The Common Man's Return in Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 148: Filming Begins for "The Return of the Condor Heroes"

"Sisi, have you been in contact with Qingxu lately?"

"No, I called him a while ago when he made his statement, but he didn't answer. I sent him a text message and he didn't reply until the next day. He even lied to me and said that the signal was bad where he was filming. What a big liar. I think he clearly forgot."

Hearing these childish words, Liu Xiaoli couldn't help but laugh and said, "He's not lying to you, the place where he's filming is quite remote."

"Really, Mom?"

"That's right. There are many places where he's filming, and it's normal that there's no signal because there are no people around."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yifei suddenly realized what was going on.

"Hey, isn't that his assistant?"

"Where?"

"That tall guy."

Following the direction Liu Xiaoli pointed, Liu Yifei saw a very conspicuous tall figure, and then saw the figure next to him who was more than half a head shorter. Although the figure was wearing a hat, mask and sunglasses, Liu Yifei recognized him immediately, smiled and waved, "Wolong, over here."

Seeing that familiar figure looking towards her, Liu Yifei stood up with a smile and waved her arms.

"Aunt Liu, it's been a long time."

"Long time no see, Qingxu!"

"Ahem!"

Hearing the cough from the side, Ji Qingxu looked over with amusement, "Fengchu, long time no see."

Upon hearing this nickname, Liu Yifei's face instantly turned bright red. "You stinky Wolong, you're not allowed to call me that!"

"Haha, Sisi, my little beauty, it's been a long time."

Hearing Ji Qingxu address her like that in front of her mother, Liu Yifei felt a little shy and awkwardly pushed up her sunglasses. "Wolong, it's been a long time."

"Qingxu, has filming over there finished?"

"Not yet, just a little bit. I'll fly back after the opening ceremony."

Hearing her mother chatting with Wolong, Liu Yifei asked curiously, "Haven't you finished filming your scenes for 'Seven Swords' yet?"

Ji Qingxu smiled and said, "No, it will take about another week."

"What about 'The Return of the Condor Heroes'? Have you talked to Director Zhang about it?"

"I already said, we've already discussed it."

"Then what should I do?"

Seeing that Wolong and her mother were both looking at her, Liu Yifei blinked innocently, "Wasn't I supposed to be filming the ancient tomb scenes with you? How can we film it alone if you're not here?"

Ji Qingxu glanced at Liu Xiaoli, whose expression had relaxed slightly, and said with a smile, "The crew has made all the arrangements. We'll proceed according to the crew's shooting schedule."

"oh!"

"How's your swordsmanship practice going?"

"Hehe, I've practiced really well, even Uncle Kou praised me."

"Uncle Kou?"

"Yes, it's Uncle Kou Zhanwen."

Ji Qingxu looked at her with amusement but did not refute her.

Hearing that Wolong did not reject the title, Liu Yifei pushed up her sunglasses, a hint of smugness flashing in her eyes.

After chatting for a while, the group got up and headed towards the boarding gate when they heard the announcement.

Because the group used the VIP channel, apart from the staff checking and registering being somewhat surprised, it didn't cause much of a stir.

"Wolong, wake up, we're almost there."

Hearing the shouts in his ear, Ji Qingxu opened his eyes, stretched, and sat up.

"That feels so good!"

"Wolong, didn't you sleep last night?"

"No, I was filming until after 9 p.m. last night. I took a shower and then took a car to the airport. I flew to Beijing this morning."

"Oh, you didn't sleep all night?"

"Um."

Upon hearing Ji Qingxu's account, Liu Yifei's slight resentment vanished instantly. Ji Qingxu had gone to bed as soon as he boarded the plane, and Liu Yifei had assumed that he was too lazy to pay attention to her. However, she hadn't expected that he hadn't slept all night.

"Why don't you go to the restroom and tidy up?"

"it is good."

Watching Ji Qingxu get up and walk towards the restroom, Liu Xiaoli couldn't help but glance at her daughter. When did this girl become so caring? Thinking that the two of them would be spending a long time together on set, Liu Xiaoli couldn't help but rub her forehead.

"Mom, are you feeling unwell?"

Seeing her daughter looking at her with concern, Liu Xiaoli smiled and shook her head, "It's okay, Mom is fine."

"Mom, you must tell me if you're not feeling well."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiaoli smiled happily and said, "Okay, I will definitely tell my good daughter if I feel unwell."

"It's out! It's out!"

"Ji Qingxu, Liu Yifei, look this way!"

"Ji Qingxu!"

