Chapter 247: Determined

【Rebirth Begins in 2002 Chinese Entertainment】【】

"Zhou Dong appeared in Jingcheng—did he go drinking with Cheng Chen?"

"Tai Sheng's Heavenly King vs Mainland's Heavenly King: Cheng Chen crushed Zhou Dong—I'm talking about drinking!"

"Zhou Dong was drunk into unconsciousness by Cheng Chen; according to staff, his vital signs have stabilized."

"Among musical geniuses, who has the bigger alcohol capacity, the more talented they are?"

"Zhou Dong went drinking after a breakup, and Cheng Chen accompanied him—when did they become this close?"

Although Cheng Chen and Zhou Dong had been extremely discreet, paparazzi still captured photos and videos of them.

Cheng Chen took Zhou Dong back to the hotel; they were secretly photographed by paparazzi as they exited the Underground Parking.

The photos and videos clearly show Cheng Chen supporting Zhou Dong, who was drunk into unconsciousness.

After delivering him to the hotel, Cheng Chen handed Zhou Dong over to his personal staff.

But unexpectedly, someone posted this incident online.

"Hahaha, looks like Cheng Chen won—Zhou Dong's alcohol tolerance isn't good at all!"

"As an actor lucky enough to have collaborated with Teacher Cheng, let me say this: Teacher Cheng's alcohol capacity at the wrap party… is unfathomable!"

"The person above is an actor—do you have any photos of Cheng Chen drinking? I want to see it!"

"Everyone, don't forget: Cheng Chen is from Yang City, Wan Province. Without exaggeration, even Sparrows there can drink two taels."

"Previously, on a business trip to Yang City, I was outright drunk by the partner handling reception."

"And the most embarrassing part? The one who got me drunk was a frail-looking little girl!"

"That's exaggerated! You're making up stories up there—Sparrows drinking two taels?"

"When it comes to drinking, my Dong Bei ranks second—no one dares claim first!"

"Bullshit! I, a man from Lu Sheng, disagree—we have over 700 distilleries in our province, and most of the liquor is consumed locally."

"Calm down, you above—I'm from Ji Sheng and haven't spoken yet—have you ever tried Lao Bai Gan?"

"I can only say everyone here is trash—when a Yu Sheng person joins the table, three shots of high-proof liquor are mandatory…"

The news of Cheng Chen and Zhou Dong drinking went public and immediately drew countless comments.

But soon the comment section collapsed, turning into a competition to boast about each province's drinking culture.

For a time, the comment section was bustling.

Of course, some expressed different views:

"Singers drinking heavily—don't they want their voices anymore? Clearly, fame has gone to their heads!"

"As public figures, what if they set a bad example for children by drinking so much?"

"True, this sets a bad precedent—think of those celebrities who drank themselves into divorce or prison, all utterly absurd!"

Naturally, those holding this view were quickly drowned out by the comments—or rather, targeted by a barrage of criticism.

"Our Jie Lun is heartbroken and feeling down—what's wrong with having a drink?"

"You people are just overreacting—can't public figures drink? Why not just say they can't breathe?"

"Come on, they're human too—having a little drink doesn't deserve this verbal lynching!"

"I'm a Jie Lun fan—thank you, Cheng Chen, for getting Jie Lun drunk hahaha! As the saying goes, one drunk solves a thousand sorrows—Jie Lun might feel better after sleeping it off!"

"Hahaha, I agree with the person above!"

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【Rebirth Begins in 2002 Chinese Entertainment】【】

"My two favorite singers had a dream collaboration—I imagined them sitting together discussing music."

"I imagined them appearing on a show together, but never expected them to go drinking together."

"And they got drunk into unconsciousness—hahaha, truly unexpected!"

Meanwhile,

Jie Lun's fans spontaneously flooded Cheng Chen's Weibo comment section with comments:

"To be honest, I've been won over by Cheng Chen—thank you for taking care of our Jie Lun; this idiot's been down lately."

"Thankfully you're his friend; as a longtime Jie Lun fan, I understand how he feels right now—thank you."

"Thank you, Cheng Chen!"

"Thank you, Cheng Chen!"

"Thank you…"

…

When Cheng Chen opened Weibo, he saw the comment section filled entirely with "Thank you, Cheng Chen"—he was stunned.

"What's going on? Did I save the Earth?"

Only after seeing the trending topics on his phone did he understand.

The term "Cheng Chen and Zhou Dong drinking" had climbed to third place on the trending list.

Right behind it were Jie Lun's fans' organized ranking campaigns: "Thank you, Cheng Chen."

