Ying Shi didn’t have much trouble finding Yu Zhiyu. The Special Investigation Office had two years of work experience under its belt now. Even if the person had left the industry, they could still find traces—let alone the fact that Yu Zhiyu was still working in film crews.
Yu Zhiyu was a stage name. Her real name was Yu Le, and she was thirty-five years old. The film “The Female Martial Artist” from three years ago had been funded by herself, but unfortunately, it performed poorly at the box office and left her with some debt.
Later, Yu Zhiyu worked as a crew manager on various productions, slowly paying off her debts. In her spare time, she even shot some short videos and uploaded them to Bilibili.
Following the clues in the materials, Ying Shi found Yu Zhiyu’s Bilibili account — Yu Fei Le.
This account had posted around thirty short videos and had accumulated two hundred thousand followers. Each video had very good view counts.
Ying Shi opened a few of the most recently uploaded videos and confirmed that the director’s skills were still there.
Using the work contact information found by the Special Investigation Office, Ying Shi got in touch with Yu Zhiyu. The other party only sounded slightly surprised as she asked, “You want me to direct a drama?”
Her tone sounded as if she were marveling at the fact that she’d actually run into a “sucker” willing to hire her.
But the result was good. The new drama finally had a director secured.
As for the most important martial arts directing team, they ultimately went with the people Yu Zhiyu recommended—namely, the martial arts director from “The Female Martial Artist.”
Everything was progressing steadily, but Ying Shi hadn’t expected that the production would end up getting stuck at the casting stage.
Since they were making a martial arts drama, the requirements for the actors were naturally high.
The kind of dancing-like action scenes seen in many dramas these days—Ying Shi didn’t think much of them. But to have real power and force behind the movements, the demands on the actors were much higher.
Ever since “The Legend of Medicine Maiden” became a hit, there had been no shortage of actors wanting to audition for Ying Shi Entertainment’s productions. At the same time, the workload of screening actors had increased exponentially.
Ying Shi, along with Mu He and Yu Zhiyu, searched for suitable actors at various performing arts schools, and also reviewed a massive number of audition tapes, until their eyes were blurry and their heads were spinning.
Unfortunately, the actors these days were all rather delicate. Standing there with their thin arms and legs, no one would believe they had trained in martial arts since childhood.
“What about her?” Ying Shi flipped through various stills and character fan-edits online, eventually spotting a female assassin in plain clothes in a ensemble edit.
“Zhuo Yixun?” Yu Zhiyu’s knowledge of current entertainment industry actors far surpassed that of screenwriter Mu He. She recognized the girl in the paused frame at a glance. “She has a background in dance. To play that role, she specifically underwent three months of closed-door training at a martial arts school.”
Hearing this, Ying Shi knew that Yu Zhiyu was quite satisfied with Zhuo Yixun.
Yu Zhiyu continued, “But she recently starred in a suspense film that became a huge hit. As the female villain in that film, her fame and market value have both risen to a new level. She might not necessarily agree to come…”
“Let’s try first.” Ying Shi wasn’t afraid of the effort or trouble. A production and an actor were always a two-way choice. Whether it worked out in the end or not, they had to at least give it a shot.
…
“A script from Ying Shi Entertainment?” Zhuo Yixun flipped open the paper script in her hands.
Her agent adjusted her glasses. “I’ve read the script. Whether this drama will be a hit or not is a gamble. And this genre isn’t like ‘The Legend of Medicine Maiden’—it definitely won’t get a television broadcast slot, at least not for its premiere.”
Zhuo Yixun was surprised. “You don’t think highly of this script?”
“A pure Wuxia(martial arts) genre has already declined, let alone a martial arts drama set in a modern urban background.” The agent sighed. “You’ve worked so hard to get to where you are now. One wrong step, and all your previous efforts will be wasted.”
“Ying Shi Entertainment’s momentum has been very strong lately. There’s a high possibility it could become a hit.” Zhuo Yixun was still hesitant.
The agent explained, “Their company is still too young. One failed drama might not affect them much, but for you, it would be fatal.”
