Entertainment Industry: I am a top-tier movie star

On the first Friday of September, Chen Nianbei received a call from director Kong Sheng.

"Xiao Bei, 'Battle of Changsha' has a release date. It will air next Wednesday on Hunan TV during prime time."

Kong Sheng's voice was as steady as ever, but a closer listen revealed a hint of anticipation.

"The promotional period has begun, so please cooperate. Engage more on Weibo, tagging the official account and the main actors."

In addition, the station has arranged for you to record an episode of "Happy Camp" next Saturday to promote the drama. You, Yang Zhi, and Huo Jianhua will go together.

The TV series "Battle of Changsha" is about to air.

Chen Nianbei held her phone, her heart filled with turmoil.

This is the first TV series he has acted in since his rebirth. Although he only played the supporting role of "Xiaoman", it was of great significance.

This is the starting point of his solid acting skills and the first touchstone to test the results of his "past experience + present effort".

"Okay, Uncle Kong, I understand, I will definitely cooperate," Chen Nianbei replied.

"Yes, relax. Your performance as Xiaoman was very solid. The audience will remember it."

Kong Sheng offered a rare word of encouragement, then added further instructions.

"The script for 'Nirvana in Fire' is almost ready. I'll have my assistant send it to your email so you can prepare in advance. The audition is in November, so make the most of it."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Nianbei immediately logged into Weibo.

The official Weibo account of the TV series "Battle of Changsha" has released the release date poster and trailer.

He reposted the official Weibo post with the text: "#TV series Battle of Changsha# Changsha City in flames, bloody youth, reporting for duty on Xiaoman, looking forward to meeting everyone."

He then tagged director Kong Sheng, producer Hou Hongliang, lead actor Huo Jianhua, Yang Zhi, and others.

This Weibo post quickly garnered hundreds of reposts and comments, with fans expressing their anticipation for "Little Man's Little Brother".

Immediately afterwards, I received a formal invitation from the "Happy Camp" program team.

The recording will be held next Saturday.

Chen Nianbei has a very calm attitude towards appearing on such a popular variety show.

He was clear about his role: a new actor promoting the drama, not trying to steal the spotlight, just following the script and appropriately showcasing the character and his own traits.

He watched a few recent episodes in advance to familiarize himself with the style and also prepared some ideas for answering questions that might be asked.

On the day of the recording, the Changsha studio was bustling with activity.

Chen Nianbei waited backstage with Yang Zhi, Huo Jianhua, and several other young actors.

Yang Zhi is a lively person and is very familiar with Teacher He and the others. She chatters away non-stop.

Huo Jianhua, on the other hand, is relatively more reserved.

Chen Nianbei, dressed in a simple white shirt and khaki pants, looked clean and neat, standing quietly to the side with a polite smile on her face.

When it was the turn of the "Battle of Changsha" crew to take the stage, the spotlight shone down, and the audience erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers.

Teacher He enthusiastically introduced each actor. When he introduced "the actor who plays Hu Xiangjiang, also known as our lovely and pitiful Xiaoman, Chen Nianbei", the camera gave him a close-up.

The young man on the screen stood tall and had clear eyes. He answered Teacher He's teasing and questions calmly and with just the right amount of humility and sincerity.

During the game segment, he reacted quickly but not arrogantly, and maintained composure in both winning and losing. Occasionally, he would reveal a shy smile befitting his age, eliciting screams from the fans in the audience.

The recording of the program went very smoothly.

Chen Nianbei's performance was decent, but her composure and clean-cut demeanor beyond her years stood out in the playful atmosphere of the variety show, leaving a good impression on both the host and the audience.

A week later, "Battle of Changsha" officially premiered on Hunan TV's prime time slot.

The rich historical backdrop, nuanced character portrayals, brutal war scenes, and poignant depictions of human nature quickly attracted a large audience. Word-of-mouth began to spread.

The following Saturday night, "Happy Camp" aired a special episode of "Battle of Changsha".

Many viewers who became curious about the actors because of the TV series also watched this episode.

Chongqing, Saturday evening.

Having just returned home, Tian Xiwei finished a practice exam, rubbed her sore eyes, and decided to relax.

She turned on the old TV in her house, tuned it to Hunan TV, and just in time for the premiere of "Happy Camp".

She had heard of "Battle of Changsha" but hadn't started watching it yet.

During the program, when the camera panned across the young actress named Chen Nianbei, her finger, which was about to change the channel, paused.

