Chapter 487: Confirmation of the Second Female Lead
Hollywood.
The crew of "Resident Evil".
King Liu said goodbye to everyone.
Li Bingbing was quite surprised and asked quickly, "Why are you in such a hurry to go back?"
King Liu is a very hardworking and studious person. During the filming of "Resident Evil", in addition to perfectly showing his acting skills, he also followed the crew members to learn anything he was interested in. So even when he didn't have any scenes, he looked extremely busy.
The filming has not been completed yet, but King Liu suddenly said he wanted to return to China. Of course, Li Bingbing felt surprised.
King Liu did not hide anything and explained to Li Bingbing: "President Lu is planning to shoot a new TV series and needs my help. Of course I have to go back as soon as possible."
Li Bingbing was surprised and asked, "Is Mr. Lu going to shoot a TV series again? And is it going to be shot in China? Does anyone in China watch TV?"
In her opinion, not many families in China have TV sets now, so what kind of profit can be made from making TV series? Can the box office be as high as that of movies?
Moreover, he has already starred in science fiction blockbusters in Hollywood, and he has returned to China to film TV series. In Li Bingbing's opinion, he is going backwards.
Especially a big screen star like King Liu, would actually lower his status to switch to the small screen? She was amazed. Which actor would enter the film industry and then go to film TV series ?
King Liu naturally understood this principle, but he cared more about human relationships. After all, Lu Yiming had done him a favor, and he was a man who would repay a favor.
"I'm not sure what Mr. Lu thinks, but since it's Mr. Lu's request, I certainly can't refuse."
Li Bingbing is not stupid either. "Resident Evil" was invested by Lu Yiming. Although the main plot is similar to the original, all the tasks of saving the world are completed by Xia Guo. The plots of various group wisdom, unity and cooperation are everywhere, which is very different from the personal heroism in Hollywood.
Regarding Lu Yiming, a wealthy and young investor, Li Bingbing was actually thinking about whether to take the relationship with Lu Yiming to the next level.
Not to mention that Lu Yiming is now the richest man in mainland Xia. If it weren't for his support, would he have been able to break into Hollywood and play such an important role as Ada Wong in "Resident Evil"?
All kinds of thoughts went through her mind, and Li Bingbing said, "My part is almost over. Can you talk to Mr. Lu to see if I can play a role in the new play?"
This time, it was King Liu's turn to be surprised.
"You want to participate, too? Have you thought it through? That's a TV series. Although a 10 million investment is not small, the influence and pay are definitely not comparable to a movie."
Li Bingbing was firm: "I have thought it through clearly, please give me this opportunity."
The pay doesn't matter, the key is to get Lu Yiming's favor.
If you hold on to this golden thigh, will you still worry about not having any movies to shoot in the future?
Even someone of Liu Tianwang's status could see it so clearly, so Li Bingbing felt that she had no reason not to follow suit.
"Okay, I'll call Mr. Lu and ask him."
After persuasion failed, Andy Lau's good nature began to take effect. He agreed to act as a middleman for Li Bingbing and asked Lu Yiming for his opinion.
Lu Yiming received a call from King Liu and learned that Li Bingbing had taken the initiative to request to participate in the performance. Lu Yiming agreed, and at the same time, his favorability towards Li Bingbing also increased.
Even as an outsider, he knew that for an actor, there was a contempt chain in the entertainment industry, and in this contempt chain, actors who made movies often looked down on those who made TV series. Only those actors who couldn't make it in the movie industry would go back to making TV series.
Since Li Bingbing took the initiative to ask to participate, Lu Yiming asked one more question: "Have you finalized the list of main characters?"
In this TV series, the leading male role is naturally King Liu himself. After all, his status is there. If he is not the leading male role, who will be the leading male role?
King Liu, who had already received the script, thought about his role positioning and gave Lu Yiming a professional analysis and suggestion: "The male lead I play is a serious role, so the male second has to be young, handsome, and humorous. This way, the contrast between the characters can be clear and complement each other."
"King Liu's opinions are indeed very professional."
Lu Yiming praised him, and then suggested: "What do you think of Zhang Weijian?"
