Actor: Thank you.

"enough?"

"It's not enough."

Looking at Zhang Yu, who was pretending to be refined and eating dumplings, Zhang Yuan asked him kindly.

"enough."

"Are you used to it?"

"It's for elderly people from Northeast China, and it contains pickled cabbage."

"It's okay, I can eat it."

"Oh, right, you're from Yunnan, so you also like sour food." Zhang Yuan nodded, then took out some chili oil and added it to his dipping sauce, since he likes sour and spicy food there.

After finishing his meal, he let out a burp and gave an awkward laugh, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"Have some more tea to help you relax."

"I'll ask your aunt to make you another bowl of noodles to smooth things out."

Zhang Yuan could tell that he probably hadn't eaten enough, but he was too embarrassed to say so.

How to get a silent person to speak.

One method is to force-feed alcohol!
Bring two bottles of white liquor and place one in front of each person.

After opening it and drinking it, it wasn't long before this person started talking.

Back in 05, he went to Guiyang to film "Shanghai Dreams" and met this person.

At the time, Gao Yuanyuan and he were the lead actors, while Qin Hao was the second male lead.

This guy plays Qin Hao's street hustler brother.

He later became known as Huang Mao in the movie "Dying to Survive".

In terms of skill alone, this person's performance ability is quite good; it's the kind of performance ability that comes from years of honing on stage.

Director Wang Xiaoshuai was looking for extras at the Guiyang Drama Troupe when he spotted him.

At that time, he was just an ordinary stage actor, better than an extra, but not good enough to be a lead actor.

After "Shanghai Dreams", he gradually matured.

Within a year or two, he was already qualified to play the leading role in many stage plays.

By 08, his performance in the play "Beautiful Hillside" had gone on a province-wide tour, winning numerous awards.

By this time, he had become one of the leading actors in the drama troupe.

For ordinary actors, the job is stable and respectable, and they are also somewhat well-known in the local industry.

And it seems he'll rise even higher, becoming a leader in the drama troupe before he turns 40.

That's pretty good; by any measure, she could be considered a "winner in life."

But humans are creatures that fear both having no ambition and having ambition.

Without ambition, it's easy to drift aimlessly.

They are ambitious, but also prone to impulsive decisions.

This Zhang Yu belongs to the type who is too ambitious.

In Zhang Yuan's eyes, his behavior was too "artsy".

The man recounted his experiences over the past few years in detail.

After winning an award for his play in 08, he performed dozens of shows that year and saved tens of thousands of yuan.

At this point, a normal person should continue performing and enjoy the stage. Once they become a pillar of the show, there are essentially two paths to take.

Seek a leadership position, or look for opportunities to earn extra money.

Wang Xun, the giant squirrel, succeeded by pursuing two paths simultaneously.

And what about this one?

He chose A or B.

When the popular stage play tour ended, Zhang Yu chose to leave without saying goodbye...

The reason was that his friend and director in the group left.

He felt that there was no one in the troupe who understood him and could talk about acting with him anymore.

In addition, he dug out his diary from 01, the day Samaranch announced that Beijing would be the host city for the Olympic Games.

"I should have been in Beijing in 2008."

It conveys a sense of "the world is so big, I want to go and see it."

Then he took action!

Thinking back to when the crew of the TV series "Qinghong" came to Yunnan and Guizhou to film, they immediately took a liking to him.

Today, all the actors in "Shanghai Dreams" are big stars.

Later, when several film crews went to Yunnan and Guizhou to shoot scenes, he also tried to get a few small roles.

And upon inquiry, they all turned out to be from the capital city.

He felt that if he could get roles in films and TV series in Beijing when he was in Guiyang, he could definitely do it in Beijing too.
Then, like all those who migrate to Beijing for work, I boarded the train to the capital with my dreams and savings.

Then, like all those who drift to Beijing, he discovered that his dream was worthless!
He can get work from film crews in Guiyang because he is a professional actor in the Guiyang Drama Troupe.

But when he arrived in the capital, he was nothing!
He didn't understand the principle that people are cheap when they leave their hometown, but things are expensive when they leave their hometown; most people who drift to Beijing don't understand this either.

Artistic youths have ideals, but their ideals are often detached from reality.

And they like to attribute all their achievements to their personal abilities.

In reality, environmental factors play a significant role in a person's success.

By coming from Guiyang to the capital, he essentially gave up both geographical and popular advantages.

While the film and television market is booming now, it has entered the internet age. It's no longer the era when someone like Wang Baoqiang could get recognized just by staying at the Beijing Film Studio.

He also lacked the opportune moment.

And then... no more.

He made a name for himself in the capital, and he was a person who liked to compete with himself and cared a lot about his image.

So he never went back to his hometown. After the drama troupe tried to contact him several times to return to perform, the angry leader directly published a notice in the newspaper to fire him.

Well, our escape route is also cut off.

Zhang Yuan vaguely remembered that this guy seemed to have to work his way up to the art film "An Elephant Sitting Still" before he finally made a name for himself and gained recognition within the industry.

