Chapter 92

That night, Zhang Chengyuan stayed in Lee Hyori's apartment and didn't wake up until around 10:30 in the morning. Afterward, he helped Lee Hyori to recover from the fatigue caused by her recent busy schedule. After lunch, the two left the apartment one after another. Lee Hyori went to the company to find someone to accompany her in intensive script practice, preparing for the formal shooting the next day. Zhang Chengyuan, on the other hand, went to the KBS headquarters to meet with the main creators and lead actors of the production, preparing to attend the press conference for "Hero Ja Chum" held there in the afternoon.

Around 2:30 PM, the press conference officially began. The main actors walked up to the stage one by one, posing for the photographers below.

Because most of the media believed that the scriptwriters of "Hero Ja Chum" were two inexperienced newcomers and the lead actors were not top-tier stars, they were not very optimistic about the future of the drama. Therefore, the number of journalists who came to interview was not large, and most of them were from KBS or media outlets with good relations with KBS.

Among the actors today, the ones who could truly attract the attention of the journalists were probably only Zhang Chengyuan and Han Chae-young. First, the two were a handsome man and a beautiful woman, very pleasing to the eye, and the photos taken of them could attract attention. Second, Zhang Chengyuan's popularity had been very high recently, and the public was very interested in his news. Han Chae-young, since her role in "Autumn in My Heart," had been widely popular, with her popularity continuously rising, and her future looked very bright. Therefore, the journalists would not let go of the opportunity to take photos and conduct interviews with the two.

Not long after the questions began, a journalist asked Zhang Chengyuan, "Mr. Zhang Chengyuan, why did you choose to act in this low-budget drama with a new scriptwriter? With your popularity, you should be able to easily find a more suitable role?" This journalist seemed to be overestimating Zhang Chengyuan, not knowing that he had already put in a lot of effort to take on this low-budget drama.

Zhang Chengyuan said, "I feel very honored to be part of 'Hero Ja Chum.' Although Hong Jeong-eun and Hong Mi-ran are new scriptwriters, they should not be viewed as such. Their script has a fast pace, clear logic, and is both touching and humorous. Their writing and dialogue skills are also very mature. More importantly, the story they tell is very fresh, and their style is unique and distinct from most other writers. I believe they will become famous writers that all actors want to work with in the future."

Zhang Chengyuan's high praise left the journalists looking at each other in disbelief. One journalist said, "Mr. Zhang Chengyuan, isn't your praise a bit excessive? It seems like you are trying to flatter the scriptwriters?" Sometimes journalists speak without restraint and with ill intentions, as if they hope to anger the interviewee to get more explosive material. If the interviewee could punch the journalist, it would be even better.

Zhang Chengyuan, not wanting to argue with the journalist, smiled easily and said, "Whether it is excessive or not, you will know after the drama is aired."

"Mr. Zhang, you still haven't answered why you took on this role. From the previous introduction, Lee Jae-dragon's character seems very lively and doesn't seem to suit you," the same journalist asked again.

Zhang Chengyuan replied, "I know you think my previous image was too cold and silent, but that shouldn't be a barrier. I am a qualified actor and can portray various characters with different personalities. If you doubt this, I don't mind, because I can't immediately dispel your doubts. However, I believe that after you watch the first episode, you will have a completely different view of me and my acting."

"Mr. Zhang Chengyuan, what do you think of your co-star, Miss Han Chae-young?"

"Beautiful, kind, strong, and optimistic, but her personality is a bit like a boy, very carefree," Zhang Chengyuan answered fluently.

Sitting next to him, Han Chae-young initially smiled, but after hearing his evaluation, she secretly stomped on his foot with her high heel, causing Zhang Chengyuan to almost cry out in pain. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and maintained a gentle smile.

"Then, Miss Han Chae-young, what do you think of Mr. Zhang Chengyuan?"

Han Chae-young said, "He? Like a madman."

When she said this, the crew members remained calm with hidden smiles, but the journalists immediately became noisy, thinking they had found a big scoop.

But Han Chae-young continued, "During filming, he acts very crazily, getting into character very quickly, almost never needing to reshoot, and seemingly not feeling pain or fatigue. Once, during an action scene, he accidentally sprained his ankle, which swelled up a lot, but he continued filming for five hours. When asked if it hurt, he said he didn't feel any pain at all." When Zhang Chengyuan was deeply in character, his sensitivity and reaction were reduced, which is why he accidentally got injured, but it was only occasionally.

The truth was that Zhang Chengyuan had sealed the nerves and meridians around his ankle, so he naturally didn't feel any pain. However, the crew members thought he was so engrossed in the role that he didn't feel the pain. For this "beautiful" misunderstanding, Zhang Chengyuan didn't bother to explain, nor did he think it was necessary, so everyone confirmed that he was indeed a "madman" for acting.

The journalists, hearing Han Chae-young's explanation, sighed in disappointment, "Ah! So it's just this kind of madman." Although this news had some reporting value, it was clearly not as valuable as they had imagined.

After a while, the journalists adjusted their moods, and someone asked, "Mr. Zhang Chengyuan, Miss Han Chae-young, please predict the ratings of 'Hero Ja Chum.' Can it become the top-rated drama in its time slot?"

Zhang Chengyuan inwardly cursed, "What a boring question. Do you think I am the Three Pure Ones? How could I possibly predict the future?" He glanced at Han Chae-young, signaling her to speak first.

Han Chae-young first looked at the director, who nodded, and then said, "It's really hard to predict the ratings. I estimate it will be around 10%." She gave a conservative estimate to avoid being criticized by journalists if it didn't reach the expected level.

Hearing Han Chae-young's words, the director nodded slightly. Since the drama had a low budget and was just an attempt by KBS to try a new genre, the TV station didn't have high expectations. As long as the ratings could stay above 10%, the production team would be satisfied. Although everyone thought the drama was quite good and had the potential to be a hit, the future was unpredictable, so it was better not to be too confident.

Zhang Chengyuan, who was not a restless person, was very steady, so his answer was similar to Han Chae-young's, but he added, "Maybe after SBS's 'Love in Harvard' finishes airing, the ratings of 'Hero Ja Chum' could rise to over 15%."

Currently, "Love in Harvard," starring Kim Tae-hee and Kim Rae-won, was very popular. When "Hero Ja Chum" started airing, it would be at the peak of "Love in Harvard." Competing with it at this time was already at a disadvantage, which is why Han Chae-young predicted 10%, and Zhang Chengyuan said the ratings would rise after "Love in Harvard" ended.

Afterward, the journalists asked some more boring questions, but seeing that Zhang Chengyuan and Han Chae-young were tight-lipped and wouldn't reveal any explosive news, they turned their attention to the new scriptwriters, the Hong sisters, perhaps thinking they were easier to bully.

However, with the experienced director, Jeon Gi-sang, who was familiar with the journalists' tactics, the journalists didn't get any of the insider information they wanted. The press conference ended in a seemingly harmonious atmosphere, which was considered a success for the production team, as no accidents occurred.