Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 194, Section 192: So what if you can sing?
Friday, September 25, 1998.

As autumn deepens in Changsha, the night is pierced by the rotating spotlights atop the Hunan TV building, stirring up an increasingly restless atmosphere.

As evening falls, the hustle and bustle of the streets and alleys seems to settle down earlier than usual, and an invisible force pulls countless citizens home and into front of the television.

Hunan TV spent a whopping 12 million yuan to acquire the exclusive first broadcast rights for "The Four Great Constables." After more than a month of anticipation, it will finally be broadcast tonight at 8 pm as the station's "opening show" for the fourth quarter.

This deal, with each episode costing 300,000 yuan and totaling 12 million yuan for 40 episodes, was an astronomical price in the mainland Chinese TV drama purchasing market at the time, sparking widespread discussion within the industry.

However, Hunan TV is very confident about this and even feels that it is worth more than its price.

The confidence was not unfounded. A few months ago, Zhang Bozhi, who became famous as the champion of "Super Girl" and was widely publicized by the official media for "giving away all her family's wealth to help Hunan Province", reached an astonishing peak in her personal reputation in Hunan Province and even the whole country.

The multiple accolades she embodies, such as "Hong Kong's inspirational young woman" and "filial piety and responsibility," have made her starring role in "The Four Great Constables" a hit even before its release, generating a huge amount of attention.

Her storyline takes up a significant portion of the content in this version.

In order to maintain this wave of popularity, Cecilia Cheung appeared on Hunan TV's flagship program "Happy Camp" three times in September alone, almost becoming a "regular guest" on the show.

Every time she appears in public, whether she sings Cantonese classics, shares anecdotes from the film set, or displays her approachability, she further solidifies and expands her fan base, especially in Hunan Province, where her popularity has reached an "outrageous" level.

The tabloids always sold out quickly with gossip about her, and young people imitated her style and talked about everything about her.

As 8 p.m. approached, many streets in Changsha presented a strange scene of "everyone being deserted".

Shops closed early, and diners in restaurants hurriedly paid their bills and went home. Even the usually bustling night market was much less crowded.

From almost every window with its lights on, the familiar theme song of Hunan TV could be heard playing.

……

Beijing, Li Xiaoran's residence.

Only one warm yellow wall lamp was on in the living room, and the light and shadow from the TV screen danced on the wall.

Wang Sheng leaned back on the sofa, calmly watching the opening sequence on the screen—a carefully edited display of martial arts scenes and character close-ups, accompanied by a melody with a strong martial arts feel.

He had just finished showering; his hair was still damp, and he exuded a refreshing scent after his bath.

Li Xiaoran curled up beside him, wrapped in a soft bathrobe, her cheeks still flushed from not long ago, fine beads of sweat glistening on her nose, her eyes somewhat languid and dreamy.

She gently rubbed her toes against Wang Sheng's calf, her voice hoarse with a hint of barely perceptible probing: "This lineup... is really strong. That girl Zhang Bozhi is really something now. I heard that in Hunan Province, the people are practically worshipping her like a fairy."

Wang Sheng's eyes remained on the screen; he simply hummed in response, then reached out and put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him.

The opening credits end, and the main feature begins.

The first scene depicts a mysterious case in the capital, with a sinister atmosphere. Zhuge Zhengwo (played by Bao Guoan) sits calmly in the Divine Constable's Mansion, exuding a composed aura. Next, the four great constables appear in turn: Hu Bing's Wuqing sits in a wheelchair, his eyes cold and wise; Hu Jun's Tieshou is powerful and his steps are firm and resolute; Li Yapeng's Zhui Ming carries a wine gourd, his gait elegant yet concealing a sharp edge; and Shao Bing's Leng Xue is like a lone wolf, lurking in the darkness with piercing eyes.

The scene shifts, and Cecilia Cheung, playing Ji Yaohua, appears gracefully under the moon in a purple dress. Her beauty is even more striking in the moonlight, carrying a hint of mystery and sorrow.

Li Xiaoran looked at the radiant Cecilia Cheung on the screen, then glanced at the impassive Wang Sheng beside her. In the end, she said nothing more, simply resting her head on his shoulder and focusing on the plot itself.

Admittedly, the show's excellent production quality, cinematic composition and costumes, and tight plot quickly attracted her as well.

