Huayu Entertainment Starts with Xiang Yu, the Hegemon of Western Chu

Lu Yang was very annoyed.

His father was the head of a department at the Central Academy of Drama, and he himself graduated from the directing department of the Beijing Film Academy. He has impeccable political and cultural background.

He had already shot several short films while in school, and after graduation he directed two feature films, winning the Golden Rooster Award for Best Directorial Debut.

Even so, he is still a newcomer in the industry.

It's tough to become a director.

Even for a young director like him, preparing a truly mainstream theatrical commercial film is still fraught with difficulties.

No money!

Lu Yang is a screenwriter-director. The script he has, called "Brotherhood of Blades," is one he wrote himself. He submitted it to various places, and everyone who read it said it was good, but no one was willing to pay for it.

Fortunately, his producer, Wang Donghui, found a big shot – Zhang Jiazhen, a veteran of the Hong Kong entertainment circle.

Zhang Jiazhen has 30 years of experience in the industry and is Wu Baige's long-time partner. They previously produced "Reign of Assassins," which is also a period action film.

With Zhang Jiazhen's recommendation, they secured an investment of 15 million from China Film Group.

The total budget for "Brotherhood of Blades" was 30 million, which means that they had to raise half of it themselves. In the end, they only managed to raise 6 million after begging and pleading.

Sorrow!

Lu Yang's hair had turned completely white from staying up all night, and producer Wang Donghui came looking for him excitedly.

"Take a look at this."

"What? Someone's willing to vote?"

"No, you should read it first!"

Hearing that it wasn't news about an investor, Lu Yang was initially uninterested and glanced at the screen listlessly, but the video playing on the tablet instantly perked him up.

It was Jiang Yang who performed the kicking knife demonstration in public during the "Legend of Lu Zhen" event.

"So cool!"

Lu Yang, who is preparing to film "Brotherhood of Blades," has a deep understanding of knives.

As a historical romance drama, "Legend of Lu Zhen" obviously didn't pay much attention to this aspect, and the props were just something you'd find anywhere else.

But Jiang Yangxiu's skill in kicking a knife was so alluring that it captivated every man's heart.

This is what a man should do!

Lu Yang praised it highly, knowing without asking what "partner" meant.

"Who's this guy? A new actor who's just starting out?"

"Send him an audition invitation!"

"He absolutely deserved to be in 'Brotherhood of Blades'!"

After the initial excitement subsided, Lu Yang became worried again upon hearing that Jiang Yang's popularity had soared after the huge success of "Legend of Lu Zhen," since "Brotherhood of Blades" was already struggling financially.

"Are we worried about not being able to afford him?"

"Let's talk about it first."

The producer had a more stable mindset than him. He overcame every obstacle, and no matter what, he was determined to make "Brotherhood of Blades".

Seeing that Lu Yang was almost obsessed with money, he offered a few words of comfort.

"Don't worry too much, things will work themselves out."

"If we really can't raise the full amount, we should talk to China Film Group. They've already contributed 50%, so why would they care about an extra 30%?"

"This amount of money can be a huge burden for us, but it's just a drop in the ocean for China Film Group."

Lu Yang smiled wryly, "Knowing is easy, doing is hard."

Despite the worries, preparations still need to be made; we can't just give up, can we?

Casting will have to be done sooner or later.

It was under these circumstances that Jiang Yang received the audition invitation for "Brotherhood of Blades".

Yo!

Jiang Yang became interested the moment he heard the title.

The film market has been booming and setting new records in recent years, with many films being shot and released every year, but not many of them are worth making.

Finding something suitable for Jiangyang is even harder.

For Jiang Yang, who possesses the title of "Number One Blade Under Heaven," "Brotherhood of Blades" is practically tailor-made.

I want this movie!

So Jiang Yang went to the audition in high spirits and met director Lu Yang.

Since he was determined to win, Jiang Yang held nothing back, leaving a deep impression on Lu Yang with both his dramatic and action scenes.

His swordsmanship, in particular, was incredibly exciting to watch.

During his preparations, Lu Yang read a lot of materials and personally visited martial arts masters who were skilled with knives, but he had never seen anyone who used a knife better than Jiang Yang.

