Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 234, Section 232: Comrades-in-Arms

Sunday, August 1, 1999.

Despite the heavy filming schedule for "A Little Thing Called First Love," including scenes scheduled for Sunday, the production team still gave the main actors a rare half-night break in the evening, allowing everyone to catch their breath.

The continuous high temperatures and intense filming left everyone somewhat exhausted.

The hotel where the film crew stayed wasn't particularly nice, but at least the rooms had air conditioning and a color TV.

Fan Xiaopang, carrying half a watermelon and wearing slippers, knocked on Gao Yuanyuan's door.

A short while later, Li Bingbing also came in carrying a plate of washed grapes.

Three actresses of different ages and personalities came together in a room by chance.

Fan Xiaopang is still a little over a month away from turning eighteen. His face still has some baby fat that hasn't faded yet. He is energetic and chattering away.

Gao Yuanyuan is only twenty years old, in the delicate period of transition from girl to young woman, with a touch of melancholy amidst her innocence.

Li Bingbing is 26 years old this year, making her the "eldest sister" among the three, and she has a calmer personality.

To be honest, Li Bingbing and the two little girls didn't really get along.

Fan Xiaopang is loud and boisterous, but quick-witted; Gao Yuanyuan seems quiet, but Li Bingbing, at his age, can immediately understand what's hidden in her eyes.

She wasn't one to deliberately join in the fun, but she came because her younger sister, Li Xiuxiu, had told her to.

Li Xiuxiu is now Cecilia Cheung's executive agent. Having worked her way up in the industry, she is well-informed and has a clearer understanding of things than before.

She once told her sister privately, "Sis, the entertainment industry looks glamorous, but behind it all are resources and connections. Countless people are trying to get on Mr. Wang's ship right now."

Now that you're already on board, stop thinking about all that nonsense. No amount of backing can compare to having your own work and people around you who can support you.

Fan Xiaopang and Gao Yuanyuan, despite their young age, are people that President Wang values. They might become comrades in the same camp in the future, so it's always good to get along well with them.

Stop thinking about shortcuts all the time; those things are unreliable. If you want a lifelong career, you need real skills and good relationships.

Pulling herself back to reality, Li Bingbing smiled and placed the grapes on the bedside table: "I bought them from the fruit shop next to the hotel; they look quite fresh."

"Thank you, Sister Bingbing!" Fan Xiaopang said sweetly, immediately scooping out a large spoonful of the very center of the watermelon and handing it to her: "Sister Bingbing, try this, it's so sweet!"

Gao Yuanyuan smiled and thanked her, handing her a tissue.

At 7:40 p.m., Hunan TV began the premiere of "The Legendary Twins".

This is at the tail end of the summer season, a prime time for ratings competition.

In the late 1990s, television signals were mainly transmitted nationwide via cable television networks and satellite.

As one of the earliest provincial television stations to broadcast via satellite, Hunan Satellite TV's signal, transmitted through communication satellites such as "ChinaSat 6B," can theoretically cover most parts of the country.

However, for it to be truly implemented in households, the "rebroadcasting" consent of local cable television stations is required.

After several years of hard work, Hunan Satellite TV has accumulated a high level of popularity and audience base nationwide with programs such as "Happy Camp", "Super Girl", "Rose Date" and the wildly popular "Princess Pearl" at the beginning of the year. Its coverage is very good, especially in urban areas, where the coverage rate is quite considerable.

Countless families tuned into Hunan TV after dinner, eagerly anticipating this new drama.

As the opening theme song begins, it is both grand and imposing, yet carries a touch of the unpredictable world of martial arts.

When the opening credits read "Co-produced by Shengying Media and Baodao Zhenglong International Communication Co., Ltd.", many viewers watching on television couldn't help but smile knowingly or discuss it with their families.

"Another production from Shengying Media? Their dramas seem to be pretty good."

"Last year's 'The Four' was pretty exciting, and I heard that the second one is already being filmed."

"They were also involved in 'My Fair Princess' at the beginning of the year, right? Little Swallow was a bit of a troublemaker, but it was fun to watch!"

"I wonder how this version of 'The Legendary Twins' turned out. Gu Long's novels are not easy to adapt."

Sheng Ying Media, through its success with hit dramas like "The Four Great Constables," "Princess Pearl," and others, has established a reputation among viewers for "decent quality and engaging plots," which has raised expectations for "The Legendary Twins."

In the hotel room, the three actresses were also watching intently.

Fan Xiaopang plays Tie Xinlan in the series. Compared to the original novel, the adaptation, commissioned by Wang Sheng, does add a lot more scenes for Tie Xinlan, strengthening her emotional struggle between the two main characters, Xiaoyuer and Hua Wuque, as well as her chivalrous spirit, making the character more three-dimensional and well-rounded.

