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

Chapter 220 E-sports Boy Band

On the set of "Lone in the Moon," dust filled the air.

Li Ran was wearing a wrinkled shirt covered in dust, her hair was a mess like a bird's nest, and her face was smeared with dust. She looked disheveled.

He stood in front of the camera, took a deep breath, and waited for the director to call "action."

The clapperboard snapped shut, and he instantly got into character.

The camera zooms in, giving a close-up of his face.

He yanked the wig off his head, his movements so rough it looked like he was wrestling with something.

The wig was covered in dust, which fell off in a flurry, shimmering in the light.

He frowned, shook his wig forcefully, and a cloud of dust rose up, making him cough twice.

He looked down at the messy wig in his hand, then looked up at the dust swirling in the air. His expression was full of helplessness and resentment, like someone abandoned by the world who couldn't even keep the last bit of dignity.

With a weary, self-destructive air, he shook his wig, raising another cloud of dust. He quickly turned his head away, squinting, his face full of disgust.

Just then, footsteps sounded behind them, and Fengchu walked up behind Li Ran and stopped.

"What are you doing?" His voice was unhurried, tinged with a sense of helplessness.

He tilted his head to look at the wig in Li Ran's hand, then looked at Li Ran's sparsely shaved head, and frowned.

"You're a celebrity, you need to pay attention to your image!"

Li Ran turned her head and looked at him incredulously, her eyes filled with shock that seemed to say, "Are you kidding me?"

He scoffed, "Concerned about your image?"

He raised his voice, held up the wig in his hand, and waved it in front of Fengchu, causing another layer of dust to settle on it.

"Dude, it's the end of the world, and you're telling me to worry about my image? Are you out of your mind?"

After he finished speaking, he laughed first, a laugh tinged with a self-deprecating helplessness.

He casually tossed the wig aside, and it landed on the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dust.

Li Ran took two steps forward, turned around, faced Feng Chu, and opened his arms as if to show off his disheveled state.

"I used to be a top-tier celebrity, look at me now." He looked down at his dusty clothes, his expression changing from anger to a bitter smile, and then from a bitter smile to numbness.

"What am I now?" His voice trailed off, carrying a resigned and indifferent attitude.

Feng Chu looked at him, remained silent for a few seconds, then cleared her throat and said in a serious tone, "Now you are a top-tier celebrity."

Li Ran was stunned for a moment. He blinked, as if he didn't understand, or as if he understood but couldn't believe it.

He tilted his head and looked at Fengchu, his eyes filled with a mixture of doubt and expectation.

"The artist on Line 1?" he repeated, his tone tinged with uncertainty.

Fengchu nodded, his expression still serious, as if he were announcing a very important message.

"I arranged a gig for you in carriage number two, to celebrate the birthday of an old man who's a fan of celebrities."

Li Ran's eyes lit up. The light was very small, almost invisible, but it was real.

He took half a step forward, getting closer to Fengchu, and lowered his voice, with a cautious tone that seemed to ask, "Are you sure?"

"There are still people who like me?" His tone carried a hint of disbelief, as well as a barely suppressed sense of pride.

Fengchu looked at him, hesitated for a moment, and her eyes showed a hint of guilt and embarrassment.

"What people like is—" He paused, somewhat conflicted, "Fire Cloud Evil God."

Li Ran's expression froze. His lips twitched, his brows furrowed, his eyes widened, and his mouth opened and closed repeatedly, as if he were frozen in place by something.

Behind the monitor, director Zhang Chiyu stared at the screen, a smile playing on his lips.

Shen Teng sat next to him, also looking like he couldn't hold back his emotions.

When Li Ran walked out of the frame, Shen Teng finally couldn't hold back anymore and burst out laughing, bending over with laughter and slapping his thigh.

"You little rascal, hahaha—" He laughed so hard he couldn't speak properly, and tears were almost streaming down his face.

The assistant director next to him also laughed, and everyone in front of the monitor was laughing. The laughter echoed in the quiet film set, mixed with the clanging sounds of crew members moving props in the distance.

Zhang Chiyu took off his headphones, rubbed his cheeks which were sore from laughing, and turned to look at Shen Teng.

"Brother Teng, Li Ran's acting is really good. I was worried that he would be too self-conscious to let loose." His tone was sincere, with the heartfelt appreciation of a director when he encounters a good actor.

"That expression, that rhythm, that effortless control—it didn't seem like acting; it felt real."

