Chapter 92

If it weren’t for the fact that in his past life he had heard about Director Wang Bolong and knew he had a good character, being a highly accomplished and renowned director, Song Haowen would have had doubts.

However, in his past life, there was no movie titled “Tai Chi Fist” among Wang Bolong’s filmography. It seemed like either this film never came to fruition or it was abandoned halfway. Whether this film could be made in this life also seemed uncertain.

“Fake? It shouldn’t be fake. I’ve heard about this director, and his reputation is good. I just don’t know if this movie will actually be completed,” Song Haowen said.

“Did you agree to it?” Tian Nana asked.

“How could I decide so quickly? I need some time to consider. Including the script, filming schedule, release date… all these need to be considered. Hey, Nana, let me ask you, if this thing is true, do you think I should go and make a movie?”

“If it’s true, I think it’s a great opportunity. Once the movie is out, I bet you won’t be able to shake off the label of a martial arts star,” Tian Nana said with a longing expression.

Su Yan walked over at this point and said, “Stop chatting and plan tonight’s performance first.”

Song Haowen and Tian Nana exchanged a glance, made silly faces at each other, and then agreed in unison. They immediately went to the small theater to watch the rehearsal.

Back in the dormitory that night, Song Haowen was still thinking about making a movie. In his past life, during college, he and his classmates had participated in the shooting of two films, “Bao’s Father and Son” and “Special High-Tech Operation.” They had spent four weeks as extras, earning five yuan per day. However, when the movies were screened, he could hardly find a clear shot of himself, which was the most embarrassing part.

Now, having the opportunity to shoot a film, not as an extra or a minor role, but as the male lead, was an extremely rare opportunity. After careful consideration, he felt he shouldn’t pass up this chance. With this thought settled, he peacefully went to sleep.

The next afternoon, Wang Bolong and his assistant Tang Wen arrived on time, and Song Haowen led them to a small meeting room.

“Mr. Song, have you made up your mind?” Without even sipping his tea, Wang Bolong couldn’t wait to ask.

“I am interested in the content of this film, and besides, my best martial art is ‘Tai Chi Fist.’ As long as the schedule doesn’t interfere too much with my classes, I can accept it,” Song Haowen affirmed.

“Fantastic!” Wang Bolong exclaimed, standing up excitedly and firmly shaking Song Haowen’s hand. “With you joining, this movie is already halfway to success. As for your schedule, I’ll consider it carefully and try to arrange it during winter or summer break.”

“Director Wang, I’m not worried about anything else. I’m concerned whether this movie can be released before ‘Shaolin Temple,'” Song Haowen said.

“Don’t worry about that. All the actors in ‘Shaolin Temple’ are newcomers, and there’s no martial arts guidance. The filming speed is very slow. On our side, we have a pool of talented individuals, abundant funds, and the shooting process will be very smooth. We will definitely release it around the National Day this year,” Wang Bolong confidently stated. “The martial arts supporting cast will be based on the mainland national team, supplemented by selected martial arts experts from the mainland, creating a formidable lineup.”

At this point, Tang Wen handed two contracts to Song Haowen. “Mr. Song, here are the contracts. Please take a look. If everything is fine, go ahead and sign.”

Song Haowen took the contracts and quickly reviewed them. He didn’t find any issues, but he thought the remuneration was a bit high. “I think the contract is fine, but is my salary a bit too high? I heard that the lead actor in ‘Shaolin Temple’ is paid only hundred yuan per day. Why did you set the total payment at ten thousand yuan?”

Wang Bolong gently patted Song Haowen’s hand and said, “Young man, this is very low. Someone like you, a popular singer, I feel a bit embarrassed offering such a low amount. First, consider that you have no filming experience, and there’s a lot to learn from scratch.

Some scenes might be a bit tricky to shoot. Second, the investment this time is not much, only two million yuan, and various costs are relatively high. I can only compromise with you like this.

In the future, I’ll make it up to you. Our Dragon Brother in the city, if he were to star in this movie, the two million yuan investment wouldn’t even cover half of his salary.”

Tang Wen giggled and said, “Mr. Li in ‘Shaolin Temple’ may have won the national youth martial arts five-time champion, but Mr. Song, who is a year younger, shone brightly at the Huami Lei Tai competition, dominating the scene and being a famous singer. Compared to Mr. Li, you are even more outstanding.”

“Where, where. Miss Tang is exaggerating. ” Song Haowen hurriedly said, his face slightly blushing.

“Haha, young man, don’t be modest. We’ve hit the jackpot with you. With you joining and your brilliance alongside Mr. Li, this movie will surely be a hit. In the future, no one in the film industry will be able to compare to you… young man, let’s sign the contract.” Wang Bolong finished speaking, leading the way by signing. Song Haowen didn’t hesitate and followed suit.

“Young man, to celebrate our successful contract signing, tomorrow night, our Donghuang Film Company will gather the producers, directors, and some signed actors at the Tianlun Grand Hotel. You must attend,” Wang Bolong said, lifting his tea cup happily when he saw Song Haowen nodding in agreement. “Come, let’s toast with tea to celebrate.” After that, he clinked cups with Song Haowen and Tang Wen.

