Actor: Thank you.

"Stop, stop..."

Zhang Yuan quickly straightened Shi Xingyu's posture as he bowed and scraped, as if he were seeing a Japanese officer.

Because in just a short while, countless eyes have already turned to look.

They walked a few steps away, no more than ten meters from where Batel was frying stinky tofu.

This distance is the most awkward.

The awkward part is that the other person can't hear their voices, but their movements and expressions are just right to be seen.

If two people in this half-real, half-false position were to come along and think they could read lips, they would surely be able to write a short essay of several thousand words.

Zhang Yuan was already conspicuous, and the crew members loved to gossip when they were bored during their breaks.

A lot of urban legends about film crews are just rumors spread by these guys.

There's a rule against shooting through a black cat. If you do, it's easy to film something unclean during nighttime scenes.

When starting filming, burn incense and pray to the four cardinal directions, but always counter-clockwise, otherwise the crew will suffer bloodshed.

When using a prop wig made of real human hair, make sure to lock it in a box after use, otherwise it will run away on its own in the middle of the night.

Zhang Yuan had heard about these things.

As a result, black cats are prone to getting stray hairs on the lens, and in night scenes, the black hairs are not visible and can easily create "ghosting" effects.

You can turn the incense burner any way you want when you turn it on, but you can't do it the opposite way as others, otherwise you might burn someone and cause a bloody accident.

The most dangerous thing is the wig; it's true that it can run away in the middle of the night.

Because wigs made of real human hair are very expensive, especially the imported kind.

There are a lot of dishonest people on set; they might leave the room unlocked in the middle of the night and steal something...

Such acts of believing rumors are countless on film sets.

These people are eating stinky tofu and smoking cigarettes right now, which is perfect for spreading rumors.

Seeing Shi Xingyu's humble demeanor, he nodded and bowed again.

"Hey, this guy's in for a rough time!"

"Look at him, he must have offended our male lead."

"That's right, I've heard about it before. This guy beat up Zhang Yuan back then, before he became famous."

"Haha, now that they're famous, we have to take it back double."

"If it were me, I would kill him."

"Do you think it's possible that Shi Xingyu saw Fan Bingbing's beauty and got the idea?"

"possible!"

"That's right, that's definitely how it is. If two people are fighting over one, they're bound to start a fight..."

In just a few words, they spun from past grudges to the turbulent sea of ​​love.

So Zhang Yuan had to stop it quickly, lest it all veer into a brotherly bromance.

Moreover, you can't hide in a corner at this time; instead, you have to speak openly and confidently.

"Brother Yu, are you having some kind of trouble?"

"Whether it's finances or daily life, you can talk to me about it; we're old acquaintances."

"Especially on set, if someone bothers you..."

Zhang Yuan deliberately spoke loudly.

I didn't bully him!

Everyone saw it; at most, someone else bullied him.

The story about Xiao Shenyang and Sun Honglei is almost being told it's a gang fight.

The tabloids are exaggerating, saying that the big boss behind Hong Lei is going to fight Zhao Benshan to see who is the King of Northeast China.

"No one else is bothering me..." Shi Xingyu said with a troubled expression, his eyebrows and nose looking completely out of place: "It's you."

Zhang Yuan: …

You're determined to harm me, aren't you!

“Brother Yu, you are a monk, you cannot lie.”

“I’m not lying. There’s something I did that made you uncomfortable, and I can change it,” Shi Xingyu continued.

Zhang Yuan was so anxious he could only scratch his head.

How about we communicate in English?

I can't understand the Mandarin you're speaking.

"Now, start from the beginning. I don't understand a word you're saying."

Zhang Yuan waved to his assistant, who brought over two folding chairs so they could sit down and chat.

"Please sit down, I'll stand," Shi Xingyu said politely.

Zhang Yuan: …

"If you're not going to sit, then I won't sit either." Zhang Yuan stood up, and after a bit of arguing, the two finally sat down.

After a long discussion, the other party finally revealed the details.

"As you know, I come from Shaolin."