She paused. “Next, even if you take a bad drama from a big company with a big production, it would still be better than gambling on a small production with an unknown future. With a big company’s resources, even if it flops, it proves you have the qualifications to act in big-budget productions, and you can continue negotiating for future projects. But Ying Shi Entertainment has offended too many people. Unless this drama becomes a huge hit, you will be affected.”
Zhuo Yixun lowered her eyes in thought. She looked at the paper script in her hands, then finally closed it. “Are there any suitable scripts available?”
“Whipping the Wind with a Bold Blade,” invested and produced by Enyao Entertainment—a fantasy martial arts drama. Although it’s also martial arts, the original work has a large fanbase, and the setting isn’t pure martial arts. You won’t have to carry the drama alone. Whether it flops or becomes a hit, you’ll still benefit.”
“Ning Tang? That female lead with a very high popularity in the original work?” Zhuo Yixun had also heard of this drama. It had consistently generated a lot of buzz, and the original work was already very popular. The four female leads each had their own unique characteristics.
However, the original work was a harem story, so when adapting it into a drama, compromises had to be made. The role of Princess Bai Rong had already been taken by an actress who was investing in the production, so naturally, she became the only female lead in the drama adaptation.
But the most popular character in the original work was Ning Tang, the “sworn younger brother” who fought side by side with the male lead.
It had to be said, Ning Tang bore some resemblance to Ye Wei, the female lead of “A True Hero Does Not Break the Law.” Only, Ning Tang had a more girlish feel and was more sunny and cheerful, while Ye Wei had that “alive but barely, just going through the motions” kind of energy.
Comparing the two, Zhuo Yixun also leaned toward “Whipping the Wind with a Bold Blade.” Aside from it being a big production, Ning Tang’s character was simply more likable.
Ning Tang was the eldest daughter of the Divine Weapon Manor. Disguised as a man, she ventured into the martial arts world. She was well-versed in the affairs of the various sects, served as the guide for the male lead Li Shutong when he first entered the martial arts world, and was also his confidant who accompanied him on the journey, sharing his joys and sorrows.
In contrast, Ye Wei, who also led the male lead into the martial arts world, was far more dispirited. She only wanted to run when trouble arose, and if she couldn’t escape, she’d shift the blame onto others. Even with profound martial arts skills, she was reluctant to use them.
If it were actually filmed, quite a few viewers would probably hate such a female lead. After all, being selfish and slick weren’t flattering descriptions.
“Just say we’ve already taken on another drama and our schedule doesn’t allow it.” Zhuo Yixun finally made her decision. “Don’t offend Ying Shi Entertainment. There might be a chance to collaborate in the future.”
Her agent smiled upon hearing this. “I know. Ying Shi Entertainment is financially strong. The fact that they reached out to us shows they’re interested in working together. When suitable roles come up in the future, it’ll be easier for us to pursue them.”
Zhuo Yixun nodded. She looked once more at the script cover in her hands, then finally set it down gently.
Even if it was a script for the female lead, it wasn’t worth giving up the second female lead role in a big production. She hadn’t come this far easily—every step had to be carefully measured.
…
After receiving Zhuo Yixun’s reply that she had “no availability,” Ying Shi reached out two more times on her own. Once she confirmed that the actress truly had no time and that their production couldn’t wait any longer, she could only accept the outcome with regret.
Everything was back to square one. Ying Shi continued searching for a suitable actress.
“Boss Ying, how about trying actors you’ve worked with before?” Yu Zhiyu leaned in.
Ying Shi looked puzzled.
Yu Zhiyu answered with enthusiasm, “Xia Wenxin! She was trained as a Wusheng (martial artist in opera). Even though she injured her leg, she can still handle action scenes on set without any problem—”
Ying Shi’s eyes widened. She thought for a moment and suddenly realized she had been overlooking what was right in front of her.
In “The Legend of Medicine Maiden,” Xia Wenxin’s acting had been so spot-on, portraying Sanxiu’s obsession with medicine so vividly, that Ying Shi had subconsciously equated the actor with the character.
Ye Wei was a character full of dispiritedness, which was why Ying Shi hadn’t thought of Xia Wenxin right away.
