Chapter 716: Multiple Parties Vying for Roles, Director Saves Himself

Lian Baozhi had looked into the IP "Desperate Counterattack."

It was a power-fantasy novel told from the male lead's perspective, where female characters were merely decorative and the focus remained squarely on the male lead.

Thus, no matter which actress took the role, even the one nominally defined as the female lead in the script, her screen time would actually be minimal.

Moreover, compared to a female lead who possessed only beauty but no brains, she felt that playing a high-IQ, scheming female villain would leave a far deeper impression.

Besides, this script lacked a true female lead; the title was simply assigned to the character with the most lines.

Yet she shared no romantic storyline with the male lead.

The only character involved in a romance was the male lead's long-deceased "white moonlight," whose screen time amounted to a mere fleeting glimpse.

Lian Baozhi actually wanted to play the male lead's white moonlight.

After all, the male lead was Gu Cheng!

He was currently the hottest top-tier traffic star; although he did not follow an idol path, his popularity was undeniable.

Throughout March, Gu Cheng was the most talked-about figure.

Since going solo to develop his individual career, his professional trajectory had been flourishing.

Among the four of them, he received neither the most exposure nor the most commercial endorsements; one could say he was the least active.

Yet whenever he did appear, it inevitably stirred up a storm, keeping him trending on feeds for a long time.

The CP he formed with Jin Li, known as "Vitamin," ranked number one in CP super-topics; merely by virtue of the "Vitamin" fanbase, he stood on invincible ground.

Not to mention that Gu Cheng possessed acting skill, which was precisely what made him capable of carrying this drama.

If the male lead of this drama were a newcomer, or someone with talent but no popularity, the casting for female roles would not have attracted so many female stars flocking to it.

Lian Baozhi shared her thoughts with Lu Shanjie.

Lu Shanjie had initially opposed her taking a supporting role, fearing it would lower her status.

After all, in television dramas, she had worked hard to solidify her position as a female lead.

To then become a supporting player in the film industry represented too great a gap.

If there was an opportunity to break into films, she still hoped Lian Baozhi could secure a leading lady role.

But after hearing Lian Baozhi's reasoning, Lu Shanjie's perspective shifted as well.

She fell silent for a moment, then looked up at Lian Baozhi and said with a sigh,

"I feel you have changed so much; the image of you when you first debuted seems like it was only yesterday, yet overnight you have grown up.

You now see through the dynamics of character interests more clearly than I do. You are right; this script is fundamentally a male-led piece, and female characters play a minor role within it.

Even the nominal female lead is merely a supporting character, and her characterization is not particularly likable. It would be better to play a female villain with a distinct personality, as that would be more memorable."

Lu Shanjie had a sudden inspiration and said, "I've read this novel. Compared to the female villain, wouldn't it be better if you played the male lead's white moonlight?

The white moonlight archetype is the public's favorite."

Lian Baozhi replied irrelevantly, "But this is Gu Cheng's drama."

Lu Shanjie had not yet grasped the point. "Yes, the production team just officially announced Gu Cheng as the male lead."

Lian Baozhi reiterated, "This is Gu Cheng's drama; the female lead role is surely reserved for Jin Li."

Lu Shanjie still did not get it. "Jin Li? That can't be right. The female lead's characterization isn't good; would Jin Li accept such a role?"

Lian Baozhi helplessly pressed her forehead. "I'm talking about the white moonlight role; that one is likely already promised to Jin Li.

In 'Counterattack,' the male lead's screen time was also minimal, serving a guiding function, yet Gu Cheng accepted it.

In 'Desperate Counterattack,' the white moonlight's screen time is similarly small, yet she permeates the entire film from start to finish; she can be said to be the male lead's faith, shaping his very personality.

For such a crucial role, if it were not given to Jin Li, I suspect not only the novel's fans but also netizens would be displeased."

Lu Shanjie understood, glanced at her, and said, "I didn't expect you to know so much about the 'Vitamin' CP. Indeed, the demand for pairing Jin Li with Gu Cheng is very high.

If both of them could appear together in one film, the promotion would already be a victory."

Lian Baozhi thought to herself, how could she not know?

Every day, besides creating a sock-puppet account to check in on Jin Li's blog, hoping to draw good luck,

her second check-in spot was the "Vitamin" super-topic.

She had checked in continuously for a year without fail, making her a loyal member of the "Vitamin" fandom; anyone who tried to break up the CP she shipped would be the first to face her wrath.

In fact, Lian Baozhi's guess was quite accurate.

Online, after the "Desperate Counterattack" production team announced Gu Cheng as the male lead, netizens had been discussing which star would portray the male lead's white moonlight.

