Huayu: This producer has no bottom line.

Chapter 66 The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Ren Pingsheng stood up and stretched.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of someone blowing their nose behind me.

He turned his head and saw Bai Ke facing the screen, one hand covering his nose, the other hand still scrolling down the document.

"Hongming, are you crying?" Ren Pingsheng shouted loudly.

"No!" Bai Ke turned his head away, his voice muffled, "I have a cold, my nose is stuffy."

"Oh~, catching a cold in January is normal," Ren Pingsheng didn't call him out on it and turned to get a glass of water.

Bai Ke remained silent for a while before suddenly blurting out a sentence.

"Brother Pingsheng, I want to act in this."

Ren Pingsheng raised an eyebrow.

"I want to play Wang Xiaoshuai," Bai Ke turned around, his nose red, "the one who was laughed at in class when he was young, and who grew up to be the one who bowed his head to wash people's hair."

"You haven't even finished reading the script, have you?"

"I finished watching the ending," Bai Ke swallowed, his voice trembling slightly. "He stood on the stage at the end, and the people below thought it was ridiculous for two old men to dance, but he didn't care, he just kept dancing."

"Brother Pingsheng, when I was in school, my teachers said I wasn't doing my job properly, and my classmates laughed at me for being crazy. But I felt that I could play this role."

Ren Pingsheng looked at him quietly for a few seconds, then said, "We'll talk about it after the audition."

"No need to try!" Bai Ke exclaimed, jumping up abruptly. "I can really do it! Didn't Wang Chui act quite well?"

"We'll talk about the audition later," Ren Pingsheng repeated, pulling his coat off the back of the chair and putting it on.

He walked to the door, put his hand on the doorknob, paused for a moment, and then turned his head without looking back.

You have all those experiences from school, but you're missing something.

Bai Ke was stunned.

"If you really want to act, try to fill in the gaps before the audition."

"What's missing?"

"It's in the script."

After saying that, Ren Pingsheng pushed open the door and left, leaving Bai Ke looking stunned.

The wind outside stung his face, so he turned up his collar, bought a pack of cigarettes at the convenience store, and lit one while standing at the door.

There was a reason why I didn't directly agree to Bai Ke's request.

Although Bai Ke is one of our own, this time it's different from when we filmed comedy shorts before.

Even though short films don't demand as much acting skill as big-screen films, "Old Boys" is still a feature film that requires strong emotional tension, and its acting requirements far exceed those of comedy web series.

Bai Ke is not from a professional acting background, and most importantly, he is not yet 22 years old.

In the original version, Wang Taili was already 41 years old when he played this role. The dullness and weariness in the eyes of that middle-aged man were etched by the years.

In my memory, Bai Ke later portrayed the work ethic and exhaustion of a middle-aged office worker very well in "The Annual Meeting Cannot Stop," but he was 35 at that time.

As for why they didn't just let Da Peng and Qiao San continue as partners?

hehe..

These two brothers are okay at singing, but their dancing...

The thought of Qiao San's plump body wriggling on the stage made Ren Pingsheng feel that the scene could only be a comedy and would not be able to evoke tears from the audience.

"Forget it, let's get one of the male leads back first."

Ren Pingsheng took out his phone and dialed Da Peng's number.

The phone rang several times before being answered, and a noisy exchange of drinks could be heard on the other end.

"Hey? Pingsheng! What's up, missing your brother?" Dapeng's voice sounded smug, clearly indicating he'd had quite a bit to drink.

"Stop talking nonsense. You forget about your poor relatives as soon as you see a big star? Don't you even know where your family is?" Ren Pingsheng teased.

"How could that be! I'm just showing off with my master! Oh my god, you wouldn't believe the spectacle today..."

"Alright, alright," Ren Pingsheng interrupted his boasting, "Now that you've seen the world, get back to work. The new script is out."

"A new script? So soon?" Da Peng instantly became excited. "Who are they going to mess with this time? What am I going to play?"

"I'm not doing this to anyone, this time I'm making a movie."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"What did you say?"

I said, "Let's make a movie."

Dapeng swallowed hard. "Pingsheng, you...you...you're not kidding, are you?"

"I've already finished writing the script, are you kidding me? If you don't want it, I'll find someone else."

"Damn it!" The breathing on the other end of the phone became noticeably heavier.

