From unemployment in crosstalk to top star in Chinese entertainment

The next day, Yu Liang left Li Xiaoran's house just as dawn was breaking.

The streets of Beijing were quiet in the early morning. The leaves of the Chinese scholar trees along the roadside had long since fallen, and the bare, dark brown trunks stood in a row in the morning mist.

Yu Liang bought a cup of hot soy milk by the roadside, drank it while standing next to the car, then opened the car door and drove towards Shunyi.

The car drove through the winter fog on the outskirts of Beijing.

The fields were empty, with only a few drab, self-built houses occasionally flashing by.

Zhang Songwen's farmhouse courtyard

The vegetable greenhouse in the corner of the yard was covered with a layer of plastic sheeting, and the inner wall of the film was covered with water droplets, which dripped and flowed down the edge of the film. The vegetables inside the greenhouse were wilted and green from the cold.

Zhang Songwen was squatting by the shed loosening the soil.

He held a shovel in his hand, turning over the slightly frozen clods of earth one stroke at a time, his movements unhurried and deliberate.

"Brother Songwen, what are you doing?"

Zhang Songwen looked up and wiped his sweat. "Yu Liang's here." He pointed to the turned-up ground with his shovel. "I want to clear a patch of land and sow some flower seeds."

"Can these seeds survive the winter?" Yu Liang asked, somewhat surprised.

"The seed seller at the village entrance said it was possible. I asked him what I could plant now, and he said to sow some violet and daisy seeds, and they would be in full bloom by early spring." Zhang Songwen smiled, leaned the shovel against the edge of the shed, and patted the mud off his hands.

Yu Liang nodded. He didn't know much about these things, but watching Zhang Songwen squatting on the ground turning over the soil, he suddenly felt that this person had a kind of calmness that had been worn down by the years.

"By the way, what brings you here so early in the morning?" Zhang Songwen asked.

"Yes." Yu Liang walked to his side, her tone more serious than usual. "I've come today because there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

Zhang Songwen glanced at him and noticed his unusual seriousness. Zhang Songwen didn't press further, but simply put down the shovel, nodded, and said, "Come in and talk."

Inside the room, the purple clay teapot on the tea table was still steaming.

Zhang Songwen poured Yu Liang a cup of tea, his movements unhurried and deliberate.

Yu Liang took a document out of his bag, placed it on the tea table, and pushed it over.

"Songwen, you're not signed with a management company right now, are you?"

Zhang Songwen paused for a moment. "Nothing. What's wrong?"

"Brother Songwen, I want to sign you."

Zhang Songwen's hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air.

He didn't put down the cup immediately, but glanced at Yu Liang first.

His eyes widened in surprise: "Bro, did I hear that right? You're signing me?"

"Yu Liang," his tone became serious, unlike his usual gentle and relaxed manner in class, "do you know why I haven't signed with a talent agency all these years?"

Yu Liang nodded.

He had already done his homework on this matter.

Zhang Songwen's early agent was Zhao Yude, a Hong Kong agent he met in 2009.

The other party gave up his career in Hong Kong and came to Beijing to be his exclusive agent.

After Zhao Yude passed away, Zhang Songwen declined all offers from talent agencies, citing the need to pay tribute to him. Later, as his fame waned, fewer people sought him out.

"Brother, we've known each other for a while now, you know me."

Zhang Songwen didn't look at the contract; he just looked at Yu Liang, his tone frank, even tinged with weariness.

"I'm a bit averse to signing with companies, especially to being packaged, having a persona created, and being driven by popularity."

He gave a wry smile.

Actually, he has considered signing with a management company in the past two years.

Perhaps because he has been rejected by the market for too long, he now feels a sense of unease about signing with a brokerage firm.

In those years, he also encountered people who wanted to sign him, and the terms sounded good, but in the end, they either made him act in bad movies or made him cooperate in creating some outrageous personas.

Once, he finally found a suitable company, and the contract was about to be signed when the production fell through, and the agency turned around and left him hanging.

He picked up the teapot and refilled Yu Liang's cup of tea.

"Besides, given my current market value, what would you gain from signing me?"

Yu Liang did not answer directly.

He pointed to the contract on the table: "Brother Songwen, you should take a look at it first. If you're not satisfied with the terms, then just pretend I never mentioned this."

Zhang Songwen was stunned for a moment.

He had known Yu Liang for a while now, and the guy was usually playful and rarely spoke in this tone.

He looked at the contract; the words "Yu Liang's Personal Studio - Artist Management Contract" were printed neatly on the cover.

He hesitated for a moment, then opened it.