Both terms were marked with a "Hot" label, and their popularity continued rising.

After browsing related news and comments, Cheng Chen rubbed his temples—what the hell, just drinking got him trending.

So he quickly typed a message on his phone:

"Thank you all for your concern—I've seen some criticism, and I'll be more careful in the future."

"I won't drink in public places—but then again, I didn't drink in public either."

"By the way, Jie Lun has been safely returned to his hotel—his fans needn't worry."

After Cheng Chen posted this message on Weibo, many immediately rushed to comment.

A fan of Jie Lun asked how the two of them got together, and Cheng Chen replied with:

"Auditioning."

This immediately fired up both fandoms.

"New movie? Or TV drama?"

"Auditioning? You two together—does that mean Jie Lun and Cheng Chen are going to star in a movie?"

"Only a movie could afford both Heavenly Kings—definitely not a TV drama. If it's a movie, which director has the clout to bring these two Heavenly Kings together?"

"I know—it must be Zhang Yimou's film. Rumors have been circulating that Director Zhang's movie is in pre-production."

"Right now, besides Director Zhang, I can't think of anyone else who can afford both Cheng Chen and Zhou Dong!"

Although the comment section kept pressing Cheng Chen for answers, he remained silent due to confidentiality…

…

The next morning, Cheng Chen received a call from Jie Lun.

His voice was hoarse:

"Thanks for yesterday."

"What's the big deal? How are you feeling now?"

Cheng Chen asked, smiling as he drove.

"I'm fine, just a bit of a headache. But your liquor really packs a punch—let's do this again next time."

When Zhou Dong woke up, he saw the internet flooded with news of him and Cheng Chen drinking together.

His reaction was the same as Cheng Chen's: Is drinking really worth all this?

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【Rebirth Starting from Huayu 2002】【】

But he was experienced in handling such situations and didn't issue a statement—just ignored it.

"Alright, I'll stay on the mainland for a while longer. Let's drink when we have time."

Previously, Zhou Dong had always viewed Cheng Chen as a hypothetical rival, since both had made significant achievements in music.

Added to that, both were Heavenly Kings of the younger generation—comparison was inevitable.

But after this drinking session, though they spoke little, a natural closeness had formed between them.

"Good. You'd better train your liquor tolerance—next time don't pass out after one sip."

"Don't worry—I just can't handle baijiu. Next time, I'll bring my own liquor!"

"Heh, whatever. Baijiu, beer, whiskey—I can handle it all. I'm game…"

After hanging up, Cheng Chen focused on driving.

First thing in the morning, Feng Xiaogang called him, saying the movie was finally confirmed and asking him to come over for a discussion.

Finally settled.

Cheng Chen's heart finally dropped—he'd been anxious, since Feng Xiaogang's movie, though later rated poorly, was still a Xiao Gangpao production.

There were many excellent directors in China, but few like Xiao Gangpao who succeeded in commercial cinema.

Mainly, while the film was in post-production, Huayi Brothers brought its promotional special to the Ou Zhou Dian Ying Shi Chang, held alongside the Bo Lin Guo Ji Dian Ying Jie, to handle presales.

During this time, many buyers came specifically after hearing of the promotion of "Night Banquet" in the Miguo Dian Ying Shi Chang and inquired about purchasing rights.

Among these buyers, most were film distributors from across Europe.

For Cheng Chen, who wanted to break into the international market, this was a huge boost.

Although Cheng Chen had already gained some influence through cross-border concerts in Asia,

frankly, the West didn't care about that—his international fame was still far from guaranteed.

So starring in "Night Banquet" held immense significance for Cheng Chen's future internationalization.

Arriving at Feng Xiaogang's office, he was studying the script.

Seeing Cheng Chen arrive, Feng Xiaogang asked directly:

"You're good at drinking?"

Cheng Chen was stunned by the question, then remembered Feng Xiaogang used Weibo—he was referring to yesterday's drinking with Zhou Dong.

"Just a bit, I guess."

Cheng Chen replied modestly.

But clearly, Director Feng didn't get his meaning—he grinned and said:

"That's fake humility. I heard online that in your place, even Sparrows can down two taels. Let's have a match later."

Feng Xiaogang was also a drinker.

Feng Xiaogang never cared about food, but he was deeply fond of alcohol.

The oil painting "One Thought," sold for 17 million yuan at a charity gala, was painted by him while drunk.

At home with his wife Xu Fan, though the table was full of vegetables, there had to be good liquor to go with it.

He had great talent for calligraphy and painting—before every piece, he drank, sometimes at least a jin of baijiu.

