Huayu: Reborn in 97, transferring to the Central Academy of Drama's star-studded class

The film that Jia Kezhang wanted to make was called "Jin Xiaoyong's Buddy, Hu Meimei's Mistress, and Liang Changyou's Son: Xiao Wu".

What kind of story is this? Well, the protagonist, Liang Xiaowu, is a thief who claims to be a craftsman.

The thief fell in love with the lady, and then the lady ran off with the rich man.

He made a pact with his best buddy to get rich, but then his best buddy became successful, and he was left looking down on.

I wanted to be nicer to my parents, so I argued with them and ended up being kicked out of the house.

He was about to steal something when he was caught by the police again.

Just by hearing this, you can tell what a melodramatic and tragic story this is.

According to Jia Kezhang himself, he wanted to film the loneliness and love of a young person abandoned by the times, and to capture a sense of real roughness and the suffocating indifference of the lower classes.

To put it bluntly, it has a rustic or unsophisticated feel.

And Jiang Lai is right in front of me.

Beneath his mink coat were a pair of long, straight legs, an upright posture, a neat hairstyle, and a handsome, sunny face—he practically had me welded onto his face that I was a rich, handsome, and successful man.

Should he play the thief, or the nouveau riche brother? He can't possibly play the prostitute, can he?

Especially when the other party stands next to Wang Hongwei, the intended lead actor, the whole atmosphere changes.

So when Jiang said he wanted to act in his own movie, Jia Kezhang fell silent for a moment.

I've heard stories before of sponsors stuffing actors into film crews, or even the sponsors themselves, and then ruining the whole movie, like...

Well, I won't give examples.

Unexpectedly, Jia Kezhang himself encountered this situation today.

Although this is not the film he most wanted to make, it is the film he most wants to make successfully right now, and he doesn't want it to be ruined by others.

Seeing his old friend lower his head and remain silent, Wang Hongwei knew that the man's stubbornness had kicked in again, so he quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

"I can act! Absolutely! We still have several roles in this play that haven't been cast yet, like a policeman, or a few henchmen..."

"Can you play the lead role?" Jiang Lai blinked.

Upon hearing this, Wang Hongwei fell silent. He was the protagonist of the film, and it wasn't that he couldn't let go of his role, but rather that Jiang Lai's temperament was completely incompatible with the movie.

For example, can you imagine Zunlong playing this thief?

"cannot!"

Jia Kezhang suddenly raised his head, slowly straightened his back, and his face became solemn.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Jiang, but I cannot accept your investment!"

He handed the business card back with both hands, meeting Jiang Lai's gaze solemnly, using this method to maintain his dignity.

Wang Hongwei sighed slightly, understanding what his old friend was thinking. He simply didn't want to ruin his hard work because of money, but he supported the other party's decision. Even if there was no investment, he could always find a way to raise the money.

Jiang Lai realized that Jia Kezhang clearly didn't want to act in the film himself, which was why he refused to invest.

"It's alright, no need. If you can't act, that's fine. I'll still continue to invest in your movie."

As he spoke, Jiang Lai pushed the business card back and asked excitedly, "Hey! Tell me about the movie, I'd like to learn more about it."

Jia Kezhang and Wang Hongwei took back their business cards, and in a daze, they breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a strange sense of relief after surviving a disaster.

Where can you find such a good deal when the investor is not in a difficult position, wants to invest, and just wants to learn about the film?

He immediately pulled Jiang Lai along, and the three grown men squatted down at the foot of the snow-covered wall and began to chat.

From the revolutionary classics of the early days of the People's Republic of China to the ideological liberation and artistic explorations after the opening up, from the French New Wave to film innovations around the world.

Jiang listened with great interest, especially about the performances: Chaplin, Brando, De Niro, Shi Hui, and Zhao Dan.

Those vivid characters seemed to appear directly in his mind.

Like a pebble thrown into the lake of his heart, creating ripples.

As dusk falls, the setting sun merges with the distant mountains, casting a twilight glow over the city of Beijing.

Jiang said goodbye to the two, got into his car, and excitedly drove home.

It seems he has found what he wants to do.

For Jiang Lai, his life has always been simple, unpretentious, and monotonous.

