Entertainment: The Path to Best Actor for Talented Actors

He and Ip Chun felt like old friends when they met again.

Ip Chun felt a strange sense of familiarity with Zhang Ze, who played him.

The two chatted happily. Before leaving, Grandpa Ye Zhun held Zhang Ze's hand and told him to come and chat with him more often these days!

When Zhang Ze came out of Ye Zhun's room, the scene outside had already been filmed.

The actors waited for the production crew to adjust the set design.

At this moment, Zeng Zhiwei walked over; his voice preceded his arrival.

He chuckled in his distinctive voice and called out, "Young man, I heard you and my Bao Yi are quite close, is that right?"

After Zeng Zhiwei finished speaking, he raised the corners of his mouth and looked up at Zhang Ze. There was nothing he could do; he was just too short.

Zhang Ze was almost a head taller than him.

"Hello, Teacher Zeng. Yes, I've worked with Sister Baoyi before, and she took great care of me!"

"I heard you even kissed my daughter. Tell me, did you have any improper thoughts about her?"

Zeng Zhiwei glared at Zhang Ze, staring intently into his eyes.

Zeng Zhiwei, who has played villains for decades, exudes the aura of a villainous boss without even having to act.

The atmosphere on set immediately fell silent, and all the actors and crew members looked over.

"I wondered, how did this young man offend Zeng Zhiwei, such a big shot?"

Zhang Ze wasn't scared, but he was a little worried: "Is Zeng Zhiwei crazy? Why is he making things difficult for himself?"

"Teacher Zeng, you're overthinking it. Bao Yi and I are just colleagues!"

Zhang Ze looked at Zeng Zhiwei with a serious expression.

But secretly, she wondered, "If Zeng Zhiwei continues his erratic behavior and starts picking on me, what if he hits me? Should I hit him back?"

"I heard he has deep connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles in Hong Kong. If I hit him, will I be able to leave Hong Kong alive?"

In just a few seconds, Zhang Ze had a whole host of thoughts running through his mind. He had even decided how he could save his life and leave Hong Kong after beating Zeng Zhiwei up.

At this moment, Zeng Zhiwei suddenly burst into laughter.

He punched Zhang Ze in the chest and said, "Good lad, not bad. There are very few young people who aren't afraid of me!"

"Regarding my daughter's love life, I've always been very open-minded as a father. As long as she's happy, that's all that matters. If you like her, go for it! If you succeed, that's your skill. If you don't, don't pester her, or don't blame me for being ruthless, you know?"

Zhang Ze listened, but something seemed a little unclear to him.

"Who the hell wants to date your daughter?! We're innocent, okay?!"

"Teacher Zeng, I think you've misunderstood. Lingyuan and I are just ordinary friends!" he explained.

"I understand, I understand! You young people are all rather reserved, take things slowly when it comes to relationships! My daughter just called me and said she couldn't get through to you, so she asked me to tell you that she'd like to invite you to dinner tonight."

After saying that, Zeng Zhiwei left with a smile, leaving Zhang Ze surrounded by a crowd of people, making him feel somewhat overwhelmed and wanting to curse.

"Damn it, I have a girlfriend, okay? Who wants to date your daughter?! If there are any rumors about him and your daughter, it's all your fault as her father!"

Zhang Ze took out his phone and saw three missed calls. Only then did he realize that he had put his phone on silent.

I got through to Zeng Baoyi on the phone and learned that she had seen Zhang Ze's news of his visit to Hong Kong on his WeChat Moments.

As soon as the call connected, Zeng Baoyi's cheerful voice complained, "Aze, why didn't you contact me at all after you came to Hong Kong! I was trying to be a good host!"

Although Zeng Baoyi has had a tumultuous love life, she has a very forthright personality and is a good friend.

I spoke a few words with Zeng Baoyi on the phone, agreed on a time and place, and then hung up.

Zhang Ze's first day on set was mainly to familiarize himself with the environment; there were no filming assignments planned for today.

I just stood aside and watched the actors perform.

He mainly looks at the actors' styles.

You can get a general sense of the director's desired style from the actors' performances, which helps you find the right state to perform.

Although the director will still give guidance if I can't perform in the style he requires in the future.

But this was his first time filming in Hong Kong, and he wanted to show the director and the group of Hong Kong actors his abilities.

"Are you really pursuing Zeng Baoyi?"

Li Xiaochun, dressed in a police uniform from before Hong Kong's return to China, approached Zhang Ze and asked gossipy questions.

"How could that be? We're just friends. I already have a girlfriend!" Zhang Ze explained.

Li Xiaochun nodded and said nothing more.

When Li Xiaochun tried to leave, Zhang Ze grabbed him and pulled him into a hug.

"Brother Xiaochun, could you please do me a favor?"

"Speak freely if you have anything to say. I still have some influence in Hong Kong!" Li Xiaochun patted his chest, looking very confident.

