Chapter 65

After inquiring about the location, Yumei quickly brought her assistant and rushed over.

On the way, the assistant still didn't quite understand Yumei's actions, thinking that Ye Ming was just a newcomer and there was no need to be so anxious.

Yumei snorted and said, "What do you know, little girl? Once a newcomer performs on the Spring Festival Gala, they're no longer a newcomer. The Gala's star-making power is something you can't even imagine. I hope Fang Fang doesn't go too far this time."

The final negotiation left Yumei not very happy, but she still gritted her teeth and agreed. The contract was for one year, but Jiankangbao had the right of first refusal. The fee was 120,000 yuan, and Ye Ming had to participate in two promotional activities.

This fee was already the treatment of a top-tier domestic star. Moreover, at Ye Ming's insistence, Yumei agreed that the 120,000 yuan would be after tax, meaning Jiankangbao would have to pay the taxes for Ye Ming.

Fang Fang was very puzzled by Ye Ming's insistence, wondering why he was so adamant about it, almost making Yumei lose her temper.

Ye Ming said mysteriously, "Heaven's secrets cannot be revealed, Sister Fang Fang. In the future, you should pay attention. Regarding any of my compensation, it's fine if it's a bit lower, but it must be after tax. Remember this."

In a while, the state would increase its scrutiny in this area, and many stars had fallen because of it, even some top-tier singers had ended up in prison.

The final review of the Spring Festival Gala was packed with big names. In the singing world, Wang Fei and Na Ying's "1998" became a symbol of that year's Gala, and Liu Huan's "Hero's Song" also predictably made it to the stage.

Under the starry sky, taking a few steps might reveal a very familiar face. Relatively speaking, Ye Ming was the most unfamiliar.

After the final review, the program was basically set. The media didn't notice that a new solo song, "Blue and White Porcelain" by Ye Ming, had been added to the Gala.

Because Ye Ming wasn't very famous, just a newcomer, on the stage of the Gala, more people were focused on the collaboration of the two top divas, Wang Fei and Na Ying, who became the targets of everyone's attention.

Every time the two appeared, they would be followed by a flurry of photographers. As for Ye Ming, wearing a dark green vest, he looked like a TV station staff member, and almost no reporters would point their cameras at him.

The sound of New Year's Eve fireworks arrived as scheduled. Ye Ming stood on the steps of the Tianchao TV station, looking back at the starry sky, thinking that after the hustle and bustle, everything would return to silence.

This sentence perfectly captured Ye Ming's current feelings.

Without looking back, he walked out of the Tianchao TV station, where the guards were still on duty.

Fang Fang drove a black jeep and stopped beside Ye Ming, sticking her head out and saying, "Ye Ming, big star, get in the car quickly. From today on, the whole country will be watching you. You're at least a top-tier singer now."

She listened to "Blue and White Porcelain" very attentively. Based on her long experience in the industry, this song would definitely become a hit across the mainland, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Back in the day, "The Sound of the Waves" made the unknown Mao Ning an overnight sensation across the country, and "A Fire in the Winter" made Fei Xiang's almost unsold tapes sell out. This was the charm of the Spring Festival Gala.

Ding dong, the system startup sound rang.

[Host completed the Spring Festival Gala character, rewarded with 200 points of fame]

[Host: Ye Ming. Age: 19, Acting: 358, Singing: 388, Fame: 380, Martial Arts: 400, Insight: Two stars. Functions: Artist Training, Prop Store. Inventory: Stamina Potion, Puppet, Locked Item: Best Actor Crown.]

Zhao Wei was the first to call, offering congratulations. A song that could become popular on the Spring Festival Gala meant a lot for an artist, indicating that they had broken through the newcomer barrier and officially entered the ranks of true artists.

Fan Binbin, Huang Bo, and even Xu Zheng called to congratulate him, with Fan Binbin even inviting Ye Ming to treat them to a meal.

The next day, Su Youpeng and Lin Xinru also called to offer their congratulations.

After shooting the Jiankangbao advertisement, Yumei personally invited a team from Hong Kong to create a very good ad. After the Lantern Festival, the ad was finally completed, fulfilling the contract.

