Huayu: Starting from retirement, sweeping across the domestic entertainment industry

Chapter 218 Casting

The news that "Honor of Kings" had been officially approved for development spread quickly within the industry.

It wasn't the kind of overwhelming official announcement, but rather it spread like ripples on the water, through the production company's channels, the agent's WeChat Moments, and private chats with some well-informed industry insiders.

Produced by Zhang Yimou and starring Li Ran—these two names alone are enough to make any talent agency's heart race.

Moreover, this is a TV series with an e-sports theme, not a romance film disguised as an e-sports story. It is a work that truly tells the story of League of Legends, professional players, and the passion and regrets on and off the field.

As soon as the casting announcement was released, recommendation letters from various companies flooded the production team's inbox like snowflakes.

League of Legends is a 5v5 game. In addition to the main protagonist played by Li Ran, there are four main supporting roles: top laner, mid laner, ADC, and support. Each position requires the actor to have a certain understanding of the game, not to mention the opposing team, commentators, coaches, and other supporting roles.

There are quite a few actors needed.

Everyone in the industry knows that an all-star lineup is unrealistic.

Firstly, the budget was limited, and secondly, actors who can truly balance acting skills and gaming prowess are extremely rare.

But this has given many newcomers in the company an opportunity. A film produced by Zhang Yimou and starring Li Ran is a rare big production these days. Even if it's just a supporting role, it's enough for a newcomer to write a brilliant mark on their resume.

Major talent agencies sent their most promising newcomers to auditions.

The casting director has to look at hundreds of documents every day, his eyes are tired from looking at them, but he still doesn't dare to slack off in the slightest—this film carries the expectations of too many people.

Li Ran, the male lead, actually got a rare break.

The casting for "Glory" is still in progress, and his scenes can only be filmed after all the actors have been finalized. This gap in the middle has become his longest vacation this year.

But I'm not that free either.

He agreed to Shen Teng's request to make a cameo appearance in Happy Twist's new movie.

Li Ran laughed out loud after reading the script sent by Shen Teng.

It turns out that it was "The Lone Moon," a film produced by Happy Twist, and the role he was asked to play was that of Tao, the actor from the Kung Fu Panda series in his previous life.

This is also a new attempt for Li Ran, after all, he has never played such a comedic role before.

The cameo appearance is scheduled for the middle of next month, and the filming location is Qingdao. It will only take two days to complete.

It won't delay the preparation of "Honor of Kings" or affect his rest.

He sent the itinerary to Long Ying, who replied with "Received" without saying anything more.

She's been talking much less lately, probably because she's finally adapted to the pace of the job, or maybe she's becoming more and more confident in Ji Ran's arrangements.

He picked up his phone and scrolled through his unread messages for the day.

Zhou Ye posted a photo from the film set with the caption "Finished work," and he liked it.

Tian Xiwei sent him a voice message, but he didn't open it. He guessed it was urging him to come over for dinner.

He put down his phone, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes. He suddenly felt that this kind of life was pretty good; he didn't have to rush to announcements, read scripts, or play someone else in front of the camera.

Just be yourself, sit here, watch the sunset, feel the breeze, and wait for nightfall.

My phone vibrated again.

Li Ran picked it up, and a video call request popped up on the screen; it was from Tian Xiwei.

He paused for a moment, then answered the call.

Tian Xiwei's face filled the entire screen, with her kitchen in the background. Several plates of chopped vegetables, red meat, white tofu, and green vegetables were neatly arranged on the stove.

She was wearing a light-colored loungewear set, her hair was casually tied up, and there was a hint of dissatisfaction in her big eyes.

"Li Ran, why aren't you replying to my messages?" she questioned directly.

Li Ran leaned back on the sofa, raised her phone, and tried to make herself look more relaxed.

"what?"

"Come and eat!" Tian Xiwei's voice was loud and crisp, like issuing an unquestionable command.

She paused, then added, "Grab the wine, Sister Tong is here too, let's have hot pot."

After she finished speaking, she turned her phone around so he could see the dining table.

The pot was already set up on the induction cooker, and the red oil broth was bubbling away, the spiciness of which could be smelled even through the screen.

Li Yitong sat at the dining table, wearing a dark sweater, her hair loose, and was fiddling with her chopsticks.

She seemed to sense the direction of the camera, looked up, and smiled at the screen, her crescent-shaped eyes curving into a beautiful arc with a hint of mischief.

Li Ran looked at that smile and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

"Okay, I'll be right there."

"Hurry up, I'm waiting for you." Tian Xiwei said and hung up the phone.

The screen went dark. Li Ran looked at the "Call ended" message, smiled, stood up, put on his coat, and took two bottles of red wine from the wine cabinet.

He thought for a moment, then grabbed another bottle of white liquor, put it in his bag, and went out.

I was a little curious. Why was Li Yitong still at Xiao Tian's house? It's been several days already.

