Chapter 526 Incredibly Powerful (14,600 words updated!)
Huang Cheng is a senior producer in the industry, especially someone like him who has been closely associated with a top TV drama director for a long time, so his status and position are even higher.
Why do we keep saying that the hierarchy of contempt is something you can accept as existing, or you can accept as non-existent?
Because if you truly reach the top level in the TV drama field like Huang Cheng, no matter what your social hierarchy is like, you won't be asking others for help; instead, others will be asking you for help.
Lu Yanhe's starring dramas are hits, and the screenwriters are incredibly talented. But Huang Cheng's production projects are also quite good. Even if they don't have the 100% success rate of Lu Yanhe's hits, they are all good projects with good results.
Wherever Huang Cheng went, he was respected.
If Lu Yanhe were to make a serious phone call to him, asking for his help in persuading Chen Lingling, Huang Cheng wouldn't really be very willing to listen to him.
After all, he and Chen Lingling have been friends for so many years, so to be honest, he would definitely be on Chen Lingling's side.
But Lu Yanhe's sudden outburst, though not exactly reckless, had the effect of being just as reckless, leaving Huang Cheng with no way to be vague or perfunctory.
Huang Cheng only understood what it was about after Lu Yanhe finished speaking.
He said, "Lingling is not suitable to be a mentor on a variety show. With her temper, she would make half of the people cry. At that time, wouldn't the fans of those actors be furious and come to scold her?"
Lu Yanhe said, "Brother Cheng, although the director has a bad temper, she is really professional. Moreover, when she scolds people, she does so only on the grounds of the matter, not just throwing a tantrum randomly. Today's audiences are not as superficial as you think; they can distinguish right from wrong."
Huang Cheng: "No, no, why bother? She's already such a big director, why would she have to suffer like this? It'll be so uncomfortable. These days, recording a show usually takes at least ten hours. And this one, I can tell from the sound of it, is not going to be easy to record."
“Brother Cheng, how could we, Linghe, let Director Lingling suffer like this on the variety show we spearheaded?” Lu Yanhe said. “Besides, Brother Cheng, this is absolutely a great platform for Director Lingling, allowing the audience to see what kind of director she really is—you know, there are rumors circulating online that she has a terrible temper, is a shrew, and that many actors who have worked with her don't want to work with her a second time. These are all misunderstandings! Why should the director be misunderstood like that?”
Huang Cheng: "People online say all sorts of things, we don't care."
“But being criticized, even if you don’t say it, you must still feel bad inside. Brother Cheng, you’ve never been criticized, so you don’t know, but Director Lingling must be feeling bad, especially since it’s all a misunderstanding.” Lu Yanhe said sincerely, “I’ve worked with Director Lingling before, so I know she’s a very good director, but it’s no use if only I know. Seeing is believing. The best way to dispel misunderstandings is to let the audience see Director Lingling on the show.”
Huang Cheng: "You're really good at talking nonsense."
Lu Yanhe: "It's mainly because I'm confident."
"Are you confident that no one will refuse you?"
“I don’t have that confidence. You and Director Lingling rejected me so readily, so quickly that I didn’t even have time to react,” Lu Yanhe complained before continuing, “I am very confident in what I’m going to do. It will definitely become a phenomenal program and a benchmark in the industry.”
Huang Cheng really couldn't say anything about Lu Yanhe's confident attitude.
Because Lu Yanhe's success philosophy is already legendary in the industry.
If someone else said that, Huang Cheng would laugh at that person for being so arrogant.
When Lu Yanhe said that, Huang Cheng could only sigh inwardly: So what?
Indeed, so what?
Even the most phenomenal program, the most industry benchmark—
The problem is that Chen Lingling is now one of the top TV drama directors in China.
She herself is the benchmark.
Lu Yanhe closed his eyes and began to hum, "Oh dear, Brother Cheng—"
Huang Cheng: "Stop right there!"
Lu Yanhe stopped immediately.
Huang Cheng: "But you are right about one thing, this program allows the audience to see the real Lingling."
Lu Yanhe: "Yes!"
Huang Cheng: "This is your program, you won't edit it randomly, will you?"
"Brother Cheng, I still have to continue filming with Director Ling, how could I possibly cut things randomly!" Lu Yanhe said dejectedly, "You really don't trust me enough."
Huang Cheng: "Just to be on the safe side, I need to confirm with you."
Lu Yanhe: "If you ask any production team, they will definitely make a firm promise to you, but there are not many who can keep their word like I do."
Huang Cheng: "Your skin has really gotten thicker. I remember you weren't this thick-skinned when you were filming 'The Silent River'."
"It's mainly because you get corrupted by your surroundings. I spend all my time with Li Zhibai and I've been infected by him."
Huang Cheng took a deep breath and said, "Hang up."
After hanging up the phone, Huang Cheng was momentarily dazed—
Huang Cheng thought it was normal for Lu Yanhe to have changed.
Huang Cheng believes it's normal for an actor to become arrogant, conceited, and conceited after achieving in just a few years what other actors take ten or even twenty years to accomplish.
But why has this guy become so shameless?
What happened?
What exactly happened?!
In addition to resident mentors, there should also be flight mentors.
Lu Yanhe made calls one by one: Zeng Qiao, Huang Kairen, Jiang Yuqian, Jiang Jun, Bao Zhenzhu, Liu Zi, Jia Long... Lu Yanhe's network of contacts was fully utilized at this moment.
In fact, if it weren't for the fact that the role of mentor requires certain qualifications and achievements, Lu Yanhe could have invited many more people.
However, there's no rush.
The show isn't going to end after just one season.
Take your time, don't rush it.
Most importantly, it's the actors who came to participate.
