over the world. They had quite a few topics to discuss.

Despite having experienced so much, Wang Baoqiang still maintains a simple and honest demeanor, though a shrewd glint occasionally flashes in his eyes.

At this moment, Wang Baoqiang said this as he bid farewell to Li Xuan.

If I ever achieve great success, I will definitely help out the extras here!
Looking into Wang Baoqiang's 'simple' eyes, Li Xuan thought back to his past life. He wondered if Wang Baoqiang, who later became a famous director, had ever helped his poor friend out of poverty.
Um.
If so?

(End of this chapter)