The narrative framework of "Half of the Sky" is a classic three-act play structure.
Under Lu Huaizhang's painstaking guidance, Li Yiming lived up to expectations and finally passed the test with the special task force sent by Principal Kou. At the same time, Li Yiming also managed to integrate into the bloody and turbulent family of the Ninth Bureau.
At this point, the "establishment" part of the three-act play structure has been completed.
Having dealt with the angel sent by Principal Kou, Li Yiming was no longer of any use. Just as Lu Huaizhang was preparing to get rid of this wretched little thief, another disturbance arose—a wealthy couple of returned overseas Chinese found the Ninth Bureau through special channels, claiming they wanted to visit their daughter.
It turns out that the real Li Yiming was actually the only daughter of these patriotic businessmen. Not only that, she was also engaged to her cousin, Li Ruhui.
This is the second act – the confrontation.
While marveling at the fact that there were actually fools in the world who would give up their vast fortune to become slaves to the Ninth Bureau, Lu Huaizhang once again entertained wicked thoughts.
Although Principal Kou's imperial envoy had been fooled away, the Kou family's messengers were always known as "a gust of wind," always managing to take something away wherever they went.
Lu Huaizhang has spent a considerable amount of money this time. In addition, the Kuomintang's rampant selling of official positions has led to a continuous inflation of the price of official posts, leaving Director Lu, who is known for his incorruptibility, with a slightly insufficient budget for bribing the provincial government chairman.
Now that two fat sheep have fallen into his trap, Lu Huaizhang seems to see the lost wool beckoning to him.
Lu Huaizhang intercepted Li Yiming, who was about to flee, and once again proposed a collaboration: to impersonate the beloved daughter of a returned overseas Chinese and make some money. If they could persuade his adoptive parents to help Director Lu ascend to the position of provincial governor, that would be even better.
These so-called returned overseas Chinese were, of course, friends whom our Party had cultivated. Li Yiming discussed the matter with the organization several times and believed that having an official-obsessed person like Lu Huaizhang become the top leader of Ruguan would help our Party accelerate the liberation of Ruguan. Therefore, he decided to intervene and help Lu Huaizhang ascend to the throne of the provincial government chairman.
Although Lu Huaizhang himself had no faith or loyalty to the Kuomintang, there were still quite a few die-hard Kuomintang members in the Ninth Bureau. Li Yiming, under the pretext of eliminating Lu Huaizhang's political enemies, purged most of the enemies in the Ninth Bureau. Like a tireless killing machine, he effortlessly wiped out countless lives with a few words.
To avoid a mid-season lull, the second act (the confrontation phase) in a three-act structure is often the golden section of a drama. "Half a Day" is no exception. The climax and most essential parts of the entire series are concentrated in this phase.
First, several new characters with memorable moments make their appearance. These include Qi Ming as Li Yiming's mother, Shi Shan as Li Ruhui, and Li Yiming's new comrades.
Secondly, the supporting characters of the Ninth Instrument, who were initially meant to complement Li Yiming and Lu Huaizhang during the construction phase, began to shine.
Such as Cui Jingya, the intelligent and almost supernatural monitoring team leader codenamed "Di Ting"; Shen Yanzhi, the decisive action team leader; and Cheng Daiqing, the special advisor who is persistent, noble, and lives for his faith...
These exceptional geniuses took turns on stage in the second phase, relentlessly vying for supremacy with Li Yiming. Each character was fully fleshed out and possessed a distinct personality. The sparks ignited by the clash of these geniuses were as brilliant as shooting stars; it was truly a gathering of outstanding talents, a truly exhilarating spectacle.
As for the astonishing reversal in the third phase, it was even more shocking...
Shang Yechu felt unprecedented pressure.
In the first phase, it was basically a duet between Li Yiming and Lu Huaizhang, with everyone else playing supporting roles. No matter how much screen time Lu Huaizhang had, he was still a villain, only able to maintain a minimum standard but not a maximum one. The hope of carrying the ratings was essentially placed on Shang Yechu.
In the second phase, there are simply too many dazzling supporting characters. As the protagonist, Li Yiming inevitably faces various limitations in his characterization. If not careful, he could easily blend into the crowd.
Furthermore, Shi Shan, who has a huge fan base, also appears in the second phase. If the ratings are dismal in the first phase but soar after Shi Shan's appearance, then Shang Ye Chu will likely be crushed by the ivy and never be able to recover.
In other words, in the first stage, Shang Yechu not only had to carry the show, but also had to be constantly wary of being outshone by veteran actors like Lu Huaizhang; in the second stage, she also had to avoid being overshadowed by the supporting actors (especially Shi Shan).
The idealized, righteous character has a low audience appeal in today's market and is easily criticized. If not handled carefully, Shang Yechu could easily become an awkwardly positioned minor character in some works, leaving a less memorable impression on the audience than a particularly memorable performance.
Shang Yechu went crazy, spending every day immersed in the database of Room 103, pushing herself to the limit. She scrutinized her eyebrows, eyes, lips, and nose in front of the mirror, even muttering lines in her dreams. Sometimes, while eating her boxed lunch, she would involuntarily stand up and move around like a sleepwalker... her lips even developed blisters.
"Half a Day" is an ensemble piece, with the colleagues from the Ninth Bureau appearing in almost every episode. To help everyone get along, director Xu Hanwen's first scene was a large ensemble piece.
Ensemble scenes are notoriously difficult, and usually only top directors have the confidence to include them in their very first scene. Zheng Bohan then launched into another tirade against Xu Hanwen, saying, "He's all talk and no action at the beginning." Unfortunately, this time, he didn't have the same influence on set as before, and his protests were ineffective.
The scene takes place when Li Yiming has just been placed into the Ninth Bureau by Lu Huaizhang.
On Li Yiming's first day at work, Lu Huaizhang convened an emergency meeting. The meeting had two purposes: first, to discuss the issue of an internal mole, and second, to demonstrate Li Yiming's impeccable character and silence the gossips in the bureau.
Suspicious of Li Yiming's identity, Lu Huaizhang naturally couldn't keep her as an archivist, instead giving her the sinecure of a meeting stenographer. —As everyone knows, truly important matters are never decided in meeting rooms. Meeting rooms are the furthest place from confidentiality.
Li Yiming readily agreed. Thus, a farcical and absurd situation unfolded.
"The First Scene of 'Half the Sky,' Action!"
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