"Liu Yifei!"

'

""

Looking at the surging crowd and the noisy sounds outside, Ji Qingxu pushed his suitcase and strode forward.

Faced with the constant flashing of cameras, Ji Qingxu's lips twitched under his mask. How many reporters had Zhang the Big Beard called over?

When Ji Qingxu and Liu Yifei boarded the plane, they used the VIP channel without causing any sensation. However, at Shuangliu Airport, the two used the regular channel.

This was naturally at Zhang Jizong's behest, for the purpose of creating hype.

Looking at the dense crowd in front of him, Ji Qingxu did not do anything else. He and Zhang Zhong simply escorted Liu Yifei and her daughter Liu Xiaoli to walk quickly outside.

With the arrival of airport security personnel, Ji Qingxu and his group managed to escape from the airport, get into a car, and quickly leave the airport.

After getting into the car, Liu Yifei breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Phew, Mom, why are there so many people? If it weren't for Wolong and Brother Chong protecting us, we would be finished today."

Hearing her daughter's sentiments and remembering that there were at least a hundred people surrounding them just now, Liu Xiaoli glanced out the window and said thankfully, "It's a good thing we had Qingxu and the other person with us, otherwise the two of us probably wouldn't have been able to leave the airport today."

"Haha, Brother Chong is really amazing. With him walking ahead, no one dares to block his way."

1

Thinking of Ji Qingxu's assistant, Liu Xiaoli couldn't help but laugh.

"Greetings, Uncle Kou!"

Seeing Zhang Chong grin and greet him, Kou Zhanwen's lips twitched. "Why are you so dark-skinned?"

Zhang Zhong chuckled and scratched his head. "The sun is too strong over there."

Kou Zhan shook his head upon hearing this. Zhang Zhong already had a fierce and menacing appearance. After spending almost two months in Xinjiang Province without paying much attention to sun protection, his skin had become dark, making him look even more ferocious. He could be a door god standing at the gate to ward off evil spirits.

Then Kou Zhanwen looked at Ji Qingxu beside him and said, "Junior brother, you've gotten tanned too."

Ji Qingxu chuckled and touched his bald head. "There's nothing I can do. I'm outdoors all day. If I hadn't worn sunscreen, I'd be about as dark as Chong-ge. Senior brother, how's the film crew doing?"

Upon hearing this question, Kou Zhanwen smiled and said, "It's alright, overall it's been relatively stable."

"No fight?"

Seeing Ji Qingxu looking at him with a mocking expression, Kou Zhanwen laughed loudly, "With you here, who would dare to fight?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Qingxu chuckled and said, "Am I that famous?"

Kou Zhanwen nodded seriously, "It's that big. Everyone in the martial arts world knows you're highly skilled. You almost broke Zhen Zidan's bones with one punch. Who would dare to be so blind as to bully your senior brother?"

Upon hearing this news, Ji Qingxu shook his head with amusement, "That's an exaggeration."

95

"Hey, you know how people in this industry bully the weak and fear the strong. Besides, this news came from the Hong Kong entertainment circle, so it's more credible."

"Even without me, no one would dare to bully you, Senior Brother. They should be grateful that you don't bully others."

"Hehe, that's usually how it is, but you know our production team is special. Zhang Dahuzi complained about you a few days ago."

Ji Qingxu raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. "Are you saying I'm not taking this role seriously?"

Kou Zhanwen smiled and nodded, "That's about right. He's a bit petty. You really can't judge a book by its cover. He looks like a generous and forthright person, but he's a completely different person in private."

"Won't he be furious if I leave right away?"

Upon hearing this, Kou Zhanwen said meaningfully, "He might use this as an excuse to stir things up again."

Ji Qingxu smiled upon hearing this, "Let him be, as long as it doesn't affect me during filming."

"That shouldn't be the case. He doesn't handle the specific filming details. It's just that Min, Zhao Jian, and I are in charge. He only takes care of the general direction. Besides, there's also President Ma overseeing things. You've sacrificed so much for the company, they won't just stand by and watch."

Upon hearing Kou Zhanwen mention this, Ji Qingxu asked curiously, "Senior brother, what's been happening in the circle lately?"

Kou Zhanwen stroked his chin and thought for a moment, "There's been no movement for now. We're in the eye of the storm, so everyone's been behaving themselves. However, quite a few people have said they want to have a drink with you. Junior brother, this time you've truly made a name for yourself in the industry."

Ji Qingxu shook his head with amusement, "It's just an empty title. I'm afraid many people don't like me."

