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

Chapter 427, The First Battle of the Transition Between the Old and the New

At this time, Huayi's artist department.

"I never imagined that my former enemy would become my current boss. That's just how damn fate is."

Huang Xiaoming's expression was somewhat complicated at this moment.
From being an extra back then.

From then on, to now, taking over Huayi.

Huang Xiaoming has been watching all along.

Huayi Brothers, with its strongest reserves of technology, talent, and resources, is now in Li Xuan's possession.

It can be said that Li Xuan possesses one of the best resources currently available in China.

“Well, after all, if the payout isn’t substantial enough, then the odds are too low.” Chen Kun paused and said, “However, even if we wanted to gamble our entire future on a bet like Huayi’s, no one would bet with us.”

"Putting the facts aside, I think what you said is very problematic."

"Why are you speaking so coldly now?"

“I actually thought you would be indignant.” Chen Kun paused for a moment before saying, “After all… um.”

Huang Xiaoming thought for a moment and remembered that Chen Kun, himself, and Zhao Yanzi were known as the "Three Swordsmen of Fengyun 96".

My goal is to catch up with them.

As his junior, Li Xuan strived to catch up. In fact, he didn't even think that Li Xuan was qualified enough to be a follower.

Later, the tables turned, and the challenger turned out to be myself.
Later on, there was no longer any need for the challenge.

Chen Kun thought the same way. Huang Xiaoming knew that he had originally positioned himself as the one being challenged. However, by the time he was ready to be challenged, Li Xuan had already surpassed him by leaps and bounds.

In fact, without Li Xuan, the two of them probably wouldn't even have been able to sit at the table during this big prize frenzy.
Therefore, Huang Xiaoming's feelings for Li Xuan are actually very complicated, extremely complicated.

"I also received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for 'Nanjing Photography' this year. In the past, I shouldn't have been nominated, but because of Li Xuan's work and his existence, I have this nomination."

"Me too. If it weren't for his film 'Dying to Survive,' I probably wouldn't have gotten this nomination."

The former 'junior'.

Now, however, it is the boss who bestows honors and gifts.

There was no discomfort whatsoever. It was mainly because Li Xuan's talent was simply too extraordinary, with his explosive talent advantage.

It's something you can't help but admire.

"However, there are still quite a few people within Huayi Brothers who are dissatisfied with this. Many departments, and even the star actors under their command, have their own ulterior motives." Chen Kun paused and said, "I heard that Zhang Yimou is contacting the company's talent pool."

Zhang Yimou has collaborated with Huayi Brothers on numerous occasions.

However, that's all from the old days.

Later, Zhang Yimou didn't have much in-depth cooperation with Huayi Brothers.

A very simple truth.

When he, as a director and producer, is able to promote artists very well.

His own appeal is equivalent to the financial attraction of big capital.

This is the advantage of being the first.

Li Xuan brings us a "new era".

Compared to Zhang Mouzi.

They're still lacking when it comes to promoting people.

Li Xuan is still stronger in one-on-one combat.

"After all, Li Xuan's biggest disadvantage is that he's too young. Many people are unconvinced, and no one thinks he can run a company well. His confidence is lacking." Huang Xiaoming paused and said, "And he just arrived and immediately launched a huge project—hard science fiction."

"Indeed, taking advantage of this opportunity, some of the elders inside wanted to control him, and some wanted to jump ship. But no matter what, most people were just watching and waiting, not taking sides, to see if this young man could take control of this giant ship," Chen Kun said calmly.

At this point, Huang Xiaoming asked a question in return.

"So what do you think? Will you side with Li Xuan, or will you leave him?"

Chen Kun simply smiled in response.

The answer is actually quite obvious.

"This time, my meaning is quite clear, isn't it? It's about making them make a choice, letting their departments choose sides. Huayi Brothers still has a lot of talent; after all, it's an asset of the Beijing entertainment circle. The right way is to let more outstanding people utilize it."

At this moment, Zhang Yimou, who was preparing for "The Great Wall", was talking to his assistant about recruiting the remnants of Huayi Brothers.

Among them, Li Shuibing came to seek refuge. Zhang Yimou gladly accepted this Best Actress.

Zhang Hanyu, Deng Chao, Dong Xuan, and other core artists also came to join.

Some actors and artists also joined one after another.
It's almost fair to say that a third of Huayi Brothers' artists came to join them.

"However, after all this time, Chen Kun and Huang Xiaoming haven't come to join you." Ma Xiaogang was still somewhat surprised: "It seems that none of those who have worked with Li Xuan have shown any intention of coming to join you."

People like Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, and Huang Xiaoming.

