Chapter 198: A Kind of Round and Jade-like Beauty

When Bai Liang was having dinner with Little Sister Zhao, Xu Zheng, and Jing Tian, a young "handsome guy" in the director group received bad news:

The movie's male lead ran away because he had a "better choice."

This matter wasn't much of a blow to Guo Fan.

Because he was originally poor and stingy, and couldn't afford any big-name male lead; if he ran away, just find another small, obscure one, it wasn't a big deal.

There are tons of such actors in the entertainment industry.

Among the young male actors who graduate from various art schools every year, most of them can't become popular.

If this one is gone, just change to another one.

The reason it was bad news was that he felt that even such an obscure young artist would dislike his current movie "The Wandering Earth"?

I didn't dislike you for being obscure, but you actually dislike our movie for not being good?

Damn, unreasonable!

For a while, he would naturally feel a bit uncomfortable.

After all, from the beginning of the project, the three words "not optimistic" had been hovering around Guo Fan.

Not many people were willing to believe that a director who filmed "My Old Classmate" three years ago could produce any reliable sci-fi masterpiece.

But this little setback couldn't defeat him; three years had passed since "My Old Classmate."

Three years! He waited three years just to prove he was great!

Guo Fan lit a cigarette and then called the casting director.

Casting director Sun Qiang, upon hearing this, was first confused: "Director Guo, are we still looking for a small, obscure one this time?"

"Otherwise? You help me invite a big name? No money," Guo Fan said helplessly.

Sun Qiang on the other end of the

This director has a strange kind of personal charisma.

Sun Qiang is very familiar with this feeling, because he has experienced something similar before.

So, after some thought, he proposed a bold idea: "Director Guo, why don't we just find a top-tier celebrity!"

"Top-tier?!" Guo Fan was amused, "Can you conjure money for me?"

Sun Qiang, on the other end of the phone, was also amused; he really did feel like he was telling a fairy tale.

However, he felt there was one person who was different.

Guo Fan dared to film "The Wandering Earth," so he was just making an attempt—what was there to be afraid of?

"Director, I have the connections. I know a top-tier celebrity who has a good reputation, a track record, and great acting skills. Oh, right, he's not one of those pampered idols who can't handle hardship; he's very professional! And he's extremely famous!"

"A-Qiang, I beg you, stop talking. You've got me starting to look forward to it."

The more conditions Sun Qiang listed, the more impossible Guo Fan felt it was.

Such a person—is he crazy? Willing to come to their crew, and with no money to pay him...

"He might be willing to go without pay," Sun Qiang said, lowering his voice.

Hearing this, Guo Fan blurted out: "No pay? Taking a share of the profits? Is he that easy to fool?!"

"A while ago, I attended a dinner and ran into Director Wu Jing, and he mentioned this very thing."

Wu Jing bragging everywhere about Bai Liang's actions clearly wasn't just known to Xu Zheng.

He was truly putting in the effort to praise Bai Liang, as if, even if the movie flopped, he wanted to spread the other's good reputation for being "loyal and righteous" throughout the entertainment industry.

"Wait, tell me who it is first?" Guo Fan finally couldn't help but ask.

The moment he asked this question, he realized he was done for—he was truly tempted!

"Bai Liang," Sun Qiang said in a deep voice.

The serious tone sounded as if he were reciting something unspeakable.

"Bai Liang..."

If it were any other top-tier idol, Guo Fan felt he could find a reason to decline the invitation.

But he had truly heard of this one.

It wasn't just Wu Jing; there were quite a few directors in the industry who praised him.

Everyone who had worked with him said he was good!

This kind of reputation isn't easy to accumulate; performing well on set doesn't necessarily mean a director will remember you, because that's just your job.

You have to be excellent, striking a chord with many people, to be talked about by so many at the same time.

For a moment, Guo Fan even felt a sense of kinship.

After all, he also relied on a bit of "succubus" charm to navigate the world.

"A-Qiang, are you very close with him?" Guo Fan couldn't help but ask.

"I was the casting director for his first film, so I'm half his benefactor, I suppose," Sun Qiang said, feeling slightly guilty.

That should count as half, right? A small half would do too~

"Then give it a try. It's not like we're in a huge rush right now anyway."

After saying this, Guo Fan thought for a moment and added: "It would be best if I could talk to him in person."