On the second night, in the luxurious Royal Box of the top-tier Tianlun Grand Hotel in Beijing, Several famous actors whom Song Haowen had seen in TV dramas in his past life attended the party, giving him a great surprise.

Introduced by Wang Bolong, Song Haowen met the producer of the film, Ichiro Sato. Ichiro Sato was not tall, wore a pair of tortoiseshell round glasses, had a thin mustache, and always had a smile on his face.

When he met Song Haowen, he even took the initiative to hug him, speaking fluent Chinese and constantly praising him, giving Song Haowen the impression of being a China expert. Ichiro Sato was a Japanese investor who had invested in multiple Hong Kong and Taiwan films.

This movie was his exclusive investment, and everyone in the room showed great respect towards him.

Wang Bolong also introduced Song Haowen to the producer, screenwriter, actors of the film, and executives of his film company. Song Haowen didn’t try to remember all these people at once, just smiling in response.

However, this gathering brought an unexpected joy to Song Haowen. It turned out that the head coach of the National Wushu Team, Miao Chong, along with athletes He Hu and Zhao Meng, were also present. It had been a while since they last met, and everyone was happy to see each other.

While everyone was chatting happily, Tang Wen came over and led Song Haowen to a beautiful woman. Wang Bolong had already introduced this woman to Song Haowen, but at that time, he was meeting so many people at once that he didn’t pay much attention.

He only knew her name was Zhong Lizhi, a contestant in the current Miss Hong Kong pageant. In his past life, she played many leading roles in films and TV dramas, being praised as the most beautiful and charming actress among the top ten actresses in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. She was his idol and dream girl from his past life.

Meeting Zhong Lizhi again, Song Haowen felt excited, and his face blushed slightly. He carefully looked at her, seeing her with shoulder-length hair, wearing high-heeled suede boots, and a silk floor-length skirt.

She was around the same age as him, only sixteen or seventeen, looking pure, lovely, and as beautiful as a celestial being. In his past life, Song Haowen had seen photos of her with makeup on and was astonished, but now, seeing her without makeup standing in front of him, he found her even more beautiful and charming.

Compared to Tian Yuxi, Tian Nana, Ren Hua, Zhu Hongyu, and Gu Ziwei, the most significant difference was that she appeared more charming and stylish.

Approaching Zhong Lizhi, Song Haowen heard her greet him, “Hello, sorry to disturb you, sir. It’s crowded on your side, inconvenient for conversation. I had to trouble Miss Tang to invite you over; I hope you don’t mind.”

Listening to Zhong Lizhi’s sweet Hong Kong accent, Song Haowen found it very pleasant. As for what she said, he didn’t pay much attention. “Hello, it’s my great honor to meet Miss Zhong.”

Tang Wen chuckled, “You two big stars can chat slowly. I have something to attend to, so I’ll leave for a while.” After saying that, she gracefully walked away, swaying her slender waist.

Zhong Lizhi gently tapped the soft leather sofa with her tender fingers, inviting Song Haowen to sit down. They sat at the opposite ends of a three-person sofa and received the tea brought by the waiter. “I just learned that you agreed to take on the male lead role, and I’m really looking forward to it. You know, I’m your fan. I can sing all your songs.”

Song Haowen felt a warm glow in his heart and humbly said, “Current popular songs are still dominated by Taiwan and Hong Kong. Mainland China is just starting in this regard. Superstars like Teresa Teng and Alan Tam haven’t been surpassed by anyone in the mainland in the past few decades.”

Zhong Lizhi smiled, saying nonchalantly, “To put it bluntly: different strokes for different folks. Although I love their songs, they can’t evoke the same feelings in me as your songs do.”

Song Haowen felt a slight blush on his face. “Miss Zhong, your words make me a bit embarrassed. How can my songs compare to your achievements in film and television?”

After expressing mutual admiration, Song Haowen and Zhong Lizhi gradually became more acquainted. They discussed their respective work and life situations, and eventually, they unexpectedly discovered that they were born on the same day of the same month. The only difference was that he was born a couple of hours earlier, which left them both feeling quite incredulous.

As the banquet began, Zhong Lizhi invited Song Haowen to sit with her. He felt overly excited and accepted toasts graciously, unknowingly consuming a considerable amount of alcohol.

Worried that Song Haowen might get drunk, Zhong Lizhi initially whispered words of caution. However, as they were just getting to know each other, and unsure of his alcohol tolerance and disposition, she hesitated to insist too much. Unable to dissuade him, she decided to accompany him, though there was a lingering worry in her heart.

By the end of the event, Song Haowen was visibly tipsy, stumbling a bit as he walked. Eventually, with the support of Miao Chong, He Hu, and Zhao Meng, he left.

Seeing Song Haowen drink so much at such an important occasion, Zhong Lizhi felt a sense of disappointment. She sensed that he lacked a certain level of composure, and couldn’t help but worry about the smoothness of their future collaboration.

In her past experiences, more than one male actor had indulged in excessive drinking, and some of them had exhibited improper behavior, engaged in fights, and even faced scandalous situations. Though she had only recently met Song Haowen, her initial impression was positive, and she hoped he wouldn’t follow the footsteps of those heavy drinkers.