"They're filming a movie at the temple now."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuan frowned.

So, it's still about the movie "Shaolin"?
"Did the temple contact you too?" Shi Xingyu asked, looking as distressed as a child.

"Yes."

"You didn't agree?"

"Yes, I canceled the announcement," Zhang Yuan said truthfully.

"So, did I do something to upset you, that's why you're not going?"

Zhang Yuan tilted his head, unable to understand again.

"I...I'm not going because of personal reasons, and it has nothing to do with anyone else."

"It has even less to do with you... You're in this movie too?"

"Don't you know?"

Zhang Yuan thought for a moment and seemed to remember it.

Here's what happened.

After starring in "Kung Fu Hustle", Shi Xingyu became somewhat of a familiar face by playing the role of a laborer.

He became a disciple of Shaolin at the age of 12 and traveled to various countries with the Shaolin Martial Arts Troupe, performing everywhere.

Although they had eaten and seen it all, they also received wages and allowances for their performances.

But after acting, I realized that the money-making speed was on a completely different level!
After "Kung Fu Hustle", he made several more movies and five or six TV series.

In just a few years, these earnings allowed him to buy several houses in his hometown.

This is how you make money!
Law Kar-ying once said that he was the Tang Monk in "A Chinese Odyssey".

Before collaborating with Stephen Chow, he sang Cantonese opera for 40 years and still hadn't paid off his mortgage.

After filming two movies with Stephen Chow, he not only paid off his loan but was also able to buy another house.

Why is it that Stephen Chow is stingy and has a bad temper, yet so many people are willing to follow him?

It doesn't matter if you don't make money with him. As long as you've acted in his movies, you're guaranteed to have food to eat and you'll make your money back.

Before playing the role of Kuli Qiang, Shi Xingyu had acted before, appearing in several productions as an extra.

Ever since Stephen Chow gave him the opportunity, he has tasted the sweetness of the entertainment industry.

To be honest, Shi Xingyu is quite presentable in terms of both appearance and physique.

He was tall and healthy with a dignified and solemn appearance.

So when filming "Shaolin," which was directed by a Hong Kong film director, they cast him, an actor who was involved in both.

Being involved in both Hong Kong entertainment circles and Shaolin Temple is perfect.

He was among the first batch of actors cast.

Initially, he was assigned the role of the eldest disciple, Jingneng.

He was very excited because he heard that Brother Chenlong was in the cast, and he also saw Brother Hua at the casting location.

Wah-ge was so polite. Hearing that he was a Shaolin monk, he even asked Wah-ge to teach him Shaolin Kung Fu before filming began.

And it wasn't just a casual remark; Brother Hua was serious and even asked for his contact information.

Shi Xingyu was overjoyed; this was incredible!
Who is Brother Hua?
I'll coach him, let him get acquainted with me, and his resources in the entertainment industry will definitely take off!

It made him so happy, he felt refreshed and invigorated.

In high spirits, I arrived at the "Bodyguards and Assassins" film set to shoot a movie.

Making money here, and having a lucrative job waiting for me there—how wonderful!

I felt my luck had turned around, and I didn't pass away until I was over 30.

But just two days into filming "Bodyguards and Assassins", Lu Wangqing, the casting director for "Shaolin", called him and said he wanted to change the actor.

The senior brother's position needs to be vacated for Wu Jing.

Teacher Yu Hai is here. Let's take care of our old friend and help each other out.

In addition, Wu Jing is indeed more famous than him.

So he was moved from the position of the eldest brother to the position of the second brother, who has a slightly smaller role.

Second senior brother it is, he knows he can't compare to Wu Jing.

He might not be convinced by the kung fu skills, but he had to admit that the reputation was undeniable.

He comforted himself, saying it was okay, it didn't matter that he had changed roles.

The role has changed, but Wah Gor's role as "coach" remains the same; there will always be opportunities.

Not to mention before filming begins, it's not uncommon for production crews to replace actors at the last minute after filming has started.

Shi Xingyu adjusted his mindset, and the matter passed.

