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

As the two were talking, the office door opened, and Zhang Yimou walked out wearing a simple jacket.

Upon seeing Li Xiang, a smile appeared on his face: "You're back?"

Li Xiang grinned and stepped forward, saying, "I just got off the train and came straight here. I had to at least let you know first!"

"Don't give me that." Zhang Yimou laughed and scolded, then his gaze fell on Sister Zhou and Xiao Jiang behind him. "These are the people from your company?"

"Yes, Uncle Zhang, let me introduce you." Li Xiang stepped aside.

"This is my executive agent, Sister Zhou; this is my personal assistant, Xiao Jiang; and outside is my driver, Master Chen. From now on, these three will basically be working with me."

Sister Zhou quickly stepped forward and said respectfully, "Director Zhang, I've long admired your name, it's a great honor to meet you today. I'm Zhou Min from Huace Brokerage Department."

Zhang Yimou was not one to put on airs, and seeing her like this, he waved his hand and said, "No need to be so polite, it's all for work."

"I should thank you," Sister Zhou said sincerely.

"Li Xiang's opportunity today is entirely thanks to your help."

Everyone at Huace is extremely grateful to you for giving this child this opportunity. We will definitely do our best to assist him in the future and live up to your expectations.

"My relationship with this kid is between the two of us and has nothing to do with your company, so there's no need to mention it."

If you really want him to be better, then pay more attention to him and let him focus on filming and honing his acting skills. That's more effective than saying anything else.

Sister Zhou quickly replied, "You're right, we'll remember that."

Zhang Yimou nodded and stepped aside to let us in: "Come in and let's talk. I have something to tell you."

The group followed them inside and sat down. Fu Lulu poured water for everyone first, and then Zhang Yimou spoke:

"The premiere of 'Under the Hawthorn Tree' will be held at the CPPCC Auditorium in a while, which will be the first time you two lead actors will make a formal appearance."

Be careful then, don't cause any trouble. And if there are media interviews, don't say anything inappropriate.

After saying that, Zhang Yimou looked at Sister Zhou standing to the side.

"Your company should hurry up and find someone to teach this kid some basic talking techniques. Just in case something goes wrong on the spot."

Sister Zhou couldn't quite figure out what the "flaw" meant, but Li Xiang understood perfectly—

The movie is already finished, and if the male lead speaks recklessly, won't all the benefits go to the female lead?

Zhang Yimou was clearly wary of Zhang Weiping's underhanded tactics, which is why he gave him this special advice.

Li Xiang nodded in agreement: "I've got it, Uncle Zhang."

For the rest of the time, Zhang Yimou did almost all the talking in the room, going into everything from the premiere's proceedings to the points the media might focus on, leaving no detail untouched.

Sister Zhou listened from the side, but was secretly assessing the situation in her mind—

After all, Director Zhang's concern for Li Xiang clearly went beyond the usual care a director gives to an actor; it was more like an elder giving advice to a younger person.

After Zhang Yimou finished explaining, Li Xiang, not wanting to delay him from finishing his post-production work, stood up and said, "Uncle Zhang, you're busy, we'll head back now."

At this moment, Sister Zhou also took out the gift box she had prepared beforehand and said respectfully:

"Director Zhang, President Zhao prepared some things especially for me when he learned that I was coming to see you."

This is freshly picked pre-Qingming tea from the tea garden this year, along with a contemporary miniature painting. It's just a small token of my appreciation, and I hope you won't find it offensive.

Zhang Yimou glanced at the gift box, knowing it was a common practice in the industry, and didn't refuse, nodding: "Please thank President Zhao for me."

He then told Fu Lulu to put it away.

Li Xiang was about to follow Sister Zhou out when Zhang Yimou called out to him, "You stay here, kid."

Sister Zhou and Senior Sister Fu exchanged a glance and tactfully withdrew first.

