Actor: Thank you.

Human emotions are not shared.

For example, Li Bingbing and Zhou Xun are examples now.

"How can this be love?"

"How can this not be love?"

The two leading ladies have disagreements about their respective roles and the relationships between them.

Li Bingbing is a very independent person, and she has become more and more determined as she gets older, even starting to become a bit obsessive.

Focusing on external matters while neglecting internal ones can easily lead to excessive dominance.

Zhou Xun was a very self-centered person.

Neither of them will change because of the other.

Li Bingbing was unhappy.

First, he cursed the two Wang brothers under his breath.

I've been living in Huayi for so many years!

So what if she won a few more awards and a few more Best Actress awards than me?
I'm an award-winning actress too...

Why should my salary be slightly lower than hers when we're both in the same production?

In the entertainment industry, appearance fees are considered by some to be equivalent to one's status.

In places where people compete for fame and fortune, everyone becomes restless and may even become possessive, equating themselves with money.

In fact, many factors influence a person's worth; top-tier internet celebrities can command appearance fees comparable to those of celebrities at their peak.

Measuring fame and status with money is just as one-sided and inefficient as focusing solely on KPIs at work.

Li Bingbing wasn't stupid; she knew the Wang brothers were doing it on purpose.

They used this trick back when that vixen surnamed Fan was around, and they're still doing it now.

They always deliberately instigate conflict between the top male and female stars.

I don't acknowledge you, Zhou Xun, as the top female star of Huayi!
Why should I listen to you?

Zhou Xun, on the other hand, did the opposite.

My higher salary than yours means I have a bigger star status and a higher position.

I am the heroine!

The works all follow the protagonist.

As a supporting character, you naturally have to follow the protagonist's interpretation.

The two started arguing.

Unlike the two directors and other actors who felt uneasy upon seeing this, Zhang Yuan rested his chin on his hand and looked at the two of them.

I love watching women fight.

As long as it doesn't involve me, I'll enjoy watching.

In general, the content of their argument can be summarized as follows.

Zhou Xun: This is just like love!

Li Bingbing: I love you, Mom!

The two argued incessantly, as if they were determined to determine who was superior.

Annoyed by her antics, Li Bingbing said irritably, "Are you trying to challenge me to a duel?"

Xun Ge: "How could I dare?"

"A ruler with loyal ministers will not perish, and a father with loyal sons will not perish."

Zhou Xun lacked the cultural background, but after embellishment, that's roughly the meaning.

Li Bingbing: "You mean, if we don't listen to you, this production crew will go bankrupt?"

Xun Ge tilted his head back, making an expression that was three parts indifference, three parts hangover, and four parts craving for cigarettes, and replied with his eyes rolling.

"It's hard to tell!"

Zhang Yuan almost burst out laughing when he saw the two of them arguing.

"What are you laughing at?" Li Bingbing glared at him irritably.

"Hey, aren't you the best? You be the judge, who's right?" Xun Ge looked at him as well.

Zhang Yuan: …

Damn it, I told you not to get involved in other people's business.

They've gotten themselves into trouble.

He scratched his head and noticed that Su Youpeng, who was next to him, hadn't laughed when the two women were fighting, but he laughed when he was in trouble.

"I think we should listen to the director in these matters." Zhang Yuan quickly shifted the blame to Gao Qunshu.

"The production team needs a free creative atmosphere, and I believe that actors should express their own opinions."

"We talk too much, which actually limits the characters."

"Two excellent actresses have asked you to speak; this is recognition of you, and you shouldn't refuse." Gao Qunshu became unusually refined.

It's obviously intentional.

Depend on!
Zhang Yuan cursed inwardly.

You two directors also found it troublesome, so you dumped the problem on me and made me the one to take the lead.

If you say something wrong and upset someone, then you'll have to step in and act as peacemakers.

You guys are the good guys, I'll take the bad ones.

Zhang Yuan glanced around at the main cast members of the film crew.

A noisy female lead, a slyly smiling Su Youpeng, a cunning director, and an arrogant Wang Zhiwen.