Kou Zhanwen sneered, "A bunch of lowlifes, only daring to do dirty tricks in secret. If you're so capable, why don't you have a proper showdown?"

At this point, Kou Zhanwen joked, "Junior brother, it's probably unlikely that you'll be able to act in Hong Kong and Taiwan movies in the future."

Ji Qingxu laughed loudly, "Even without this incident, would they have made me the main character?"

"Haha, that's right. It's already quite an achievement for mainland actors to be able to play the third male lead in Hong Kong and Taiwan movies. Look at your senior brother Wu Jing, he can't even get the lead role in TV series. Sigh, I don't know what to say. He insists on staying in Hong Kong and playing supporting roles every day."

"Everyone has their own ambitions. Let him try first. He'll know to come back when he's completely given up."

"That's true. He's only 30 years old this year, so there's no need to rush. But when I called him last time, he was really jealous of you."

Ji Qingxu grinned and said, "I'll give him a chance when he comes back next time. He can choose between a dinner party or a martial arts arena."

"That's it, he can't outdrink you, and he's no match for you in a fight either," he said, even more heartbroken.

Upon hearing this, Kou Zhanwen burst into laughter inside the carriage.

The next morning, at a waterfall in Jiuzhaigou.

The opening ceremony for "The Return of the Condor Heroes" was held here.

Ji Qingxu arrived at the opening ceremony at 6:30 a.m.

"Senior brothers, didn't you check the weather forecast?"

Kou Zhanwen looked up at the gloomy sky and said softly, "I saw it. Zhang Dahuzi insisted on holding the opening ceremony today. He's the producer, so naturally he has the final say."

Glancing at Zhang Jizong, whose face looked rather grim in the distance, Kou Zhanwen continued, "It's alright. There aren't many scenes here, so it won't have much of an impact. Look, even Mr. Jin Yong isn't here. After we finish filming these scenes, the crew will move to Xiangshan and hold a much bigger opening ceremony. Mr. Jin Yong will be there then."

Upon hearing this, Ji Qingxu looked around and nodded. There were only three main actors in the crew attending the opening ceremony today: Ji Qingxu, Liu Yifei, and "Brother Diao". The rest were just some extras with few scenes.

Liu Yifei was sitting in the RV in the distance and hadn't gotten off. At present, only Ji Qingxu and "Brother Diao" were present; the other actors hadn't arrived yet.

Watching the reporters and tourists snapping photos of the two-meter-tall "Sculptor" model in the distance, Ji Qingxu laughed and said, "Zhang the Bearded Man really has some skills."

Upon hearing this, Kou Zhanwen remarked, "Yes, although he's not a great person, he's really good at promoting and hyping up TV dramas. Even Boss Ma remarked that Ciwen should learn from Zhang Jizong in the future."

"That's good. Ciwen needs to learn from this. The old method of burying oneself in hard work is no longer effective. Nowadays, the cost of a drama is often tens of millions. Without hype and buzz, how can it be sold?"

"That's right. Just like with this movie, 'The Return of the Condor Heroes,' even before we started filming, a bunch of TV stations came to Zhang Jizong, wanting to buy the first broadcast rights."

Upon hearing this, Ji Qingxu asked in surprise, "Didn't President Ma say that 'The Return of the Condor Heroes' would premiere on CCTV-1?"

Kou Zhanwen gestured to Zhang Jizong in the distance, "He disagrees, saying that the TV series is not sincere enough. Anyway, they are still arguing about it. However, the TV series has not been finished yet, so they haven't reached an agreement yet."

"Is this the same idea from Huaxia Vision?"

"I don't know. Mr. Pu from Huaxia Vision said that everything in the production team was handed over to Zhang Dahuzi. Mr. Pu looks kind, but he's actually a wolf in sheep's clothing. He pushed everything onto Zhang Dahuzi and made Zhang Dahuzi compete with our Ciwen."

Upon hearing this, Ji Qingxu slowly nodded, "As expected, none of the bosses in the entertainment industry are easy to deal with."

"Of course. No one who becomes a big boss in the entertainment industry is simple. Boss Ma often says that Boss Pu is no ordinary person. We brothers must be careful in this circle, because we might fall into a trap one day."

"With my senior brother protecting me, I'm not worried."

"Haha, now it's your turn to protect your senior brother."

"9

"Then we'll look out for each other... Oh, is this the start?"

Following Ji Qingxu's gaze, Kou Zhanwen nodded, "That should be it. Let's go over there."

"it is good."

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