Surprisingly, he stayed with Huayi Brothers.

This is the new era empire now ruled by Li Xuan.

A turbulent period of transition.

"That means there are still people who have illusions, some who want to profit from the chaos, and others who are looking for an opportunity to develop their own power and reap the benefits from within."

"Even with equity ownership, it's not an easy thing to truly and substantially control this empire."

"Many people want to see him fall from grace and fail in this movie. Even if he can't regain the shares, as long as he has control, he can still control the profits."

At this moment, Zhang Mouzi was banging on the table.

"I wonder if this up-and-coming producer can take control of this vast empire, or if in the end he'll only be able to control an empty shell, and then we'll all benefit from it."

"I didn't expect that you would also decide to stay. This really surprised me."

“There’s nothing surprising about it. Even if we had conflicts in the past, we are ultimately content creators. As long as Li Xuan can bring us good content that will help our development, we will stay.”

At this moment, Zhou Xun looked at Chen Kun and Huang Xiaoming in front of her.

They chose to stay.

Zhang Mouzi certainly didn't try to win them over.

These two are undoubtedly key figures at the peak of their careers.

Ignore Li Xuan's words.

They are still very strong.

"You mean Li Xuan is better than Zhang Yimou?" Zhou Xun teased Huang Xiaoming, "If this gets to Zhang Yimou's ears, you'll really be stuck with Li Xuan."

"It doesn't matter. I believe in that feeling, that feeling of having never worked with anyone before."

Huang Xiaoming had his eyes closed at this moment.

Recalling the past days of filming with Li Xuan.

Ah, that feeling.

It's intoxicating.

Can't stop.

So this time, Li Xuan's hard science fiction.

So I chose to stay.

Even if it seems very risky.

But if you can pursue that feeling, what does it matter?

"In other words, even if I poured my heart and soul into this work, it would be worth it," Chen Kun said with a grin. "This groundbreaking work is glorious even if it loses."

“We are actors, dazzling actors, pursuing that dazzling stardom. It’s a feeling in itself, and neither of us would make a choice without that feeling.”

Zhou Xun was not surprised by their answer.

As someone in the entertainment industry, it's amazing to have reached this level.

What it relies on.

Isn't that the feeling?

It's that feeling that propels a person to this level.

For something other than money.

It all depends on Li Xuan's manuscript. Is it possible?
Just as the three were discussing outside, the chairman's door opened.

"My script is ready, you guys come and take a look."

All three of them were taken aback.

How could a hard science fiction script be completed so quickly?

It was officially announced yesterday.
"sit down."

He handed them the three scripts one by one.

"A rough draft of Interstellar."

The three of them took the script, and the thickness they felt at their fingertips made them feel unreal once again.

The project was only officially announced yesterday, and the script is already out today? What kind of efficiency is this? Even the most prolific screenwriting team in the industry couldn't possibly produce such a complete and substantial script overnight, especially since this is the most labor-intensive hard science fiction genre.

But at this moment, curiosity completely overwhelmed their doubts. They didn't ask any more questions, but instead turned to the first page of the script without prior arrangement.

The office fell silent instantly, with only the rustling sound of papers turning.

At first, both Huang Xiaoming and Chen Kun frowned slightly.

"Wormhole", "gravitational slingshot", "Event Horizon", "Five-Dimensional Space", "Qian Xuesen Starfield" gravitational vortex...

These terms are like high walls, standing in their way.

As actors, their knowledge base is not sufficient to fully understand these complex physics concepts.

This script... has a very high barrier to entry.

But soon, as the story unfolded and the man named Yun Tianming appeared on the page, the confusion on their faces was gradually replaced by an indescribable emotion—it was shock, resonance, and the instinctive excitement of an actor sensing a top-tier role.

Viewing the script from his perspective.
The land was barren and withered.

Plan A's hope lies in him—the hope that his children can survive. He steps into the spaceship and drifts into the vast universe.

A father struggles in a withered cornfield so that his child can have a full meal.

A daughter stubbornly believes that a "ghost" lives in her room.

To see the big picture from small details.

Zhou Xun, keep watching.

This is the area they are most familiar with and can best showcase their acting skills.

Li Xuan used the most down-to-earth style to depict the most desperate apocalyptic scene.

That suffocating feeling, that sense of powerlessness of having to give up everything for survival, strikes the heart through cold words.

That's the real brilliance! It doesn't need fancy words or deliberate sentimentality; it simply uses a scientific premise to create dramatic tension that no script can match.

Zhou Xun read it the fastest; she had already flipped to the second half of the script.

Her expression shifted from shock to solemnity.
"A really great script..."

"But I can't comment."

