Huayu: This producer has no bottom line.

Chapter 152 Does a Rabbit Eat the Grass Near Its Burrow?

In the evening, Ren Pingsheng returned to his studio.

Before I even pushed open the door, I could hear a commotion inside.

Da Peng lowered his voice and recited his lines with an amazing bubble voice, interspersed with Guo Zhenni's coquettish, drawn-out tone.

Ren Pingsheng didn't go in; he leaned against the door frame and watched for a while.

The table in the middle of the studio was pushed aside to make room for rehearsals.

Zhang Yibo pretended to be a human camera, occasionally calling out, "Brother Peng, shift your body a little to the left, you're blocking Sister Zhenni's light from your position."

Naza and Kong Lianshun squeezed onto the sofa. Naza hugged her knees and watched intently, while Kong Lianshun chewed on potato chips and let out an inappropriate laugh.

This is a habit that Shengping has cultivated since its inception.

Da Peng and his group have been following him, and they've always been filming their own works.

I've been involved in every project since the creative stage, and before the official filming, we get together like this to rehearse and get a feel for the scenes.

Tong Liya and Guo Zhenni also joined this segment. Although they didn't have many scenes together in "Love is Not Blind", the story is a whole, so it's always good to work on it beforehand.

However, it seems that Tong Liya has encountered some trouble.

She squatted in a corner of the venue, holding a few pieces of paper in her hand, her brows furrowed. "No matter how you look at it this time, she seems like a bad woman."

""

"If you remove the word 'like,' then stealing your best friend's boyfriend makes you a bad woman!" Da Peng added insult to injury, making her even more upset.

Xiao Ai glanced at her twice, about to say something, when she caught a glimpse of the doorway out of the corner of her eye.

"Pingsheng is back."

Tong Liya quickly stood up, instinctively hiding the paper in her hand behind her back. "Director Ren, why are you back?"

"Does your own company need to apply to come back?"

A joke relieved most of her tension.

He pulled up a chair and sat down. "What's wrong? Where's it stuck?"

Tong Liya hesitated for a moment, but then confessed, "I don't know how to play Feng Jiaqi."

She bit her lip, as if making a great decision, before continuing, "Director Ren, Sister Wang told me that you turned down Yu Zheng's offer to play me, saying it was to avoid affecting my public image, but now you want me to play someone who steals her best friend's boyfriend..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but Ren Pingsheng understood.

These days, Yu Zheng has made several more phone calls, offering very generous terms.

When Tong Liya found out, she felt somewhat uneasy. She was afraid that the company would miss a real opportunity to show her face in order to protect her illusory persona.

In her opinion, although "Love is Not Blind" is a big movie, Feng Jiaqi only has three scenes at most, barely even a supporting role. How can she be compared to the second female lead in a 30-episode TV series?

"Old Boys" brought her a wave of fame, but fame is meaningless if it doesn't translate into real value.

If she stays idle like this, she might have to go back to Hengdian to work on film sets once the hype surrounding "Old Boys" dies down.

Ren Pingsheng fully understood her concerns, but in his view, Tong Liya's understanding was still too limited.

A person's worth isn't built on exposure. You shouldn't lower yourself for short-term exposure, especially when you have the opportunity. You should try your best to present yourself in a positive light.

While filming a TV series would certainly be a good opportunity to gain exposure to the audience, given her current situation, it would be better for her to first establish a presence among industry professionals.

In this era where the big screen is at the absolute top of the industry's hierarchy of contempt, if you can leave a stunning moment in a blockbuster movie, your future commercial value will definitely be precipitously higher than those young actresses who only act in lowbrow dramas.

As for the question of whether Feng Jiaqi is a bad woman...

"Do you think Feng Jiaqi is a bad woman?" Ren Pingsheng asked, looking at her.

Tong Liya nodded, "Mm..."

"You guys think so too?"

The group exchanged bewildered glances. Guo Zhenni, however, nodded quite frankly. "Stealing your best friend's man, what else is she but a bad woman? Even a rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow!"

Ren Pingsheng shook his head helplessly. "None of you have read the original novel, have you?"

Tong Liya was stunned, her face instantly turning red. "I...I didn't have time to look."

"When making adaptations like this in the future, remember to find the original work and read it first."

Ren Pingsheng's tone wasn't harsh, but his attitude was clear: "You guys, don't just focus on those few pages of lines."

He held out his hand to Tong Liya, "Give me the script."

Tong Liya quickly handed over the three pages of paper in her hand.

Ren Pingsheng flipped through the pages and found that Feng Jiaqi's role was indeed pitifully small, with less than five lines in total.

The character biography was also extremely brief, with only a few adjectives such as gentle, quiet, and caring. No wonder she didn't know where to start.