A few days before the Lantern Festival, Fang Fang received a call from director Liu Weiqiang, asking Ye Ming to go to Hong Kong to start filming "The Storm: The World of Heroes."

As Ye Ming's agent, Fang Fang had already arranged the travel permit to Hong Kong. The two each carried two large suitcases and headed straight for the airport.

At the airport, Ye Ming unexpectedly encountered a familiar figure wearing a black baseball cap, large sunglasses, and a windbreaker.

Not quite sure, Ye Ming called out, "Brother You."

The person turned and looked at Ye Ming, and it was indeed Ge You.

This made Ye Ming very curious. Ge You, who was known for never flying, how could he be at the airport?

Ye Ming approached and asked, puzzled, "Brother You, I heard you never fly. Why are you at the airport?"

Ge You chuckled and said, "I'm afraid it might fall from the sky, so I don't fly. Today, I'm here to see a friend off. How about you? You can't even go out on the street now, can you? That's the taste of overnight fame. Where are you going?"

There was no need to hide this from Ge You, so Ye Ming said, "To Hong Kong. I accepted a role in 'The Storm: The World of Heroes' directed by Liu Weiqiang last year."

Ge You nodded and said, "It's more solid to stick to your old profession. Ye Ming, as someone who has been through this, I'll give you some advice. If you want to be a top-tier star, just ignore what I said. With your current potential, you can reach the top in three to five years."

Ye Ming said without hesitation, "Brother You, I want to be a superstar, a true top-tier star, someone who stands at the pinnacle of the entertainment industry, like you, who is free and unrestrained."

Ge You laughed and waved his hand, "What kind of superstar am I? Just making a living. If you want to be a superstar and reach the top of this industry, remember my words: to be a superstar, you need to be down-to-earth and focus on one thing. In the entire Chinese entertainment industry, there are only a handful of people who can truly be called superstars, no more than ten. They all have one thing in common: they are dedicated. Cheng Long, Zhou Xingchi, and Zhou Runfa are all dedicated to acting, while Wang Fei and Zhang Xueyou are dedicated to singing. Dedication is the foundation of success. Of course, Cheng Long also sings, but that's because he's already a superstar and has the right to dabble in other areas. You're not a superstar yet, so if you want to become one, it's best not to dabble in other areas. A dual superstar, as far as I know, no one in our industry has achieved that."

Ye Ming knew these were Ge You's heartfelt words, the advice of a senior to a junior. He really considered Ye Ming a friend, or he wouldn't have said these things.

These were the experiences Ge You had gained from his long career in the entertainment industry.

Ye Ming hesitated for a moment and said, "Brother You, I was too hasty. I'll be more careful in the future and won't dabble in other areas."

Ge You laughed and said, "I said a lot of nonsense, don't be angry. I was just speaking my mind. Since you've already performed on the Spring Festival Gala, you've shown your singing talent. It's impossible not to sing in the future, and many people will find you. So, you should sing when you need to, but remember the key point. Once you become a Golden Horse or Golden Image Best Actor, you can do whatever you want without criticism."

Best Actor is a recognition. Once you have the title, your status won't be easily shaken.

After Ge You left, Fang Fang got her boarding pass and said, "Ye Ming, you and Ge You have a good relationship. He said such things to you, which means he must see great potential in you."

Ye Ming looked at Ge You's retreating figure and said, very moved, "Yes, in this industry, how many people would treat a newcomer like this? Sister Fang Fang, in the future, if you can, please push away any singing offers. I want to focus on the film and television industry, as Ge You said. Once I get a Golden Horse or Golden Image Best Actor, then we can talk about releasing an album."

Fang Fang shrugged and said, "If you're not afraid of your boss, it's up to you. For now, let's focus on filming 'The Storm.' This will be very helpful for you to enter the Hong Kong and Taiwan markets. If you do well, you'll be one of the top second-tier actors. You're my golden goose, and I have high hopes for you."

Ye Ming's income was Fang Fang's income, so she naturally cared a lot about his progress.

At the Jiahe film set, after Ye Ming entered, a staff member asked about his purpose and led him to a large room where director Liu Weiqiang was.

At this moment, Liu Weiqiang called out, "Ye Ming, over here. Everyone, let me introduce a new member, Ye Ming, who will play Qin Shuang."

