This is what an immortal should be like

Chapter 189 Fulfilling a Dream
"Brother Leng, how is Uncle Zhou doing lately?"

Liu Hongyu asked the question subconsciously, after all, Zhou Xianglin and his father had always had a good relationship, and he felt ashamed to say that he hadn't paid enough attention to Zhou Xianglin.

However, in reality, although Zhou Xianglin had a very close relationship with Liu Shihao, he did not have a strong emotional bond with Liu Hongyu. After all, since his "history of mental illness," his feelings for his own father had faded, let alone for this Uncle Zhou.

Leng Zhiheng smiled upon hearing this.

"Well, how could I possibly know too much about the director's private life? I only know that Director Zhou cares about you a lot, but Liu Lei is handling everything related to you, and Director Zhou himself is a very busy person."

Leng Zhiheng is right. Zhou Xianglin is indeed a very busy person. Even during the busiest years of the Breaking Illusion Project, Zhou Xianglin only personally attended during key periods. Most of the time, he was working in other places.

Although he is not young, Zhou Xianglin's passion for artistic creation seems to never diminish, and his film and television output speed is faster than that of the average person, so being busy is the norm for him.

"Director Zhou's works in recent years haven't been well-received at the market, but he seems unwilling to turn back."

This was Leng Zhiheng's summary, which gave Liu Hongyu a general idea of ​​what was going on.

Zhuang Lin glanced at Leng Zhiheng, then reached for the computer keyboard, using one hand to control the mouse and the other to quickly type.

Wow, Mr. Zhuang, you type so well!

Before Leng Zhiheng could even exclaim in surprise, Zhuang Lin had already found the information he wanted, which was mostly about Zhou Xianglin.

After just a few glances, Zhuang Lin understood that Director Zhou still couldn't forget the "Breaking the Illusion Plan" from back then, which was why he had been so enthusiastic about period dramas all these years, but it seemed that he could no longer find that feeling.

Zhuang Lin put down the mouse and did some quick calculations with his fingers, and roughly understood that Zhou Xianglin's current situation was probably not very good, not physically, but mentally.

Zhuang Lin remembers that he and Zhou Xianglin used to get along very well.

"Director Zhou went to visit Hidden Immortal Valley, right?"

Zhuang Lin asked this question, and Leng Zhiheng nodded helplessly.

"Yes, he searched twice. Once, he went into the Shennongjia Nature Reserve with us, and the other time, he organized a small team to enter the reserve on his own. But we are basically clear about the whole process."

Leng Zhiheng smiled as he said this.

"The second time, they had a bit of an accident and almost couldn't get out of the mountains. We worked with the local government to organize people to go into the mountains and rescue them."

"Okay, I know!"

Liu Hongyu took a deep breath and opened his phone's contact list. Although he didn't use the phone much, he still had a few numbers saved in it, less than ten in total. One of them was Zhou Xianglin. After all, no matter how distant the feelings were, the relationship was still there.
-
In a courtyard in Northwest China, Zhou Xianglin, who was filming a TV series on location, had to temporarily suspend all filming due to a sandstorm. He chose to let everyone avoid the harsh weather and he himself could only rest indoors.

At this moment, the curtain outside the house was lifted, and a person wearing a military overcoat walked in. Once inside, he kept shaking and patting his coat.

"Wow, this sandstorm is really something else. We didn't have this much bad weather when we were filming in the Northwest a couple of years ago. What's going on this year? It's like the sky is filled with yellow sand every few days."

Zhou Xianglin glanced at the person who came in but didn't say anything, so the latter walked closer.

"Director Zhou, what are you looking at?"

"Come, come and take a look!"

Zhou Xianglin was in the room drinking tea and browsing the web, and what he was watching repeatedly was Shen Qingyou's short video and the rest of the "stills". He was also calling the people who had returned over.

The person who came moved a stool and sat down next to the computer.

Despite their seemingly advanced age, Zhou Xianglin and the person next to him still possess strong learning abilities. Moreover, as industry veterans, they are always at the forefront of technology and are quite proficient in using computers.

"Hey, who's this? The costumes and props are amazing!"

