Chapter 22

Jin Yufan was thoroughly stunned by Jin Zhide's words. He really couldn't imagine that a mentor with immense influence in the entire Korean entertainment industry and Seoul National University, who had been teaching acting for decades and had trained thousands of students, would have such a view on acting.

Indeed, in Jin Yufan's mind, although he had anticipated Jin Zhide's response, he never thought that Jin Zhide would directly equate acting to a machine.

You could view acting as life, as a play, or as a means to gain fame and fortune, but how could it become a machine?

In Jin Yufan's eyes, Jin Zhide's idea that acting is a machine seemed somewhat extreme. As for the words "fulfilling dreams," they were no longer important; whatever they were, they were just a machine.

Seeing Jin Yufan's stunned expression, Jin Zhide continued with a serious look, pointing at Jin Yufan with his index finger and saying, "Remember, acting is a machine. A machine has no life; you don't need to invest too much emotion into it because it has no life. The more emotion you invest, the more harm it will do to you in the end."

Jin Zhide looked deeply at Jin Yufan, truly hoping that this child, who had surprised and interested him, would remember his words. Acting is just a machine, a machine for fulfilling dreams. You must not invest too much emotion; otherwise, if you can't extricate yourself in time, the harm to yourself will only grow.

In recent years, many outstanding actors have suffered greatly because they were too immersed in their roles, unable to break free from the characters they played, often leading to severe harm, and even driving some to suicide.

Although retired, Jin Zhide has always believed and adhered to his initial philosophy: as a teacher, his primary responsibility is to remind and prioritize the lives and health of his students.

Compared to directors, producers, investors, and talent agencies who want actors to perform better, Jin Zhide, as a teacher, would rather his students' acting skills were not too good, as long as they could extricate themselves from their roles in time.

"Therefore, before I formally teach you, I must first make you understand how to extricate yourself from a role. To do this, you must understand what acting is. Only when you truly understand what acting is can you control the rhythm between the stage and real life. I will teach you acting only when I believe you can do this. After all, I don't want my students to become so engrossed in their roles that they harm themselves."

After saying this, Jin Zhide sighed softly, his eyes slightly closed, as if recalling something, giving off a sense of regret and sorrow.

Indeed, Jin Zhide was now thinking of a student he once deeply loved, a student who had become very successful in the music industry after entering the entertainment world.

It was strange why an acting teacher like Jin Zhide would have a singer as a student. But upon reflection, it wasn't so unusual. Korean artists are not short-sighted and naturally don't limit themselves to one field.

Back then, it was common for singers to dabble in acting and vice versa. But a few years later, it became the norm for a singer, actor, MC, and variety show host to do everything, making them truly versatile.

Because of this student's personality, Jin Zhide and the student got along very well, and he was particularly fond of and concerned about the student. Although the student didn't commit suicide due to being too immersed in a role, it still deeply saddened Jin Zhide, who resigned two years later, deeply affected by the incident.

The student's suicide made Jin Zhide truly understand the harshness and competitive pressure of the Korean entertainment industry. This made him place even more emphasis on his students' mental resilience and ability to regulate themselves. As an older teacher, he naturally didn't want to see his students driven to extremes by external factors.

As a teacher, Jin Zhide naturally took great pride in his students' success and was delighted by their achievements. But when faced with students committing suicide for various reasons, any teacher with a conscience, including Jin Zhide, would feel profound sorrow, regardless of whether they liked or disliked the student.

Therefore, after that incident, Jin Zhide placed more emphasis on providing psychological support and defense courses to his students. Over two years, although he was just an acting teacher, his extensive work in psychology earned him the respect and admiration of all the teachers at Seoul National University. It was not an exaggeration to call Jin Zhide an outstanding dual teacher in acting and psychology.

The student who became a psychological teacher and caused Jin Zhide such deep sorrow was Jin Gwangseok, a soulful singer who was a landmark figure in the Korean music industry and could be considered a legendary singer.

At this moment, Jin Yufan finally understood that Jin Zhide was speaking so much for his own good, not wanting him to become too immersed in his roles and take extreme actions.

Although Jin Yufan found Jin Zhide's concern somewhat dismissive, given his mature psychological素质, high IQ, and strong self-control, he was destined not to take the path of suicide.

However, Jin Zhide's intentions were genuinely for his own good, and this could not be denied. Thinking about this, Jin Yufan stood up from his chair and bowed respectfully to Jin Zhide, saying, "Mentor, rest assured, I will never take that path."

Hearing Jin Yufan's words, Jin Zhide patted his head affectionately and said, "Child, you are still young and cannot fully understand the intensity and brutality of the entertainment industry. I truly hope that when the time comes, if necessary, you can step back, cool down, think, and perhaps see and achieve more."

"Rest assured, Mentor, I understand!" Jin Yufan responded respectfully, sensing Jin Zhide's growing sadness.

"En~~~ Well, I'm old and can't handle it anymore. Thinking about some unpleasant things, I have no heart to teach you today. That's all. You can go back and rest. Come back tomorrow!"

After saying this, Jin Zhide closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, seemingly lost in thought.

"Yes, I'll leave now, Mentor!" Jin Yufan looked deeply at Jin Zhide, bowed respectfully, and then left.

A teacher who genuinely cares for their students is worthy of respect, no matter where or in which country they are.

Leaving Jin Zhide's office, Jin Yufan thought for a moment, decided there was nothing else to do that day, and didn't visit the four sisters of Fin.K.L. Well~~~ Actually, even if he went, it wouldn't have helped. Given Fin.K.L's popularity, Jin Yufan's visit would have been in vain. Fin.K.L would only be at the company if they were preparing a new album or single. Therefore, without hesitation, Jin Yufan left the company and headed home.

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For a teacher who sincerely cares for their students, no matter where or in which country, they are always worthy of everyone's respect.