Chapter 65: Suggestions

"Stop buttering me up, kid..."

Shen Yan immediately shook his head: "No, I really think your timing and force were just right... How do you manage to pull your punches like that?"

Deng Limin explained: "Everything an actor does is for the sake of the performance. Since you know you're acting, you must never actually hurt your scene partner!"

Shen Yan asked curiously: "Then how come I sometimes see actors getting genuinely slapped across the face..."

"That depends on the actor and the situation... Sometimes a real slap looks more authentic, so they go for the real deal!"

"...I see. Thank you, Teacher Deng..."

"Don't mention it," Deng Limin looked at Shen Yan, "If you're genuinely looking to study acting seriously, I suggest you take the exam for a professional arts academy..."

"We'll talk about that later!"

Shen Yan laughed it off. Just then, Chen Xu finished getting their food, so he used that as an excuse to leave.

Shi Shi walked over carrying a lunchbox: "What were you chatting about with Teacher Deng?"

"...Just exchanging some acting notes..."

Shi Shi looked surprised: "Notes?"

"Can't we?"

"It's not that... but your acting is already much better than mine!"

"I'm not that good," Shen Yan hurriedly shook his head, "I still have a long way to go..."

"Then do you think your acting is good enough to star in a movie?"

Shen Yan replied: "When the time comes, I'll specifically hire an acting coach to accompany the crew..."

"Is it expensive?"

"It's fine, it can be billed to the production budget!"

The budget for *Architecture 101* was 14 million yuan. Shen Yan's screenwriter fee was 100,000 yuan, and his actor's salary was converted into a share of the box office revenue—5% of the gross...

Hiring an on-set acting coach would cost at most tens of thousands of yuan. Charged to the production budget, the producers wouldn't raise any objections.

"You're wrapping up next month, and then going off to shoot that show *Snow Leopard*?"

"Yeah... playing a small supporting role."

Shi Shi nodded: "...Just like when I joined the cast of *Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabi*."

"I haven't even asked you yet, how did you end up playing the Yellow-Clothed Maiden?"

Shi Shi explained: "I went for a guest appearance..."

"Zhang Jizhong and Chinese Entertainment don't have a very good relationship, do they?"

"...Not quite sure. Old K arranged for me to go!"

Zhang Jizhong and Chinese Entertainment... didn't have much of a connection. Back when casting *The Return of the Condor Heroes*, Hu Ge also auditioned, only to be rejected outright...

And yet the top actress of Chinese Entertainment made a cameo appearance as the Yellow-Clothed Maiden...

It still felt a bit fishy.

Shi Shi asked, "What is *Snow Leopard*?"

"An anti-Japanese war drama..."

"How come I've never heard of it?"

"A low-budget series... Why? Do you want a role?"

"Me... I'll pass, I want to rest..."

Shen Yan chuckled and dropped a line: "Even if you wanted a role... it would probably be pretty difficult."

"What's that supposed to mean? Is my acting not good enough?"

"It's not that. I heard that for that show... the female leads all have quite formidable backing!"

Tao Feifei (playing Chen Yi) was a Goodwill Ambassador for the Red Cross Society of China;

Zhu Jie's (playing Xiao Ya) husband, Tian Ming, was the director of Dragon Television...

Even Sun Weiwei, who played Fan Xiaoyu, was a host for Mango TV!

Given Shi Shi's current star wattage, she had no reason to play a second female lead...

"...Old K must have other arrangements."

Shen Yan glanced at her lunchbox: "...Still eating?"

"Here, take it!"

Taking Shi Shi's lunchbox, Shen Yan dug in heartily...

***

Beijing, a private dining club...

A dinner hosted by Wang Jinghua, with Ji Xiang accompanying them...

He was purely there to accompany the table, because the invited guest was Huang Zhonglei.

That's right, Huang Zhonglei of Huayi Brothers.

Back in the day, Wang Jinghua led a mass exodus to Orange Sky Entertainment, practically hollowing out Huayi Brothers and driving Huayi's boss, Huang Zhongjun, to lash out at reporters: 'Unless I leave, Huayi will never fall!'

