Chapter 256: Wei Jin Wields the Little Hoe: The Thoughts of Actresses and Casting Decisions

The meeting ended, and just as Wei Jin was about to leave, Zhang Yimou actually took the initiative to approach him, expressing his intent very clearly: he wanted to hear Wei Jin's thoughts on *A Simple Noodle Story*.

A certain thought suddenly stirred in Wei Jin's heart, but he felt this was not a good place to speak.

"Director Zhang, shall we find a place to sit down and talk?"

"Hmm, that works, you arrange it."

Having nothing else to do, and having wanted to exchange ideas with Wei Jin for a long time, Zhang Yimou readily agreed.

Watching Wei Jin and Zhang Yimou leave together, Ning Hao always felt that his junior fellow apprentice was about to stir up trouble.

However, he didn't pay much attention to it; he was currently pestering Director Tong, chatting about matters regarding *No Man's Land*. —— Beijing, inside a teahouse.

"Director Wei, actually, I have wanted to find an opportunity to exchange ideas with you for a long time; today, I have finally fulfilled that wish."

Zhang Yimou was a person with a very amiable attitude; having been in the industry for over thirty years, one almost never heard of him having disputes with others, and even when bullied, he almost never resisted.

"Director Zhang is too kind. You are a senior, so it should be us juniors learning more from you."

Everyone helps carry the fancy sedan chair; Wei Jin naturally didn't mind offering some flattery, especially since Zhang Yimou's achievements were worthy of the title of senior.

"What senior or not? Compared to you, I've just lived a few more years. By the way, I haven't congratulated you yet on your Golden Globe nomination."

Speaking of this, Zhang Yimou felt a bit emotional; the young man before him was truly extraordinary.

"Right, the main reason for this time is to ask for your opinion and get some real feedback from you: where exactly did *A Simple Noodle Story* fail?"

Zhang Yimou was a person with a very strong inner core; back when he was scolded so badly during the Athens Olympics, one didn't see him collapse, but this time was different—he rarely produced a negation of his own work.

"Director Zhang, then I will speak the truth?"

"Of course, I just want to hear your opinion."

"In my view, from the script to the casting, and then to the style, there are problems everywhere."

Wei Jin picked up his teacup and took a sip, seemingly giving Zhang Yimou time to digest it.

"To be honest, it's only because you directed it that it could have these results, but if it were at Shanhe Media, it wouldn't even pass the first hurdle of the script."

Wei Jin couldn't help but complain; a perfectly good suspense masterpiece, *Blood Simple*, had been forced into a dog-blood parody of a Northeast folk song-and-dance duet performance.

"The biggest problem, you should be clear about it yourself: creation is not free. A film should not have two decision-makers, especially when you are the one whose words don't carry weight."

These words from Wei Jin were undoubtedly putting eye drops on Zhang Weiping; if not for this, how could he subsequently recruit Zhang Yimou? For this national master who was famous throughout the world, he had been coveting him for a long time.

Watching the Zhang Yimou before him fall into deep thought, Wei Jin continued to add pressure.

"Starting from *Curse of the Golden Flower*, you have already been held hostage by Zhang Weiping. If it were reasonable commercial advice, that would be one thing, but Zhang Weiping clearly doesn't understand film. He only knows how to pile up popular stars and create hype; for a Producer, this is undoubtedly unqualified."

"Director Wei, thank you for your advice. Let's stop here for today."

Zhang Yimou put down the teacup in his hand and stood up, intending to leave. Although he was not good at conversation, he was not stupid; Wei Jin's intentions were almost self-evident.

"Alright, let's talk again if there's a chance."

Wei Jin hadn't expected to make the two Zhangs break up today, but thinking about Zhang Weiping's personality, this was only a matter of time.

"Director Zhang, if you have the chance, you might as well come to Shanhe Media to take a look. I believe there will be many scripts you are interested in."

Zhang Yimou's departing footsteps paused, and he felt a bit moved. Wei Jin's scripts were famous in the industry; perhaps his own Grand Slam of the European Big Three could be realized at Shanhe Media?

