Actor: Thank you.

As agreed beforehand, Ning Hao, nicknamed "Big Head," arrived at the "The Piano in a Factory" set as scheduled.

Although this guy is from Taiyuan, Shanxi, his personality is very much in line with that of people from Northeast China.

They all carry a touch of cynical humor.

Since his friend was coming, Zhang Yuan didn't go to pick him up himself, but instead gave him the address and told him to come by himself.

At this moment, Zhang Yuan was busy, standing on a small earthen mound with a group of extras.
Directly in front of the earthen slope, there was a green curtain that was originally wrinkled but had been stretched as flat as possible.

This is the only shot in the entire film that uses a green screen.

The main storyline of this play revolves around the making of musical instruments.

Led by the male protagonist, a group of laid-off workers, knowing it was impossible, still did it and built a steel-framed piano using rudimentary methods.

Initially, it was to win back her daughter, because her daughter had said she would go with whoever bought her a piano.

Actually, these are just childish words. During the process of making the zither, the male protagonist gradually realizes that even if he makes the zither, he cannot bring back his wife and daughter.

But he continued building, determined to get it done.

Even though the result wasn't what I wanted, I did my best.

In addition, there is a subplot in the script, which is introduced when the male protagonist asks an old engineer who once studied in the Soviet Union for help to draw piano blueprints.

The old engineer never married because he had met a Russian woman while studying in the Soviet Union. He regretted it for the rest of his life after returning to China and never married again.

This person is very sentimental.

Zhang Yuan initially didn't understand why such a setting was added for veteran engineers.

Later I realized it was to label him as nostalgic.

This leads to his desire to preserve the two large chimneys in the old factory, which is also a sign of nostalgia.

Good works are made up of these details. Even a supporting character must be consistent throughout.

The male protagonist gave the old engineer a lot of advice, such as giving the chimney new meaning and value.

They decorated the chimney to look like a rocket, or even two chopsticks.

The engineer listened to the advice and, after designing the plan, convened a meeting of veteran employees.

The proposed solutions included not only decorating the chimneys to resemble rockets, but also giraffes.

They even had the wild idea of ​​turning the chimney into a bungee jumping platform.

Not all workers are rough men covered in sweat and grease.

Worker-intellectuals are also workers; they can be imaginative and romantic.

But the result was the same as the male protagonist building the piano.

No matter how much effort or talent one puts in, the power of an individual, a small group, or even a large group cannot resist the tide of the times.

Just as global warming in the early Tang Dynasty laid the agricultural foundation for a prosperous era, it also "thawed" the Tibetan Empire, leading to a century of conflict.

They also thought that the Little Ice Age at the end of the Ming Dynasty accelerated the demise of the last Han Chinese dynasty.

Actually, the late Ming Dynasty was relatively better off. The late Han Dynasty, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the late Tang Dynasty, and the early Northern Song Dynasty were all periods of the Little Ice Age, each of which caused a sharp decline in population of more than three-quarters.

Because cold-resistant and high-yield crops such as potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes were introduced at the end of the Ming Dynasty, the population only decreased by half.

Knowing this, when you watch "Da Ming Dynasty 1566" again, you'll see the young Grand Secretary and his colleagues laughing and saying, "A good snow promises a bumper harvest; every snowflake is worth a tael of silver."

On the other side, Hai Rui, his face ashen, walked silently among the corpses of the starving and frozen dead.

It was the irreversible tide of history, coupled with man-made disasters, that created all of this.

In front of the camera, Zhang Yuan, holding a pack of Hademen cigarettes, handed out cigarettes to the people around him one by one.

After everyone lit up, they silently looked at the green screen directly in front of them.

The performance begins with the imagination in one's mind, and the performer silently watches as the two massive chimneys, which had tried their best but could not be saved, are blown up and collapsed, turning into dust.

The director said that this scene should be performed as if it were a funeral.

The funeral for the chimney is also a funeral for the working generation.

There are three funeral scenes in "The Piano in a Factory".

The funeral procession begins with the song "Step by Step Higher" for the old lady, followed by the funeral of the chimney and the funeral of the male protagonist's father.

In addition, after my buddy's daughter became pregnant unexpectedly, we held a wedding.

If you consider that the whole play is a "funeral" for the golden age of the working class, this play could actually be made into "Four Funerals and a Wedding".

"Cut!" With the director's command, a light north wind blew on the earthen slope, and the group of people, who had been looking dazed, finally composed themselves.

Zhang Yuan smoked a cigarette as he made a breakthrough.

He summed up the character's emotions in this scene in just two words: numb.

Numb, I can't feel anything.

It's a numbness to life, so be it.

"Not bad, your demeanor has changed a lot." After he steadied himself, a large head popped out from the side.

"This time it's not an idol type."

"I've never been an idol, it's just that you guys always misunderstand me and treat me like one," Zhang Yuan retorted irritably.

Then he patted Ning Hao on the shoulder.

"I didn't expect that your image and temperament would be so suitable for this style of play." Big Head had been watching me the whole time.