He flipped through it, but couldn't find what he wanted, so he turned around and shouted, "Bai Ke, give me your script."

Bai Ke quickly handed over Lu Ran's script. Ren Pingsheng flipped through a few pages quickly, stopped at a certain point in the middle, and pointed, "Come and take a look, everyone."

Everyone crowded around, and Naza also stood up from the sofa, walked to the outer circle, and stood on tiptoe to look.

It's the scene where Huang Xiaoxian calls Lu Ran to pick her up after getting drunk, and then chases after the taxi.

"Bai Ke, read this passage aloud."

Bai Ke cleared his throat and began reading from the script.

"Every time we argue, you say the most hurtful things, without using a single swear word, yet it's so damaging that I feel like banging my head against the wall and ending it all! You feel better after the argument, but have you ever thought about how I feel?"

"continue."

"Every time, I'm the one who has to swallow my pride and act like a dog to save face! You're always so arrogant, standing there without moving an inch."

"I've already climbed this flight of stairs, covered in dust and dirt, to the bottom, and you're still standing at the top. I'm standing here looking up at you, and my neck is about to break!"

"But have you ever considered that you're the only one in the world with self-respect?"

After Bai Ke finished reading, the entire studio fell silent.

"That's well read," Ren Pingsheng nodded. "What do you think Lu Ran felt when he said those words?"

"Suffocating," Bai Ke thought for a moment, "Being with Huang Xiaoxian is too tiring, I've lost all my self-respect."

"That's right, it's suffocation."

Ren Pingsheng then pointed to a line on the front page of the script, "Look at this line again, it's what Huang Xiaoxian and Lu Ran said on the phone, 'The three of us hang out together every day.'"

He looked at the crowd and began to guide them in building relationships between the characters.

"This scene looks familiar, doesn't it? A couple on a date with their single buddy or best friend."

He looked at Tong Liya: "Yaya, imagine the interaction between these three young people. They spend a lot of time together. Huang Xiaoxian is strong, mean, and always aloof. Lu Ran is weak, repressed, and his self-esteem is constantly hurt. And you, Feng Jiaqi, are their mutual friend."

"For a man who is constantly criticized and belittled by his domineering girlfriend, besides processing his negative emotions himself, who is the only person he can confide in? It's you, Feng Jiaqi."

"And what kind of girl are you? You are gentle, sensible, empathetic, and know how to show vulnerability. When Lu Ran confided in you, you gave her a level of respect that Huang Xiaoxian couldn't."

"Therefore, Feng Jiaqi and Lu Ran getting together is just because they are two pitiful people who are trying to keep each other warm under the strong shadow of Huang Xiaoxian."

Da Peng, listening from the side, was dumbfounded. "Holy crap... so according to you, these two were actually quite aggrieved about cheating?"

"That's the complexity of human nature."

"Then...why didn't the director design a scene to show the cause and effect?" Bai Ke couldn't help but ask. "If it's so subtle, wouldn't Feng Jiaqi easily be misunderstood by the audience as a purely villainous character?"

"Because Director Teng is simplifying things."

Ren Pingsheng closed the script and handed it back to the two of them. "The theme of this movie is the female lead Huang Xiaoxian's heartbreak and growth. In order to make the audience's sense of identification focus on Huang Xiaoxian, Director Teng cut out the explanatory space of the character Feng Jiaqi, making her a purely functional character, a background that drives the female lead's growth."

"But in order to make the story coherent and to leave room for Huang Xiaoxian's transformation, Director Teng couldn't openly portray Lu Ran and Feng Jiaqi as irredeemably evil people. If Lu Ran and Feng Jiaqi were purely evil, then Huang Xiaoxian's suffering would become a victim narrative of being hurt by scumbags and bitches, which would be too narrow in scope."

Ren Pingsheng looked at Tong Liya and said in a more serious tone, "So, Yaya, if you can portray this kind of subtle thing so that the audience knows you hurt Huang Xiaoxian, but just can't bring themselves to hate you, then you've won."

He paused for a moment, then smiled. "Your role this time is small, and the average viewer might not see much of a difference. But if you really bring out the complexity of the character, the directors and producers in the industry who understand film will immediately see your potential. That's much more effective than playing a hundred melodramatic villains."

This extremely insightful character analysis silenced the entire studio.

Guo Zhenni looked at Ren Pingsheng, a strange light flashing in her eyes.

She used to think that this boss was very good at business, but she never expected that when it came to directing plays, he was more insightful than many old-school directors.

"What about my Li Ke? Does she have some unspeakable secret behind her self-proclaimed image as a socialite?"

"Don't overthink it, just be yourself."

