Huayu: Were you ever a top star before writing nonsense?

Chapter 204: The audition turned out to be a celestial being descending to earth?

As soon as Shen Can entered Tangren Film and Television and took off his hat and mask, he attracted a crowd.

The staff looked at him with varying degrees of shock, surprise, or—extreme excitement.

Several young female staff members huddled together, whispering excitedly, "It's Shen Can! Shen Can actually came!"

"Is he here to see Sister Shishi?"

"They kissed in the music video, did they fall in love while filming?"

"Let me tell you, I watched their kissing scene dozens of times."

"It's perfectly normal for characters to fall in love at first sight in idol dramas."

"Ahhh, I love this couple! They're so handsome and beautiful, a perfect match!"

"——.."

Shen Can smiled slightly, his expression remaining largely unchanged.

Judging from the chat logs of Tangren employees, Cai Yinong has not yet revealed to the employees that he will be playing the role of [Xu Changqing].

The Tang Dynasty's success today is inseparable from this person.

It's no exaggeration to say that he single-handedly elevated Tangren Media to legendary status. Early classics from Tangren, such as the Legend of Sword and Fairy series, The Little Fairy, Young Warriors of the Yang Clan, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, The Book and the Sword, and the 08 version of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, were all directed by him.

In addition to the works mentioned above, he also directed "Scarlet Heart", "Xuan-Yuan Sword: Scar of Sky", "Chinese Paladin 5", and "The Imperial Doctress".

His works almost all share a common characteristic—heartbreaking.

He's really good at making heart-wrenching dramas.

Of all the works directed by Shen Can, the one that left the deepest impression on him was "A Moment of Romance," which was released in 1990 and is also known as "The Misery of Hong Kong."

As an entertainment writer, watching TV series is almost a daily routine. He initially watched the show because of Li Guoli's name, but he was shocked to find it incredibly bad.

Even 20 years later, it would still be a truly phenomenal TV series.

It roughly tells the story of Hua Gangsheng, his half-brother Hua Jingsheng, and his half-brother Lu Depei in Hong Kong in the 1990s, a story of three brothers who are inseparable yet fight each other.

It was incredibly popular back then, and its broadcast quickly sparked heated discussions, making Ekin Cheng a household name.

Even in the era of short videos, the show is still frequently mentioned and revisited, with ongoing "nostalgia drama" topics and bullet comments on platforms such as Weibo, Douyin, and Bilibili, earning it the title of "a masterpiece of Hong Kong dramas".

This drama is one of Li Guoli's early works.

Perhaps it was the immense popularity of "A Moment of Romance" that solidified his resolve to make tragic dramas.

"People tend to become path-dependent after they succeed. For example, some online novelists make a lot of money writing about a certain genre, so they rarely have the idea of ​​writing about other genres. It's hard to step out of one's comfort zone," Shen Can thought to himself.

Just then, Shishi came out of a room on the right and smiled at Shen Can.

"You seem to have become even more beautiful since I last saw you a few days ago," Shen Can said, glancing at Shi Shi.

Skills of flattery activated.

Shishi smiled. Although she hadn't known Shen Can for long, she had already gotten a general idea of ​​his personality.

This person can be incredibly infuriating when they want to, but if they want to praise you, their words are as sweet as honey.

Shishi recalled the time at the end of last month when Shen Can dragged her to film a short video. His words were so sweet they made her dizzy, and he provided plenty of emotional value.

"Wow, that acting is amazing, Gong Li!"

"Your smile is so beautiful, I see the moon smiling."

"Look at this, such genuine emotion, even a movie queen wouldn't be able to do it."

"Wow, perfect! But, Shishi, I think you could have done even better in this kissing scene. Let's do one more take."

"."

"7

Although it sounds a bit fake, it's still better than some tyrants on set, who would immediately start yelling at an actor if they didn't perform well.

"Where's your sister?" Shen Can walked up to Shi Shi, glanced at her red lips, and then met her eyes.

Shishi gritted her teeth. This person was really outgoing, calling her "sister" so intimately and naturally.

However, she admired this kind of shamelessness.

"She and Mr. Li were talking in the office upstairs. She told me to wait for you here and show you the way," Shishi said with a faint smile.

Shen Can's gossip instincts began to burn.

Some authors who write about Chinese entertainment news always think that Tangren is a one-man show by Cai Yinong, but that's not actually the case. Li Guoli is also one of the founders of Tangren.

He and Tsai Yinong were collaborators.

Until later, Tangren Media did not accept capital investment and its influence in the entertainment industry waned. Li Guoli then chose to leave. After retiring, the old man opened a restaurant, which was even frequented by celebrities such as Hu Ge and Shi Shi.

It's worth mentioning that Director Li and Tsai Yinong had a past relationship.

This was something that Tsai Yinong herself revealed.

