1991: The Era of Hong Kong Dramas

"In your understanding, besides liking Fang Zhanbo, does the character Ruan Mei have any other charm?" Huo Sheng asked slowly, ignoring the popular idol's reaction.

"..."

Vivian Chow was stumped by his question.

People say she's kind and devoted, but it all seems to be based on her liking Fang Zhanbo.

Huo Sheng then elaborated on the topic, saying, "When I was writing this character, I didn't intend to portray her as someone who would sacrifice her life just for love."

Vivian Chow remained silent, but her expression subtly changed.

Huo Sheng continued unhurriedly, "You only saw the surface of the character and thought she was just a love-struck fool who was both silly and kind."

On the contrary, Little Jew is the strongest character in the play.

"How is this possible?"

Vivian Chow asked urgently.

It's not that she dislikes Little Jew, it's just that the character's personality probably has nothing to do with being strong or anything like that.

Huo Sheng smiled and said, "Fang Zhanbo will run to Taiwan to escape difficulties, but Ruan Mei won't. She has been ill since childhood, which has given her resilience in life—she is stubborn and unwilling to admit defeat."

Even when seriously ill, she didn't give up and desperately saved money to save herself. She fell in love with Fang Zhanbo and was determined to be with him; no matter what difficulties she encountered, she would overcome them without hesitation.

"She's not a weak person."

Vivian Chow was taken aback.

Huo Sheng was right. He took the script and assumed Ruan Mei was kind and devoted, without ever investigating what kind of life she wanted, what she was thinking when she was saving money, or whether she was afraid while waiting for Fang Zhanbo.

She pursed her lips, looking a little embarrassed.

Huo Sheng ignored her reaction and added insult to injury: "Your past understanding of the character will only diminish Ruan Mei's charm and turn her into a tool, instead of bringing the character to life."

Vivian Chow's face flushed red and then turned pale.

This shame was far more unbearable for her than secretly speaking ill of someone and getting caught red-handed. It was as if something she had always been proud of had been devalued to nothing, yet the other person's words were all reasonable.

Or rather, it's that things we always thought were valuable are actually worthless.

She twisted her skirt tightly with her hand under the table.

"You're just treating the script like a novel, which makes no sense at all."

Huo Sheng's words were all harsh, but they all hit the nail on the head. What was even more infuriating was that his tone was always gentle.

...You can't even get angry at him, and you can't even curse him for being arrogant in secret.

Meanwhile, Wang Jie, Huo Sheng's manager who had been sitting next to him, picked up the biography again and flipped through it after hearing Huo Sheng's speech.

The more she looked at it, the more she felt that the problem did exist and could not be ignored.

If an actor doesn't fully understand the character, their performance will easily be superficial.

PolyGram has high hopes for this character, but if he's just a typical love-struck fool, then there's no need for him to be cast.

Sister Wang could only nod silently: "That's definitely a problem."

Huo Sheng's rejection of Zhou Huimin's interpretation of the character wasn't meant to bully the big star or to show off. Ultimately, it stemmed from his concern that her flawed portrayal would diminish the character's appeal.

If Ruan Mei is ruined, the tragic storyline that follows will be too much for viewers to bear.

The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.

Wei Jiahui and Yuan Yingming exchanged a glance simultaneously—they were still trying to bring them together, and it's good enough that they haven't become enemies yet.

"If you're still willing to play this role, I hope you can redo the character analysis. Don't just put yourself into it. Just because everyone thinks you're a good fit doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. You need to immerse yourself in the story."

Huo Sheng gave his final piece of advice.

……

Vivian Chow stood there, stunned, and remained silent for a long time.

She studied diligently from a young age, always striving to be number one in everything. After entering the entertainment industry and being dubbed the "Jade Girl Leader," she didn't slack off; instead, she worked even harder to prove she wasn't just a pretty face.

If someone says their singing isn't good enough, they'll spend all night in the recording studio honing their skills; if someone says their acting isn't good enough, they'll rehearse endlessly with their seniors on set.

When she was dating her ex-boyfriend Chen Dezhang, he lost all their savings in the stock market. She didn't complain at all and took on more gigs and filmed more movies in an attempt to make up for the loss.

As a result, the other party thought she was too strong-willed and left on her own. At that time, all the media in Hong Kong were writing about her being "abandoned," but she didn't shed a single tear.

She is never weak at heart.

To be honest, she initially looked down on Little Jew—the kind of woman who saved every penny and waited for a man to come back to her; she was from a completely different world than her.

But now, she genuinely wants to play this role well.

The more you are denied, the more you need to prove yourself.

Vivian Chow looked up at Huo Sheng and said calmly, "Director Huo, I need to process what you've said. Please give me some time."

Huo Sheng nodded: "Okay, feel free to ask me if you have any questions."

Vivian Chow didn't say much. She bent down and put the biography into her bag. Her movements were swift and decisive.

Wai Ka-fai coughed lightly and said with a smile, "Alright, Hui-min, if everything's fine here, we'll discuss the contract with your agent later."

"no problem."

Vivian Chow stood up, bowed slightly, and said, "Then we'll be going now."

She paused at the door and glanced back at Huo Sheng.

Without saying anything, he turned and left.

The meeting room fell silent again.

Yuan Yingming scratched his head and muttered to himself, "I thought she wouldn't want to act anymore."

"How could that be?" Wai Ka-fai rolled his eyes at him. "He's a professional actor."

He turned to look at Huo Sheng and smiled, "You didn't talk much during the audition, so I thought you weren't interested in acting. Why were you so strict this afternoon?"

"Because Lau Ching-wan can understand the character thoroughly, but Vivian Chow cannot."

Huo Sheng paused, then added, "The character of Ruan Mei, if misunderstood, is misunderstood. It's not too late to correct it now, but it will be too late to correct it after the crew joins the production."

He was genuinely worried that actors who hadn't auditioned and hadn't fully grasped the character would be a burden on future filming.

Moreover, if Vivian Chow backs out because of a few normal discussions about the role, then there's nothing to regret.

At most, they will persist for a few more days and look for a suitable actor again.

Wai Ka-fai nodded in agreement; he had also noticed the same problem during Vivian Chow's performance.

Vivian Chow still insists on acting, and she has listened to those words and is on the right track, which is undoubtedly the best outcome for "The Greed of Man".

"Alright, let's continue."

Wai Ka-fai opened the actor information in front of him.

The subsequent group meeting proceeded without any further incidents.

Damian Lau and Michael Miu demonstrated the professionalism expected of top-tier actors. After receiving the script, they each wrote their own interpretations and brief biographies, which were several pages long.

In particular, Damian Lau has a very thorough understanding of the character, and he clearly expressed Fang Jinxin's struggle and helplessness in just a few words.

After hearing this, Huo Sheng felt much more at ease.

Ultimately, the cast decided that Damian Lau would play Fang Jinxin. Unfortunately, he also had to participate in the filming of "The Deer and the Cauldron," so only his scenes could be filmed, and the other actors had to make way.

Fortunately, it uses the "flying paper" format, and since Fang Jinxin's new storyline is concentrated in the beginning, there aren't any major problems.

After the meeting ended, Wai Ka-fai closed his notebook, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long sigh.

"That's settled for now. The cast is basically all decided. There are still eight days until filming starts. Keep up the good work, everyone."