novellhall Chapter 39 Another play
Chapter 39 Another play
Ji Qingxu smiled and strode over. "Senior brother, is this junior nephew Zhang Chong?"
Seeing Ji Qingxu look at the burly man beside him, Kou Zhanwen smiled and said, "That's right, Zhang Zhong, your Senior Sister Li's disciple, Xiao Zhong, this is your Uncle Qingxu."
"Greetings, Uncle-Master Qingxu, I am Zhang Zhong."
Seeing the burly man greet him with a simple smile, Ji Qingxu smiled and sized him up a few times. "Brother Chong, from now on, I'm entrusting my martial uncle's safety to you."
Noticing the two men's surprised expressions at his address, Ji Qingxu smiled and said, "Brother Chong, you should be older than me, right?"
Kou Zhanwen replied, "Yes, Xiao Chong was born in 80, four years older than you."
"From now on, I'll call you Brother Chong. You can call me 'Uncle-Master' in private, but just call me by my name in public. We can each call each other by our own names."
Seeing Zhang Chong looking at him, Kou Zhanwen laughed and said, "Alright, you two can discuss it yourselves. Come on, let's get in the car first."
Noticing that everyone around them was looking at them, Ji Qingxu smiled and said, "Okay."
"Uncle-Master, let me help you with your luggage."
"Okay, thank you, Brother Chong."
After starting the car, Kou Zhanwen joked, "Hey kid, did you bring me a present?"
"Haha, I brought them, they're all in the box."
After leaving the train station, Kou Zhanwen joked, "Junior brother, how have you been this past month?"
Ji Qingxu replied with a smile, "Yes, very good."
Kou Zhanwen smiled and nodded, not continuing the topic.
"Junior brother, you said you speak Japanese and Korean, right?"
"Yes, is it necessary?"
As Kou Zhanwen turned the steering wheel, he said, "A while ago, I was doing charity work with the Mengzhou Football Team. During that time, I heard some news that Taiwan's CCTV and KBS were preparing to co-produce a TV series. The company responsible for funding the production of this series was 21st Century Audio-Visual Company, which previously invested in 'Lu Bu and Diao Chan.' The cast had already been finalized, but then this happened, which delayed things for a few months. Then the lead actor who was supposed to act in the series dropped out. By the way, the lead actor was Li Yapeng."
"Li Yapeng? He dares to turn down a show that's being prepared for broadcast?"
"You can't blame him for that. The initial plan was to start filming in March, but as you know, it couldn't start. He has three TV series and one movie dubbing jobs this year, and all the contracts are signed. The production teams are waiting for him. How could he not go? You can't be too demanding of them."
"So what kind of drama is this collaboration?"
"Urban drama".
"Senior brother, I remember Li Yapeng is more than ten years older than me, right?"
"That's right, he's more than ten years older than you. Don't worry, your senior isn't just making fun of you for no reason. It's said that after Li Yapeng withdrew from the show, the TV station in South Korea wanted to put a newcomer in the lead role. That newcomer seems to be born in the 80s. Since he can act, you can too."
"Senior brother, let's not even talk about the stage setup. I remember that this 21st Century Film and Television Company is quite prestigious; it's a state-owned enterprise."
"Yes, they have quite a background. Are you worried about casting?"
"What did the company say?"
"Mr. Ma is already asking around to pull some strings. With your own qualifications and your ability to speak Korean, if you can find the right connections, your chances are very good."
"What should I prepare?"
"No need to prepare. I'm just letting you know in advance. The company should contact you in the next couple of days."
"Okay, thank you, senior!"
Kou Zhanwen smiled and waved his hand, "No need to thank me, I just mentioned this news to the company. As for whether I can act in it, that depends on what the company can do."
Hearing this, Ji Qingxu smiled and asked, "Senior brother, do you mean... you're testing whether the company cares about me?"
Kou Zhanwen's face flashed with admiration upon hearing this. "Not bad. You signed an eight-year contract with Ciwen Media. If nothing unexpected happens, you will spend the best eight years of your life with Ciwen Media. Although President Ma promised very good conditions when you signed the contract, you have been in the industry for a few years now. You know what kind of industry this is, especially these film and television companies."
Ji Qingxu smiled and replied, "What you mean is that if I don't make it big in the future, I should ask for more benefits first, so that even if I don't do very well in the future, I will suffer less."
