Chapter 72: My Son Performed at the Spring Festival Gala

Chapter Seventy-Two: My Son Is on the Spring Festival Gala

Like Yang Xin’er, Zhang Le doesn’t treat charity as a lifelong career to be tirelessly pursued. Nevertheless, he is more than willing to do what he can within his abilities. This willingness stems from his genuine heart, not from a desire to brand himself with the label of “philanthropist,” to gain fame or shape his image.

People like Yang Li command his admiration and respect at most, but he doesn’t seek to emulate them.

The competition for the Spring Festival film slot grows ever fiercer. “Crazy Stone” has been affected to some extent, but the major blockbusters released just before New Year’s Eve have suffered even more in the face of its impact; their defeats could not be more evident—like iron sinking into the sand.

A dark horse surges ahead, leaving the rest behind!

Zhang Le’s second film, “Flirting Scholar,” has long been in preparation, though it’s still in the early stages and news of it hasn’t spread widely within the industry. The explosive success of “Crazy Stone” has earned Zhang Le widespread recognition for his directorial talent, naturally drawing attention to his next project.

But attention doesn’t always equate to anticipation. In many people’s eyes, “Crazy Stone” is a phenomenon, and Zhang Le is a director of the moment—a one-time wonder. Phenomena, after all, cannot be replicated. In other words, many believe that Zhang Le’s next film simply cannot perform another miracle.

Yet, regardless of the skepticism, actors flock to his project in droves, including some from the very top tier.

For many actors, what they need is not necessarily a good film, but a high level of exposure. Zhang Le’s film, regardless of its eventual form, is guaranteed to draw attention as his sophomore effort.

Still, Zhang Le’s movies naturally give priority to actors signed with his own studio. Of course, Xinle Film Studio only has a few contracted talents, not enough to carry an entire film.

He’s already decided to have Feng Lei play the role of Scholar Tang Bohu. The guy is currently undergoing an intense weight-loss regimen for the part, and with good results. Yang Xin’er has her sights set on the role of Qiu Xiang, and the outcome is self-evident. Zhang Le is also happy to have Yang Xin’er as his leading lady.

For the role of Zhu Zhishan, he plans to cast Huang Yao, who played Blackie in “Crazy Stone,” while the main antagonist, the Deadly Scholar, will be portrayed by Chen Xiao, who played Jack in “Crazy Stone.” After all, Chen Xiao hails from Hong Kong’s legendary stuntman tradition and has solid martial arts skills.

There are still some roles with significant screen time and memorable presence, such as Madame Hua, the Martial Champion, and Sister Pomegranate. These would require external casting.

In addition to these preparations, Zhang Le has been mulling over the scripts for Chen Ke and Zhou Run’s new films. Of course, Zhang Le’s contemplation goes beyond just the roles he might play; he’s considering the entire film.

He wonders, if he were directing, how would he shoot it? Once on set, he’ll observe how a renowned director like Chen Ke works. Comparing the two approaches will no doubt be a valuable learning experience.

A large part of Zhang Le’s motivation for joining this project lies here. He needs to improve and infuse his films with his own voice. He doesn’t wish to spend his life relying on imitation or on recreating classics from his past life, even though those classics alone could provide material for a lifetime of filmmaking.

Besides, lacking the necessary skills, he wouldn’t be able to successfully imitate many of those masterpieces anyway.

More importantly, as an academic overachiever, he wants a film that is entirely his own to prove himself. But he also knows that before he can prove himself, he must work hard to enrich and elevate his abilities.

The Spring Festival Gala arrived as scheduled. Zhang Le and Yang Xin’er had already rehearsed several times; they were familiar with the stage and had mastered the timing.

Their performance was scheduled early in the evening, concluding around nine o’clock.

“Crazy Stone” had nearly reached three hundred million at the box office—surpassing that mark was inevitable. Whether it could reach four hundred million would depend on how much impact the two major films released during the Lunar New Year would have. If the competition wasn’t intense, four hundred million was within reach.

Either way, three or four hundred million would place it in the top ten of Chinese box office history, possibly even the top five. Even including Hollywood imports, it would still rank among the top ten in the domestic box office.

For a low-budget film made for just a few million, such results are nothing short of miraculous. The ratio of box office to production cost is one that most films could only dream of.

“What do you think my parents’ expressions will be when they see us on the Spring Festival Gala?” Zhang Le suddenly asked Yang Xin’er backstage.

“They’ll definitely be proud of you,” Yang Xin’er replied with a smile.

“Proud?” Zhang Le considered for a moment, then smiled and said, “I’ve always been their pride. It’s just that now the reasons for their pride are a bit more substantial.”

“Look at you!” Yang Xin’er said, laughing.

“In truth, for parents, it isn’t just about pride. More than that, they’re happy for you,” Zhang Le sighed.

Indeed, Zhang Le had always been his parents’ pride since childhood, excelling academically. Now he was about to appear on the Spring Festival Gala. Their pride had only grown, but he believed their greater joy was simply in his happiness.

For Zhang Le’s family back home, the idea of appearing on the Spring Festival Gala was unimaginable.

No matter how many top honors Zhang Le earned or how much money he sent home, nothing could compare to the pride his parents would feel from seeing him on that stage. Their pride was born of love for their son.

Of course, Zhang Le’s appearance on the Gala was something his parents would never tire of boasting about. With a son like this, there was no reason to keep it to themselves. Now that he was set to perform, not only did the extended family and neighbors know, but so did the entire town.

Joy, after all, is best when shared.

In a small mountain town, having a star appear on the Spring Festival Gala was a source of collective pride.

In the countryside, New Year’s Eve dinner is eaten early. Before dusk had even fallen, Zhang Le’s home was already filled with people gathering together, waiting for the Gala to begin.

Televisions are commonplace now; it would be rare to find a household without one. The reason so many people had gathered wasn’t just that the TV at Zhang Le’s house was the best in the village, or that the company was lively. Most importantly, this was Zhang Le’s home.

Even though he wasn’t there in person.

Zhang Le’s parents wore cheerful smiles as they chatted with the guests. Zhang Huan, too, greeted everyone warmly, offering snacks. His girlfriend, Lin Yun, had been there for several days and, though a guest, was helping out with ease.

“Huanzi, you two can stop fussing—it's about to start,” Zhang Le’s uncle, Zhang Yongsheng, said with a smile.

“It’s fine, there’s still time! Xiao Le said he’d be on around nine,” Zhang Le’s mother, Yu Guihua, said, welcoming the guests. “Please, everyone, make yourselves at home. All these treats are from Xiao Huan. We couldn’t finish them all ourselves.”

“Second brother, will Xiao Le make it home by the third day of the New Year? It’s been years since we saw him!” Zhang Yongsheng asked, taking a drag from his cigarette.

“He should be able to. His flight is tomorrow, so he should be home by the second day. If it weren’t for the Gala, I’m sure he’d have been back already,” Zhang Le’s father, Zhang Yongli, replied with a smile.

“After all these years, Xiao Le’s now on the Spring Festival Gala. I always said that child was destined for great things. Your family has really made it. Just look at this beautiful house. Second brother, when you built it, how much money did Xiao Le send you?” Zhang Le’s aunt, Zhou Qin, asked.

“Not much, not much at all,” Zhang Yongli said with a wave of his hand and a smile. But everyone could tell it was quite a bit.

Watching his parents beam with pride, Zhang Huan smiled too. Glancing at his girlfriend who had been by his side for years, he felt an even deeper tenderness.

His younger brother’s success filled him with pride and joy as well.

His earlier resolve had truly been well placed.

Amidst laughter and conversation, the Spring Festival Gala began.