Chapter 194: Regret and Win-Win Beneath the Legend, Both...
After listening quietly to Cheng Hesheng's "story," Li Sishi remained silent for a moment before replying with a polite smile, "Personally, I quite like the story you told, but you should know that my liking doesn't mean others will—"
“The most important thing is your ‘liking’,” Cheng Hesheng quickly said.
What he sought in this role was that mysterious feeling of oneness between the actor and the role. If the actor playing the role was unwilling, then it would be impossible to achieve the "perfection" in his mind.
Although the late-night call was somewhat abrupt, the fact that his chosen actor recognized the role was the driving force behind his determination to work hard for it.
After sincerely thanking Li Sishi for her understanding and consideration, Cheng Hesheng said on the other end of the phone that he would work with the screenwriter to finish the complete script as soon as possible, and then contact Li Sishi's agent, Lu Yiting, to show his sincerity in the most formal way possible.
In this era and region, while the entertainment industry strives to align with international standards in terms of professional skills, it is also quite down-to-earth in terms of interpersonal relationships. In addition, the small size of the area leads to a complex web of personal connections, and often, a single person can take the lead and build a team through word of mouth.
This practice of contacting people privately to inquire about their intentions is a common practice for many people with extensive networks before officially announcing the establishment of their teams. Especially for those with whom they have a close relationship, a simple phone call with something like, "I have a script here with a role that would be perfect for you. Are you interested?" can save them the time and effort of probing before going through the complicated formalities. It may seem rather crude and rough, but it is actually very useful and convenient.
After hanging up Cheng Hesheng's call, Li Sishi glanced at the pale blue moonlight filtering through the gauze curtains in the room, then at the clock on the wall that read three in the morning. In the end, she couldn't suppress her desire and turned it into action.
She picked up the phone and dialed a number she talked to quite often. Sure enough, the other end answered shortly after: "Hello? Ah May? Is something wrong that you're calling so late?"
“Or should I be the one to tell you ‘what’s up?’” Li Sishi said, feigning anger. Then, in the momentary silence that followed, she probed but remained resolute in her tone, “Director Cheng was able to make up his mind to contact me. You must have given him a lot of ‘hope’ in the process, right?”
"I'm innocent! I just told him what I knew when he called to ask me about you..." Rong Juezhang exclaimed upon hearing Li Sishi's question.
He immediately cried out in a wronged tone, "Can this be considered giving him 'hope'?"
"Why not?" Li Sishi retorted. "You told him about my personality, so he might consider that I'm more responsive to gentle persuasion than force."
He specifically targeted me to pique my interest—wouldn't that make contacting Sister Ting much easier for him then?
“We’re all so familiar with each other, so stop joking around with me here…” Rong Juezhang shook his head with a slight chuckle. “Putting aside whether you’re the type to respond to gentle persuasion or not, as far as I know you, if you don’t want to do something, no one can force you to do it.”
“And if you want to do something, it’s hard for anyone to stop you.” Rong Juezhang sighed softly as he said this.
"In today's industry, some people pay more attention to the order of billing, while others are more 'old-fashioned' and focus more on artistic pursuits."
“I can see that you really like this show, and I can also see that Lao Cheng has an extraordinary fondness for it. In addition, you and he both have the mindset of wanting to make things as perfect as possible when you have the ability…”
"That's why I suggested that Lao Cheng take a 'risk' once and tell you his true thoughts, and see if he could persuade you, a young woman who might share his ideals, to take a 'risk' together for the things he likes."
Li Sishi fell silent.
Unlike the increasingly superficial and utilitarian atmosphere that followed, filmmakers like Cheng Hesheng in this era in Hong Kong still possessed a certain "persistence" in art and "tolerance" for creation.
How many main characters can a movie have?
There are three, four, or five "co-starring actors" who are given nice-sounding titles; but the only "leading actor" who is clearly labeled as having a main or supporting role is a single, unique main character.
Even though Hong Kong produces a lot of movies every year, apart from all sorts of mindless popcorn commercial films and unconventional films that are solely for profit, the number of films with good scripts and good teams can probably be counted on one hand.
But it was precisely in such a difficult and chaotic era that, through the persistent pursuit of generations of filmmakers in Hong Kong, this small place managed to create such a miraculous and glorious era of cultural and entertainment, leaving a unique and colorful mark on the history of world cinema.
This requires the joint efforts of many, many people.
The achievements that can be ultimately written by hard work are something that the "entertainment industry" of later generations, which only cares about personal fame and fortune, could not achieve.
The decline of the entertainment industry probably began after this trend and mentality became widespread, leading it step by step towards the abyss of its peak and fall.
Simply put, it's like a promising movie where everyone chooses their own roles and positions, works together to fulfill their responsibilities, and ultimately creates a wonderful work.
Later, most people wanted to stand out more in the movie. Since they had the most screen time and the most likable character, everyone wanted to be the most glamorous and shining one. So, in the midst of the endless arguments, they ended up with a piece of garbage that was not focused, had terrible pacing, and was otherwise terrible.
