thefictionvixens Chapter 91 The Crown Prince's Scheme
Chapter 91 The Crown Prince's Scheme
As November arrives, autumn deepens in Yanjing, and the ginkgo leaves on the Beijing Film Academy campus carpet the ground in golden hues.
Yang Mi, wearing a light gray knitted cardigan, jogged back to her dorm from the performance classroom. As soon as she opened the door, a stuffy smell of instant noodles mixed with an electric blanket wafted out.
There was no heating in the dormitory. Although someone had sealed the window gaps with transparent tape, you could still feel the cold air seeping in from the window side.
Zhang Xuan was wrapped in thick pajamas, huddled in front of her computer, watching a rerun of "Chinese Paladin" on her CRT monitor.
"Honey, your phone has been ringing non-stop."
"what?"
"You'd better check it right away, it's been ringing several times!"
Yang Mi put her bag down on the chair and quickly picked up her phone from the table. It showed three missed calls, all from Zeng Jia.
She went to the balcony and immediately went back; the phone was answered almost as soon as it rang.
"Finally you remembered to call back?" Zeng Jia's words were full of helplessness.
"Just got out of class, Jia-jie, what's up?"
"Didn't you say you'd go back to the company and take a good look? So I picked out a notebook for you."
"Sister Jia, what kind of notebook do you want? I don't want any of those cheaply made ones that I mentioned before."
"Don't worry, if it were any of those low-quality, shady investments, I, Zeng Jia, would have thrown them in the trash for you first. Why would I keep them specifically for you?"
"I'm not kidding you. This project is completely under Rongxinda's control. Small companies outside can't even get close to it."
"A TV series?"
"Movie."
Yang Mi, who was leaning against the balcony railing, subconsciously straightened up a bit when she heard those two words.
"Sister Jia, you're not kidding me, are you?"
"When have I ever joked about something like this with you?" Zeng Jia chuckled on the other end of the phone, exuding the confidence of a core agent of Rong Xinda.
"This project was personally planned by director Li Shaohong for a long time, and it is tentatively titled 'The Door'."
"Director Li Shaohong?!"
Yang Mi felt her breathing become a little rapid. Li Shaohong, this name is a heavy platinum brand in Rong Xinda, and even in the entire group of fifth-generation directors in China.
This is one of the reasons why she signed the contract.
"Yes, it's directed by Li Shaohong."
Zeng Jia directly opened the plate and told her: "This is a psychological thriller set in a modern city, adapted from the novel 'Crossroads' published in 04."
"However, there are some internal details I need to reveal to you first," Zeng Jia said in a lower voice.
"Although on the surface Chen Kun is the main actor and Huang Jue is the supporting actor, the company's real intention in this project is to push Lin Shen into the core circle of the big screen."
Upon hearing the name, Yang Mi immediately understood.
Who is Lin Shen? He is Wan Niang's (Li Xiaowan) biological son, director Shao Hong's godson, and the undisputed "crown prince" of Rong Xinda.
Everyone in the industry knows about the resources the company has poured into him over the years.
In many cases, whether or not a project stars Lin Shen has become an important indicator within Rongxinda.
Zeng Jia continued on the other end of the phone:
"So this project is of a very high standard, and the company attaches great importance to it. The problem now is that the actress hasn't been completely decided yet."
Yang Mi pursed her lips: "Then I..."
"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this role is definitely yours," Zeng Jia replied directly.
Upon hearing this reassuring statement, Yang Mi finally felt relieved.
In today's film and television industry, the big screen is like an inaccessible temple of art. Television actors who want to cross it will have to go through a lot of hardship to even get a ticket.
"Sister Jia, what are the company's requirements for me?" Yang Mi suppressed her excitement and asked calmly.
"Director Shao Hong meant that the character Wenxin in the play needed a fresh face, a clean look in her eyes, but with a touch of stubbornness. You are one of our own people in the company, we know you well, and your figure and image fit the bill."
However, this is a male-dominated drama after all, and your role isn't exactly central; you only have about ten scenes at most.
Lin Shen will be playing a truly outstanding villain, and Chen Kun is responsible for the film's box office and artistic merit. Your most important role is to cooperate, understand?
"Understood, Sister Jia, I get it." Yang Mi accepted without any hesitation.
"Being able to join Director Li Shaohong's film crew and even appear on the big screen, even if it's just for a dozen or so scenes, is already an incredible opportunity for me right now. I will definitely work hard with Brother Kun and the others to hone my acting skills and never let the company down."
"Okay, that's good to know." Zeng Jia laughed with satisfaction on the other end of the phone.
"I've already had Xiao Li organize the script outline and the audiovisual direction of the first few scenes for 'The Door' in his office. Take some time to go back to the company in the next few days, take the script back and study it carefully, so you won't be clueless when the director asks you about it later."
"Don't worry, Jia-jie, I'll go pick it up after class this afternoon."
"Put the movie thing aside for now, let's talk about the second thing." Zeng Jia rubbed her temples, the sound of papers turning over on the desk coming clearly through the receiver.
"It's about the TV series 'New Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio' that you starred in with Hu Ge. This morning, the company just finished coordinating with the producer, and the official broadcast arrangements have all been finalized."
Upon hearing "New Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," Yang Mi's eyes lit up instantly.
Although "The Door" is a top-tier resource for the big screen, it's still a future project. The "Xiaoqian" segment of "New Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," however, is a carefully prepared project by Tangren Media specifically for their own productions.
"Sister Jia, what's the TV station's schedule? When is it set to air?"
"The final plan is to premiere it on Pearl River Channel in mid-December this year." Zeng Jia's voice was businesslike, but she couldn't hide a hint of joy.
"Tangren Media did a pretty good job editing the 'Xiaoqian' segment. Your scenes with Hu Ge were preserved quite well. The company initially estimates that the series should perform well in the southern market, especially your portrayal of the fox spirit Xiaoqian, which is likely to generate considerable discussion after its broadcast."
"I understand, Sister Jia," Yang Mi replied, but her mind was already uncontrollably replaying the months she spent filming "Xiao Qian" in Hengdian last year.
That was the first time she played a leading role in a true sense.
Although it's an episodic drama with only six episodes in total, she plays Nie Xiaoqian, the female ghost who dies for love, not someone's sister or maid.
Looking back now, her acting skills were indeed immature at that time. Many scenes were completed under the director's guidance, and her own understanding of the character was still very shallow.
"By the way, Mimi." Zeng Jia's voice suddenly returned to its usual seriousness.
"After 'Xiaoqian' airs, your popularity will increase significantly. But you need to understand that 'Xiaoqian' is an episodic drama, and you are only the female lead in one episode, not the female lead in the whole series."
If the media labels you after Xiaoqian, don't resist, but don't be too cooperative either. Just say a few words of thanks, but keep your focus on future projects.
"Understood. Xiaoqian is my starting point, not my end point."
Zeng Jia chuckled softly: "Okay, that's an improvement."