Are there any good people left in this world?
In such high-level situations, people's hearts are truly treacherous.

Luckily, I came prepared!

Zhang Yuan exhaled through his nose.

TOM!

"I think it's too simplistic and one-sided to just talk about whether they love each other or not. Both Gu Xiaomeng and Li Ningyu have very complex personalities."

"It depends on which perspective you're looking at it from."

Gao Qunshu knows how to carry water, can't I?
First of all, the story of "The Message" is divided into the Huayi film version, the Huayi TV series version, the Tencent TV series version, and the original novel version.

There are roughly four versions.

However, the four versions of the story have completely different character settings and relationships!
First of all, they all definitely come from the novel version.

The remaining film version and two TV series versions are all refined and modified based on this.

In terms of quality, the order should be: novel, movie, Tencent TV series, and Huayi TV series.

The Tencent version of the TV series is better than Hua Yi's version in many ways. The pacing and story design are more refined and better suited to the tastes of later audiences.

In the Tencent version, Gu Xiaomeng is played by Xu Lu, and she is slightly weaker.

But there's nothing we can do; Miss Xu is rich and has connections. She's the kind of person who's a first-generation celebrity, a second-generation businesswoman, and a third-generation actress standing in the center of the film crew.

The remaining actors, Wen Yongshan who played Li Ningyu, Yang Youning who played Wu Zhiguo, Wang Tianxiang who played Yu Kailei, and Zhou Yiwei who played the Japanese soldier, were all quite good.

In particular, Jin Shenghuo, played by Zhang Zhijian, who is known as "Little Grand Secretary," is completely different from the character in Ying Da's version, but has a unique flavor.

Wen Yongshan has a good grasp of this kind of "sharp" and cool style, and her slightly androgynous temperament is also good, as it is her comfort zone.

Because of its limited runtime, the movie version has the simplest character relationships and story.

The story mainly revolves around Wu Tian setting up a trap, with Wang Tianxiang carrying it out, and imprisoning Gu Xiaomeng, Li Ningyu, Jin Shenghuo, Wu Zhiguo, and Bai Xiaonian in Qiu Manor in search of the underground party's "Old Ghost".

Gu Xiaomeng is Lao Gui, while Wu Zhiguo is Lao Gui's superior, Lao Qiang.

In order to smuggle information out of Qiu Village, the two underground party members conspired to frame each other and expose each other.

Ultimately, Wu Zhiguo was sent out for emergency treatment after being nearly dead during interrogation, and in the process, he managed to pass on a message.

Gu Xiaomeng sacrificed herself, using the stitches from the hem of her cheongsam on her body as a medium for Morse code, thus transmitting a message.

With double insurance, both were successful.

On the way, Li Ningyu discovered Gu Xiaomeng's true identity as Old Ghost, but was ultimately moved by her spirit of sacrifice and decided to help her deliver the message at the cost of her life.

The focus of the movie's story is actually on the two women.

However, the novel is quite different from the movie!
First, the original novel employs a "pseudo-biographical" writing style.

Films can be in the "mockumentary" format, the most famous being "The Blair Witch Project," which had a production cost of only $3.5, contained only a few scary scenes, yet ultimately grossed $2.5 million at the box office.

But the film's "viral" marketing cost $600 million.

But in any case, it was a great success.

Holding a shaky DV camera, they acted mysteriously, as if a group of young people were recording their lives and had unintentionally filmed a terrifying event.

This tactic was later widely used, especially in the horror film genre.

Paranormal Activity, Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, and Cloverfield all follow this formula.

The "pseudo-biography" technique used in "The Message" is similar to this.

The author is Jiang Benhu, pen name Mai Jia.

He himself said that the pen name Mai Jia comes from Salinger's famous book "The Catcher in the Rye".

The name Mai Jia is a homophone of Mecca.

Mecca is a holy city in Islam, and combined with the fact that the grandfather was a Christian, the Mai family was somewhat rebellious.

