Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 60: 'King of the Northeast'

The July sun grew increasingly scorching at midday. After leaving the zoo, Han Jianu's hair was plastered to her face with sweat, but her excitement hadn't diminished much, and she continued to chatter about the pandas and monkeys.

"Brother Wang Sheng, I'm hungry!" She tugged at Wang Sheng's sleeve, tilted her head back, and suggested with bright, sparkling eyes, "Shall we go eat KFC?"

These days, fast food has a deadly appeal to children.

Xiao Han doesn't hesitate to call Wang Sheng "brother".

Wang Sheng chuckled softly: "Okay, I brought you out today so you could have fun and eat well."

The four of them got into the Santana. Mr. Yang knew the roads in Beijing very well and quickly found a clean and bright KFC.

Pushing open the glass door, a cool breeze from the air conditioner mixed with the aroma of fried chicken wafted out.

The store was quite crowded, mostly with parents with children, and filled with the cheerful noise of the kids.

Wang Sheng asked Li Xiaoran to take Han Jianu to find a table, while he and Chef Yang went to the counter to order.

Looking at the familiar pictures and prices on the menu, he ordered three set meals, plus egg tarts and mashed potatoes.

When I returned with a plate piled high with food, Han Jianu and Li Xiaoran were already sitting in the booth by the window, having a great time playing with the free cartoon pencils.

Wow! Chicken leg! Hamburger!

Upon seeing the food, Han Jianu immediately forgot about her pencil and her eyes lit up.

Li Xiaoran carefully helped her open the hamburger wrapper, inserted the straw, and pushed the cola towards her: "Eat slowly, don't choke."

Wang Sheng watched Li Xiaoran patiently taking care of the child from the side, and he never expected that she had such a meticulous side.

He picked up his camera and took a picture of Han Jianu, who was engrossed in her work and had sauce all over her mouth, and Li Xiaoran, who was smiling and watching beside her.

"Uncle Wang, you should eat too!" Han Jianu called out, her cheeks puffed out, her words muffled.

"..."

……

After dinner.

We rested in the shop for a while to kill time during the hottest part of the day.

Wang Sheng asked Han Jianu where she wanted to go in the afternoon. Han Jianu said she wanted to go boating in Beihai Park and then see the White Pagoda.

……

It's about two o'clock in the afternoon.

Beihai Park is shaded by green trees, and a cool breeze blows across the lake, making it much more comfortable than the city streets.

They rented a pedal boat. Wang Sheng was in charge of pedaling and steering, while Li Xiaoran and Han Jianu sat side by side in front.

The small boat gently rippled across the lake, and the white pagoda in the distance was reflected in the water.

Han Jianu was clearly an excellent student in the school's music class. Looking at the rippling lake, she naturally began to hum: "Let us row our oars, the little boat pushes through the waves..."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiaoran smiled and joined in the singing: "The beautiful white pagoda is reflected in the sea, surrounded by green trees and red walls..."

Big White!
The path of a singer is not suitable for you.

Li Xiaoran's singing voice is like turning on five radios with different tones at the same time, the pitch fluctuating and unpredictable, as if she is trying to decipher a secret.

Wang Sheng slowed down his pedaling, picked up the camera hanging around his neck, and took photos of the two of them.

……

After playing all day, the energetic Han Jianu finally ran out of energy.

On the way back to the Beijing Film Studio, the back seat of the car quieted down. Han Jianu leaned her head to the side and fell into a deep sleep against Li Xiaoran, a sweet smile still on her lips.

It was past 5 p.m. when the Santana drove into the Beijing Film Studio residential area.

The car had just come to a stop in front of the apartment building.

Wang Sheng saw Han Sanping standing in the shade by the building entrance, clearly having been waiting for some time.

Wang Sheng got out of the car first and whispered to Han Sanping, "Uncle Han, you're tired from playing and just fell asleep."

Han Sanping nodded, a hint of fatherly tenderness on his face. He opened the back door and saw his daughter sleeping soundly with her head resting on Li Xiaoran's lap, but he didn't say anything.

"Let me do it."

Wang Sheng leaned in and carefully carried Han Jianu out.

The little girl murmured something, found a more comfortable position in Wang Sheng's arms, and continued to sleep.

Li Xiaoran also got out of the car and greeted Han Sanping somewhat reservedly: "Uncle Han."

She saw Wang Sheng address Han Sanping that way, so she followed suit.

She should be Wang Shengtan's girlfriend.

"Hello." Han Sanping nodded to her as a greeting, then turned his gaze back to his daughter.

Wang Sheng carried Han Jianu upstairs with Han Sanping, gently placed her on the small bed in the bedroom, and then carefully covered his daughter with a thin blanket.

"Uncle Han, I'll be going now?" Wang Sheng said in a low voice.

"Thank you for your hard work today," Han Sanping said gently.

"It's not hard work, the girl is quite well-behaved."

Wang Sheng smiled and withdrew from the Han family.

……

I went downstairs and got back into the car.

I sat in the back row.

After a long day of intense conversation with Han Jianu, Li Xiaoran was exhausted. She took Wang Sheng's arm, rested her head on his shoulder, and dozed off. Wang Sheng said to Master Yang, "Master Yang, please take us to Wumingju one more time."

"No problem, Mr. Wang."

The car started again and drove away from the Beijing Film Studio.

Li Xiaoran asked in a languid tone, "Who are you meeting tonight? You seem to value it quite a bit."