He let himself off the hook, but fate did not!
A few days later, the guy from the film crew called him again.

"Um, Xingyu..." the other person stammered.

"We've considered other people for your role."

"Again, they're changing actors?" Shi Xingyu thought to himself. "Does this mean I have to be demoted again and become the Third Senior Brother?"

It turns out that he thought too much.

This time, not only are the third senior brother gone, but even the young novice monk is gone.

"No, we don't have any suitable roles for you at the moment."

"Huh? Weren't we agreeing on this before? Why did it suddenly change?"

If I can't get any roles, wouldn't I lose my relationship with Brother Hua?
"Well...we have our own considerations."

"Tell me the truth, is there something wrong with me that I can change?" He was really getting anxious and kept asking.

In the end, the other party gave him an ambiguous answer.

"Someone is preventing you from acting."

That one sentence completely baffled him.

I've thought about it a lot, but I just can't figure it out.

I haven't offended anyone recently, have I?

Who's stopping me from acting? He couldn't figure it out himself, so he asked around.

I asked around among my friends in the film and television industry, but no one knew at first.

Later came the term "Great Wisdom".

Every industry has its share of people who think they're clever, but are actually just guessing wildly, yet they make it sound so convincing.

This person then analyzed it for Shi Xingyu.

"Someone is preventing you from acting."

"This person must be of high status."

Shi Xingyu: That's right.

"My question is, who did you give the role of the senior disciple to at the beginning?"

"Wu Jing".

"Who is Wu Jing's friend?"

"Who?"

"Tsk, are you really naive? Everyone in the industry knows that Zhang Yuan and Wu Jing are close. Zhang Yuan invests in him and helps him act. They're like brothers."

"Oh!" Shi Xingyu finally realized.

"Then let me ask you, what movies did you make after 'Kung Fu Hustle'?"

“A big show, think about it!” the man asked again.

"Hiss... If we're talking about big productions, I made 'Flash Point,' which is a pretty big one; it's a movie."

Who is the male lead in "Flash Point"?

"Zhen Zidan".

Who does Zhen Zidan have a conflict with?

"Oh!" Shi Xingyu realized what was happening again.

Who else could it be!
Let's talk about Zhang Yuan!

After "Ip Man" became a hit, I heard that Donnie Yen was so angry that he almost went crazy, and complained to his friends several times.

This is how you learn to summarize and generalize.

My role was taken by his friend.

I even collaborated with his enemy.

I've fought against him before.

That's it!

The more I think about it, the more I understand.

If it wasn't him, then who could it be?

"But I haven't offended him recently."

"And since we're in the same production crew, we always greet each other with smiles."

"He also always treats me to food."

Looking back on those days, Shi Xingyu felt something was amiss.

They didn't turn against me.

But that "brilliant" person gave him some pointers.

"You think you haven't offended anyone just because you didn't?"

"Those who become big stars all have strange tempers."

Can a normal person become a star?

"Why aren't you a celebrity?"

"Anyone who can become a star is not a normal person!"

"They might be holding their anger in their hands, smiling on the outside but stabbing you in the back."

"You're still smiling and acting like he's a good person."

Shi Xingyu pondered it repeatedly, and realized that there was some truth to it.

Stephen Chow has a bad temper, and he was scolded a lot when he was filming "Kung Fu Hustle".

Zhang Yuan probably suffered mistreatment before he became famous.

Now that they're famous, they'll try to make up for it by taking it out on others... That's how it is!
I happen to have a past with him.

I couldn't sleep for several nights, and the more I thought about it, the more correct it seemed.

Once the seeds of doubt are planted, they will soon take root and sprout.

Even if there are unreasonable parts, people will fill in the gaps in their own minds.

As a result, Zhang Yuan's reputation was damaged.

After much deliberation, Shi Xingyu decided that he had to take the initiative.

So what if I kneel down to him? It's just a matter of losing face in public.

It's better than cutting off this lucrative avenue of making money through filmmaking!

A man's knees are worth gold; he can offer his knees and exchange them for even more gold.

