HuaYu: The most muscular director in history!

Three days later, time flew by.

During those three days, Liu Xiaoli moved house without telling Xiang Nan.

The casting for the Legend of Sword and Fairy was completed in just one day.

With an extra day, Xiang Nan decided to hold an unprecedented press conference.

That morning, in the grove of trees opposite the Xingnanfei headquarters building.

Two figures timidly peeked out from time to time to look at the square opposite, where many reporters were standing at the entrance.

"How much longer?"

A rough voice rang out, and Fan Leige looked down at the person beside him.

Lin Shutong lifted his down jacket and looked at his slender wrists.

"The press conference will officially begin in fifteen minutes."

"Ugh, why is this so damn long-winded?!"

Lin Shutong looked up at his burly high school classmate, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes: "You're not really going to go to Shizhen Xiangnan, are you?"

"Otherwise what?" Fan Leige clenched his fist and showed off his biceps: "All that working out hasn't been for nothing. This girl from the south deserves a beating from me. She's not releasing an album, yet she's acting!"

Lin Shutong's thin frame shivered. As his best friend, he kindly reminded him, "Xiang Nan's stats are far higher than yours. You're only 1.7 meters tall. Are you sure you can beat him?"

Fan Leige shook his head: "That's why I can't get along with you fans of the fairy! All you know is 'Fairy Sister' this and 'Fairy Sister' that, do you have any common sense? According to proportions, I'm 178cm tall and weigh 178kg, while Xiang Nan's Baidu score is 192, but he only weighs 180kg. He's just a skinny stick!"

"You're 170cm!"

Don't worry about the details.

Fan Leige's face showed longing, seemingly quite confident in his own numbers.

"They're here!"

Fan Leige's eyes narrowed, and he looked up at the opposite side.

Because the opening was done at specific times, many reporters arrived right on time; not many people waited in advance.

This caused a brief traffic jam in front of the headquarters building.

"Let's go!" Fan Leige seized the opportunity and pulled Lin Shutong outside.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't get excited. I just wanted an autograph, I don't want to be your accomplice!"

Lin Shutong was pulled across the road by him and came to the back of the crowd. Then, as the two of them squeezed into the crowd, they took out the "press passes" they had bought on Wangfujing Road.

At 8:55, the gates opened, and two staff members began checking identification.

But there were just too many reporters!

This is a major move by Xiang Nan after a year of silence. He immediately transformed himself, and it's not just a simple transformation into an actor, but into the CEO of a film and television company!

"Hello, we are reporters."

"Hello, I'm a reporter."

Two voices, one rough and one shrill, rang out. The staff member glanced at the identification with impatience and waved for the two to enter.

After everyone had left, staff member A complained, "Those two are really weird. They're reporters, so what's with all the swagger?"

Staff member B shook his head: "Didn't you see that fat guy? He's so fat, they're probably afraid we'll suspect he's not a reporter, so they won't let him in."

"Hey! That's actually possible. He's so fat, I thought he was a fishmonger from Jinghai City!"

On the other side, Fan Leige couldn't hear their conversation. He and Lin Shutong looked around the lobby like country bumpkins visiting the Grand View Garden.

"So incredibly luxurious? The walls are covered in khaki patterned wallpaper?"

Fan Leige also stared wide-eyed at the motion-sensor light above his head.

"This thing only lights up when someone walks by!"

The two toured the area and then followed the reporter onto the elevator to the eighth floor.

"Is it being released by Xing Nanfei?"

The Schnauzer logo is the same, but the text below it is different.

"Hello, reporter, please come this way."

The two followed the staff around and around until they finally arrived at the door of a conference room with double doors.

"Shall we go?"

"Come on!" Fan Leige pushed him inside.

"Creak—"

The door opened, and the scene inside suddenly came into view.

There was an aisle in the middle, covered with a red carpet, with 10x15 seats on both sides, a row of tables and chairs on the stage, and a red curtain behind the stage.

The two looked around for a while before finally sitting down in the second row on the right.

Fortunately, it wasn't a real-name system, otherwise the two of them would have been exposed.

Another ten minutes passed, until no one else entered the conference room, at which point the door was finally closed.

"Hey? Why do you think Xiang Nan chose this place for the press conference?"

"Promoting the new company?"

