The Big Four

"Hello, is this Sister Ruotong?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"Yes, it's me, Acheng? Is that you?" Li Ruotong's voice sounded a bit quiet, making Jiang Cheng guess she was probably at home. "What's up today? Do you have something on your mind?"

"It's like this, I have a script in hand, and I was wondering if you might be interested?" Jiang Cheng inquired.

"A script? You're making a film?" Li Ruotong asked somewhat puzzled. Usually, those who come looking for actors for films are either directors or producers. Jiang Cheng was known as a scriptwriter and actor. Why was he the one approaching?

"Yes, I just became a director!" Jiang Cheng said with a laugh.

Li Ruotong was somewhat taken aback. That was quite a leap! It's not unheard of in the entertainment industry to move from acting to directing, but she had never heard of a scriptwriter, who had only written one screenplay and played a secondary role in a TV drama, becoming a director. And from what she knew, Jiang Cheng didn't have a background in directing.

"Good for you, making a name for yourself! But Acheng, I just finished shooting [Autumn Fragrance] and was thinking of taking a good rest for a while. I might not be able to help!" Li Ruotong said. First of all, putting aside whether Jiang Cheng becoming a director was reliable, she herself, having continuously filmed two large-scale historical TV dramas this year - [Legendary Fighter: Yang's Heroine] and another drama, both as the lead actress, she was exhausted and didn't want to take on any new roles for a short period.

"It's just for one day!" Jiang Cheng said.

"One day, huh? A cameo then? No problem!" Li Ruotong immediately agreed. Despite seeming a bit "cold" on the surface, it was just a facade she used to protect herself. Those who had interacted with her knew she was someone who got along very well with friends she was close to. She loved helping friends and was especially keen on supporting new talents.

"But what kind of film is it?" Li Ruotong asked.

"It's a sci-fi blockbuster with an investment of tens of thousands of yuan!" Jiang Cheng said, laughing.

Li Ruotong was momentarily confused. The two concepts seemed completely contradictory. "An investment of tens of thousands of yuan" and "sci-fi blockbuster" seemed utterly mismatched. As everyone knows, any film referred to as a sci-fi blockbuster required an investment of hundreds of millions of yuan, and China didn't really have true sci-fi blockbusters.

"Tens of thousands? Or tens of millions?" Li Ruotong asked, unsure.

"Yes, it's tens of thousands of yuan!" Jiang Cheng responded, still laughing, "And it will be shot in just one day!"

Now Li Ruotong was even more baffled. A sci-fi blockbuster with an investment of a few tens of thousands of yuan was one thing, but a film that could be shot in a day? That was absurd. It's not like they were performing a stage play, and even a play couldn't be done that quickly.

However, if it was just a cameo, it might be possible. Since it was only for one day, it wouldn't be too much for her.

"However, due to the limited budget, the pay might not be very high, but there will be a box office share after the movie is released!" Jiang Cheng added.

"That's no problem. What are you talking about, pay and share? With such a small budget, how can I ask you for a fee? Just let me know in advance!" Li Ruotong said cheerfully.

"Alright, then that's settled. Thanks, Sister Ruotong!" Jiang Cheng said.

"What's there to thank? Next time you come to Hong Kong, remember to look me up!" Li Ruotong said generously.

After hanging up with Li Ruotong, Jiang Cheng sighed in relief. Among these people, his relationship with Li Ruotong was naturally the best. They had kept in touch often since meeting at the [Legendary Fighter: Yang's Heroine] press conference, and Li Ruotong frequently shared tips for newcomers and always encouraged him. If Li Ruotong hadn't agreed to support him, Jiang Cheng would have had to consider a completely new cast. 

After finishing his conversation with Li Ruotong, Jiang Cheng dialed Sun Li's number next.

"Hello, is Sun Li there?"

"It's me! Who's this?" Sun Li's voice came through the phone, tinged with a question.

"Sister, it's Jiang Cheng!" Jiang Cheng said.

"Oh, it's Acheng? Why are you calling me at this time?" Sun Li laughed.

"I have a script and was wondering if you might be interested!" Jiang Cheng asked.

"A script? What kind of script?" In the past two years, Sun Li had been inundated with film offers. This year alone, she had filmed [Martial Saint Guan Gong], [The Red Sailboat], [Betrayal], and [Legendary Fighter: Yang's Heroine], and next year she had plans for [Drunken Fist] and [Book and Sword, Gratitude and Revenge]. 

She really was a 'hard-working actress'! Although she had completed her filming schedule for this year and planned to rest before continuing next year, she was still interested when Jiang Cheng asked.

"It's a sci-fi film!" Jiang Cheng said.

