Chapter 711 We Can't Let Heaven Have Its Way (6400 words)

Lu Yanhe used to be someone who would subconsciously feel a little nervous, even worried that he would mess up his performance, until the actual filming began.

It wasn't that he lacked confidence, but rather a fear of the unfamiliar.

Because when it comes to acting, you really don't know how you'll act until the very moment you're actually performing it.

Lu Yanhe is that kind of actor.

Many actors do a lot of preparation and planning before a performance. When they arrive on set, they know exactly how they are going to act. The more skilled the actor, the more accurately they can bring their ideas to life.

For a long time, Lu Yanhe also tried his best to do this.

Now Lu Yanhe is gradually changing his mind.

His thoughts became—

Make the most thorough preparations, and then leave everything to the feeling of being there.

This is an experience he gained from Friends.

Acting is always dynamic, not static. Even a slight change in the direction of a breeze can cause a subtle shift in the actor's demeanor. On set, an actor must establish a genuine interactive relationship with every person and object. The set is not static; it's dynamic.

So, you're not an actor who stumbled into it; you're one of the characters.

In the camera's view, Muken was originally watching the footage from the camera filming downstairs, because the scene began with the ghost-hunting team members facing off against the ghost played by Lean in a panic.

There are no shots of Lu Yanhe here.

However, Muken subconsciously glanced at Lu Yanhe's camera position.

He was immediately stunned.

At that camera position, Lu Yanhe stood at the top of the stairs, not indifferent.

Standing at the dimly lit stairwell, where only natural light shone through, Lu Yanhe, like a real ghost, gazed downstairs with a nonchalant, corpse-like look—

From his angle, he could only see the wall next to the stairs.

However, his gaze seemed to penetrate the walls and see what was happening downstairs.

Moreover, he wasn't completely still.

His head and hands were swaying gently in a slow, flowing rhythm, as if carried by the wind.

Muken was completely captivated by Lu Yanhe.

The result is—

Reshoot.

He didn't even notice the performance downstairs.

This time, Muken made himself stop looking at Lu Yanhe's camera angles.

However, after watching Lu Yanhe's scene just now, and then watching the ghost played by Rien, who is clearly a ghost of a different style, a brutal and bloodthirsty killer, when he appears on screen with a ferocious face, Muken always felt that something was missing.

It looks similar, but the spirit is different.

There's nothing about Rien that catches the eye.

Because it's a key scene, this moment is very important.

Whether it's Lu Yanhe or Li En.

In contrast, in this scene, the ghost-catching team members are just background figures; the focus is on the duel between the two ghosts.

Muken had originally thought that when the two were placed together, Lu Yanhe's aura completely overwhelmed Lien, which might cause an imbalance in the scene.

However, considering that the two characters in the script were not evenly matched, he decided to let it go.

-

D19.

Public relations director Elena Green accompanied CEO Scott Harris to a drinking party.

On the way back to the company, Elena Green asked, "Scott, you said that after the sequel to 'The Mist' is released, you're going to do some PR for Lu Yanhe's Oscar win that year. Is that true?"

Scott Harris said, "The movie has only just started filming, don't you think?"

"But it's not the movie's promotional period yet, so why are they starting to create hype now?" This was what Elena Green didn't understand.

Scott Harris said, "A lot of people in Hollywood are watching Lu Yanhe right now."

Elena Green was somewhat surprised. "Is this to let the outside world know that we have a close relationship with Lu Yanhe?"

She hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was really necessary.

Elena Green wasn't thinking about anything else, but rather that although Lu Yanhe was currently popular in Hollywood, he was far from being an A-list celebrity.

All things considered, if it weren't for his special Asian identity and the added boost from critics, he would just be an actor who had only recently become popular.

Given his significant importance to D19, is it worthwhile for others to perceive a close relationship between him and D19?

Scott Harris noticed Elena Green's confusion.

Scott Harris offered no further explanation.

Some things you can't feel until you reach a certain point in life.

Over the past six months, Lu Yanhe has suddenly "exploded" in Hollywood. This "explosion" is all-encompassing, from actor to screenwriter (producer), and even to awards season.

An actor who initially only truly rose to fame with "The Mist" suddenly seemed to have established himself in Hollywood. He unexpectedly collaborated multiple times with Midoriya, Paramartha, and their D19 group, even influencing many Asian members and making a name for himself during awards season.

Whether this means Lu Yanhe has already gained some influence in Hollywood is something Scott cannot say for sure at this time.

However, Scott had already keenly realized—

Lu Yanhe is different from other actors who have become popular.

Of course, D19 had to make a name for itself. D19 isn't a major production company in Hollywood; it's just a company that started by making independent films and genre films. However, because of its high success rate, it has achieved remarkable success in recent years in terms of box office, directing, and awards, attracting considerable attention.

