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

This kind of spectacle clearly exceeded Zhang Weiping's expectations.

He's not stupid at all; in fact, he's quite shrewd.

Looking back, when he realized that Little Yellow Duck was too young and that creating a romantic pairing with her could easily cross a line, he immediately adjusted his strategy.

His attempt to gain attention by disparaging Li Xiang reveals that he has a set of strategies in mind.

However, the speed and direction of this current turmoil have clearly deviated from his intended course.

However, the real-time data from ticketing agencies across the country plunged him into a deep dilemma.

In just one day, the viral spread of this news has caused the box office to more than double.

At this rate, its box office performance could potentially catch up with that of a true blockbuster.

Despite his public claim that "Under the Hawthorn Tree" had an investment of 7000 million yuan, making it arguably the highest investment in art-house films, he still managed to achieve this.

In reality, he used Zhang Yimou's name to drive down the actors' salaries to an extremely low level; the salaries of several leading actors did not even exceed 200,000 yuan.

If the box office really does multiply several times, he'll probably earn more than several period drama blockbusters combined. With such a tempting offer, how could he resist?

On the other hand, he knew better than anyone that someone was definitely stirring up trouble behind the scenes for this level of controversy.

He would never believe that these people were kindly helping him promote his movie.

What are they after? Naturally, they're after his biggest trump card—Zhang Yimou.

On one hand, there are readily available benefits, and possibly even hundreds of millions in profits;

On the other hand—thinking of this, Zhang Weiping himself was stunned for a moment.

In his view, there didn't seem to be any substantial losses on the other side either.

Based on his understanding of Zhang Yimou, he knew that as long as he softened his stance and coaxed him a little, he could always win back this "honest man".

Moreover, no matter how lively these rumors are, they are unlikely to fundamentally harm him and Zhang Yimou; at most, they will only make people think that he, as the boss, is a scoundrel.

He can easily claim he's busy with the movie and has no time for such gossip.

In this way, you can make money and get an explanation, isn't that the best of both worlds?

It can only be said that Zhang Weiping was too arrogant and did not consider the feelings of others at all.

Zhang Yimou is naturally low-key, so how could he like his name to be constantly posted online and subject to criticism and wild speculation?

Zhang Weiping's laissez-faire attitude only pushed Zhang Yimou further away.

After all, if he didn't cherish his reputation, why wouldn't he personally step in to generate buzz for the movie, instead of just taking advantage of Zhang Weiping's actions?

Even so, he clearly gave Li Xiang benefits—publicly acting as his backer and supporting him.

It's clear that this seemingly unassuming and honest person actually knows everything; it's just a matter of whether he's willing to care or not.

However, these are not things that Li Xiang needs to think about.

When Sister Zhou quietly told him about the online public opinion, he knew that the focus of the matter was no longer on him.

Well, he's already pocketed the benefits he was owed. For the rest of the roadshow, he just needs to behave himself as a publicity stunt partner.

Occasionally, I would chime in with a few words against the little yellow duck, echoing the previous trend, which served as a way of responding to the controversy and also fulfilling my obligations to the director.

I just wonder if Zhang Yimou is really that happy to make his movie a hit by all this news surrounding him.

Perhaps... I'll still be happy.

After all, the box office revenue did increase, which, in a sense, was a way of redeeming himself.

This at least proves that even ignoring those absurd Errenzhuan (a type of folk performance), his works are still deeply loved by the audience.

As for all the troubles and complications along the way, perhaps they can only be set aside for now in the face of the final results...

The seventh and final stop of the roadshow was Chang'an.

This bustling city, rich in cultural and tourism heritage, became the final destination for this long and tiring journey.

Once this competition ends, everyone will go their separate ways.

So throughout the day, despite the weariness of running around, Li Xiang always had a relaxed smile on his face.

But he didn't expect that on this last day, the little yellow duck would give him and the crew a hard time. It must have been holding back for too long.