One could imagine he probably wanted nothing more than to see Wang Jinghua six feet under.

Five years later, Huayi went public, becoming the leading private media conglomerate in mainland China...

Even without going public, Orange Sky was simply no match for Huayi.

With no other choice, Huayi had Feng Xiaogang. Feng Xiaogang in those years was simply an unstoppable force. Starting from 1998, Feng's "Feng-style comedy" and "New Year celebration films" practically dominated the Chinese box office, maintaining his hegemony over industry influence and speaking power for a full fourteen years!

Last year, Wang Jinghua left Orange Sky and established her own talent agency.

Wang Jinghua had always wanted to mend fences with Huayi...

After all, she had to look out for the artists under her wing!

Even knowing the chances were slim...

As long as they weren't blacklisted or targeted, that would be enough!

Well, to be fair, there was no outright blacklist, nor any active targeting, but...

Take Xia Yu, for instance. After following Wang Jinghua to start her new venture, his career resources suffered a cliff-like drop.

By 2015, despite being a Best Actor winner across three major festivals—the Venice Film Festival, the Golden Horse Awards, and the Golden Rooster Awards—during the golden age of a male actor, he only managed to appear as a supporting male character, "Big Gold Tooth," in *Mojin: The Lost Legend*, and his billing was even placed behind Angelababy.

Over the past decade or more, Xia Yu had barely starred in a single film or television series capable of holding up its reputation.

After all, everyone understood the cutthroat nature of the entertainment industry!

Ji Xiang saw things very clearly. Once the dinner concluded and Huang Zhonglei was seen off, he said to Sister Hua, "Even if we patch things up, it doesn't mean they'll use the actors signed to us!"

"It's fine," Sister Hua couldn't hold it in any longer and threw up...

She had just downed several bottles of *baijiu*...

Ji Xiang hurriedly patted her on the back and thoughtfully handed her a bottle of mineral water to rinse her mouth...

"You... never mind, I won't say anything more!"

"Is that movie of yours sorted out yet?"

"Pretty much," Ji Xiang nodded, "Location scouting is next month. Barring any accidents, filming starts next February!"

"...Shen Yan is a guy with vision."

"I know!"

"...Should we arrange for him to star in a Hong Kong film?"

"Forget it, he couldn't pull off a leading role in a Hong Kong production..." Pausing for a moment, Ji Xiang added, "He didn't even want to take *Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame*!"

Wang Jinghua looked astonished: "He turned down Tsui Hark's movie?"

"He'd only be on screen for three seconds..."

Wang Jinghua frowned: "...That's aiming a bit too high for his own good!"

Ji Xiang explained: "We analyzed it. Even if he took the role, it wouldn't do much to boost his acting career, so we simply turned it down!"

"...That's Tsui Hark we're talking about, a master director!"

Ji Xiang didn't answer...

Wang Jinghua continued, "How are your discussions with Jiangsu Television going?"

"Almost done... I want to try getting him the role of Mao Jie in *Jade Goddess of Mercy*."

"Hairun has their own people... Are you confident?"

*It Takes a Loving Husband*, *Jade Goddess of Mercy*, *Never Close Your Eyes*...

Jiangsu Satellite TV's self-produced "Trilogy of Life and Death Love" were actually all produced by Hairun.

Ji Xiang said, "...We have a backup plan. Huace offered 300,000 yuan to buy the rights to *Lotus Tower*, which he wrote, and they've already started adapting it..."

"...He really is better suited for period costume dramas!"

"I know he's suited for them, but great scripts are just too scarce..."

Wang Jinghua thought for a moment and dropped a piece of news: "I heard Wong Jing and CCTV are preparing to make *Twin of Brothers*... Do you want him to try out for it?"

"*Twin of Brothers*?"

"Yes... Tie Fo told me."

Ji Xiang nodded: "I'll go check it out and gather some intelligence..."

"Let's go... Don't stress yourself out too much. An artist's growth doesn't happen overnight; it's a process."

"I understand... I'll walk you to your car."

After seeing Wang Jinghua off, Ji Xiang dialed Shen Yan's number...

At that moment, Brother Yan was busy pounding away at his keyboard, churning out chapters!