That's why she's so timid and says a bunch of nonsensical things to Zhang Yuan now.

Even more terrifying, after learning that Zhang Yuan had refused to star in "Shaolin", he thought even more.

"Could it be because of me that he's not going to act?"

"This is terrible!"

In short, they've become like frightened birds, blaming everything on themselves and Zhang Yuan.

No matter how you cut it, it feels just right.

Zhang Yuan covered his face after hearing this.

That's definitely a good fit. Your prison uniform was custom-made to my size, and you even held it up to me after it was made. How could it not fit?

He put his hand on the other person's shoulder and spoke earnestly and sincerely.

"First of all, even if I am not a gentleman, I am not a bad person either."

"I consider myself just a nobody who goes with the flow and rides the wind forward in the torrent of the times."

"I myself came from humble beginnings; I didn't start out as a leading man."

"I've even eaten boxed lunches mixed with mud and ash."

"I also wore those smelly and dirty extra costumes."

"Therefore, I know that it is not easy for anyone in the industry, and it is even more difficult for those who have climbed up from the bottom."

"It's already been so difficult, I can't bear to ruin all their years of hard work."

These are his heartfelt words.

Only those who have wallowed in the mud can truly have compassion for the underprivileged.

Born into a mansion, the poorest person in my mind is probably someone who drives a BMW.

This is the limit of their imagination.

Such people are incapable of empathizing with those at the bottom of society.

Because he had no idea who was at the bottom.

Guo Degang has a crosstalk routine that, like his other routines, is about Qian Ge's father.

They say the old man is kind-hearted and can't stand seeing poor people around him.

Therefore, we must drive all the poor people away!

It's true that crosstalk is all made up.

In the eyes of some powerful and influential people, the poor are not human.

He gets annoyed and uncomfortable whenever he sees you.

They think you're poor because you don't work hard, so you deserve it.

I find even the air I breathe with you dirty.

Such people would recklessly and without any burden easily ruin someone else's future.

There are quite a few people like this in the entertainment industry.

But Zhang Yuan made it very clear that he was definitely not that kind of person.

"Unless you really provoke me and cross my bottom line."

"Or they became stumbling blocks on my path forward; otherwise, I wouldn't have taken action against anyone," Zhang Yuan said quite frankly.

"You haven't crossed my line."

"And I can tell you with absolute certainty that you are not qualified to be my stumbling block."

Upon hearing this, Shi Xingyu shuddered.

I feel cold!

But the cold brought him to his senses.

Yes, I don't even qualify to be a stumbling block.

I have no conflict of interest with them, so they don't even bother to look at me.

Zhang Yuan previously recounted his past and clarified his personality, but he may not believe it.

But the other party actually believed his cold and detached statement.

"In short, I don't know what you've been through recently, or what happened."

"But I can assure you that none of this has anything to do with me."

"Whether you believe it or not is up to you."

After Zhang Yuan finished speaking, he patted his shoulder and got up to leave.

But before he could leave, he turned back to face his older brother, whose eyes were darting back and forth, deep in thought.

It's unclear whether he was thinking about his own words or devising a solution.

Let me give you a heads-up.

Consider this my advice.

"I've had contact with the police, and I'm even the image ambassador for the Sanlitun Police Station in Beijing."

"The police officers mentioned it to me in casual conversation."

"From a criminal investigation perspective, no matter what kind of case we encounter."

"Whether it's petty theft, robbery, rape, murder, or arson."

"Or it could be fraud, or even poisoning."

"When the police are investigating any case, where do you think they start?"

"Where...is this?" Shi Xingyu's mind was in a mess, and he couldn't react.

“No matter what the case is, the police will start by investigating the people around the victim.” Zhang Yuan patted him on the shoulder again.

That's all I can say.

Because Shi Xingyu didn't know, but Zhang Yuan did.

The real reason he wasn't allowed to act wasn't by people in the entertainment industry, or any investors or celebrities.

Instead… it was Elder Ashin! (End of Chapter)