Not long after, Li Ran arrived at Tian Xiwei's house.

He entered the password, and the door clicked open. He had just changed his shoes when a huge, furry creature came bounding over.

The Maine Coon calico cat that Hua Hua gave to Tian Xiwei last year has now grown into a majestic big cat, with a sturdy build, fluffy fur, and it runs like a moving cloud.

It rubbed against his trouser leg and let out a soft "meow," its tail held high like a little flag.

Li Ran bent down, scooped up Hua Hua, and held her in his arms.

The Maine Coon is indeed big; it's heavier than Ta Xue now, and it feels heavy in my hands, like holding a bag of rice.

Hua Hua snuggled against him, making purring noises, her eyes half-closed, looking completely content.

Tian Xiwei came out, saw him, and rolled her eyes at him.

"You won't come over if I don't call you these past few days, right?" she complained.

Li Ran chuckled and handed her the wine bag.

"We're about to film League of Legends, so I was just getting a feel for the game—" he said confidently, as if he were talking about something very important.

In fact, he has been playing games at home for the past two days and his rank points have increased significantly, but he has also accumulated a pile of takeout boxes on the coffee table.

Tian Xiwei took the wine bag and glanced down at it—two bottles of red wine and one bottle of white wine.

She snorted, "You're really something."

"Hot pot with red wine, how elegant!" Li Ran carried Hua Hua to the dining table and put the big cat down.

Hua Hua jumped onto the sofa, found a comfortable position to curl up, and draped her tail over the armrest like a fluffy scarf.

Li Yitong sat at the dining table, chopsticks in her hand, putting meat into the pot.

She looked up at Li Ran, her crescent-shaped eyes curving slightly, a hint of mischief mixed with curiosity.

"Why is Hua Hua so close to you?"

Li Ran sat down opposite her, picked up a pair of chopsticks, and put a piece of tripe into the hot pot.

"I carried it all here myself, don't you think?" He chuckled awkwardly, his tone casual.

He counted eight times, the tripe was tumbling in the pot, then he scooped it out, put it on a plate, blew on it, and put it in his mouth.

Crispy, spicy, hot, and delicious.

Tian Xiwei took three wine glasses from the wine cabinet, placed them on the table, glanced at the two bottles of wine, and frowned.

"I told you to get some wine, why did you get red wine?"

Li Ran chewed on tripe and mumbled, "Hot pot with red wine is so elegant, and besides, we brought a bottle of white wine."

He spoke with self-righteousness, a sly smile playing on his lips, as if to say, "Look how thoughtful I am."

Tian Xiwei glared at him, put the red wine aside, and took out her phone to tap a few times.

"Never mind, I'll just have a delivery person bring me some beer," she said, placing the order and putting her phone face down on the table.

Li Yitong watched her busy herself, smiled, and didn't say anything.

She placed the cooked beef into Tian Xiwei's bowl with a natural and intimate gesture. Tian Xiwei sat down, picked up her drink, took a sip, looked at Li Ran across from her who was enjoying his meal, and then looked at Li Yitong quietly cooking vegetables beside her. Suddenly, she felt that the scene was quite harmonious.

Three people, a cat, a hot pot, and a few bottles of wine.

The night outside the window was deep, the light inside the room was warm, and the bubbling sound mixed with the soft clatter of chopsticks hitting the rim of the bowl echoed in the small dining room.

Hua Hua jumped off the sofa, slowly walked to the dining table, tilted her head back, and looked at the bubbling meat slices in the pot with her amber eyes. Her tail wagged slowly, like a picky diner waiting for a dish that hadn't been served yet.

Li Ran looked down at it and reached out to rub its head.

"You can't eat it, it's too spicy."

Hua Hua meowed, as if in protest or complaint, then turned and walked away, its tail held high, leaving him with a haughty back view.

The doorbell rang; the beer had arrived.

Tian Xiwei went to open the door and came back with a bag of chilled beer. She opened one can and handed it to Li Ran, then opened another can and handed it to Li Yitong. She drank the last can herself.

The three of them bumped into each other, and the glass jars collided, making a crisp sound that was particularly clear in the quiet night.

Tian Xiwei took a sip of beer, the icy liquid sliding down her throat. She put down the can, looked at Li Ran across from her who was engrossed in hot pot, and suddenly asked, "How's the casting for 'Glory' going?"

Li Ran swallowed the perfectly cooked piece of mutton, looked up, and glanced at her with some surprise.

Why do you care about this?

Tian Xiwei picked up a piece of green vegetable with her chopsticks, dipped it twice in the hot oil, put it in her mouth, chewed it, swallowed it, and then slowly opened her mouth.

"The boss asked me to ask, it seems like he wants to get in through connections. After all, he's my former boss, so I'll just ask you." She said it casually, but there was a hint of slyness in her big eyes that said, "You decide what to do."