This show probably won't be released for another five or six years.

And he only played the second male lead, earning a salary of just a few thousand yuan.

They have Wang Baoqiang's illness, but not his life.

Ever since Wang Baoqiang became famous, a bunch of people have been waiting outside the Beijing Film Studio, hoping to become the next Wang Baoqiang.

I always felt that my looks were no worse than Baoqiang's, and that I could be just as good!
In fact, Baoqiang's talent is amazing. He is a one-in-a-million talent, and he has also practiced martial arts, which is far beyond what ordinary people can compare to.

After Zhang Yu came to the capital, he had to spend money on everything, from food and drink to sleeping, and it was much more expensive than in his hometown.

In addition, he had no job opportunities anywhere and had to treat others to meals if he wanted to use connections, which cost him a lot of money.

In just over a year, the little money I had was all gone.

Then he wandered around, either taking odd jobs or finding places to rest.

Having exhausted all other options, I went to find Qin Hao.

I had exchanged phone numbers with him back then, so I treated him to a meal.

The two got along quite well at the time; they were both artsy types.

In the end, it was Inoue who cured his pretentious, artsy persona.

However, Zhang Yu didn't have Yi Nengjing, and in recent years Zhang Yuan had introduced Qin Hao to many lucrative supporting roles.

He also told Zhang Yu that if all else fails, they should go find Zhang Yuan.

Asking him to introduce you to a job is no easy task.

After drinking too much, the two started bragging. Qin Hao said he was very successful. Being from Northeast China, he couldn't keep his mouth shut when he was drunk.

Zhang Yu was stunned. What big boss? Investor? I don't believe it.
Until now!

He not only believed it, but was also so shocked that he seemed a little flustered.

Their bathroom is bigger than the one in my previous rented apartment...

Actually, he hesitated for a long time before coming to us.

Qin Hao isn't doing so well these days, so why would he dare to go looking for him?

But the gap between Zhang Yuan and him is too big!
Even if Qin Hao doesn't boast, you can see him on TV and in movies; he's at least a popular male actor.

What if they ignore me?
The more insecure you are, the less you dare to see people.

After finally finding the phone number, I dialed it, but the number was wrong.

Zhang Yuan changed his phone number; the previous one became unusable after being exposed by the media.

I can't get through on the phone, and I've been wandering around for days, starving.

He had no choice but to go back to Qin Hao and have another meal with him.

Qin Hao had been to his house before and knew the address, so he copied it down and gave it to him.

I've come looking for him several times, but he's always busy and not home.

We finally bumped into each other, which led to this drinking session.

This guy is also a heavy drinker; he started drinking when he was a teenager.

There's a scar behind my ear from a motorcycle accident I got while drunk. My ear almost fell off, but I haven't quit drinking since.

After drinking the liquor, I wasn't as reserved as when I ate dumplings, and I slurped it down without restraint.

After finishing eating, he wiped his mouth with his already dirty sleeve.

It's almost summer, but this person is still wearing autumn clothes.

“I remember saying something like that back then.” Zhang Yuan took a sip of his drink and ate two peanuts sprinkled with salt. “If I give you the chance to come to the capital, you must look for me.”

"Why are you here now?"

Upon hearing this, the person eating noodles stopped slurping and looked up.

He opened his mouth with half a noodle still hanging from the corner of his mouth.

"You...you still remember?"

He said this while on the set of "Shanghai Dreams," and it's absolutely true.

But the other party didn't take it seriously.

Or rather, he dared to take it seriously back then, but now that their statuses are too different, he doesn't dare to take it seriously anymore.

"You're not being fair; you don't treat me like a friend," Zhang Yuan said with a smile, raising his glass.

Only then did he put down his chopsticks and clink glasses with him.

"We must drink to our hearts' content today, so stay here with me."

"I have plenty of rooms here, you can just find one to sleep in."

"Actually, not just tonight, but anytime you want to come to the capital, you can come whenever you want."

"Anyway, Auntie recognizes you, so it doesn't matter whether I'm here or not. Just treat it like your own home."

"I often entertain friends."

"Hmm." The man lowered his head in shame.

I was furious and didn't want to agree.

I feel embarrassed.

But reason told him he had to agree.

He knew the other person was helping him out.

She didn't cry, but her expression was even uglier than if she had been crying.

[Received thanks from Zhang Yu, stage presence +1, diction +1, performance skills +1!]

Zhang Yuan glanced at the other party's contribution and remained silent.

He quietly lit a cigarette and tossed the remaining half of the pack to the other person.

That night, they talked a lot about the old days and about filming.

Zhang Yu still suffers from the "artsy youth syndrome" and dislikes current trendy movies, looking down on them from the bottom of his heart.

I don't think that's art, it's a commodity.

That's true; most profitable theatrical films are commodities.

Zhang Yuan didn't say anything harsh or lecture him, fearing that he might run away and starve to death in a fit of anger...