Wherever Zhang Yuan stands, he doesn't look out of place. In fact, without careful observation, you can't tell the difference between him and the people around him; he looks just like an ordinary unemployed worker.

"Oh my, even Director Ning approves of me, then I'm all set for myself." Zhang Yuan teased him in a friendly tone.

"By the way, after I came to Northeast China, I ran into an acquaintance, someone you know."

"Whenever people hear that you're filming here, they come to visit the set."

"Who?"

"Zhang Yuan, long time no see."

Just as Zhang Yuan asked the question, a familiar female voice rang out from behind him.

Turning his head, a pretty face appeared in his line of sight, wearing a pink woolen hat, a bright red woolen scarf, and with a delicate nose from which a few white breaths were rising.

Li Xiaoran gave him a familiar, sweet smile.

"she?"

"Yes, aren't you close to her?"

Zhang Yuan nodded. In a sense, they were intimately familiar with each other.

Familiarity in the sense of physiological structure.

But...

"Long time no see."

Zhang Yuan stepped forward, extended his arm, and gestured to shake hands.

Da Bai paused for a moment before raising his arm to shake hands with him, a hint of dissatisfaction creeping into his smile.

But look again at his face.

Those melancholy eyes, that stubble, paired with a glass of Dry Martin—it's simply perfect!
"What brings you here?"

"I was filming a TV series in Harbin at the time, working with Wallace Chung."

"Ning Hao was visiting Harbin, and I ran into him."

“He said he wanted to come see you. I had just finished filming my part, so we came together to visit an old friend.”

She is filming a TV series called "Too Late to Say I Love You".

Construction began in Harbin.

Ning Hao also went to Harbin to see the scenery and happened to run into him.

"Alright, now that we're here, let's have dinner together tonight."

"It's cold outside, so you guys find a warm place to rest first. I'll come find you after I finish filming."

"No need, I enjoy watching you work." Teacher Da Bai pointed to the temporary rest area for the film crew next door.

"I'll stay right here and won't bother you."

Zhang Yuan took a closer look at her.

She was already fair-skinned, and the cold air from Northeast China, combined with the red scarf, made her look even fairer.

"Whatever you want," he replied softly.

He did several takes in front of the green screen, and the director asked him to try different acting styles.

Sadness, agitation, cursing, and staring blankly.

A good actor should be slightly different each time, giving the director a choice.

This makes the performance more interesting, allowing the actors to challenge themselves.

A director like Wong Kar-wai, who makes you film take after take without explaining how to act, and makes it seem like it's the same dozens of times, is more likely to destroy an actor's confidence.

After looking at it from different angles, Zhang Meng still felt that Zhang Yuan's initial state of numbness was the most appealing.

Sometimes, directors act like demanding clients, making the service providers work on things for ages, only to end up back at the first proposed solution.

But you can't not change, he always feels you still have "potential".

Zhang Yuan arranged for everyone to eat together.

When we arrived at the restaurant, we ordered a table full of Northeastern Chinese dishes.

During the meal, Zhang Meng was exceptionally hospitable to the two guests.

Ning Hao then explained the specific purpose of his trip to Northeast China. After the film *No Man's Land* stalled, Zhang Yuan helped him get it off the ground.

Although he really wanted to keep tweaking and revising, he agreed with Zhang Yuan's point that people need to eat first.

If you don't eat it, your son and wife still have to.

So he plans to start from scratch, first making a movie to recoup his losses and also to let Zhang Yuan earn some money.

The film "No Man's Land" was blocked due to its subject matter and content. Big Head is a smart man, and he immediately learned his lesson.

Content involving darkness is prohibited.

Then I'll do the opposite!
Let's take a look at what Zhang Yuan has done over the years, especially the promotion and distribution of the two "Ip Man" films.

It's about patriotism!
Patriotic themes won't get censored, right?

In addition, patriotic blockbusters have not performed well at the box office in the past two years, especially Han Kuo-yu's "The Founding of a Republic".

He then had an idea and quickly produced a script outline called "Secret Case".

With regular research and polishing, a script can take at least half a year, or even several years, to complete.

They were quick to make money this way, managing to pull it off in just over a month.

Sure enough, when people are pushed to the limit, they're capable of anything.

Zhang Yuan can even perform calculus calculations when he's angry.

This "Secret Case" is the later "Gold Heist"!
This drama is one of Ning Hao's more "craftsman-like" works.

The plot, characters, and twists feel rather stiff compared to the two "Crazy" films, but only when compared to its own predecessor.

This is the result of insufficient time spent polishing the script.

If we give him a few more years of training, he might be able to reach a higher level.

But time waits for no one. If "No Man's Land" can't be released, and if it drags on for another 5 or 6 years without a single film, not only will we be sitting around living off our savings, but the audience will also forget about us.

Therefore, even if the work is not perfect, Zhang Yuan still supports him in making it.

Anyway, even if it's not perfect, it's still above average and can still be sold for money.

Tell me, is a combination of patriotism, special effects, and large-scale action scenes worthwhile?
Wu Jing exclaimed that he was an expert.

Ning Hao's ideas are quite forward-thinking.

