I became a movie star at the age of three; Dilraba and I are childhood sweethearts.

Having won over Brother Chenglong, Wang Jinhua was in high spirits and immediately began assembling the crew for "New Police Story".

Xiao Chen then immersed himself in campus life at the Beijing Film Academy, and also celebrated his eighteenth birthday.

Life is going on in a strange way.

In the morning, he was a freshman, sitting in the lecture hall, listening to the old professor on the stage analyze performance theory.

In the afternoon, he transformed into a specially appointed associate professor at the Beijing Film Academy, instructing acting students.

This dual identity made him a unique presence at the Beijing Film Academy.

The students looked at him with a mixture of admiration and curiosity.

When the teachers saw him, their expressions became even more complicated.

Calling him Xiao Chen isn't quite appropriate, since he's a professor.

Call him Professor Xiao, but he's only just turned eighteen, and his face is so tender it looks like you could squeeze water out of it, so it's really hard to say.

Finally, everyone reached a subtle consensus.

In private, the younger teachers call him Chenzai, while the older professors affectionately call him Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Chen didn't care at all.

He enjoyed this pure campus atmosphere.

There were no flashbulbs, no screams from fans, only the sound of students reading aloud and the shouts of youth on the playground.

This gave him a rare moment of relaxation from his tense nerves.

Time flies.

As National Day approaches, the festive atmosphere at school is growing stronger.

That afternoon, Xiao Chen had just finished a class when he was stopped at the door by the department head.

The department head was a kind little old man with a receding hairline and a face full of wrinkles when he smiled.

"Xiao Xiao, I need your help with something."

Xiao Chen stopped in his tracks.

"Please speak, Director."

The department head cleared his throat and rubbed his hands together as he spoke.

"That's right, the school is going to hold a celebration for National Day."

"We would like to invite you to come up on stage and say a few words as a representative of our freshmen."

Xiao Chen raised an eyebrow slightly.

Representative of the new students?

The department head noticed his doubts and quickly explained.

"The main purpose is to have you share your views on acting with your classmates."

"Just chat casually, keep it down-to-earth, no need to make it too formal."

"It can also be considered... a most vivid practical lesson for these arrogant little guys."

Xiao Chen understood the department head's unspoken meaning.

Let his living legend inspire those students who dream of instant success even before they graduate.

Xiao Chen readily agreed.

"OK."

"no problem."

……

October 1st, National Day.

The auditorium of Beijing Film Academy was packed.

When the host announced the arrival of the freshman representative, Xiao Chen, the entire auditorium erupted in cheers.

Applause and cheers erupted simultaneously.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Xiao Chen, dressed in a simple denim shirt, walked onto the stage.

He didn't bring any notes; he simply leaned casually against the podium and tapped the microphone lightly with his long, slender fingers.

"Hello?"

A simple sound check, broadcast through the speakers, filled the entire auditorium and quieted the noisy atmosphere.

All eyes were focused on the boy on the stage.

"Hello everyone, I'm Xiao Chen."

"Before I came, the director asked me to share my thoughts on acting."

"Actually, this is a big question, and what I say might not be correct."

"I'm just saying, so feel free to listen."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the young faces below the stage.

"Many people think that being an actor is a glamorous profession."

"Standing in the spotlight, enjoying all the adoration."

"But you may not have seen it before, for a shot in the mud."

"After spending a day in a puddle that was below freezing in winter, my lips would turn purple from the cold and I could barely speak."

"You may not have seen this before, but for a fight scene that lasts only a few dozen seconds, people are suspended in the air by wires and flying around."

"They were suspended for more than ten hours at a time, and when they landed, they couldn't even straighten their backs."

"No one has ever seen anyone go months without eating staple foods for a role, becoming so thin that they look unrecognizable."

"Or eat eight meals a day and get so fat that even your own mother wouldn't recognize you."

His tone was calm, as if he were telling someone else's story, but everyone in the audience listened intently.

Xiao Chen changed the subject, his tone becoming teasing.

"So what is acting? In my opinion, acting is a blatant deception."

"We use our bodies, voices, and emotions to weave a story that doesn't exist."

"To create a fictional character and then make the audience in front of the screen believe that it is all real."

"From this perspective, the actor is a high-level conman."

"We have to fool ourselves first before we can fool the audience."

"And the highest level an actor can reach is probably when this deception is over."

"Everyone knows it's fake, but they still shed tears and laugh with resentment for the conman you created."

The audience was completely silent.

A few seconds later, thunderous applause erupted.

Xiao Chen's words were so unconventional, yet they resonated deeply with every performing arts student.

After the scene quieted down, Xiao Chen continued.

"Of course, no matter how much theory you talk about, it's useless. If you want to be a good actor, it boils down to eight words."

He held up his finger and gestured towards the audience.

"Observe more, learn more, think more, and practice more."

"Talent determines your starting point, but hard work determines your destination."

"That's all I have to say, thank you everyone."

He bowed and then walked off the stage with a flourish.

The applause lasted for a long time.

That afternoon, Xiao Chen's theory of being a fraud went viral on the Beijing Film Academy's campus forum.

Immediately afterwards, someone uploaded the video of his speech online.

"#Xiao Chen's National Day Speech: Actors are High-Level Liars#"

"#Xiao Chen's Quote: We have to fool ourselves first before we can fool the audience#"

"#Talent determines the starting point, effort determines the ending point#"

Each entry quickly rose to the top of the trending searches.

Xiao Chen's words, because they were so relatable, resonated with the entire internet.

Unlike other actors who have received formal training, he doesn't talk about acting theories all the time.

Countless netizens forwarded and commented on it.

A speech that was originally intended for the campus unexpectedly went viral, becoming one of the most popular online events of the year.

While the internet was abuzz with Xiao Chen's theory of being a fraud, another major event quietly unfolded.

A few days later, it was produced by Shiba Culture.

The fantasy drama "Chinese Paladin," starring Xiao Chen and Liu Yifei, premiered on Hunan TV's prime time slot.

On the night of its premiere, the ratings broke 3!

This number shocked the entire television industry.

Back then, a TV series was considered a hit if it achieved a viewership rating of over 1.

If it breaks 2, then it's the best drama of the year.

Breaking 3 is a miracle that many people wouldn't even dare to dream of!

The next day, the data came out: it ranked first in viewership ratings nationwide during the same time slot, with a market share exceeding 20%!

The Legend of Sword and Fairy became a legend overnight!