Chapter 205: The biggest crisis since starting his career!

Guo Fan chose an inconvenient time to arrive.

Because the *How Long Will I Love U* crew had a rather important scene to film today.

So, after Bai Liang just exchanged a quick greeting with him, he had to apologize and let Yanzi entertain him and chat for a while.

"Who's looking for you?"

At this moment, Jing Tian seemed to have forgotten to be on guard against Bai Liang again. She had tied her hair into a casual bun, and some fine strands were glowing like fuzz under the sunlight.

She looked like a fluffy, adorably silly creature.

She even stood on tiptoe to look in Guo Fan's direction, but after getting a clear look, she looked puzzled. "Don't know him~"

These little expressions were truly rich!

Bai Liang, of course, told the truth: "A film director. He's probably here to talk to me about a role."

"Oh~"

Jing Tian nodded, gave a response, and didn't say anything more.

However, after spending these days together, Bai Liang knew her quite well. "How about I bring you along later?"

This success, rather than saying Bai Liang embraced a new "world," it was more like the new world was actively embracing him.

"It's just chatting. His movie isn't some big secret."

"Okay!"

With that back-and-forth, Jing Tian was satisfied.

But she always felt she was about due for her "guarding" time, so she nimbly took two steps back.

Bai Liang couldn't be bothered with her; this young lady always liked to amuse herself like this.

"I'm going to change clothes first~"

They had just finished a scene for Lu Ming, and now Bai Liang had to "transform."

This actually revealed the strange operations of a novice director; usually, when one person plays two completely different roles, the filming schedule wouldn't be so concentrated.

If the actor doesn't perform well, it's easy to mix up the roles.

After being on so many crews, Bai Liang knew this.

It wasn't just about playing two roles; sometimes, even for the same character, when filming intense emotional scenes, they wouldn't schedule other conflicting scenes.

For example, one scene you're laughing like an idiot, and the next you need to cry as if your parents just died.

Of course, it wasn't impossible to do it that way.

It just really tested the actor's skill level.

Bai Liang could only assume Director Su Lun trusted him too much, hence this filming plan.

The character Lu Shiyi was "Lu Ming" in a time-space distortion; he was the future Lu Ming who had chosen the "wrong" path and changed his name to Lu Shiyi.

In his youth, he accepted hush money at his company to cover up a scheme to frame the general manager, and thus became an entrepreneur who reached the pinnacle of his life.

At first, Bai Liang just thought the name was a homophone, but later he felt... why did it seem like it was mirroring a certain entrepreneur with the same name?

It was a bit similar to the character Xiao Ma in *Duckweed*.

However, Xiao Ma mainly played on contrast and humor; that character wasn't made out to be very negative.

But the character Lu Shiyi's rise to power was indeed not very clean~

If someone wanted to sue later... Bai Liang felt he could still watch the drama.

Anyway, it had nothing to do with him; the character design was done by Xu Zheng and Su Lun, and he played it so handsomely... how could that be considered smearing?

Limited skin—the refined scumbag CEO reappears.

It looked exactly like Bai Liang's outfit at that Bulgari gala.

He didn't know if the crew's stylist had just copied it directly.

When Bai Liang walked out after changing his look, Jing Tian was stunned for several seconds.

It wasn't that she was swooning from his handsomeness—that was only a small part of it—it was mainly that sense of unfamiliarity; even the way Bai Liang smiled at her made Jing Tian feel she had never seen it before.

But thinking about it carefully, it didn't seem that different from before.

"How did you do that?"

If you don't know, ask. But this time, Jing Tian immediately pulled her "guard" status to the max.

She asked from several steps away, with no intention of getting closer.

"It's not easy to describe. The rhythm of walking and the look in my eyes, I guess. I also slightly controlled the rhythm of my speech."

She heard it!

Bai Liang didn't deliberately lower his voice to produce some CEO-style bubble voice.

With the same voice, it just had a bit more sense of story and distance.

A mature man's vibe came rushing toward her.

At first glance, he was self-restrained and upright... but observing closely, one always felt he seemed to be suppressing something.

At this very moment, acting suddenly felt tangible to Jing Tian.