Shen Teng wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, leaned back in his chair, and smiled with satisfaction.

As Li Ran stepped out of the camera's view, staff immediately handed him water and a towel. He took them, drank a sip, wiped the dust off his face, and walked to the monitor.

Shen Teng stood up, patted his shoulder, and lingered on his shoulder for two seconds with a light touch, conveying a sense of "you're really something, kid."

"Well done," Shen Teng said. Just three words, but more satisfying than any lengthy praise.

Li Ran smiled, a smile that shone brightly against his dusty face.

"Brother Teng, did you write the lines?"

"How was my writing?" Shen Teng asked smugly.

"That's too mean." Li Ran shook his head, but he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips.

The two looked at each other and laughed at the same time.

Laughter echoed across the set, mingling with the distant sound of waves, one after another, unhurried and gentle.

Li Ran looked at Shen Teng and asked, "Brother Teng, when is the next match?"

"Go and rest this afternoon, and have something to eat," Shen Teng said, pointing towards the rest area.

Three days later, all the cameo scenes in "Lone in the Moon" were filmed.

The flight was in the afternoon, and by the time we arrived back in Beijing, it was already dark.

"Brother Ran, Boss Long said you need to come to the company tomorrow. The casting has been finalized." Xiao Chen glanced back at him from the passenger seat.

Li Ran leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and replied, "Okay."

He hasn't been involved in casting much lately.

It's not that I don't care, it's just too complicated.

He was too lazy to deal with the favors from all sides, the recommendations from various parties, and the various tests from different sources, so he simply handed it over to Long Danshi and Director Zhang's team to weigh the pros and cons.

He just needs to wait for the results and then cooperate.

The next morning, he drove to Wajijiwa.

Long Danni's office is still the same as before, with floor-to-ceiling windows, leather sofas, and a faint aroma of coffee in the air.

Long Danshi sat behind her desk with a thick document spread out in front of her. When she saw him come in, she raised her chin, gesturing for him to sit down.

"The casting list is finalized." She pushed the documents in her hand over. "Take a look."

Li Ran took it and opened it.

The first page featured the main cast. His gaze swept over it, paused for a moment, and then a smile curved his lips.

Top laner – Wang Junkai.

A veteran League of Legends player with a deep champion pool and exquisite skills, he is known in the entertainment industry as an "e-sports player whose talent was wasted on acting," and his Irelia skills are superb.

He is also the spokesperson for League of Legends Mobile.

Mid laner – Zhang Linghe.

Li Ran hadn't expected Niu Niu to find his way here; he hadn't expected the stars to push him out of the limelight.

He and Zhang Linghe spent several months together on the set of "Canglan Jue" and became quite familiar with each other.

He continued scrolling down.

ADC – Zhai Xiaowen.

The artist is from their own company and came from R1SE. He has a good fan base. He was persuaded to leave the show "You Are Beautiful When You Smile" and hasn't received any good projects since.

The fact that Longdan Brigade was able to squeeze in this time clearly shows their intention—to keep the benefits within the family.

Supporting role – Hu Xianxu, the earliest child star to debut among them.

Li Ran closed the file and leaned back in his chair. "Four seats, two of them family members?"

Long Danni rolled her eyes at him.

"What do you think? These days, everyone's just sucking up to their own people."

Li Ran nodded. This lineup could be described as luxurious.

"What about the other supporting characters?"

Long Danni pushed another document towards her. "Take a look."

Li Ran opened the list, glanced at it, and then suddenly stopped.

He Yu—the newcomer recommended by Gong Yuhan, plays the jungler for the opposing team.

Although he didn't have many scenes, he had a lot of scenes with Li Ran, making him arguably the most outstanding supporting character in the entire series besides the main cast.

"He Yu?" He looked up at Long Danni.

"I passed the audition, and Director Zhang thought it was alright," Long Danshi said casually.

"Is General Manager satisfied?" Li Ran asked with a smile.

Long Danni glanced at him. "When it comes to favors, what's there to complain about when you're using his people?"

Li Ran didn't say anything more.

He put down the document, picked up his coffee, took a sip—bitter, with a sweet aftertaste.

He suddenly remembered his suggestion to Director Zhang and asked, "What about the professional players making cameo appearances?"

Long Danxuan turned to the last page of the document.

"We've invited Uzi, Meiko, JackeyLove, TheShy, and some retired players; they're all willing to make cameo appearances. They'll play themselves, no lines, just a brief appearance."