For this role, Jin Li's support was the highest, giving off a vibe that no one else could possibly take it.

As for the nominal female lead who had more screen time in this drama, there was surprisingly little discussion.

This was because many of this female lead's actions actually placed the male lead in danger, displaying behavior that seemed somewhat irrational.

When netizens discussed this female lead, they were mostly expressing hope that after the novel was adapted into a film, the screenwriters would modify this female character.

They wanted the so-called female lead to avoid brainless operations that raised viewers' blood pressure, making the plot progression more logical.

"Desperate Counterattack" immediately extended an invitation to Jin Li, offering their utmost sincerity.

Before Jin Li's response could even be delivered to the "Desperate Counterattack" production team, the drama had already been contacted by agents of many female stars.

They were all coming for the role of the male lead's white moonlight.

Yes, online support for Jin Li was very high.

But in real life, having the loudest voice does not necessarily mean one is right.

High public demand does not guarantee selection for the white moonlight role.

There were plenty of stars with the highest support who eventually parted ways with production teams because they could not agree on terms of interest.

Therefore, agents hoped to push their female stars forward.

As long as they could secure this role, they could indirectly generate CP buzz with Gu Cheng.

Jin Li's popularity was fiery, but Gu Cheng's popularity was by no means poor.

Male stars have an advantage in popularity, boasting more female fans.

When a female star creates a CP with a male star, given Gu Cheng's immense popularity, the female star benefits more.

Unless it is Gu Cheng pairing up with Jin Li, in which case Gu Cheng would be the one benefiting more.

The director of "Desperate Counterattack" hung up another phone call, his face etched with worry.

"What a bunch of shrewds! No one cares about the female lead role which has substantial screen time; everyone is gunning for the male lead's white moonlight. Do they think I can decide this role on my own?"

The director complained involuntarily.

The screenwriter was still revising the script nearby and, hearing this, asked curiously, "Are all those people coming because of Gu Cheng?"

The director replied, "Absolutely. They're all fighting to create a CP with him, without considering whether Gu Cheng is even willing."

Since this role is the male protagonist's white moonlight, and given that Gu Cheng has accepted the male lead, logic dictates that his white moonlight should also be chosen by him.

Clearly, Gu Cheng had long believed this role belonged to Jin Li.

Before even signing the contract, he had made one demand: the role of the white moonlight must be played by Jin Li.

If Jin Li's side did not accept, he would reconsider whether to take on the role at all.

This clause was written directly into the contract, demonstrating just how firm Gu Cheng's stance was.

Currently, the production team was contacting Jin Li without leaking this clause, primarily out of fear that Chenxi Entertainment would hike the price upon learning of it.

Although this drama had secured significant investment, expenditures on actor salaries were already slightly over budget.

Every little bit saved counted.

The role of the white moonlight truly had very few scenes; even if Jin Li accepted it, the fee shouldn't be too high.

The screenwriter asked, "What about Jin Li's side? Still no response?"

The director shook his head. "No, Chenxi Entertainment hasn't contacted me yet; I don't know what they are thinking."

The screenwriter said, "Then let's wait a bit longer. Jin Li doesn't have many scheduled engagements, so her response rate is usually quite high."

"Since Gu Cheng dared to designate her, he probably has confidence in it. If Jin Li's side refuses, we'll go to Gu Cheng and ask him to act as the persuader."

The director's furrowed brows relaxed. "What a coincidence, that's exactly what I was thinking too."

Just then, his phone vibrated again; a relatively new number, not a stranger but one he rarely contacted, appeared on his screen.

"Huang Yaowang, President Huang."

The director muttered to himself, "If I remember correctly, he also invested in our drama, though his share is relatively small."

"He never visits without a reason; what is he calling for?"

Only after answering the call did he learn that President Huang was calling on behalf of his new wife, Li Xunfang.

"I recall that the role of the male lead's white moonlight in your production hasn't been cast yet; how about my wife?"

The director's heart skipped a beat, and his complexion changed drastically.

Oh no, what should be done when an investor wants to reserve a role?!

For an ordinary role, even an important female supporting character, giving it away would be fine; it would both please the investor and attract more funding.

The key issue was that Li Xunfang was no fool; over the past few years, she had honed a tiny bit of acting skill.

But.

This was the male lead's white moonlight!

Just as the director was worrying about how to refuse, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he said, "We are already in contact with Jin Li and are about to finalize this role."

Huang Yaowang fell silent for a moment before saying, "Jin Li?"

His tone held some hesitation, as if he were trying to recall what great achievements this star had accomplished, or perhaps deliberating on whether she could be replaced.

