Huayu: The Big Players Behind the Scenes

Coming to Shanghai was just a side trip.

Zhuang Huai'an's destination was Hengdian. The two film crews had been filming for over a month, and as the executive producer, he hadn't visited them yet, which was somewhat inappropriate.

Well, this is for work purposes, it's definitely not because he misses someone...

Outside the cast and crew of "Chinese Paladin"

Zhuang Huai'an and the others were waiting for Zhong Lifang to come and pick them up.

After the previous kidnapping incident, not only did Zhuang Huai'an have the protection of powerful brothers, but even the film crews under the company's name were specially protected by a security company, and no one was allowed to leave without a work permit.

Zhuang Huai'an also agreed with this, saying that this would not only ensure safety but also keep paparazzi away.

"Boss, sorry to keep you waiting." Zhong Lifang hurriedly came out, sweat still dripping from her forehead.

"It's alright, go inside."

Zhong Lifang had to manage two film crews all by herself. How could Zhuang Huai'an possibly blame such a top-notch talent?

After hanging up their executive producer badges, the group walked inside. When the crew saw their boss arrive, they all came up to greet him. Zhuang Huai'an even chatted with the earliest batch of veteran alumni for a few more minutes.

For the company, these people are the most valuable asset.

Upon arriving at the actors' rest area, Zhong Lifang introduced:

"Boss, this is teacher Xu Jinjiang, this is teacher Xie Junhao, and this is teacher Zheng Peipei."

Invincible Wind and Fire Wheels, Thirteen Heroes of the South Sea, Madam Hua.

"I've heard so much about you, teachers."

Zhuang Huai'an smiled and shook hands with the three of them. "Teacher Xu's Ao Bai, Teacher Xie's Thirteen Heroes of the South China Sea, and Sister Pei Pei's Golden Swallow are all classic movies that I have seen."

"Oh?" Zheng Peipei's eyes lit up, somewhat surprised. "Director Zhuang actually knows Golden Swallow?"

Zhuang Huai'an laughed and said, "As a director, how could I not have seen the pioneering work of the new school of martial arts films?"

Anyone who wants to understand Chinese cinema will inevitably encounter one figure: director Hu Jinquan.

There's a saying among the fifth-generation directors in mainland China: "For the enlightenment of cinematic aesthetics, Taiwan learned from Hou Hsiao-hsien, and Hong Kong learned from King Hu."

The legendary nature of this director's life goes without saying. Just to mention, he fell in love with martial arts novels when he was a child because he was influenced by Huanzhu Louzhu.

Yes, Huanzhu Louzhu, the author of "The Legend of the Swordsmen of Shushan".

Social interaction is all about mutual support and flattery.

You praise the role I played as classic, and I praise the movie you directed as awesome. Before long, we're both happy.

"Hey, senior, what brings you here?"

Liu Yifei, who had just finished filming, was overjoyed to see Zhuang Huai'an and skipped over to him.

A hint of a smile flashed in Zhuang Huai'an's eyes as he teased, "I came here specifically to see if you've been slacking off."

"I'm very dedicated," the young girl said, wrinkling her nose charmingly. "The director praises my acting every day."

"Really? You didn't bribe him behind his back, did you?"

"Those teachers are here too. You can ask them if you don't believe me."

Zhuang Huai'an looked at the teachers cooperatively, and they smiled and nodded.

"Okay, with several teachers as witnesses, you pass."

The three teachers exchanged a knowing smile, said hello, and then tactfully left. Those who worked on the "Chinese Paladin" set had all heard some of the gossip.

Seeing it today, it's clear that the film crew built this set specifically for this little girl!

Not far away, watching her little bok choy radiate such joy, Aunt Liu felt even more bitter. She made up her mind...

I absolutely have to have a serious talk with Zhuang Huai'an tonight!

"Senior, are you hot? Do you want some ice water in the car?"

"No rush, go check your homework on the monitor first," Zhuang Huai'an waved his hand and laughed, "I'm afraid if I drink your water, I won't be able to scold you later."

"Hmph! You won't have that chance!"

Liu Yifei rolled her eyes at him. What a jerk!