"Zeng Baoyi wants to ask me out to dinner tonight, why don't you come with me?"

"No way, no way! A beautiful girl is asking you out, what would it look like if I went along? I don't want to be a third wheel!" He shook his head like a rattle.

"Brother Xiaochun, I'm in a real emergency! I really do have a girlfriend. You saw it just now, Teacher Zeng's commotion was seen by the whole crew."

"Who knows, the paparazzi in Hong Kong might have gotten wind of it and be waiting for me tonight! But Sister Baoyi kindly invited me to a welcome-back dinner, and I can't be ungrateful and refuse!"

"So you're using me as a scapegoat?! I'm not going. If my wife finds out I'm having dinner with a single woman, she'll kill me!"

Li Xiaochun insisted on disagreeing, but Zhang Ze kept pestering him.

Finally, Li Xiaochun couldn't hold back any longer and gave up, saying helplessly, "Okay, stop talking, my head is spinning! I really regret knowing you! Fine, I'll go!"

Zhang Ze's face lit up with joy.

"But you'll have to wait a bit. I need to inform my wife, otherwise she'll definitely kill me if she finds out!" Li Xiaochun said somewhat exaggeratedly.

Zhang Ze nodded and said, "Okay, you can inform Li's wife. I'll also inform my girlfriend! Better safe than sorry. Thank you so much for your help today, Brother Xiaochun. I will definitely repay you handsomely in the future!"

Li Xiaochun interrupted Zhang Ze, "Stop spouting nonsense and get to work! We're not even sure if my wife will agree!"

Li Xiaochun took a few steps to the side, took out his phone, and dialed. The call was quickly answered. "Wife, I have something to tell you..."

At that moment, Zeng Lai's clear voice came from Zhang Ze's phone.

"Hey, what's up with calling me at this hour?"

"Honey, I have something to tell you..."

For some reason, Zhang Ze called out "wife" to Li Xiaochun, which surprised Zeng Lai on the other end of the phone.

Previously, Zhang Ze had always called her "Sister Zenglai" or "Dear," but he had never called her "wife."

I was a little confused. What was going on?

He told Zeng Lai what had happened that day.

"Hehehe..." Zeng Lai covered his mouth and laughed on the other end of the phone after hearing what Zhang Ze said.

Some said playfully, "It's just a small matter? I thought something big had happened!"

"Go if you want, it's fine!"

Zhang Ze replied with a grin, "I just wanted to inform my wife first! So that I won't have trouble explaining myself if something goes wrong later!"

Zeng Lai was secretly pleased by her boyfriend's words, but she stubbornly refused to show it.

……

Zeng Lai was filming in Chang'an at the time, where there was a time difference; it was already naturally late in Hong Kong, and the crew had already wrapped up.

But in Chang'an, it was still a long time before sunset, and the crew was still filming.

He exchanged a few sweet words with Zeng Lai before hanging up the phone.

Looking back, I saw that Li Xiaochun was still talking to his wife.

"Goodness, they're even more lovey-dovey than I am, a person deeply in love!" he muttered to himself.

Zhang Ze exclaimed, "I never imagined that Wei Xiaobao, the womanizing playboy, would actually be someone whose wife completely controls him in real life!"

Li Xiaochun has a car, but considering they would be drinking tonight, the two decided to take a taxi directly there.

Walking with Li Xiaochun, Zhang Zecai realized that ordinary people in Hong Kong don't actually follow celebrities.

When they see Li Xiaochun, they just wave enthusiastically and call him Brother Xiaochun or Brother Shanji, and that's it.

When someone greeted him, Li Xiaochun raised his hand in response, just like greeting a neighbor.

The environment here is completely different from that on the mainland. If the two of them were walking on the main street like this on the mainland, the people around them would definitely crowd around them.

Those people might not actually be fans of either of them; they might just be there for the spectacle or to get an autograph or a photo so they could show off on social media.

It can only be said that the cultural atmosphere on both sides is very different!

The restaurant that Zeng Baoyi booked is a well-known high-end restaurant in Hong Kong.

When the two arrived, they found that Zeng Baoyi was already there.

This left a good impression on Zhang Ze.

He really disliked women's behavior of being late.

He apologized for being late, but Zhang Ze was just putting on a show.

They agreed to meet at 8 pm, but it's only a little past 7:40 pm now, so Zeng Baoyi must have arrived early.

However, as the initiator of the dinner, it was only right for her to arrive a little earlier.

Since Bowie Tsang was a senior colleague and had come to entertain him, Zhang Ze showed the proper courtesy and gratitude.

During the meal, Zhang Ze explained at an opportune moment why he had asked Li Xiaochun to accompany him, without offending Zeng Baoyi.

This is something that really tests your emotional intelligence.

