Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 249, Section 247: The Sky Has Collapsed
Huang Bo followed Wu Yiyi out of the practice room. The door was gently closed, leaving only Wang Sheng and the casting director who had been quietly observing inside.

The casting director looked at Wang Sheng, awaiting his decision. Huang Bo's acting was spirited and grounded in real life, but his appearance and accent were indeed significant weaknesses, posing a considerable risk in commercial film considerations.

After a moment's thought, Wang Sheng looked up, his gaze clear and resolute: "The male lead will be Huang Bo."

The casting director paused for a moment, then nodded: "I understand, Mr. Wang. As for his accent..."

"Make appropriate adjustments, but retain some of the local flavor; too much standardity will look fake. The character of Chen Mo needs that real, gritty quality in him."

Wang Sheng made the final decision, saying, "The female lead will be Li Xiaoran. As for the other main supporting roles, the four 'dream girls' and the nurse, you should contact and screen them according to the script requirements and the direction we just discussed. The final list and audition videos will be submitted to me for approval."

The female lead doesn't have many scenes, which fits Li Dabai's current state of being lazy and indifferent.

"Okay, Mr. Wang, we'll get on it as soon as possible." The casting director noted down the requirements and got up to leave.

……

Over the next ten days or so, Wang Sheng focused partly on the pre-production of "Happy Family" and partly on the post-production of "A Little Thing Called First Love".

The rough cut of "First Love" was completed quickly.

In the screening room, Wang Sheng, director Zhang Yang, and the editing team watched the first draft, which lasted more than two hours. The film had a refreshing tone, Gao Yuanyuan's portrayal of "Xiao Shui" showed a clear transformation, Huang Xiaoming's "Senior A Liang" was sunny and handsome, and the overall story flowed smoothly.

However, Wang Sheng pointed out several issues: "The first half of the story focuses too much on the details of the campus crush, and the pace could be tighter. Some redundant daily life scenes could be removed, and the focus could be placed more on the main storyline of Xiao Shui's transformation for love."

The emotional rendering in the second half, the reunion scene, could be more intense, especially the scenes of Xiao Shui's speech and the final rooftop reunion. The music could be introduced earlier to heighten the feeling of regret mixed with relief.

Also, Gao Yuanyuan's close-up shots were captured well, but the post-production color grading could help enhance the contrast between the before and after shots. The before shots were too dull and grayish; the post-production should emphasize that 'blooming' radiance.

Zhang Yang and the editor carefully noted down Wang Sheng's requirements.

……

Meanwhile, the outside world continues to heat up because of Fan Xiaopang.

As her interviews aired one after another, she became increasingly composed in front of the camera, sharing the hardships of filming, expressing her gratitude to Wang Sheng for his support, and explaining her understanding of the "Flying Colors" spirit. Her words were sincere and carried the unique drive of young people, winning over countless fans.

The impact of the in-depth interview in China Youth Daily continued to grow, and it was reprinted by many local newspapers. The "Burn It Up" spirit even became an inspirational slogan quoted by some middle school teachers at their opening ceremonies.

Fan Xiaopang's image has completely transitioned from the gentle "Tie Xinlan" in "The Legendary Twins" to a rising star who combines the symbolism of hard work with commercial value.

Various commercial offers came in like snowflakes: endorsements, commercial performances, magazine covers... Agent Li Tingting strictly screened them, but still managed to fill Fan Xiaopang's schedule to the brim.

Her workload is extremely high. She often spends the morning shooting commercials in Beijing, then flies to Guangzhou in the afternoon to attend a brand event, and then may have to give a phone interview to a media outlet in the evening.

She was tired, but incredibly fulfilled, and she enjoyed the feeling of being needed and noticed.

Compared to Fan Xiaopang's energetic and lively personality, Gao Yuanyuan appears to be exceptionally "Buddhist-like".

After filming wrapped on "First Love," she was practically on a semi-vacation, except for some necessary pre-production promotional material shoots.

She didn't actively seek new job opportunities; she spent most of her time at home reading or occasionally showing up at voice and dialogue classes arranged by the company.

Her mind was clearly not on the rapid expansion of her business.

Whenever Wang Sheng was free, a phone call, or even just a subtle hint, would always be enough for her to find the time to quietly appear by his side.

Hilton suites, the underground parking lot of the Jingxin Building, or a private room in a quiet restaurant became their unspoken hideouts.

She was immersed in this secret, intimate relationship, not questioning the future, but only indulging in the warmth of the moment.

Wang Sheng also maintained a tacit indulgence towards her, being generous and considerate, but he never clearly defined the "relationship".

Time quietly slipped into the last day of August, on the eve of the start of the new school term.

As evening falls, the lights of Beijing begin to illuminate the city.

