Rebirth of Chinese Entertainment, the Diary of a 95 Flower

Open the comments section of "Calories".

The top-rated comment, with over 10,000 likes: "[Yang Chaoyue's off-key singing is so captivating! This genuine and unpretentious singing style is a hundred times better than those singers who overuse auto-tuning!]"
The next comment, also about Yang Chaoyue singing off-key, says: "[The first time I heard it, I thought it was off-key, but as I listened, I felt, this is truly soulful singing; Chaoyue perfectly captured the everyday life of a working girl.]"
Then:
[Please, please, don't bother learning singing techniques. I just love your raw, unfiltered energy, like a vendor hawking their wares at the market!]
There are dedicated reviews of the lyrics to the song "Calories".

[Jiang Yang understands transcendence. This song wouldn't have the same feel if a professional singer sang it; it needs to transcend that unprofessional feeling.]
There are also those who say the lyrics and melody of this song are low-quality:
[Being tacky to the extreme is actually cool; this song brings back memories of the 2008 ringtone era.]
[I got scolded by the trainer when I first played this song at the gym, but now the gym's music has been changed to "Calories".]
Jiang Yang took a screenshot.

Send it to the [Pretty Girl Battle 4] group.

Then send a message: [“That’s strange, Chaoyue, you sang this song off-key, why isn’t anyone criticizing you?”]
Yang Chaoyue replied: [“That’s strange, it’s true, singing doesn’t seem that hard.”]
Yang Chaoyue posted again: ["I was just chatting with Bailu, and she told me that you wrote a song called 'The Pupae' for her to sing, but she felt it wasn't suitable for her. How about this, Yang-ge, the title 'The Pupae' sounds really corny, and I'm only good at singing these kinds of corny songs, so give it to me."]
Jiang Yang edited the text: [“It’s ‘The Lone Warrior,’ not ‘The Pupa.’ Bai Lu must have made a typo.”]
"I can sing too, I'm so proud of myself right now."
"How much has it expanded?"
["Bai Lu transferred 200 yuan to me. I'm thinking about whether to add her to the internal group. Actually, it has nothing to do with the money. It's just that she said she has some juicy stuff to reveal."]
Saw this message.

Jiang Yang quickly sent Yang Chaoyue a 200 yuan red envelope.

I knew that leapfrog was unreliable!

It makes me angry just looking at it.

Despite Yang Chaoyue's repeated assurances, Jiang Yang remained unconvinced and edited the message: ["I remember you're a Buddhist, right?"]
Yang Chaoyue replied: ["Yes, Brother Yang, every year my father and I go to the temple to pray for peace. If there's no Buddha statue, we'll pray to Guanyin. If it's too far and we're too lazy to go, we'll pray to the door gods pasted on our front door: Yuchi Gong and Qin Shubao."]
I'm too lazy to argue with Yang Chaoyue.

Jiang Yang typed: ["Swear to Buddha that you won't invite Bai Lu into the group."]
Yang Chaoyue sent a voice message: ["I, Yang Chaoyue, swear to Buddha that I will not invite Bailu into the group."]
[“If anyone disobeys, they will be imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain by Buddha.”] Jiang Yang edited the text.

Received a voice message from Yang Chaoyue with a smile: ["If you disobey, you will be imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain by Buddha."]
"His buttocks are facing outwards."
"Holy crap... Yang, you're such a pervert!"
Jiang Yang was relieved only after Yang Chaoyue made a solemn oath.

Guan Xiaotong said, "Jiang Yang, I recently bought a song. Could you listen to it and see how you sing it?"

"Okay."

Jiang Yang smiled politely and said, "Xiao Tong, you have a unique voice. If you have a song that suits you, it will be very easy for you to become popular."

"Really!"

Guan Xiaotong's eyes sparkled.

I know Jiang Yang's praise was mainly just politeness.

As a singer, Jiang Yang has created three songs that are already very well-known.

Let's not even talk about the stars and the sea.

Even in Chaoyang District squares, elderly people are using "Calories" as background music when they dance.

Not to mention the song "Rose Boy," which helped Lu Han take the first step in his career transformation.

Guan Xiaotong continued, "Lu Ge..."

I was afraid the driver would hear me.