I had a very pleasant conversation with Zeng Baoyi over the meal.

Sure enough, the next day, a Hong Kong entertainment gossip magazine published information about Zhang Ze and Zeng Baoyi having dinner together at a restaurant.

However, because of Li Xiaochun's presence, these gossip magazines had no room to maneuver, and the matter was completely swallowed up by the numerous other gossip news stories.

Because something quite sensational happened in the entertainment industry today – Nicholas Tse and Cecilia Cheung have divorced.

Although paparazzi had previously reported that the two were getting a divorce, there had been no concrete evidence, and everyone just treated it as a joke.

Now, both parties have made an official announcement, causing quite a stir.

Looking at the gossip magazine featuring his and Zeng Baoyi's scandalous news, Zhang Ze casually tossed it onto the coffee table.

"Hmph, you little punk! I knew the paparazzi in Hong Kong were rampant, luckily I took precautions!"

Zhang Ze's scenes were filmed in five days.

Before leaving Hong Kong, he treated Zhang Weijian and Li Xiaochun to a meal to thank them for taking care of him over the past few days, and they agreed to contact him next time they visited the mainland.

After returning from Hong Kong, Zhang Ze hurriedly made his next announcement.

As the TV dramas he starred in aired, Zhang Ze's appearances on screen became more and more frequent.

His agent recently signed him to two GG endorsements: Seven Wolves menswear and Lehu energy drink.

The GG fee is around two million over three years, which is Zhang Ze's commercial value at this time.

Zhang Ze finished filming these two guys in less than a week.

After splitting the profits with the company, Zhang Ze will receive approximately 120 million yuan, excluding the agent's commission.

With his previous savings of 2.7 million yuan, Zhang Ze's total film remuneration this year has approached 4 million yuan. After the company's finance department helped him pay taxes, he paid 108 million yuan in taxes, and he only received 162 million yuan in the end.

Including the more than 300,000 yuan he earned from doing business, his total income this year is nearly 2 million yuan.

After four years in the industry, Zhang Ze was quite pleased to have saved up enough for his wife!

He thought that at this rate, he could buy a house in Beijing next year.

After buying the house, he proposed to Zeng Lai, the older sister.

This beautiful woman is already 36 this year; if she doesn't get married soon, she won't be able to have children...

Thinking about this, Zhang Ze felt a sense of urgency.

He excitedly opened his browser and searched for houses in Beijing, wondering where would be a good place to buy one.

Five minutes later, Zhang Ze closed the browser while cursing.

He called his agent, Huang Yu, and asked her to get him more acting roles and gigs because he wanted to make money!

Huang Yu teased him on the phone, asking if he had been provoked by something.

However, Huang Yu did indeed do as he wished, arranging several announcements for him.

Upon hearing Huang Yu's words, Zhang Ze was filled with surprise and had only one thought in his mind.

"I actually got to be on the Spring Festival Gala?"

Huang Yu informed Zhang Ze over the phone that three television stations—Shandong TV, Shanghai TV, and Beijing TV—had recently invited him to record their 2013 Spring Festival Galas.

This is indeed a great thing. Being able to appear on the Spring Festival Gala stage will greatly benefit one's popularity.

What?! CCTV Spring Festival Gala?!

Zhang Ze still had some self-awareness.

It's already a pleasant surprise that we can get on a provincial satellite TV program, what more could we ask for!

Local TV stations' Spring Festival galas are much smaller in scale than CCTV's.

You only need to prepare two months in advance.

After receiving the invitation from the TV station for the gala, Zhang Ze's entire team began working on it.

First, the staff contacted the TV station's artist coordinator to discuss when to go to the TV station for a meeting and rehearsal, and then they determined the program type and specific programs, etc.

Whether it's a solo or a duet, and whether the singer will be in the center position, these decisions will require multiple communications between the team and the TV station.

Finally, Zhang Ze secured an opening duet and solo performance on Shandong TV, and also received offers for duet performances on Dragon TV and Beijing TV.

It seems that his hometown people in Shandong still support him, their own son!

Zhang Ze is not at ease when it comes to singing, after all, he is not a professional singer.

But there's no way around it; it's the norm for actors to sing at galas.

Fortunately, he sings alright; his off-key singing isn't too bad.

Having practiced his lines, his control over his tongue and voice is far better than that of an amateur, and his singing voice is very magnetic!

It's true that acting relies on talent, and that's something that's definitely in our genes.

The program from Dragon TV came out first, and Zhang Ze was required to sing a medley of songs with several actors including Jiang Xin, Zhang Weijian, Ma Shu, Liu Kaiwen, and Sun Qian.

Looking at the list of actors, Zhang Ze felt somewhat worried!

There isn't a single singer in the team, aren't you afraid they'll sing off-key?

The director must be incredibly carefree!

At the same time, he was also curious about what programs the other two satellite TV stations would give him.