Huayu: Everyone's been reborn, who's still going to be an actor?

"Ahem!"

Zhu Yawen pushed open the dormitory door and was immediately choked by the fumes, coughing.

The dormitory was filled with smoke. Cheng Yuan sat there with a cigarette between his fingers, seemingly lost in thought, while cigarette butts littered the ground around him.

"What's wrong?" Zhu Yawen asked Cheng Yuan. "Did you break up with your boyfriend?"

"You haven't even been in a relationship, so tell me how you lost it?"

Cheng Yuan took a drag of his cigarette and replied casually.

"Then what are you doing?" Zhu Yawen said, "Smoking so many cigarettes, aren't you afraid of smoking yourself to death?"

"I'm contemplating life!"

Cheng Yuan said calmly, his eyes fixed on the blue sky outside the window.

"So, what's your thought about it?" Zhu Yawen said. "However, instead of contemplating life, let's think about what to do since I skipped our teacher's class today."

"So what if I skip class? Who do I think I am?" Cheng Yuan said. "Does the teacher even care? Can you call yourself a college student if you've never skipped class? When have all of our classmates ever skipped class?"

"If they're not coming, it means they've taken leave to join the film crew," Zhu Yawen said. "But you're not."

Cheng Yuan was speechless; he hadn't asked for leave today.

"Yawen, do you think I'm really suited to be an actress?"

After a long pause, Cheng Yuan suddenly spoke up and asked.

"What's wrong with you?" Zhu Yawen looked at Cheng Yuan and said, "You failed the audition? It's no big deal."

Let alone students like them, even big names have been rejected in auditions many times.

Cheng Yuan shook his head.

He didn't audition; instead, he was reborn.

In his previous life, he was an actor for over ten or twenty years, but he remained a nobody. Zhu Yawen tried to help him several times, but to no avail. In the end, he moved behind the scenes and did quite well, making several well-received online movies. Later, he even made a theatrical film, which had good box office and critical reception.

He felt that he was much more talented as a director than as an actor, and he was just getting ready to make a big splash when he was reborn.

2004, second semester of sophomore year.

Cheng Yuan is actually quite good-looking, even more handsome than Zhu Yawen, but he lacks a memorable quality.

Even though he's more handsome than Zhu Yawen, he definitely won't get the attention when he stands next to her.

The entertainment industry is never short of handsome men; it's not that easy to make a name for yourself based on your looks alone.

For someone as handsome as Cheng Yuan but not exceptionally so, it's even harder.

Without a background, connections, or a wealthy patron, it's incredibly difficult to become famous.

The key issue is that his acting skills are just so-so.

There's no future in being an actor.

Now that he's been reborn, there's no way he'd become an actor.

Besides, he was already a director before his rebirth.

Having been reborn, are we going to go backwards?

Although there's no system or anything, everyone's been reborn, so who doesn't have a cheat code?

The movies and novels he had watched in his previous life were now incredibly clear in his mind, and he could even recall many details.

This skill may not seem impressive, but if used well, it's enough for Cheng Yuan to thrive in the industry.

This person is clearly more suited to be a director than an actor.

"I want to be a director!"

Cheng Yuan tossed his cigarette butt aside and said, his eyes and tone firm.

Not only do they have to be directors, but they also have to be investors.

"Then you'll have to work hard," Zhu Yawen said with a smile. "When you become a big director, you'll have to look after your brother."

"good!"

Cheng Yuan didn't say much, he just smiled and agreed.

He could tell that Zhu Yawen wasn't taking it seriously at all.

Who wouldn't want to be a director?

Especially at the Beijing Film Academy.

The ideal of learning photography.

The ideal of studying screenwriting.

Aspiring to study management.

Those who study acting naturally want to become actors as well.

But being a director isn't that easy.

Putting everything else aside, investing isn't easy.

So, earning his first pot of gold became Cheng Yuan's problem.

However, after finishing a pack of cigarettes, he already had a plan.

Cheng Yuan stopped skipping class and went to class instead.

In addition to acting classes, he would also occasionally audit classes in the directing and cinematography departments.

He had experience as a director in his previous life, but he knew he had a lot to learn.

With so many movies in his mind, it's simply impossible for him to film them all with his current directing skills, even with original versions as references.

Especially those blockbuster movies, he definitely can't handle them now.

However, perhaps because of his rebirth, his learning ability and comprehension ability have improved a lot.

Cheng Yuan goes to class during the day and writes scripts at night.

After finishing the script, I drew the storyboard.

A month passed in the blink of an eye, and on this day, Cheng Yuan took the script to his homeroom teacher.

"What's up?"

