When many people suddenly heard the reporter’s question, they could hardly believe it.
Because Jiang Nian’s performance when he first appeared on stage was just too stunning.
Plus, this movie, Flying Swords of Dragon Gate, is a big-budget production.
Directed by Tsui Hark, starring Jet Li as the male lead, and Zhou Xun as the female lead.
With such a grand scale and such an incredibly skillful performance,
they had already formed a preconceived notion, subconsciously assuming that Jiang Nian must be a seasoned veteran actor, someone with significant standing in the entertainment industry.
But once that initial shock wore off and they came to their senses, thinking more carefully about it,
they realized a very crucial question.
“Who the heck is Jiang Nian?”
“I’ve never heard that name before!”
People looked at each other in confusion, then turned their gazes towards Jiang Nian, their eyes filled with doubt.
Jiang Nian wasn’t surprised by this at all.
He simply looked at the reporter who had asked the question earlier, nodded, and said, “That’s right, I really am a newcomer. I’m fortunate that Director Tsui Hark thinks highly of me, which is how I was lucky enough to get the role of ‘Yu Huatian’.”
As soon as he said this, it caused an uproar.
To be honest, upon learning that Jiang Nian was just a newcomer, many of them were very tempted to start writing sensational stories.
Things like “big money has entered the chat,”
claiming that Director Tsui Hark’s new film has become a stepping stone for a pretty boy,
that Jet Li, Zhou Xun, and the others have all gathered just to make some young master famous…
A whole series of these gimmicky, highly controversial topics that people would find intriguing just by hearing about them.
But… they didn’t write them.
On one hand, there was no need.
The reporters present, from companies like Tencent Entertainment, NetEase News, or Weibo gossip,
their parent companies had all invested in this production.
In a sense, they were on the same team as Director Tsui Hark.
Why would you badmouth your own people?
On the other hand, Jiang Nian’s acting skills were simply too solid!
When he first appeared, his aura was so overwhelming it took their breath away, even making them think for a moment that he was a seasoned actor.
Even if they tried hard to smear him, it would be very difficult.
Not to mention, doing so wouldn’t benefit them in the slightest.
Therefore, after weighing the pros and cons, most people gave up on the idea of trashing Jiang Nian.
Only a very few individuals, desperate for a big scoop, were furiously typing away on their phones, making up all sorts of wild stories.
But you could already guess their fate.
Whether Jiang Nian is someone to be trifled with is unknown,
but the legal team behind Tsui Hark is definitely not someone to mess with. If anyone tries to cause trouble while they’re filming a movie, that person’s fate won’t be pretty.
After that, the reporters asked Jiang Nian several more questions.
Jiang Nian answered them one by one, and then the opening ceremony drew to a close.
Next up, they just needed to pay homage to the gods, cut the ceremonial ribbon, and then that part would be done.
And as one of the main actors, Jiang Nian naturally had to take part in these activities.
After bowing to the deities, he took the scissors from a crew member and stood in front of the ribbon alongside Tsui Hark, Zhou Xun, and Jet Li.
Jiang Nian felt quite emotional at that moment.
Since entering the acting circle, he had only participated in two opening ceremonies.
The first time, he stood off to the side like a nobody.
He never expected that the second time, he would be a main actor, standing next to international movie stars and a renowned director.
Jiang Nian couldn’t help but think of a classic line from web novels.
“For thirty years, fortunes ebb and flow; for thirty years, fortunes change. Do not underestimate a youth in poverty!”
That’s what he thought to himself. Then, listening to the crew member’s countdown beside him, the moment it ended, he pressed the scissors down.
Snip—
The ribbon was cut, and the celebratory fireworks placed on both sides exploded.
Bathed in the falling ribbons and confetti,
the reporters clicked their shutters, freezing that moment in time!
“How do you feel?”
After seeing off the reporters and stepping down from the stage, Director Tsui Hark asked Jiang Nian while picking colorful ribbons out of his own hair.
This struck Jiang Nian as a bit odd.
Because back when he was on the set of Jianghu Chronicles, someone had asked him the same thing after the opening ceremony.
And now here he was on the set of Flying Swords of Dragon Gate, and after its opening ceremony, Tsui Hark was asking him the same thing.
It seemed like directors had a special attachment to this particular question,
really caring about other people’s opinions on the matter.
Jiang Nian gave a thumbs-up. “Great! This is the most impressive opening ceremony I’ve ever seen! It should definitely rank among the best in the whole country!”
Hearing this, a smile bloomed on Tsui Hark’s face, clearly pleased with Jiang Nian’s answer.
But he still waved his hand modestly. “You’re exaggerating. Honestly, according to my original plan, this ceremony was just average. It’s mainly your performance that elevated the whole experience by a huge margin.”
“You’re too kind, Director. The real credit goes to you for bringing the character to life on the page. Otherwise, I couldn’t have captured that essence in my performance.”
Jiang Nian chuckled and returned the compliment.
After all, lifting each other up in a sedan chair makes everyone happy. A little mutual appreciation never hurts.
Tsui Hark was very satisfied with Jiang Nian’s savvy response.
So he patted Jiang Nian on the shoulder and said, “Keep it up. Do a good job.”
Then he turned and left.
After he was gone, Jet Li walked over.
As the male lead, he had quite a few scenes with Jiang Nian.
So, it was necessary for him to communicate with Jiang Nian.
He was also a shrewd guy.
Judging by Jiang Nian’s performance on stage and the fact that, despite being a newcomer, he was able to join the cast of Flying Swords of Dragon Gate and land the role of the main villain,
Jet Li deduced that Jiang Nian must have an impressive background.
He didn’t put on any airs, just looked at Jiang Nian with a smile and extended his hand. “Hello, I’m Jet Li.”
Seeing this, Jiang Nian returned the courtesy, shaking Jet Li’s hand. “Hello, I’m Jiang Nian.”
“Mr. Jiang, I saw your performance earlier. It was brilliant. For a moment, I even wondered if I had time-traveled. I think our collaboration will go very smoothly.”
“Same here. To be honest, Teacher Li, I grew up watching your movies. I’m really looking forward to working with you.”
“Haha, well then, shall we see each other on set?”
“See you on set!”
After a brief chat and getting a basic understanding of each other, they both wisely refrained from continuing the conversation too deeply.
After all, this was just their first meeting. How much could they really have to talk about?
Besides, there was such a huge gap in their statuses.
One was a renowned Best Actor in the film industry.
The other was a complete unknown.
You couldn’t expect the Best Actor to be the one eagerly trying to make small talk with the unknown guy, right?
That wouldn’t be appropriate.
And as for the unknown guy, Jiang Nian, falling over himself to flatter Jet Li? That was even less likely.
He didn’t owe Jet Li anything.
Why should he suck up to him?
Just because he’s a Best Actor?
Well, Jiang Nian might just become a Martial Emperor in the future!
Is that any worse than being a Best Actor?
After that, Jiang Nian went around greeting the rest of the cast and crew.
After everyone had made initial introductions and had a basic understanding of each other,
time unknowingly slipped into the afternoon.
The first scene of Flying Swords of Dragon Gate was about to start filming!