“Your daddy asked me to take care of you, so at this time when you may be facing another crossroads in your life, I’m giving you some ‘advice’ that I’ve summarized based on my personal experience.” Rong Juezhang said, “The brilliance of a movie lies not only in the outstanding performance of the main character, but also in the joint efforts of the supporting actors and the entire behind-the-scenes team.”
His own years in the entertainment industry were a process of climbing up from the bottom step by step. Compared to Li Sishi, who came from a beauty pageant background and basically never experienced any setbacks, and was always given leading roles, he had seen far more supporting roles in his entertainment career than Li Sishi.
Furthermore, whether driven by social relationships or by a shared passion for art, many established celebrities are willing, at some point, to temporarily become "supporting actors" to the main characters, regardless of other factors, so that the film can present its best version of itself, becoming fertile ground for rich content or gentle rain to harmonize the rhythm.
But it is precisely because of the combined efforts of these "green leaves and licorice" and the "soil," "rain and dew," and everyone else behind the scenes that amazing and beautiful flowers can bloom in this barren and insignificant region.
Therefore, when faced with the joint scrutiny of Zhuang Menghua and Lu Yiting, Li Sishi boldly and sincerely expressed her thoughts to them.
“I really like this story and this character, but the final decision will be made by Miss Zhuang and Sister Ting.” Li Sishi lowered her head, looking like she would obediently follow the arrangements after expressing her thoughts.
"First you auditioned for the lead role, but the director ultimately chose you for the second lead. Aren't you afraid that the paparazzi will use this change to create a big story about you?" To Li Sishi's surprise, Zhuang Menghua didn't immediately say that "her people only accept lead roles."
The reason given was to directly reject the invitation.
Instead, she received the script from Lu Yiting, which was given to her by Cheng Hesheng. While reading the script, she glanced at Li Sishi.
“What outsiders say is their business. I have a lot of confidence in this script, and I also have a lot of confidence in my own judgment and ability—so I think time will tell.” Li Sishi stood up straight and faced Zhuang Menghua directly.
"Moreover, from another perspective, if this movie becomes a classic in the future, will some people use this as a reason to think that my not participating in it was a huge loss?"
Different perspectives lead to different opinions—some might think this is self-degrading and lowering the standard by focusing solely on billing order, resulting in various comparisons and arguments; others might take a holistic view, seeing it as a unique display of magnanimity and tolerance, and sincerely thanking those who might otherwise never have appeared, for their sacrifices and efforts for this classic work.
Regret and win-win are simply each person's own choice.
Li Sishi's choice is the same as that of Rong Juezhang and other talented actors who don't care about billing order.
You can make a small "self-sacrifice" for the sake of a good story's perfection.
Given her ability, she didn't want to see any regrettable "regrets," nor did she want future generations to only be able to edit together footage from other films and television shows to create a "role" they missed, and then sigh and lament about what they missed in those years...
On the contrary, she hopes to use her efforts to turn those regrettable "regrets" into a "destiny" of perfect timing and favorable circumstances, so that future generations can look back on these classic works of this era and sincerely marvel at how timely and opportune these classic works were.
Therefore, in the future, whenever Cheng Hesheng is interviewed about the production of "Big City, Small Love," a film that has become a classic in Chinese cinema, he is always deeply moved. He says that the film's huge success and recognition from both commercial and artistic perspectives are not only thanks to the hard work of the entire team, but he is most grateful to Li Sishi, who was already a rising star at the time, for taking on such an important yet extremely challenging role.
In Cheng Hesheng's description, Li Sishi, who had not yet truly become a legendary diva at this time, was still relatively inexperienced in both appearance and seniority, but she already showed signs of great talent. She was willing to sacrifice her personal interests for the pursuit of art, and ultimately she was able to perfectly portray the "Fang Ning" he wanted.
And it completes all the plot lines of the entire movie.
When future generations recall the glorious 1990s Hong Kong entertainment industry, filled with countless legendary figures, Lee Sze-sze will inevitably be remembered as a "beautiful person," much like her famous nickname "Beautiful." This beauty is universally acknowledged to be not just physical, but also spiritual.
Like her distant cousin Rong Juezhang, who is also a legendary superstar, both of them have always adhered to their unique artistic dedication and tolerance for cultural and entertainment creation in the increasingly volatile entertainment industry. They are worldly-wise but not cynical, and they do not care about the disputes over billing order or ranking. They are calm and indifferent, accepting what they feel is acceptable and rejecting what they feel is unacceptable.
When faced with talented newcomers lacking resources or invitations for charitable purposes, they will carefully consider the matter and offer as much help as they can.
The passing down of films and filmmakers from generation to generation is based on this positive atmosphere.
As for the legendary superstars who have always upheld this positive spirit, they are like towering mountains that silently and calmly face the passage of time and the changing of the world. No matter how the waves surge and the tides rise and fall, how the sun and moon pass and the stars change, their strength has always been there, and they have always been there—no one can doubt it.
When the time comes to reminisce, the brilliance and emotion in those eyes, the heartfelt praise and gratitude, will not only resonate in the emotional ebb and flow of the storyteller and listener, but will also remain forever in the historical record of an era.
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