"Live first."

"Or only then can one pursue art."

"You're right, the film industry needs people like you."

"Because a profession needs not only to have a good reputation, but also to have substance."

The next morning, he came to the restaurant very shyly and had breakfast together.

Judging from the way he looked at the fried dough sticks and egg pancakes, Zhang Yuan guessed that the word "breakfast" was something he hadn't thought about in a long time.

“In this way, men need to have jobs.”

“Since you’ve come to my house, you have to listen to me. You can’t just eat and drink for free.” Zhang Yuan did the opposite.

Instead of offering assistance, they forced people to work.

“I am a shareholder of Youku, and they currently have a short film project.”

There will be more than a dozen films.

"Why don't you try acting in one?"

"I'll make arrangements for you."

The person nodded silently; there was no other choice.

Zhang Yuan, on the other hand, was thinking that the artists under his management were mainly involved in commercial works.

Even when acting in art films, it's all for the sake of winning awards, building up one's resume, and showcasing personal achievements.

Now that I have a company and investments, I should also have some social responsibility in the industry.

It seems like it's time to come up with a program to support young actors and directors.

Give Zhang Yu's contact information to Yang Siwei and tell her that this person is her friend.

However, her artistic style gave her the opportunity to introduce arthouse film projects; she didn't necessarily need lead roles, supporting roles were fine too.

Yang Siwei also mentioned to him that she wanted to enrich her artist pool by finding some artists of different types, and he readily agreed.

Let Zhang Yu stay at his house temporarily, but at least make sure he has money for food and rent before you feel comfortable letting him leave.

He greeted the other person and then went out to work.

The main sets for "Ip Man 2" have been completed at Songjiang Film and Television City in Shanghai.

Unlike the ancient style of Hengdian, the old streets in Shanghai specialize in modern and contemporary old streets.

However, he didn't go directly to Shanghai, but instead went to Hong Kong.

I need to have a meeting with those Hong Kong bigwigs first.

We ate mango pomelo sago and chatted as usual.

However, the atmosphere today seems slightly different from before.

Tan Hong from Xingmei was present, and remained silent from the moment he entered.

"I'm here today mainly to talk about Stephen Chow's new movie that's currently in preparation."

When he had almost finished eating, he spoke while scanning the crowd.

"We've all discussed it; Stephen Chow isn't the right person."

Huang Baiming opened his mouth with a smile.

To be honest, he did suffer at the hands of Stephen Chow.

When Stephen Chow offended the Heung family, he stepped in to help them.

However, when he was approached to act in "All's Well, Ends Well 97", he asked for an exorbitant fee of 800 million yuan.

At that time, Stephen Chow's salary for films was around 200 million.

Whether it's demanding an exorbitant fee or trying to scare the other party away from acting with a high salary, it's neither ethical.

If it were Brother Hua, he would definitely ask for a friend's price and go.

If someone has helped you, you should repay that favor.

Alas, Stephen Chow doesn't think so.

They were eventually paid, and the film made a profit, but the two basically never worked together again after that.

So when Huang Baiming spoke, the others echoed his words.

Old Yang and Jiang Zhiqiang didn't speak, they just looked at each other.

Jiang Zhiqiang was close to him and liked him the most.

Old Yang is rich and doesn't care about these things.

Besides acting and real estate speculation, Lao Yang also owns a casino in Macau!
This thing is a cash cow; you can make money while lying down.

But why did it stop working later?
Because Old Yang doesn't have a gambling license!
He didn't have a license; he was operating under someone else's gambling license.

Later, the law changed, and he could no longer operate under an affiliation agreement, so he had no choice but to close down.

The problem now is that his interests and perspectives have diverged from those of others.

Zhang Yuan came here because of the idea that the ocean is inclusive and tolerant.

These people are only after quick riches, while I'm doing very well in Hong Kong.

It's rare for a small place to produce people with great ambition.

"I don't think Stephen Chow's character is important."

“The important thing is that he can make money for us,” Zhang Yuan said sincerely.

"As long as the show makes money, who cares about anything else?"

"Anyway, I have high hopes for his new work."

"Oh, so what's the subject matter of his new work?" Huang Baiming asked deliberately.

"The Journey to the West theme," Zhang Yuan replied with a dark face.

"Wow!"

"You don't know how much money 'A Chinese Odyssey' lost back then, do you?"

"They're still making 'Journey to the West'?"

"Yes, he lost so much money that his own company went bankrupt."

"Are we going to collapse along with you?"

Zhang Yuan knew that the other party was deliberately making a fuss about the subject matter.

"I'll emphasize it again." Zhang Yuan tapped the table with his knuckles: "Never one of the films I've invested in has ever lost money."

Just because you didn't lose money last time doesn't mean you won't lose money this time.

"Yeah, it's just one show, we can invest in other ones."

Zhang Yuan squinted at the opponents.

It seems you've already forgotten the pain of the eye patch incident after all these years! (End of Chapter)