At this moment, almost everyone in the hall turned their attention to Ye Ming.

This lucky guy was one of the biggest beneficiaries of "The Storm."

A newcomer actually had the chance to participate in the filming of "The Storm."

At this moment, Ye Ming, in the tense atmosphere, observed the unfriendly gazes of many people.

There were quite a few people in the room, almost all the main actors of "The Storm: The World of Heroes" were present.

Guo Fucheng and Zheng Yijian sat on either side of Liu Weiqiang, showing their leading roles. However, from their mutual distrust, it was clear that they didn't get along well.

One was a veteran king, the other a rising star, and neither was willing to yield.

As for Huang Qiusheng, for some reason, he looked at Ye Ming very unfavorably, his eyes revealing a look of disdain and contempt.

Naturally, Ye Ming completely ignored this provocation. Huang Qiusheng was a veteran actor in the Hong Kong entertainment industry.

In 1994, he won the Best Actor award at the Hong Kong Film Awards for "Human Flesh Dumplings," making him a top-tier actor.

However, due to Huang Qiusheng's sharp tongue, he wasn't very well-liked in the industry.

[Name: Huang Qiusheng. Age: 37. Acting: 980. Fame: 950. Martial Arts: 300. Insight: Two and a half stars.]

According to the system's query, Huang Qiusheng's insight wasn't very good, but he had managed to reach the level of a top-tier actor through his own efforts, which was quite impressive.

At this moment, although Huang Qiusheng's expression was unfriendly, he didn't say anything.

There were two people Ye Ming was familiar with, Wang Zhiwen and Xu Jinglei, but they only nodded kindly at Ye Ming, the fellow mainland actor, without saying anything else.

The atmosphere was awkward, and almost everyone in the hall showed a look of discomfort towards Ye Ming. These two showing their kindness was already a form of support.

Zheng Yijian, however, said without hesitation, "Director, I have an objection. This is a big production, and Jiahe is shooting it to save the Hong Kong film market. But you're bringing in a newcomer. Can he pass the acting test?"

Zheng Yijian was a key player under Liu Weiqiang, known for his role as Chen Hao Nan in the "Young and Dangerous" series, which established his status as a top-tier star. He had a good relationship with the director, so he spoke his mind without any reservations, not giving the newcomer any face.

In the entertainment industry, respect is earned through strength.

To be honest, Ye Ming didn't have any representative works in film.

Liu Weiqiang didn't expect his trusted player to challenge his decision.

This was the last thing Liu Weiqiang wanted to see. He was a very independent director, seemingly mild-mannered but with his own principles. Once he made a decision, it was hard to change.

Now, Zheng Yijian was questioning his decision in front of everyone, embarrassing him.

Even his trusted player couldn't get away with it.

Liu Weiqiang said, "I have my reasons for choosing Mr. Ye Ming."

But then, Zheng Yijian twirled the ring on his finger and said, "Director, I also have a question. I heard that Tian Hua was originally supposed to play this role. Why the last-minute change? A newcomer might not pass the acting test. We can't afford to be held back by him. I don't want the entire crew to be held back by one person."

This was a complete lack of respect for the director, making Liu Weiqiang very unhappy, his face darkening like a storm cloud.

But at this moment, Guo Fucheng interjected, "Everyone starts as a newcomer. Who doesn't improve through hard work? As an actor, just do your job. What the director decides is the director's business."

Although he didn't name names, everyone knew he was talking about Zheng Yijian.

Just as Zheng Yijian was about to react, the director intervened. Liu Weiqiang snorted and stood up, saying, "Enough. I have my reasons for choosing Ye Ming. Ye Ming has real skills, something you can't match. Mr. Ye Ming, show us your skills so no one can doubt you."

There was an apple and a fruit knife on the table, which served as props.

Ye Ming said nothing, picked up the apple, and no one saw how he did it, but the fruit knife was already in his hand.

A flash of cold light in the air, and the apple was nailed to the opposite beam.

This display of skill immediately intimidated everyone. The flying knife technique was not something just anyone could possess.

Zheng Yijian, seeing everyone's shocked expressions, realized that criticizing Ye Ming at this moment was inappropriate, so he kept quiet.

Amateurs see the excitement, but professionals see the skill. Others might not understand, but Q