It was too obvious! It was truly visible to the naked eye.

Then she took another step back and muttered something like, "I still prefer..."

He didn't hear it clearly because the other person ran off again.

But this time he didn't run far; he was soon "dragged back" by the crew staff to rehearse.

As soon as he returned, he saw Bai Liang take off his glasses, looking dazed and cute.

"Ah! That's much better," Jing Tian said with satisfaction.

Then she nimbly asked, "Which one is your true self?"

Bai Liang lazily rolled his eyes at her, which instead made Jing Tian pull her chair closer.

Even a capybara is cute when rolling its eyes!

And that bottomless CEO, even with a smile, made people feel... very hard to approach.

Fortunately, it's just acting~

It should just be acting, right?

Jing Tian thought to herself.

Bai Liang: Well, not entirely.

Both forms had a touch of his true self.

However, that latter state hadn't appeared in him for a long time. I don't eat beef~

When filming, he was actually more accustomed to maintaining the state before the cameras rolled, but given Jing Tian's personal preferences, Bai Liang decided to accommodate her.

The two people on the other side were also "accommodating" each other.

After Yanzi learned that Guo Fan was a film director, her vigilance immediately shot to the max!

Alert! Alert!

Where did this director pop out from?

Because the *The Wandering Earth* project was only something Sun Qiang had called Bai Liang about, Yanzi didn't know about it.

She thought her Xiao Bai-ge had asked to keep the later schedule open because he wanted to rest or arrange some variety shows and advertising gigs.

After all, Bai Liang already had quite a few projects to join this year; always keeping the schedule so full was too exhausting.

And now, look... another suspicious guy popped out!

She knew the nature of these directors in the film circle too well; they all loved to talk about art, but their goal was entirely to get something for nothing.

Oh, no, to get Bai Liang for nothing.

Among the few film directors her Xiao Bai-ge had contacted, only Han Han was slightly reliable.

Although Yanzi had used some small tactics, at least he really paid!

Others were a bit outrageous; Wu Jing used "drinking heavily" as a way to "seal the deal" with her Xiao Bai-ge.

Can things agreed upon at a drinking table be reliable?

Xu Zheng didn't even pretend; he had the look of an exquisite egoist businessman and was very eloquent.

Fortunately, Yanzi was truly good at dealing with people like him, directly launching a precision strike that made him bleed heavily.

As for this one in front of her...

Guo Fan didn't know when he had taken out a pair of glasses and put them on, seemingly wanting to see more clearly how Bai Liang acted.

Of course, the movie *How Long Will I Love U* and the movie he wanted to film were two completely different things; there wasn't much reference value.

But at least he could take a look at Bai Liang's skills~

Honestly, Guo Fan didn't hope he was too amazing; he actually hoped he would be a bit mediocre... the reason is obvious to those who know.

And Yanzi felt more and more that although this person didn't look very mercenary, he seemed much harder to deal with than Xu Zheng.

After exchanging names and greetings, she soon learned Guo Fan's background.

The director of the movie *My Old Classmate*.

Hmm... now it felt a bit more reliable.

Although the reviews for this movie weren't very high and it certainly wasn't a classic, it was indeed a very successful commercial film with a high return rate.

At least it proved that Guo Fan wasn't the type who liked to talk about art.

"Director Guo, what movie are you here to talk to Bai Liang about? Your new work?"

"Yes, it's a sci-fi movie, adapted from Liu Cixin's work, called *The Wandering Earth*."

Yanzi:???

The other party's reliable image instantly shattered into pieces, just because of the words "sci-fi movie."

Tell a joke: Chinese sci-fi movies...

If she weren't on set and the person hadn't come specifically to visit the set, Yanzi would have really wanted to get up and leave.

If the other party had contacted her first, she would have rejected it on the spot, classifying it in the same category as those "trash projects" in her eyes.

Guo Fan noticed the change in Yanzi's eyes, but he wasn't surprised.

It's normal~

Many people had this reaction when they first heard him say that.

However, Guo Fan also temporarily withdrew his attention from Bai Liang, preparing to have a good talk with Yanzi first.