King Liu thought for a moment and said, "Zhang Weijian is indeed good. He is a very talented actor. In addition, the drama Young Fang Shiyu, which was released in September this year, has created a viewing frenzy in both Mainland China and Hong Kong. After it was broadcast on ATV in Hong Kong, it directly beat TVB and even exceeded the 16% ratings set by Return of the Pearl in Hong Kong, setting a record for the highest ratings in the history of ATV."
After a pause, King Liu said hesitantly, "However, Zhang Weijian is a person who values money more. He has had conflicts with the producers over money several times before."
What King Liu was talking about was, of course, the collaboration between Zhang Weijian and Zheng Zeshi, in which he ended up suing the bankrupt Fat Cat in court over a film salary of 2.3 million yuan.
In 1997, when TVB was preparing to film the sequel to "Journey to the West", Zhang Weijian asked for a pay increase but was rejected. As a result, the two sides parted unhappily and never cooperated again.
Of course, King Liu never gossiped about others behind their backs, and he quickly explained to Lu Yiming, "Zhang Weijian's family was very poor when he was young. When he was fifteen, his father abandoned them and their four children, leaving behind only a shabby house. As a result, Zhang Weijian had to work to support his family at the age of seventeen and to pay for his three younger brothers' education. That's why he is a person who cares more about money."
After hearing this, Lu Yiming burst into laughter and said, "There's nothing wrong with being fussy, as long as you don't cheat people. It's not like I won't pay you. As long as he performs well, he can name any price he wants."
Lu Yiming still has a good impression of Zhang Weijian.
He doesn't like many actors, including King Liu, Stephen Chow, and Zhang Weijian, especially "Young Fang Shiyu", "The Smart Little Boy", and the TVB version of "Journey to the West", which can be regarded as the "childhood memories" series.
So, when he thought of Zhang Weijian, who was still a young and handsome man at that time, he decisively proposed to King Liu.
As for money?
Liking money is not a bad thing.
It is natural that people with ability should get more money.
You want benefits but don't want to pay, who do you think you are?
"Okay, he'll be the second male lead."
However, when it comes to casting for the second female lead, King Liu suggested several names, but Lu Yiming was not satisfied with any of them.
After all, the female lead is Li Bingbing. Her looks and temperament are both that of a cool and beautiful woman, and she is positioned as a strong woman in the workplace in the play.
In this case, it is natural to find a second female lead who is the "opposite" of her.
Therefore, the characteristics of this second female lead must be lively and cheerful, but a bit careless in character, and she must also be young and beautiful.
Somehow, Lu Yiming thought of Lin Yuzhen. Whether in terms of temperament, image, or character, she was a perfect match.
As for whether or not I’ve acted in a play…it’s not important!
Thinking of this, Lu Yiming said, "Well, you guys come back first, I'll recommend a second female lead to you guys."
King Liu was a little surprised. He had already mentioned all the people he knew who he thought were suitable for this role, but Lu Yiming was not satisfied with any of them. He was very curious about who Lu Yiming would choose.
"Boss Lu, do you have a candidate?"
Lu Yiming nodded slightly: "I just thought of someone, I don't know if she is suitable. She is very young and beautiful, and the key is that her temperament is in line with the positioning of the second female lead in our play."
"Oh? Is there such a person?"
King Liu racked his brains, and a number of female celebrities in the entertainment industry flashed through his mind, but none of them fit Lu Yiming's description , so he couldn't help but ask, "What's her name?"
"Lin Yuzhen."
“…”
King Liu was silent because he found that he had never heard of this name in the circle.
He asked modestly, "Mr. Lu, please forgive my ignorance, I have never heard of this person's name. Is he a newcomer in the Chinese TV circle?"
"No, she is my high school classmate."
“…”
King Liu opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word for a long time.
A girl who just graduated from high school and is still a freshman in college, is playing the second female role in a TV series with a multi-million-dollar investment. Is this reasonable? It's outrageous just to think about it!
But in this magical world, there are too many outrageous things happening every minute and every second.
