Chapter 27

After chatting for about half an hour, Jiang Hudong and the other two tactfully stopped bothering and took their leave. Although they had only sat for half an hour, they left a deep impression on Zhang Chengyuan. Although the three had different personalities, they were clearly eloquent and their every move gave a sense of warmth and naturalness, making them seem like approachable friends before he knew it.

Especially Liu Zaisil, who neither gave the impression of being domineering and sharp like Jiang Hudong nor seemed a bit rascally like Li Huicai. He appeared dignified and honest, which left the best impression on Zhang Chengyuan. Zhang Chengyuan's spirit could clearly sense that he had a sincere and enthusiastic heart towards everyone present, with no intention of overshadowing others, making him a very down-to-earth gentleman.

Of course, in Zhang Chengyuan's perception, Jiang Hudong and Li Huicai were also excellent people, just not as likable as Liu Zaisil!

After Jiang Hudong and the others left, Li Xiaoli and the other three informed Zhang Chengyuan about their identities and character. Li Xiaoli said, "Chengyuan, these three seniors will surely make a name for themselves in the entertainment industry in the future. You must show them the utmost respect and maintain a good relationship with them, and never offend them."

Zhang Chengyuan nodded, indicating that he understood. Even if Li Xiaoli hadn't said anything, he felt it was necessary to maintain a good relationship with these three, not for the sake of future help, but simply because he thought they were good people.

While they were eating, Li Zhen happened to look up at the TV screen in the hall and suddenly froze. Cheng Youli and Yoo Juhyun followed Li Zhen's gaze and also fell silent. After Li Xiaoli spoke a few words to Zhang Chengyuan, she noticed the three's strange behavior and thought that the TV channel might be broadcasting some major news, so she stopped talking and looked at the TV screen.

The TV screen was showing a historical drama, with actors dressed in Joseon-era costumes and the surroundings exuding an ancient and traditional East Asian atmosphere. The screen flashed, revealing a handsome and rugged yet somewhat youthful face. The four women found it increasingly familiar, and it was clearly their little brother Zhang Chengyuan. Before they could turn to ask Zhang Chengyuan, their attention was immediately drawn back to the TV screen.

In the TV, Zhang Chengyuan was wielding a two-pronged fork, a common tool for ancient hunters, and thrusting it swiftly at a tiger's throat. His eyes were resolute, and his expression fierce and intimidating. The tiger roared and leaped, narrowly avoiding the fork, then pounced fiercely at Zhang Chengyuan's upper body, its mouth wide open and fangs bared, making the scene bone-chilling.

The man and the tiger engaged in a brutal and intense battle. Zhang Chengyuan gritted his teeth, his exposed arms bulging with veins, his movements fierce and swift yet agile. Gradually, he managed to pin the tiger down, leaving several wounds on its body, blood flowing, and its roars gradually weakening. Finally, the tiger lost heart and fled. Zhang Chengyuan pursued it with all his might...

Cheng Youli exclaimed happily, "Chengyuan, you're so brave, you actually drove the tiger away."

Zhang Chengyuan lowered his head and said, "That's just a TV drama, don't take it seriously. Real tigers aren't that weak." After speaking, Zhang Chengyuan fell into deep thought.

A scene of fighting a tiger was broadcast for five or six minutes without ending, and the edited footage was exquisitely detailed, clearly taking a lot of time and effort, which surprised him greatly. He was just a minor character appearing in one or two episodes, and although he worked hard and diligently during filming, the production team usually wouldn't spend much time and effort on detailed processing of minor roles to save time and resources. After all, this was just a TV drama, not a movie where every frame had to be perfect.

"Could it be that Park Byung-ryul did some extra work?" Zhang Chengyuan speculated. Regardless of the reason, it was a big advantage for him. Perhaps after this episode aired, it would create a sensation similar to the one caused by the Shin Ramyun commercial.

In fact, Zhang Chengyuan was overestimating his agent Park Byung-ryul's abilities. If Park Byung-ryul really had the power to change the director's mind, Zhang Chengyuan would have already landed important roles, such as the second or third male lead. The reason he got so much screen time was simply due to his good fortune. The truth was that during editing, the director and screenwriter found that some of the originally shot scenes were too ordinary and lacked the sparkle to attract the audience's attention. After careful consideration, they felt that Zhang Chengyuan's tiger-fighting scene might be more eye-catching, and his handsome face was charming enough to make aunties and grandmas "cherish" him. Therefore, they extended the tiger-fighting scene by a few minutes, inadvertently giving Zhang Chengyuan a great opportunity to shine.

Yoo Juhyun continued, "Although it's not entirely real, as long as it looks real enough, I think Chengyuan becoming an outstanding actor is just a matter of time."

Li Xiaoli smiled and said, "Chengyuan's performance is indeed good. He might become a national superstar in the future. When that happens, we sisters will be able to bask in his glory."

Zhang Chengyuan felt elated inside, his eyes sparkling with joy, but he kept a relatively calm expression and humbly said, "Sisters, you're too kind. A national superstar is far beyond my reach right now." He could have ignored the praise from others, but the praise from Fin.K.L was something he couldn't resist, even though he knew they were just joking.

After finishing the meal, Zhang Chengyuan parted ways with the four Fin.K.L members and returned home. He reviewed his school and acting school lessons as usual, meditated for about an hour, and then went to bed, completely unaware that a heated discussion about him was taking place in households and corners all over Seoul.

Some media reported that Zhang Dongjian's younger brother had made his TV debut, portraying a brave and fearless tiger-fighting youth named Zhang Lie.

Some experts commented that Zhang Dongjian's younger brother's acting was superb and seasoned, not at all like a newcomer, with a bright future ahead.

Some female fans said that the tiger-fighting youth Zhang Lie was handsome and rugged, exuding a masculine charm. Even when he gritted his teeth, he still looked good, representing the image of a Korean man better than the popular pretty boys.

Some people who liked to praise said that despite his young age, he had remarkable skills and his action scenes were no less impressive than those of Korean action stars, even comparable to Hong Kong action superstar Jet Li, which was amazing!

This praise was overly flattering, and if Zhang Chengyuan had seen it, he would have blushed and felt extremely embarrassed!

Of course, there were also critics who criticized his acting as poor, saying he only had the level of an ad actor, purely a pretty face to attract the audience's attention, and that his lines were so few, he must not be able to deliver them well.

...

A week later, when the new episode aired, the sudden death of Zhang Lie in the TV drama further intensified the craze. Zhang Lie, the brave youth who had captured the attention of millions, died a heroic and tragic death, like a fleeting flower, leaving people sighing and feeling regretful. This made the audience remember him even more deeply and find it hard to forget. Many people left messages on the TV station's website: "Zhang Lie's death is one of the most regrettable deaths in the past decade. If the screenwriter could bring him back to life, I would be infinitely grateful."

A week ago, the comments were a mix of criticism and praise, admiration and jealousy, but a week later, almost all the mainstream media were filled with praise. Those who had criticized him before no longer dared to say that the actor playing Zhang Lie had poor acting skills, and instead praised his performance and his promising future.

Seeing these comments, Park Byung-ryul was overjoyed, praising Zhang Chengyuan and urging him to keep up the good work! However, Zhang Chengyuan wasn't very happy and complained in his heart, "Damn it, I finally got some attention, but almost no one knows my real name. They either see me as Zhang Dongjian's younger brother or call me the tiger-fighting youth Zhang Lie. Is my name that hard to remember?"