She leaned close to Jiang Yang's ear, covered her mouth with her hand, and whispered, "Brother Lu sang 'Brother Huo,' so I have to join in. I can't hold Brother Lu back. I'm afraid that when our relationship is announced, everyone will think I'm a burden to Brother Lu."

Jiang Yang nodded, trying to keep his distance from Guan Xiaotong: "Understood."

"There are a lot of rap parts, but not many melodies. It's also the theme song for a movie I'm going to be filming soon."

"It's very fashionable."

Jiang Yang smiled.

Guan Xiaotong's rap?

To my recollection, Guan Xiaotong doesn't seem to have any rap songs.

Is it the butterfly effect brought about by my own rebirth?

But when Jiang Yang heard Guan Xiaotong sing, he understood what was going on.

Hearing Guan Xiaotong's voice, looking at the lyrics on her phone, she gestured and rapped rhythmically: "You XX, I told you to turn off your phone but you didn't, you XX, I told you to fasten your seatbelt but you didn't..."

Jiang Yang was stunned.

He then rubbed his forehead.

It's this song.

He noticed Guan Xiaotong glancing at him and asked, "Jiang Yang, did I sing badly?"

"That's good, that's good." Jiang Yang immediately put his hand down and said seriously.

Guan Xiaotong sang a few more lines.

Jiang Yang pursed his lips, but couldn't help but laugh.

"Jiang Yang, what are you laughing at?"

"I'm not laughing."

"Are you making fun of me?" Guan Xiaotong frowned.

"No, really not."

Jiang Yang said politely.

"Then tell me, what makes my singing good?"

"Fortunately..."

I thought about it for a while, but I still couldn't figure it out.

Because it's really hard to evaluate.

"You're making fun of me, Jiang Yang. Is this song really that bad? I think it's great, and I enjoyed singing it."

"It will become popular in the future."

"Hey, you're still being so polite!"

Guan Xiaotong pursed her lips and focused on practicing her singing.

The car drove onto Film and Television Avenue, entered the tunnel, and turned a corner to reach Denglong Road.

At the fork in the road, the Marriott Hotel sign is very eye-catching.

To the left is Denglong Garden, a newly built villa community.

On the right side of the street, there are prop shops, clothing stores, and mostly guesthouses.

From afar, you could see about twenty extras with their heads glued on and hair accessories made, sitting on their own folding chairs in front of the Marriott Hotel.

Guan Xiaotong put on a mask, got out of the car, and went into the hotel first.

I contacted Nazha, and she booked a room for the two of us.

Just go to the front desk and give your name.

Jiang Yang wasn't in a hurry. He sent a message to Nazha, telling her that he had arrived in Hengdian, and took a few more glances at the extras outside the hotel: "What's the price range for extras these days?"

Can't remember.

It costs a little over a hundred for a ten-hour workday.

The taller one has a promising future, starting at 300 yuan.

The shorter ones are ordinary extras; they can earn over a hundred a day.

The extras are those who can speak lines; they get an extra 100 yuan for each line, making them the highest earners.

A team leader wearing a baseball cap was shouting, "Those in Group Two, come and assemble! Roll call! Those from the 'The Advisors Alliance' group, show your actor IDs."

"You didn't bring your actor's pass? Go back and get it. You have ten minutes! Hurry up and go... Make an exception? How can we make an exception? You're new here, aren't you? The crew will check your pass. Do you think just anyone can come into the filming location? Hurry up and go back and get it. Your name has already been registered."

"Breakfast is at the elevator entrance on the second floor. One serving per person. It says 'The Advisors Alliance Group.' Don't take the wrong one, and don't take more than one."

"For newcomers, let me emphasize again: no photos on set. Selfies are fine, but don't be a fucking idiot and take pictures of the costumes and props. Actors are even more prohibited from taking pictures. If the crew catches you doing that, they won't sign you a contract, and you won't get any roles. Don't blame me for not protecting you!"

As Jiang Yang got off the bus, he heard the team leader shout, "Let's start taking attendance now!"

They called out names from the list of actors accepting roles in the guild group.

The extras, who knew each other, chatted.

If you don't know them, just look down at your phone and play. When your name is called, you respond with a "Here!" and hand over your actor's ID.