The most crucial aspect of this program is whether it can introduce actors who were not previously recognized or well-known.
In contrast, Lu Yanhe felt that the original program was truly magical. Lan Yingying's acting skills and charm, which were not fully displayed in film and television dramas due to the character settings, were showcased to the fullest in this program, even giving people a sense of the relaxation and familiarity of a big-name actress.
The female champion, who has always been overlooked, also presented a completely different quality in every performance on this show compared to her film and television acting.
If a show can showcase the qualities of many actors, allowing producers and directors to discover that an actor can deliver such challenging and high-quality performances, then that is the greatest practical significance of the stage for an actor.
The premise is that they possess such qualities.
Lu Yanhe sent messages to all his friends in the entertainment industry, asking them to recommend actors they knew who were suitable for the show.
So, while the outside world was still buzzing about Lu Yanhe's trip to Venice, another wave of discussion swept through the industry and the circle.
—Lu Yanhe is going to create a show that pits actors against each other?!
What is he doing?
Upon hearing this news, Zhou Ping'an's first reaction was to find Yan Liang and tell him not to become a contestant.
"It's fine if you're a guest, but you absolutely must not go on this show to compete. With your current status, there's no need for you to lower yourself to this kind of stage."
Yan Liang was speechless.
"Yan He never intended to ask me to come."
Zhou Ping'an: "That's fine then."
Yan Liang glanced at him and said, "But Yan He guessed you would definitely come to tell me these things."
Zhou Ping'an: "Nonsense! I would never allow you to go to something like this. You're a top-tier star now, how could you possibly participate in a show like this!"
Yan Liang: "Yan He told me to tell you that you can consider sending Cheng Hai and Fu Li over."
Zhou Ping'an was taken aback.
Yan Liang: "The message has been delivered. You can make your own decision, but no matter what, don't tell Cheng Hai that we brought it up, if you don't want Cheng Hai to feel uncomfortable."
The members of the same group back then have developed very differently now.
Back then, Cheng Hai was much more popular than Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang, but now he's almost forgotten.
It's easy to imagine that Cheng Hai would feel embarrassed if he knew that Lu Yanhe had invited him to participate in the program.
Zhou Pingan asked, "You... still want to help Cheng Hai out?"
“His relationship with us has always been good, but because you disliked Yan He so much back then, you forced them not to associate with Yan He, which caused the relationship to drift apart. Later, Yan He became more and more famous, and Cheng Hai, who also has a sense of shame, would never distance himself from Yan He and then come back to get close to him after he became famous,” Yan Liang said. “Yan He has always been much kinder than you think. He knows why Cheng Hai distanced himself from him, so he has never blamed him.”
Zhou Ping'an remained silent.
Yan Liang: "Back then, Cheng Hai's acting skills were also praised by Director Luo."
Zhou Pingan nodded, "I understand, I'll tell him."
“Yan He isn’t the mentor either. The mentors are Chen Lingling, Chen Bige, and Shang Yongzhou. Cheng Hai can come and have some fun without worry,” Yan Liang said. “He might be able to learn a lot.”
-
"Chen Ziliang wants to come? No thanks." Lu Yanhe said directly, "I don't want him involved."
Chen Ziyan said, "He's a celebrity who generates a lot of buzz. If he comes, the show won't have to worry about its popularity."
“No need, our program doesn’t lack popularity,” Lu Yanhe said. “Sister Ziyan, I don’t want Chen Ziliang and Ma Zhiyuan to get involved in any projects related to me.”
"In that case, let's forget about it." Chen Ziyan nodded. "It's a bit of a pity. I thought it was just a variety show and you wouldn't care so much."
"Of course I care. This show is bound to be a hit. If it makes him famous too, I'll definitely regret letting him come," Lu Yanhe said. "If he finds another way to make himself famous again, I can't help him. But if he becomes famous again through me, I absolutely cannot accept it."
Lu Yanhe's disgust and hatred for Chen Ziliang and Ma Zhiyuan ran deep in his bones.
He is actually a very tolerant person.
But he can never forgive those he truly hates.
“Okay then,” Chen Ziyan said. “There’s one more thing. Longyan Film Industry hopes you can mention the movie ‘Burning Fire’ twice during the Venice International Film Festival to generate some buzz for the film.”
"ah?"
"Although the movie is finished filming, post-production will take a long time. The movie needs to maintain its popularity."
Lu Yanhe thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "Okay, if I forget, Sister Ziyan, please remind me."
"Um."
"The Birth of an Actor" has generated a lot of buzz in the industry.
Top-tier actors are definitely not an option.
Those who are mainly hesitating and considering are mostly second- or third-tier actors.
They belong to the type who have some fame or were once popular, but are now in a limbo. They want to try something new, but feel it's shameful to go on stage as contestants and compete, as it would ruin their prestige.
Lu Yanhe didn't pay much attention to this group of people.
He himself has some preferred candidates.
For example, Wang Dashan, an actor in "Lost in Thailand".
For example, the characters in "Late Spring".
However, they are all young actors, and we need more other representative actors.
For example, those with superb acting skills but not much fame, like Liu Mintao and Zhou Yiwei at that time.
For example, actors whose acting skills are not considered veteran actors, but whose popularity and buzz are quite good, such as Tan Songyun, Liu Yan, and Zeng Shunxi at that time.
For example, actors with distinctive characteristics and compelling backstories, similar to Fan Tiantian at the time.
...
When Lu Yanhe was thinking about how to make this show, in addition to thinking about the reasons why the show became a hit, he was also repeatedly reminding himself that although this was an acting competition show, it should never be made into a show for highbrow scholars to talk about.
