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

It's not that he has a grudge against the little yellow duck; ultimately, it's all about interests.

He went to great lengths to get this role because he wanted a high starting point.

Debuting as the male lead in a major director's film, especially an art-house film, allows one to firmly establish a high-class image and pave the way for future success in the entertainment industry.

However, a film has limited screen time, and so does the audience's attention; resources and attention have always been complementary.

With new visuals to back it up and the halo of being a "Zhang Yimou girl," the little yellow duck had an advantage from the very beginning.

Not to mention that the two debuted with this movie, and Little Yellow Duck won various newcomer awards in the Chinese film industry with it, thus beginning a smooth and domineering life.

In contrast, the original male lead... his senior brother Dou, also had a blank record in awards for his debut work, with very few nominations.

In the long run, Little Yellow Duck later became a triple crown actress, firmly establishing herself as one of the top actresses born in the 90s in the Chinese-speaking world.

Although she is controversial in terms of commercial success and public opinion, her achievements in awards have always been far ahead, and she is a recognized film star.

But what about that senior brother Dou? Not only did he start strong but then decline, to put it bluntly, he almost flopped completely, and in the end, he could only maintain some popularity by filming TV dramas and appearing on variety shows.

Do you think he really wants to do that? If one can consistently remain a top-tier film actor, who would want to spend their time on variety shows and dramas?

Not to mention getting involved in the murky waters of wealthy families—it's not that I look down on wealthy families, it's just that compared to the carefree life of a top star earning 208 a day.

Marrying into a wealthy family or becoming dependent on one is hardly the best option.

In this industry, true confidence never comes from relying on anyone, but from one's own work and status.

The reason why Brother Dou was able to get to this point is ultimately because all the spotlight was concentrated on the little yellow duck in this movie.

As the male lead, he was like a background figure throughout the entire series. Although he had a lot of screen time, he had no highlights and became nothing more than a "vase" to highlight the other characters.

This lesson of "one handful, one mess" is truly heartbreaking.

They both debuted with the same work, yet their fates have diverged so drastically. If he doesn't want to repeat their mistakes, he has no choice but to make plans early.

During this period, Teacher Huang focused his instruction on this very point.

It was precisely these insights that allowed him to grasp the unspoken message his teacher had hidden beneath the surface of his teachings—

Those seemingly ordinary performance technique explanations were actually teaching him how to stand out in front of the camera and showcase himself.

After all, everyone looks out for themselves. In this industry, falling behind even once can mean falling behind forever, so he had no reason to give up the opportunity he should have fought for.

Moreover, he did not use any improper means; he was merely figuring out how to reasonably "suppress" the scene and how to seize the opportunity.

Just as the teacher implied, it's perfectly normal for a newcomer to put on a great show in front of the camera.

If the performance is outstanding enough, even if the director is biased due to the plot, they probably won't be willing to cut out the truly brilliant and outstanding scenes.

This is his chance.

...................................

Because he had been notified in advance, someone was already waiting for Li Xiang at the hotel where the film crew was staying when he arrived.

As the male lead, he was assigned a private suite, which was considered the best treatment he could receive from the production crew.

Around noon, after a short rest, he went to the hotel restaurant and had a simple buffet meal.

As she put down her cutlery, she remembered something and took out her phone to call her senior sister, Fu.

After learning that most of the crew were setting up outdoor scenes on set and wouldn't return to their hotels until night, Li Xiang decided to go and check out the location after finding out the exact spot.

Fortunately, he had been frequenting the studio before, and he had become familiar with many people.

When they arrived at the filming location, he greeted everyone with a smile, and after going around in circles, he didn't feel like a stranger at all.

Seeing everyone busy setting up the scene, and unable to get a piece of the action, he found a quiet corner and began to observe the setup with great interest.

The lighting crew is adjusting the angles, and the prop master is wrapping vines around the tree trunk.

In the distance, people were using tools to level the land, shoveling and smoothing the ground, creating a busy yet orderly scene.

On the other side, Fu Lulu, who was so busy she barely had time to breathe, also caught a glimpse of Li Xiang standing in the corner watching the commotion.

He immediately waved to him, half-jokingly and half-seriously grabbing him to be a helper: "What are you standing there for? Come and lend a hand!"

So Li Xiang followed his senior colleague, who was the assistant director, running around the set and being ordered around until he was covered in sweat.

As the sun began to set, the group finished packing and drove back to the hotel. Only then did the two men finally have a chance to chat in the car.

"You must be exhausted this afternoon, haha, you'll feel better once filming officially starts." Senior Sister Fu said, handing him a bottle of water.

Li Xiang took the water, gulped down two mouthfuls, wiped his sweat, and laughed, "It's alright, it's much more interesting than practicing positioning at school, and I feel more at ease."

"Still interesting? Once the filming officially starts, that'll be the real test for you, kid. I wonder how well my junior brother is prepared."

Just as Li Xiang was about to pat his chest and make a guarantee, his senior sister suddenly changed the subject, looking at him seriously: "You've seen it too, there's advertising outside now..."

Almost everyone's focused on their "own person." You should be aware of this situation! Don't let yourself be overshadowed when you're actually in front of the camera.

"Of course, I'm not telling you to go head-to-head, but you have to hold onto the roles that are yours."

"Don't let yourself miss out on promotions and get overshadowed by a high school student in the film. All the favors we did beforehand would be for nothing."

The lights in the carriage shone on Li Xiang's face. He squeezed the water bottle in his hand and replied earnestly, "Don't worry, senior sister, I've prepared everything I need."

"It's good that you know what's going on... Don't put too much pressure on yourself." The senior sister softened her tone.

"You and she are ultimately different. Besides, Uncle Wang and Director Zhang have been friends for decades. The director knows what's going on and won't really let you just be a supporting character in the film..."

She frowned halfway through her sentence, hesitated, and finally mumbled, "In the end, you have to be strong yourself to succeed."

Once filming begins, just focus on giving a solid performance and bringing the character to life; that's more important than anything else. As for the rest, the director will handle it.

Li Xiang nodded, offering no further guarantees. He understood what his senior sister meant—

The bridges that others can build are ultimately limited; to gain a foothold, one must rely on their own solid abilities to stand out in front of the camera.

I'm sure that as long as I perform well enough, I will never repeat the mistakes of my senior brother Dou.

As for fairness, it's a luxury in this industry. He played his role well and didn't waste the opportunity, which can be considered a reward for Uncle Wang's hard work.

As the light and shadows outside the window brushed against his cheeks, he took a deep breath, and a determination gradually formed in his eyes.

Everything that needed to be said has been said. The rest will be left to the performance after filming begins.