Mai Jia's original novel is divided into three chapters: "East Wind," "West Wind," and "Quiet Wind."

Almost all of the film and television adaptations are based on the "East Wind" episode.

The novel was written from the perspective of "I," which is Mai Jia himself. He said that after his first novel became famous, he met an old Mr. Pan by chance, and they hit it off immediately.

The old man told him a spy story from wartime.

This story is "The Message".

There is no character named Lao Qiang in the novel. Wu Zhiguo is a character, but he is not Lao Qiang.

There's only one openly known underground party member, Lao Gui.

Moreover, the "old ghost" in the book is not Gu Xiaomeng, but Li Ningyu!

Furthermore, Li Ningyu in the novel is a relatively "cold-blooded" character who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals.

He first imitated Wu Zhiguo's handwriting to make him a scapegoat, and then wrote three farewell letters to "prove his innocence through death" before committing suicide.

He used the small tree drawing he gave to his child in his farewell letter to convey a message.

The grass is drawn under the trees, and the grass is of different lengths, representing Morse code.

Therefore, the relationships between the characters are completely different from those in the movie.

But the novel takes a dramatic turn in the "West Wind" chapter.

Mai Jia claimed that Gu Xiaomeng herself, who was in Taiwan, contacted him and prevented him from publishing the "East Wind" chapter.

Because the other party is not only extremely wealthy and powerful, but also has a considerable status in mainland China.

So "I" made a special trip to Taiwan and found Gu Xiaomeng.

In Gu Xiaomeng's version, the story became something else entirely.

She claimed that she was not a traitor to the Wang Jingwei regime, but rather an undercover agent planted in the Military Intelligence Bureau's Special Service Department.

Li Ningyu didn't send a farewell letter at the time; instead, she exploited her feelings for him.

Li Ningyu tricked her into revealing her identity as a member of the Kuomintang's Military Intelligence Bureau, and then used emotional appeals and threats of reporting her to get her help.

During this time, Gu Xiaomeng also discovered that Li Ningyu had imitated her handwriting to create false evidence, intending to harm her in order to achieve her own goals.

Gu Xiaomeng, however, couldn't bear to let go of her feelings, and also found Li Ningyu to be too charming.

You're truly cold-blooded, but I truly like you...

Ultimately, they still chose to help the other party.

In the movie, this scene is used in reverse, still involving two women.

The blueprints containing the coded message were placed in a medicine box and taken out of Qiu Manor by Gu Xiaomeng, who then handed them to the contact person played by Ni Dahong in the film, thus transmitting the message.

I believed Gu Xiaomeng's explanation and completed the "West Wind" chapter.

However, before publication, Mr. Pan passed away, and his son vehemently denied Gu Xiaomeng's claims.

It was also said that Mr. Pan was Li Ningyu's husband, but after the War of Resistance against Japan, he married Gu Xiaomeng.

But this marriage was also a spy operation, a contest between the underground Communist Party and the Kuomintang's Military Intelligence Bureau.

Ultimately, Gu Xiaomeng refused Old Master Pan's attempt to win her over, which is why she went to Taiwan.

The story unfolds in three chapters with three plot twists, each told from a different character's perspective, giving it a Rashomon-like feel.

The novel is not only full of suspense in its plot, but also in its structure.

As a result, many readers believed that "The Message" was based on a true story, and that Gu Xiaomeng and Li Ningyu were real people.

The fake biography tactic was executed quite successfully.

However, this approach is inappropriate for filming movies and TV series, as it does not conform to the viewing habits of most audiences.

Therefore, the movie script was revised extensively, and the character settings were completely messed up and started over.

At the same time, a lot of details were added to each character to enhance realism.

"So, from the perspective of the original work."

"Even if I am threatened with my identity as a member of the Kuomintang military intelligence, even if I find out that the other party is trying to frame me, I may very well die under torture."

"Gu Xiaomeng was still willing to help Li Ningyu achieve her wish."

"From this perspective, it is valid that Gu Xiaomeng loves Li Ningyu."