Scott was indeed surprised by Lu Yanhe's actions in connecting several projects with major companies such as Green Valley and Parameter.

His immediate reaction was, "Have I really misjudged him? Did I miss out on 'Buried Alive' and fail to see Lu Yanhe's true value?"

“Yes, Lu Yanhe’s performance in the sequel to ‘The Mist’ was fantastic!” Muken Sorge received a call from a friend who was asking about Lu Yanhe’s performance in the sequel to “The Mist.” Although he was puzzled, he told the truth.

"I thought Scott was exaggerating on purpose."

"Scott? What did he say?"

"He said Lu Yanhe's performance in the sequel to 'The Mist' was excellent, and D19 is preparing to lobby for an Oscar for his role."

"..." Muken's first reaction was "That's ridiculous."

It wasn't that he thought Lu Yanhe's acting was bad, nor that he thought Lu Yanhe had no chance with a horror film. Rather, firstly, the film had only just started shooting; Scott hadn't even seen any material yet, so what could he possibly know?

Secondly, how can you clamor for an Oscar bid when the film hasn't even been edited yet?

For any film vying for an Oscar, and for any filmmaker vying for an Oscar, the market sentiment is usually only known after the first screening and the first round of reviews.

This kind of statement isn't even a matter of being professional or unprofessional.

Muken was speechless.

Such statements might even influence how people perceive Lu Yanhe.

After thinking about it, Muken decided to call Scott and have a proper talk about it.

"You've set expectations too high, which has actually raised their expectations. When they watch the movie again, they're more likely to be disappointed," Muken said on the phone. "Scott, why did you say that when filming just started?"

Scott: "Mukken, I only said this in a small group at a private gathering, not to anyone else in public. It won't have the effects you mentioned. Just focus on filming."

Muken: "But even my friends heard about it and told me right away."

“That was just a small circle of people talking about it. Isn’t that better?” Scott said. “To the outside world, it’s just that we talked privately and we really appreciated Lu Yanhe’s performance in the sequel to ‘The Mist.’ That will keep the industry looking forward to the sequel. Generally speaking, you know about the ‘sequel curse.’”

The so-called "sequel curse" means that sequels generally don't receive the same critical and commercial success as the original.

Very few series have been able to break the "sequel curse".

Especially horror movies.

Muken was somewhat incredulous and asked, "You didn't say that just to break the so-called 'sequel curse,' did you?"

“Of course not,” Scott immediately denied.

Muken was skeptical.

The reason he still had some faith was that Scott hadn't left him with that impression during his previous collaboration with D19.

D19 is a film company that is relatively respectful of creators.

This is inextricably linked to Scott's business philosophy.

-

Lu Yanhe was unaware of these matters.

This is his disadvantage in Hollywood.

If this were in China, and such rumors were circulating, even if no one told him directly, someone would definitely have already informed Chen Ziyan.

The importance of information is self-evident. Lu Yanhe currently has virtually no informational advantage in Hollywood.

Lu Yanhe filmed a scene of going down the stairs in just two takes.

However, the scene downstairs with the ghost-hunting team and another ghost played by Leon took a whole day to film and was still not finished.

The problem doesn't lie with Lu Yanhe.

It's just that Muken, for some reason, is nitpicking everyone's performance.

After several takes and several suggestions from Muken, everyone finally realized what was going on.

Muken felt completely overwhelmed by Lu Yanhe's aura.

-

In fact, if Lu Yanhe had simply been acting, playing a not-so-powerful ghost, he probably wouldn't have created such a significant suppressive force.

The problem is that he happens to be playing a character who is in a dominant position from the very beginning.

With the added boost from the role, he exuded an aura of dominance, his calm and collected demeanor, as if he saw through everything yet didn't care about anything, completely overwhelming the other characters in the same frame.

Under these circumstances, Muken could not believe that the ghost-catching team would have the audacity to trick Lu Yanhe later on.

Actually, these are no longer the actors' problems.

What appears to be an imbalance between the actors and their roles on screen is actually a logical flaw in the script itself, which prevented Muken from convincing himself of the truth.

Generally speaking, once a movie has started filming, it's not entirely illogical, and even if problems are discovered, they have to grit their teeth and continue filming. But Muken was thinking that if they continued filming like this, it would definitely be a point of criticism.

The more terrifying a film is, the more solid its core logic needs to be to truly evoke fear in the audience during scary moments. Otherwise, many horror films rely on eerie music and sudden, shocking shots; this kind of abrupt sensory stimulation becomes tiresome after a while.