This time, Ying Shi quickly got in touch with Xia Wenxin and learned that she had just finished filming another drama and happened to have an opening in her schedule to join the production of “A True Hero Does Not Break the Law.” The entire crew let out a collective sigh of relief.
…
[The female lead of “A True Hero Does Not Break the Law” has been confirmed as XWX. She will join the production in February next year.]
[Guanjun and Sanxiu are reuniting for a second collaboration? That’s so great!!!]
[When the martial arts genre was announced, I already thought Xia Wenxin would be a good fit. She comes from a martial artist background in opera!]
[Full of anticipation! With Mushroom involved, aside from everything else, the script is definitely guaranteed to be good!]
[Rumor has it that “A True Hero Does Not Break the Law” couldn’t find a female lead at all and was even rejected by some actors. In the end, Xia Wenxin took on the role out of gratitude to Guanjun.]
[To be honest, Xia Wenxin already has a hit TV drama under her belt. Having to pick up a role that others turned down is actually quite unfortunate.]
[The actress who rejected the role was ZYX, right? I saw a marketing account post that ZYX turned down a lead role in a drama just to take the second female lead role in “Whipping the Wind with a Bold Blade.”]
[Zhuo Yixun? She has gained some popularity recently, but her most notable role so far is just a supporting character in a movie, right? Xia Wenxin has to pick up a role she turned down?]
[Back off, Xiao Zhuo — no confirmation, no discussion! Everything based on official announcements — stop riding on her coattails!]
[Xiao Zhuo may be in a supporting role, but she’s still a film actress. That puts her on a higher tier than some actresses who just keep playing supporting roles in TV dramas!]
[Looking forward to Ning Tang, the Divine Weapon Manor’s young master, in “Whipping the Wind with a Bold Blade”!]
[Mold (Mushroom’s fans) loves to ride on coattails. Every one of her dramas steps on others to rise. Now, just at the casting stage, they’ve already started stepping on “Whipping the Wind with a Bold Blade,” which is also a martial arts drama. Hard to comment!]
[She turned down your drama and accepted another — that already shows the difference between the two productions. But Guanjun doesn’t care about that. As long as she gets attention, nothing else matters.]
[The news about ZYX turning down the role was also put out by marketing accounts. Now the comments are all mocking Guanjun. So who exactly is tearing one down to prop up the other?]
[Agree with the above +1]
[All these negative comments started appearing after someone turned down “A True Hero Does Not Break the Law.” Either it’s the actress’s paid bots, or it’s the other martial arts drama’s bots. Don’t tell me it’s Guanjun’s bots — is she crazy enough to spend money giving herself bad reviews?]
[And about “riding on coattails” — do you really think Zhuo Yixun has suddenly risen to superstardom just by playing a supporting role? If she really had risen that high, why wouldn’t she be playing the female lead? Why just a second female lead?]
[The hottest drama right now is “The Legend of Medicine Maiden.” The production company of “The Legend of Medicine Maiden” and the female lead of “The Legend of Medicine Maiden” are collaborating again. With this much attention, who exactly is riding on whose coattails?]
[I’ve found an interesting point. The investor in “Whipping the Wind with a Bold Blade” is Enyao Entertainment… Guanjun’s first victorious enemy, Li Yinan, was an artist of Enyao Entertainment, wasn’t he?]
[You’re digging up such old grudges? I love it! Dig up more!]
[Then suddenly I’m not surprised anymore. Old grievances and new hatred — how could Enyao Entertainment swallow this (crossed out)?]
[Putting everything else aside, if Guanjun really wanted to step on someone to get ahead, she’d do it herself, wouldn’t she? Since when has she ever used such a roundabout method like “buying bots”?]
[Laughing to death. Buying bots might be a good way for others to generate buzz, but for Mushroom, isn’t it faster to just tear into the drama herself?]
[I was hesitating before, but now I believe it’s not Guanjun riding on coattails. If she wanted to, she would have already posted on Weibo. There’s no way she’d stay this quiet.]
[So this is the reputation of a super popular marketing account? Terrifying!]