After all, she was Bai Liang's manager; in his understanding, persuading the artist's manager was sometimes as important as persuading the artist himself.

After all, he didn't know who actually called the shots between Bai Liang and Yanzi.

Come, miss, look at my sincere face, let's talk about dreams!

Yanzi encountered the biggest crisis since starting her career! The other party didn't talk about sentiment, didn't bring up the friendship between Sun Qiang and Bai Liang, didn't talk about benefits, didn't say what would happen if the movie succeeded, and didn't even talk about success or failure.

He told Yanzi straightforwardly that although he was confident, he didn't know how the market would react yet.

But the light of idealism was so blinding!

Guo Fan spoke with force and clarity; he told Yanzi that this was all a brand-new attempt.

What we are doing is carving our names into the history of Chinese cinema.

Leaving our mark in the crisscrossing coordinate system and the flow of historical development.

Even if we fail, it will be a glorious stroke, allowing those who come later to continue moving forward on our shoulders.

Honestly... Yanzi felt this person didn't want to make a movie; he wanted to start a revolution...

Guo Fan: Yes, this is of course a revolution in the film industry!

It has nothing to do with the vanity fair of the film circle; each of us is a crucial screw in this industrial evolution...

So, miss, will you join hands and walk with us?

Yanzi couldn't speak, and she didn't dare to speak.

She was afraid that if her head got hot, she would really agree.

Damn it, this was the worst she had ever lost; she didn't even dare to ask how much salary the other party was willing to give.

As if asking such a question would tarnish something.

No errors in the content, read it at a glance!

At this very moment, she finally understood a little bit what kind of experience those girls had when facing her Xiao Bai-ge.

Unable to refuse, unable to escape, unable to resist...

"How did your chat go?"

A gentle voice, like a drowning person being pulled out of the water by a strong arm, able to breathe fresh air in big gulps.

Originally, Yanzi felt she was a shield standing in front of her Xiao Bai-ge.

But now it seemed... she was still too green.

Yield the stage, let the succubus deal with the succubus.

Guo Fan and Bai Liang looked at each other.

Both smiled at the same time, as if they were identical.

"Hello, let me formally introduce myself. I am the director, Guo Fan. On behalf of *The Wandering Earth* crew, I extend an invitation to you, hoping you can play the male lead."

Guo Fan appeared somewhat casual, but at this moment, there was a bit more solemnity.

Yanzi had already been "handled" by him; next was the main person!

However, looking at Bai Liang, many things he had planned in his mind suddenly didn't know where to start.

Logically speaking, a young man of Bai Liang's age should be easy to "fool."

Especially since the other party had already "succeeded" now, at least achieving very good results in the top-tier field.

Guo Fan considered himself to have some skill in understanding people.

In his view, people who had achieved certain accomplishments were actually easier to "persuade" than those who were just getting by or just starting out.

Because human desire is infinite.

Like Maslow's hierarchy of needs, after achieving certain life values, one often pursues new values.

Actors who weren't doing well might still be struggling for food and housing; instilling high values in them wouldn't be heard, and it wouldn't be as direct as 100, 00 yuan.

And for someone like Bai Liang, Guo Fan actually couldn't grasp what he was into at first.

Because he was young, he might have passion, but also because he was young, there were many other things in the film circle worth pursuing.

Such as awards, more achievements, and glory, etc.

But the other party's certain behaviors, such as the righteousness of Wu Jing always helping to promote, made Guo Fan feel it should be the former.

A passionate and easily fooled righteous young man.

This was his definition of Bai Liang before.

At this moment, completely overturned!

Something's wrong... very, very wrong!

From the other party's eyes, Guo Fan only felt that calmness and a little bit of curiosity.

He took a deep breath, deciding not to use any tricks to fool him, and just pour his heart out!

As for the more curious Miss Jing Tian on the side, sorry, Guo Fan's attention was too focused, he didn't even notice her.

But she didn't mind either~

She sat obediently to the side, holding the script, her big eyes scanning the two of them back and forth.

Jing Tian felt the atmosphere was a bit peculiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

And her instinct drove her to stay firmly nailed here, as if she were about to witness something.

