Chapter 367 Rapid Progress, the Younger Generation is Truly Formidable

After much thought, it seems that Li Zhibai was probably annoyed by the "Divine Picture".

Of course, it's also possible that the roles Li Zhibai had taken on before, and his constant arguments with Zhou Ping'an, had accumulated a lot of dissatisfaction in his heart.

Lu Yanhe thought this was a good thing.

With Li Zhibai's current abilities, he could be more deeply involved in a film and television project, rather than just being an actor.

As long as Li Zhi doesn't act recklessly, his attitude can help a project develop in a better direction.

Li Zhi asked Lu Yanhe, "What are you doing in all these projects you're in charge of now?"

“Me? Each project is a little different,” Lu Yanhe said. “For ‘Lost in Thailand,’ I basically had Jia Long handle everything. I just wrote the script and then, by chance, found one of the lead actors. Oh, and of course, I invited many of the guest actors. I wasn’t really involved in that part. But for ‘My Own Swordsman,’ I was more involved. From the cooperation model with Aurora Studio, the profit sharing ratio, the rating, finding a production company, to what level of drama we expected to make, which lead actors to find, and so on, I was involved in almost every aspect to some extent.”

Li Zhibai: "Did you learn all of this so quickly on your own?"

Lu Yanhe shook his head, "No, I learned as I went. I was lucky to have Sister Ziyan guiding me. She's very familiar with many things."

Li Zhibai nodded thoughtfully.

"You really can only learn this by doing," Lu Yanhe said.

-

When Yan Liang heard that Li Zhibai had such an idea, he was also tempted.

"Would it be better if I accumulated more experience like this?" he asked.

Lu Yanhe said, "I think that not every actor has to become a professional producer, but being able to learn more about the behind-the-scenes production processes and procedures can help us judge the quality of a project."

Yan Liang: "What do you mean by that?"

"What makes a good project? A good project is the result. Before achieving that result, every link, every department, and every job influences it," said Lu Yanhe. "It was only after I started working on my own projects that I discovered so many intricacies involved. For example, the platform's rating of you. Before I understood it, I only thought it was a matter of production cost. After understanding it, I realized that the rating also means what level of resources and promotion the platform will allocate to the project, and what the priority is. For some projects, the platform will put in people who are not the most suitable in order to cultivate its own production team or sign actors. But for other projects, the platform will allocate the most suitable and best people from all aspects. Many times, the platform is not unaware that many of their practices are not the optimal solution for the project, but in the overall operation and development of the platform, they are the optimal solution."

Lu Yanhe said a lot, and finally summarized: "So now when I look at a project, in addition to reading the script, I also need to look at the producer's background, what his style is in the past, whether it matches the project, what kind of films the director has made, what he is good at and what he is not good at, how the script needs to be filmed to present a good effect, and whether the production team can achieve such an effect."

Yan Liang suddenly realized what was happening.

"You're really professional now."

Li Zhibai said, "However, this also depends on Lu Yanhe having the autonomy to choose roles. Even if the two of us can see the roles, it's useless. We can't refuse the roles Zhou Pingan wants to take, and we can't refuse the roles we want to act in."

Yan Liang nodded.

Lu Yanhe: "You two aren't small-time artists anymore. You don't have a say anymore. If there's a role you really want to play, you'll definitely find a way to get Zhou Ping'an to agree to it. Are you just going to let them manipulate you like this?"

Yan Liang snapped out of his daze and smiled. "I'm more obedient than Li Zhibai, who is perfectly capable of ignoring me."

In comparison, Yan Liang, who only rose to fame at the beginning of this year with "Friends," does indeed lack some confidence.

"Besides 'The Divine Map,' do you have any other films or TV series to shoot after this?" Lu Yanhe asked.

Yan Liang said, "There are no plans for now. We've received a notification that we'll be filming the second season of Friends in the second half of the year."

“That’s good,” Lu Yanhe said. “Luckily you’re still with Friends, otherwise this hugely popular show would have had nothing to do with me.”

Are you really not considering a comeback?

"I will not return to Taiwan under any circumstances until there is a formal resolution between Beijing and Taiwan. A person lives for their pride. I have already taken a step back. Do I have to take a second step back?" Lu Yanhe shook his head.

Yan Liang knew best what had happened between Lu Yanhe and Jingtai back then.

“I heard that Director Li has not been punished in any way.”

“That’s perfectly normal. How could a deputy director be punished because of me?” Lu Yanhe shook his head. “But Sister Ziyan is right. A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years. Take it slow, there will always be an opportunity.”

“I thought you had already let go of the past when you publicly expressed your close cooperative relationship with Director Chiang.”

"It's impossible to be at peace with him. I just don't want the enemy's strength to keep growing. I want to undermine his power from within." Lu Yanhe smiled. "Now that we have 'The Seventeenth Floor,' Jiang Lan will never side with him again."

“That’s true.” Yan Liang nodded.

-

The news that the film "The Silent River" is about to start filming has gradually spread online.

After all, it's another show with a dazzling cast.

