Reborn in the Entertainment Industry: This Top Star Has Real Achievements

The following days were busy and fulfilling for Li Xiang.

Before school started, he rented a hotel near the studio for a month and went to and from work on time every day, just like the studio's employees.

The senior colleagues in the studio often teach us the tricks of the trade in filming, and they're all practical, down-to-earth tips—

For example, which standing position can avoid overhead lighting and make the face appear smaller, and how to communicate with the lighting technician to make the lighting better suit the scene.

These are all different from the theoretical courses in school; they are the kinds of knowledge that you really need to know when filming.

So although life is busy, it is also filled with new knowledge.

Teacher Huang was overjoyed to learn that he had successfully signed the contract, and even invited him to her home, where she personally cooked a delicious meal.

Li Xiang, with his sweet tongue, praised his teacher's skills to the skies, making the whole family beam with joy.

Everyone has encountered flattery. But the effort put in by someone with influence and potential carries a completely different weight than a casual remark from an ordinary person.

Moreover, Li Xiang is already signed, and his debut work is a leading role in a famous director's film. Who wouldn't feel comfortable with that?

A few days before the start of the semester, Director Zhang specifically called him into his office. "You've been quite busy lately, and your attitude is good."

Li Xiang put on a shy look, scratched his head and laughed: "This is my first time acting, so I'm a little nervous. I'm thinking of preparing more so that I can get it in one take."

"One take?" Director Zhang raised an eyebrow. "Your standards are pretty high, almost as high as mine. If you can really do it, I'll give you a big round of applause in front of everyone."

"Director, please don't put pressure on me. I'm just trying my best." Li Xiang quickly waved his hand.

Seeing his expression, Zhang Yimou stopped teasing him: "It's good to have this idea. Everything depends on accumulation. Once you've accumulated enough, you'll naturally have enough confidence."

Just like you're only just starting out, you need to be like a sponge, absorbing as much as you can.

Once you've mastered the knowledge, you won't be afraid anymore; instead, you'll feel the excitement of turning it on.

He paused, glanced at the script on the table, and said, "This industry is different now than before. It looks lively, but you can better distinguish between the good and the bad."

Especially for us directors, we can tell the difference between something real and something fake at a glance...

Don't try to take shortcuts. Shortcuts may seem fast, but they are actually short routes, and you never know when you'll reach the end of the road.

At your age, it's the perfect time to settle down and accumulate experience, and you've been doing a great job lately.

Zhang Yimou's willingness to speak out today shows that he has taken note of Li Xiang's actions over the past period.

He discovered that although Li Xiang was somewhat lazy at heart, he also possessed a tenacious spirit that refused to admit defeat.

He's a hard-working and sweet-talking kid, so the elders like him and are happy to give him a few more words of advice.

It's for his own good, and also for the good of this movie.

In fact, given his current status and the excellent works he has produced over the years, he doesn't need to care too much about gossip from the outside world.

The success of the opening ceremony made him too proud, and the subsequent film "A Simple Noodle Story" was a huge failure. Under these circumstances, everyone wanted to turn the tables.

Don't be fooled by his usual simple, honest demeanor, like an old farmer; he's not talkative and rarely gets angry, because most things don't concern him.

What he truly cares about is his own artistic lifespan, whether he can keep directing films...

So this time, he really wanted to make something serious to prove that he can still fight and that being old but still strong is not just empty talk.

That's why he's paying extra attention to this soon-to-be-released "Zhang Yimou's leading man" and is willing to say a few heartfelt words.

After explaining all that, Zhang Yimou got to the point: "Your school is about to start, so go back to school first."

The production team still needs to prepare, scout locations, and select the female lead; filming won't start for at least another month.

You're still a student, after all. If you don't turn on your computer and don't go to school, people will inevitably gossip, which won't be good for your future development.

After all, in the eyes of Chinese people, the saying "academics are of utmost importance" is not just empty talk.

Li Xiang naturally knew this, and even if Director Zhang hadn't brought it up, he had been looking for an opportunity to discuss it these past few days.

This is also why he didn't go back to his hometown after signing the contract; he was afraid of being caught in the middle.

He didn't want to offend Zhang Yimou, nor did he want to offend the school because of filming, and he didn't want to give people anything to talk about, so he could only use his vacation time.

In retrospect, all the goodwill he cultivated over this period wasn't wasted; at least the director genuinely cared about him.

If it were any other big director, it would be common for them to conduct intensive training for two or three months before filming. They wouldn't care about the actors' schedules or personal matters.

He deserves to be appreciated for considering so much for himself.

"You're right," Li Xiang replied. "Then I'll go back to school first, finish my studies, and wait for your news."

After leaving the director's office, Li Xiang greeted his familiar senior classmates and thought he should go home.

Even if it's just for a day or two, home is always more comfortable than outside. Once he made up his mind, he immediately booked a standing ticket and headed home.

When he stepped back into the gates of Beijing Film Academy, he was fully recharged and revived.

No one knew what he had done during the holidays, and everyone quickly immersed themselves in their studies for the new semester.

On this day, the school bulletin board was completely surrounded by people. A striking notice was posted in the most conspicuous place:

Director Zhang Yimou's new film is holding open auditions for the female lead, with the first round of selection taking place at various universities. The audition dates and classroom addresses are clearly stated.

As soon as the news came out, all the girls in the school were in an uproar, their excitement impossible to hide.

The boys, on the other hand, all looked dejected.

That's a film directed by Zhang Yimou. Even the female lead had to be chosen from the students on campus. The opportunity was so tempting, but they just weren't selected.

This quickly became the talk of the school. Everyone gathered together, speculating about the plot and casting criteria, while eagerly awaiting the day of the audition.

Some more astute individuals even discerned something from the fact that it was just a preliminary selection for the female lead, and speculated that the male lead had probably already been chosen.

Li Xiang wasn't particularly concerned about this. He had read the script, and the play ultimately revolved around the female lead; even if they went through various casting choices, it would most likely still be that "Little Yellow Duck" in the end.

The reason Director Zhang chose her must have been because he felt she was the most suitable for the role and best matched the image in his mind.

In addition, the female lead has very strict requirements, so whoever is suitable can take the role, unlike the male lead who benefited somewhat from personal connections.

And the fact that I'm playing the male lead will eventually spread. If I start talking about it now, there's no guarantee it won't become a boomerang and backfire on me later.

If, in a few years, someone digs this up and says that he interfered with casting after just landing the lead role in Director Zhang's film, and then uses this as leverage against him, he'll become a laughingstock.

So at times like these, he could only continue attending classes and practicing his acting as usual, and dared not utter a single unnecessary word.

But it was precisely because of his attitude of not getting involved and his dry tone that his roommate Longlong noticed something was wrong.