Wang Jinsong looked at Cheng Yuan and asked with some surprise.

This must be the first time this kid has come to see me.

"Teacher, I want to make movies!"

Cheng Yuan stated his purpose directly.

"Making movies?" Wang Jinsong said with a smile. "Your teacher doesn't have the ability to send you to a movie crew. If a film crew comes to the school to recruit actors, you can give it a try, whether it's a movie crew or a TV series crew."

"No!" Cheng Yuan said, "I mean I want to make movies!"

"You're going to film it?" Wang Jinsong asked in surprise, "Director?"

Cheng Yuan nodded.

"You want to be a director?" Wang Jinsong frowned, looked at Cheng Yuan, and said, "Why do you suddenly want to be a director? You haven't even been in school for two years yet, and you're studying acting. Becoming a director isn't that easy. You can't rush this. You should focus on your studies first, and then go to a film set to get familiar with things. You're still young, you should prioritize your studies."

"I'm not young anymore. I'm already twenty, almost thirty. Rounding up, I'm middle-aged," Cheng Yuan said. "I don't like Eileen Chang's novels, but I do agree with her saying, 'One should become famous as early as possible.'"

Wang Jinsong and the same-named Uncle Dong were both born in 68, but he is a few months older than Uncle Dong, and is now only in his thirties.

Cheng Yuan could guess a bit of what he was thinking just from his eyes.

This means they feel they are being unrealistic and have high expectations for themselves.

However, anyone would have done the same.

A student who has studied acting for less than two years comes along and says he wants to be a director and make movies. He's lucky if he's not ridiculed and kicked out.

"You're rounding up, middle-aged?" Wang Jingsong's lips twitched. "If I round up, wouldn't I be on my deathbed?"

"Teacher, you're still very young." Cheng Yuan then took out two file folders and handed them over, saying, "I've written two scripts, could you please give me some pointers?"

"two?"

Wang Jinsong was somewhat surprised.

"Teacher, please take a look first," Cheng Yuan said. "If you think it's good, please find a way to pass it on to Jiang Wen."

"Jiang Wen?" Wang Jingsong looked at Cheng Yuan and said, "I'm not familiar with him, but I am familiar with his brother Jiang Wu."

How could they not be familiar with each other? He and Jiang Wu were classmates.

Wouldn't that allow us to get the script into Jiang Wen's hands?

"Take a look first, take a look first!" Cheng Yuan said with a smile, "Just in case you think my script isn't good enough."

No, then there's no need to send it to Jiang Wen.

OK?

Of course!

Cheng Yuan was confident in this much.

"Did you write this?"

After an unknown amount of time, Wang Jinsong looked up at Cheng Yuan in surprise.

"One is adapted from 'The Story of the Thief Official' in Mr. Ma Shitu's 'Ten Tales of the Night.' That script was written for Jiang Wen," Cheng Yuan nodded and said. "The other one is for him to act in."

"Ask him to act?" Wang Jinsong glanced at Cheng Yuan and said, "Both scripts are very good, but you need to deliver them to Jiang Wen. Asking me is a bit of a roundabout way."

You're really stubborn to ask Jiang Wenyan for help, but it does seem like a possible solution.

As for whether the script was written by Cheng Yuan, he was still willing to believe in his student.

"Hmm?" Cheng Yuan looked at Wang Jingsong with a puzzled expression, then smiled and said, "You're my teacher, who else would I turn to if not you? Teacher, please help me out, please."

"Go find Director Tian," Wang Jingsong said. "He can summon Jiang Wen with just one phone call. If he delivers your script to Jiang Wen, it will definitely receive much more attention than if I were to pass it on myself."

If not given enough attention, there is a high chance that a good script will be buried.

Just like songs, many songs that were initially ignored were later made popular by their creators themselves.

"Why don't you say hello to Director Tian first?" Cheng Yuan said. "I'm a little embarrassed to come here directly."

He thought Wang Jinsong was right, but he wasn't familiar with Tian Zhuangzhuang.

If you approach them rashly, they might not even pay you any attention.

"You still have times when you feel embarrassed, but you feel comfortable contacting me?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Jinsong laughed.

"You're my teacher, of course I'd come to you first."

Cheng Yuanyi's perfectly natural expression left Wang Jinsong speechless.

It sounds quite helpful.

He's right.

I am his homeroom teacher.

"Leave the script with me for now, I'll take it to Director Tian later."

Hearing Wang Jinsong say this, Cheng Yuan naturally had no objections.

After Cheng Yuan left, Wang Jinsong picked up the script again and started reading.

What a great script!

He read it again before picking up the script and leaving the office.