She paused, looked at Li Ran, and said, "Your old teammates have all agreed as well."

Li Ran nodded.

"When will you turn it on?"

"At the beginning of next month, we'll film the training room scenes first, then the competition scenes."

Li Ran nodded and walked towards the door.

As dusk settled, the night fell silently over the capital.

Li Ran leaned back on the sofa and had just finished talking to Liu Haocun about the casting when her phone was taken away and casually tossed onto the coffee table.

Liu Haocun nestled next to him, wearing an oversized home T-shirt, her hair loose, looking soft and lazy.

After hearing the list of names Li Ran gave, her doe-like eyes narrowed slightly.

"The casting is too luxurious; they're practically an e-sports boy band."

She smiled faintly, her tone light and airy, as if she were teasing, yet also making a serious assessment.

Li Ran thought about it and realized that it was indeed true.

The five of them are Wang Junkai, Zhang Linghe, Zhai Xiaowen, Hu Xianxu, plus himself.

Wang Junkai and Zhai Xiaowen are still legitimate members of a boy band. He nodded and smiled slightly.

"You know what, it's really true." His tone carried a hint of helplessness.

Imagine the five of them standing together in their team uniforms; it's hard to tell if they're filming an e-sports drama or a talent show.

If Zhang Yimou knew, he'd probably facepalm.

Liu Haocun looked at him, a hint of mockery in her doe-like eyes. She reached out and gently hooked her arm around his neck, pulling him closer.

The two were very close, close enough to see the curve of her eyelashes and to smell the faint scent of her shower gel.

"Okay," her voice lowered, with a hint of coquettishness at the end, "let's not talk about this anymore. Let's take a shower and keep going."

Li Ran's lips twitched. "Strive for what?"

"What do you think?" Liu Haocun tilted his head, his doe-like eyes sparkling like two black pearls soaking in water.

Her fingers traced lightly on the back of his neck, one stroke at a time, like playing a tune without melody, tickling and tingling, seeping from his skin to his bones.

Li Ran looked into her eyes for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled.

He reached out and scooped her up from the sofa, holding her in his arms. Her body was very light, as light as a feather, and she felt almost weightless in his embrace.

"Then let's not waste time." He looked down at her, a mischievous smile curving his lips. "Speed ​​is of the essence."

Liu Haocun rolled her eyes at him, but she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips. She reached out and gently patted his chest, the force not too strong.

"Who told you speed is everything?" her voice was muffled, with a hint of reproach. "Slow down, or my back can't take it."

Li Ran carried her towards the bathroom, his steps neither hurried nor slow.

His emphasis on speed in warfare refers not to the length of work hours, but to work efficiency.

Time quickly came to the end of the month, and Tian Xiwei was preparing to join the cast of "Qingqing's Daily Life".

After thinking about it, Li Ran realized he didn't have many days of vacation left, so he went to Hengdian with her.

Upon arriving in Hengdian, Li Ran spent two days with Tian Xiwei.

Over the next few days, he began his "set visit".

First, I went to the set of the TV series "Protecting the Heart".

Zhou Ye was filming an action scene, suspended by wires and flying around in mid-air.

After the director yelled "Cut," she saw Li Ran, paused for a moment, then smiled, lifted her skirt, and ran over, her face flushed.

"Why are you here?"

"I happened to have some free time, so I came to see you."

Li Ran handed her the bag. "It's from your favorite dessert shop."

Zhou Ye opened it, glanced at it, and his eyes lit up. "You still remember?"

The two sat in the rest area for a while.

Zhou Ye ate his tiramisu in small bites, while Li Ran sat quietly beside him.

"Is there any filming tonight?"

"Yes, two matches. What about you? When are you leaving?"

"I'll leave tomorrow afternoon to visit Chu Ran."

Zhou Ye nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "Okay, I estimate that the filming will be finished around 8 p.m. tonight. I'll try to get it all in one take."

The next afternoon, Li Ran went to the set of "Shangshi".

Wang Churan is filming a cooking scene, dressed in Ming Dynasty court attire, standing in front of the stove carefully stir-frying food.

After the director yelled "Cut!", she turned around, saw Li Ran, her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Little Ranran~"

Li Ran was speechless. What the hell is "Little Ranran"? What kind of nickname is that?

In the following days, Li Ran visited Zhang Jingyi and Zhang Ruonan on set for a day each.

The filming of "Honor" has officially started.

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