You need to have all kinds of people together to make the show interesting.
Despite the criticisms of variety show scripts and character designs, it's undeniable that this show needs these elements to be entertaining.
A variety show script isn't about writing lines for everyone and having them act out a scene on the show like a play.
Instead, they had to create various dramatic script arrangements. For example, they put Shu Chang and Xin Zhilei in the same group and in the first episode. The chemistry between the two was so amazing that it became the first hit of the show.
Lu Yanhe's script here is that the three mentors in the program are all highly professional people, so the program must also introduce the voice of another party to avoid the three mentors' words being too professional and the audience not being able to understand them at first.
Therefore, after discussing it with everyone, Lu Yanhe felt that they should invite a few more special commentators for each episode.
Therefore, this important task fell to Lin Yu.
Lu Yanhe has only one requirement: professionalism, but not pretentiousness; inclusiveness; and easy-to-understand commentary.
Lin Yu understood Lu Yanhe's meaning and went to make arrangements.
-
Lu Yanhe doesn't do the kind of thing that involves making a fortune quietly or creating surprises for others.
Variety shows don't operate this way.
It must be a massive undertaking, with extensive publicity to ensure it remains a trending topic.
This is what makes it fit the impression of being a "hit," drawing attention from both inside and outside the industry.
So, once the contract was signed, "The Birth of an Actor" released posters of the host and convener.
Lu Yanhe and Peng Zhixing were the first to spark the initial wave of discussion.
The next day, the program released the list of "one mentor + one guest mentor": Chen Bige and Huang Kairen.
The Rouge group.
On the third day, it was Chen Lingling and Zeng Qiao, a combination of "Phoenix Terrace" and "The Silent River".
On the fourth day, it was Shang Yongzhou and Fu Kai, performing the duo "Enjoy Life While You Can" and "The Road to Glory".
As posters were released one by one, names were introduced, refreshing everyone's understanding of the show.
The combination of these names has taken the industry by surprise.
After all, these people rarely appear on variety shows.
Such a lineup is comparable to that of a mainstream film festival.
Some people jokingly suggested that "this show should just be renamed 'Lu Yanhe and His Friends'".
Indeed, they were all people who had worked with Lu Yanhe.
However, no one felt they didn't want to watch anymore because of this.
With so many big names from the film and television industry gathered on one show, who wouldn't want to see what this thing is all about?
Northern Lights video.
Looking at the data from the temporarily opened reservation system for "The Birth of an Actor," Zheng Huai-ren sighed, "It has to be Lu Yan-he. He can gather people and stir things up. He has a whole set of tricks up his sleeve. He changes the people every day to get the show trending on social media. It hasn't even started the official recording stage yet, and he's already making such a big fuss. He's really amazing."
"We can't beat him in making movies, we can't beat him in making TV dramas, and now we can't beat him in making variety shows either," someone laughed.
Zheng Huai-ren: "Anyone could make this show, but they definitely couldn't get this kind of lineup."
"This lineup is amazing, how much did it cost?"
“The sponsorship recruitment hasn’t even started yet, but with this level of hype, do you still need to worry about not having money?” Zheng Huai-ren said. “Sponsors will be scrambling to come and give us money.”
"I'm really envious of this level of popularity."
"They really know how to market. They release a little bit of information each day to whet people's appetites and raise everyone's expectations. It's a classic case of becoming popular before it even airs."
...
At the same time, they buy the rights to the performances and find screenwriters to adapt them into scripts of about fifteen to twenty minutes.
None of these behind-the-scenes tasks can be omitted.
A great deal of preliminary preparation work also requires a significant investment of money.
Fortunately, the program partnered with Yuehu TV and Aurora Video, along with Lu Yanhe's Linghe, and the three of them pooled together the funds for the preparation, so they didn't have to take out a bank loan.
However, to alleviate financial pressure, they quickly launched a campaign to attract sponsors. There are quite a few brands interested in the program, but everyone is also considering the production cycle and duration.
If the show isn't going to air until next year or the year after, nobody would be willing to give away a large sum of money now; even just putting it in the bank to earn interest would be a considerable income.
Lu Yanhe couldn't be bothered with these specific matters.
He can't manage it all.
However, his endorsement brand, "Bai Xing" stationery, had already contacted them, wanting to compete for the title sponsorship of the program.
"Bai Xing" is one of the few brands that Lu Yanhe endorses that takes a mass-market approach, because it is a stationery brand and needs brand awareness and national recognition.
Lu Yanhe's show doesn't follow the typical comedic or satirical approach, which "Bai Xing" feels perfectly aligns with its brand image.
"Bai Xing" also means that they are determined to win, and they directly quoted a naming fee of 200 million yuan, but they want exclusive naming rights.
For a non-series variety show, this sponsorship fee is in the top tier.
However, whether "Bai Xing" can ultimately secure the deal depends on the bids from other brands.
Seeing how popular "The Birth of an Actor" is with brands, Lu Yanhe breathed a sigh of relief.
We can put this matter aside for now and leave the rest to more professional people.
He's heading to the Venice International Film Festival.
-
"Lu, how many days are you staying in Venice?" Lily Williams asked cheerfully on the phone.
When filming for "The Mist" wrapped up, Lily Williams said with some sadness that she didn't know when they would meet again. She never expected to see Lily Williams at the film festival so soon.
Lily Williams came with another film she starred in, which was nominated for the main competition and in which she played the second female lead.
"I'll stay for three days. I'll arrive on September 3rd, do some promotional work for the screening on the 4th and 5th, and then leave on the 6th," Lu Yanhe said.
