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

Zhang Hui's gaze first fell on the project materials for "The Listener".

This is a major production co-produced by the company, with a substantial investment; just looking at the cast makes it a force to be reckoned with.

The male lead, Tony Leung, and the female lead, Zhou Xun, are both award-winning actors and actresses who have won countless awards.

The director also has representative works such as "Infernal Affairs" and "Overheard" as a foundation.

The company invested in this film because of the strong cast and crew. Even if it doesn't reach the heights of "Infernal Affairs," it's still a sure win if it achieves the quality of "Overheard."

Secondly, it's also to boost the stock price after listing, which can be seen as a reassurance to the capital market.

But after he finished reading the script outline, his brows furrowed slightly.

The film is good, but apart from the male and female leads, there are almost no other characters that stand out.

If Li Xiang were to join the production, it would be less of an opportunity and more of a waste of his starting point as a "Zhang Yimou's leading man." After thinking about it, I decided to close the file again.

Scrolling down, the project information for "Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon" popped up.

The cast list listed Huang Xiaoming and his secret girlfriend. Zhang Hui stared at the male lead's name for a few seconds, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind:

Could Li Xiang try to replace Huang Xiaoming? But he immediately dismissed the thought.

Not to mention that Huang Xiaoming has already established himself in the film industry in the past two years with films like "The Banquet" and "The Message".

Huace is just a co-producer; how could they have the confidence to change the male lead that was already chosen?

If he were to actually do that, it would be too unseemly, and if word got out, it would offend people. For Li Xiang, it would be a losing proposition.

He leaned back, tapping his fingertips on the table.

These two film projects are considered the most promising in the company's portfolio, but they still couldn't find a suitable position for Li Xiang.

It seems that trying to share food from a ready-made plate isn't so easy.

His gaze continued to sweep downwards, landing on several projects marked "in preparation," and Zhang Hui's eyes slowly fixed on them.

Instead of squeezing into established projects, why not gamble on a promising one?

His attention was quickly drawn to a project called "The Mermaid Empire," which was on the list and the only true Sino-US co-production on it.

As soon as I opened the folder, a dense array of sub-files popped up, and just looking at the configuration was enough to make my heart skip a beat:

As for the other female lead in the film being given to the girlfriend of the biggest investor, there's nothing to argue about; whoever has more money gets to decide.

However, there is still a lot of room for maneuver in the male supporting cast.

"If we could get Li Xiang a role in this movie..." Zhang Hui's Adam's apple bobbed as he considered the implications.

Once he participates in the film, Li Xiang will leap directly from "Zhang Yimou's leading man" to "International Li," following in the footsteps of his predecessors...

The company can then easily compare and pair him with "Zhang Ziyi," and the resources he receives will only increase accordingly.

Not to mention, as long as Li Xiang can make a name for himself internationally, his company will be able to stand up more confidently when investing in various films in the future.

He stared at the folder for a long time, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was worth a try.

In terms of quality, it's a Sino-US co-production, with a Hollywood background, a Bond girl in the lead role, the team behind "Avatar," and a 900 million yuan investment—any one of these aspects is eye-catching enough.

Since the company has invested money, there's no reason not to let its own people get a share.

As for his status, Zhang Hui wasn't too worried.

Didn't you see popular actresses like Yang Mi and Hu Jun playing supporting roles in it?

Being able to connect with Hollywood, even as a supporting actor, is a rare stepping stone.

Those top actresses in the industry, didn't they rise to fame by playing supporting roles in international blockbusters in their early years? It's not shameful to re-import those roles after they've been exported!

Having set his sights on something, Zhang Hui no longer intended to watch any further; after all, it was Hollywood!

Li Xiang was completely unaware of Zhang Hui's free-flowing imagination.

After spending the whole day in the apartment, it was finally time to meet with the stylist.

Even though Sister Zhou had praised the stylist to the skies, Li Xiang didn't have high expectations.

After all, looking at the entertainment industry today, even top stars like Huang Xiaoming still have the same heavy, long, slanted bangs.

With this kind of aesthetic sense, he really doesn't expect to be able to develop any new aesthetics.

This is a limitation of the times, and it's not something that any designer can overcome on their own.

Even so, when he arrived at the agreed-upon studio, he still displayed impeccable politeness.

When he pushed open the door, Sister Zhou was already sitting with him by the window. He walked over quickly, smiling and extending his hand: "Hello, teacher, I'm Li Xiang."

This teacher, Mr. Wang, is clearly a decisive person, or perhaps he simply doesn't take Li Xiang seriously.