Moreover, he's not just good with one type of knife; he can use any kind of knife.

No, it's not that it will.

Saying "can" is too understatement; it's simply masterful!

The weapons designed for the main characters in "Brotherhood of Blades" are all different, corresponding to their personalities and fates, which shows great care.

The eldest brother, Lu Jianxing, wielded a powerful and heavy horse-slaying saber, its movements bold, sweeping, and fierce.

The second brother, Shen Lian, used a goose-feather saber that was closest in shape to the "embroidered spring saber" in the general sense, and he was also given a short crossbow to increase his flexibility.

The third brother, Jin Yichuan, wielded two swords and moved in close combat.

Jiang Yang could come up with all three of these ideas in a variety of creative ways, which amazed Lu Yang so much that it almost turned into a fan meeting.

It was really just for fun. Even the heaviest of them, the Zhanmadao (horse-slaying sword), which usually requires two hands to hold in actual combat, Jiang Yang still wielded it effortlessly.

"Awesome!"

Lu Yang, being a discerning judge of character, exclaimed that he had struck gold, and the audition result was naturally predictable.

"Great, great, that's wonderful!"

"With you, 'Brotherhood of Blades' is like a tiger with wings!"

"I believe there's no one more suitable to play Jin Yichuan than you. Welcome to the team!"

Oh right, he had Jiang Yang try out the third brother, Jin Yichuan.

Jin Yichuan is an unlucky guy.

The famous scene in "Brotherhood of Blades" featuring the character Jia Qian Jushi, which was described as "very smooth," was actually performed by him.

Jiang Yang chuckled at this.

You misjudged me, Lao Lu. I clearly have the look of a blond guy. How can I play a victim?

They didn't mention it when they came because they were afraid Lu Yang wouldn't even give them a chance to audition and would just kick them out. So far, the two of them are still getting along very well.

Lu Yang rubbed his hands together sheepishly.

"Hey Jiang Yang, there's something I need to discuss with you."

"Our budget for 'Brotherhood of Blades' is quite tight, so could you perhaps offer a discounted fee for the actors' salaries?"

"It's not that my brother is stingy, it's just that we have limited funds, and we haven't even raised enough yet."

He was trying to play the victim and pressure Jiang Yang to lower his price.

Little did they know, this was exactly what they wanted.

No money?

It's good that you don't have money, because I do.

Jiang Yang waved his hand and used a martial arts technique that had been lost to the world for a long time—the Qiankun Throw.

"Didn't collect them all?"

"How can such a great movie like 'Brotherhood of Blades' be wasted on money? Don't worry, Director, I'll take care of it."

"Just name your price, and I'll pay!"

What is that?

Lu Yang was truly shocked.

Discovering Jiang Yang, a master swordsman, was already a pleasant surprise. But when they tried to negotiate his fee, Jiang Yang actually offered to give them money instead.

My goodness, their ancestral graves are emitting auspicious smoke!

He still couldn't quite believe it.

"Are you serious? I appreciate the sentiment, but this matter..."

"Stop talking nonsense, just tell me how much it's short."

Jiang Yang displayed an inhumanly extravagant display of wealth, his dazzling financial prowess leaving Lu Yang stunned and forcing him to honestly reveal his true intentions.

"Nine million is still short."

"How much should I ask for? Nine million. The money will be transferred immediately after the contract is signed; even a day's delay will be considered a breach of contract!"

Jiang Yang's confidence comes from Da Tian Tian.

He dared to be so arrogant, thinking that if he didn't have enough money, he could just borrow from Princess Jing again, since it wasn't the first time anyway.

The latter would probably agree, wouldn't she? Doesn't she want to be my creditor?

I didn't expect it to be only nine million.

After "Legend of Lu Zhen", Jiang Yang became a popular young actor. With the salary from his previous dramas, he could easily afford nine million.

This is like a windfall for Lu Yang.

"How could I possibly accept that? I asked you to act, and now I'm making you put yourself in the role too."

"Don't be shy yet, I have conditions."

"You said, if only I could make my own decisions..."

"I want to play the male lead!"