“I’m arriving on the 5th, and you’re leaving on the 6th!” Lily said, sounding a little annoyed. “Are you free on the evening of the 5th? How about we have dinner together? I probably won’t get to the hotel until around 5 p.m.
“I’ll be hosting a banquet on the evening of the 5th and inviting some friends. Would you like to come along if you’re free?” Lu Yanhe said. “It’s a rare opportunity for me to hold an exhibition of my works, so I should treat some friends who come to support me.”
Upon hearing this, Lily said, "Okay, is this dinner party public? Will we walk the red carpet?"
"It's not confirmed yet, but there might be a red carpet photo session," Lu Yanhe said.
"Okay, then I'll bring a few more outfits as backup. I have to look beautiful and charming when I appear," Lily said with a smile.
-
To Lu Yanhe's surprise, his screening of his work in Venice attracted quite a few people.
Even Thai actress Chaena, whom he had met once before, sent him an email asking if he could get an invitation to a screening of his work.
Lu Yanhe immediately replied that of course he could. He then explained, "I'm sorry, I've been busy preparing for a program recently and haven't had time to confirm who will be attending the Venice International Film Festival and send out invitations."
In reality, Lu Yanhe didn't really manage this matter much; it was Chen Ziyan and the officials from the Venice International Film Festival who were organizing it.
He had already made contact with people in China, but as for filmmakers abroad, Lu Yanhe didn't know many of them to begin with.
Lu Yanhe gave Cai Na's email address to Chen Ziyan and told her about it.
Chen Ziyan said, "Okay, your film screening event is quite a grand affair, almost on par with the scale of the main competition films."
Lu Yanhe laughed.
"The main reason is that we have a lot of our own people."
"The film festival organizing committee also invited some foreign stars."
"Yeah?"
“Yes, quite a few people are interested in you,” Chen Ziyan smiled. “Especially film critics. Their affection for you is almost to the point of favoritism.”
Lu Yanhe: "Thank you, Linyu."
“Lin Yu is just a bridge; the key lies in yourself.” Chen Ziyan looked at him thoughtfully. “You know, film critics are generally more critical of handsome male actors and beautiful female actors, but they seem to have a special fondness for you. I still don’t understand why.”
In fact, Lu Yanhe's international fame and current influence largely come from the recognition and praise he has received from film critics around the world, which has brought him media favor and benefits.
Chen Ziyan said, "I have already prepared the list of media representatives to be invited to your thank-you dinner. I have also checked it with Siqi and Linyu. Please take a look and see if there is anyone you need to add. Don't forget anyone."
Lu Yanhe agreed.
-
The reason for holding this thank-you dinner is that many friends came to support him this time, and he couldn't thank them all individually, so he decided to hold this event to thank them all at once.
Secondly, the Venice International Film Festival organized such a screening of his work, regardless of the purpose, which left a brilliant and honorable mark on his career resume. In return, Lu Yanhe presented a star-studded event at the Venice International Film Festival.
Moreover, those who came to support Lu Yanhe, not to mention those from abroad, even just those from within China, all have precious time and tight schedules.
They came to support Lu Yanhe, and Lu Yanhe naturally reciprocated.
Hosting such a dinner provides the Venice International Film Festival with a glittering event venue, giving the media new material to shoot and report on.
Internally, the banquet was attended by photographers and reporters from various media outlets who specialize in covering film festivals, as well as producers and directors invited by Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan.
Such an occasion can provide many conveniences for everyone. Introducing everyone to each other can be a mutually beneficial and utilitarian endeavor, or it can be a dinner party that creates opportunities for everyone to get to know each other.
Soon, news came from Chen Ziyan.
Lu Yanhe's endorsement brand "Math" has agreed to sponsor the dinner.
“Although it was a private dinner we hosted ourselves, it would still look pretty bad in many people’s eyes if it didn’t have a brand sponsor, which would mean that we didn’t have a brand to foot the bill,” Chen Ziyan said. “Of course, Math agreed almost immediately.”
-
The second phase of recording for "The Days of Youth" began in mid-to-late August.
This stage of the recording mainly involved filming these people going to a farm to help with farm work.
The recording of the second phase was scheduled long ago.
Looking at this arrangement now, it inexplicably forms a stark contrast with the third phase of the Venice International Film Festival.
A group of people started complaining on the way to the departure vehicle.
"Isn't this a slow-paced lifestyle? Why should we do farm work?"
"I was too hasty. I should have asked what we would be filming this season before signing the contract. If I had known I would have to work, I should have asked for leave."
"Let's sunbathe for three days and then walk the red carpet in Venice? Or maybe we should just get tanned together," Xiao Yun said to the other girls.
Liu Zhiyin took something out of her bag and silently gestured it towards her face.
"Holy crap, what is this?!" Xiao Yun stared wide-eyed in shock.
Lu Yanhe was also taken aback, but then he realized what was happening.
This thing, isn't it just a facekini?!
Liu Zhiyin said, "I prepared one for each of you."
"That's incredible, sis!" Xiao Yun exclaimed in shock.
“A female celebrity is a female celebrity,” Li Zhibai clicked his tongue three times.
Liu Zhiyin pointed directly at the camera: "Be careful you don't get accused of sexism. What, that female celebrities are female celebrities, but male celebrities don't need to manage their image?"
Li Zhibai: "...Don't make such a big deal out of it."
He chuckled, "Anyway, I won't get tanned."
Liu Zhiyin turned to Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang and said, "I hope that you two will strip him naked and tie him to a telephone pole to be exposed to the sun for the next five days. I want to see how dark he gets."
Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang burst into laughter at the same time.
Xiao Yun's eyes lit up, as if he wanted to stir up trouble, and he said, "Dig!"
Li Zhibai exclaimed "Damn it!" again.