He pulled a thick stack of fashion magazines from the bookshelf beside him and slammed them down on the table.

These are the most popular things right now, take a look for yourself.

After saying that, he turned around and started chatting with Sister Zhou, and the topics were all about celebrity gossip. He didn't even glance at Li Xiang again.

Li Xiang didn't take it to heart, after all, he already knew what the fashion industry was really like.

He slowly flipped through the magazine, but in his mind he was pondering Mr. Wang's attitude.

Judging from his temper, he seems to have some real skills. And looking at how he's chatting so enthusiastically with Sister Zhou, they obviously have a good relationship.

Since that's the case, why not try a little trick?

With Sister Zhou's connection, things won't go too far.

After their casual conversation came to an end, Li Xiang spoke softly, "These styles are indeed popular right now, but my face is too plain, I'm afraid I can't pull them off."

Wang Ya was preparing for the next topic when she heard this, but she just waved her hand casually, without even taking her eyes off Sister Zhou:

"It's okay, you'll know once you try more."

As she spoke, she picked up another magazine, flipped through a few pages, pointed to several styles, and pushed it towards us.

"Take your time looking, don't worry, I can borrow whatever you like."

This time, Li Xiang didn't take the magazine away. He just glanced at it and tapped the page with his finger: "It doesn't really suit my style."

He turned to another page and said, "Besides, this style is too edgy, it doesn't suit me."

He turned the page again, then shook his head slightly. "This one isn't quite right either, it's too ugly!"

After rejecting several proposals in succession, they finally managed to completely capture this person's attention.

I've been sitting here for almost half an hour, and all the proposals I've presented have been rejected without a word, with reasons that are neither too soft nor too hard, yet delivered with impeccable politeness...

This person finally stopped chatting with Sister Zhou, and his eyes, which had been indifferent, became sharp as he re-examined Li Xiang in front of him.

After all—it's been a long time since anyone dared to provoke him.

He sat up slightly, his tone inquisitive: "So, what do you think suits you best?"

After finally waiting for him to get up and go to the restroom, Sister Zhou hurriedly came over: "What's going on? He's no small figure in the industry."

He's on good terms with many big brands. If you reject all his proposals, you'll have to ask him for haute couture and styling services later. Isn't that just asking for trouble?

"It's not like I'm deliberately trying to embarrass him. The proposals he submitted were all mass-produced and obviously not done with care."

"In the half hour I've been here, have you seen him even glance at me once? Me, a movie star, and I'm not even worthy of his attention?"

Sister Zhou wanted to persuade him further, but Li Xiang waved his hand and said, "Sister, don't try to persuade me. That's how it is in their circle. The more submissive you are, the more they will control you."

"It's actually a good thing that he has a temper. At least it lets him know that he can't be fooled by just anyone. It's not like the company isn't paying him."

"But..." Sister Zhou wanted to say something, but Li Xiang interrupted her: "Just wait and see, when she comes out, her attitude will definitely be different from before."

As they were talking, footsteps came from afar, and the two of them tacitly fell silent.

When Teacher Wang came out of the restroom, her gaze indeed fell on Li Xiang first. Gone was her previous nonchalance; instead, it held a hint of inquiry.

It was as if they were re-evaluating the young man who had just repeatedly embarrassed them.

Li Xiang cursed inwardly: "That's true. Being flattered makes them forget their own worth. They have to be knocked on before they'll even look at someone properly."

Sister Zhou also noticed this subtle change, and swallowed back the words she was about to say to smooth things over.

Looking at it this way, Li Xiang's words seem to be true; he really is a scoundrel.

After they sat down again, the atmosphere became much more relaxed than before.

This person also took Li Xiang's request to heart, no longer just casually flipping through magazines, but listening attentively to every word he said.

Li Xiang couldn't actually articulate any professional fashion theories, but he had seen a lot—

Which designs can withstand the test of time and become classics?

He knew perfectly well which things looked flashy but would become "tacky" in a couple of years.

Therefore, when discussing clothing styles and matching logic, they have substance and can offer meaningful insights, rather than simply saying "I don't think it looks good." They can provide a clear explanation.

In Wang Ya's eyes, Li Xiang's image is also subtly changing: from a newcomer who only has a pretty face.

She's transformed into a newcomer with taste, ideas, and a good-looking face. This level isn't just about rising a notch.

That's how it is between people; before they communicate, they may not even look at each other.

But once you exchange a few words, you realize that you're on the same wavelength—he understands what you're saying, and you can respond to what he brings up.

Then, naturally, things will fall into place.