I read out seven or eight names.

Jiang Yang felt that there were several young women looking at him near the entrance of the Marriott Hotel.

Someone whispered, "It's Jiang Yang...it really is Jiang Yang, he's much more handsome than on TV."

Suddenly, the team leader called out, "Bai Mengyan!"

Jiang Yang stamped his foot and uttered a sound: "Hmm?"

The team leader turned his head and looked over: "You're Bai Mengyan? Show me your actor's certificate."

"No, I am not Bai Mengyan."

"What did you promise?! Go to the side and wait, don't block the way, a large group is staying here tonight!"

The team leader pointed to the passageways on both sides of the hotel and directed Jiang Yang to stand there.

Jiang Yang didn't say anything.

It's obvious they're treating him like an extra.

That makes sense. The names chosen by the leaders are all those that have been announced. The coordinator sends the list to the production team, and after the performance, they sign a contract and get paid.

We need to gather everyone together as soon as possible and send them to the film crew.

A few girls standing by the hotel entrance approached, holding up their phones: "Excuse me, are you Jiang Yang?"

"Yes, it's me. And who are you?" Jiang Yang looked over and glanced at them.

She was a young woman.

One person was holding flowers, and the others were holding photos.

Looking closely at the photo, it turned out to be a picture of him singing at the press conference for the start of filming of "Fighter of the Destiny".

"We are your fans. Zhang Xiaoyu in your 'A Little Reunion' was exceptionally well-acted, and so was Xingchen..."

The short-haired girl in front of me spoke, and her tone became slower and slower.

When she met Jiang Yang's gaze, she began to stammer.

"Take your time, no rush," Jiang Yang said with a smile.

It turned out to be one of his own fans.

He's never done any marketing. His lousy company doesn't even have a marketing team, yet he still has fans.

Counted.

There were four girls in total.

After chatting for a while, I learned that the oldest was nineteen and was studying at a university in Beiping.

The youngest is only sixteen; he's a local from Zejiang and works there.

Some people got to know him from watching "A Little Reunion," while others followed him after watching the song "Starry Sea."

There are also Lu Han's fans who learned about him and became fans of him through Lu Han.

How did you know I would come here today?

"The official Weibo account of the 'Fighter of the Destiny' production team posted that you joined the crew today."

A fan group that was created spontaneously.

There are more than a hundred people.

They come from all over the country, but only these four came this time, and they paid their own way. They have a huge following online, with over 100,000 followers on Weibo.

Surprisingly, there are actually people in real life who follow their own schedules.

Looking at the innocent faces of these four fangirls, Jiang Yang felt a mix of emotions he couldn't quite explain.

Should have known.

I've prepared some gifts to bring.

Jiang Yang was very cooperative, signing autographs, taking individual photos, then a group photo, and chatting for a few minutes.

Who cares if the other party sells his autographed photos for money?

At least they were his first batch of fans.

"Wait a minute, you've come all this way."

Jiang Yang went to the convenience store across the street and bought a big bag of snacks: "Thank you for your hard work."

"Thank you!!" The young fans accepted the gifts with delight.

"I'm thanking you all," Jiang Yang said with a smile. "By the way, I'm starting filming tomorrow in Hengdian. It should be the Qin Palace set. Will you still be here tomorrow? Would you like to go to the set and take a look?"

"Really? We can go too!!!"

Several young fans screamed repeatedly.

Pure excitement.

Because they knew that not only Jiang Yang was on set, but they might also see Lu Han and Gulnazar.

"Don't take pictures then. You can take pictures of me, but please don't take pictures of the other actors, otherwise it will be difficult for me and the crew to explain."

"Okay, okay, Jiang Yang, we'll only film you! That's great, Jiang Yang, you're really too good!!"

The youngest fan was so excited that his eyes welled up with tears.

"You are, Mr. Jiang Yang?" The team leader, wearing a baseball cap, noticed Jiang Yang.

Once the number of extras present was counted and their actor IDs were collected, he was no longer as serious as before.

He licked his chapped lips and said with a smile, "Sorry, sorry..."

I wanted to say something like I didn't recognize him just now.

The other extras in the team were watching, and he was too embarrassed to speak.