-
Lu Yanhe quite liked this arrangement of doing farm work.
For a program to have a lasting vitality, it must constantly innovate and offer fresh content to the audience.
Lu Yanhe liked this content about doing farm work because it was relatively realistic. It wasn't just for show, nor did it deliberately include scenes of celebrities making a fool of themselves or looking ridiculous while doing farm work.
In this scene, they have visited a local farmer's home.
Li Zhenzhen said in the car, "We actually came up with this task from a comment on our program. The commenter was a student studying abroad. He said that this is his first year studying abroad, but only his grandparents are at home because his parents are also working in other places. In previous years, he would use his summer vacation to chop firewood for the autumn and winter, repair the roof tiles, and prepare everything he could so that his grandparents could do less work when he went back to school after the summer vacation."
When Li Zhenzhen told this story, everyone quieted down and listened attentively.
“So we thought we could help him do all these things. Of course, we also wanted to see how well you would do these farm chores, since you’ve never done them before,” Li Zhenzhen said. “This is an era of increasing urbanization, and rural areas have gradually faded from our lives. But in reality, agriculture still exists extensively in our lives, so we hope to present this kind of content in the program.”
Li Zhenzhen's words, seemingly addressed to the artists, were actually also an expression of her original intention in creating this content to the audience in front of the camera.
Lu Yanhe thought this was a very good topic.
The world depicted in the program should be diverse and colorful.
There are mountains, rivers, cities, and villages. The world's prosperity lies not only in its dazzling lights and fireworks, but also in its all-encompassing diversity.
-
Of course, this is from the perspective of the theme. To put it more deeply, as a variety show, this kind of content also has another point: it has a sense of contrast and is watchable.
During the actual recording, apart from Lu Yanhe, everyone else was indeed quite flustered.
Only Lu Yanhe worked methodically, knowing how to start a fire, how to dig a nest, what fruits were edible in the mountains and forests, and how to avoid places where snakes and beasts might appear.
Xiao Yun looked at Lu Yanhe with admiration and asked him, "How do you know everything?"
Lu Yanhe said with a smile, "Have you forgotten that I grew up in the countryside?"
The memories, intuitions, and instincts left behind by the original owner allowed him to thrive in this unfamiliar environment.
Grandpa and Grandma were very polite to them.
On their first day, I cooked them a large table of dishes, almost all of them meat, with only two bowls of vegetables.
Most of these celebrities control their diet year-round.
The large table of meat dishes made them hesitant to eat.
Lu Yanhe said frankly: "Eat without worry. In the next few days, no matter how much you eat, you won't gain a pound. If you eat too little, you might collapse from hypoglycemia tomorrow."
Lu Yanhe's words left them utterly bewildered.
Is it that bitter?
Once they put their chopsticks down, the dishes on the table awakened their taste buds.
It smells so good.
The aroma was so enticing that once they started eating, they couldn't stop.
"The fish meat feels sticky and chewy, unlike the fish I've eaten before."
"Because it's pond fish, it was just scooped out of the pond."
Lu Yanhe said, "Actually, the green vegetables are the most different. These green vegetables, which are freshly picked from the ground, are stir-fried with oil and taste completely different."
The group ate until their bellies were bulging.
As Lu Yanhe had said before, in the following days, they were so tired that they didn't even want to take a shower after dinner.
Li Zhiba directly held up his calloused palms to the camera and said, "To prevent you from saying we're putting on an act, we've been working diligently these past few days without slacking off at all."
At this moment, Yan Liang walked past Li Zhibai and heard what he was saying. He said bluntly, "Don't worry, no one is saying you're slacking off now."
The next second, Yan Liang said, "They'll just say you're trash, bad, and garbage."
Li Zhibai's expression changed instantly, and he roared, "How are you any better than me!"
The girls behind me, supporting each other, looked at the people in front of me in disbelief and exclaimed in amazement.
"How do they still have the energy to shout so loudly?" Singer Song Linxin was truly exhausted and barely breathing.
After having our last dinner together and taking our last nap, we prepared to leave early the next morning.
The old man was very kind and prepared a piece of cured meat and a jar of radish peel for each of them, all of which were homemade.
Lu Yanhe and the others thanked him with smiles and accepted the gifts politely.
Once on the bus, everyone sat quietly for a long time, gazing at the scenery outside the window.
Li Zhenzhen didn't raise the loudspeaker and speak until the car drove out of the village and into the town.
"Thank you for your hard work, everyone."
"You've all worked hard too," Liu Zhiyin said.
These past few days, they've been working under the scorching sun, as has the film crew. They've been doing all sorts of farm work, and they've also been carrying cameras to film. Who isn't working hard?
Just then, shouts came from outside the car window: "Stop! Stop!"
It was a very familiar voice.
Because it was early in the morning, there were few people on the streets, and it wasn't noisy, so the shout was very clear.
A motorcycle suddenly pulled up to their window. The old man, who had been staying at their house for the past few days, was sitting on the back of the motorcycle and banging on the window.
The people in the car were startled and quickly shouted for the driver to stop.
"Grandpa, what's wrong?"
"Too dangerous!"
...
They all got off the bus.
The old man quickly dismounted from his motorcycle, took out a very thick envelope from his pocket, and stuffed it into the hand of Peng Zhixing, who was closest to him, without saying a word.
"Take this back!" the old man said. "This isn't allowed!"
This is what they secretly put under their pillows before they left this morning; it contained 30,000 yuan.
It wasn't much; it was just a small token of their appreciation.
“I’ve been eating and staying at your place for the past few days, so this is what I should give you,” Peng Zhixing immediately replied.
The old man wouldn't listen to that, saying, "Your director has already paid for our food and lodging."