Liang Xiaowu's loneliness stems from being abandoned by the times, and Jiang Lai's inability to integrate into the era after his rebirth is also a form of loneliness.

Acting might allow him to experience different lives through different roles.

In a hutong (alley) in the west of the city.

Jiang Lai parked the car casually, a little crookedly, but it didn't matter, since the whole alley belonged to his family anyway.

Sometimes Jiang Lai didn't understand what his father was thinking. Why did he have to live in a traditional courtyard house instead of a nice villa, and an old one at that?

To put it nicely, it's about reminiscing about the past; to put it bluntly, it's about forcing yourself to endure hardship.

There are many mosquitoes in the summer and it's not warm enough in the winter. Even though the old man spent a lot of money to renovate it, he still couldn't avoid the problem.

"Dad! I have something I want to do!"

Jiang Lai shouted and ran home, just in time to run into his father and a middle-aged man wearing glasses as they walked out of the main living room.

"Mr. Jiang, please wait a moment. We hope you can reconsider that business plan." The middle-aged man bowed slightly to Mr. Jiang's father.

Mr. Jiang chuckled and cupped his hands in front of him, saying with a smile, "Alright, I'll take a look and let you know when I've made a decision."

"Thank you, Mr. Jiang."

The middle-aged man turned around, nodded to Jiang Laiye, and then strode away.

Jiang Lai watched the person walk away, feeling that the person looked somewhat familiar.

"Son's back? Where did he go today?"

Jiang's father asked a question with a smile like Maitreya Buddha, then turned and went into the house.

Jiang Lai withdrew his gaze, followed them inside, and asked, "Dad, who's that? What are they doing here?"

Jiang's father sat down on the sofa and picked up a document from the coffee table to look through it.

"Oh, he's the general manager of Sitong Company. He came to me through a friend to solicit investment. His name is Wang Zhidong."

Jiang Lai sat down, still feeling a vague sense of familiarity.

"Invest in what?"

"They say it's an internet project, but what kind of surfing website are they going to create?"

Jiang's father flipped through the documents in his hand and continued, "Oh, right, it's called Sina! Our family is in the manufacturing business, I don't understand these new things, I'm going to politely decline."

Sina! Wang Zhidong! It was him.

Jiang Lai suddenly realized that the founder of Sina had actually come to his company to solicit investment. It seemed that this person had secured investment this year and founded Sina next year.

"Dad! Throw some! Throw more!"

Jiang Lai suggested to his father without hesitation that it would be utterly insane for a future financial tycoon not to invest in such a startup in its early stages.

Jiang's father looked at Jiang Lai with suspicion. He knew his son's usual character and never cared about such things. Why was he like this today?

Without much thought, Jiang's father called out towards the inner room, "Old Li!"

An elderly man with gray hair, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, came out and bowed respectfully: "What are your orders, sir?"

Old Li's real name is Li Zhong. He is the steward of the Jiang family. He has been helping to manage the Jiang family since Jiang Lai's grandfather's generation. It is said that his ancestors served in the palace. His way of addressing people is a bit old-fashioned. Jiang Lai tried to correct him, but he was very stubborn.

"Please take over this project proposal. We'll invest whatever amount they need."

Jiang's father casually handed the document to Old Li, not caring whether it was feasible or not. After all, spoiling his son didn't need a reason.

"Yes, sir."

Old Li never wastes words; he took the bag and prepared to leave, but Jiang Lai hurriedly stopped him.

"Uncle Li, wait a minute." Jiang Lai didn't dare to call Old Li casually. "I invested in a movie today and gave out your business card. I'll probably contact you tonight. Could you please help me with the arrangements, Uncle Li?"

"Yes, young master."

As always, Old Li was concise and to the point. Despite his age, he had far more business experience than Jiang's father, and handling these matters was a piece of cake for him.

"You've really made something of yourself, son! You've even learned about investing. Keep up the good work!"

Mr. Jiang was very pleased and immediately felt that his son was making progress. Indeed, in Mr. Jiang's eyes, his son's lack of idleness was a sign of progress.

"Dad, these are all minor matters. I feel like I've found a goal I want to strive for!"

"What is it?" Jiang's father asked curiously.

"I want to be an actor!"

Jiang Lai's eyes lit up.