"The Grand Eunuch is quite good at finding people." Li Ran chuckled, a hint of teasing in his smile.

He picked up a piece of duck blood, put it in the pot, and watched it simmer in the red oil, slowly changing color.

Li Yitong burst out laughing when she heard the title "Grand Eunuch".

She put down her chopsticks, covered her mouth with the back of her hand, and her shoulders trembled slightly.

"Why do you call him the Grand Eunuch?" she asked curiously, her tone carrying a hint of teasing, but also a touch of admiration that said, "You have a sharp tongue."

Li Ran glanced at the piece of duck blood in the pot; it had already floated to the surface and was cooked.

He picked it up, dipped it in the sauce, put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, swallowed it, and then slowly explained.

"His surname is Gong. If he's not the Grand Eunuch, what is he? Besides, he was originally a casting director at New Classics Media, so the position is similar."

Li Yitong smiled with crescent-shaped eyes, looking as happy as a cat that had stolen a fish.

She picked up the beer can, took a sip, and suppressed the smile, but the light in her eyes just wouldn't go away.

Li Ran knew, of course, that Li Yitong and Gong Yuhan had a grudge.

When Li Yitong and Deng Lun collaborated on "Begonia in the Rain," their two agents had a falling out over the issue of billing order, which escalated into a major conflict.

Later, in the drama "The Great Girl" starring Li Yitong and Jin Daxi, the female lead was initially intended to be Jin Daxi and Li Qin, an artist under Gong Yuhan's management. However, because Jin Daxi and Deng Lun were ex-boyfriends, Gong Yuhan wanted to replace Jin Daxi.

As a result of this commotion, Li Yitong's agent, Xu Yiruo, immediately seized the opportunity and directly replaced Li Yitong with Li Qin.

Gong Yuhan suffered in silence, and this feud was now firmly established.

In their previous life, during the filming of "Chasing Jade," the two agents even staged a "reconciliation of the century" regarding the issues between Tian Xiwei and Niu Niu.

That melon was quite peculiar.

But now that Oda is no longer in Haohan, that famous scene is probably never to be seen again.

Thinking about all this, Li Ran shook his head, swallowed the duck blood, and picked up a piece of tripe.

Looking at his unhurried demeanor, Tian Xiwei asked again, "How should I reply to him?"

Li Ran pursed his lips and thought for a moment.

The entertainment industry is a game of give and take, and no matter how much Gong Yuhan wants to use connections, he has to follow the rules.

He put down his chopsticks, looked at Tian Xiwei, and asked, "Who is the actor he recommended?"

Tian Xiwei tilted her head and thought for a moment, her big eyes darting around as if she were recalling something.

"It seems to be a new young actor he's promoting, named He Yu. Also, it looks like he wants some supporting roles to promote his company's newcomers."

Li Ran shook his head and chuckled, saying helplessly, "Just tell him to let He Yu audition. Give it your best, the rest we'll see."

.

Tian Xiwei nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

Li Ran thought that Deng Lun hadn't collapsed yet, and Gong Yuhan still had that card in his hand. He probably wanted to use the favor his mother got from Tian Xiwei to promote a few newcomers.

He knew that favors were something that could be used up one less time, and Tian Xiwei knew it too.

So she only asked the question and didn't agree to anything on his behalf.

She handled this situation very well.

As soon as Xiaotian's problem was resolved, Li Yitong put down her chopsticks, turned her head to look at Li Ran, her crescent-shaped eyes curved, smiling with a hint of mischief.

"Could you give me someone too?"

Li Ran was putting shrimp paste into the pot when he heard this. He paused for a moment, looked up at her, and had a slightly embarrassed smile on his lips.

"No, you celebrities also want to promote newcomers?" His tone was slightly teasing.

Li Yitong smiled and shook her head, "What do you mean 'we, the stars'? Don't think I don't know your relationship with the stars."

She already knew about Li Ran's background and the connection between Zhongxing and Li Ran from her boss, Xu Yinuo.

Li Ran chuckled and scraped the shrimp paste from the spoon into the pot. The round, individual shrimp balls rolled around in the red oil.

He put down the spoon, wiped his hands, and looked at her.

"Let's see how hard you try tonight—" he drawled, a mischievous smirk in his voice.

Before he could finish speaking, Tian Xiwei punched him.

The punch, neither too light nor too heavy, landed on his arm, carrying a warning tone.

Li Ran was knocked off balance by the punch and turned to look at Tian Xiwei. She was glaring at him, her big eyes saying, "Try saying that again," and her lips were pursed.

"Why did you hit me?" Li Ran rubbed his arm innocently.

Tian Xiwei snorted, picked up a piece of cooked beef, stuffed it into her mouth, and chewed loudly, as if venting something.

Li Yitong watched the two of them chatting back and forth and couldn't help but laugh.