Previously, only a small number of people knew about this drama, but because of the huge attention Lu Yanhe received in "The Seventeenth Floor," many people are curious about his plans for his next drama.

Therefore, when they saw the news about the play "The Silent River," they were quite interested and clicked on it to learn more.

-

"Lu Yanhe has actually taken on another role with Chen Lingling."

"Don't he have many projects under his belt? Why is he still taking on outside roles? I thought he couldn't finish filming his own projects in the next two years."

“I can film my own projects anytime, but I can’t wait for Chen Lingling’s projects.”

"As long as Lu Yanhe is willing to act, which script wouldn't wait for him? He has now acted in four TV series, two as the lead actor and two as a supporting actor. His achievements are remarkable, and every single one of them has been a hit. These achievements are truly solid."

"But even with such achievements, wouldn't Zeng Qiao still have to play the second lead in 'The Silent River'? Fans shouldn't praise him too much."

"When has Lu Yanhe ever been picky about billing order in filming? I've never heard of him having any unpleasantness with anyone because of fighting over billing order."

"That's right. When he made a cameo appearance in 'Three Mountains,' he agreed immediately and didn't mind playing supporting roles for a few newcomers at all."

"It's very unethical to mock Lu Yanhe based on his billing order. He's just a young actor who's only been acting for a few years. Does he have to outshine actors like Chen Bige and Zeng Qiao, who have been in the industry for many years, to be considered good?"

"Actors don't speak based on billing order, they speak based on their performances and roles."

...

"This is truly an undeserved disaster. Who would have thought that such a small matter, not even a dispute over billing order, could spark such a heated discussion?" Chen Ziyan said helplessly to the person on the phone. "Does it matter whether Xiao Lu is the lead or not? This isn't some trashy drama. In Chen Lingling's productions, the lead or second lead doesn't matter as much as the director's billing, does it?"

The person on the phone laughed and said, "May I quote that line from my article?"

Chen Ziyan was on the phone with a well-known reporter.

People called specifically to ask about her opinion on this matter.

"The issue of billing order has been debated for years, and everyone has been calling for actors not to be overly concerned about it. However, the debate has never stopped," the reporter said. "I want to use Lu Yanhe's attitude as a starting point to write an article and discuss this phenomenon in detail. An actor like Lu Yanhe, who openly doesn't care about billing order—and not just says it, but genuinely doesn't pursue it—is a good example that shows everyone how meaningless it is to fight over billing order."

Chen Ziyan nodded, "However, the order of billing isn't meaningless. We just don't want to treat it as something extraordinary to compete for. Don't portray Xiao Lu as some kind of hero. I don't want him to be attacked as a target at such a young age. There are quite a few people in this industry who care about the order of billing and are competing for it. Otherwise, it will seem like Xiao Lu disdains this kind of behavior."

The reporter couldn't stop laughing. "I know, I know. Don't you understand my professional competence?"

“I know your professional competence, but I still need to make things clear.”

After hanging up the phone, Chen Ziyan carefully reviewed her conversation with the reporter and only felt relieved after confirming that there was nothing inappropriate about it.

Although they are friends, no one can make too many promises when it comes to work matters.

Chen Ziyan was also thinking about the issue of billing order in "The Silent River". Since it has caused such a big fuss now, Lu Yanhe will definitely be asked about it in his future public appearances.

How should Lu Yanhe respond?

Chen Ziyan had no choice but to worry.

Lu Yanhe is now a target of criticism, and every word she says is scrutinized. She can't afford to be careless.

-

Lu Yanhe and Zeng Qiao met at the script reading session, smiled at each other, and neither of them mentioned the argument about billing order.

The script reading for "The Silent River" was attended by more than a dozen actors with important roles.

Everyone exchanged pleasantries and greetings.

Most of the actors in this drama are people that Lu Yanhe has never worked with before.

After everyone introduced themselves, Lu Yanhe realized that most of them were actors who had been acting for many years, but he didn't recognize them because he wasn't very familiar with the entertainment industry. In fact, they knew each other.

However, it can be quite troublesome to have such a group of actors together.

The problem is that everyone has many ideas about their own performance and understanding of the characters. They are often interrupted by someone offering their own opinion while they are reciting their lines.

Regardless of the role or screen time a person plays, they are very confident when talking about professional matters, stating their points clearly and convincingly.

Lu Yanhe was quite surprised at first, because even when he was filming "Phoenix Terrace," he rarely encountered this situation. Of course, at that time he wasn't playing the lead role either; every time he attended a script reading, it was for his own scenes, and he didn't interact much with Zeng Qiao and the other main characters.

Chen Lingling mostly listened silently, only stepping forward at the end to make the final decision and offer her opinion.

After Chen Lingling made her decision, those who had been offering their opinions stopped saying anything, showing great respect for her.

The script reading lasted for three days.

After that, we prepared to officially start filming.

-

"Why do you still disagree?" Xin Zixing looked at Liu Qiao angrily.

In two years, Liu Qiao, Xin Zixing's supervisor, has been promoted from content editor to content producer. Xin Zixing, who was originally expected to become content editor, declined the position because of her relationship with "City Travelogue" and "Jump Up". She only asked for a salary and benefits at that level.