The first page contained standard artist management contract terms. His gaze swept down, then stopped.

Participation in variety shows is not mandatory.

We don't engage in hype or traffic-generating tactics.

The choice of script rests with the artist; Yu Liang's studio only recommends, but does not force.

His freedom to perform and teach will be preserved, and his teaching of students and his private life will not be interfered with.

Zhang Songwen turned to the section on signing bonuses, then stopped flipping through the page.

Five years.

One million per year

Divide into three parts and seven parts.

Although the profit sharing is quite reasonable for a veteran artist like him.

But an annual salary of one million is more than his combined income from filming and teaching in any previous year.

He looked up at Yu Liang.

"Brother Yu Liang, I want to ask you a question."

"Please speak."

"What are you after?"

Yu Liang looked at him.

It is a genuine and heartfelt confusion.

Zhang Songwen's eyes held gratitude and emotion, but more than anything, confusion. He didn't know what he possessed that would make a young man come all the way to him with such a contract at such a time.

"Since Brother Songwen asked, I'll be frank." Yu Liang put down his teacup. "I've taken a liking to you."

Zhang Songwen remained silent.

Yu Liang bluntly asked, "Brother Songwen, would you believe me if I said I could make you famous?"

Zhang Songwen chuckled and said self-deprecatingly, "Brother, if you had said that a few years ago, I would have believed you. But now—I don't believe it anymore."

He shook his head.

"I'm past the age where I can be famous. In my life, I'll just teach classes and do some acting, and that'll be enough for me to make a living."

He closed the contract and pushed it towards Yu Liang.

Yu Liang did not go to pick him up.

"Honestly, no actor doesn't want to be famous, but I've been through a lot over the years," Zhang Songwen's voice lowered, his gaze falling on the water stain on the tea table, "I've long since made peace with myself."

The room was quiet for a while.

Sunlight streamed through the thin mist from the window, illuminating the tea table between the two.

Yu Liang didn't rush to speak.

He picked up the teacup, took a sip, and then put the cup down.

"Brother Songwen, I know your concerns. But I don't agree with what you said. You're not past the age where you can become famous; you just haven't gotten the role that will make you famous yet."

He took something else out of his bag and placed it in front of Zhang Songwen.

"Take a look at this first."

Zhang Songwen glanced at Yu Liang, then picked up the booklet. It wasn't a contract, but a script.

The cover has two words printed on it: "Raging Storm".

"Raging Storm?" Zhang Songwen read the name from the script.

Yu Liang nodded but didn't say anything, only gesturing for him to scroll down.

Zhang Songwen turned to the first page. His reading speed was the same as when he flipped through a script.

It wasn't fast, but I looked at each line very carefully.

After reading the character introductions, he turned to the first scene.

Then his fingers suddenly stopped.

The first scene is Gao Qiqiang being bullied in the vegetable market.

Zhang Songwen's fingers lingered on the paper for a long time.

After half an hour,

He closed the script.

Then he sat there and didn't move for a long time.

"Songwen," Yu Liang said, "I'll be honest with you. Signing you was part of my plan, but this drama wasn't tailor-made for you—it was meant for you anyway. You asked me what I was after, and this is exactly what I wanted. I wanted you to portray Gao Qiqiang so well."

He paused.

"Brother Songwen, I know your concerns, and I know what's bothering you. But the contract clearly states in black and white that I won't do variety shows, I won't pursue fame, I won't make bad movies, and I'll retain my freedom to teach. These conditions are serious."

"It's true that I want to sign you, but I won't ask you to do anything you don't want to do. The script and the contract are the best I can offer in terms of sincerity."

He pushed the contract back in front of Zhang Songwen.

"You don't need to answer me now. Take the script with you and read it at your leisure. If you have any new ideas after you've finished reading it, feel free to contact me."

After speaking, he stood up without lingering. As he reached the door, he paused and glanced back.

Zhang Songwen was still sitting there, his hand on the script, his head down.

Yu Liang didn't say anything more, turned around and walked out of the courtyard.

The car had just left the village entrance when Zhou Jiajia called.

"Yu Liang, the project team has reviewed the script you submitted. General Manager Zhao wants you to come to the morning meeting tomorrow."

"Okay, Jiajia." Yu Liang hung up the phone, glanced at the small courtyard gradually receding into the rearview mirror, stepped on the gas, and drove towards the city.

The following day, in the conference room of Xinli Media.

Six people were seated in the conference room. Wang Jianping, the project director, sat at the head of the table, flanked by the production manager, the legal representative, and the finance manager. Zhao Mingyuan sat down next to Yu Liang and pushed a glass of warm water to his side.