“Those are them, we are us. We have been relying on you and Grandma to take care of us these past few days.”
"Don't waste your breath, take it back!" The old man refused to accept it, turned around and left, getting on his motorcycle and waving, "Have a safe journey!"
He urged the young man on the motorcycle to drive.
So they sped back.
The group of people remained on the ground, looking at each other in bewilderment.
"You even sent it back from so far away? I was worried he wouldn't accept it, so I secretly slipped it under his pillow," Li Zhibai said in surprise.
After they got back into the car, Li Zhenzhen looked at them with a big smile.
“It’s alright, don’t worry. We’ve already given them the money, and they understand your intentions, that’s enough,” Li Zhenzhen said. “I originally thought some of you would complain and leave halfway through, but I didn’t expect you all to persevere, which exceeded my expectations.”
"Who do you think you are?" Li Zhibai snorted.
Li Zhenzhen asked, "However, there is actually one more thing."
"Hmm?" Everyone was a little confused.
Li Zhenzhen said, "Originally, we didn't plan to talk about this on the show, but Gao Yuan—the grandson of the grandparents, who was the first person to leave a comment on our show—asked us to express his gratitude on the show."
"Thank you?" Everyone was puzzled and confused.
Li Zhenzhen said, "This is really a big coincidence. Of course, it can't be called a coincidence, because it was because of this incident that he became an audience member of our program. Have you ever wondered how this student, whose family seems unable to afford to study abroad, managed to go abroad to study?"
Yan Liang asked in confusion, "Didn't you receive a scholarship?"
Qin Zhibai nodded: "Many people go abroad to study on scholarships."
Li Zhenzhen was taken aback.
She seemed surprised by this answer.
“Okay, he didn’t get it through a scholarship,” Li Zhenzhen said.
That's when everyone was truly stunned.
Li Zhenzhen's gaze fell on Lu Yanhe: "He was able to study at Cambridge University after receiving an offer from Cambridge University because of the scholarship fund program set up by Yanhe."
Lu Yanhe opened his mouth in shock.
The others also looked at Lu Yanhe with expressions of shock.
Lu Yanhe also started a student aid fund project?
No one has ever heard of this before.
In fact, even Lu Yanhe himself wasn't quite sure.
"Wait, Sister Zhenzhen, don't rush to praise me. I don't know what's going on myself." Lu Yanhe quickly interrupted this sudden outburst. "Let me make a call to confirm first."
Lu Yanhe quickly dialed Chen Ziyan's number.
"Sister Ziyan, did you start a scholarship fund project?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Chen Ziyan: "Yes, didn't you give me ten million yuan each year for the past two years so that we could do charity together? Two years ago, I started a scholarship fund project with a non-profit organization, and your share was in it."
She asked again, "What's wrong? Why are you suddenly asking this?"
Lu Yanhe hummed in response, “It’s nothing. I just suddenly heard that I have this project, and I’m completely clueless about it, so I’m asking.”
After he hung up the phone, everyone else stared at him.
Actually, no one else in the car heard what Chen Ziyan said on the phone.
However, Li Zhenzhen heard it in real time through the microphone on Lu Yanhe's body, via her earphones.
When Li Zhenzhen heard the number ten million, she was completely unprepared and showed an expression of disbelief.
Celebrities earn a lot, and celebrities of Lu Yanhe's caliber, who is also a screenwriter and holds the copyrights to multiple blockbuster dramas, undoubtedly earn even more.
However, just because you are very rich doesn't mean you're willing to share your money with others.
Li Zhenzhen had heard of people in this world who were willing to donate a lot of money to charity. However, she had never seen anyone like Lu Yanhe, who silently donated ten million yuan to do these things without any publicity or media coverage.
-
Li Zhenzhen could almost imagine the reaction that would occur when this part of the content was broadcast on the show.
“It seems that I did organize it, because I wasn’t in charge of the specifics. I was only responsible for providing the money, so I don’t know exactly how they did it or who they funded,” Lu Yanhe whispered to the others.
"You are truly admirable," Liu Zhiyin said to Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, no, don't praise me like that."
Liu Zhiyin asked in a low voice, "Do you have a foundation specifically doing this?"
“No, it’s my agent. She’s been doing this privately. After I found out, I asked her to help me with a little bit,” Lu Yanhe said. “Because I’m usually really busy and don’t have time to verify who is trustworthy. I’m also afraid that my money will be wasted. What I’m even more afraid of is that someone might use my status as a donor to scam money from others. You know, this area is very chaotic, with a lot of scammers.”
“Yes.” Liu Zhiyin nodded. “I was originally going to say that if you have your own foundation, I would also like to entrust you to help me with this matter.”
Lu Yanhe: "I'm sorry, I don't have any either."
"Okay, then forget it."
Money is always a sensitive topic.
Lu Yanhe didn't want to cause trouble for himself.
-
The first episode of season five was actually released at noon.
When they got off the plane, all eight of them were already trending on social media.
To keep things fresh, they didn't watch the clips that had already been leaked online.
In the evening, they ordered takeout, sat together, and started watching the first episode while eating.
Li Zhenzhen and her team started with a particularly grand opening—
The reason it is described as magnificent is that the opening of this season is actually the universe, accompanied by a grand and majestic symphony.
"When I was a child, I often wondered if there were aliens in this universe."
Some people say that oxygen is the foundation of life and that there is no oxygen in the universe.
"I'm puzzled. If they're aliens, why do their life forms still depend on oxygen?"
"As I grew up, many of these doubts disappeared from my mind."
"No matter how vast the universe is, it is still just the universe."
"Compared to whether aliens exist or not, what truly affects my life is the mess I'm currently dealing with."
