Huayu: This producer has no bottom line.

Can Chapter 123 be delivered on time?

Shenyang, Liu Laogen Grand Stage.

The performances at the front of the stage were exceptionally popular due to the short holiday, while another lively scene was unfolding in the rehearsal room backstage.

Da Peng, Song Xiaobao, and Liu Liu from Ben San Media sat side by side behind the long table.

Today is the last day of the internal selection process at BenSanMedia.

"Next!" Dapeng shouted outside.

A fat man with a long beard and a somewhat premature appearance walked in.

"Hello everyone, my name is Xiu Rui. I graduated from Yenching Contemporary Music Academy, majoring in drama performance..."

'

The fat man wasn't intimidated at all and immediately launched into a monologue in a thick Northeastern accent.

His cheeky and adorable expression and naturally funny movements amused Liu Liu.

"This kid's alright." Liu Liu turned to Da Peng and said, "He looks easygoing enough. Whether he makes it onto the talent show or not, it's good for him to stay here and make appearances."

Dapeng nodded and made a mark on Xiu Rui's name.

He's really seen things in the last couple of days.

Not only are there migrant workers who like to sing "In the Spring," but there are also farmers who sing bel canto while wearing overcoats.

If these people were to stand on the stage in Shanghai, it would be quite a surprise for viewers who are used to talent shows.

Looking at the list in her hand, Song Xiaobao sighed with a hint of envy, "Peng, you're going to be an observer! When will I get to show my face on such a big stage?"

"Brother Bao, what's the rush?" Da Peng patted him on the shoulder. "Once Master's comedy show comes out, we brothers won't have to worry about not having a place to show our faces, will we?"

Song Xiaobao's eyes lit up, and she was about to ask another question when Liu Liu coughed, interrupting the two of them.

"Alright, Dapeng, organize these people's information and send it to Director Ren for review. Let him check it out."

Da Peng nodded repeatedly, but he was a little uneasy.

Ren Pingsheng specifically instructed that they must find someone who is physically disabled but has a strong will, someone who would be miserable even without being sold.

But after looking around these past few days, some of the craftsmen weren't skilled enough, and some of the stories were too fake; I really haven't come across anything suitable.

It seems he'll have to figure out a way to explain things to his master himself.

Da Peng was rescuing people on this side, while Han Sanping was rescuing people on the other side.

"How's the quality of this batch?"

He took a sip of tea and asked casually.

The staff member in charge of the initial screening flipped through their notes. "The overall level is very high. The scripts submitted by Beijing Film Academy and Central Academy of Drama are very solid, and there are also a few young directors who have directed GG films, and their ideas are very good."

"Oh? Is there anything particularly outstanding?"

"Yes," the staff member said, pulling out a few scripts from a pile and handing them to Han Sanping. "These few received high scores in the initial evaluation."

Han Sanping put down his teacup and picked up the first one.

"The Adventures of Li Xianji", a new work by Ren Pingsheng, the director of "Old Boys".

He turned the pages one by one, and the only sound in the office was the rustling of the papers.

"This kid is really daring, playing with science fiction in a short film."

Ning Hao, who was standing nearby, leaned over for a look and said, "A combination of live-action and animation? With so many special effects, how can we deliver on time?"

Han Sanping pondered for a few seconds, "It's hard to say about others, but as for him... he's probably already turned on his phone."

He put down "Li Xianji" and picked up the next one.

"Miss Puff's Goldfish Bowl," directed by Pi San, is a purely animated short film. The protagonist is also ill, and the story shows how when you care too much about your loved one, you forget them.

Next up, "LI," a crossover work by renowned musician Zhang Yadong.

There's also a movie called "The Winner," directed by Xiao Yang. I don't know Han Sanping.

Ning Hao glanced at them a few times and said, "This group of people is quite diverse. Some are into animation, some are into art, and their styles are quite different."

"A diverse group of people is good; the original intention was to find a group of different people."

L

Han Sanping guessed correctly.

"Li Xianji" is indeed about to start filming.

The venue and equipment, the crew formation—all the preliminary preparations have been completed.

Xia Yu also arrived, without any entourage, just carrying a backpack by herself.

With a buzz cut, dark long-sleeved shirt, and trousers, he was dressed exactly like the animated version of Li Xianji.

Ren Pingsheng went to greet him.

"Teacher Xia, you must be tired from your journey."

"What's the trouble? It's close to home, only half an hour to get here."

The fact that it's close to home reveals Xia Yu's first reason for accepting this short film.

Yuan Quan gave birth to his daughter last month. Xia Yu is a family man and hasn't been out much for the past six months.

The filming period for "Li Xianji" was short, and the entire film was shot in Yanjing. Going to and from the set was almost like going to get off work, which made it convenient for him to take care of his child.

Of course, this is only the superficial reason. The real reason that brought about this collaboration was the woman behind Xia Yu.

Wang Jinghua.

Last August, Wang Jinghua left Orange Sky with a group of people to start her own business.

Over the past six months, her equity lawsuit with her former employer has intensified, with the other party clearly determined to thoroughly investigate the accounts, putting her under immense pressure.

What's worse is that the new company has been established for almost a year, and the number of new projects that have been negotiated is very small.

He had a falling out with Huayi Brothers before, and couldn't work on any of their productions.

Now that they're in court with Orange Sky Entertainment, their connections in the Hong Kong entertainment circle are almost completely cut off.

The company urgently needs new projects to keep operating, and she also has to give an explanation to the artists who left with her.

Ren Pingsheng, however, was in a delicate position.

He has good works, a good reputation, and is supported by two internet platforms, Tencent and iQiyi.

But he doesn't belong to any circle, or even any small group.

For an agent like Wang Jinghua who relies on connections, it's a worthwhile deal to make connections with a new director before he's recruited.

Besides, Xia Yu himself genuinely liked the script.

Ren Pingsheng was well aware of these intricacies, which was why he chose Xia Yu.

Wang Jinghua needs to pave the way for himself, and he also needs to pave the way for making blockbusters like "Mojin: The Lost Legend" in the future.

The subsequent group setup was ridiculously short, taking less than half an hour.

Xia Yu flipped through the storyboard and asked several questions, all of which were closely related to his scenes.

How to create a time-lapse scene? How to differentiate between the performances of time freezing and time flying? And how to connect it with animation?

After asking the question, he closed his notebook and said, "Okay, let's start filming tomorrow."

Yin Le was stunned for a moment.

He has seen many big-name actors go through the motions of refining their roles. Some can talk for three days just about their understanding of the character, while others need the director to accompany them through all the scenes before they will finally agree.

But Xia Yu made the decision in twenty minutes.

Ren Pingsheng didn't find it strange.

Xia Yu won the Best Actor award at the age of seventeen. Having come from Jiang Wen's film crew, his judgment of acting does not need to be proven by lengthy discourses.

The questions he just asked already show that he has thoroughly understood the script.

Furthermore, a new father wouldn't want to spend too much time on set.

The filming of "Li Xianji's Adventures" officially began the next day.

There was no complicated opening ceremony.

Action!

The clapperboard slammed down, and Xia Yu's face filled the entire frame.

His eyes began to glaze over, empty and desperate, as if the whole world had drifted away from him.

He opened his mouth, the veins in his neck bulged, and his Adam's apple bobbed violently, but only a strange gurgling sound came out.