"Alright, if there is a chance, I will definitely pay a visit. Also, I wish you success in winning the Golden Globe." —— The audition requirements for *Mojin: The Lost Legend* had already been sent to talent agencies in the industry, and Wu Ershan had already done a preliminary screening, but there were still many people left, and the competition remained very fierce.

There were no shortage of actors who had ideas and wanted to take the back door, including many teachers from the Beijing Film Academy who had called Wei Jin. He replied directly to all of them that he would not interfere with the casting and that Wu Ershan had full authority.

Some people were quite clever; since the path through Wei Jin was blocked, they took the path of the already-confirmed female lead.

Jiang Yiyan was a smart woman. Ever since Liu Yifei hitched a ride on Wei Jin's coattails, she had been very diligent in maintaining their classmate friendship.

This time, she specifically chose a suitable time to drop hints and complain to Liu Yifei.

Liu Yifei was not stupid; how could she not guess Jiang Yiyan's intentions? But her personality was very good, and she cherished her few friends and classmates. Over these years, she would attend the 02-class gatherings when she had time, eating and singing together, carefully maintaining this relationship.

So, even though she knew Jiang Yiyan's motives were impure, after being intimate with Wei Jin at night, Liu Yifei still brought up this matter.

"Yan Yan said that ever since *Nanjing*, she has always been disliked by the audience and netizens, and now there are no good plays looking for her."

Wei Jin recalled that saying describing the entertainment industry: when you are popular, everyone around you is a good person. Since his debut, wasn't everyone around Wei Jin wearing a smiling face? Liu Yifei was currently the same.

"Is she thinking of taking the 'Madam' route, letting you help, and fighting for a role from me?"

Wei Jin's words made the young girl overjoyed, and she thought to herself: "Madam? I definitely will be."

"Although she didn't say it explicitly, I could hear that this was the meaning, but I didn't promise her anything. Brother, I won't cause trouble for you."

Over these years, Liu Yifei had never taken the initiative to ask Wei Jin for resources, so how could she possibly stand up for someone else? Being able to help mention it was already the maximum extent of what she could do.

"Mm, Yifei is truly sensible. How about Brother rewards you tonight?"

Wei Jin supported the young girl's perky buttocks with both hands; the feel of the area trained over a long period was truly fantastic.

"As for her business, you don't need to worry about it anymore. I have my own plans."

Since it had already been said that Wu Ershan would be responsible for *Mojin: The Lost Legend*, unless the casting was truly unsuitable, it wouldn't be convenient for Wei Jin to intervene again.

As for Jiang Yiyan, at worst, he could give her a small role in a TV series later; it would both give the Beijing Film Academy an explanation and count as a reward for Liu Yifei's sensibility.

"Mm, Brother, I want you."

Merely being caressed by the man, Liu Yifei couldn't help but want more; the young girl was truly being developed to be increasingly sensitive.

"Alright, Brother will feed you now."

This night was another scene of romance. —— Today was the day of the official auditions for *Mojin: The Lost Legend*. Wei Jin arrived at the company, intending to go to the scene to take a look.

Just as he arrived on this floor, he was startled. Good heavens, half the entertainment industry had come.

What surprised him was that there were particularly many male actors this time, but thinking about it, he understood: *Ghost Blows Out the Light* was an entire series, and securing the male lead for *Mojin: The Lost Legend* meant that at least three or four film contracts might be in hand. It was no wonder these male actors were so active.

Looking around, almost all the domestic male actors above the second tier were here: Deng Chao, Huang Xiaoming, Chen Kun, Qiao Zhenyu, Xia Yu, Sun Honglei, Duan Long, Huang Bai, Pan Yueming. What surprised him a bit was that Liu Ye had actually come too. This fellow was really too lacking in self-awareness; Wei Jin still kept the matter of *Nanjing* in his little notebook.

On the side of the actresses, the competition was also very fierce. Although it was a supporting role, the character Ding Sitian still had quite a lot of screen time.