Around 10 years ago, Tsai Yinong and Ya Tou had a heated online debate over Qing Dynasty time-travel dramas. Tangren Media produced "Scarlet Heart," and Ya Tou also produced "Palace."

Both dramas tell the story of "the female lead time-traveling" and "the struggle for the throne among the nine princes". Yu Zheng found Yang Mi, who became popular because of "Chinese Paladin 3", to play the female lead. You should know that Tangren wanted to sign her and even broadcast the drama first, which made Cai Yinong even more unhappy.

Cai Yinong then posted on Weibo, saying that the difference between "Scarlet Heart" and "Palace" is that one is an original and the other is a pirated version.

That brat wasn't one to be trifled with. She turned around and started cursing on the forum, accusing Cai Yinong of being Li Guoli's mistress, and saying that Cai Yinong loved money, pretended to be young, and liked to stir up trouble behind people's backs.

Cai Yinong posted a clarification, saying that she had loved Li Guoli and the two had a complicated relationship, but they later broke up. She also exposed Yang Mi's practice of charging excessive fees, saying that Yang Mi's demands were too high.

Netizens commented, "The dog-eat-dog drama between you two is much more entertaining than your TV series."

Therefore, Shen Can was now gossiping.

"Could it be that Tsai Yin-nong and Director Lee were arguing in the office?"

If the readers who like this old A8 knew this, I wonder how jealous they would be?

Of course, Shen Can doesn't know the exact year that Cai Yinong and Li Guoli started dating, but it certainly wasn't 07; it must have been earlier.

Maybe Sister Cai is still on her first time?

"Director Li has been busy filming 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' in Zhejiang Province recently. He came back during a short break from the crew. Hu Ge originally wanted to come to the company to see you, his junior, but he had to accompany his mother to the hospital and couldn't leave for the time being."

Shishi walked forward gracefully, like a proud swan. Shen Can followed beside her. It has to be said that the girls who learn to dance have a different kind of elegance when they walk.

Shen Can knew something about Hu Ge's mother's situation; it seemed that his mother had breast cancer and had been fighting cancer for years.

"Do you have your own office?" Shen Can suddenly asked.

He wasn't interested in Director Li or Hu Ge.

"Why are you asking this?" Shishi turned to look at Shen Can with a puzzled expression.

"Just asking." Shen Can smiled.

"No, I don't come to the company often. I only came today because you were the one who wanted to come."

"Wow! President Cai understands me!" Shen Can gave a thumbs up and said, "President Cai knows I'm not familiar with Tangren, so he specially invited you here. That's so thoughtful of him."

Shishi glanced at Shen Can with a smile, seriously doubting that Shen Can actually thought the way he said he did.

Shen Can's actual thought was: "Is this Cai Yinong's honey trap? Not bad."

Along the way, Shen Can and Shi Shi chatted and laughed.

This woman is slow to warm up to strangers, but once she gets to know them, her personality changes completely.

I've gradually begun to delve deeper into Shishi's inner world.

Shen Can had always thought that CEO Cai of Tangren Media had a great eye for selecting female artists.

For example, Esther Kwan, Sun Li, Shi Shi, Chen Yao, Hu Bingqing, Gulnazar, etc., especially Shi Shi and Chen Yao, they all possess a unique temperament.

As for Sun Li—when the first Chinese Paladin aired, her portrayal of "Ling'er's mother" amazed Shen Can, but ever since she performed that mesmerizing dance, she has never been able to go back to that image.

However, some people still like her. Shen Can remembered reading an entertainment novel in his previous life, in which the protagonist played a "husband-in-waiting" scene with Sun Li's husband.

It can only be said that online writers read far too much material in order to accumulate it.

While talking, Shen Can and Shi Shi walked upstairs and entered Cai Yinong's office.

Shen Can naturally recognized Li Guoli; he had looked up information about him online.

Born in 58, she is about 13 years older than Tsai Yinong and usually keeps her hair long.

Shen Can noticed that he had quite a few gray hairs on his head. Well, that made sense, after all, he was almost 50 years old, and filming was an energy-consuming job.

"This is Shen Can, whom I told you about." Cai Yinong quickly stood up, glanced at Shen Can, her eyes lit up, and she introduced him to Li Guoli with a smile.

"This is director Li Guoli," Cai Yinong introduced to Shen Can.

"Hello, hello." Li Guoli stood up and greeted Shen Can. He looked at Shen Can's bright smile and then at Shishi, who was staring at Shen Can's face.

Then, a meaningful smile appeared on his face.

Shen Can also greeted Li Guoli.

The four sat down, and Li Guoli said, "I'm short on time, so let's get straight to the point. President Cai recommended you to play Xu Changqing, and I have no objection. I trust President Cai's judgment and your abilities. We at Tangren can indeed cooperate sincerely with you. However—considering that you haven't acted in any film or television dramas before, I'd like you to try out the role first. What do you think?"