"Haha, you really understand your senior brother, that's right. Of course, Mr. Ma isn't treating us badly right now. He gave you the lead role in his first film. But the situation in this industry changes too fast. Your senior brother Wu Jing is an example. He was so popular after 'Tai Chi Master' was filmed, but now look at him, he can only play a supporting role. The company isn't a charity. If they can't see any benefit in you, they'll abandon you at any time."
"The more resources the company invests in me, the more famous I become, and the greater the company's gains will be."
"Yes, but these things don't come for free. You are now Ciwen Media's first artist. According to what I've heard, Ciwen Media's agency will be officially established before the end of the year. The company is currently recruiting. Since we, your fellow apprentices, have joined the company so early, we must maintain this advantage and not let newcomers take away our resources."
Upon hearing this, Ji Qingxu slowly nodded. "Don't worry, senior brother, I won't let anyone take our things away."
"Yes, I believe you, Senior Brother."
At this point, Ji Qingxu asked curiously, "Senior brother, this drama co-produced by China and South Korea should be the first co-production between the two countries. Isn't there a lot of competition for such a great opportunity?"
Kou Zhanwen laughed and said, "You're wrong about that. The first drama co-produced by China and South Korea was called 'White Collar Apartment,' but it was produced by Hunan Broadcasting System and only featured a South Korean star. This time, the drama co-produced by Hunan Broadcasting System and KBS is the first true co-production between China and South Korea."
After a pause, Kou Zhanwen carefully considered his words, "Junior brother, don't think that the collaboration between CCTV and the Koreans is some great thing. If it were some other type of drama, everyone would be fighting over it, but this time it's an urban romance drama."
"Experimental nature?"
"That's right, it's just an initial probe between the two sides, exploring the path for future cooperation, so the competition for this drama isn't that great."
Seeing that Ji Qingxu did not show any unusual expression, Kou Zhanwen asked with a smile, "Aren't you afraid that your senior brother will screw you over? If you don't achieve good results, it might affect your future development."
Ji Qingxu smiled nonchalantly, "Senior brother, you underestimate me. If this drama becomes a hit, I'll make a fortune. Even if it doesn't, senior brother, I'm only 19 years old this year. Anyway, I trust you."
Kou Zhan burst into laughter upon hearing this.
"Good, that's the right mindset. This time, your senior is just letting you give it a try. If you really become a hit, the media might give you the title of international superstar."
Upon hearing this, Ji Qingxu chuckled and said, "Senior brother, this title of international superstar doesn't seem to be worth much."
Kou Zhanwen laughed and said, "Anyway, it's just bragging. Just brag first and see what happens. Everyone brags like that. By the way, do you know some basic Korean, or can you speak, write, and listen to it all?"
"There are no problems with daily communication."
"Holy crap, junior, you're amazing! Did you learn that in high school?"
"Um."
"What about Japanese?"
"Pretty much."
"Junior brother, I feel like you've entered the wrong circle."
"Haha, senior brother, I only know a little bit about it, I'm not that proficient."
"You're too modest. If you manage to get the role, don't be modest. Those Koreans are arrogant. The more capable you are, the more they'll admire you."
"Understood, we fear power, not virtue."
"That's right, that's how people are over there."
In fact, Ji Qingxu can speak not only Japanese and Korean.
Ji Qingxu speaks English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Russian. Although he is not fluent, he can communicate without much trouble in daily life.
As for where he learned these languages, he naturally learned them in his previous life. In his previous life, Ji Qingxu was a landlord who didn't have to work except to collect rent. He was bored eating, drinking and having fun every day, so he found a training class to learn these languages in his spare time.
Logically, with advanced technology and various translation software available in later generations, one could travel abroad even without knowing a foreign language. However, Ji Qingxu once traveled to a country in the north and found that most of the communication there was in Russian. Everyone in that country understood Russian, and the internet was completely isolated from the outside world. That trip was a very unpleasant experience.
So after returning home, Ji Qingxu enrolled in a foreign language training course. He didn't aim to become an expert, but at least he could understand the basics when traveling abroad in the future, so that he wouldn't be completely clueless if he encountered a similar situation again.
Of course, there's no need to elaborate on the stories of those who had in-depth exchanges with foreign teachers while learning foreign languages.
Noticing that Zhang Zhong was sitting quietly in the back without saying a word, Ji Qingxu steered the conversation toward him.
During their casual conversation, the three arrived at Grandpa Wu Bin's place. Zhang Zhong's master, who was also Ji Qingxu's senior sister, was also there. The group chatted together for an afternoon and had dinner at Wu Bin's house. Ji Qingxu then took his assistant Zhang Zhong and rode in Kou Zhanwen's car back to their long-lost new home.