Now Sun Qiang felt a bit of pressure; after all, Bai Liang was no longer the little nobody who ran to the "God of War Zhao Zilong" set carrying just a bag and a tub of protein powder.

He really wasn't sure if he could get an appointment.

Although he had the other's contact information, two years had flown by, and it was hard to say if Bai Liang even remembered him.

——

Bai Liang and Xu Zheng were chatting quite pleasantly.

Because he had a good mindset and didn't talk about unpleasant things.

Regarding this, Xu Zheng was a bit helpless.

He had never seen anyone like this... he didn't detect any dissatisfaction from the other party at all; Bai Liang hadn't even frowned once the entire time.

Polite, gentle, but it made it impossible for him to gauge his thoughts.

Regarding the "How Long Will I Love U" project, Bai Liang had also discussed it with him in a down-to-earth manner.

An old hand like Xu Zheng could tell after just a few sentences whether someone was just going through the motions or had actually done their homework.

Bai Liang was the latter.

Xu Zheng: This kid has really studied the script and the characters!

And much of what he said, even if he didn't fully agree with it, he felt was truly quite reasonable.

You could tell just by listening that he had put in the effort.

It made Jing Tian, sitting nearby, barely eat a bite, she was listening so intently!

But precisely because of this, it made Xu Zheng feel even more uncomfortable.

He wanted to pull Bai Liang into this project even more; the other party was definitely the male lead he was looking for.

Even because of "Duckweed," he already knew Bai Liang's ability to play a youth from the last century; he didn't even need a makeup test or an audition to know he would definitely play it well!

But the problem was Bai Liang's manager—Yan Zi, right? She was really hard to deal with!

When Xu Zheng dealt with Yan Zi, he even felt like he had encountered the most difficult kind of auntie at a wet market.

If it were really a wet market, that would be fine; if it didn't work out, he could just go to another stall.

But now, if he didn't secure Bai Liang, he would have to "settle for second best," and the female lead he had coaxed might run off too.

No, she would definitely run off!

Before the meal ended, Xu Zheng glanced at Jing Tian twice, feeling that she was already restless.

He didn't know if she had new ideas or if she felt it was unreliable and wanted to make an emergency retreat.

If he didn't find a way to secure Bai Liang, this movie would have to be delayed again, and because of his contact with Bai Liang and Jing Tian, the schedules of other actors he had also considered suitable would be hard to book.

Xu Zheng quickly weighed the pros and cons in his heart and felt that "making concessions" was probably unavoidable.

Damn it! It hurts!

How is this any different from digging money out of his own pocket?

After the meal, Xu Zheng still had a smile on his face, but he was already feeling terrible inside. Facing a giant ball of cotton, he couldn't handle the other party and ultimately could only play the card of benefits.

He had to find a way to "feed" that hungry wolf, Yan Zi!

And Bai Liang was actually quite happy. Although Xu Zheng was a bit stingy and mercenary, he really did have substance.

He was worthy of being a player who had flourished after switching from actor to director.

The three film directors Bai Liang had contacted so far were all career-switchers.

Han Han, Wu Jing, Xu Zheng.

Each had their own characteristics and their own flaws.

The common point was that they were indeed quite outstanding in their respective areas of expertise.

They were the type who could play certain directions much more thoroughly than others.

On the contrary, Bai Liang hadn't even contacted a single "orthodox" film director.

"Sister, is it delicious?"

Hearing this, Sister Zhao subconsciously touched her stomach.

Then she said: "If I get fat, it's all your fault. I'm the only one at the table actually eating."

"When you're out and about, you still have to eat well. I recommend a god-tier show for eating, from Japan, called 'The Solitary Gourmet'."

When it came to this field, Bai Liang declared that no one understood eating better than he did~

"Forget it, I'm a female celebrity..."

"A small-round-faced female celebrity; it doesn't matter if you're a bit chubby."

"Go to hell!" After the habitual scolding, Sister Zhao asked seemingly casually: "Where are you going later? To find one of your lovers in Beijing?"

"Lovers?" Bai Liang pondered for a moment—who was around?

The few girls he knew whose base was in Beijing—Yang Mi and Reba—definitely didn't have time; now that "Eternal Love" was breaking the charts in popularity, those two were busy hopping around like rabbits.

Meng Meng and Li Qin's companies were also in Beijing, but those two should have joined their crews to film by now.

And...

