Huayu: You were supposed to be a top star, but you've become capital?

Chapter 49: Has Lin Shen given up?

Lin Shen walked to a relatively quiet corner, and memories of this movie from his previous life flashed through his mind.

Mr. Six?

His mind wasn't just filled with the movie itself, but also with many other things beyond the movie.

Guan Hu is a talented person, but it's hard to say much about his behavior and how he's regarded within the industry.

More importantly, the role and the circle it represents are not entirely aligned with the trajectory Lin Shen has planned for himself and the public image he wants to cultivate.

He didn't want to get involved in potentially controversial or complicated relationships or image positioning early on.

"Let's refuse." Lin Shen said with almost no hesitation.

"They rejected you?" Jia Shikai was clearly taken aback.

"Why? The cast and the subject matter are both good, and director Guan Hu is a well-known figure. Plus, working with Feng Xiaogang will definitely help you break into the film industry and elevate your status."

Lin Shen smiled and said, "I've read the script carefully. The role isn't really suitable for me. Please turn it down for me."

"After careful consideration, I felt that my current acting skills and experience were not sufficient to perfectly portray such a complex and controversial character, and I was afraid of burdening the production team. Also, there were scheduling conflicts with other suitable projects."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

Jia Shikai was weighing his options. He knew that Lin Shen was not one to speak without reason, and since he had refused so decisively, he must have had his reasons.

As a partner, he chose to trust Lin Shen's judgment.

"Okay, I understand." Jia Shikai sighed. "I'll turn down Guan Hu. You focus on filming The Lost Tomb; it's a big project too."

"Yeah, thanks for your hard work," Lin Shen replied. Just as Jia Shikai was about to hang up, he seemed to remember something and said, "Wait, Lao Jia."

Jia Shikai on the other end of the phone paused his act of hanging up: "Is there anything else?"

Has the female lead for "My Sunshine" been cast yet?

"Silent Separation?" Jia Shikai quickly went through the question in his mind before catching up with the abrupt shift in topic.

"Oh, the Juku project... I just talked to their production manager a few days ago. It's not finalized yet. The platform and Croton seem to have mentioned Qi Wei."

However, I heard that Gu Man has other ideas, feeling that Qi Wei doesn't match Zhao Mosheng's temperament. She has quite a bit of influence, so things are still unresolved and a final decision hasn't been made.

Upon hearing this, Lin Shen's lips curled slightly: "Since they're still hesitating, that's good. Old Jia, help me organize a gathering."

"Organizing a gathering? Who should we invite?"

"Director Liu Junjie, Gu Man, the person in charge of the production company Juku, and... the senior executives from their parent company Croton or Huace who can manage this project."

Jia Shikai immediately sensed something was amiss: "What are you trying to do? Haven't we already got our male lead firmly in our grasp?"

"Since they're having trouble making a choice," Lin Shen smiled, glancing at the lights being set up in the distance on the film set.

"Well, I happen to have a suitable candidate I'd like them to take a look at."

"A suitable candidate..." Jia Shikai understood almost instantly. Under Lucky Films, the answer was obvious: the person Lin Shen would personally represent who was suitable for the role of Zhao Mosheng.

"You mean Xiaobai? You want to fight for her?"

"Yes," Lin Shen affirmed.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Jia Shikai's laughter. The previous questions all came together at that moment:

"Understood, I'll go and arrange it right away. I'll bring all of them back for you."

"Thank you for your hard work, hurry up." Lin Shen said and hung up the phone.

Seeing that Lin Shen had finished his call, the executive assistant quickly ran over: "Brother Shen, the makeup artist is ready."

"Okay." Lin Shen withdrew his gaze and walked towards the dressing room.

-----------------

Deep in the Dongsi Hutong of Beijing, there is a private courtyard house with an inconspicuous facade but a hidden world inside.

It was midday, and the autumn sun shone through the branches and leaves of the old pomegranate tree in the courtyard, casting its rays onto the blue brick ground.

The doors and windows of the main hall were open, and the melodious sounds of Kunqu opera records drifted out, mixed with laughter and the clinking of porcelain cups.

Feng Xiaogang, wearing a loose-fitting jacket with Chinese knot buttons, reclined in a rosewood chaise lounge by the window, squinting his eyes, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest in time with the rhythm of the record.

Guan Hu sat in the armchair opposite him, looking down at an exquisite clay cricket jar, carefully teasing the cricket inside with water chestnuts.