As the voiceover gradually enters, the camera moves from outer space through the atmosphere to China, then to a vast city, then a bustling neighborhood, and then through crisscrossing streets and routes, finally zooming in on a house and a window.
As the narration reads "a mess before my eyes," a door opens in the shot, and Peng Zhixing walks out of the room with a tangled mess of hair, his face bare, a pimple clearly visible on his forehead. He doesn't care about his image at all and lets out a big yawn.
The image froze on his gaping, blood-red mouth, and then an animation effect showing 48 hours of time rewinding appeared on the screen.
A voice from the side said, "Actually, he didn't look like this forty-eight hours ago."
As soon as the words were spoken, the scene changed to the backstage area of a grand event.
Dressed in a suit and tie, the handsome Peng Zhixing was waiting backstage, ready to go on stage.
-
"Wow, Zhixing is so handsome," Xiao Yun exclaimed. "Tsk, clothes really do make the man."
Peng Zhixing smiled.
"The production team is getting better and better at editing. This opening is amazing," Yan Liang said. "They're really showing off their skills."
"It's said that every episode this season starts with a special trick," Qin Zhibai said. "I wonder what the next episode will be like."
“I don’t know what the next episode will be like, but if Xiao Yun says she wants to see the scene where Li Zhibai is stripped naked that wasn’t included at the beginning of any episode, I think it must have been blocked by Li Zhibai’s PR team,” Liu Zhiyin said with a smile.
"Damn it!" Li Zhibai immediately bristled.
“Then if the part where a chicken flies onto your head and poops on you wasn’t put at the beginning, I think you must have PR done to get it cut,” Li Zhibai immediately retorted.
Liu Zhiyin: "..."
Lu Yanhe: "Let's not hurt each other."
“She started it!” Li Zhibai said. “You people are becoming more and more hostile towards me now.”
“You’re the one who’s having fun, so you can’t blame us,” Xiao Yun said bluntly.
"Damn it." Li Zhibai suddenly remembered something. "Right, the scene where Xiao Yun steps in dog poop on the street has to be shown too. It can't be cut by the PR team. If it's not shown in the final cut, I'll post the video I took on my phone on Weibo."
Xiao Yun's face stiffened.
Li Zhi laughed triumphantly.
The next second, Li Zhibai was pinned down on the sofa and ganged up on by two girls.
"Damn it—" Li Zhibai struggled like a shrimp in a frying pan.
However, Peng Zhixing and Yan Liang quickly helped to subdue him.
Lu Yanhe couldn't help but cough twice while laughing.
-
In the first episode of the fifth season of "Days of Being Young," there were no guest stars, but everyone was present.
The familiarity, closeness, and especially the sense of everyday life they conveyed on the show received unanimous praise from the audience.
Many people say that the people in the fifth season have a relaxed vibe off-camera.
Everyone remarked that it still had to be a gathering of acquaintances.
There were no guest stars, no need to consider other people's feelings, and everyone was an old acquaintance. They kept talking non-stop, making it difficult to edit in post-production.
Especially at the end of the first episode, the turtle soup game makes a comeback.
Lu Yanhe's line, "I discovered that the person who killed my mother was actually my father, and my father knew that I was also in this house," was cut into the last scene of the first episode, and the comments section exploded.
—Holy crap! What kind of slow-paced program is this? It suddenly gave me goosebumps!
—Lu Yanhe suddenly started telling a scary story, oh my god!
—I'm speechless. This is such a twist of fate. I'm going to report this show. It's false advertising and not heartwarming or funny at all. How am I going to sleep tonight?
Looking for someone to sleep with tonight.
—What kind of thought process does Lu Yanhe have? The story was already terrifying enough, but he took it to a whole new level with just one sentence.
...
Lu Yanhe's development became one of the most explosive points in the first episode.
Of course, no one on the internet knew that his words had a deeper meaning.
Everyone just thought he was continuing the story based on what had been written before.
Lu Yanhe's "amazing plot twist" on the show also allowed people to directly experience his ability as a screenwriter for the first time.
After all, it only took him a few minutes to come up with this twist.
The program clearly indicated in the subtitles the time Lu Yanhe spent thinking.
—I feel this story could be directly adapted into a movie script.
—I also think that Lu Yanhe has been exploring horror stories since filming "The Mist" in the United States? Is he planning to write a horror movie script himself?
—Couldn't he act in more art films and try to win awards? Can't he stop making these commercial and genre films that drain his talent?
—Hey, if you like winning awards so much, why don't you go and make your own? What are you babbling about here? Lu Yanhe can film whatever he wants. Your mom still wants you to study hard and get into Zhenhua University. Did you get in?
...
After watching the first episode, the second phase of filming has officially come to an end.
Because many people had other plans for the next day, no one ended up staying in the house. Some rushed to catch their flights late at night, while others went to hotels.
Li Zhibai and Yan Liangquan both rushed to catch a plane; they have other work arrangements for tomorrow.
Lu Yanhe didn't stay in a hotel; he took the night bus directly back to Yuming.
I arrived at Ziyuan Bridge at 2 a.m. and fell into a deep sleep.
Lu Yanhe didn't wake up until 10 a.m. the next day.
When I woke up, I was still exhausted and felt like I hadn't slept enough.
However, he already knew from experience that he couldn't continue sleeping at this point, otherwise he would feel even more tired.
So, Lu Yanhe still managed to get out of bed.
In five days, we'll be heading to Venice.
In fact, the Venice International Film Festival had already opened the day before yesterday, but because his film screening was in the middle of the festival, he did not plan to attend the opening ceremony.
In fact, the first week of a film festival is often the time when there is the most star power.