For viewers who truly enjoy horror movies, they actually prefer a combination of various suspense techniques. There should be a sudden, overwhelming scare, a chilling scare that comes after careful consideration, and even a constructive scare like, "Oh my god, something scary is coming! Oh my god, oh my god—oh my god!!!"

As a sequel, the existence of Lu Yanhe, the ghost, is already well known to everyone, which means that an innate element of terror within him—the unknown—has been eliminated.

Will the second movie still have the same level of scare factor?

They only have one path to take, which is to shift the horror element onto other characters—

That's why the script arranged for the ghost-catching team to capture Lu Yanhe when he wasn't paying attention after being "rescued"—

This section, comprising a quarter of the film, essentially aims to create horror and suspense by showcasing the transformations of some members of the ghost-hunting team and revealing the evil within human nature, much like the first "Purge" film.

If Lu Yanhe's appearance in the early stages was too "powerful", then where did the ghost-catching team get the courage to act later?

If this logical problem is not resolved, there will be abrupt "forced transitions".

-

When Mooken asked for a retake, Erin Wallace uttered a very impatient "Fuck".

The other actors didn't look too good either. However, only she dared to show it.

Actually, you can't blame the actors for losing their temper.

Muken kept making mistakes and demanding reshoots, but the reasons he gave were always vague, which naturally made the actors unhappy and impatient.

You have to understand, an actress like Erin Wallace is very confident that she can perform well. An established actress like her can't keep going through the motions of self-sabotage.

Muken's expression was rather unpleasant.

However, he didn't know what to say.

At this point, Lu Yanhe took the initiative to bring it up.

“Muken, I feel like this scene is a bit difficult to film; there's something wrong with the script.”

Muken glanced at Lu Yanhe with some surprise.

The same goes for everyone else.

Lu Yanhe said, "Now everyone in the ghost-catching team is acting too scared of me. If they are all such cowards, how could someone behind them be so greedy as to want to catch me and sell me for money?"

Eileen Wallace crossed her arms, pursed her lips, and asked, "Do you mean we acted too scared and frightened?"

“The current script requires you to be so afraid, but if I tone down my terror, that would be even more wrong,” Lu Yanhe said to Muken. “I don’t think what we’re filming now is wrong, but perhaps adding some foreshadowing shots would be more conducive to the development of the plot later on. For example, when I go downstairs, beneath Eileen’s wary, tense, and uneasy expression, there could be a hint of scrutiny and greed, which is also the underlying nature of her character.”

"You want to interfere with my character?" Eileen asked incredulously.

“As a screenwriter who has won Best Screenplay and Best Screenplay at the Jose Film Festival and the Golden Globe Awards, I’m offering my suggestions from a scriptwriting perspective.” Lu Yanhe looked at Eileen with a calm expression. “So, when I offer suggestions for your character, I also suggest that you don’t listen with any resistance, because I’m helping to enrich your character.”

Eileen curled her lip. "You really think you're something special."

Lu Yanhe smiled and looked at Muken.

“Muken, you can consider my suggestion,” he said. “Of course, it’s okay if you don’t accept it. This is your film, that’s for sure. I hope you don’t think I’m trying to change your script.”

Muken waved his hand, indicating that he didn't mind.

Eileen Wallace went to her lounge with a cold expression.

Lu Yanhe realized that he didn't care.

-

Bai Yu knocked on the door and entered Chen Siqi's office.

Chen Siqi picked up the resignation letter in her hand and asked, "Bai Yu, did you write this?"

"Yes," Bai Yu nodded and said, "I wrote it, I put it there."

"Why?" Chen Siqi asked, frowning slightly.

Bai Yu said, "I wanted to create a purely literary magazine, and this time, they gave me the opportunity to be the editor-in-chief."

Chen Siqi was silent for a moment, then asked, "Who are they? Xin Zixing, or someone else?"

“It’s not Xin Zixing, it’s Yang Zhouli,” Bai Yu said frankly. “They were planning to launch a print magazine and contacted me, inviting me to be the editor-in-chief.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Siqi felt a lump in her throat and couldn't say anything.

She couldn't persuade Bai Yu to refuse and stay.

This is clearly a better opportunity for Bai Yu; anyone would have taken it.

Finally, Chen Siqi only asked one question.

"Is there anything we can do now to keep you in 'Jump Up'?"

“Siqi.” Bai Yu sighed softly, “The opportunities that Yang Zhouli can give me, Jump Up can’t give me. Moreover, even if I leave Jump Up, it won’t affect Jump Up in any way. It’s already a very mature magazine, and it’s already very good.”

"This is a magazine we created together."

“I understand,” Bai Yu said. “If ‘Jump Up’ wasn’t doing very well right now, I might be too embarrassed to tell you that I wanted to resign. But now, this is an opportunity that I may never have again in my life.”

