Actor: Thank you.

"Mr. Zhang Yuan, how do you feel after becoming the highest-grossing leading man of the year?"

At the press conference for the start of filming of "The Message".

A star-studded cast was present, with all the main actors in attendance.

Directors Chen Kuo-fu and Gao Qun-shu sat in the center, with Zhou Xun, Li Bingbing, and Zhang Hanyu sitting on either side.

Zhang Hanyu was originally sitting next to the director.

However, this would result in Zhou Xun and Li Bingbing being in unbalanced positions, leading to another drama about "who is closer to the center position".

So the guy moved a little to the side on his own initiative.

When Zhang Yuan went on stage, he also gave up his seat, making way for Professor Wang Zhiwen and Yingda to move forward.

Finally, Su Youpeng and the two "outsiders" sat on the far sides.

Who gets the center position isn't determined by where they sit.

Even though Zhou Xun and Li Bingbing squeezed into the middle, the reporters' attention was still focused on Zhang Yuan, who was sitting in the corner.

"I don't feel anything," Zhang Yuan replied after taking the microphone.

"The film's box office success is the result of the entire team's hard work."

"I'm just a member of the team, and I'm lucky to be in the spotlight."

"Many people's hard work and dedication go unnoticed."

"Also, you can ask Zhou Xun how she feels about becoming the highest-grossing female lead."

Zhang Yuan then passed the topic to Xun Ge.

Zhou Xun got excited when he heard this.

Yes, I am the leading lady, and Zhao Wei is my supporting character.

Moreover, my film's box office revenue is much higher than Li Bingbing's.

I'm the best!
As usual, Xun Ge spoke in fits and starts, without any substantial content.

"Let's all focus more on the film itself," Zhang Yuan said, trying to defuse the awkward situation when he saw the two directors looking embarrassed.

Do you think the box office of "The Message" can surpass that of "Painted Skin"?

"Nobody knows. Right now, I just feel very lucky to be able to work with so many teachers and celebrities. I don't have any more requests."

Gao Qunshu glanced at him, thinking that this younger brother was still as respectable as before.

But things have changed, and it's been a while since I last saw him. He's doing better and better than before, quite different from how he used to be.

Director Gao thought his answers and actions were all appropriate, completely unaware of how "willful" Zhang Yuan had been in front of his colleague Director Feng just a few days earlier.

These press conferences are nothing more than going through the motions.

Introduction, Q&A, group photo, promotion.

Speaking of advertising, Zhang Yuan glanced at the large advertising banner behind him.

Besides the two large characters "The Message" at the top, there was also a line of smaller characters at the bottom.

The content is extremely "arrogant".

"After The Message, there has been no more legends in the world!"

This statement reveals Hua Yi and the two directors' ambition for this major production of the year.

Feng Xiaogang's films have never used such promotional language.

The Wang brothers, being born into a privileged family, naturally had a fondness for this type of subject matter.

Moreover, this slogan isn't entirely without merit.

In commercial works, "Lurking" is a benchmark spy drama series, and "The Message" is a benchmark spy film.

The maximum potential of a film or television series is determined by the script, production, and filming processes.

The lower limit is determined by the actor's performance.

No matter how well it's done or how high the cost, if the performance is terrible, it's all for nothing.

The reason these two dramas are so excellent is that, looking at the entire cast and crew, from the lead actors to the supporting actors, there isn't a single bad one; they're all seasoned veterans.

It would be difficult for later generations to assemble a team of this caliber.

Moreover, this drama is considered a tribute work, as 09 marked the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Therefore, the project was approved and filmed smoothly, and the project received many preferential policies.

Many shows are not popular when they are first broadcast, but they become more valuable after time has passed, especially after they are "made up by the contrast of their peers".

That's how it is in "Da Ming Dynasty 1566".

The entire film consists of only two sentences.

All political problems are economic problems, and all economic problems are political problems.

The subject matter was too realistic and heavy, which made it less popular.

The Message was lucky.

Thanks to its strong cast and crew, the film achieved great success upon release, winning numerous awards.

Compared to later spy films, it is even more outstanding.

For example, the movie "Nameless" co-starred Leung Chiu-wai and a certain popular celebrity whose name cannot be mentioned, as mentioning it would cause a backlash from fans.