"Bullshit! Can publicity really be controlled this strictly?"

Fan Leige and Lin Shutong in the second row exchanged a glance, tacitly remaining silent, and continued listening to the reporters in front of them sharing gossip.

"I heard that Xiang Nan came up with the idea for the press conference on the spur of the moment. After it's done, the crew will head to Hengdian to start filming tomorrow."

"Pfft... This is too hasty. It's true that changing careers doesn't necessarily mean becoming the next Zhang Yimou; it could also be Li Yapeng."

"But Xiang Nan was originally from the Performance Department of Beijing Film Academy!" Fan Leige's voice rang out.

Despite disliking Xiang Nan for not doing his job properly, she couldn't help but stand up for her idol at the crucial moment.

The two Sina reporters in front of them turned around, about to start an argument, when the stage lights suddenly came on.

A host stood by the stage, microphone in hand, and said dismissively, "Dear reporters, we've kept you waiting. Our press conference will begin shortly, please be quiet."

That was the end of it.

The reporters below were completely bewildered. Where was Xiang Nan? Where was Liu Yifei? That's it?

The thought had barely formed in his mind when the host, seemingly receiving some instruction, nodded and turned around: "Now, let's quietly welcome the actors from 'Chinese Paladin 1'."

Quiet?

Before the reporter could ask any questions, Xiang Nan began his signature move: "starting from 0 frames".

Suddenly, the stage curtain was lifted, revealing a group of people sitting behind it.

Fan Leige's mouth dropped open.

When did this happen?

Some of the people in the group were carrying flutes, others drums, erhu, pipa, cello, and some other instruments they didn't recognize. (From *Chinese Paladin*)

"Thump-thump—thump-thump—thump-thump—"

The big drum accompanied by the small drum immediately gives you a thrill!

As soon as the drumbeats subsided, the cello's soaring notes began to resonate.

"clank!"

As the sound of the drums evoked an epic feeling, the sounds of the pipa and guzheng suddenly arose, adding a touch of classical Chinese flavor to the music.

The music had barely faded when the drumbeats stopped, and the sound of the flute followed immediately.

Instantly, all the reporters in the room felt a chill run down their spines.

Fan Leige turned his head in disbelief and found that Lin Shutong was also staring wide-eyed with his mouth agape.

"What did you hear?"

Lin Shutong stared wide-eyed, turned his head, and uttered two words in a daze: "Fantasy/Culture!"

"Holy crap! We're the same!"

"Shh-"

Two Sina reporters turned around and booed them, which was considered revenge.

"Welcome the male lead—Li Xiaoyao!"

Accompanied by the background music of "Chinese Paladin", Xiang Nan walked out from backstage with three swords slung across his back.

He was dressed in a white long gown and a dark blue short jacket, with black cloth boots on his feet, and his hair was styled in the same bun as in his previous life.

He stood in front of the table and chairs, picked up the microphone, and said, "Hello everyone, I am Xiang Nan, playing the role of Li Xiaoyao."

"Click click click—"

A group of photographers were busy taking pictures, while the reporters waited quietly for the interview time. Only Lin Shutong kept nudging Fan Leige with his elbow.

"Go ahead, go ahead, confront him, beat him to death!"

Fan Leige made a gurgling sound and ignored him.

The human eye is deceptive. When looking at something from afar or up close, the brain automatically identifies what size is acceptable, making you blindly trust your own predictions.

Just like how everyone sees Schwarzenegger as very strong and tall, but when he stands in front of Yao Ming for a photo, everyone is surprised: Who is this little chick?

Fan Leige felt that way right now; Xiang Nan standing there was like a small mountain.

Xiang Nan's current measurements are: 194cm, 188 jin (approximately 94 catties), shoulder width 54cm, and chest circumference 118cm.

As an actor, he is actually a bit heavy. Thor actor Hemsworth only weighs 190 pounds after gaining muscle, while Xiang Nan's weight will increase by 5-7 kg once he gains muscle.

The music continued at the press conference.

"Welcome, heroine—Zhao Ling'er!"

Accompanied by music, Yifei walked out smiling, dressed in a pale yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress).

She wore her hair in two buns, and her dress fluttered gracefully as she walked. The blue ribbons binding her hair looked like little tails, swaying as she moved.