"Yu Liang, we've reviewed the proposals." Zhao Mingyuan got straight to the point. "I called you here today to let you know—Xin Li is interested in this project."

Yu Liang's heart tightened, but she didn't show any emotion.

"However, before officially approving the project, there are a few issues we need to clarify." Wang Jianping opened the proposal. "Your script is about cracking down on organized crime, spanning twenty years. It involves sensitive topics and has a significant scope. Do you know what level of censorship applies to crime dramas?"

Yu Liang smiled, naturally understanding President Wang's intention. It seemed this was a prelude to intimidate and deter him.

"Mr. Wang, isn't that precisely why I approached your company for cooperation? Everyone knows that Xinli has connections in Beijing's entertainment circle, not to mention that we now have the backing of Tencent."

Yu Liang didn't mince words and spoke frankly.

Wang Jianping was stunned for a moment, not expecting Yu Liang to be so direct.

"Yes, Xinli can handle the review process. But regarding investment—"

Wang Jianping paused for a moment, then said, "You need to know that the investment cost of your drama is not small. I had the project team calculate that the initial cost alone will be at least 200 million yuan, and the overall production will not be completed without 300 to 400 million yuan."

Yu Liang knew in his heart that this number was inflated.

Wang Jianping was testing his limits. But he didn't expose him; he just nodded.

"You know Xinli's current situation," Wang Jianping continued.

"The first season of 'Joy of Life' was well received, and the second season is already in the works."

"With three other dramas we're currently investing in, our finances are indeed tight. You know the saying, 'Don't put all your eggs in one basket.'"

"I understand," Yu Liang said. "So this plate was never meant for Xin Li's family to finish."

He paused for a moment, then stated directly, "Mr. Wang, as long as our company can attract investment, I can appropriately give up my shareholding."

"But I have a bottom line—shareholding in the script is non-negotiable. Otherwise, there's nothing to talk about."

There was a moment of silence in the conference room.

Zhao Mingyuan smiled and smoothed things over: "Look, Lao Wang, I told you long ago that Yu Liang isn't that kind of person."

"At first, our General Manager Wang thought you wouldn't agree, and he was worried about it. I told him you could talk to him, but he still didn't believe me."

Wang Jianping smiled, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and didn't mention any more conditions.

Thus, Yu Liang and Xin Li finalized the investment framework for "Raging Storm" by contributing the script as equity.

A few days later, Xinli Media brought in a new owner – Tencent and Yangshi.

At the same time, after learning that CCTV was going to produce the show, screenwriter Zhu Junyi immediately told his mentor, Xu Jizhou, the director of the previous life's "Raging Storm".

After reading the script, Xu Jizhou immediately expressed his willingness to direct and, through Yu Liang's introduction, completed the connection with Xinli Media.

Considering that its directors all had projects in progress, Xinli agreed to let Xu Jizhou's 600 Films take over the production.

Xu Jizhou himself also participated in the investment.

At this point, the project's production and investment structure is basically complete:

Production companies: Yangshi, Tengxun, and Xinli Media, co-produced by Dongyang Liubai Film & Television.

Production Company: Dongyang Liubai Film & Television

Investors: Tengxun, Yangshi, Xinli Media, Dongyang Liubai Film & Television, Yu Liang's Personal Studio.

Supervisory Unit: Zhong Yangzheng, Publicity and Education Department.

The casting stage followed immediately.

The male lead, An Xin, was unanimously chosen by all parties to be Zhang Yi, who had become a sensation at the time due to "Operation Red Sea".

The other team expressed interest after reviewing the script outline.

However, Xin Li and the production team disagreed on the casting of the second male lead, Gao Qiqiang.

Xinli recommends its artist Zhang Jiayi.

The reason is that Song Siming in "Dwelling Narrowness" is deeply rooted in people's hearts, and his ambiguous character is similar to Gao Qiqiang's.

Xu Jizhou, however, believes that Zhang Jiayi's aura is too strong, and he can only play the part after the character turns to the dark side in the second half. He cannot support the growth arc from the fishmonger period to the first murder.

Both sides suggested several candidates, but Duan Yihong's schedule clashed, and the others were either unsuitable or unavailable, leading to a stalemate in the casting process.

Meanwhile, Yu Liang was driving back to Shunyi.

He received a call from Zhang Songwen last night. She only said one sentence on the phone: "Yu Liang, come over here."

When Yu Liang arrived, Zhang Songwen was sitting at the tea table in the courtyard. On the table were the contract and the script for "The Storm." The contract had already been signed.

"Brother Songwen".

Zhang Songwen raised his head. "Sit."