Therefore, this promotional slogan is not just empty talk, and for this reason, Zhang Yuan attaches great importance to this film.

"Good luck with the boot!"

After offering incense together, they shouted slogans and took a group photo.

After the media event, the crew went to Shicao Scenic Area together.

Dalian is located by the sea and has many cliffs and steep walls.

Before filming, Huayi sought investment and ultimately selected Shicao Scenic Area.

The main scene, the second floor of Qiu Manor, was built on both sides of a cliff.

They are connected by an iron bridge.

The film has almost no special effects; it's all made up of real sets, which shows a very high budget.

Furthermore, Chen Guofu, leveraging his connections at Warner Bros., managed to bring in the aerial photography team from "Harry Potter" to lead the camera crew in shooting panoramic shots.

When everyone arrived at the office next to the Qiuzhuang film set, Chen Guofu was still bragging about it.

It cannot be said that he was completely worshipping foreign things.

At that time, Hollywood's filming technology and equipment were indeed much better than those of the Chinese team, almost a generation ahead, and not just one generation ahead.

In particular, drones were still in their very early stages and were a niche technology; most film crews had never used them.

Even Zhang Yimou used model airplanes and cameras to film panoramic scenes in "Curse of the Golden Flower," or he built alloy frames around the set to hang track and field cameras.

Even the imperial advisor is of no use, which shows that this is still a blue ocean market.

All the costumes on set were custom-made for this film.

The men are better off, as they mainly wear uniforms.

The cheongsams worn by the female characters are all genuine, made of top-quality silk and satin, and are quite expensive.

Moreover, the tailoring and production are quite good, and it fits the body very well.

In the changing room, Zhang Yuan and Wang Zhiwen, along with several others, changed clothes together.

"Wow, you've got a great figure." Su Youpeng stepped forward with her delicate fingers raised and pointed at his chest.

"Your style is also acceptable." Zhang Yuan immediately understood that You Peng had been preparing for a long time and had already gotten into character.

The reason why my friend was able to get the role in this big production is very simple.

He is an artist under Huayi.

She signed with Huayi Brothers together with Ruby Lin in 06.

The contract was for five years, ending in 2011.

Zhang Yuan has collaborated with Hua Yi quite a bit, but he and Lin Xinru are rarely seen together.

It is clear that the two are not part of the inner circle of Huayi, and are not qualified to participate in the so-called competition for the top male and female stars.

The cooperative relationship is not that close.

Furthermore, Su Youpeng prefers Shanghai to Beijing, owns many properties there, and often resides there.

The two individuals were not included in the Huayi Capital Increase and Share Issuance.

When he first received the role of Bai Xiaonian, Brother Youpeng was very hesitant.

Because in the story, Bai Xiaonian is a famous Kunqu Opera performer.

He doesn't know any opera and has no background in it.

In addition, the "Rabbit God" as commonly known in the capital is a Nantong setting, which made his mother strongly opposed.

My mom is worried about her on-screen image.

As expected, Mom's worries were justified.

But because his mother objected, he became even more enthusiastic.

Who is Brother Youpeng?

The perfect example of someone else's child.

He's the kind of amazing person who can do everything.

Abacus, math olympiad, English, writing, calligraphy, electronic keyboard, choir... these were the extracurricular classes he participated in during elementary school.

It wasn't his parents who forced him to go; he insisted on going on his own.

His mother thought he was too tired and suggested reducing the number of classes, but he went on a hunger strike in protest.

I can't accept myself unless I always get the best exam results.

He was admitted to the top-ranked high school in Taiwan with the highest score.

Because his mother felt that he was studying all day and had no social life, she was afraid that he would grow up to be withdrawn and not good at speaking or making friends.

This person was not satisfied and, in order to prove that he had communication skills, submitted his resume to a student variety show.

After being accepted, he became a program assistant along with Nicky Wu and Alec Su, which led to his later debut and the glorious achievement of becoming the number one student boy group in the Chinese music scene.

They were also among the earliest adopters of "mommy fans".

Moreover, despite already being a sensation in high school, having released six or seven albums, held concerts, and appeared on television programs, she still managed to enter Formosa University, which ranked first in the island's college entrance examination, ranking fifth in the entire island.

His college entrance exam was broadcast live on television. He took the exam in a separate room, facing the camera directly, and still managed to get such a score. When choosing a major in university, he didn't pick one he liked, but rather the most difficult one: mechanical engineering.