She had just stood next to Xiang Nan when she heard Big Wooden Head's annoying voice.

"Put your teeth together."

"!"

Yifei's smile vanished, her big eyes blinked several times, then she pouted and tilted her head to look up.

Xiang Nan looked down at her, then suddenly raised his head and scratched her humped nose.

"Damn Xiang Nan! You deserve to die!"

This time it was Fan Leige's turn to be smug. He crossed his arms and clicked his tongue in amazement, "No wonder they cast Nan Mei as Li Xiaoyao! Look at this, look at this, they're so chemistry!"

Lin Shutong gritted his teeth in hatred: "Lei Zi! Are you looking for death?! Does Xiang Nan even deserve my immortality?"

Fan Leige clicked his tongue and continued to provoke him: "Let's not talk about anything uncertain. Just look at the fact that Xiang Nan is his classmate, brought her onto the MV, they were both exchange students, and after returning to the industry, they became the male and female leads in 'Chinese Paladin 1.' Don't you understand?"

"What do I need to know!"

The Sina reporter in front turned around again: "Can't you be quiet? Is this the kind of manners journalists have?"

"Welcome—Lin Yue-ru!"

A Sina reporter turned around and then exclaimed, "Holy crap! Han Xue!"

That's right, the woman in red on stage is Han Xue.

Xiang Nan couldn't possibly bring back the original cast entirely. He didn't want some of the people from Taiwan, or those signed with Tangren or Huayi.

For example: Peng Yuyan, Sun Li, Jiang Xin, Deng Jiajia, An Yixuan, Liu Pinyan.

Alternative candidates: Zhu Yawen, Zeng Li, Zhou Yang, Liu Jing, Han Xue, Shu Chang.

In addition to some original cast members from the Legend of Sword and Fairy series and director Lin Yufen, a total of fifteen people stood on the stage.

Welcome everyone!

The music finally stopped, and after the group introduced themselves, they turned around and sat down behind the table.

Xiang Nan sat in the middle, with Director Lin and Yi Fei on his left and right respectively.

Seeing that it was about time, he grabbed the microphone and looked at the host: "Let's begin the interview segment, you'll host it."

The host nodded and began calling out names.

Soon, the first reporter stood up, and his first question was incredibly pointed: "Xiang Nan, do you think you're suitable for the role of Li Xiaoyao? What gave you the courage to play a character so different from your own personality?"

Xiang Nan clicked his tongue and scratched his cheek. "Hmm... there's no need to ask such a boring question. Nobody has ever played Li Xiaoyao before, so who knows if he's suitable? As for who gave me the courage? Maybe Liang Jingru? After all, even she knows: I own the copyright, and I can cast whoever I want."

"Hahaha……"

A burst of laughter erupted from the audience.

The reporter sat down speechlessly.

The second reporter's gaze remained focused on Xiang Nan: "Xiang Nan, how did you manage to gather so many people in such a short time? After all, you only started casting the day before yesterday, and the costume photos are already taken today."

Xiang Nan looked at Lin Yufen, who quickly explained on his behalf.

Her explanation was nothing more than polite words and platitudes.

In reality, Xiang Nan relied on his financial power, plus a little bit of personal connections.

Aside from Xiang Nan, the highest-paid actress was Yi Fei. Originally, she was paid 5 yuan per episode, but Xiang Nan gave her a "friendship price" of 12 yuan per episode.

This is using real money to elevate the status of one's own woman!

Xiang Nan's budget was more than three times the total salary of Tangren Media in the previous life, which is why Xing Nanfei's casting was so fast, because no one would go against money.

"Next question."

A young man, looking rather inexperienced, stood up, picked up the microphone, and stammered, "Excuse me, what are Yifei and Xiang Nan to you? Are you dating?"

"Whoosh—"

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

All eyes were on Lin Shutong.

In fact, these reporters had all been instructed by Xiang Nan beforehand not to ask about their personal relationships.

It's still not done...

Surprisingly, Yifei actually answered.

In the shot, Yifei tilts her head to look at Xiang Nan, who is also looking at her.

Her light blue hair ribbon dangled onto the table. The two stared at each other for several seconds before she pulled the microphone in front of her:

"We're best friends, the kind who're inseparable!"