"What do you mean, Mr. Ren?" Guo Zhenni asked, hands on her hips.

Da Peng was laughing so hard he was shaking, while Bai Ke turned his head away and pretended to look out the window.

When Tong Liya looked at the man in front of her, her heart skipped a beat.

She clutched the script tightly, and the unease that had been troubling her for days vanished.

He not only planned his own route, but also thought in advance about the difficulties he might encounter and how to resolve them.

"I understand, Director Ren," Tong Liya said, her eyes slightly red, but her gaze extremely firm. "I will play Feng Jiaqi well."

Naza sat back on the sofa, staring blankly at Ren Pingsheng, who was surrounded by everyone, and then at Tong Liya, who was full of gratitude, beautiful and confident.

Her little hands unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.

She envied Sister Ya Ya so much. She secretly vowed that she too must become as excellent as everyone else, a good actress that her boss would go to great lengths to plan for her future. "Alright, stop standing there, keep practicing."

Ren Pingsheng clapped his hands, turned around and walked towards the door, leaving them plenty of space.

In the corridor.

Ren Pingsheng lit a cigarette, and after taking two puffs, Dapeng came over and casually tossed him a bag of colorful things.

"These are local specialties that Nazha's mom sent from XJ. The studio has no shortage of things from there right now," Dapeng said, leaning against the wall and looking at him. "You haven't had dinner yet, have something to eat."

"You're just like my mom."

"If your mom knew you were doing this every day, she'd fly over and give you a good beating."

-

Ren Pingsheng retorted, but his hands honestly tore open the packaging, pinched a piece of dried fruit and stuffed it into his mouth. The sweet and sour taste instantly soothed his protesting stomach.

Da Peng saw through it but didn't say anything. He smiled, then pulled a folder from under his arm and handed it over.

"Sister Wang asked me to give this to you, but she went to see a client today and can't come."

Ren Pingsheng, with dried fruit between his fingers, opened the document and glanced at it; it was a cash flow forecast for the next two weeks.

Dapeng and Baike are fully booked for commercial performances, and they can expect to earn about 110 million yuan.

Tong Liya and Guo Zhenni have two magazine shoots available, not many, but enough to cover their daily expenses.

Several licensing agreements for "Lost in Thailand" are still under negotiation, and the list of licensees is below.

The last line of the note suggests that Naza should not be commercialized for the time being, and should continue to train her physique and lines.

Ren Pingsheng closed the file. "Was all of this arranged by Sister Wang?"

"Um."

"Pingsheng, you're not the only one carrying the company."

Dapeng leaned against the windowsill, his tone unusually serious.

"I know you have a lot of important things on your mind that we can't help you with. The company is getting busier and busier, and everyone has their own work to do. I'm afraid we won't be able to follow you around and help with the trivial matters like we used to when we were filming short dramas."

He looked at the bloodshot eyes in Ren Pingsheng's eyes: "But you can't keep doing this, carrying everything on your own. Lately, you've been running around here and there, and there's not even anyone to bring you water."

Ren Pingsheng glanced at him and said, "I'm not a celebrity, why would I need someone to hand me water?"

"You're ten times busier than a celebrity," Da Peng said, counting on his fingers. "You handle all the miscellaneous tasks yourself: answering phones, booking flights, coordinating schedules with various parties, and organizing documents. All the time and energy you waste should be spent on important matters."

"I think the company is doing quite well now, it's time to assign you a full-time assistant."

He suggested, "What do you think about bringing Sister Zhao over? She can be in charge of arranging your schedule, blocking those inconsiderate phone calls, and taking care of your daily needs. She can also keep watch over the base camp while everyone else is out."

Sister Zhao?

Ren Pingsheng recalled the scene when she was filming "Fang Wan Xiang Dao" at Souhu. She was the only woman in the entire group, and she was with a bunch of men, sweating profusely in the wasteland of Dongba, without ever complaining.

They are more efficient than young people when it comes to work, and they can coordinate everything from actors and venues to costumes and props.

Da Peng is right. The company is expanding rapidly, and it really needs someone to handle the daily operations.

Sister Zhao is the most suitable candidate.

I just don't know how she's doing now, or if she's still seeking comfort like before.

"Brother Peng, we were just saying 'a rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow,' aren't you afraid that Boss Zhang will find out and make things difficult for you?"

"Give me a break, weren't all three of them recruited by you? Even I, who's paid by Sohu, am working for you on orders."

""

Da Peng curled his lip, "What difference does it make if there are one or two more? Anyway, President Zhang doesn't mind. We can be considered to have restored the glory of the Sohu Innovation Team in the past."

"Okay, let's go ask Sister Zhao what she thinks first."

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