"Don't rush, listen to the rest first," Ren Pingsheng exhaled a smoke ring, his voice carrying a hint of seduction, "The female lead is crucial this time, the school beauty, the soul of the entire film. The one in every boy's heart during their teenage years, the regret of a chance encounter in middle age. If this role isn't cast well, half the film will fall apart."

"What do you mean?"

"So, this is our first film together, and also your first role as my disciple. Shouldn't we at least have a leading lady of sufficient stature?"

Da Peng's voice tightened, "So..."

"I heard your master and Cecilia Cheung have a good relationship?"

"Pfft...cough cough cough!" A violent coughing sound came from the other end of the phone. "Who did you say?"

"Zhang Baizhi, Liu Piaopiao and I, the school beauty, are a perfect match."

"you...."

"Of course, your sister Ziyi would work too. You two are together every day now, so if you go over and act cute, she might be happy..."

"Ren Pingsheng! You really dare to dream like that, you old schemer!" Da Peng's voice cracked. "You want me to act cute with Zhang Ziyi? I only exchanged two sentences with her. Why don't you go and act cute with my master instead?"

Ren Pingsheng chuckled and stopped teasing him.

The name Zhang Baizhi is not just something said offhand.

The character in "King of Comedy" who struggled in the world yet evoked sympathy had already left a strong "school beauty" image in the minds of the audience.

Moreover, I remember that Cecilia Cheung and Zhao Bensan had a very good personal relationship.

After the photo scandal broke, Cecilia Cheung was condemned by the public, but Zhao Benshan publicly supported her.

Later, when the Liu Laogen Grand Stage in Yanjing opened, she even flew from Hong Kong to Yanjing to support Zhao Benshan without receiving any payment.

If she hadn't not officially made her comeback yet, she wouldn't even have considered such a makeshift team.

But judging by the timeline, her comeback is not far off. This film, "Old Boy," might just be a trial opportunity presented to her.

It won't be shown in theaters, and it won't directly confront mainstream judgment.

For someone rebuilding their image, this low-key and sophisticated return is far safer than a high-profile one.

As for the other "campus beauties" actresses, Ren Pingsheng also went through them in his mind.

Liu Yifei, Gao Yuanyuan... we can't invite them.

Tian Xiwei, Meng Ziyi... are still boys.

Dilraba and Gulnazar won't be entering university until September this year, so it's too much trouble to dig them up from all over the world right now.

Actually, Wang Zhi is a very good choice.

Her later portrayal of Qiuya in "Goodbye Mr. Loser" demonstrated her ability to define the nation's first love.

However, her current fame is too shallow, so her contribution to this short film is almost zero.

Keep it as a backup option.

But there was one thing that Ren Pingsheng had already thought through very clearly.

The scope of "Old Boys" goes far beyond that of a short film.

Since the worldview of "Goodbye Mr. Loser" has been grafted into the youth section of the script.

From then on, we can use this as a foundation to build a "youth universe".

What's a 40-minute online short film today could be a 120-minute feature film tomorrow.

First, use "Old Boys" to capture the tears of a generation online, build word-of-mouth and IP recognition, and then when the time is right, move towards theatrical release and give them a complete story.

One character, one period of youth, a collective memory of an entire generation of post-80s, and a never-ending money-printing machine.

Whether these can be implemented depends on how stable the first step is.

Thinking of this, he put away his playful smile.

"Alright, enough joking around," Ren Pingsheng's tone turned serious. "Brother Peng, I'm serious. Go and mention to your master that you want to make a good film, but you're missing a leading lady who can command the scene."

Da Peng could hear the seriousness in Ren Pingsheng's voice on the other end of the phone. "Is this... appropriate? I just became an apprentice and I'm already asking for resources."

"Remember this, your master is a protective person. It's only natural for a disciple to ask his master for help when he encounters difficulties. That's called being close. If you always shoulder everything yourself and don't ask him for help, he'll feel that you don't really regard him as your master."

"Okay, I understand. I'll go sound out the old man later," Da Peng's voice became serious. "Don't worry, Ping Sheng, I'll definitely handle this well."

After finishing their business, Ren Pingsheng was about to hang up when Dapeng suddenly spoke up again.

"Oh, right, there's something I almost forgot to mention."

"What?"

"This morning someone came to see my master. He was from Baidu and said he wanted to create a video website."