As an art-house film actress, Zhou Xun can appreciate the brilliance of a script, but science fiction is ultimately the weakest area in Chinese-language cinema, and she doesn't actually have much experience with it.

This book is too deep.

You can tell it's impressive, but you can't figure out why it's impressive.

Zhou Xun originally thought she was quite excellent – ​​after all, she was a multiple-time Best Actress winner.

But when facing his talented "younger brother," he felt a sense of inferiority.

An inexplicable feeling of inferiority.

Chen Kun and Huang Xiaoming, who were standing nearby, also fell silent.

The sheer volume of the script, along with the depth and breadth of its content, left them speechless for a moment, unable to find any words to comment.

They could feel the overwhelming power emanating from them, but they didn't know how to express it.

The title of "godfather of Chinese science fiction" is well-deserved.

Just reading the script makes my scalp tingle.

I'm starting to think about getting my brain working.

At this moment, Li Xuan looked at the three of them and said casually, "There should still be some things to revise, but that's roughly the content. Let's prepare a little... and start filming next week. I've already chosen the actors..."

The office fell into a deathly silence.

Filming starts next week?!

The three of them were completely stunned.

This isn't just a matter of efficiency; it's completely beyond their understanding of filmmaking. Such a grand and complex hard sci-fi project was only officially announced yesterday, the script is in hand today, and now they're saying filming will start next week? And the actors have already been cast?
Huang Xiaoming was the first to react, his eyes widening in disbelief: "Mr. Li, this... isn't this too fast? For a subject like 'Interstellar,' the pre-production work..."

Chen Kun also frowned. Although he admired Li Xuan's talent, this speed made him feel uneasy.

This isn't just fast, it's downright insane.

"Is it fast?" Li Xuan smiled slightly. "In my opinion, it's already slow." He stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and looked down at the night view of Beijing. "Zhang Yimou's 'The Great Wall' has already started preparations. They have an investment of 200 million US dollars, a top Hollywood special effects team, and plenty of time. As for us, we only have a budget of 150 million Chinese yuan, and... ourselves."

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the three men with a sharp, all-knowing look: "Instead of being timid, we should go all out. Time is our biggest cost, but also our biggest advantage. We need to seize the initiative as quickly as possible, before they can react."

“But, Mr. Li…” Zhou Xun hesitated. What she wanted to say was that artistic creation requires time and refinement; it cannot be accomplished overnight.

Li Xuan seemed to see through her thoughts. He shook his head and said, "I know what you're worried about, but I've perfected the script for Interstellar countless times in my mind. I know every shot, every detail, and even every line by heart. We can adjust it as we go."

"As for the actors..."

He looked at Huang Xiaoming and Chen Kun: "Senior Brother Huang, Senior Brother Chen, I hope you can give your best performances in this film. Because you are about to face an unprecedented challenge: the first shot, the first bullet, of domestic hard science fiction."

Huang Xiaoming and Chen Kun exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and a hint of... secret excitement in each other's eyes.

Li Xuan's words still seemed crazy.

But without a bit of madness, it seems like there's no point in doing art.

"So... filming starts next week, which means it will start filming at the same time as Zhang Yimou's 'The Great Wall'?" Chen Kun asked tentatively.

Li Xuan nodded, his gaze firm: "That's right, they need to be turned on at the same time."

"We must win this battle."

The three had no further objections.

They knew that, whatever the outcome, this time, they would witness history.

Next came a quarter of filming, which started at the same time as Zhang Yimou's "The Great Wall".

They even made the official announcements at the same time.

This is a feeling, a destiny.

Even Huang Xiaoming and Chen Kun could sense it.

The destiny of the old giving way to the new.

at this time.

on the other side.

While Wang Lei was reading the newspaper, Wang Haiyang, who was next to him, came over to "tip him in the foot."

"Is it really necessary to be so fast? Don't you think Li Xuan is too eager to prove himself?"

The hard science fiction project is still not very stable within Huayi Brothers, from the start of filming to the preparation stage.

There's not even a shred of room for careful consideration and choice; it's a complete one-man show.

Wang Haiyang was really not used to this way of operating.

"Necessary."

At this moment, Wang Lei said calmly.

"Time waits for no one. The West has already produced Avatar, which is already at the forefront of science fiction special effects blockbusters and has the right to interpret them. Marvel's series has already reached its third installment. If you are any slower, no one will wait for you, the latecomer."

"Looking at the situation domestically, it's the same. Zhang Yimou can no longer suppress his domineering ambitions. Judging from his conscious actions, he's already starting to show signs of this."

Wang Lei paused for a moment before speaking.

"I can't bear to give up my current position."

(End of this chapter)