He suffered from severe vitiligo, which forbade alcohol and smoking, yet he couldn't give up either—his facial white patches kept spreading.

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【Rebirth Starting from Huayu 2002】【】

Because of this, Xu Fan often argued with him, always making Feng Xiaogang furious—he'd yell at Xu Fan:

"Fuck you, this is my only pleasure! Make me quit and I'd rather die! Treating vitiligo ruins my drinking and smoking—and even if I cure it, I won't become Huang Xiaoming!"

Eventually, Xu Fan gave in and let him do as he pleased…

So he began indulging himself—drank at the wrap party, drank at gatherings, drank with friends at home…

Finally, Chen Kaige and Ge Daye were both drunk into submission.

"Director Feng, you've got the spirit—later I'll join you for a drink, but shouldn't we first look at the script?"

Cheng Chen said.

"You're right, let's take care of the main business first."

Then he handed Cheng Chen the script marked "The Banquet," saying:

"Yin Sun, son of the Grand Commandant—this is your role."

It was this very role.

When Cheng Chen first watched "The Banquet," he had been deeply impressed by this character.

Yin Sun, son of the Grand Commandant Yin Taichang, was a General and Governor of Youzhou.

He obeyed his father's every word, cared deeply for his sister, yet was forced to abandon his personal feelings for the sake of his family's honor.

He became a pawn in his father's imperial ambitions for glory and the throne.

To save his sister Qing Nv, who was under Wan Hou's control, he agreed to rescue the Crown Prince and aid Wan Hou in usurping the throne.

In the final scene, he helplessly watched as his sister Qing Nv drank Wan Hou's poisoned wine during the struggle.

In the end, he could only embrace her corpse and weep bitterly.

To seek revenge and fulfill his father's usurpation plan, he drew the poisoned dagger he had prepared, intending to assassinate Wan Hou.

But he was unexpectedly stopped by Wu Luan, the Crown Prince who loved the Queen; in the nick of time, Wan Hou turned the dagger and stabbed Yin Sun himself.

Yin Sun died on the palace floor with his ambitions unfulfilled—his eyes wide open in death…

This character undergoes a massive transformation—from youthful arrogance to deep cunning, from innocence to ruthless scheming, demanding considerable acting skill.

Notably, in the original timeline, this role of Yin Sun was played by Huang Xiaoming.

"The Banquet" was also Huang Xiaoming's first film role after switching to the big screen.

Of course, in this timeline, Feng Xiaogang had already given this role to Cheng Chen—Huang Xiaoming's plan to switch to the big screen would likely be shelved.

Huang Xiaoming: I thank you so much!

…

After about half an hour, Feng Xiaogang saw Cheng Chen finish reading the script and smiled:

"How's it? Is this role suitable for you?"

Cheng Chen rolled his eyes—this Yin Sun was clearly a sister-obsessed man!

Still, the Yin Sun in this script gave Cheng Chen the feeling that his screen time had increased compared to his past life.

Moreover, the character's stature and importance had been elevated; though the ending remained unchanged, it left ample room for the actor's interpretation.

As Cheng Chen had expected, Feng Xiaogang continued:

"After deciding you'd play this role, I rewrote some scenes to enrich the character further."

In his past life, "The Banquet" had received poor reviews but performed well at the box office.

Cheng Chen didn't know whether Feng Xiaogang's revisions would improve the box office—or sink both reviews and sales.

After all, this revision was due to his own butterfly effect…

Cheng Chen nodded and said:

"This role is challenging."

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【Rebirth Starting from Chinese Entertainment 2002】【】

Feng Xiaogang smiled and said:

"The role I give you must have some difficulty—I've seen your performance in 'Kung Fu.'

That sick, manic energy was striking.

So I thought: what if I extended that state of yours from 'Kung Fu' further forward and backward?

Giving you full room to express yourself, and combining it with my script revisions, the plot ended up aligning even better."

The plot alignment Feng Xiaogang mentioned, in Cheng Chen's view, truly differed from his memory of "The Banquet"—this version felt more complete.

But the problems later audiences criticized still remained, such as:

The characters constantly teetering between speaking natural dialogue and performing theater—sometimes using everyday family talk,

then suddenly piling up ornate phrases to deliver hollow, pretentious speeches, resulting in an unstable overall style!

Of course, this was an irreparable flaw in the film…

"Thank you, Director Feng!"

Hearing Feng Xiaogang's words, Cheng Chen said gratefully.

"Don't mention it—it's all for the sake of the film bettering itself. Come on, everything's nearly done—let's go drink!"

Feng Xiaogang patted Cheng Chen's shoulder and smiled.

"Uh… alright."

…

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