Tang Yan, Yang Mi, Zhang Li, Jiang Shuying, Bai Bin, Jiang Yiyan, Liu Shishi. Everyone saw Wei Jin appear and all stood up to greet him, with various forms of address: some called him President Wei, some called him Director Wei, some called him Senior Brother, and some called him Boss. Liu Shishi's voice was not conspicuous mixed among them, but Wei Jin immediately distinguished it, turned his head to look at her, and nodded.

Since he had said that the casting was left to Wu Ershan, Wei Jin did not intend to interfere. After coming to take a look and at least having a bottom line in his heart, he didn't linger and left directly.

Little did he know, this action of Wei Jin's was seen by the other actresses, and their hearts all felt a bit cold. —— Beijing, Dongshanshu.

Wei Jin was rarely accompanying Jing Tian to watch a TV series, which was exactly *The Myth*, co-produced by Shanhe Media and Emperor Motion Pictures.

This series had already been airing on CCTV for several days; it only took 6 episodes to charge to the number one spot in national ratings for the same time slot, and when Lv Su went offline, the ratings directly went off the charts, pulling a two-point lead over the second-place show.

Watching Hu Ge in his period costume, Wei Jin sighed that his position as a first-tier young actor was becoming increasingly stable.

As for another period drama filmed last year, *Palace*, it had also been snapped up by Mango TV, with the price per episode reaching as high as 1.8 million; this was also the result brought about after the policy was issued—TV series prices were getting higher and higher.

This series had a total of 35 episodes with a production cost of no more than 30 million, yet it sold for a sky-high price of 63 million in the first round; the subsequent second and third rounds plus the online copyright added together could bring in at least 70 to 80 million in profit.

At this moment, the plot on the TV told of Yi Xiaochuan being taken to Tuan to serve as a slave, where he met the princess of Tuan, Yu Shu, and was attracted by her graceful dancing; Yi Xiaochuan soon forgot the death of Lv Su and fell in love with this woman he was seeing for the first time.

"Brother, why is it like this? It's only been how long, and Yi Xiaochuan has already forgotten Lv Su? Does he really have no place for Lv Su in his heart?"

The young girl was a bit agitated; although Lv Su had already gone offline, she was a firm supporter of the Yi Xiaochuan and Lv Su pairing.

"Tian Tian, Yi Xiaochuan only has feelings of gratitude toward Lv Su, and that cannot be confused with love."

Wei Jin held the girl in his arms, feeling a bit helpless; he hadn't expected that Jing Tian would be like ordinary girls, liking to project herself into the show while watching TV, and once she saw a plot she didn't like, she would start grumbling, which simply damaged her image as a 'wealthy flower'.

"But, a girl was willing to give her only chance of survival to him; can't even that move him? Are men's hearts made of stone?"

Jing Tian seemed to have a tendency to be unreasonable and began to expand the scope of her attack.

"Tian Tian, the character Yi Xiaochuan, in the script, has a personality that gradually grows and changes; before Lv Su, he was a prodigal, but after Lv Su, he began to have more understanding of emotions and gradually became mature."

Wei Jin was a bit speechless; it was fortunate he had read the script, otherwise how would he answer?

"To put it bluntly, it was just to let Lv Su appear, to let Yi Xiaochuan grow, and to pave the way for the subsequent plot; Tian Tian, you are also an actor, don't get too deeply immersed."

"Sigh, okay. Then brother, if it were you, would you fall in love with Lv Su?"

Jing Tian also sensed that her emotions seemed to have gone overboard; she calmed down a bit and asked a curious question.

"I don't know. Perhaps there would be a good impression, but it's hard to say it's love, right? There are many such examples in reality; many people actually can't tell clearly whether they fell in love with the other person because of the other person's goodness, or if they only felt the other person's goodness because they fell in love with them."

Wei Jin's words were a bit convoluted, but Jing Tian understood quickly, then immediately thought of another question and asked with some anticipation: "Then brother, regarding your feelings for me, can you tell them clearly?"