Wang Zhonglei from Huayi Brothers, along with Dong Runnian, the screenwriter of "Mr. Six," casting director Lao Qian, and a bald production manager, sat around, some drinking tea, some reading books, creating a relaxed atmosphere.

"I saw a painting of an ox by Li Keran yesterday. It looked pretty good, but the price was too high..." Wang Zhonglei took a sip of tea, his words trailing off.

"These things are being hyped up to an extreme these days." Guan Hu didn't even look up, his attention was still on the cricket chirping and flapping its wings in the jar. "It's better to listen to a piece of opera and tease this living creature."

Feng Xiaogang hummed in agreement, then closed his eyes to rest.

Just then, a sudden cell phone vibration sounded, coming from casting director Lao Qian.

Old Qian glanced at the caller ID, then quickly got up and went to the corridor to answer the call.

The others in the hall didn't seem to notice and continued their conversation. The Kunqu opera was melodious, and the autumn light was just right.

A moment later, Lao Qian returned, clutching his phone, his face a mixture of embarrassment, anxiety, and disbelief. He first glanced cautiously at Guan Hu, then at Feng Xiaogang, who seemed to be asleep.

"Director Guan..." Old Qian's voice was a little dry as he bent down and whispered a few words in Guan Hu's ear.

Guan Hu's hand, which was teasing the cricket, paused.

The ease on his face vanished quickly, and his brows slowly furrowed. He didn't speak, but simply tossed the water chestnut in his hand onto the edge of the jar, making a soft "plop" sound.

The subtle movement made Feng Xiaogang stop tapping on the armrest, and he asked casually, "What's up?"

Everyone else in the room stopped chatting and looked over.

Guan Hu snorted, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a big drag.

"Lin Shen has backed out. Jia Shikai's message was a bunch of rubbish, saying he's not capable enough and might hold us back, and that his schedule doesn't match. In short, he's not coming."

"Not coming?" the bald producer raised his voice. "What do you mean? Everything seemed fine beforehand. We're all waiting for him!"

"Hey!" Feng Xiaogang chuckled, sitting up abruptly and looking at Guan Hu. "His schedule doesn't work out? Check which temple he's currently in. Does he look down on our place, thinking it's too small?"

"Maybe he really felt he couldn't handle it and was stage fright?" Dong Runnian guessed.

Wang Zhonglei chuckled and shook his head, as if he had heard something absurd:

"These young people nowadays, relying on their popularity, are so arrogant. So many people are fighting tooth and nail for roles, and they're just grabbing sugar. Do they really think that making a couple of fantasy dramas is enough to qualify them for the film industry? What a joke."

These words were blunt, and a sense of displeasure, as if their dignity had been snubbed, immediately filled the room. In their view, this was not merely a rejection of a role, but a challenge to their status.

"You're really asking for it!" Guan Hu was furious and slammed his hand on the heavy solid wood table, making the ashtray jump.

"He's a young actor who became famous through period dramas, and he hasn't even had three years of acting experience. I'm pairing him with the Sixth Prince in a film, helping him get into the movie industry, and he's already acting all high and mighty with me?"

"Damn it, you can't handle kids these days." The bald producer spat.

"He's got wild ambitions! I heard this kid's dabbling in some trendy brand and investing everywhere. He's definitely not cut out for acting. Director Guan, I told you from the start that guys like him aren't reliable..."

Old Qian, somewhat annoyed, quickly added, "We kept saying we were coordinating, so we...we didn't rush to look for other alternatives. We thought it was basically a done deal, who would have thought?"

Guan Hu frowned as he smoked, not responding to the conversation, but his face was gloomy.

Wang Zhonglei crossed his legs and looked at Feng Xiaogang and Guan Hu: "Director, Director Guan, of course the film still needs to be shot, we can just find more actors."

But this kind of rejection doesn't sound good if word gets out. In our circle, although we don't follow seniority, there still have to be some rules and regulations.

"If this young punk dares to abandon us like this today, will everyone else follow suit tomorrow? How are we supposed to find replacements then?"

Wang Zhonglei paused for a moment, then continued, "What I mean is, we don't need people anymore. But this trend can't continue."

Some people need to understand that just because the pool in the TV series is shallow and full of turtles jumping around happily doesn't mean you can wade in any water.

The film industry, especially ours, isn't a marketplace where he can come and go as he pleases. Necessary reminders are needed.