"Shen Qingyou!"

"Shen Qingyou? That name sounds familiar! Is it that famous swordsman Hanmo?"

What the visitors see is only a corner of the ancient street containing Shen Qingyou, as well as photos of Foguang Temple and the military camp. An expert can see the details at a glance.

The naturalness and attention to detail speak volumes about the skill of the costume and makeup artists.

"Old Wu, come here, take a closer look!"

Zhou Xianglin clicked on the only video, and the visitor watched it attentively. His expression changed several times, sometimes showing surprise, sometimes frowning, and after watching it, he remained silent for a long time.

"Let me take another look!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the person clicked the replay button and watched it several times.

Zhou Xianglin wasn't in a hurry at all, after all, he had done the same thing just now. Only when the person next to him finally stopped replaying the video and froze the image on the rain did he speak.

"How about it?"

The person who came took a deep breath.

"Good, really good, such a wonderful performance, so vivid! She perfectly captured that loneliness, indifference, and sense of relief. Shen Qingyou is truly a great actress, no, a performing artist! But..."

Zhou Xianglin was waiting for this "but," and his old friend bluntly stated it.

"It's terrible, absolutely terrible. It's so badly made. The person who filmed it is a complete amateur. They don't know how to find angles, the camera work is illogical, and the lighting on the faces and the use of natural light are awful! It's such a waste of the actors' performances!"

At this moment, Liu Hongyu, who was in an apartment in JZ City, had an urge to sneeze, but he held it in.

Zhou Xianglin smiled upon hearing this. He had been quite indignant just moments before, but now he felt much better.

"Old Wu, what if I were to film this?"

"Of course! If you were to film it, and the video were longer, this segment alone could be enough to serve as a film tutorial, and if it were extended into a complete movie..."

The old friend didn't continue, because there were too many factors contributing to a film's success. Even Zhou Xianglin has had many unsuccessful films, but his talent is undeniable.

"I want to change the lead actor in a certain drama."

Zhou Xianglin had more than one script, and his old friend was also very interested in it.

"He's definitely no problem! But can you actually get him? Oh right, given your relationship with the Liu Group, it shouldn't be a big issue, right?"

Hearing this, Zhou Xianglin couldn't help but sigh. "Sigh, it's hard to say."

Just then, Zhou Xianglin's personal phone rang. The sudden "drip-drip" sound in the quiet room startled both of them.

Why is your phone ringing so loudly? Are you hard of hearing?

"Sigh, it's not that I'm hard of hearing, it's just that sometimes when I'm busy I'm afraid I won't hear you."

Zhou Xianglin explained and took out his phone. He looked at the caller ID and saw that it was an unknown number. But how could an ordinary person have his phone number?

After a moment's hesitation, Zhou Xianglin didn't shy away from his old friend beside him and immediately answered the phone.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Uncle Zhou, it's me, Hongyu. I heard you were looking for me?"

Zhou Xianglin's eyes widened in surprise. Although the call wasn't on speakerphone, his old friend clearly heard it and immediately realized who was calling—it was the head of the Liu Group!

"Oh, Hongyu, you finally called me! These past few years, it's been harder to see you than to see the president of a country!"

Liu Hongyu on the other end of the phone looked slightly embarrassed.

"Uncle Zhou, I've been busy with something, so please tell me what you need me for?"

Zhou Xianglin also exposed Liu Hongyu's lies, since Liu Lei was the one handling many things in the Liu Group.

It can only be said that Zhou Xianglin is a self-aware person. He knows that Liu Hongyu's feelings for him are not that deep. Perhaps it is only because of his relationship with Liu Shihao that the other party is willing to call him "Uncle Zhou".

So over the years, Liu Hongyu has avoided him, and Zhou Xianglin has wisely chosen to accept it. The former may not want the latter, but Zhou Xianglin still has the feelings of an elder caring for a younger generation, even if there is no blood relation.

With complex emotions swirling within him, Zhou Xianglin didn't say much and went straight to the point.

"Alright, alright, Liu Lei and the others all admire you. I knew you knew what you were doing. I won't say anything more. I need to ask your Liu's Film Company for someone!"