"It's okay, it's normal." Jiang Yang patted him on the shoulder and asked for a business card.

I learned that the other person's name was Zhou Qi, he was 28 years old, and his hairline was receding.

I've been in Hengdian for four years.

He started as an extra in the guild, then became a foreground actor, and eventually a featured extra. He has participated in the filming of more than a hundred groups. He is not a professionally trained actor, but he has developed his own set of acting skills.

She has a wide range of acting roles.

I haven't been able to play any big roles, but I've played some small ones.

After chatting for a few minutes, Jiang Yang said goodbye to his fans and headed to the hotel reception.

Zhou Qi looked at the list of extras and continued calling out names: "Bai Mengyan! Is Bai Mengyan here or not? Damn it, another one is missing!"

Hear the words.

Jiang Yang stopped in his tracks.

Suddenly it occurred to me.

In her past life, Bai Lu was today, and she became an extra.

Zhou Qi led this group of extras to the film crew and accepted the same job that Bai Lu had originally been doing in Hengdian.

Jiang Yang turned around and said, "Team leader."

"Hey! Teacher Jiang."

"Bai Mengyan won't be coming."

"what?"

"At least with this announcement, Bai Mengyan won't be coming. I'm her friend, so I apologize on her behalf. She probably didn't tell you."

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Zhou Qi laughed heartily, "What's the big deal? It's a small matter. There are many extras like this in Hengdian."

He then asked, "By the way, will Bai Mengyan come again in the future?"

"I probably won't come again."

The actors' guild's bus came roaring in.

The extras, carrying folding chairs, boarded the vehicle one by one.

The area in front of the hotel became empty. Zhou Qi greeted Jiang Yang at the front door of the bus and instructed the driver to close the door.

The bus roared away.

There was an empty seat.

It's the White Dew season.

Jiang Yang smiled, went to the front desk, gave his name, took out his room card, and went upstairs.

I also sent a message to Bai Lu: ["Bai Lu, aren't you getting your actor's certificate?"]
Bai Lu replied: [“Oh right, I almost forgot, I got an actor's certificate from Hengdian World Studios. It was so hard to get one, I had to make an appointment several times. Damn, I even signed up in a casting group yesterday, and I'm supposed to be an extra today. I signed with your company, and I completely forgot about this.”]
Jiang Yang edited the text: [“Still want to be an extra?”]
[“I quit. Now I get a monthly salary and wait for the jobs you arrange. It's much more comfortable than being an extra. Extras have to compete for roles in a group chat.”]
The night passed in the blink of an eye.

Naza returned to the hotel in the middle of the night, slept for three hours, then got up to do her makeup and hair before heading to the film set.

The lead actors all have a lot of scenes, and the filming schedule is tight.

The next day, Jiang Yang got up early and heard a knock on the door.

When the door opened, it was the makeup artist arranged by the production team at the Marriott Hotel. A young girl timidly raised her hand to knock on the door: "Ms. Jiang, the executive producer wants you to go to the set."

Do I need to get my makeup and hair done today?

"You don't need to. You don't have any scenes to film today. You're just going to help out with Nazha. The car is waiting for you at the hotel entrance."

It was supposed to be a collaboration.

Actually, it was just to coach Gulnazar's acting skills, but she couldn't say it out loud.

He took out his phone and sent a message to Gulnazar: "How long have you been working today?"
Gulina replied: ["I've been working for two hours already, why aren't you here yet? I finished filming a scene and I'm resting now."]
Jiang Yang edited the text: ["I'm following the contract; it's not time to start work yet."]
[“Stop dawdling and get on with it. How many people in this crew actually follow the contract? Every single day they work overtime! When you were the boss, you were always eager to get more work done, but now that you're an employee, you expect to leave on time?”]
Gulnazar sent another message: ["Hurry up, my scene is still not good enough. The director doesn't want to criticize me, he just tells me to find my rhythm. They're being very tactful. I told them that as long as you're here, I can get all the shots—long shots, close-ups, extreme close-ups—in one take. I've already made that promise, don't embarrass me, there are so many people watching on set."]
Jiang Yang only realized it at this moment.

It turns out the director didn't ask him to go to the film set early.

It's Gulnazar.