"Tian Tian, of course I can tell clearly; from the first time I saw you, I had already prepared to spend the rest of my life with you."

Wei Jin affectionately kissed the young girl on the cheek and slowly spoke his true feelings.

"Hee hee, brother, you're so cheesy."

Having received the answer she wanted, the young girl happily offered a sweet kiss, and soon the room was filled with spring—"Not suitable?"

Liu Shishi felt a bit dejected; she hadn't expected this result. Was this man drawing a line between them?

"Shishi, this can't go on like this; you still need to find a separate time to talk to Wei Jin."

Miss Cai was not feeling well at all now; she could understand Wei Jin's thinking—he was afraid of trouble—but to just cut the line like this, she always felt it was a huge loss.

On the other side, Yang Mi looked at the text message on her phone and also felt a bit uncomfortable.

As one of the Four Dan Actresses, she had already lowered her status to play a supporting role for Liu Yifei, yet she still couldn't get the role? "It shouldn't be Tang Yan and Liu Shishi, could it be those few like Jiang Yiyan?"

Thinking of this, Yang Mi felt it was better to sign a contract sooner; otherwise, if it was always a fast-food transaction, would there ever be a place for her in Wei Jin's heart?

But the folks at Rongxin Da seemed determined to drag it out until the contract expired; this was no wonder, as her schedule had been very full lately, and Li Xiaowan naturally wouldn't give up the opportunity to make money.

"Sigh, there are still two months until I can be free." — Looking at the finalized casting list sent over by Wu Ershan, Wei Jin was a bit surprised; this guy's efficiency was too high.

"Can you tell me the reason for choosing them?"

Although he didn't interfere with casting, Wei Jin was still a bit curious about Wu Ershan's thoughts.

"According to the original work, the character Hu Bayi, although handsome, needs to have a sense of the era; he can't be a handsome guy of the current popular aesthetic. This one is just right, and the screenwriter also thinks it's suitable, and most importantly, the acting is also not bad."

Wu Ershan carefully deliberated and gave his answer; as for Chen Xi's greeting, he just kept it in his heart.

Wei Jin really couldn't refute this reason; in fact, Lei Jiayin's Hu Bayi indeed didn't quite fit the original work.

"What about the others?"

"Jiang Chao is the Wang Pangzi from the TV series; he really acted very well and is quite fitting for this character."

Among all the actors, the one Wu Ershan was most satisfied with was Jiang Chao.

"As for the actresses, it's mainly because they are cheap, have good acting skills, and look pretty good too."

"Fine, let's settle it like this. You can announce the list."

Although the cast was somewhat different from what he had imagined, Wu Ershan's reasons were completely justifiable; besides, everyone chosen was an acting pro, so there was no need for Wei Jin to intervene.

"Very well, President Wei." — On January 15th, Shanhe Media announced the finalized casting list for *Mojin: The Lost Legend*.

Male Lead: Pan Yueming as Hu Bayi; Second Male Lead: Jiang Chao as Wang Pangzi; Third Male Lead: Xia Yu as Big Gold Tooth.

Female Lead: Liu Yifei as Shirley Yang; Second Female Lead: Wan Qian as Ding Sitian.

Once the news broke, many people started asking what path Wan Qian took; as someone from the Shanghai Theatre Academy, how did she get the role?

Wan Qian herself was also bewildered; the moment she received the call, she simply thought she was dreaming.

She was a 2000-class acting graduate of the Shanghai Theatre Academy and had debuted for many years, but she had always been lukewarm; she had switched to the music scene in the last two years, but that hadn't made any waves either. She really couldn't think of a reason for being chosen.

"Could it be that President Wei has taken a fancy to me? Wants to sign me?"

Wan Qian thought of her senior from the 1997 class, Yang Rong, and her junior from the 2002 class, Lei Jiayin; these two had such great development momentum at Shanhe Media that in just a few short years, they had already become the signature faces of the Shanghai Theatre Academy.

Thinking of this, Wan Qian felt she could still find an opportunity to dedicate herself to art... First update of the day.

(End of this chapter)