"Shen Qingyou?"

Liu Hongyu on the other end of the phone said it outright, and Zhou Xianglin and his old friend on this end both laughed.

"Yes, that's him. Can he help Uncle Zhou with this little thing?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"Okay, but now is not the right time. You should finish your current drama first. I estimate that once you're done, he'll be ready too."

"Alright, alright, it's settled then. You're definitely the boss, much more straightforward than that kid Liu Lei!"

Zhou Xianglin was in a great mood. Compared to Liu Lei's roundabout approach, Liu Hongyu's decisive decision was much more satisfying.

"Okay, Uncle Zhou, I'll hang up now if there's nothing else."

Zhou Xianglin was in a good mood when he suddenly heard this, so of course he didn't want to hang up immediately. It was not easy for him to have a conversation with Liu Hongyu.

"Hey, wait a minute, Hongyu, there's something I've been wanting to ask you."

On the other end of the phone, Liu Hongyu frowned slightly and subconsciously looked at Zhuang Lin beside him. The latter looked calm and probably understood what Zhou Xianglin wanted to ask.

Sure enough, Zhou Xianglin's next words were still related to what happened back then.

“Hongyu, so much time has passed, we shouldn’t bring it up, but Hidden Immortal Valley is such a good place, we can’t let it go to waste. After that incident, why can’t we find that place anymore?”

“Uncle Zhou, it has already been completely demolished and restored. Besides, it is a national protected area, and no one should be allowed to go in there in the first place.”

"But even if it's restored, it shouldn't be impossible to find it, right?"

"I'm not too sure about that either. After all, I haven't deliberately looked for it. Maybe it's just that the mountains and forests are so dense that it's easy to get lost. If you want to film ancient scenes, you can go to various film studios and look for ancient buildings. Even if you could find that valley, it wouldn't be realistic to restore it. The cost would be too high. You know, my father and I are different."

Zhou Xianglin sighed inwardly; what Liu Hongyu said was indeed very realistic.

"Alright. Then let me ask you something else. There was a Master Zhuang I'd really like to talk to again."

“Uncle Zhou, there’s a confidentiality agreement; they can’t disclose it, and we also need to respect their privacy. Besides, you’re so famous; perhaps one day he’ll contact you on his own.”

As he said this, Liu Hongyu grinned and glanced at Zhuang Lin, who remained noncommittal.

Liu Hongyu didn't say anything more after that. He chatted briefly with Zhou Xianglin, agreed to meet at a suitable time next time, and then hung up the phone.

Inside Leng Zhiheng's apartment, Liu Hongyu put down his phone and looked at Zhuang Lin.

"Master, from a purely personal perspective, if we want to fulfill Uncle Zhou's dream, could we take him to record a film?"

“That’s not impossible!”

When Zhuang Lin spoke, he was genuinely thinking about the matter seriously, but it wasn't just to help Zhou Xianglin fulfill his dream; he had other considerations as well.

Heaven and earth will eventually come to an end. If we wish to continue, we must break through the barrier between heaven and earth. This is the only visible glimmer of hope for all things in heaven and earth so far!
If the impasse between heaven and earth is broken in the future, the chosen location will inevitably be in the modern era!

It would have been impossible to succeed in ancient times, because we are now in the Dharma-ending Age, which also shows that success is impossible.

Even if it succeeds, it will inevitably and completely change the overall situation, and the consequences will be immeasurable.

So when the barrier between heaven and earth is broken in modern times, perhaps a great tide of spiritual energy will surge down. What kind of changes will occur then? It might not just be a change in spiritual energy!

Having read many novels, Zhuang Lin couldn't help but think about this in this direction, and it was the first time he had pondered this issue in a relatively deep way!

I didn't think much about it before because my goals were too ambitious, and I still feel the same way now, it just so happens that I've stumbled upon this opportunity.

"We must face the many unforeseen events of the past, and at the same time, we cannot leave people today unprepared for the future."

Zhuang Lin suddenly said this with a strange expression, and even added in his mind that if necessary, he might also need to communicate with the current government!

(End of this chapter)