"A sci-fi film?" Sun Li was a bit stunned. She hadn't heard of any major director planning to shoot a sci-fi film recently. Not to mention the cost, given the pressure from Hollywood sci-fi blockbusters, it would be more profitable to shoot martial arts films.

"Yes, a sci-fi film with an investment of tens of thousands of yuan!" Jiang Cheng said.

"Tens of thousands of yuan for a sci-fi film?" Sun Li echoed Li Ruotong's earlier disbelief. This seemed too far-fetched.

"Yes, it won't take long, just one day of your time!" Jiang Cheng said.

"Does Sister Cai know about this?" Sun Li asked. It didn't seem like a plan from Shanghai Tangren.

"Sister Cai doesn't know yet. This is a movie I'm investing in myself. I haven't told Sister Cai yet. I want to surprise her after the movie is finished!" Jiang Cheng said mischievously, she for sure would be in for a "surprise."

"Alright, no problem. Just let me know when!" Sun Li agreed without hesitation. Frankly, she was quite curious about this so-called sci-fi blockbuster with an investment of only tens of thousands of yuan. What could be done with that budget? It wouldn't even be enough to pay the cast. Although she wanted to rest for a while, she could spare a day. Plus, Jiang Cheng was her junior, and she felt obligated to support him.

"Thanks, Sister! I'll send you the script later!" Jiang Cheng said.

"No problem!" Sun Li replied promptly.

"By the way, Sister, is Huang Lei busy lately?" Jiang Cheng suddenly asked.

Sun Li was taken aback. Why was he asking about Huang Lei? Her relationship with Huang Lei was no longer a secret in the industry. Although both had been busy in recent years, they would visit each other's sets whenever they had time. They initially kept it secret, but as they were discovered more and more, they openly acknowledged their relationship.

"He's not been busy recently. What's up?" Despite her curiosity, Sun Li still answered.

"Great! If Huang Lei is free, I'd like to invite him to play a role in this movie too. Sister, what do you think?" Jiang Cheng finally revealed his "true intention". Sun Li was just an added bonus; Huang Lei was the big name Jiang Cheng really wanted to invite.

"This..." Sun Li hesitated a bit. Although they were in a romantic relationship, and Huang Lei respected her, Sun Li didn't want to influence his decision in such matters. "That's up to Huang Lei himself, but he usually reads the script first. I'll send it to him and talk to him about it."

"Okay, thanks, Sister! I'll send the script to you both as soon as I can!" Jiang Cheng said excitedly, confident that Huang Lei would agree.

Jiang Cheng didn't know Huang Lei personally, but from his casual demeanor as both a teacher and an actor, he inferred that Huang Lei was a laid-back person. It wouldn't be hard to move an actor of such a personality with a good script. Like this year, Huang Lei had just finished the classic [The Orange is Red], and next year he would shoot the later-criticized [Lu Bu and Diaochan], showing that he liked to follow his own subjective desires.

Moreover, Jiang Cheng knew that Huang Lei was actually quite henpecked. With Sun Li agreeing to help, hopefully to a certain degree this matter should be settled.

Having secured two more, including the big-name Huang Lei, Jiang Cheng was in a very good mood. 

In fact, according to the script, only eight actors were needed, and they were all simple roles. It didn't matter whether they were stars or not, but stars naturally had their advantages. There were many movies that relied solely on their storylines to succeed, even making several stars famous, such as Huang Bo who was catapulted to fame purely because of [Crazy Stone].

However, this doesn't negate the significant impact stars can have on a film's box office success. Stars, known for their impressive acting skills and charismatic personas, draw considerable attention and can influence box office figures, thereby ensuring the safety of the investment.

The distinction between celebrities and actors is clear. Audiences may be drawn to a movie because of its celebrities, not always because of the actors involved. This is exemplified by Andy Lau, who has maintained his stature in the Chinese film industry for 20 years, a testament to him being a true celebrity.

Consider Jay Chou, the pop music icon whose talent is beyond dispute. Yet, his acting skills are somewhat lackluster, often coming across as stiff. Nevertheless, his films [Initial D] and [The Secret That Cannot Be Told] demonstrate his substantial box office draw as a celebrity.

As for Huang Lei and Li Ruotong, they are not yet artists with a high box office draw. However, relying on their current popularity in TV dramas, they could still attract a portion of the audience. Not to mention Jiang Cheng himself, a rising new writer who is currently a sensation on the internet, also had considerable popularity.

Movies with and without stars are naturally different, something Jiang Cheng understood well.

With Li Ruotong, Sun Li, and Huang Lei joining, only the last actor remains to be confirmed. According to Jiang Cheng's script, a total of eight actors are needed, five males and three females. Now, only one female actor was left.