"Are you really looking?!" Sister Zhao saw him enter a state of thought and immediately got angry.

Bai Liang looked innocent: "Wasn't it you who told me to look..."

Damn it, if only this brat were always that obedient.

Sister Zhao didn't want to argue with him: "If you have nowhere to go, come sit at my place." "Your place? Did you buy a big house?"

"Eh? How did you know?"

"Guessed."

Sister Zhao had indeed just purchased a luxury mansion in Beijing.

Worthy of being an A-list female celebrity, her move was extraordinary—a detached villa with a courtyard in the Chaoyang District.

Not to mention a hundred million, it was at least several tens of millions.

Regarding this, Sister Zhao didn't hide it and told him directly that she bought it for eighty million.

Around July this year, the 2016-17 Forbes Celebrity List would be out, and Sister Zhao would likely make the top five.

Bai Liang: As expected, a rich woman~

Of course, he was interested in visiting Sister Zhao's mansion; big villas are great! Big villas have many rooms!

However, at this moment, Sister Zhao's eyes seemed a bit unfocused.

Bai Liang felt that if he said "I'm going home" now, this sister might lose her temper.

I accompanied you to the audition, we ate, and now you say you're going home?! I'll curse you to death~

However, just as Bai Liang was preparing to go with her, a phone call suddenly came in.

【System note: No errors in content, keep reading!】

The name on the caller ID was quite fresh—it was Jing Tian, who had just exchanged contact information with Bai Liang not long ago.

The other party didn't exchange pleasantries either; after a greeting, she went straight to the point.

She wanted to meet and talk more.

Regarding this, Bai Liang had no reason to refuse.

The other party was definitely looking for him to discuss serious business.

He could only give Sister Zhao an apologetic gesture.

"How about I go to your place later?"

Sister Zhao didn't speak and just left, as if saying: Pfft! If you miss this, you miss the chance.

She didn't even leave a detailed address for Bai Liang, clearly not intending for him to come later.

Bai Liang: No matter, there will always be a chance in the future.

Regarding Jing Tian, the famous "human wealth flower" inside and outside the industry, Bai Liang actually hadn't had much interaction with her when they were eating together just now.

He felt that he didn't know if this young lady was afraid of him or if it was just her nature.

After all, many artists' public images are indeed quite different from their private personalities.

Jing Tian spoke very little; most of the time she just sat there listening intently, and occasionally when his eyes looked over, the other party would subconsciously avoid them.

Apart from these initial impressions, Bai Liang's other impressions of her were actually similar to most netizens'.

Isn't there a saying on the internet: If you can't choose Fei, choose Yuan; if you can't choose Fei or Yuan, choose Jing Tian.

Although this saying doesn't fully summarize all straight-male aesthetics, because when Bai Liang was at his most "straight-male," he liked Ultraman and Pokémon.

After maturing a bit more, he liked Digimon and Gundam, and only then did it come to the soft and sweet young ladies.

But in this race, Miss Jing Tian had indeed broken through.

She was indeed beautiful.

Oh right, Bai Liang also knew she looked even better in a cheongsam.

There was a kind of "pearl-round-jade-moist" beauty to her.

Their second meeting was, of course, not private; Bai Liang went alone to face Jing Tian, as well as her manager, assistant...

Having many people can indeed make one seem more imposing at times.

But today, it was the other way around.

A group of women were all a bit timid when facing Bai Liang.

After all, Jing Tian, the "General" herself, couldn't stand tall.

This 85-flower was the weakest-spirited player Bai Liang had ever seen; let alone compared to Yang Mi and Zhao Liying, she felt like she couldn't even compete with that silly giant Tang Yan.

"You feel a bit darker than before..."

After a few simple pleasantries, this was Jing Tian's first direct evaluation of Bai Liang for the day.

"Maybe it's because I went to Africa for a show; I did get a bit tanned. I should slowly whiten back later." Bai Liang didn't have much of an idol burden and nodded in admission.

He was indeed a bit darker than before, and at the same time, because he had been running wild in Africa, he even had a bit more wildness about him than before.

Ah! Bai Liang suddenly understood what was going on.

Having just returned from running wild outside, even if he was essentially still that capybara, facing beasts and gunfire had left him with a bit of a savage flavor.

After integrating into an environment, it takes time to pull oneself out of the previous one.

Sitting there, he was somewhat out of place with the delicate, doll-like Jing Tian.