As the content supervisor, Liu Qiao has actually gained a lot more authority and influence.

Under these circumstances, Xin Zixing originally thought that her proposal to increase the production budget for "City Travelogue" would have a high chance of success.

“Xiaoxing, I know you want to improve ‘City Travelogue’, but even if it’s made to perfection, there’s a limit to its potential. If you increase your investment, what about the expected returns?” Liu Qiao said. “I’ve watched you get to where you are today. I’m telling you this in private, nobody thought that ‘City Travelogue’ could increase its audience further. The influence it has achieved has already exceeded many of our expectations.”

Xin Zixing looked at Liu Qiao with disappointment.

“I built this show, ‘City Travelogue,’ from scratch. The production budget for the first episode was only 30,000 yuan,” Xin Zixing said. “How far it can go is not up to me or you. Before this show came out, no one expected it to achieve its current success. Why won’t you even give me a chance to try?”

Liu Qiao looked at Xin Zixing helplessly.

“Xiaoxing, we all know that you are a very capable and thoughtful person. However, sometimes we need to find the right direction if we want to give full play to our talents and abilities. 'City Travelogue' has reached its limit. No matter how hard you try or how innovative you are, it is impossible for it to achieve much more growth. We have done a lot of market research on this program.”

Xin Zixing looked at Liu Qiao, silently watching him.

“Brother Qiao, I thought that no matter what others did, at least I could gain your trust. I never expected that I couldn’t even gain your trust.”

Liu Qiao was taken aback, his expression showing surprise and confusion.

He didn't expect Xin Zixing to say that.

-

"There must be mutual trust among the actors." Chen Lingling emphasized this point again on the first day of filming. "Our drama has veteran actors, new actors, famous actors, and unknown actors. No matter what kind of actor you are, you are all actors in 'The Silent River' now. It is fate that we are filming this drama together. Moreover, a good work will bind all of you together forever. Therefore, I hope that in the days to come, we will all trust each other, help each other, and work together to complete this work well."

Chen Lingling's speech drew continuous applause from the audience.

Lu Yanhe couldn't help but think that Chen Lingling's remarks were indeed good, especially on the day filming began.

The director set the tone, so as actors, we naturally have to follow the director's lead.

With so many veteran actors in the crew, regardless of their personal style, they would all be a little more considerate of the younger actors in the crew because of Chen Lingling's words.

-

Similarly, Lu Yanhe did not expect that on his first day of filming, the first person to visit the set would not be Chen Ziyan, Chen Siqi, Li Zhibai, or Yan Liang, but Xin Zixing.

When Xin Zixing appeared on set, Lu Yanhe assumed that Wang Zhong had come to see him about something related to the short film.

However, Xin Zixing did not come to him about this matter.

Xin Zixing waited for Lu Yanhe until he finished work.

After Lu Yanhe finished work, Xin Zixing said, "Let's go get a drink."

Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised and nodded.

Xin Zixing told Lu Yanhe that the higher-ups at Yemai.com refused to increase the production budget for "City Travelogue".

"I'm so frustrated," she said.

Lu Yanhe then realized why Xin Zixing had come to find him at this time.

“They don’t think it’s a good idea, and there’s nothing we can do about it,” Lu Yanhe said. “Do you have any thoughts?”

Xin Zixing said, "Sigh, what can I think now? I'm not in a high position, so there's no point in me complaining. They won't pay attention or care."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "It's because you rejected the position of content editor before. You wanted to put all your energy into creating content, but if you don't have enough influence to protect your content, then even if you put in 100% effort, it may all be wasted because of someone else's words."

Xin Zixing sighed deeply.

"That's a fatal blow to their spirit."

Lu Yanhe said, "You want to do a short film project, which is a good idea. But to be honest, Sister Zixing, I think with Yemai.com's current traffic, your company can't handle it all. If you insist on making exclusive content, the short film project is very likely to fall into the same situation as 'City Travelogue.' In the future, when you want to do it better, Yemai.com will also feel that it's not worth increasing the production budget further and will still position this short film as a way to drive traffic to the website rather than a work that can go beyond Yemai.com."

Xin Zixing instantly understood the meaning behind Lu Yanhe's words.

The experience of writing "City Travelogue" made her think deeply.

Lu Yanhe's words were actually quite straightforward.

Xin Zixing asked, "Do you think I can collaborate with other video websites?"

“Hmm.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “In this way, the power you can use will not be limited to the Leaf Vein Network.”

Lu Yanhe's words gave Xin Zixing a lot of ideas.

Xin Zixing took a deep breath. "I understand."

After she finished speaking, she realized what she had said and looked at him in disbelief.

"You're quite impressive to be able to think of so many things now," Xin Zixing said with a hint of teasing and sarcasm, her words tinged with genuine admiration.

The young man who was once completely unfamiliar with these things can now see her predicament at a glance and offer effective advice.

Xin Zixing couldn't help but be surprised.

Only two years have passed.

Lu Yanhe's progress is too fast.

(End of this chapter)