Therefore, King Liu, who has been in the entertainment industry for half his life, is used to it . His emotions are very stable, and he continues to ask patiently: "Then Mr. Lu, has your old classmate starred in any film or TV series? Even a guest appearance is fine..."
"No, but she did a commercial and the director spoke very highly of her."
King Liu was instantly suffocated. What a high evaluation! She just acted in a commercial, with just a few seconds of screen time. How high could her performance be?
"Why, is there a problem?"
Lu Yiming looked puzzled.
“No… no problem.”
King Liu quickly shook his head and waved his hands, and when he replied, he directly covered his conscience and didn't dare to point out that there was anything wrong with Lu Yiming's idea.
After all, this TV series was shot by Lu Yiming on his own, and he was the one who decided on the project, so of course he could shoot it however he wanted.
In the entertainment industry, there are many investors who are more outrageous than Lu Yiming, especially in Hong Kong, where King Liu was even forced to sign a movie contract with a gun pointed at his head.
Right now, Lu Yiming just wants a second female lead role to promote someone, is that too much?
This is not too much!
Lu Yiming didn't think too much about it: "Since you said it's okay, then it must be okay. I believe in your professional vision."
King Liu: “…”
Is this a matter of my vision?
Boss, are you passing the buck?
Thinking of Lu Yiming's identity as the richest man in mainland China and his identity as a TV drama investor, King Liu had no choice but to silently take the blame, while secretly praying in his heart that this girl named Lin Yuzhen could be more supportive.
After confirming that Lin Yuzhen would participate, Lu Yiming called Gu Zhiruo and asked her for Lin Yuzhen's contact information.
When Gu Zhiruo saw Lu Yiming calling her to ask for Lin Yuzhen's contact information, she remembered the rumors about Lu Yiming and Lin Yuzhen that were spread in high school, so she couldn't help but tease, "Why are you looking for our Zhenzhen again?"
Although rumors about the TV series were rife in the industry, Lu Yiming was unwilling to reveal anything personally, so he said, "Of course I have something to do with her. Where is she studying now?"
Lin Yuzhen's academic performance is still very good, but she is in a different class from Lu Yiming, and she did not attend the farewell dinner. Lu Yiming did not think of asking Lin Yuzhen specifically, so Lu Yiming does not know where Lin Yuzhen is studying now.
Gu Zhiruo hesitated for a moment, and finally told Lu Yiming: "She is currently studying at Communication University of China, majoring in broadcasting."
Hearing that Lin Yuzhen had been admitted to Communication University of China, Lu Yiming was a little shocked: "Wow, what a top student."
Gu Zhiruo said a string of numbers.
"This is her dormitory phone number."
"Wait a minute, I'll write it down."
Lu Yiming took out his phone book.
Beijing, Communication University of China.
The predecessor of China Media Group was the Broadcasting and Communication Technical Personnel Training Course of the Central Radio and Television Administration established in 1954 and the Beijing-Guangzhou Technical School established in 1958. It can be said that it has a long history.
Famous alumni include Luo Jing, Cui Youyuan, and Bi Laoye... Most of the well-known hosts of CCTV today are from Communication University of China.
The weather on campus in November has started to get colder.
When the bell rang for the end of get out of class, Lin Yuzhen hugged a few books to her chest and walked calmly on the campus with her long hair fluttering.
Even in the middle school where there are many handsome men and beautiful women, her appearance is still very outstanding.
Especially when she was shooting the commercial, Lu Yiming taught her some makeup and dressing skills, which made her beauty kill this era in seconds. After all, today's heavy makeup style is all reflected in the one-year-old photo of the post-90s.
It is human nature to pursue beautiful things, so many boys can't help but be attracted by her beauty.
"Xiao Zhenzhen, wait for me."
A girl with a bit of baby fat caught up with me from behind.
Her name is Jiang Yuxiang, and she is Lin Yuzhen’s roommate. They go to class and go home together, eat together and get water together, and they are inseparable.
Jiang Yuxiang came to Lin Yuzhen's side, nudged her with her elbow, and swung her lively eyes around, teasing, "Xiao Zhenzhen, look, the boys are all secretly looking at you. But who can blame you for being beautiful and having a good temperament? If I were a man, I would love you to death, too."