Sister Zhao wouldn't have much of a feeling about this small change in him, because she herself had crawled up from the bottom.

Xu Zheng didn't specifically say anything because he felt this contrast would have a better effect in the movie.

However, for Jing Tian, that bit of wildness overflowing with hormones, and that unbridled growth, felt like it could easily shatter her fragile delicacy.

Thus, she instinctively felt a bit of fear.

Of course, to some extent, this feeling would also bring a contradictory sexual tension...

Specifically, one can refer to some literary works from Japan.

Things like electricians, repairmen, and the like.

"Mr. Bai, we are still very much looking forward to working with you. This trip is mainly to ask about your specific thoughts..."

Jing Tian's manager saw that she seemed unable to stand tall, staring at the cup of coffee on the table as if trying to see a flower in it, so she had to act as a mouthpiece.

At the same time, she wondered: Tian-Tian wasn't this introverted before.

"I don't have any thoughts; of course, it's a good thing if we can work together," Bai Liang said very honestly.

As a result, this sounded to others like the kind of perfunctory pleasantry.

The manager even imagined in her mind: Could this guy be looking down on Jing Tian's bad reputation in the film industry?

Very likely!

Looking at the calm Bai Liang, she gritted her teeth and used her trump card!

"I heard Mr. Bai is in contact with the 'Ming Dynasty' crew?"

Bai Liang was a bit surprised, "You guys know this too?"

The other party smiled, "If you inquire, you can always find out something. I heard the talks aren't going very smoothly because it's a female-lead drama."

"Let me think about what I can say..."

"It doesn't have to be that complicated. The 'Ming Dynasty' crew hasn't reached an agreement with Tang Wei yet. We can also contact them to reduce the female lead's weight so that this show isn't a female-lead drama."

"Ah?"

"It's true."

Seeming to worry that Bai Liang wouldn't believe her, Jing Tian's manager directly found the chat history on her phone.

The "Ming Dynasty" side had even sent her an electronic version of a simple script.

This was indeed evidence that contact had begun.

Jing Tian, who had already filmed "The Glory of Tang Dynasty," didn't mind acting in another "Ming Dynasty."

The names even sounded like they were in the same series.

Moreover, "The Glory of Tang Dynasty" had improved her reputation quite a bit, and many people said, "So Jing Tian actually has acting skills."

As for the purpose of forcefully intervening in the "Ming Dynasty" show, it could be considered a resource exchange.

Let Bai Liang agree to star in "How Long Will I Love U" with Jing Tian, and as a condition, Jing Tian would help him solve the female lead issue in "Ming Dynasty."

She would go act as Sun Ruowei, voluntarily lowering her status and reducing her scenes—wouldn't that be it? Let those historical modifications that Bai Liang was dissatisfied with go to hell.

By the way, it would be a second collaboration—the best of both worlds.

As for whether she could intervene... a lean camel is bigger than a horse!

Even if Jing Tian didn't have as many resources as before, this kind of thing could still be done. Tang Wei wasn't considered a very hard-line A-list actress in the film industry, and Jing Tian had just won.

Not to mention she could borrow Bai Liang's fame and influence; the two of them combined would directly beat Tang Wei.

As long as the producers aren't idiots, they know how to choose.

Bai Liang: Big Tian-Tian is really nice!

He really didn't expect it could be like this~

So he could only call Yan Zi to ask if this way of playing was reliable...

Yan Zi was also stunned when she heard this. Ah? Where did this sucker come from?

Honestly, she was already prepared to agree to Xu Zheng.

After the other party had dinner with Bai Liang, he gave her a new price.

Yan Zi felt this was likely the limit, and just as she was about to agree, this news came from Bai Liang's side.

This kind of thing couldn't be done by any A-list female celebrity in her prime; only Jing Tian, who was in an awkward situation, would be willing.

Even Sister Zhao, who had such a good relationship with Bai Liang, couldn't "sacrifice" herself like this.

If this got out, her fans wouldn't agree to it.

Including Yang Mi, no matter how much she liked the gifts Bai Liang gave, she wouldn't cooperate with him like this.

Thinking about it carefully, Jing Tian was really suitable for this.

It just seemed a bit like a sucker.

However, Yan Zi thought about it... "Suckers" indeed always appeared around their Little Bai-ge.

This time she really heard the echo of good luck, exceptionally clear.