"What is the initial budget estimate?"

"The filming cost is 3000 million, even after reducing the actors' salaries."

“It’s okay, I’ll handle the actors’ appearance.” Zhang Yuan said calmly.

"Because I plan to do some big scenes, the post-production costs will not be small, probably tens of millions."

"These blockbusters also need marketing and distribution, which can cost tens of millions."

"That means the total budget needs to be at least 5000 million," Zhang Yuan replied, stroking his chin.

"almost."

“No problem, you come up with the plan, I’ll take care of the money.” Zhang Yuan agreed without much thought.

Director Zhang Meng, who was standing nearby, felt uneasy upon hearing this.

My mother!

Are we having such high-level conversations at this dinner?
With a budget of 5000 million, I could make 10 movies.

So this is the level of games they usually play.

If he comes to my film crew to shoot a movie, does that count as "cadres going to the countryside"?
The key was Zhang Yuan's reaction. Upon hearing the figure of 5000 million, he didn't even blink, and without much thought, he readily agreed to take it on.

That kind of spirit is truly frightening.

If they were stingy, that would be one thing, but if they don't care at all, it means they don't take these tens of millions seriously at all.

Zhang Meng lowered his head and weakly took a bite of the sliced ​​pork.

Yes, he doesn't care.

He usually pretended to be a laid-off worker, and his easygoing nature made him forget how strong the other person was.

He was involved in two films during this Spring Festival season.

I heard that he not only acted in the show, but was also an investor.

The box office of "Let the Bullets Fly" has now exceeded 6 million!
Ip Man 2 has reached 3.8 million, and it's not far from 4 million.

The two films together grossed over 10 billion yuan at the box office!
In 2010, the total box office revenue of Chinese films, including both domestic and imported blockbusters, was just over 100 billion yuan.

It was also the first time in history that it exceeded 100 billion, making it a milestone year.

The film he starred in during the Lunar New Year season accounted for more than 1/10 of the total box office.

This doesn't even include other films released this year, including "Bodyguards and Assassins," "The Expendables," and "G.I. Joe."

If all of them are included, it would exceed 20 billion.

If you include all the actors, whether they are leading or supporting roles, Ge You's total box office is not as high as his.

The box office revenue of China's two capital cities and thirteen provinces is all on my shoulders.

Because of all this, Zhang Yuan felt a sense of emptiness.

How lonely it is to be invincible...

I don't want to work this hard, but my colleagues are useless.

With these box office guarantees, it's a piece of cake for Ning Hao to apply for a budget of tens of millions of yuan to make movies with film companies on both sides of the strait.

No need to invest any more money; the box office revenue is enough.

Once director Zhang Meng understood this, he realized that tens of millions was indeed nothing.

Some companies make hundreds of millions in profit from just one Lunar New Year film season.

Regardless of how many people share the money, he attributed it all to Zhang Yuan.

Let's not talk about career or wealth; he can't talk about them anyway, and he can't get a word in edgewise.

He then turned his gaze to Li Xiaoran.

Teacher Da Bai is in his prime right now; not only has he not sagged, but he even shows signs of continuing to develop.

Zhang Meng is from Northeast China. He doesn't like the delicate, boneless women from the Jiangnan region; he prefers big, fair-skinned girls.

It needs to be somewhat "robust," not shriveled up.

I need to bring the order...

Oppai is also a type of "pie".

In the category of "curvy" actresses, Li Xiaoran is a fairly typical example of a leading figure among Chinese actresses.

Zhang Meng: I really like this.

He was tall and fair-skinned, with striking features.

Especially when you take off your coat indoors, oh my!
She had a curvaceous figure, and although the sweater wasn't a tight-fitting style, it somehow made her look like she was wearing a tight-fitting sweater.

Baymax is the kind of person who is not photogenic. This is not compared to ordinary people, but to people like Zhou Xun, who are 7 points in real life but 10 points on camera and can make the camera shine.

She's a 9/10 in real life, but only an 8/10 on camera.

Therefore, the visual impact is stronger offline.

Zhang Meng's eyes were practically glued to Li Xiaoran.

Just as he was about to strike up a conversation with the actress in his capacity as director...

pat!

Then I heard a snap of fingers next to my ear.

Ning Hao, who was standing right next to him, spoke up.

"stop looking."

"She's the eldest sister-in-law now."

"Huh?" Zhang Meng's mouth dropped open.

I had heard before that Zhang Yuan had good relationships with many female celebrities, but I think his relationship with Qin Hailu and that Korean woman is just so-so, just friends. I thought it was a rumor.

did not expect……

He looked at Li Xiaoran again.

His eyes almost glued to Big White's body.

But his big white eyes were firmly stuck to Zhang Yuan's body.

What the hell!

He only then realized the situation.

With those long legs, a slim waist, and a bust that exudes reproductive power.

pat!

Ning Hao snapped his fingers again.

"Why are you peeking!"

Zhang Meng shifted his gaze, looking awkwardly out the window.

Looking out at the snowflakes falling and the north wind howling in the northeastern night.

He silently uttered that word in his heart.

No… (End of Chapter)