Li Guoli's tone suggested a discussion and was very polite.

After all, the person in front of him was not a minor actor in the film and television industry, but a musical prodigy who was currently enjoying great success in the music scene.

Moreover, Shen Can is clearly moving into the film and television industry, and Tangren Media may be able to leverage his influence in the future.

It's worth noting that Jay Chou, the last artist to transition from the music industry to film, had almost every movie he starred in that became a box office hit. This demonstrates just how much these top singers can boost the success of films and television dramas.

In Hong Kong, many singers also pursue a career in film, television, and music, such as the Four Heavenly Kings, Leslie Cheung, Anita Mui, etc.

Such a person has a limitless future.

"Okay," Shen Can said calmly.

If he wanted to refuse, he wouldn't have come to Tangren today.

Ten minutes later, in Tangren's practice room, Shen Can changed into a white ancient costume and held a long sword in his right hand.

In the practice room at this moment, in addition to Shi Shi, Cai Yinong, Li Guoli and others, there were also some employees of Tangren Media. Many of them showed expressions of curiosity, anticipation or excitement.

Shen Can did not feel uncomfortable about this.

This number is negligible; there are far more people at commercial performances than here.

"How does he look in period costume?" Cai Yinong asked Li Guoli beside her softly.

"Excellent, extremely excellent. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a chosen ancient person—no, a chosen immortal." Li Guoli took a deep breath and stared at Shen Can's figure in admiration.

The last person who gave him a similar feeling was Liu Yifei during his audition for "Chinese Paladin 1".

"Handsome appearance, clean and clear eyes, giving people a sense of gentlemanly elegance, and extraordinary temperament. Hmm—his square steps are so beautiful."

Li Guoli watched Shen Can walk in ancient costume, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, and he slapped his thigh.

To be fair, the square walk isn't a difficult walking technique; many veteran actors in Hong Kong and mainland China can do it.

For example, the way Zhen Yuanzi walks in "Journey to the West", and the scene in "The Legend of the White Snake" where Xu Shilin walks dressed as a top scholar.

This kind of walking requires the shoulders to stay still, the steps to be steady, and the eyes and brows to be bright and firm.

The act of walking alone can bring pleasure and be pleasing to the eye, and make the audience feel that the character is dignified and upright.

But these days, many young actors only think about how to save time and effort, and even recite their lines as "1234567". There are not many people who are willing to study the demeanor of their characters.

"Xu Changqing" is a righteous cultivator, and the actor's ability to walk in all directions is definitely a plus.

Li Guoli has already begun to conceive how to highlight Shen Can's special talent in the TV series.

next second.

Shen Can showcased his acting skills, delivering a long monologue while acting out a scene in thin air.

"This sword possesses extraordinary spiritual power; it is a supreme treasure. If one can wield it freely, its power will be limitless. Know that a sword itself is neither good nor evil, right nor wrong. Whatever its power, if used for the righteous path, it is righteous; if used for the evil path, it is evil. Remember this—"

Hundreds of words flowed from Shen Can's mouth.

He had watched TV dramas, had a good memory, and his acting skills were already exceptional, so acting wasn't difficult for him.

Following that, Shen Can recited a famous line from the Shu Mountain Sect in the game "Chinese Paladin 3," which actually comes from the "Scripture of Salvation."

"The path of humanity is boundless, the path of immortals is vast and unfathomable. The path of ghosts is joyful. At the gate of life, the path of immortals values ​​life. The path of ghosts values ​​death. The path of immortals is always auspicious, the path of ghosts is always ominous."

As Shen Can recited the words, a sharp clang rang out, and the sound of a sword suddenly rang out. He drew his longsword and wielded it, using the Maoshan "Shangqing Crescent Moon Sword Technique".

The sword techniques are: Parting the Clouds to Reveal the Moon, Stepping on Clouds to Hold the Moon, Rainbow Piercing the Sun, Golden Flight and Jade Journey, Returning Dragon Looking Back at Its Master —

This sword technique originates from Taoism and emphasizes agility and strength, as well as the integration of Taoism and martial arts.

His swordsmanship skills stemmed from a system reward he had written about in his novel, which granted him the martial arts ability of a Martial Arts Master-level athlete.

It's worth noting that Zhao Wenzhuo, a Wuying-level athlete, knows more than 600 sets of boxing techniques.

The rewards Shen Can received included not only swordsmanship and fist techniques, but also staff techniques, stick techniques, spear techniques, knife techniques, and so on.

Before coming to Tangren, he redeemed the reward from the system.

In that instant.

quiet!

Everyone present fell silent!

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the white figure wielding the sword with agility and grace, like an immortal. In the huge practice room, only Shen Can's chanting, the sound of the long sword cutting through the air, and the faint sound of swallowing saliva could be heard.

"Mom, I saw a fairy today!" a female employee cried out in her heart.

S