"It's not wrong to extend the story from the original work to the film."

"But from Li Ningyu's perspective, what she loves most is the revolutionary cause."

"All relatives, friends, and even oneself can be sacrificed for this ideal."

"She definitely doesn't love Gu Xiaomeng, at least not in that way."

"But in the script, the characters Gu Xiaomeng and Li Ningyu are switched."

"Did Gu Xiaomeng, who sacrificed herself for the cause of the revolution in the script, actually love Li Ningyu...?"

Zhang Yuan glanced around at the group of people attending the reading session.

Li Bingbing looked surprised. She hadn't expected Zhang Yuan to have done such in-depth research, analyzing both the original work and the script together.

Teacher Wang Zhiwen, however, showed an expression of appreciation.

I've only heard of it, but never actually worked with it.

But with such meticulous preparation, the actor can't be too bad.

Their professional attitude speaks for itself.

Zhang Yuan then looked at Zhou Xun.

Xun Ge looked completely bewildered.

what are you saying?
She hadn't read the original novel either, so she didn't understand it at all.

The two directors were anxiously awaiting his conclusion.

"I think whether Gu Xiaomeng loves Li Ningyu in the script or not is actually... not important!"

"I don't think the two actors necessarily need to have the same understanding."

"Perhaps the differences will spark new ideas."

Gao Qunshu and Chen Guofu exchanged a glance.

Watertight!

They didn't give us a single chance.

“Hey…” Su Youpeng, who was next to him, nudged him.

"What?" Zhang Yuan turned to look at him.

"I think you'd be good at being a waiter."

"What do you mean?"

"Because you're good at carrying water." Su Youpeng winked slyly.

“But your Kunqu Opera skills are just average,” Zhang Yuan immediately retorted.

Youpeng glared at him, still in Bai Xiaonian's mind.

“I think so too. We should seek common ground while reserving differences,” Chen Guofu finally said.

Before the two could start arguing again, Gao Qunshu spoke up.

"We'll adjust the details on-site once filming begins."

"Let's move on to the next topic."

Otherwise, if you two keep arguing, you won't be done even after a whole day.

Zhang Yuan and Youpeng exchanged glances.

“This is the blessing that Huayi has given me,” Zhang Yuan whispered to him.

Su Youpeng naturally understood what he meant.

Without the boss's instigation, the two actresses wouldn't have ended up like this.

Indeed, Huayi is a company with both advantages and disadvantages. While it can bring resources, he doesn't quite like certain aspects of its internal culture.

So he feels that maintaining a certain distance, not too far and not too close, is appropriate.

Lin Xinru, who came to Huayi with him, was also planning her escape.

Miss Lin couldn't get film and television resources from Huayi, so she discussed with the Wang brothers about opening her own studio, with Huayi holding a stake.

In this way, she can gain her freedom, without offending Hua Yi, without breaking the contract, and also gain some resource support and a powerful backer in mainland China.

Su Youpeng was observing his old friend's situation to see how she was doing.

In fact, once Ruby Lin left and gained freedom, she actually gained more resources.

Because Huayi no longer suppresses her.

The most direct example is Yu Zheng's "Beauty's Rival in Palace". The original choice for the female lead, Dou Yifang, was Huo Siyan.

But Ruby Lin ultimately won and took the role.

If it were Huayi, would you want to steal Miss Huo's role?

Let's ask Xiao Wang if he agrees first.

After having a studio, Hua Yi, according to the agreement, found it harder to deal with her.

Otherwise, I might as well close down the studio, part ways with you, Huayi, and start all over again.

Su Youpeng was observing and seeing how his situation was progressing.

Seeing that he hesitated and fell silent, Zhang Yuan knew that he had long harbored ulterior motives.

Isn't that a coincidence?

Isn't that a coincidence?
I have divided loyalties... no, I've never been single-minded.

Like Bi Gan, whom we worship during the Lunar New Year, I have a mind that is exquisitely clever.

We're of two minds, we should have a good talk sometime... (End of Chapter)