Even Shu Chang is intellectually deficient compared to him.

That's just his personality. The more his mother forbids him from acting, saying he can't perform well and doesn't look like a proper opera singer, the more excited he gets.

I spent four months specifically seeking out a teacher to learn Kunqu Opera from scratch.

Just for filming this movie!
The reason this show is so good is because everyone put in the effort.

Alec Su now does indeed resemble a male dan (a male actor playing a female role in Peking Opera).

But it's only somewhat similar.

Zhang Yuan raised his hand and made a delicate gesture with his fingers, then intertwined his hands to strike the same pose.

"Huh?" Su Youpeng was taken aback.

I took two steps back and looked around, then my eyelids started twitching.

I've been practicing for four months, but it seems like he's more suited to this than I am.

Zhang Yuan stopped his stance and reminded him, "Brother Youpeng."

There's a saying in the traditional performing arts: "If you don't practice for a day, you'll know it; if you don't practice for three days, the audience will know it."

Su Youpeng nodded. He hadn't practiced since the Lunar New Year, and instead had been studying the script carefully and doing a lot of business dealings.

I fell behind when I got busy with work.

Actually, it's not that he fell behind, but that he didn't practice enough.

He's over 30, and his muscles and bones have not only fully developed, but have even begun to decline.

I am nowhere near as flexible as I was when I was a teenager.

Singing opera requires training from childhood; if you try to learn it when you're old, you'll never quite reach the same level.

"How come you can sing opera?"

"You've taken classes?"

Zhang Yuanxin said, "I never took any classes, but I did attend classes with two people who could sing opera..."

Teacher Yuan Quan's style is based on traditional Chinese opera costumes, with a focus on female warrior roles.

Zeng Li is a professional Qingyi actress.

Although Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera are very different, especially in terms of singing style and physical movements.

But ultimately, they are all just plays.

Zhang Yuan has two professionally trained children, so he's definitely much better than Su Youpeng, who only started learning later in life.

"I'm an amateur opera singer, and I'm also a member of the Chinese Quyi Artists Association."

"Huh?" After not seeing him for several years, Su Youpeng's impression of him was mostly still from "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber".

So when they met again, they didn't have much time to talk, as he was still not used to the huge changes in his younger brother from back then.

"If we have some free time during our evening rest, let's chat together."

"Okay, okay," Su Youpeng agreed with a smile.

It's wonderful to have like-minded people.

He could hardly find anyone around him who loved traditional performing arts, so he was quite lonely.

He felt he had practiced well, and his teacher also said he had practiced well.

The teacher accepted the money, so it's not right to say anything negative...

With no one to talk to, I suddenly discovered that I had the same interests as my younger brother whom I hadn't seen for many years, and I got really excited.

The feelings that had grown distant due to time were instantly brought closer together.

However, seeing him reminded Zhang Yuan of Jia Jingwen, Gao Yuanyuan, and Chen Zihan.

Tsk tsk tsk, although I didn't get to eat it while on set, I'm still getting it now that I'm off set.

It's a pity that I missed one of the four beauties when they were in the same boat back then.

Chen Xiuli, who played Xiao Zhao, is already married, what a pity... otherwise, I, Song Qingshu, could have successfully achieved a quadra kill and upgraded to Zhang Wuji.

"Brother Hanyu, keep it up!"

"This dress suits you."

My brother had just come over to play cards a few days ago, and we drank quite a bit during the meal. He was very polite to him.

He is also a typical child of a privileged family. He used to work in voice acting, but later entered the acting industry through Ye Jing... or rather, he returned to his proper profession, because he is a proper actor majoring in acting at the Central Academy of Drama.

Therefore, his delivery of lines is exceptionally good.

But as for acting skills... Zhang Hanyu's roles tend to be somewhat similar.

The on-screen images are similar; they are the kind of characters who play different sides of the same person no matter what they portray.

That's not to say his acting was bad; it's just that everyone handles things differently.

"Oh, it's Teacher Zhiwen."

I was just saying Zhang Hanyu's lines were amazing, but here's someone even more amazing.

Wang Zhiwen's delivery of lines and acting skills are among the best in the entire Chinese entertainment industry.

Let me just say one thing: have you ever seen the subtitles for Teacher Wang's TV series?