Thinking of the last role, Jiang Cheng bit his lip and took out his phone to call Han Xue. "Hello, Han Xue? This is Jiang Cheng."

"Han Xue!" Han Xue was reading in the dormitory when suddenly her phone rang. It was Jiang Cheng calling, which caused her calm face to flush with a rare panic and blush. Why would he suddenly call me? Could it be...

Carefully checking that the other three in the dorm hadn't noticed, Han Xue quickly stepped out with her phone.

"Hello! Han Xue, are you listening?" Seeing that there was no response for a moment, Jiang Cheng asked loudly with a hint of confusion.

"Yes, I'm here! Jiang Cheng, what's up?" Arriving at a place she thought was safe, Han Xue quickly replied, feeling her heart pounding. Could he be asking me out?

"Oh, it's like this, I have a movie at hand, needing a total of eight actors, and we're just short of the last one now. I was wondering if you're interested," Jiang Cheng said, not noticing anything odd in Han Xue's voice.

"Is that so!" Hearing it wasn't what she thought, Han Xue felt a bit disappointed but also relieved. Then, she suddenly remembered Jiang Cheng's words. A movie? "You mean a film?"

"Yes! A movie, my movie. Are you interested?" Jiang Cheng smiled.

Having calmed down, Han Xue frowned slightly and asked, "Can you tell me about the movie?"

"Of course. First, it's a sci-fi movie; second, the investment is only a few tens of thousands of yuan; lastly, the movie only has eight actors and can be shot in one day," Jiang Cheng slowly explained his movie plan.

"What?" Han Xue was stunned. A sci-fi movie with only eight actors, a budget of only tens of thousands of yuan, and to be shot in one day? Was Jiang Cheng joking? But having interacted with Jiang Cheng for a while, she knew he wasn't the type to joke without reason. Collecting herself, Han Xue asked, "Can you tell me the plot of the movie? Of course, I won't spread it around."

"Of course, I trust you won't tell anyone," Jiang Cheng said with a smile, unknowingly causing Han Xue to blush again.

So, Jiang Cheng briefly shared the main plot of the movie with Han Xue, who gradually became attracted by the unique and imaginative ideas revealed in the film and readily agreed.

With the final role confirmed, Jiang Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. Now it was time to start filming and producing his first movie!

The thought itself was exciting!

※※※

After a busy day, Huang Lei returned home. Just as he took off his shoes, his phone rang. It was a call from Sun Li. Huang Lei smiled knowingly, as only she could time his schedule so precisely.

"Hello, Li, I just got home. What's up? Miss me?" Huang Lei answered the phone with a hearty laugh.

"Yes, I do miss you. Can you come to Shanghai soon?" Sun Li's voice came through the phone, warming Huang Lei's heart.

"Sure, I'm free the next few days. I'll book a ticket and head over tomorrow," Huang Lei said.

"There's no need to rush."

"I miss my wife, of course, I have to hurry!"

"Goofball!" Sun Li playfully scolded, then added, "By the way, do you know Jiang Cheng?"

"Yes, I've heard he's your junior and a well-known writer. Quite talented. What about him?" Huang Lei asked, taking a sip of water.

"He invited me to act in his movie today. I've read the script, and it's really good. He also asked about you, wondering if you're free and would like to join," Sun Li replied.

"Oh!" Huang Lei's interest was piqued. "What kind of movie is it?"

"It's a sci-fi movie. Apparently, it's budgeted at only a few tens of thousands of yuan and can be shot in one day," Sun Li explained.

"Ah?" Huang Lei was surprised, his first thought being that Sun Li was joking, but knowing her, if she mentioned it, then it must be true.

Sensing Huang Lei's astonishment, Sun Li laughed and said, "I've sent the script to your computer. You'll understand once you've read it!"

After hanging up, Huang Lei quickly turned on his computer and found the script sent by Sun Li.

"Immortality? What a strange title, what could it be about?" Huang Lei muttered to himself, then started reading the script.

Soon, he realized it was a somewhat fantastical story, proving whether a person was truly "immortal." It involved many elements, including religion, culture, politics, and thought, all well-argued, making it difficult to discern truth from fiction. The story culminated in a dramatic twist, leaving a major mystery and completely captivating the reader.

Without a doubt, Huang Lei was also attracted to the script. After finishing, he called Sun Li, "Hey, Li, tell your junior that I'm in for this movie!"

Ending the call after a while, Huang Lei returned to the script. He had only skimmed it initially and there were many details he hadn't understood. The more he read, the more interesting he found it.

"Only seventeen years old, how can he be so talented? To write such a good script."

From that moment, Huang Lei became deeply interested in this young man named Jiang Cheng.