Chapter 2: Ripping the Role

As early as mid-2001, Beijing Ya Huan Audio-Visual Production Co., Ltd. spent over 700,000 Hong Kong dollars to acquire the filming rights to Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre from Jin Yong.

At the time, this was the fifth Jin Yong work filmed on the Mainland, and also the fifth adaptation of Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre.

Even more coincidentally, the director of this film was Lai Shuiqing, director of the 1993 Tai Sheng version of Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre, a version still regarded as a classic today.

After all, the combination of "Roaring Emperor" Ma Jingtao, "Xu Xian" Ye Tong, and Zhou Haimei was deeply ingrained in audiences, and this version of Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre featured too many classic songs.

Such as Zhou Huajian's "Swords and Blades Like a Dream," Xin Xiaoqi's "Liang Liang Xiang Wang," Li Lifen's "Love Rivers and Mountains More Than Love Beauty," and others.

The music masters of the wuxia film and television golden age gathered into a dream team, each song widely sung, each melody a classic.

When mentioning our director Lai Dao, one cannot avoid mentioning Zhang Jizhong, Zhang Dahu.

Coincidentally, both were loyal fans of Master Jin Yong, passionate about filming wuxia dramas, and both preferred growing big beards.

The difference was that Zhang Dahu's Jin Yong wuxia dramas favored grand, sweeping scenes.

In his view, the martial world brimmed with heroic passion and unrestrained freedom.

The only drawback was that, having directed many orthodox dramas like Water Margin and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he tended to design male characters in a rough, unrefined manner, somewhat resembling the burly men of Water Margin.

This is evident in his filming of Qiao Feng with disheveled hair in The Legend of the Condor Heroes, and the bizarre costumes in his later remake of Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre.

Lai Dao's Jin Yong dramas largely followed the original plots, but he liked cutting scenes and adding romantic subplots.

As a result, the finished product resembled youth idol dramas—more entertainment and romance, appealing to younger audiences.

His works like The Divine Doctor and the Gallant Lover and The Spoiled Princess were once dominant TV hits.

The mixed-reception Heaven Sword, Bright Moon, Knife was also last year's ratings champion.

Director Lai possessed not only the skill of reviving old dramas but also the eye to spot talent.

When casting actors, he always held one principle: visual appeal.

Thus, whether in The Spoiled Princess, Heaven Sword, Bright Moon, Knife, or the old and new versions of Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre, the lead actors were all handsome and beautiful, with exceptional looks.

Lai Dao once stated that the first requirement for a remake was the right timing:

A drama needed at least eight or nine years, even ten, before it was ready for a remake.

Because the technical environment and cast were different, and with a refined script, the result would present a completely different face.

For audiences too, rewatching the drama with new actors evoked a sense of nostalgic sentiment.

It was the combination of these elements that formed the value of reviving old dramas.

Therefore, after parting with his longtime producer partner Yang Peipei, Lai Shuiqing returned to the Mainland in 2002.

His first project was remaking his own old work, Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre.

At this time, Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre had just entered production, when the actor playing Song Qingshu ran into trouble.

This enraged Lai Dao, who was already under pressure from "reviving an old drama" and preparing to make a grand splash.

In such an emergency, responsibility clearly lay with the actor's side; compensation details were secondary.

The urgent task was to find an actor who could save the situation.

The crew's shooting schedule had already stalled; one day of shutdown meant a loss of over a hundred thousand yuan in cash.

He himself was trained as a director and editor at Hong Kong ATV, long accustomed to high-intensity, fast-paced filming.

He had high standards and strict demands for actors; a supporting role like Song Qingshu could not be filled by just any random actor.

The crew's shutdown over this incident had made him so anxious his mouth broke out in a ring of white blisters.

Lai Dao, who had risen early and spent the whole morning auditioning extras, helplessly waved his hand.

His fantasy of "choosing a general from the lame" had completely shattered.

It seemed Song Qingshu's role still had to be filled by a professional actor.

