Reborn in the Chinese Entertainment Industry: My Childhood Sweetheart is Boss Yang

The next morning, at the Qin Palace in Hengdian World Studios.

The filming of "Wang Zhaojun" was not as lively as expected; instead, it was filled with a somber atmosphere.

Hundreds of extras, dressed in thin linen costumes, huddled in the cold wind, stamping their feet and exhaling white breath that formed a gloomy, desolate atmosphere.

But these old hands only complained a little in private. As soon as they saw Chen Jialin with his stubble behind the monitor, they immediately became obedient.

Everyone knows this guy is a veteran when it comes to serious dramas; he doesn't tolerate any mistakes. Today is the first scene, and if anyone messes up now, they can basically pack their bags and leave Hengdian.

"All departments, prepare!"

The script supervisor's nose was red from the cold, but her voice was still quite loud.

Gu Heng stood on the command platform, which was as high as a two-story building, wearing a set of black iron armor.

The real thing, weighing dozens of kilograms, was heavy on his body, but he still stood up straight, as if he was born to be a commander-in-chief.

Yang Mi stood on the sidelines, wearing a thick costume and holding a hand warmer, but her gaze was fixed on the person on the stage as if she were being drawn by a magnet.

"Action!"

At Chen Jialin's command, the drums began to beat.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

"Fellow soldiers!"

Gu Heng spoke, his voice deep and resonant, with a powerful penetrating quality.

The extras in the audience were stunned for a moment.

These days, we've seen plenty of rich kids who bring their own funding to film productions. Most of them just come on stage, strike a pose, and rely entirely on post-production dubbing for their lines. We never expected this guy to have actually trained.

"Clang!"

The longsword was drawn, its cold light gleaming.

Gu Heng executed a beautiful sword flourish, his movements fluid and graceful, the tip of his sword pointing straight to the sky.

"Those who offend our mighty Han, though far away, shall be punished!"

As he roared, a murderous aura, almost tangible, burst forth from Gu Heng's eyes.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The hundreds of extras were caught up in this momentum and instinctively shouted at the top of their lungs.

"good!"

"That's right! This is how a great Han general should be!"

Behind the monitor, Chen Jialin was so excited his beard was trembling. He never expected this kid to give him such a big surprise. His posture, his lines, his aura—it was no less impressive than those veteran actors with formal training.

"Cut! Perfect! Pass!"

With the director's command, the tense atmosphere on set finally relaxed.

Gu Heng sheathed his sword, the murderous aura on his face instantly vanished, and he returned to being the lazy CEO Gu.

"Where's the assistant? My throat's parched."

Yang Mi rushed forward even faster than her assistant, and without saying a word, shoved the still-warm hand warmer into Gu Heng's hand.

Warmth instantly spread through his palm. Gu Heng squinted comfortably.

"How about it, Yang Xiaosong? Look at the director's expression, isn't he captivated by my charm?"

Yang Mi rolled her eyes. "Come on, it's just trying to look cool. Anyone can do that."

"But he is indeed handsome."

"That's right, don't you even know who I am?"

Gu Heng accepted the offer without any modesty. "Alright, go and get ready. The next scene is your highlight, and I won't plead for you if you can't cry."

The filming went exceptionally smoothly over the next few days.

Gu Heng and Yang Mi, childhood sweethearts, have an extremely high level of chemistry in the drama, especially in the scenes where they exchange glances. They don't need to act at all; their feelings are naturally revealed, making Chen Jialin exclaim, "I've struck gold!"

However, the peaceful life on set could not conceal the turbulent events happening outside.

Mid-December.

Chen Kaige's "The Promise" has finally revealed its true colors.

The overwhelming publicity campaign came like a tsunami. Posters for "The Promise" were everywhere—on television, in newspapers, online, and at bus stops.

Boasting a 300 million investment and a top-tier lineup across Asia, it's aiming straight for the Oscars.

Faced with this massive wave, "Crazy Stone" is like a small boat, seemingly in grave danger.

That evening, Gu Heng was removing her makeup.

After removing that suit of armor weighing dozens of kilograms, my body was covered in marks from the straps, and it was incredibly painful.

Ma Jie called.

On the other end of the phone, Ma Jie's voice sounded somewhat embarrassed and helpless.

"Mr. Gu, there's something I need to discuss with you."

"About the film scheduling, right?" Gu Heng asked calmly as he removed his makeup.

"Mr. Gu is a sensible person."

Ma Jie sighed, "The theaters can't hold on any longer. Director Kaige is putting pressure on them, and all the major cinemas are counting on 'The Promise' for the New Year. Starting tomorrow, the screenings of 'Crazy Stone' will have to be cut."

"How much should we cut?"

"The national average has dropped to 10%. In some major cities, there may only be single-digit ghost towns left."

From nearly 30% to 10%.

Well, we're back to square one.

Yang Mi, who was standing nearby, changed her expression instantly upon hearing this.

"This is outrageous! Our attendance is so high, what gives them the right to be here?"

The young girl's chest heaved with anger. This was her husband Gu's first pot of gold; how could he be bullied like this?

Ma Jie gave a wry smile on the other end of the phone: "That's how this industry is. Big fish eat little fish. Director Kaige is a big fish, and we... well, we're still little fish, at least for now."

Gu Heng reached out and pressed down on Yang Mi's ruffled head, tugging her back into the chair.

"Okay, I understand."

"Mr. Ma, please pass on a message to the managers of the cinemas for me."

"Please speak."

"I don't blame them. Everyone's in business trying to make money. But please keep the screening schedule for the next few days. When they're begging me to add more screenings in a few days, don't forget how they acted right now."

After hanging up the phone, Gu Heng casually tossed his phone onto the dressing table.

Yang Mi paced anxiously, "Old Gu, why aren't you worried at all? Ning Hao just sent me a text message saying he's about to collapse. The momentum he finally built up is all gone now."

Gu Heng looked at himself in the mirror and smiled.

"What's the rush?"

"These next few days, eat and drink as you please. The sky won't fall."

"Let's go see it when it's released and join the fun!"