The door closed softly, leaving only the two of them in the room. Zhang Yimou gestured to the sofa: "Sit down. Tell me about the contract. How exactly were the negotiations conducted?"

Li Xiang sat down again and highlighted the key points of the contract, including its duration and resource support, before adding at the end:

"I originally wanted to sign an eight-year contract, but the company wasn't too keen on it, so in the end I could only sign a ten-year contract."

"Ten years isn't a long time." Zhang Yimou nodded.

Huace has a strong foundation in TV dramas, but it's just starting out in film. The advantage of following them is that you can get real resources, but the disadvantage is that you have to struggle alongside them.

But no matter what, having a reliable company to support you is always better than going it alone.

"I understand," Li Xiang replied. "I never thought about becoming famous overnight. I just want to have roles to play and be able to work hard to improve my acting skills."

After hearing this, Zhang Yimou grinned, but didn't take it all seriously.

How could a child of that age not have some ambition?

Compared to Zhang Ziyi of yesteryear, he couldn't help but lament that Li Xiang was born at the wrong time.

At least for now, there aren't many good resources that can be directly offered to him.

Just thinking about his old friend, his connection with Li Xiang, and the rare talent in this child...

After a moment's thought, he still hinted, "It's a good thing that you think this way."

Remember, no matter which company you sign with, in the end, what actors rely on is their work.

Don't let the superficial things in the industry blind you. Spend your time honing your acting skills; that's far more important than anything else.

"I don't mean to discourage you. It's just that at your age, it's not easy to find a suitable role. What do you plan to do if you really can't get any roles?"

Just as Li Xiang was about to speak, he waved his hand and continued speaking to himself:

"I know your company has a lot of TV drama resources, but I still don't recommend getting involved in it in the next two years, especially since you are still a student and it's the time to build your foundation."

He tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his tone earnest: "It's not that I look down on television dramas, but their creative principles are what they are—"

With dozens of episodes and spending every day on set, it's easy for people to develop a habit of filming.

You are still young. No matter how ambitious you are, after facing the camera for a long time, you will instinctively start to look for your so-called comfort zone.

"Over time, a fixed pattern will gradually emerge, establishing which facial expressions correspond to which emotions, and which lines should be delivered with which tone."

"Once this formulaic approach takes root, it's difficult to break free. You don't even need many; just one or two dramas are enough..."

When you stand in front of the camera again, it will be very difficult to capture the subtle expressions and nuanced emotions that require careful attention.

Film is like a magnifying glass; it exposes every trick in the book. But when television production becomes too routine, you subconsciously rely on those easy-to-use techniques, slowly losing your true inspiration.

At this point, he softened his tone: "If you were in your thirties or forties, had acted in a hundred or eighty plays, and had developed the resistance to inertia, I would never say these things."

But you're different now. You're like a freshly baked clay, not yet fully formed. The worst thing you can do is be led astray by these shortcuts.

"Therefore, focus on honing your basic skills at school, watch good movies in your spare time, or even rehearse some plays. At least you can maintain your sensitivity to performance."

He leaned back and looked at Li Xiang, "Once you've truly established yourself and developed your own acting system, it's not too late to get involved in TV dramas."

As for now? My advice is not to rush. Remember, slow and steady wins the race.

Even after leaving the office, Li Xiang's mind was still racing—he hadn't fully grasped Director Zhang's last words.

He understood what they meant: they didn't want him to film TV dramas.

But Director Zhang knew perfectly well that the company he signed with started out with TV dramas, and he would inevitably have to deal with this field in the future.

"Brother Xiang, what's wrong?" Xiao Jiang couldn't help but ask again when she saw Li Xiang standing there lost in thought.

Distracted from his thoughts, Li Xiang waved his hand and said to Xiao Jiang beside him, "You get in the car first, I'll just say a few words to my senior sister and then I'll be there."

After saying that, he looked around but did not see Fu Lulu.

Without searching any further, he took out his phone and sent her a text message, then led Xiao Jiang to the parking area.