As Lai Dao was pondering whether to ask an old friend for help finding an actor, Assistant Director Luo Sha knocked and entered…

While Lai Dao was mulling over asking an old friend to help find an actor, Assistant Director Luo Sha knocked and came in…

When Cheng Chen heard that the role of Song Qingshu was vacant, he had considered coming to audition.

If he succeeded, great; if not, he wouldn't waste time on the set—he'd finish his extra work and seek other opportunities, since he had nothing to lose.

Moreover, the director's team had already signaled they were considering extras for roles, indicating genuine intent.

Opportunities vanish quickly; better to take a risk and turn a bicycle into a motorcycle!

So Cheng Chen contacted his fellow villager from Hui Sheng, the extra crew leader, who after brief consideration agreed to help.

After all, this boy had traveled with him across the country since leaving home—he had attitude, a good character, and was quite likable.

With this opportunity now available, the crew leader naturally did his utmost to help Cheng Chen seize it.

So the crew leader contacted his old acquaintance on the Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre set: Assistant Director Luo Sha.

"Director Lai, I've got an extra—would you mind giving him a screen test?"

Luo Sha, sensing Lai Shuiqing's poor mood, asked tentatively.

Lai Shuiqing waved his hand—he had no more patience for auditions, and was about to gesture for her to leave.

Then he remembered that with no suitable actor available, the crew would remain halted, and he had no energy for anything else.

So he asked: "Where is the man?"

Seeing Luo Sha's confusion, he repeated in halting Mandarin: "Where is he?"

Luo Sha, aware Lai Shuiqing was from Hong Kong, smiled lightly and pointed behind her:

Luo Sha also knew this Director Lai was from Hong Kong, so she smiled without taking it to heart, pointed behind her and answered:

After briefly explaining Cheng Chen's background to Lai Shuiqing, Luo Sha left the office, leaving Cheng Chen for Lai Shuiqing to audition.

"I heard you want to…," realizing he'd spoken Cantonese, Lai Shuiqing switched to awkward Mandarin:

"You want to audition for Song Qingshu?"

Lai Shuiqing was born in Gang Sheng, with ancestral roots in Guang Sheng, and had spent many years filming in Gang Sheng.

Lai Shuiqing was born in Gang Sheng, his ancestral home is in Guang Sheng, and he had also spent many years filming in Gang Sheng.

For Mainlanders in '03, many still hadn't fully mastered Mandarin, let alone Lai Shuiqing, who grew up in a Cantonese-speaking region.

He spoke Cantonese on set, which often left everyone completely baffled.

Later he simply stopped talking altogether, which made everyone think this director from Hong Kong was extremely aloof.

Although he did study Mandarin in private, the results were minimal — Cantonese would always slip out unconsciously.

"Leih hau, Lai Dao. I can speak Cantonese too," Cheng Chen replied with a smile.

In his past life, Cheng Chen had traveled all over with the crew, spending plenty of time in Guang Sheng and Hong Kong, and had met plenty of Guang Sheng natives, so conversing in Cantonese was naturally no problem for him.

The moment Lai Shuiqing heard that, he was overjoyed — after coming to the Mainland for so long, he had finally heard proper Cantonese.

That feeling of clearly holding the reins of communication, yet every time he talked about a scene the actors would just stare back at him with blank, lost expressions — it finally found release with Cheng Chen.

His good impression of Cheng Chen rose considerably on the spot.

Only then did he calm down and take a careful look at Cheng Chen — about 1.8 meters tall, height passed.

Very handsome, with the kind of looks Gu Tianle had when he acted in Return of the Condor Heroes, and steady, clear eyes.

Faced with his scrutiny, Cheng Chen's expression was neither servile nor overbearing, carrying a composed air much like "a clear breeze brushing the mountain ridge."

Build, looks, bearing — all passed, top-tier.

"Not bad at all, good material."

That was Lai Shuiqing's first impression of Cheng Chen...