The two walked to the director's office, where Wang Zhiyong, who had already received the news, winked at Zhuang Huai'an.

"Is your face twitching?" Zhuang Huai'an mocked his own Wolong.

"Ahem, no," Wang Zhiyong coughed strategically, "I'm doing facial exercises."

Zhuang Huai'an ignored him, tossed him a cigarette, and sat down in front of the monitor. "Which clip were you filming just now?"

"The inn part," Liu Yifei said, bringing over a small stool.

Smelling the delicate fragrance emanating from beside him, Zhuang Huai'an suppressed the unease in his heart and calmly operated the monitor to replay the footage.

Hu Ge, Yuan Hongshu, and others who rushed over upon hearing the news stood aside, looking just like students waiting for their teacher to read out their grades.

After going through it roughly, Zhuang Huai'an nodded.

Unlike the original series' stingy costumes and props, Chung Li-fang put a lot of effort into the production of "Chinese Paladin". The senior students from the Beijing Film Academy also performed very well. The current raw footage already shows a very good effect. After the special effects are added, it will already meet Zhuang Huai-an's expectations.

"This scene was good."

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Wang Zhiyong was in the same boat. Although he was confident in himself, there were only two films in China, Tsui Hark's "Shushan", as references for this concept of fantasy dramas. Moreover, those two films were made in a gloomy and eerie way, which was completely different from the sunny and bright one that Zhuang Huai'an described.

"Hehe, I knew it." Liu Yifei's heart was relieved. She wasn't afraid of being scolded, but she was worried about not getting Zhuang Huai'an's approval.

Zhuang Huai'an looked at her with some amusement. This girl's acting skills were only so-so. Zhao Ling'er's good performance was entirely due to the combination of the role and her own age.

Young roles should be played by young actors; otherwise, even a top actress like Qing Nai would mess up if she played a little girl.

"Don't feel pressured," Zhuang Huai'an encouraged his Wolong. "If you don't do it well the first time, do it a few more times. Reviewing what you've learned will help you learn something new, which will benefit you and the actors as well."

"Understood." Wang Zhiyong nodded.

"You too," Zhuang Huai'an didn't forget Hu Ge and the others beside him, "You're still newcomers. There are so many excellent actors in the group, so learn from them when you have free time."

"We will." The others nodded in agreement.

These are all artists who made their way in the world in later generations. In fact, Zhuang Huai'an has confidence in them, but since they're already here, he'd better offer some opinions, or they might harbor even more resentment.

"Alright, it's about time."

Zhuang Huai'an raised his hand to look at his watch and instructed, "Lifang, go and book a restaurant. Hu Ge, go and invite Teacher Zheng Peipei and the others. Yuan Hong, go next door and call the 'Liancheng Jue' crew. Let's have a meal together."

"Okay, boss." The group split up and got to work.

Upon receiving the news, Sun Hao, the director of "Liancheng Jue," gathered the actors present and headed directly to the restaurant.

Unlike the "Chinese Paladin" crew, which underwent a major cast change, the "A Deadly Secret" crew largely retained its original actors, including Wu Yue, Ji Chunhua, and Liu Laoshi, who are all present today.

Originally, Du Hua wanted to sign Wu Yue to fill the company's gap in martial arts actors, but this guy had already left the industry and is currently an actor at the National Theatre of China, and has no intention of signing with an agency.

Du Hua had no choice but to give up.

Everyone enjoyed the meal together; for them, it wasn't just about the food, but about the social interactions and relationships they shared.

Teacher Liu was not difficult to deal with at all, as rumored. On the contrary, he was quite humble, and this wasn't just directed at Zhuang Huai'an.

According to Sun Hao, Teacher Liu was almost the most dedicated actor in the entire crew. He performed almost all the wire-work-related action scenes himself, and he didn't act like a big star at all when dealing with the crew members.

This news further solidified Zhuang Huai'an's resolve.

Rely on your own intuition when interacting with people, instead of listening to rumors from others.

Otherwise, something like what happened to Han Hong could easily happen.

Knowing the face but not the heart.

(Family members, please feel free to click the "request for more updates" button and leave a comment. Thank you so much!)