The opening was similar to the one used to "fool" Yanzi, but Guo Fan reduced some modifiers, leaning more towards speaking from the heart.

Unfortunately, Bai Liang's expression remained smiling, but he wasn't moved much.

On the contrary, Jing Tian on the side was so moved that her blood was rushing!

Wow! He really is doing something very amazing!

Unable to hold back, Jing Tian even asked if the movie was still missing a female lead...

Guo Fan: Thanks, I appreciate the sentiment, but our female lead is a minor...

And even if there was a suitable role, he wouldn't dare to use Jing Tian; the debuff of *The Wandering Earth* was already quite something.

He was an idealist, but not the kind who only knew how to shout slogans; in the end, it still had to land on reality.

This "notoriously fierce" Da Tiantian in the film circle, Guo Fan didn't even dare to touch.

Otherwise, if the movie was really made and not yet released, it would be labeled a bad movie by a bunch of people.

Of course, the premise to achieve this was... to make the movie.

Guo Fan felt that as long as he won over Bai Liang, the guarantee would be much greater.

Jing Tian: emmmmm okay~

"We are not shouting slogans, nor are we bluffing under the guise of sci-fi..."

After the mental "attack," Guo Fan brought out various materials proving the movie was down-to-earth.

To prove: when it comes to making sci-fi movies, they are serious!

Bai Liang didn't brush him off, seriously looking at the various materials the other party brought.

There wasn't even a basic script in there, just all kinds of drawings, data...

Hmm... there was no problem with that; this wasn't a conventional movie invitation to begin with.

Guo Fan was indeed well-prepared, putting the imagined sci-fi onto paper.

After Bai Liang finished looking at those materials, Guo Fan's throat felt itchy, seemingly wanting to say something more.

But suddenly he felt he couldn't say anything.

Looking at the still-calm Bai Liang, the same thought as Yanzi's before flashed in his mind: Damn it...

Young man, can you do it or not, give some reaction!

If the failed art student were giving a speech in a tavern and the audience below were all like you, he would have had to slink back to repeat his studies.

"Okay," Bai Liang said very casually.

"I have... what? What did you say?"

"I said okay, but the schedule I can leave for the crew isn't particularly long."

Guo Fan's brain was a bit dazed.

He agreed just like that? Why did he have a strange feeling that even if he hadn't said so much, the other party would have agreed?

"Schedule is not a problem! I've calculated it, it's definitely enough!" Guo Fan quickly sobered up and said.

Then he immediately showed an embarrassed expression of being short on funds, "Uh, our movie's production budget is quite tight..."

No matter how they talked before, in the end, it had to land on reality.

Salary!

At this time, Bai Liang looked at Yanzi; with the manager present, he still respected Yanzi's work.

Yanzi sighed, but didn't turn up the pressure on Guo Fan like before; after all, she had already knelt before Bai Liang arrived.

"Our Xiao Bai-ge will take a share, but it must be slightly higher than the market price... just consider it supporting Chinese sci-fi movies, you must film it well, Director Guo."

"No problem!"

Guo Fan, whose face was already blooming with smiles, looked at Bai Liang again and found the other party was examining him with interest.

"Uh, are there still conditions?"

Bai Liang smiled and shook his head, "I'm just a bit curious."

"Curious about what?"

"After you finish this movie and appear in front of everyone again, will you be out of place in the current film circle? They will probably view you as a wolf."

This sentence almost made Guo Fan's blood rush to his brain.

Not brother, you believe in me that much?!

After calming down a bit, Guo Fan looked at Bai Liang differently, smiled, and said, "Then let them be~"

How can those who are addicted to self-amusement in their own circles understand the back of someone running towards the future with ideals and high spirits?

However, Guo Fan didn't know which type Bai Liang was.

He seemed to be doing quite well in the vanity fair too~

Yet a single sentence could scratch Guo Fan's itch; by comparison, this kid is even stranger, right?

This strange sense of contradiction gave Guo Fan an illusion.

This success was less about Bai Liang embracing a new "world," and more about the new world actively embracing him.

He was just standing there, motionless.