Huayu: Starting with Hextech

New Year's Eve, Hengdian

At a private restaurant, Brother Hu hosted a gathering, inviting Yuan Hong, who was also filming in Hengdian, and Lin Xiao, the three fellow apprentices, to get together on the first day of the new year.

"Come on, the first drink! Wishing all of us fellow apprentices a prosperous new year, with endless acting opportunities and ever-increasing career advancement!"

Hu Ge raised his glass first.

"Absolutely! Cheers!" Yuan Hong also raised his glass with a smile.

Lin Xiao raised his glass as well.

The three clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

After a few drinks, they started talking non-stop.

They chatted about interesting things at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, their experiences on their respective film crews, and industry gossip, with bursts of laughter filling the air.

Brother Hu seemed to be in a good mood today, and had a few more drinks, his face flushed with a slight buzz.

He picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks, then suddenly put them down, looked at Lin Xiao, and his eyes showed a mix of emotion and seriousness.

"Lin Xiao," Brother Hu patted him on the shoulder, "seeing you like this now, your senior brother is really happy for you. Your performance in 'Chinese Paladin 3' was outstanding, and you also held your own as Yi Dachuan in 'The Myth.' Director Jiang has praised you a lot in private. Your start is much smoother than ours back then."

Lin Xiao said modestly, "It's all thanks to the help of my senior brothers, and I've been lucky."

"Luck alone isn't enough."

Brother Hu shook his head, his tone becoming somewhat somber.

"This industry looks glamorous, but it's actually very murky. You might become famous today because of a movie or a role, but tomorrow you might be forgotten because of a single sentence, a scandal, or simply because you've 'faded away.' The competition is too fierce, with newcomers coming one after another, and everyone wants to climb up."

He paused, looked at Lin Xiao, and reminded him:

"You're doing well right now, and a lot of companies must want to sign you, promising you great things. But let me remind you, don't let those short-term gains blind you. Signing with a company has its advantages and resources, but it also comes with constraints."

Most importantly, regardless of whether you sign a contract or not, and who you sign with, you must remember that an actor's foundation is acting skills and their work. Don't lose sight of this foundation in the pursuit of resources and exposure. Stay clear-headed, focus on acting well—that's more important than anything else.

These heartfelt words moved Lin Xiao, who raised his glass to Brother Hu: "Senior Brother, I'll remember this. Thank you for your guidance."

Yuan Hong, standing beside him, nodded in agreement: "Brother Hu is right. We're from the Shanghai Theatre Academy; we can't let our acting skills go to waste. But..."

He smiled, looked at Lin Xiao, and said with a hint of probing, "Lin Xiao, I heard from someone at the company that President Cai seemed to have spoken to you personally? Tangren's terms should be pretty good, right? After all, with a big shot like Brother Hu involved, resources will definitely be allocated to you."

Yuan Hong's question seemed casual, but Lin Xiao and Brother Hu both sensed the probing meaning in it.

Yuan Hong is also an artist under Tangren Media. Although he has gained some popularity with "Chinese Paladin 1" and "Young Warriors of the Yang Clan", he is still far from being a top-tier artist. In terms of the company's resource ranking, he is naturally ranked after Hu Ge.

If another Lin Xiao, with great potential and clearly more favored by Cai Yinong, were to appear, one can imagine the pressure he would face.

Brother Hu didn't speak, he just looked at Lin Xiao, waiting for his answer.

Lin Xiao put down his wine glass, his expression calm: "President Cai did indeed contact me, and the terms he offered were very generous. He said he would develop me in the same way he developed Senior Brother Hu."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Hong's smile froze slightly. Although he tried his best to hide it, Lin Xiao still caught the fleeting tension and slight sadness in his eyes.

He had probably already mentally rehearsed the scenario where his resources would be further squeezed after Lin Xiao joined Tangren.

However, Lin Xiao changed the subject: "But I declined."

"what?"

Yuan Hong looked up abruptly, his face filled with astonishment, even thinking he had misheard.

He refused? He refused the olive branch personally extended by Cai Yinong?

This……

Even Brother Hu looked at Lin Xiao with some surprise.

Lin Xiao smiled, his tone calm but firm:

"I am very grateful for Mr. Cai and Tangren's sincerity. But as my senior just reminded me, I feel that what I need most right now is not to rush to tie myself to any big ship, but to calm down and accumulate experience. I need to film more movies and try different roles to build a more solid foundation. And..."

He carefully considered his words, "I'd rather forge my own path than rush to become 'the next someone'."

He put it tactfully, but his meaning was clear: he didn't want to be bound by long-term contracts like those with Tangren, didn't want to be stereotyped or over-planned, and wanted to retain more autonomy.

The astonishment on Yuan Hong's face gradually turned into surprise, followed by a deep sense of complexity.

He had indeed previously regarded Lin Xiao as a potential competitor, and even secretly competed with him in his heart.

Unexpectedly, the other party had no interest in this at all and had no intention of joining Tangren or competing with him for jobs.

My own petty thoughts and worries seem so ridiculous and... narrow-minded.

For a moment, he felt a mix of emotions. He was relieved, admired Lin Xiao’s clear-headedness and ambition, and felt a slight guilt for having secretly regarded Lin Xiao as a rival.

Brother Hu gave Lin Xiao a deep look, his eyes filled with even more admiration.

He raised his glass: "Good! You have ideas! You don't follow the crowd and you know what you want. This path may be more difficult, but your senior brother supports you! Come, a toast to your independent thinking!"

"Thank you, senior!"

Lin Xiao raised his glass in a toast.

Yuan Hong quickly picked up his cup, his smile becoming much more natural and sincere.

"Lin Xiao, your senior brother... cough, anyway, I admire your ambition! If you ever need any help in the future, just ask! We're all graduates of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, so we should help each other out!"

"Thank you, Senior Brother Yuan!" Lin Xiao said sincerely.

The three glasses clinked together again, making a crisp sound.

This time, the bond between the brothers seems to have undergone a subtle test and frank communication, becoming even purer and stronger.

The conversation lightened up again.

Yuan Hong mentioned that he had recently been working on a script for a modern drama. Hu Ge shared some of his experiences in selecting scripts and dealing with production companies, and Lin Xiao humbly sought his advice.

The atmosphere was more harmonious than before, and the three of them truly felt like "one of their own."

After a few rounds of drinks, Brother Hu was a little drunk. He put his arm around Lin Xiao and Yuan Hong's shoulders and slurred:

"The three of us brothers... from now on, no matter who becomes famous or who encounters difficulties, we must remember today! The entertainment industry is a place of fame and fortune, and true friends are few and far between... We must not lose the bond we share with our classmates from the Shanghai Theatre Academy!"

"must!"

"Don't worry, senior!"

As night deepened, the gathering came to an end.

Hu Ge was picked up by his assistant, while Yuan Hong and Lin Xiao returned to the hotel together.

Walking down the deserted street, Yuan Hong suddenly spoke up: "Lin Xiao, I might have been a little petty before, please don't take it to heart."

Lin Xiao understood what he meant and smiled:

"Brother Yuan, you flatter me. Competition is inevitable; it's only natural. Besides, I do need to accumulate experience. Right now, Tangren might be more of a constraint than a help to me."

Yuan Hong nodded and sighed:

"You're right. Sometimes being protected by a company also means being restricted. It's good that you have this drive. But it's not easy to work on your own, so you need to be more careful."

"Yes, I will. I'll definitely need your guidance in the future."

"no problem!"

……