In Chapter 537, Anika is the rebel member played by Nina Meyer. Samuel and Darius are rebel members played by actors of African and European descent, respectively.
Shao Guangji paused slightly at the tip of his pen. The Heavenly Emperor's differential treatment of these three characters was actually a small detail added for commercial considerations. It was a deliberately ambiguous element, intended for the audience to explore and interpret, thus increasing its topicality.
Including Shang Yechu, the nationalities of the four actors respectively allude to the four ancient civilizations. When designing the script, Shao Guangji deliberately had the Heavenly Emperor treat these three characters with a more equal, curious, and even exasperated attitude, in order to evoke contemplation in the audience.
If the Heavenly Ruler is the embodiment of civilization, is there really only one embodiment?
The Heavenly Lord treats these three people slightly differently from the other characters. Is it because they were once Him?
Of the four, only the Heavenly Lord retained the memories of civilization. Is it because the other three civilizations were lost in the long river of history?
And so on. Discussions arose, buzz arose, and controversy arose.
There is considerable debate both domestically and internationally regarding the designation of China as one of the four ancient civilizations. Shao Guangji took this into account when casting foreign actors, making this choice intentionally. Frankly, it's a publicity stunt to increase buzz and mystique.
Don't underestimate this little trick. In today's world where the debate over whether tofu pudding is sweet or savory can rage on, a small point of contention can bring immeasurable benefits.
Shao Guangji, of course, couldn't mention this little scheme to anyone. Unexpectedly, Shang Yechu snatched Shao Guangji's work away from him at the first script reading meeting.
Shao Guangji stared at the three names circled on the script, then looked up at Shang Yechu with a gaze that could practically burn a hole through her.
The expressive power of words is limited; therefore, the differences in the Heavenly Emperor's attitude are only slightly reflected in the script. Shao Guangji originally planned to provide on-site guidance during filming, but Shang Yechu noticed it before filming even began.
Could Ye Chuzhen really have caught those subtle differences between the lines of the script? How did she do it?
Shao Guangji's face was somber, but his feelings were quite strange. As the creator of this plot, the little nail he had planted had actually been unearthed, which couldn't help but bring a sense of surprise. But the person who unearthed it was Ye Chu, which somewhat diminished the surprise. That was Ye Chu! — Shao Guangji had inquired about her long ago; she only had a high school diploma, and her college entrance exam score wasn't even a third higher than his assistant's!
This was one of the key reasons why Shao Guangji had firmly rejected Shang Yechu in the first place. He couldn't tolerate his script being ruined by an illiterate person. The embodiment of civilization was actually an uncultured person—was that even believable?
Shang Yechu was still staring at him with eager curiosity. Shao Guangji frowned, considering how to answer the question.
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't reasonably explain this to everyone. Shao Guangji's mind raced, but he finally said calmly, "That's your misconception. There's no hidden identity. Next question."
Shang Yechu frowned, feeling somewhat unconvinced. Ever since she received the script for "The Heavenly Emperor," she had taken detailed notes, writing over 20,000 words just on character biographies. The Heavenly Emperor's varying attitudes towards different characters were a crucial part of the character development, and one of the important results of Shang Yechu's painstaking research.
After compiling all this information, Shang Yechu was overjoyed, thinking she had thoroughly understood the script and uncovered some hidden Easter egg. So why did Shao Guangji dismiss it with a casual "misconception"?
During the script reading, it wasn't appropriate to publicly confront Shao Guangji. Shang Yechu had no choice but to swallow her rebuttals and silently drag the script back.
Seeing her stubborn expression, clearly unmoved by Shao Guangji's approach, Ai Xiaodong couldn't help but grin.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
