Huayu: This director specializes in promoting young actresses.

Chapter 33 Follow Your Heart, and the Paulownia Tree Will Remain Evergreen

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Feng looked at her and tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "I'll give you a stage name. It'll be easy to remember, and I guarantee you'll become famous."

Li Xue's eyes lit up, and she leaned closer: "Really, boss?" She had always felt that the name "Li Xue" was too ordinary and lacked distinctiveness.

"Why would I lie to you?" Lin Feng smiled. "How about calling me Li Yitong? Follow your heart, and may your life be as evergreen as a paulownia tree."

"Boss, this name is really nice!" She repeated "Li Yitong" over and over, as if savoring the meaning of the two characters. "It sounds much better than my original name; it sounds like I'll be famous!"

Raymond Lam leaned back in his chair with a smile: "Name is secondary, the key is to have good work. Once 'The Beginning' airs, I guarantee you'll be remembered."

"Yes!" Li Yitong nodded vigorously, carefully putting the documents into the folder. "I will definitely film it well, to live up to this name, and to live up to you."

Two days later, the sun in Xiamen was particularly glaring. The opening ceremony for "The Beginning" was simple, with a red backdrop that read "Good luck on the start of filming".

Raymond Lam wore a simple white shirt, while Li Yitong wore a light blue dress. Together, they unveiled the red cloth covering the camera, and applause erupted around them.

Zhou Ming stood in the crowd, watching this scene with a smile on his lips. In the end, he decided to join Fengrui Film and Television, not only because of Lin Feng's talent, but also because of the company's promising future and the decent salary.

"Senior brother, please guide me in the future." Lin Feng walked over and shook hands with him.

"Likewise." Zhou Ming patted him on the shoulder. "Do a good job, don't embarrass our Beijing Film Academy's directing department."

After the opening ceremony, the crew immediately moved to a bus stop. Today's scene was Li Shiqing's first time entering the loop, where she falsely accused Xiao Heyun of being a "pervert" in order to get off the bus and forcibly pulled him off the bus.

"All departments, get ready!" Zhou Ming walked behind the monitor. "Turn up the lights a bit, add some side lighting to Li Yitong's face to emphasize her panic."

Li Yitong stood at the bus door, took a deep breath. Teacher Zhang had taught her that acting panic wasn't just about trembling hands, but also about conveying it through the eyes. The despair of "knowing something terrible is about to happen, but no one believes you" had to be expressed through the eyes.

"start!"

Li Yitong whirled around, grabbed "Xiao Heyun's" arm, her voice trembling with tears, yet deliberately raised so everyone around could hear: "What are you doing! You're being a pervert!"

Lin Feng, who plays Xiao Heyun, was stunned for a moment, then frowned and tried to shake off her hand: "Are you crazy?"

"I didn't!" Tears welled up in Li Yitong's eyes instantly, not forced, but genuinely from the sheer terror she felt. "You touched my butt! Everyone, look! This man is a pervert!"

She forcefully pulled Xiao Heyun towards the car, her strength unlike that of an ordinary girl. Xiao Heyun stumbled from the force, her face filled with impatience and bewilderment: "Let go! If you don't let go, I'll call the police!"

"Call the police! Do you think I'm afraid of you?!" Li Yitong's voice trembled, but it revealed a ruthless determination.

Passengers around them turned to look, and the driver impatiently honked his horn: "If you want to argue, go argue somewhere else! Don't delay the driver!"

Finally, Xiao Heyun was half-dragged, half-pulled off the bus. Just as they regained their footing, a deafening explosion came from behind them—the bus had exploded.

Li Yitong trembled with fear, collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, her eyes filled with relief at surviving the ordeal and unspeakable terror.

"CUT! Perfect!" Zhou Ming's voice was tinged with laughter as he stepped out from behind the monitor. "Yi Tong, the emotions in this scene were spot-on, and the tears were handled with ease. Not bad."

Li Yitong then came to her senses, her cheeks slightly flushed: "Teacher Zhang taught us so well." She had been completely immersed in the role, and even Lin Feng's momentary shock when playing Xiao Heyun made her feel that "Xiao Heyun" was truly wronged.

Just after filming this scene, a woman in a black suit walked over, holding a tablet computer in her hand. She had sharp eyes and looked like a career woman.

"Director Lin," the woman said, extending her hand. Her voice was crisp and efficient. "I'm Wang Man from Tencent Video, in charge of web series collaborations."

Lin Feng shook hands with her: "Ms. Wang, it's an honor to meet you. Last year's 'Darker' was a great success."

"Director Lin, you're too kind." Wang Man smiled. "We originally wanted to buy the rights to 'The Beginning' and produce it ourselves, but we didn't expect Director Lin to be so bold as to decide to make it himself."

"It's always better to raise your own child yourself," Raymond Lam said half-jokingly. Tencent did offer a good price initially, but he knew the potential of "The Beginning" and was reluctant to let go. In the end, they reached a joint investment agreement, with Tencent responsible for exclusive streaming on its platform and Fengrui Pictures taking the lead in production.

"It seems my worries were unnecessary." Wang Man looked at the monitor playback, her eyes filled with approval. "That scene just now, both the direction and the actors' emotions, were better than I expected. A great teacher produces great students; Teacher Jiang's students truly live up to their reputation."

"Mr. Wang, you flatter me."

"It's not just a compliment," Wang Man put away her tablet. "I was worried that you were too young and wouldn't be able to handle the situation, especially with so many veteran actors around. But now it seems that with Director Lin here, I'm at ease."

She glanced at her watch. "I have a meeting this afternoon, so I'll head back now. This is my assistant, Xiao Zhang," she said, pointing to a young woman behind her. "You two can communicate if needed."

While eating their boxed lunches at noon, Li Yitong sat down next to him with her tray and whispered, "Boss, did I do a good job this morning?"

"Very good, but there's still room for improvement." Lin Feng took a bite of rice. "For example, when you pulled me out of the car, the force was too deliberate. An ordinary person wouldn't have that much strength. You need to act out that explosive power of 'being frantic,' instead of just using force."

"Oh, I've got it." Li Yitong nodded, keeping his words in mind. She knew that Lin Feng was demanding when it came to acting, and this kind of "nitpicking" wasn't because he was dissatisfied, but because he wanted her to do better.

The afternoon's filming focused on the first formal conversation between the two characters after entering the loop. Xiao Heyun went from shock to doubt, and then to having to accept reality, while Li Shiqing went from panic to composure, trying her best to convince him to believe her. The scene between the two was full of tension and was completed in one take.

The veteran actors on the sidelines all saw this, and the actor playing Wang Xingde couldn't help but say to Zhou Ming, "This young director Lin is quite something. Not only is he a good director, but he also acts very steadily. I didn't realize he only studied at a formal acting school for a few months."

Zhou Ming smiled and nodded: "Him? He was born for this." But he felt a little emotional. Compared to when he first entered the industry, this kid seemed to have unlocked a cheat code. Whether directing or acting, he exuded a maturity beyond his years.

They wrapped up work at 5 p.m. Lin Feng decided to have a dinner party that evening. Firstly, it would be a good opportunity to get to know the crew members, especially the veteran actors. Secondly, Tencent had invested money, so they couldn't skimp on necessary expenses. Thirdly, most of the production team members were alumni of the Beijing Film Academy, so it would be a lively gathering.