Three years, more than a thousand days and nights of hard work, all wasted.
But this is just the beginning.
After her initial setback, she began preparing for her second film, this time a script with a patriotic theme.
Three more years have passed.
On the eve of its release, the male lead was banned by the state due to his political stance, turning his patriotism into a joke.
The movie was cancelled again.
Zhuang Sheng was devastated and almost vomited blood.
The fact that two incidents occurred at the last minute, and that the entertainment industry is a somewhat superstitious place, is quite remarkable.
After all, minor fame relies on promotion, while major fame relies on fate.
Investors lost everything, and while the other actors received their paychecks, the lack of exposure was also a major problem, as an actor's good time is limited.
People felt that Zhuang Sheng was unlucky, and that working in her films would bring bad luck as well. Investors who used to be eager to invest in her stopped doing so, and popular actors began to avoid her.
But Zhuang Sheng still didn't want to give up.
She used all her savings and took on several more film roles, finally raising enough money with her earnings.
Her movies were very successful, so some people advised her to switch careers and become an actress instead of pursuing her dream of becoming a director.
Zhuang Sheng smiled after hearing this, then turned around and started making the movie again with the money.
If she can't get well-known actors, she goes to film academies to find newcomers, so she doesn't have to worry about tax issues.
More than two years have passed.
The filming process went smoothly, and the post-production and promotion were also without any problems.
Just before its release, yet another problem arose.
The male and female leads fell in love while filming and secretly started dating. This isn't a big deal; if handled well, it can even promote the movie.
However, the male protagonist became addicted to gambling and lost everything. In a fit of rage, he pawned his girlfriend's nude photos. When the female protagonist was confronted by debt collectors, she decisively chose to call the police.
Although it's not quite at the point of being banned, it's a romance film!
With such a scandal involving the male and female leads, and how they seem to hate each other in real life, who can still watch them portray an unwavering love on screen?
Even a fool would know how badly it would flop. Cinemas need to make money too, so they simply refused to screen the film.
It's turned yellow again.
Zhuang Sheng has become a universally recognized jinx director. Investors and actors alike avoid her, fearing they'll suffer bad luck if they get involved with her.
After suffering repeated setbacks, Zhuang Sheng lost his enthusiasm and ambition.
She is talented, hardworking, and willing to give everything for her dreams. She can control herself, but she can't control those who hold her back.
After ten years of torment, filled with hope only to be dashed at the last moment, her body and spirit collapsed.
A hospital checkup revealed late-stage breast cancer.
On her deathbed, she was filled with regret. She had wanted to become a famous director, but instead, she became a famous joke.
Overwhelmed with resentment, her soul went to the void after her death.
After hearing her story, Fugui looked at Zhuang Sheng's spirit with a puzzled expression. It hadn't been swapped out of its life or cursed.
How could I be so unlucky?
She asked truthfully, and Zhuang Sheng smiled wryly, "On one hand, I am indeed unlucky, but the entertainment industry is indeed quite chaotic. You'll know when you get there."
Her wishes are for the film to be successfully released, for her to become a famous director, and for the unhealthy practices in the entertainment industry to be rectified.
Thus, Ata turned back time to ten years ago, which was also the beginning of Zhuang Sheng's later misfortunes.
This time, Qi An and Fu Gui will still be in charge of the mission, while Ata and Xiao Yin will go into seclusion to cultivate.
After instructing his assistant, Qi An returned to Zhuang Sheng's residence.
At this point, the subsequent series of events involving Sima had not yet occurred, and she had not yet gone bankrupt, so the house was still there.
Qi An flopped onto the soft bed and said, "Now I understand why people say the entertainment industry is a big dye vat. It's fucking chaotic."
During today's auditions, she used a soul-searching technique on every candidate, and it was absolutely horrific.
Surprisingly, half of them had some kind of problem. The group of handsome men and beautiful women who looked glamorous on the outside were actually rotten inside.
Fu Gui sighed, "No wonder Zhuang Sheng ended up with breast cancer. Anyone would be furious. One bad apple spoils the whole bunch."
Qi An asked, "Did you call the police?"
Fu Gui grinned wickedly: "I reported it, hehe. I disguised myself as an enthusiastic member of the Chaoyang District community to report it. I even reminded them where to find evidence. Don't worry, that scumbag Wu will soon be working on a sewing machine, and Little Fairy is doomed too."
Fu Gui continued, "I just don't understand. Wu Zha Zha is rich and good-looking. He could find any kind of girlfriend he wanted, so why would he be so heartless as to harm his little fans?"
"And then there's Yun Ruo, who earns tens of millions in salary for a single film, more than an average person could earn in a lifetime. Why would she evade taxes?"
Qi An rolled over and lay flat on his back: "When an ordinary person is suddenly showered with glory and placed on a pedestal, they lose their true self and think they are someone important. In reality, they are still an idiot who can't see themselves clearly."
"As for Yunruo," Qi An said, "she earns too much, and the more taxes she pays, the more unbalanced she feels. She's reluctant to spend money and tries to evade taxes."
The imbalance of wealth and status: "If you ask me, there's only one reason: we've made too much money too easily, and we're eating too much."
Qi appeased his palm: "Correct answer."
After the assistant informed everyone of the three points, everyone left with varying expressions.
Then, the number of people who came to audition the next day was indeed reduced by half.
After filtering out the impurities, the subsequent auditions went much more smoothly.
Being able to deliver these three items doesn't guarantee there won't be any problems, but at least they have a clear conscience and their overall direction is correct.
Moreover, with Boss Qi and Fu Gui keeping an eye on things, no monsters or demons can cause trouble under their noses.
The roles, excluding the male and female leads, were quickly cast.
Qi An adhered to the principle of not choosing the expensive, but the right one, and first looked at the character, then the acting skills, and finally the appearance.
Whether or not someone becomes famous is completely out of the question.
Anyway, they'll become famous once the movie is released.
The assistant was surprised by Director Zhuang's methods and discussed it privately with the production crew.
"This is the first time I've ever seen an audition like this. It's like a job interview. I was worried that no one would come to audition after Director Zhuang made these requirements."
The production assistant said, "In my opinion, Director Zhuang is right; that's how it should be done."
"An audition is an interview. When ordinary people interview, they have to submit a resume, be required to have no criminal record, no bad credit history, and provide a medical examination report. Why shouldn't celebrities have to do the same?"
"If we make a mistake, at most we'll be fired, but if a celebrity makes a mistake, it will affect a whole bunch of people. The whole crew's hard work could be wasted. We should be more careful."
The assistant sighed, "That makes sense, but nobody's ever done it this way before."
"That's why there are situations where the entire crew works for free for several years."
Stagehands.
"Hmph, as long as you have a clear conscience, just produce the proof. What's there to be afraid of? They make so much money, shouldn't they take responsibility?"
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