The boy on the screen was wearing a white shirt, his eyes crinkled slightly when he smiled, he looked clean and refreshing, he answered questions with neither arrogance nor servility, and he was serious yet somewhat cute when playing games.

When Teacher He mentioned the difficult fate of "Xiaoman," the character he played in the drama, he gave a relieved smile and said:

"In that era, Xiaoman represented the hopes and struggles of countless ordinary people."

That look and smile inexplicably struck Tian Xiwei.

She stopped changing the channel and leaned back on the sofa to watch.

Throughout the entire program, her gaze unconsciously followed that quiet yet seemingly radiant figure.

The program concluded with a highlight reel from "Battle of Changsha," including a scene of Xiaoman looking back at her homeland before her sacrifice. The reluctance, fear, and lingering hope in her eyes brought a pang to Tian Xiwei's heart.

"You acted so well..." she murmured to herself.

After the show ended, Tian Xiwei immediately turned on her home computer and first searched for "Chen Nianbei".

The encyclopedia entry is quite simple: currently studying at the Beijing Film Academy, appeared in "Battle of Changsha" (playing Hu Xiangjiang/Xiaoman), and has already finished filming "Brotherhood of Blades" and "Swords of Legends".

She then opened Weibo and found Chen Nianbei's account.

His latest Weibo post was a repost of the ratings success report for "Battle of Changsha" and a group photo of the cast and crew. He stood in the corner with a gentle smile.

She clicked "Follow".

Then, as if she had discovered a new continent, she began searching for "Chen Nianbei Super Topic".

Yes, there are some, but the number of fans is pitifully small, only... 3?

She clicked on it out of curiosity.

The super topic moderator position is vacant, and there are very few new posts.

She browsed through her fan list. The first super topic she followed had an ID called "Wang Churan, keep going!" and its profile picture was a profile of a girl with a bright smile.

The second ID is "Haochun strives forward", and the profile picture seems to be... a little rabbit?

The third one is her newly registered alternate account, "Xiwei Watching the Stars".

Tian Xiwei couldn't help but laugh, a wonderful sense of participation welling up inside her.

So few people actually discovered him?

She looked at the few posts in the super topic, one of which was posted by "Wang Churan, keep going!"

"Checking in, good luck with Nianbei's new drama!"

The other one was posted by "Haochun strives forward": "Looking forward!" Both were very simple.

After thinking about it, she also posted a message:

"I just saw @ChenNianbei on 'Happy Camp' and then watched 'Battle of Changsha'. Xiaoman's performance was amazing! I've followed her, and she has a bright future!" She attached a screenshot from the show and a still of Xiaoman from the drama.

After posting the message, she felt like she had accomplished a secret, meaningful little thing.

She shut down her computer and picked up her review materials again, but the image of the woman in the white shirt and Xiaoman's last glance would occasionally flash through her mind.

Thousands of miles away, in Shanghai.

After finishing her classes at the Shanghai Theatre Academy Affiliated High School, Wang Churan returned to her dormitory and habitually opened Weibo to check out the "Chen Nianbei Super Topic".

She saw the new post from "Xiwei Watching the Stars".

She smiled and gave the new post a thumbs up.

She also retweeted a Weibo post about the ratings of "Battle of Changsha," writing, "Xiaoman's acting was superb! May the ratings soar!"

Liu Haochun, who was at home reviewing her lessons and waiting for news about the film's post-production, also saw the new activity in the super topic.

She silently gave it a thumbs up, then continued reading her book.

When Nianbei's TV series aired, she was happy for him and became even more determined to act well.

Chen Nianbei himself, along with Zhang Lei, is meeting with the head of Enlight Media's distribution department to discuss the follow-up publicity and distribution strategy for "Take My Brother Away".

The phone screen lit up, and Weibo notified me that I had gained some new followers and interactions.

He casually clicked on it and saw the new post from "Xiwei Watching the Stars" in the super topic, as well as Wang Churan's repost and like.

He smiled, not particularly concerned.

This small super topic with only three followers is like a seed buried deep in the soil, growing quietly without being noticed.

The broadcast of "Battle of Changsha" brought him his first batch of real drama fans and audience recognition.

His appearance on "Happy Camp" brought his image to a wider public eye.

Although he has only just begun to show his talent, the road beneath his feet is already steadily extending forward.

The audition for "Nirvana in Fire" in November and the release of the film I'm currently watching are both looming ahead.