I am a historical film director in the entertainment industry.

Ning Hao was overjoyed upon hearing this, immediately understanding Cheng Sheng's deeper meaning, and quickly replied, "Okay! Thank you, Brother Sheng! I will send you the final draft of the script for review as soon as possible!"

The so-called review was not just a simple glance; it clearly meant that Cheng Sheng was willing to step in and help him polish the script, correct flaws, and elevate its scope.

Everyone in the industry knows that Cheng Sheng's screenwriting skills are unparalleled in the entire Chinese film industry, and no one can surpass him.

With his guidance, the quality of this new film will definitely reach a new level.

After ending his call with Ning Hao, Cheng Sheng composed himself and drove to the overseas film set.

By this time, the crew of "Zheng He's Voyages to the West" had already left Sumatra.

More than two weeks ago, the crew successfully completed all filming in Sumatra and set sail along the route Zheng He took on his voyages to the Western Ocean.

The fleet traversed the vast Indian Ocean, passing through Sri Lanka, and successfully completed local filming in two days before finally arriving at the last stop of this overseas filming trip—Kuri, which is now in India.

This is the farthest point of Zheng He's first voyage in history, and also the starting point for the fleet to complete diplomatic and trade activities and set sail for home.

In those days, Zheng He's fleet completed trade and diplomatic meetings here, established friendly relations, and then returned to China along the same route in 1407. He brought a group of overseas envoys to the Ming Dynasty and promoted its prestige overseas.

The set design in Guli was not complicated. The crew simply replicated the ancient Guli trading market, streets and alleys, and the simple venue for official diplomatic meetings, in order to restore the historical appearance to the greatest extent possible.

Today marks the last scene filmed at the Koh Li location.

Once this scene is successfully filmed, all overseas shooting for the entire "Zheng He's Voyages to the West" series will be completed, and the crew can pack up and return home without having to stay overseas any longer.

Cheng Sheng arrived at the film set and scanned the entire place. Seeing that all the sets, props, and extras were in place exactly as scripted and perfectly arranged, he immediately raised his hand to signal, "Last scene, action!"

The camera immediately started rolling, and filming officially began.

In the scene, Liu Dehua, who plays Zheng He, is dressed in the official robes of the Ming Dynasty. He is composed and upright, and he is engaged in friendly trade negotiations and diplomatic meetings with local officials in Guli.

The dialogue flowed smoothly and the movements were natural throughout the play, with the actors appearing flawless.

But just when the scene was progressing smoothly, Cheng Sheng suddenly spoke, his voice clear and crisp: "Cut!"

The entire stadium froze instantly.

Liu Dehua glanced sideways, his face full of doubt.

He repeatedly reviewed the performance, finding no mistakes in the lines, expressions, or movements, and couldn't understand why Cheng Sheng suddenly called for a stop.

Cheng Sheng rubbed his temples, beckoned the Chinese translator on set to his side, and solemnly instructed, "Go and communicate with that local actor. His demeanor and tone were too forceful just now. When facing the Ming Dynasty delegation, his lines and posture should be more humble and respectful. He should restrain that arrogant attitude."

The translator was stunned, looking completely bewildered: "Director Cheng, the actor's lines are correct, and the emotions are on point, so why is he deliberately lowering his posture?"

Cheng Sheng looked up at him, his tone filled with unwavering certainty: "You grew up overseas and may not know the true history. Let me ask you, in ancient times, China was the suzerain state of the surrounding countries, while Calicut was a small vassal state that depended on and was protected by the Ming Dynasty. Do you think that officials of a vassal state could face the top delegation of the suzerain state with equality and without being humble or arrogant?"

The translator suddenly realized the meaning.

Although he has lived overseas for many years, he has some knowledge of Chinese history.

Modern India considers itself a great power and constantly compares itself to China. However, in ancient times, the situation was completely different. At that time, China dominated the East, with all nations paying tribute. It was a true celestial empire, and many small countries in Southeast Asia and South Asia were its vassals, dependent on China for survival. Calicut was no exception.

If a small vassal state under protection were to treat a large delegation from its suzerain state as an equal and act arrogantly, it would be a reversal of the natural order and a lack of respect for hierarchy, which is completely contrary to historical fact.

He finally understood Cheng Sheng's intention in stopping the scene: the problem was never the actors' acting skills, but the misalignment of their historical stance.

"I understand, Director Cheng. I'll communicate and make adjustments immediately!"

The translator nodded quickly and strode over to the local actor playing the role of the Guri official, speaking rapidly in the local language to explain.

Liu Dehua stepped forward with a puzzled look and asked in a low voice, "Xiao Cheng, why did you suddenly call it a day? Everything seemed to be going smoothly just now."

Cheng Sheng briefly recounted the issues of historical hierarchy and the misalignment of roles in the story.

After hearing this, Liu Dehua suddenly understood and exclaimed from the bottom of his heart, "Our ancestors were truly amazing!"

Cheng Sheng smiled faintly, expressing his deep agreement.

For five thousand years, China has led the world, enjoying a renowned reputation and commanding the respect of all nations.

Even during the height of ancient Indian civilization, it could only submit to the Chinese dynasties and was firmly controlled by successive dynasties of the Central Plains.

During the prosperous Tang Dynasty, Wang Xuance made three missions to India, creating the legendary feat of "one man destroying a country".

Despite being robbed and his mission being humiliated, he single-handedly borrowed troops from Tibet and Nepal to decisively defeat Central India, capture the king, and demonstrate the power of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions. He was later hailed as the "Great Tang War Wolf".

This kind of glory is the source of confidence for the Chinese people in later generations.

Only in the late Qing Dynasty, with its closed-door policy and declining national strength, did China fall from its pedestal, miss opportunities, and experience a sharp decline in national power, allowing many former vassal states to rise up and dare to look down on China and engage in rampant competition.

On the other side of the set, communication between the translator and the local actors was not going smoothly.

After a heated negotiation, the translator looked helpless.

He returned with a troubled expression and reported: "Director Cheng, I'm sorry, the communication was ineffective. This actor is very stubborn. He insists that India is a world-class power and refuses to lower his stance or act in a humble and respectful manner as you requested."

These words immediately created a tense atmosphere on set.

Peng Da Mo hurriedly stepped forward to dissuade him, his tone urgent: "Boss, today is the last scene of filming. It's too risky to replace him now. He has already filmed a lot of scenes. If we replace him, all the scenes will have to be reshot, and we will be stuck here for at least a few more days. All subsequent schedules and progress will be completely delayed."

Delaying the project not only means financial loss and waste of resources, but also disrupts subsequent domestic filming and promotion plans, which is not worth the effort.

Cheng Sheng's expression suddenly turned cold, his eyes were firm, and his tone left no room for negotiation: "Do as I say, replace him."

On matters of principle, we will never compromise.

The translator dared not say anything more, and turned to the local actor, sternly speaking a few words in the local language.

The Indian actor's expression changed drastically in an instant, his eyes widening in astonishment, followed by a surge of intense anger and resentment. (End of Chapter)