"Yes, I have an appointment with Zhao Benshan and Professor Guo to discuss some matters." Wang Sheng leaned back in his chair and loosened his collar slightly.

"Zhao Benshan? Guo Da?" Li Xiaoran's eyes lit up, and she instantly regained her spirits: "Are they the two teachers who performed 'Three Whips' and 'The Robot's Amusing Tales' at this year's Spring Festival Gala?"

"Correct."

Wang Sheng continued, "Remember the TV series project I told you about yesterday? I plan to have Mr. Zhao Benshan play the core role."

"Wow……"

Li Xiaoran exclaimed softly, feeling as if Wang Sheng's circle and the world she came into contact with were two completely different worlds.

She originally thought that getting the role in "The Bodyguard: The Jade Doll" was already a step into the entertainment industry, but Wang Sheng casually mentioned that he was dealing with comedy stars of the Spring Festival Gala level.

This made her even more convinced that it was the right thing to hold on to the man beside her.

……

It was a little past 6:50 in the evening.

The Santana stopped in front of the nameless residence.

Guided by the waiter, Wang Sheng and Li Xiaoran headed towards their reserved private room.

Pushing open the door, I saw that Zhao Benshan and Guo Da had already arrived and were sitting on chairs at the dining table, drinking tea and chatting quite warmly, occasionally bursting into hearty laughter, clearly very familiar with each other.

Upon seeing Wang Sheng enter, the two immediately stopped talking and stood up to greet him.

"Mr. Wang! It's an honor to meet you!" Zhao Benshan extended his hand first, his smile warm and simple, with a hint of Northeastern accent.

At present, Lao Zhao's strength and influence have not yet reached their peak, and the widely circulated saying "After crossing the Shanhaiguan Pass, if you have any problems, go to Benshan" has not yet been born.

"President Wang is truly young and promising!" Guo Da, speaking with a Qin accent, also smiled and extended his hand.

Guo Degang's influence in the sketch comedy field is currently comparable to that of Zhao Benshan. Both are known as the second generation of "sketch comedy kings" after Chen Kaige and Zhu Rongji, but their styles and regions are different, representing the Northwest circle and the Northeast circle respectively.

"You two are too kind. I have long admired your reputation."

Wang Sheng took two quick steps, grasped Zhao Benshan's hands with both of his, and then shook hands with Guo Da: "Thank you both very much for gracing us with your presence."

"This is Ms. Li Xiaoran," Wang Sheng introduced Li Xiaoran briefly.

"Hello, teachers." Li Xiaoran quickly bowed slightly to greet them, appearing rather obedient.

"Oh my, this girl is really pretty!" Zhao Benshan praised with a smile.

Guo Da also smiled and nodded in agreement.

After exchanging pleasantries, the four people took their seats as host and guest.

The waiters began serving the dishes in an orderly manner.

After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, the atmosphere became increasingly harmonious.

Wang Sheng then got to the point, explaining in detail the script outline and the concept for the Lunar New Year drama, "Harmony Brings Prosperity."

"Therefore, this role of grandfather belongs to none other than Teacher Zhao."

Only you could portray the wisdom, stubbornness, and deep love for family of ordinary people from the lower classes with such nuance.

Wang Sheng spoke sincerely, and then added, "Teacher Guo, your language style is in stark contrast to Teacher Zhao's, which easily creates comedic effects. Only you can handle the role of the in-law."

Zhao Benshan and Guo Da listened attentively, occasionally exchanging glances.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Benshan said, "President Wang, to be honest, this book is quite interesting, lively, and down-to-earth."

"The idea of ​​a Lunar New Year film is great; it's the New Year, after all, everyone just wants to have fun. I'd be more than happy to collaborate with Beijing Film Studio and with you, Mr. Wang."

Guo Da nodded in agreement: "Yes, President Wang is young and promising, with a quick mind. I think this project is a good fit."

For comedic stars like them who have graced the Spring Festival Gala stage, mainstream film and television resources are actually quite scarce.

Zhao Benshan only made a cameo appearance in Zhang Yimou's "Keep Cool" this year.

Because of his appearance, Guo Da has not had many opportunities to work in film and television.

Wang Sheng then discussed scheduling with Zhao Benshan and Guo Da.

Both of them are currently preparing for their performance at next year's Spring Festival Gala, which is in 1997, so they happen to be in Beijing at this time.

After hearing from Wang Sheng that filming would begin in mid-September and would be completed in about half a month, Zhao Benshan and Guo Da thought about it and agreed.

"Since you two teachers have agreed, I'm relieved." Wang Sheng raised his glass. "I'll have my company coordinate with your agents tomorrow regarding the specific contract details. I wish us a successful collaboration and that we produce a show that the public will love to watch during the Chinese New Year!"

"Happy cooperation!"

Zhao Benshan and Guo Da also happily raised their glasses.

Amidst the clinking of glasses, Wang Sheng's smile was profound.

He invited Zhao Benshan not only because of his irreplaceable comedic talent and audience appeal, but also because he wanted to introduce film and television works with Northeast cultural genes to counteract those with Beijing cultural genes.

Films and television works containing elements of Beijing-style culture have a very limited reach, while those containing elements of Northeastern culture have a wider reach.

To put it more poetically, Beijing culture is like a deep well, profound and focused; Northeast culture is like a long river, flowing and widespread.

The future of artistic creation in Northeast China is not just talk; there are countless stories that have unfolded on this land…

(End of this chapter)