I am a Big Player
Chapter 488 - 482, New Students at the Central Academy of Drama (First Release)_1

Chapter 488: 482, New Students at the Central Academy of Drama (First Release)_1

Ren He had invited Elder Zhou for dinner right in his own Courtyard House, which many people had naturally come to regard as the headquarters for social gatherings. This put Uncle Fang and Mrs. Wang, who often had to hurry to prepare a large table full of dishes, to the trouble. The dishes were homely country-style, yet esteemed figures like Elder Zhou flocked to enjoy them.

They felt that being able to enjoy a haven of peace in the midst of a bustling city was in itself a wonderful thing.

That day’s lunch guests included more than just Elder Zhou—there was also Elder Zhou’s good friend, the famous director Zhang Ming, and a guest Ren He hadn’t expected: Xia Yuting.

As soon as Zhang Ming entered, he said with a laugh, "I thought we were old friends beyond the confines of age, yet you’ve never invited me here for a meal. What’s the matter, are you worried this old man will eat too much?"

Ren He replied with a wry smile, "Look at what you’re saying. It’s just that I know you’re quite busy, and I didn’t want to bother you."

To be honest, he had never considered that a prominent director like Zhang Ming would want to befriend him. Their relationship had been as fleeting as a brief encounter—they had only spent a day together during casting at the outset and had not communicated much afterward.

Zhang Ming had also hoped that Ren He would join the scriptwriting team. But, where would Ren He find the time? He really wanted to see Kunlun faithfully adapted from the original, but the truth was, even if he joined the scriptwriting team, it probably wouldn’t make much of a difference.

It had always been like this in the country. Scriptwriters were often in a weak position, and aside from a few masters, other scriptwriters had very little say in a production crew.

Initially, Zhang Ming joked about offering a good price for Ren He’s services, but Elder Zhou laughed and said the young man hardly needed the money. Zhang Ming had always been puzzled by what that meant until recent events made the news...

That’s when Zhang Ming understood that Ren He truly didn’t need the money!

Nevertheless, his visit today was not just about wanting to befriend this talented young man—he also had his own agenda.

Before Ren He could think of how to address his main concern with Elder Zhou, Zhang Ming spoke up first, "Can I be the one to direct Harry Potter?"

Harry Potter was genuinely popular. The unfolding magical world captivated audiences worldwide.

However, Ren He couldn’t entrust Harry Potter’s filming to Zhang Ming, nor to any Chinese person for that matter. It wasn’t about idolizing foreign culture but a clear understanding that, although he had written the novel in this world, in reality, he hadn’t.

The Chinese imagination was by no means deficient. However, Ren He needed a director who thoroughly understood European culture to film it. Such a grand magical world had to be built by someone with that background.

If a Chinese person directed it, there would inevitably be discrepancies. Just as if a foreigner were to direct a martial arts world, they would struggle to do it justice.

People often say art knows no boundaries, and that’s true. But artistic forms have boundaries—these are cultural barriers.

Ren He declined politely with a smile, "Director Zhang, this isn’t me intentionally making things difficult for you. We are all clear about your directorial standards. However, Harry Potter and The Kite Runner are special cases—they can’t be handed over to you."

Zhang Ming’s face showed no embarrassment; instead, he laughed heartily, "Alright, it doesn’t matter if I can’t direct Harry Potter. Just write the rest of Kunlun and give it to me!"

So he was aiming for the Classic of Mountains and Seas trilogy all along, Ren He suddenly realized. That must be Zhang Ming’s true purpose.

There’s actually no problem with that, I’ve had a good rest for a while, and it’s no big deal to finish writing the last two parts of the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Besides, they don’t have a high word count, unlike Harry Potter, which is such a lengthy tome that even copying it is a hassle.

Although he doesn’t lack money now as he did when he first wrote Kunlun, it’s precisely because he’s not short of money that he has the leisure to do what he really wants to do.

Extreme sports are definitely out of the question for now. At the very least, he needed to settle things with Mrs. Ren first. Ren He was pondering one thing—he didn’t care for the hollow title of Knight and could play incognito without using the name of a Knight.

He could still participate in extreme sports, with Liu Erbao filming the videos, but these videos wouldn’t be released for now. They would wait until the day he felt he had truly achieved his dreams and no longer needed to risk his life, and then they would release them all at once.

It would be easier to explain this to Mrs. Ren by then, promising not to play anymore in the future.

One step at a time, no one can plan their life perfectly.

Zhang Ming was happy to eat and drink when Ren He agreed. It was then Ren He discovered that Xia Yuting had come because she had become good friends with Elder Zhou and Director Zhang. Elder Zhou and Director Zhang were well aware that Xia Yuting and Ren He were close friends.

Sitting at the dinner table, Yang Xi sensitively noticed that Xia Yuting’s occasional glances towards Ren He were somewhat different, but she didn’t think too much of it because she trusted Ren He enough not to make any mistakes in that regard.

However, there was an underlying sense of crisis. Ren He was becoming more and more outstanding, and there would certainly be many beautiful women in the future hoping for a chance to throw themselves at him.

People always talk about gender equality, yet many beautiful women still hope to rely on the strong. There is nothing wrong with this—as long as it makes their lives better, no path is wrong.

No one has the right to judge another person’s life.

During this period, Ren He learned that Xia Yuting had been to the United States several times in the past six months and had even become the second female lead in a big-budget movie. Her status in the domestic film industry had been steadily rising, making her a well-deserved leading actress on the big screen.

Xia Yuting, who was very graceful today, engaged in easy conversation with Yang Xi, and they even seemed to be on the verge of becoming good friends. They chatted on the side, paying no mind to the older gentlemen around them.

Today, Xia Yuting was dressed casually, in just a short-sleeved T-shirt and jeans. However, the short-sleeved T-shirt was so form-fitting that it showed off her splendid figure unreservedly, and her slender waist was so enticing that one couldn’t help but want to hold it.

Of course, Ren He couldn’t just stare. He inquired carefully with Zhou about whether there was a way to get into a university, be it for piano, violin, or visual arts—as he wouldn’t have a problem passing the interviews.

To forge iron, one must be strong oneself. With master-level skills in multiple industries, Ren He would have no problem getting through interviews. He wouldn’t feel right asking for favors if he couldn’t cut it himself.

Zhou found this a bit difficult. He had used his influence to help Ren He before, not only securing a Capital hukou for him but also recommending him to Capital Fourth Middle School. Now it’s not that he didn’t want to help Ren He, but he had retired, and once a person is gone, their influence fades. Zhou wasn’t sure if he could still pull strings at the Capital Journalism Group after his retirement.

But at this moment, Director Zhang laughed: "Don’t bother asking Zhou about this—I’ll take care of it for you. Central Academy of Drama, do you want to go? Acting department, directing department, stage design department, drama literature department, TV arts department, Joint Repair Department—I can’t speak for other schools, but I can still secure a spot at the Central Academy of Drama."

Zhou slapped his forehead with a smile and explained: "I forgot, Director Zhang is the lifetime honorary president of the Central Academy of Drama. He doesn’t have any real power, but his title is quite impressive."