"Yes." Chen Siqi nodded. "Then—maybe we'll become competitors?"

“The magazine I want to create won’t be a competitor to ‘Jump Up’,” Bai Yu said. “If the magazine I want to create is one with the same style as ‘Jump Up’, I won’t leave.”

Chen Siqi nodded.

“I understand.” She nodded and said, “Although I’m very reluctant to let you go, and I really hope you can stay, it seems you’ve made up your mind, and I can’t persuade you otherwise. However, I can’t approve it for now. Yan He invited you to join ‘Jump Up’ in the first place, and I need to talk to Yan He about that first.”

Bai Yu: "Okay, I will finish and hand over all my work properly, so you don't need to worry about work."

“Bai Yu, you are the one who truly helped me build the magazine. Back then, you were the only one at Jiangguang,” Chen Siqi said. “You should know that you and Ziju were actually the only two people responsible for all the writing for the magazine. If you leave, it’s not as simple as you say, that it won’t affect the magazine.”

“Siqi, I will minimize the impact,” Bai Yu said. “Besides, Zhou Mukai has been working part-time for our show ‘Jump Up’ for a long time and is a top student at Zhenhua University. He will be graduating soon, and he can take over my work.”

Chen Siqi nodded.

Everything that needed to be said and could be said has been said; there is nothing more to say.

-

"Why is Yang Zhouli targeting us so closely? First it was Sister Zixing, and now it's Bai Yu."

Lu Yanhe sounded a bit annoyed on the phone.

“People strive for higher positions, and water flows downhill; these are all normal things,” Chen Siqi said. “Yang Zhouli is very clear about what they really want, and the price he offered is something we can’t afford for the time being. They’re poaching them honestly, so we have nothing to say.”

“Being speechless doesn’t mean we have no temper,” Lu Yanhe said. “If Yang Zhouli continues to target Linghe, jump up and pick up people, this is not normal, natural personnel movement. He’s doing it on purpose.”

“I’ve already asked his secretary to invite him to dinner on Friday night,” Chen Siqi said. “Don’t show up yet, I’ll talk to him. Also, as for Bai Yu, although I think she’s made up her mind to leave, she’s your classmate, and she’s made a huge contribution to building ‘Jump Up’ from scratch over the years, as you know. No matter what, you should show your support. Why don’t you give her a call?”

"Okay." Lu Yanhe asked, "After she left, how have you been?"

“Hmm,” Chen Siqi said, “I just suddenly felt like I’d lost something. The one who truly got me through the most difficult period at the beginning was her. Back then, she was the only one in Jiangguang. I thought, something was definitely different. I knew Yang Zhouli would definitely try to poach people from us, but I didn’t expect that the first person he poached would be Bai Yu.”

Lu Yanhe: "Bai Yu is both the text director of 'Jump Up' and an already well-known author, so it's not surprising that Yang Zhouli recruited her."

Chen Siqi: "I wonder who's next."

Lu Yanhe: "We'll all encounter something like this sooner or later, won't we?"

"Yes," Chen Siqi sighed, "You're right."

If no one is trying to poach your company's employees, it means your company is really failing.

"But Bai Yu is different after all, right?"

“Yes.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “But that’s how it is, so we can only part ways amicably.”

Chen Siqi: How's things going on your film set?

"It's the same as always," Lu Yanhe said. "However, we'll film it the same way we always have, it's nothing."

"Why do we both seem to be having such bad luck lately?" Chen Siqi joked, trying to find humor in her predicament.

"Maybe God saw that things were going too well for us before, so He wants to give us some hardship."

"If that's the case, we can't let fate have its way."

Lu Yanhe smiled.

"Alright, I won't disturb your filming any longer, I'll hang up now."

"Bye-Bye."

-

Meanwhile, on set, in Erin Wallace's dressing room.

Erin Wallace said angrily, "Why should I give in? What right does he have to tell me what to do with my character? What right does he have to tell me how to act?"

Her agent came over and tried to persuade her helplessly.

“These changes will obviously enrich your character and make your scene more engaging,” the agent said. “His suggestion is entirely beneficial to you.”

Eileen Wallace was furious.

"Whose agent are you anyway?"

The agent was speechless.

"Eileen, please, be reasonable. You're such a great actress, can't you see that this change in the script is a good thing?"

Erin Wallace remained silent and refused to accept anything her agent was saying.

The agent could only say, "Eileen, you are the female lead in this movie. We all put in a lot of effort to get you this role. If you can't change your temper and keep going against Muken and Lu Yanhe, and refuse to admit defeat, I don't know what will happen next."

(End of this chapter)