At that time, many film crews had just arrived, and the stars were not in a hurry to leave.
Conversely, by the second week, there were far fewer stars.
Especially those big stars from Europe and America, they basically all leave after their films finish screening—the Venice Film Festival is a typical film festival that reserves the best screening times for star-studded productions, while films from smaller countries and lesser-known directors with fewer big stars are relegated to the back of the schedule.
Therefore, they moved the screening of Lu Yanhe's works to the second half of the event, which Lu Yanhe understood.
To add star power and buzz to that time.
To Lu Yanhe's surprise, more and more people were asking for invitations to his film screenings.
When he checked his phone today, he found an email from Kim Eon-sook, an executive at TVN, expressing her desire to receive four invitations to a screening event for the Korean drama version of "Rouge." She wanted to bring several of the main actors from the Korean drama version of "Rouge" to the event as a way to promote the drama.
When Lu Yanhe looked at the list again, he was shocked to find that they were all quite famous stars. Kim Yeon-sook had actually found two top Korean actors to star in this remake: actor Kong Shi and actress Jung Yu-kang.
Upon further investigation, Lu Yanhe understood why Jin Yanshu had asked him for the invitation.
It turns out that Kong Shi had a brand promotion event in Venice this year, while Zheng Yujiang was a jury member for the main competition of this year's Venice International Film Festival. Since both of them were in Venice, they took the opportunity to promote the Korean drama version of "Rouge"—a very convenient but highly effective event.
Lu Yanhe was of course willing.
They were all just trying to support him.
However, because more and more celebrities were attending, the original plan was to hold a red carpet photo session at the very beginning of the event, instead of showing all six dramas and having the guests walk the red carpet for each of the six dramas.
However, now that different stars attend different film screenings, especially the film "Rouge," the Venice Film Festival is considering holding a separate red carpet photo session for "Rouge."
Lu Yanhe didn't care about that; he just wanted to see how Venice planned things.
After sending invitations to the screening of "Rouge" to Jin Yanshu and the other two, Lu Yanhe also sent them invitations to the dinner on the evening of the 5th, inviting them to attend.
After finishing this matter, Lu Yanhe went online to read everyone's comments on the fifth season of "The Days of Youth".
After a night of calming down, although everyone was still criticizing the sudden and frightening ending, they were very satisfied with the rest of the content.
Just like Lu Yanhe himself felt when recording this program, everyone can also feel a kind of warm feeling like still waters running deep.
For a show about friendship, this rating is definitely a five-star review.
Lu Yanhe scrolled through everyone's comments, occasionally smiling, and took screenshots of some interesting comments to send to their group chat.
Today, many people in the group chat are posting screenshots, and everyone is paying close attention to online comments, just like him.
The clock struck exactly twelve o'clock at noon.
Lu Yanhe put aside his feigned relaxed and carefree attitude and sent Chen Ziyan a message: Is there any movement or news from him?
Chen Ziyan: No, he didn't work today either. I've already asked around.
Lu Yanhe: So he was faking his death?
Chen Ziyan: Not necessarily. Maybe they are completely flustered and don't know what to do, feeling helpless.
Lu Yanhe: Sister Ziyan, tell me, if he was the one who tricked me to the riverbank four years ago and pushed me in, should I seek revenge?
Chen Ziyan: I suggest you calm down and not make a decision on impulse. First of all, there is no evidence to prove whether he pushed you into the river.
Lu Yanhe: Hmm.
Chen Ziyan: It's okay, Yan He. We've already cast the bait. Let's take it one step at a time. If we haven't figured something out yet, let it continue to think. Let's focus on doing what we've already thought of, little by little.
Lu Yanhe: Okay.
At that time, Chen Ziyan asked Lu Yanhe, "Have you thought clearly about what you want?"
Lu Yanhe said that he hadn't really thought it through.
Chen Ziyan said, "Then you need to think it through."
Lu Yanhe asked, "Can you think about some of it first?"
Chen Ziyan nodded and said, "Of course."
Lu Yanhe said, "At the very least, I want him to know that I already know my true identity. I want to make him uneasy, to make him realize that there is a bomb that could explode at any time, to make him live in constant fear, and to make him unable to sleep at night."
Chen Ziyan: "Isn't this childish?"
“I don’t know if it’s childish, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time and have always wanted to do.”
A resolute determination, as if he had nothing to lose, flashed in Lu Yanhe's eyes.
“This anger has been brewing in my heart for a long time, and it has never gone away. Many times I thought I didn’t care, that he was just a symbol. But when I think about how he thought he had easily gotten rid of me, this trouble, and lived a carefree life for so many years, thinking that no one knew the truth, my anger surged to the top of my head. I even had an impulse to destroy him. I didn’t even realize it myself.”
like?
There is no love.
Blood is thicker than water?
It doesn't thicken.
He is not the original body; he is a time traveler.
He doesn't lack fatherly love; he doesn't need to humbly beg for a charity of love.
He inherited the hatred, and because of the love he possessed, he could not forgive that hatred.
Hate is hate.
True hatred is like water dripping on stone for ten years without getting worse; it is like a raging storm brewing beneath a calm surface; it is like a deep-seated hatred that one cannot let go of even in the dead of night.
Lu Yanhe wasn't lying; he himself hadn't realized that he had harbored hatred in his heart for so long.
Actually, it didn't disappear for even a day.
——
Today's update is nearly 15,000 words long. If I don't vote for it with monthly tickets, that would be unreasonable.
I'd like to continue recommending my old book, "I Became the Scandalous Woman Overnight," which went from 7 initial subscriptions to over 1,000 average subscriptions per day.
(End of this chapter)
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