During the interview, in front of all the media and the audience, Little Yellow Duck suddenly looked emotional and said that she planned to apply to the Beijing Film Academy:

"Only in this way can I better integrate into the next film crew, otherwise everyone will always treat me like a child and won't communicate with me."

She had barely finished speaking when she changed the subject, looking in Li Xiang's direction, her tone carrying an ambiguous meaning:

"Unlike Li Xiang, who is already a student at the Beijing Film Academy and gets along so well with everyone, I still have to work hard to catch up."

These words, though seemingly mild, actually concealed a hidden meaning; they were practically accusing Li Xiang and the entire crew of bullying.

Anyone who knows even a little about Zhang Yimou's film crew knows that two-thirds of the team members are graduates of the Beijing Film Academy, and even Director Zhang himself is a well-known alumnus of the Beijing Film Academy.

If Little Yellow Duck only said the first half of what she said, it might be explained that people were somewhat distant from her because of her young age;

However, by adding the second half, it blatantly links the Beijing Film Academy with "grouping together," and the subtext is self-evident.

Fortunately, after the incident at Shanghai Station, all the media outlets learned their lesson and now bring recording devices with them to capture some exciting moments.

The media outlets have already made a fortune from the traffic generated these past few days, so they naturally don't want to miss any memorable moments.

Therefore, the little yellow duck's words and remarks were all recorded verbatim, and there's even an audio recording to prove it...

Li Xiang was not the type to passively accept things, and he felt somewhat guilty for not having done anything for Director Zhang along the way.

In this final round, he decided to stop holding back and spoke immediately, his tone sincere yet every word profound:

"I'm really glad you think that way," he replied, then changed the subject.

"I'm not bragging, but I really recommend you apply to the Beijing Film Academy. After all, you can't rely on playing yourself forever, and some skills, if not learned systematically, will only be a flash in the pan."

So, as your co-star in your first drama, I sincerely hope that you can go to school to study systematically and make up for your shortcomings.

At least in the future, filming won't be like this again, with a single scene requiring twenty or thirty takes, forcing Director Zhang and the entire crew to stay up all night with you.

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere on the field became subtle.

The little yellow duck's smile froze for a moment, then barely spread, though a hint of awkwardness still flickered in its eyes.

She was about to speak in her defense when Li Xiang didn't give her a chance to continue, saying, "Besides, you're so smart, you should focus more on acting to have a better future."

I also hope that in the next ten or twenty years, we can meet at the top, which would be a way of not letting Director Zhang down after all his hard work in nurturing us..."

Zhang Yimou's voice rang out at the right moment, carrying the composure of someone with years of experience on set: "Li Xiang is right, systematic learning is indeed very necessary."

After saying that, he looked at the little yellow duck and said, "In the performing arts, intelligence can last for a while, but not forever."

You're young now, and the audience is willing to pay for your inexperience, but when you get to my age, you'll only be able to rely on solid skills.

So your idea of ​​going to school is great, and I hope to see you all in the film industry again in ten or twenty years.

The flashing swords and clashing blades happened in the blink of an eye. The audience below only then came to their senses...

The dialogue between the male and female protagonists, though seemingly gentle at first glance, reveals a sharp edge upon closer inspection.

However, after Zhang Yimou's interruption, it suddenly turned into a senior giving earnest advice to a junior.

He both smoothed things over and brought the conversation back to the right path of "learning" and "accumulation," leaving no room for criticism.

However, the reporters in the audience were already blushing and seeing stars. Some were even trembling as they held their recording pens.

Some people even came up with headlines: "Little Yellow Duck laments during promotional tour: Unable to fit in with the film crew!"

Director Zhang's roadshow pep talk: "There is no room for superficiality in acting."

Li Xiang's message to younger generations: When meeting at the summit, one must remain calm and focused.

As for the witty remarks hidden between the lines, readers will slowly decipher them, and they will ferment into a new round of heated discussions.

It can be said that the final chapter of this grand performance did not disappoint them in the end.

Of course, it didn't disappoint the majority of netizens.