After saying that, he unscrupulously reached out his hand to touch Lin Yuzhen's waist and took advantage of her.
“Eh…”
Lin Yuzhen felt a little itchy and gave her a cold look.
"Don't mess around."
"whee."
Jiang Yuxiang suddenly saw a handsome guy and was so excited that she patted Lin Yuzhen's shoulder and said hurriedly, "Xiao Zhenzhen, look, it's Xue Shan from the Department of Art! He's so handsome! And I heard that his voice is also very nice, it's simply charming. I also heard that his father is the director of a TV station, and he is very powerful."
Lin Yuzhen didn't have any particular interest in these so-called handsome guys. She now felt that studying hard was what she should do.
"Why do you care about these things?"
Jiang Yuxiang said confidently: "Oh my God, if I become his official girlfriend, I won't have to worry about finding a job after graduation! And I will definitely have endless money to spend! Maybe I can even solve the problem of staying in Beijing!"
Communication University of China recruits students from all over the country, but it is not easy to live in Beijing. Studying here is both a blessing and a curse.
Because not everyone can take root here.
Those who cannot be kept can only become passers-by, returning to where they came from.
Not everyone can accept this outcome.
Lin Yuzhen curled her lips and said, "Not interested."
In fact, she didn't have any special yearning for Beijing, because she was from Guangdong Province, which is also an economically developed region. In her opinion, going home to find a job and stay with her parents is a better choice than drifting to Beijing.
In fact, no matter how far an ordinary person moves, if he cannot get a mid- to high-level management position, he will never be able to get rid of food and clothing. Food, clothing, housing and transportation are four things that bother us throughout our lives.
Instead of this, why do we have to drift north and south? Now it is just for survival, Lin Yuzhen thinks there is no need to force it.
However, at this moment, Xue Shan actually walked straight towards Lin Yuzhen.
"Student Lin Yuzhen, what a coincidence, I actually met you here."
The female students around were all filled with envy and jealousy when they saw Xue Shan actually took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Lin Yuzhen.
Especially Jiang Yuxiang, who was standing next to Lin Yuzhen, was so excited as if she was the one being approached and she wanted to agree directly.
"Lin Yuzhen is going to be very successful now."
"I'm so envious of being chosen by Xue Shan. His family is really great."
"Ah, it turns out that being beautiful is an advantage everywhere."
Many girls wanted Xue Shan but could not get him. Even when they took the initiative to throw themselves into his arms , Xue Shan ignored them. Now, seeing that Xue Shan actually took the initiative to reward Lin Yuzhen, they immediately started talking about it and were extremely jealous of Lin Yuzhen.
However, to everyone's surprise, Lin Yuzhen calmly rejected Xue Shan's invitation!
"Sorry, I already have an appointment."
As she spoke, Lin Yuzhen quickened her pace and walked towards the dormitory.
Xue Shan stood there, looking at Lin Yuzhen's back, with a meaningful smile on his face.
Although Xue Shan was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he had never lacked anything since he was a child, and his elders always granted him whatever he asked for.
Now Lin Yuzhen actually rejected him, which made him feel competitive.
"Is there anyone in school who dares to snatch a woman from me? I want to see who made an appointment with Lin Yuzhen."
On the other side, Jiang Yuxiang said to Lin Yuzhen in confusion: "There are so many high-quality male gods chasing you in school, why didn't you agree to any of them? Do you have to be so picky? Even Xue Shan chased you and you didn't agree. That's Xue Shan!"
Lin Yuzhen snorted, revealing a look of disdain: "What male god? He's just a young man who hasn't grown up. I'm not interested in hanging out with people like them and talking about love under the moonlight. I'd rather spend my time thinking about how to make money."
Jiang Yuxiang was at a loss for words: "You, you, what girl is so materialistic like you? Even if you think so in your heart, at least be reserved. Besides, if you really want to make money, with your looks, isn't it easy to make these young men pay for it? Hey, tell me the truth, did you secretly date someone in high school, and are you still obsessed with them now?"