Being famous is great; you can do whatever you want on set.

After washing up, Jiang Yang got into the film crew's van at the hotel entrance and headed to the Qin Palace in Hengdian.

The gates of the Qin Palace scenic area are open.

There is a ticket area for tourists, and next to it are vendors selling Hanfu (traditional Han clothing).

Visitors can see the Hall of Unity of the Four Seas, built in imitation of the Qin Dynasty's Xianyang Palace.

There is a passageway used for filming "The Emperor's Shadow".

There is a film and television props exhibition hall.

But these days, film crews usually don't shoot there anymore; it's mostly for tourists to enjoy.

The actual filming locations at the Qin Palace are separate from the tourist attractions.

Jiang Yang arrived at the small gate on the west side, where a security guard was stationed. He showed his credentials as a member of the Ze Tian Ji (Fighter of the Destiny) film crew, and the guard let him through.

Inside was a city gate.

The signboard changes frequently; sometimes it says Ganlin Town, sometimes Guangyang City. After the film crew rents this shooting location, they can change the signboard at will.

According to the call sheet, the scene being filmed is Nazha's despair in a fantasy world.

In order to save Chen Changsheng, Xu Yourong, played by Gulnazar, took the initiative to infiltrate the Demon Clan and disrupt the morale of the army. She also secretly decided to try the Soul Refining Method and forcibly ascend from the Star Gathering Realm to the Saint Realm. During this time, she entered the Fearful Illusion and saw Chen Changsheng standing in front of the Star Chart Array, gradually being absorbed into it. She tried her best but was powerless, and gradually despaired, crying bitterly.

Jiang Yang entered the filming location, which was in front of the main building.

They set up a green screen to create a greenhouse-like scene.

The extras, dressed in armor, were fast asleep on the ground.

Several trucks were parked on the muddy ground on both sides, which were not paved with bluestone slabs.

There are people pulling clothes and people pulling equipment.

From inside the shed, Gulinazha's voice could be heard: "Chang Sheng! Don't go! Don't go!"

The assistant director led Jiang Yang into the studio, holding a walkie-talkie that was connected to the director's channel.

I heard Zhong Shujia's voice from inside:

“Nazha, your performance in this scene is still a bit lacking. You need to convey despair. It's not a sudden outburst of emotion, but the kind of despair where you try your best but are powerless, and finally collapse.”

Zhong Shujia is from Hong Kong. He's fifty years old and speaks in a low voice with a Hong Kong accent: "Where's our acting coach? Didn't Mr. Xu say he signed an acting coach? What's his name again? Jiang Yang, where is he?"

"Director, Jiang Yang is here." The assistant director rushed over, clutching a walkie-talkie and wearing a headset.

Zhong Shujia took a water cup from the horse-drawn carriage in front of him, took a sip, and stared at the monitor: "Now that you're here, go ahead and teach Nazha a lesson."

As she spoke, her gaze drifted toward Jiang Yang.

He paused, his words trailing off: "You're Jiang Yang?"

"Hello, Director." Jiang Yang said with a smile as he took the script.

"You're so well-maintained, Ms. Jiang. Without makeup, you look like a high school student. Did you get that through a contract with President Xu?" Zhong Shujia stared at Jiang Yang's face, looking him over and over again: "Is it just good maintenance, or are you really young?"

"Director, I'm about to take the college entrance exam."

After glancing at the script and the scenes being filmed, Jiang Yang didn't chat with Zhong Shujia much before heading towards Gulinazha.

"High school student?" Zhong Shujia was stunned.

Having high school students as acting instructors? That's ridiculous.

Having directed for many years, I filmed "72 Tenants" in Hong Kong.

After coming to the mainland, the TV series "Lanling King" that he filmed a few years ago was the top-rated show of the year.

I've never heard of such a young acting coach.

It just so happens that Xu Xiaoou recommended him.

Is this some kind of monster in the Chinese entertainment industry?

Giving Jiang Yang two hours, this scene shows the character arc of the female lead played by Gulnazar.

If Jiang Yang can really train Nazha well, this matter can be discussed in Hong Kong.

If you can't train them properly, they're fired.

We don't tolerate these bad habits of relying on connections. (End of Chapter)