Seeing his dashing entrance as a woman dressed as a man, Fan Xiaopang couldn't help but feel a little smug, and secretly glanced at Gao Yuanyuan and Li Bingbing's reactions.

Gao Yuanyuan plays Su Ying, and she was retained in this version of the script and appeared earlier.

She is intelligent and cunning, possesses superb medical skills, and is deeply in love with Xiaoyuer, making her a very likable character.

Although her scenes for tonight haven't started yet, Gao Yuanyuan is already looking forward to the broadcast after seeing the few shots of herself in white, looking ethereal and charming in the trailer.

Li Bingbing plays the role of the Palace Master Yaoyue, who is cold and beautiful, with unfathomable martial arts skills and an extremely strong desire for control. She is a key figure in driving the plot forward.

Her scenes were later in the film, and as she watched the freeze-frame of herself in the opening credits, exuding a cold and powerful aura, Li Bingbing nodded to herself, feeling that although this role didn't have the most screen time, there was a lot of room for her to shine.

The first two episodes mainly establish the background: Xiaoyuer (played by Lin Zhiyin), raised by the Ten Villains, enters the martial arts world for the first time. Clever and cunning, he tricks the villains; Hua Wuque (played by Su Youpeng), the young master of Yihua Palace, is a handsome and skilled martial artist who is ordered by his master to hunt down Xiaoyuer; Tie Xinlan, disguised as a man, meets Xiaoyuer and gets caught up in the conflict...

The plot moves at a brisk pace, and the fight choreography is elegant and stylish, balancing power and beauty, clearly showing that a lot of effort has been put into it.

The costumes, makeup, and props are also more exquisite than those of typical martial arts dramas, and the visual quality exudes "money" and "care."

Jimmy Lin brought Xiao Yu'er's cleverness and mischievousness to life, while Alec Su's Hua Wuque was handsome and refined, fulfilling the audience's imagination of the elegant gentleman in Gu Long's novels.

Fan Xiaopang's portrayal of Tie Xinlan is commendable; she is handsome in men's clothing and possesses both gentleness and fortitude when dressed as a woman.

"Wow, this fight scene was filmed beautifully!" Fan Xiaopang exclaimed in amazement as he watched Hua Wuque easily defeat his enemy with a single move, "Shifting Flowers and Jade."

"The visuals are quite nice too, brighter than many martial arts dramas," Gao Yuanyuan commented softly.

Li Bingbing, on the other hand, focused more on the actors' performances and character development, secretly noting down some aspects that she felt she could learn from.

When the two episodes ended and the ending theme song played, all three of them seemed a little reluctant to leave.

"That's it? I haven't had enough!"

Fan Xiaopang smacked his lips with lingering interest: "I feel this version is quite interesting, it's quite different from the versions I've seen before."

Gao Yuanyuan nodded: "The casting of Xiaoyuer and Hua Wuque is quite good, and the plot has been adapted to be quite tight."

Li Bingbing smiled and summarized, "The production is excellent, the story is well-told, and the beginning is quite captivating. It seems that President Wang has made the right bet again this time."

Unbeknownst to them, similar discussions are taking place in countless families across the country at this very moment.

The audience generally felt that it was "a pleasant surprise".

This version of "The Legendary Twins" did not adhere to every detail of the original novel. Instead, it retained the core character relationships and classic plots while adapting them to better suit the narrative rules of television dramas, resulting in a fast pace and prominent conflicts.

The actors are generally good-looking, and their performances are above average, especially the young leads, who are quite popular with the audience.

The fight choreography, costumes, sets, and color palette all demonstrate a level of sophistication that surpasses most martial arts dramas of the time.

"This little fish is quite cunning, it's fun!"

"Hua Wuque is so handsome! Alec Su is perfect for playing this kind of noble young master."

"Tie Xinlan is quite pretty, and her acting skills are also good."

"It's well-made and doesn't look cheap."

"The dramas produced by Shengying Media are indeed quite good."

The positive start laid a solid foundation for the subsequent broadcast of "The Legendary Twins".

The prime-time evening slot on Hunan TV during the last month of the summer season is destined to be swept up by the martial arts spirit of "The Legendary Twins".

In the hotel room, the three of them, having finished watching TV together, seemed to have quietly grown closer as they shared their thoughts and opinions on the show.

Fan Xiaopang started pestering Li Bingbing with questions about acting, and Gao Yuanyuan occasionally chimed in, exchanging their understanding of the character.

Looking at the two energetic and promising juniors, Li Bingbing recalled her sister's words, and the idea of ​​"acting diligently and cultivating good relationships" became even clearer in her mind.

(End of this chapter)