……

The Beijing Film Studio guesthouse had a standard room with a television set specially opened on the second floor.

Gao Yuanyuan and Fan Xiaopang sat cross-legged on the bed, with sunflower seeds, preserved plums and other snacks and two bottles of Beibingyang soda in front of them.

They have been officially freshmen in the Performance Department of Beijing Film Academy for over a week now, having finished their military training.

After the initial novelty and excitement wore off, academic pressure and the changing landscape of the entertainment industry left both of them feeling inexplicably anxious. The call was from Cecilia Cheung herself, her tone cheerful and familiar, inviting them to watch the premiere of "The Four" that evening. Upon receiving the call, both of them felt a mix of emotions.

At this moment, looking at the stunningly beautiful and incredibly popular Cecilia Cheung on the screen, and then comparing it to his own situation—although he had been admitted to his ideal university, his future was still uncertain—the room fell silent for a moment.

"Tsk, the fight scenes were really well done." Fan Xiaopang cracked a sunflower seed, trying to break the silence with a comment, but the sourness in his tone was still undeniable. "Ji Yaohua is also quite likable, beautiful, strong, and mysterious."

Gao Yuanyuan took a small sip of her soda, nodded, and kept her eyes glued to the TV: "Yeah, Bozhi acted very well, very fitting the role." She paused, her voice lowering slightly, tinged with a self-deprecating helplessness, "Why can't we sing well!"

These words seemed to touch upon a shared secret between the two.

Fan Xiaopang threw the sunflower seed shells into the trash can and sighed, "You're right! If only we had half of her singing talent, or her luck, we could have made it through 'Super Girl'..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Cecilia Cheung's popularity skyrocketed, thanks to a phenomenal variety show and subsequent media manipulation, allowing her to overtake her contemporaries and even earlier trainees by a wide margin.

The feeling is like everyone was on the same starting line, and you even felt that your conditions were not bad, but in the blink of an eye, the other person has already rushed to a position that you have to look up to.

Envy?
there must be.

Jealousy?
Perhaps there is a bit of that, but more than that, there is a sense of urgency and confusion about one's own development path.

"Didn't President Wang say that everyone has their own path?" Gao Yuanyuan said softly, more like comforting herself: "If we study hard and lay a solid foundation, there will always be opportunities in the future."

Fan Xiaopang grunted and grabbed the jar of preserved plums: "Right, our 'Seventeen-Year-Old Bicycle' is almost finished too. When it airs, it might not be any worse than this!"

She chewed the preserved plum vigorously, as if to encourage herself.

Their attention returned to the plot.

As the case unfolds, the four famous constables each display their unique abilities, with Ji Yaohua maneuvering among them. The plot is intricately linked, full of suspense, and truly captivating.

They had to admit that the production and the actors' performances were all top-notch, and it seemed reasonable that Cecilia Cheung could take her career to the next level with this role.

……

Xingcheng, inside an ordinary residential building.

The whole family sat around the television, their eyes glued to it.

When the episode aired, showing Cui Lueshang, the mastermind, infiltrating a brothel to investigate a case and clashing with a local thug, displaying his superb lightness skill as he darted between the rooftops with graceful and nimble movements, his middle school son couldn't help but slap his thigh and exclaim, "Awesome! That lightness skill!"

When Ji Yaohua bravely confronted the villainous expert to save innocent children, despite being outmatched in internal strength, she used her wit to outmaneuver him. When a close-up of her stubborn yet poignant gaze appeared, even the grandmother sitting next to her couldn't help but murmur, "This little girl has a kind heart and is really pretty..."

Similar scenes were playing out in Changsha, in Hunan Province, and even in countless families in surrounding provinces that were already receiving Hunan TV via satellite signal.

With its excellent production, strong cast, tight martial arts narrative, and Cecilia Cheung's phenomenal popularity, "The Four Great Constables" successfully captured the hearts of its first audience on this autumn night.

As the first episode ended and the end credits rolled, lingering discussions began to spread through the streets, telephone lines, and nascent online forums.

"It's great! Much better than those slow-paced TV dramas these days!"

"The Four Great Constables each have their own unique characteristics, and I like them all!"

"The Ji Yao flower is so beautiful! Cecilia Cheung's acting is also quite good!"

"I'll watch it again tomorrow!"

(End of this chapter)