Rebirth 05: From Coal Mine Owner to Mobile Phone Tycoon

"For a play to be outstanding, the right timing, the right location, and the right people are all indispensable. Of course, I'm not talking about metaphysics."

"What I'm saying is that no link in the chain can go wrong, from the investors to the script to the actors."

Zhou Mei nodded

"In the actor segment, the most important are undoubtedly the male and female leads. If the male and female leads are not convincing, then no matter how well the other actors perform, how hard the director puts in, or how much effort the publicity team puts in, the show is still going to flop."

"And this 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' is the culmination of Mr. Jin Yong's core spirit of chivalry—serving the country and its people—so the requirements for the male and female leads are exceptionally high."

"Take Guo Jing for example. Guo Jing's character is clearly defined in the book. There's no need for the actor to try to understand or interpret him. That would be superfluous."

"What is Guo Jing's most prominent characteristic?"

Lu Yuan patiently guided Zhou Mei, who listened attentively and unconsciously entered into his rhythm.

"Is he highly skilled in martial arts?"

Lu Yuan shook his head

"Is it integrity and courage?"

Lu Yuan shook his head again, but did not make things difficult for Zhou Mei.

"He's simple-minded."

"silly?"

"He's just simple-minded. There's a saying that goes, 'Clever Huang Rong and simple-minded Guo Jing.' Don't underestimate the word 'simple-minded.'"

"Jin Yong's cultural background is exceptionally profound, which can be seen from the names of the characters in his books. And the fact that he gave the character '憨' (simple-minded) to Guo Jing was not just a random choice."

Do you know the difference between stupid, dumb, foolish, and idiotic?

Zhou Mei was even more confused.

"Isn't this all saying that people aren't smart?"

"Of course not. Although these words can be used interchangeably at times, they are fundamentally different."

"For example, the word 'stupid' can be broken down into two parts: 'insects in spring' and 'insects in spring'. Insects in spring have just finished hibernating and their bodies have not yet fully awakened. They are wriggling aimlessly. So this describes people who act blindly and think they are clever, but the things they do are disastrous."

"Oh, now that you describe it that way, I think I understand instantly. That's what you mean. What about the rest?"

Zhou Mei's eyes lit up instantly, a feeling of sudden enlightenment washing over her, as if she had grasped something. She couldn't wait to know the true meaning of the other words.

"Being slow-witted means that a person is slow to react and slow to learn, but this can be made up for through hard work. For example, if a person is not coordinated or not dexterous enough, we often say clumsy, not stupid. A person's reaction speed does not represent an innate intellectual deficiency."

"If you don't have a deep understanding of Mr. Jin Yong's intentions, it's easy to portray Guo Jing as stupid."

"Just like the Li Erpeng version of Guo Jing that was released in mainland China two years ago, it highlighted his slow reaction and made him look like a fool."

"Now that you mention it, I understand. I actually watched that show. I knew it, there was something strange about Guo Jing, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Now that you've explained it, I understand everything."

Zhou Mei's eyes were already beginning to show a little heart of admiration.

"Then let's talk about 'stupid.' This word carries a slightly derogatory connotation. It usually refers to someone with intellectual disabilities or a simple mind who lacks the ability to discern right from wrong."

"The word 'foolish' refers to a type of monkey, which is far less intelligent than humans. If a monkey lives in a person's heart, their cognitive scope will be narrow, their judgment will be poor, they will not understand things, they will always be deceived by appearances, and they will not accept the truth even after being enlightened."

"Dull" refers to a person's blank expression, stagnant thinking, and lack of concentration. It can also describe a person as dull or wooden. For example, if a beautiful woman falls in love with me but I don't realize it, she will scold me for being a dunce.

"Oh, I see. I thought that was just something from period dramas, that's how people spoke back then. I didn't realize it had this meaning."

After hearing this, Zhou Mei felt that everything made sense, and these were things that her acting and dialogue teachers had never taught, but they would be very helpful for improving her acting skills in the future.

Zhou Mei's admiration deepened. She even thought that Lu Yuan should enter the entertainment industry. He was rich and handsome, could direct and act, and could also be an investor. With him in charge, there wouldn't be any bad dramas.

Lu Yuan saw the adoration in the goddess's eyes, and for a moment he spoke even more enthusiastically.

"Furthermore, the terms 'dementia' and 'stupidity' are often used together, such as Alzheimer's disease, which is called senile dementia in mainland China. However, dementia and stupidity are opposites. Stupidity is a lack of concentration, while dementia is a concentration on oneself or a certain thing."

"You see in martial arts dramas, there are often martial arts fanatics or martial arts madmen. Because of their obsession, they ignore the outside world and it's like a mental illness."

"Finally, there's the word '憨' (hān). You can tell from the character itself that it has absolutely nothing to do with the previous words like 'low IQ' or 'slow reaction'."

"Having courage in one's heart is called 'simplicity.' It describes someone who, although outwardly or in their actions, may seem foolish or clumsy, possesses inner courage and independent thought, daring to persist or execute. This 'simplicity' is not stupidity, but rather carries a pure, persistent, and reckless courage."

"Isn't that Guo Jing?!" Zhou Mei blurted out.

"That's right. So, there's still a lot we need to improve our understanding of Mr. Jin's level of expertise, and I'm the same; I'm constantly learning."

They got it, Lu Yuan got it.

Lu Yuan was incredibly pleased with himself at that moment, and the admiration of the goddess Zhou Mei was something that most men could only dream of.

But then, Zhou Mei didn't understand.

"I'm really grateful. I feel like I've finally seen the light. I think if I go back and think about it, I can improve my acting skills."

"But I still don't understand the relationship between this and the Tang people?"

Lu Yuan thought to himself, no wonder so many people like to play the role of a teacher, especially when it comes to answering the questions of goddesses.

The joy here is unimaginable to others.

"Did you know that Tangren released a hit drama at the beginning of this year?"

"I've heard of it, but I haven't seen it."

"This drama is currently very popular in mainland China. After the drama finishes airing, Wu Ge, who plays the male lead Li Xiaoyao, will become Tangren's leading man."

Zhou Mei pondered for a moment, "But why do I feel like I've never heard of this name before?"

"Because Mr. Wu Ge is indeed a newcomer. This may not be his first time acting, but it is definitely his first time becoming a household name across the country."

Lu Yuan patted the script of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" on the table.

"From this script, you can see Tangren's ambition; they want to create another hit drama, and their own leading man..."

Zhou Mei realized, "Oh~ this is Mr. Wu Ge playing Guo Jing!"

"Smart, Miss Zhou is incredibly smart, she understands things immediately."

"Mr. Lu, please don't praise him so much."

"Given Tangren's style, the male lead is from the mainland, the female lead is most likely from Taiwan, and the Hong Kong actress plays a supporting role. In this way, it can be said to be a production that combines elements from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong."

"Moreover, in order to boost popularity, the female lead will most likely come from idol dramas, thus bringing her own audience."

Lu Yuan remembered that the actress who played Huang Rong in this drama was Lin Chen, who was from Taiwan.

To be fair, Lin Chen's performance in the drama was very spirited, exceeding most people's expectations.

She not only portrayed Huang Rong's charm and intelligence, but also the "wickedness" that Huang Rong inherited from her father, immediately establishing the character's depth.

Unfortunately, a major accident during filming completely changed the course of the series.