WIIAD? ### Chapter 45: Zheng Rui

Wang Xiaohua set the tone, allowing for both offensive and defensive strategies. With Qilin having so few works out, it's crucial to make a good first impression on the audience. At such a critical moment, he couldn't just take any role. She was worried that Qilin's inexperience might lead him to agree to a film with just a few words, damaging his audience appeal.

Director Wang, being an old hand, immediately understood what Wang Xiaohua was thinking. 

"Hahaha, I was just casually asking. Just casually asking. An old friend of mine brought me a script a couple of days ago. I thought it was pretty good, and I've been looking for actors these past few days."

Wang Xiaohua smiled politely but subtly distanced herself. After a few more casual remarks, Hu Zichen walked in, and Director Wang hurried over to greet him. 

Once the director was out of earshot, Wang Xiaohua whispered, "Brother, next year will determine a lot of things. You can't take roles carelessly!"

Qilin nodded, "Don't worry, Sister Hua. I know what's important."

"Good."

Wang Xiaohua maintained her smile and went to greet Hu Zichen as well.

After another ten minutes, Han Xue finally arrived. Her assistant, Yang Xiaohuan, got out of the car and immediately spotted Qilin, running over excitedly.

"Brother Qi, long time no see!"

Seeing Yang Xiaohuan, Qilin was also pleased and replied with a smile, "Yes, long time no see. How have you been?"

"Pretty good. Since Sister Xue hasn't been filming recently, I haven't had much to do. Brother Qi, how about we grab something to eat after the press conference?"

Qilin felt a bit awkward hearing this since he needed to return to the set after the conference. 

Before he could respond, Han Xue appeared beside them, smiling slightly, "If you're not busy, Qilin, let's have a meal together. I have something I want to discuss with you."

"Miss Han, would you mind if I joined as well?" Wang Xiaohua walked over, smiling warmly.

Han Xue covered her mouth and laughed, "Of course not, Sister Hua. It would be wonderful if you could join us."

Wang Xiaohua smiled and glanced meaningfully at the two women.

...

The press conference began shortly after. The reporters were all invited by the company, so there were no sharp questions. Most of the questions were directed at the director, as he was the most knowledgeable about the movie. Director Wang was clearly comfortable in this setting, speaking eloquently and enthusiastically.

After about half an hour of questioning, the reporters finally turned their attention to the actors. The first to be questioned was naturally Hu Zichen, as he was the biggest star. Compared to him, Qilin and Han Xue were less well-known.

Hu Zichen, also dressed in a black suit but with a bow tie instead of a necktie, answered the questions politely, in line with his public persona. After a couple of questions for him, the reporters then focused on Han Xue.

"Miss Han, this is your first time filming a costume drama. Do you have any interesting experiences to share?"

Han Xue took the microphone and smiled, "There have been many interesting experiences..."

She responded gracefully and appropriately, well aware that this film was meant to boost her popularity, so she received a lot of questions.

After Han Xue answered her questions, the reporters finally turned their attention to Qilin. Many of them were pleasantly surprised by his appearance. Though they knew he was handsome, seeing him in person was still astonishing.

A male reporter asked first, "Mr. Qilin, what made you decide to take on the role of Ma Wencai?"

Qilin almost blurted out that it was for the money, but he quickly corrected himself and cleared his throat, "I believe a good actor shouldn't be picky about roles. Whether it's a protagonist or an antagonist, whether the role is large or small, someone has to play it."

Wang Xiaohua nodded in satisfaction from the audience. Her efforts in coaching Qilin had paid off, as his response was appropriate and measured.

A reporter in the audience asked again, "Mr. Qi Lin, I know you debuted as a domineering CEO. Won't you feel uncomfortable playing this ancient villain role now?"

Qi Lin shook his head with a smile and said, "I think an actor should be willing to break new ground and try various roles..."

Looking at Qi Lin speaking confidently on stage, Wang Xiaohua felt very gratified. Recently, she had specifically hired people to train Qi Lin on how to deal with reporters. In today's society, there are too many deceitful people, always trying to set traps. To prevent this from happening, Wang Xiaohua had found two people to train Qi Lin. Judging from Qi Lin's answers today, the money was well spent!

...

In Yanjing, at the Fang residence.

"Hahaha, it's not easy to get you to come here. Come, come, try this. It's Da Hong Pao tea that Guo Wei gave me. I usually don't share it with others."

Fang Qiong held a glass teapot, smiling as he sat down at the tea table. In front of him sat a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his fifties. He was dressed in a black casual outfit, his hair was grey, and his body was so thin he looked almost skeletal. Despite his small and frail appearance, his name was very well-known in Hong Kong. 

His name was Zheng Rui. In his youth, he had worked as a stuntman and was deeply knowledgeable about action and martial arts. However, due to his extremely slight build, he could only be a stunt double for women and couldn't make much money, so he switched careers and became a director. Unexpectedly, he became very successful and rose to become one of the top action directors in Hong Kong. Later, with a film called "Dragon Rising Seas," he broke Hong Kong's box office records that had stood for over a decade and personally catapulted two actors to stardom. But now, as he grew older, he rarely made films, the last one being five years ago.

"Director Zheng, how is it?" Fang Qiong asked with a smile as he saw Zheng take a sip of the tea.

"Mm, good tea, good tea," Zheng Rui replied, his Mandarin not very standard, but Fang Qiong could understand him.

Fang Qiong smiled, poured himself a cup of tea, and asked, "Director Zheng, what brings you to Yanjing this time?"

Zheng Rui put down his teacup and said, "An old friend's grandson is getting married, so I thought I'd visit. By the way, when is your film 'Fang Shiyu' being released?"

The mention of the film sparked Fang Qiong's interest. "All the procedures are done. It's set to release on New Year's Day! The film market has been getting better these past few years, and the New Year season draws a big crowd. We're planning to join the fun."

Zheng Rui smiled at this and took another sip of tea before speaking again, "We've known each other for so many years, so I won't hide it from you. You probably know I'm preparing a new movie, right?"

Fang Qiong nodded with a smile, "Yes, I've heard about it. It's said to be a star-studded cast!"

Zheng Rui waved his hand and sighed. "If it weren't for all the big-name stars, there wouldn't be any problems..."


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