The director did not reveal Gu Cheng's involvement; one of the conditions for Gu Cheng accepting this film was that Jin Li must play the male lead's white moonlight.

He adopted a different line of reasoning to answer.

"Yes, it is Jin Li, the newly crowned Queen of a Billion. Her leading role in 'Counterattack' this year has already achieved the eighth highest box office in mainland Chinese film history; even globally, it would rank within the top fifty."

"Her international recognition is very high, and with the broadcast of 'Counterattack,' her popularity has skyrocketed. If we can pair her with Gu Cheng again this time, exporting 'Desperate Counterattack' overseas will be very convenient, saving us effort on promotion."

"Furthermore, the fanbase for their CP, the 'Vitamins,' is massive. Securing both of them guarantees a box office of over 500 million."

"Before filming has even begun, we can already guarantee recovering some capital, which is why I lean towards cooperating with her."

Huang Yaowang replied quickly this time, "Very well, let it be her."

The director said flatteringly, "President Huang, besides the role of the male lead's white moonlight, there are many other female roles yet to be cast; I wonder if Miss Li might be interested?"

Huang Yaowang asked, "Are they all relatively important female roles? How much screen time do they have?"

The director had originally intended to pitch a relatively important villainous role, but at the last moment, he remembered that Li Xunfang's acting skills were not up to much.

Giving her a marginal female role would suffice; important ones could not be given, lest she ruin the performance and drag down the entire production team because of her alone.

Thus, the director changed his tune. "This drama is a male-centric power fantasy; the female roles are all quite marginalized with little screen time. Even the female lead doesn't have much, and that role has already been cast."

Huang Yaowang said, "Understood."

He hung up the phone without mentioning any follow-up.

The director put down his phone and let out a sigh of relief.

He touched his forehead, finding it damp with sweat.

That was close!

He had employed all his wit and intelligence to maneuver around the investment boss who controlled the money.

Having heard the entire conversation, the screenwriter asked with some concern:

"I've heard that Li Xunfang is prone to jealousy; if she finds out that all the important female roles remain uncast, what then?"

The director replied, "Then we must finalize them immediately, trying to get it all done within these few days so that no news leaks out."

"Coincidentally, many actresses have sent in their resumes and audition clips; we should try to select those who already have fame and a good reputation. As long as we don't boldly adopt newcomers, there shouldn't be any problems."

The casting for "Desperate Counterattack" proceeded rapidly and secretly.

Jin Li's agent replied that very day, and the production team immediately agreed, sending someone personally the next day to deliver the contract for signing.

The speed of it all surprised even Jin Li.

"If I remember correctly, this drama was only officially announced not long ago; why are they signing the contract so quickly? Are they afraid I'll run off? Regarding contract fulfillment, my reputation should be quite good."

Sui Lingfang shook her head. "It's unclear what schemes they're plotting internally, but the director is certainly desperate."

She guessed, "Perhaps they want to start filming as soon as possible, aiming for the winter break in January next year. Since it's already mid-November, there isn't much time left until January."

Jin Li remarked, "But there's no need to be quite this frantic."

After signing the contract, the director flew away immediately, exchanging only a few brief words with Jin Li.

It was merely a greeting; there was no discussion of the plot.

The role was simple: a pure white moonlight, representing the kindest and most sacred aspect deep within the male lead's heart, devoid of any negative emotions.

There was little room for discussion.

The scope for acting interpretation in this role was essentially zero.

But one thing was certain: this character was absolutely the embodiment of beauty.

Whenever the male lead recalled her, it would be the most beautiful segment of the entire drama.

That was exactly why the role was so likable.

After signing the contract, Jin Li returned to campus and mentioned the matter to Gu Cheng that evening.

Only then did Gu Cheng reveal the truth. "They were likely afraid that important female roles would be snatched up by people with connections. Although the female characters in this drama have very little screen time, some of them do drive the plot forward."

"If a role requiring genuine acting skill were taken by someone with connections, resulting in negative reviews from the audience, the director would be unwilling to accept that outcome."

"Ever since I was officially announced as the male lead, too many people with connections have come knocking; the director could no longer hold out."

Jin Li understood immediately. "If I'd known that, we shouldn't have announced you so quickly."

Gu Cheng shook his head. "It's hard to say. If I hadn't been officially announced, they wouldn't have secured investment so smoothly."

"I only signed a letter of intent with the production team, not a formal contract; that kind of agreement isn't enough to fool investors."

Thinking of something, he smiled.

"You might not know this, but my contract was only formally signed after you signed yours."

Gu Cheng reached out and pinched her cheek. "This time, it's your turn to witness my growth."

Jin Li smiled brightly, rising on her tiptoes to pat his head.

"Alright."