Even though there were no subtitles, you could hear every single line he said clearly, without the slightest ambiguity.

Those in the industry say that Wang Zhiwen's acting is so good you can listen to it.

Just by listening, you can clearly feel the character's emotions and state.

This is an extraordinary skill and talent.

Zhang Yuan naturally wanted to get closer to him, to get something out of him—no, to learn some professional knowledge.

He hadn't met Wang Zhiwen much, but they needed to communicate beforehand to be in the same production team because they had many scenes together.

Seeing that he had combed his hair and changed into a black secret service uniform, Zhang Yuan looked him up and down and said.

"Your outfit makes you look like Wang Jingwei."

Hey!
Hearing this, Zhang Hanyu, who was standing to the side, got goosebumps all over his back!
Besides being known for his strong acting skills, Wang Zhiwen is also famous for another quality.

That's just temper!
His temper is not only strange, but also explosive.

He was notoriously short-tempered, especially when he was young.

Unlike other actors, he never accepts advertisements or commercial deals to make money, and he even tries to do as few interviews as possible.

I don't want to; I prefer to live my own life after filming.

He's not just a one-man show; he'll even point his finger at a director if he doesn't like them.

But just like He Saifei, who is known for his fiery temper, his professional skills are undeniably high.

Even if someone has a bad temper, they don't get angry randomly; they always have a reason, which is why they're always in the public eye.

Zhang Hanyu thought to himself, "You little brat, you're stirring up trouble in the heavens, not on earth!"
He has the worst temper in our crew, and you even said he's like Wang Jingwei.

Do young people these days swear so rudely?

To Teacher Zhang's surprise, after a moment of stunned silence, Wang Zhiwen smiled and patted Zhang Yuan on the shoulder.

"You have good taste."

Zhang Hanyu was completely dumbfounded.

Not only did they not swear, they even praised him...

Wang Zhiwen plays a character named Wang Tianxiang, who is a spy chief.

They appear respectable on the surface, but in reality, they frequently use various cruel methods to interrogate prisoners.

Despite seemingly having control over the lives of prisoners and wielding immense power, he was in reality nothing more than a dog of the Japanese devils.

Therefore, when preparing for this role, Wang Zhiwen extensively referenced the character of Wang Jingwei.

Isn't Mr. Wang just a lackey of the Japanese devils?

Kind on the outside but evil on the inside, he slaughtered countless patriots.

"It's not that I have good taste, it's that you really have a good grasp of temperament."

Why is Zhang Yuan able to make accurate predictions so quickly?

It's not that he has such good judgment, but rather that he has received a lot of information.

Because the main settings of this film are Qiu Manor and the anti-bandit office.

The office and the interrogation dungeon at Qiuzhuang were heavily referenced from the secret service headquarters of the Wang Jingwei regime, also known as the infamous No. 76 Devil's Den.

The underground prison in this place murdered more than 4000 anti-Japanese activists.

The original location was at No. 76, Jisifeier Road, Shanghai, hence the name "No. 76 Demon Cave".

It's now called Wanhangdu Road. After the original site was leveled, a school was built on it...

It is said that students have strong yang energy, which is used to suppress wronged spirits.

Not only were the scenes based on the Wang Jingwei regime, but the main characters in the film, apart from the Japanese soldiers, were all Wang Jingwei's men.

This is called "using the original soup to digest the original food".

So when Zhang Yuan saw Teacher Wang after he changed his clothes, with his sanctimonious yet cold-eyed demeanor, he understood that Teacher Wang, like Su Youpeng, was also trying to get into character.

“You’re welcome. When I said you have good taste, I didn’t mean you noticed that I referenced Wang Jingwei’s image,” Wang Zhiwen said, emphasizing each word.

"What I mean is, you have good taste in Xu Qing."

Zhang Yuan: …

His grandma’s!

It must have been Jiang Wen who scattered it for me again!
Jiang Wen and Wang Zhiwen have a good relationship, after all, they both have an unusual and eccentric temperament.

"I...no." He opened his mouth, unusually nervous.

Besides his famous relationship with Feng Xiaogang's wife, Xu Fan, Wang Zhiwen is also Xu Qing's ex-boyfriend...

"Oh!" Zhang Hanyu nodded.

No wonder he wasn't angry.

So you two are kindred spirits! (End of Chapter)