After nearly a month of traveling around promoting "Flying Colors," Fan Bingbing finally returned to Beijing, weary from her journey. Her assistant escorted her to her apartment building, where she dragged her tired but excited body upstairs.

After putting down her luggage, the first thing she did was call her best friend, Gao Yuanyuan.

"Hey! Yuanyuan! I'm back! Are you free tonight? Let's have dinner together! I'm exhausted, I have to give you a good rant about this inhuman life I've had for the past month!" As soon as the call connected, Fan Xiaopang rattled off a string of words, his voice filled with the joy of a long-awaited reunion.

Gao Yuanyuan on the other end of the phone seemed to hesitate for a moment, her voice soft: "Bingbing, you're back... Let's have dinner... Sure. But... could I ask someone to come along?"

Without much thought, Fan Xiaopang waved his hand and said, "Sure! Who is it? You can invite Li Bingbing too, the three of us haven't gotten together in ages!"

“It’s not Sister Bingbing…” Gao Yuanyuan’s voice carried a hint of barely perceptible shyness and nervousness, “It’s… President Wang. He just happens to be free today.”

"President Wang?" Fan Xiaopang was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Great! Of course! I also need to report my work 'achievements' over the past month to President Wang! You decide on the location, and send me the address once you've decided!"

After hanging up the phone, Fan Xiaopang felt even better.

Having dinner with Wang Sheng would be a good opportunity to thank him in person for his guidance and training, and we might even be able to discuss our upcoming work arrangements.

She hummed a song as she began rummaging through her drawers for clothes, wondering which outfit to wear to meet her boss.

An hour later, in a private room of an elegant Jiangnan restaurant.

Fan Xiaopang arrived early, touched up his makeup, and waited looking refreshed.

She imagined how Wang Sheng would evaluate her achievements over the past month when he came in; the box office success of "Flying Colors" was her strongest source of confidence.

The door to the private room was pushed open by the waiter.

Fan Xiaopang immediately flashed a bright, slightly smug smile and stood up to greet him.

However, the next moment, her smile froze on her face, as if she had been frozen in place.

Gao Yuanyuan walked in first, but she wasn't alone; her hand... was intimately linked with Wang Sheng's arm!
Gao Yuanyuan's face was beaming with a smile that Fan Xiaopang had never seen before, a smile that was clearly one of dependence and sweetness. She looked up at Wang Sheng and said softly, "Brother Sheng, I heard that the Longjing shrimp at this restaurant is really authentic."

Although Wang Sheng did not make any overly intimate gestures, he allowed Gao Yuanyuan to hold his arm naturally, and even tilted his head slightly to listen to her speak, with a hint of his usual indulgence in his eyes.

This is definitely not the kind of distance and atmosphere that should exist between an ordinary boss and employee, or between a director and an actor!

Gao Yuanyuan greeted Fan Xiaopang with a smile when she saw him already there: "Bingbing, you're here so early!"

She released her grip on Wang Sheng's hand, but her posture and gaze proclaimed a special intimacy.

When Wang Sheng saw Fan Xiaopang, his gaze faltered slightly. Gao Yuanyuan hadn't mentioned it. He said in his usual tone, "You're back."

Fan Xiaopang stared blankly at the scene before her, her mind a complete blank. Gao Yuanyuan's natural intimacy with Wang Sheng, Wang Sheng's tacit approval and even habitual attitude... it was like a heavy hammer that slammed into her heart.

She suddenly remembered that over the past month, Gao Yuanyuan had occasionally seemed absent-minded on the phone, and that her tone was vague yet bright when she mentioned Wang Sheng... It turned out that it wasn't her imagination.

While she was still in a daze, Gao Yuanyuan had already pulled Wang Sheng to sit down and started ordering food with practiced ease, occasionally leaning close to Wang Sheng's ear to whisper his opinion.

As Fan Xiaopang watched, he felt a chill run through his body from the soles of his feet. All his excitement, anticipation, and slight pride vanished in an instant.

She worked hard, fighting her way up in the world of fame and fortune, thinking that her achievements would bring her closer to him.

Unexpectedly, someone had already quietly embarked on a "shortcut" she had never imagined.

On the table was today's financial newspaper. In the corner of the entertainment section, there was an inconspicuous short news item reporting the box office data as of August 29: "Flying Colors" had been released for 26 days and had accumulated a box office of approximately 5775 million yuan, becoming director Wang Sheng's second highest-grossing film, second only to "30 Days" with 90 million yuan, and ahead of "The Pursuit of Happyness" with 4789 million yuan.

This was originally something she wanted to use to "show off" tonight, but now it seemed so ironic.

Fan Xiaopang sat down mechanically, looking at Gao Yuanyuan, who was acting like the lady of the house, and Wang Sheng, who seemed completely unfazed. She felt as if the world she had worked so hard to build had collapsed at that moment...

(End of this chapter)