"Huh? What happened?"
Xiao He was surprised that there really was a second part, and even more surprised that the second part was canceled just after he learned of its existence.
"We originally wanted to invite someone to play an important role in the second film, but she declined."
Lin Yipeng sighed deeply.
"Maybe I was too much of a push for her, but this role was designed specifically for her. If she didn't want to come, there was no point in filming it."
Xiao He remained silent.
He thought he probably guessed which character Lin Yipeng was referring to.
She was naturally the proprietress of Penglai Inn.
Director Lin insisted on not showing the actor's face throughout the entire series, and the actor even had very few lines. Many of the lines were conveyed by Shen Jue, whom the actor played. Therefore, Xiao He vaguely guessed that Director Lin had planted some foreshadowing in this character.
It's a pity that Director Lin didn't make a sequel, so this character may never appear on the big screen again.
Although he didn't know who the landlady in Lin Yipeng's heart was, Xiao He wisely didn't respond and simply listened in silence.
"Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore."
Lin Yipeng only looked dejected for a second before casually changing the subject, "You must have had a hard day of live streaming. I originally wanted to get together with you guys, but you and Pu Rong are both filming, so it's not convenient for me to bother you."
"Director Lin, you've worked hard too," Xiao He replied.
"Get some rest tonight. I'll invite you out for a celebration banquet once you get back to Shanghai."
"good."
After hanging up the phone, Xiao He began to think about the matter.
Just then, Liu Rulan walked in: "So? Has Director Lin revealed any plans for the next film? Is it a sequel to 'The Thieves'?"
She didn't believe Lin Yipeng hadn't seen how high the demand was for a second season.
Xiao He shrugged helplessly: "He doesn't plan to film a second part."
Liu Rulan frowned: "Why?"
"have no idea."
Xiao He did not reveal Lin Yipeng's reason.
"Well, that's a pity." Liu Rulan sighed. "Then let's rest. We have to rush back tomorrow."
As she reached the door, Liu Rulan remembered something and looked at Xiao He: "By the way, I asked you last time, but you didn't tell me if you had any other skills besides swordsmanship, knife skills, and rock climbing that you could include in your resume?"
"Well--"
Xiao's greeting card cover.
The system has been stuck updating for days, and he doesn't have any skills he can put on his resume!
"It depends on the situation," Xiao He replied vaguely, rubbing his nose. "Does Sister Liu have any role goals? Tell me about them first, and I'll see..."
...Let's see if I can learn it.
Liu Rulan clicked her tongue lightly: "It's as if you can learn it without me."
Xiao He chuckled dryly: "Hahaha..."
That's not necessarily true.
"Then listen carefully—"
Liu Rulan took out her phone, took a deep breath, and Xiao He suddenly had a bad feeling—
"First, the male lead must be handsome, over 1.8 meters tall, have a pleasant voice, be highly educated, fluent in a foreign language (English is the minimum, French is even better), an excellent cook, and able to play at least three musical instruments (piano and guitar are preferred). He should also be able to sing, not be tone-deaf, and be able to drive various vehicles, including but not limited to race cars, motorcycles, helicopters, and yachts. Ideally, he should also be able to ride horses, skateboard, and participate in some common extreme sports..."
Liu Rulan held up her phone and talked on and on, her demands, which seemed to last forever, were so loud that they made everyone's vision blur. Xiao He's lips twitched. Only when Liu Rulan finally stopped did he ask in a dry voice, "Sister Liu, what you were just reading... was the male lead's character description, right?"
Liu Rulan put away her phone and smiled brightly: "It's the male lead's character design, and also the actor's requirement."
Xiao He: "..."
Thinking about how he had spent four years getting his driver's license but had barely driven a few times, Xiao He pushed Liu Rulan out the door, saying, "It's too late, everyone should wash up and go to bed. You should go home now. Goodnight!"
Liu Rulan: "..."
Watching the door slam shut, she shrugged helplessly: "I wasn't finished yet. This script has been stuck in the approval process for years, and whether it can even be filmed is still a question. There's no sign of it yet... Oh well, let's just let this guy act all confident and capable of learning anything, and give him a little push—"
She then turned and walked towards her room.
After Xiao He chased Liu Rulan away, he indeed recalled that outrageous request from earlier.
To be honest, with a little effort, it's not impossible. He has a knack for cooking and musical instruments, so he should be able to learn quickly. As for singing, although he is definitely off-key... but if he can fix it, he'll be a good singer, and he thinks that's fine. It's just that he needs to drive all those vehicles...
Xiao He shrugged helplessly. This isn't something you can learn just by doing it; it requires more experience, knowledge, and practical reaction skills.
And let alone flying a helicopter, he's never even been in one!
unless--
Xiao He took out his skill replication capsule.
I almost forgot, he also has a chance to copy skills...
Xiao He stared at the capsule for a moment, then shook his head, put it away, and turned on his computer.
He began searching for basic information about director Lin Jiexiu.
Lin Jiexiu is now 60 years old. He and his wife Qu Qiuyan have a son and a daughter. Their eldest daughter is currently working in the financial industry, while Lin Yipeng is Lin Jiexiu's youngest son. He showed Lin Jiexiu's talent for directing from the time he was in school. He once independently directed a ten-minute campus stage play, which shocked many people at the time. However, he gradually faded from the public eye. Some media in his early years even called him "the prodigy who failed to live up to his potential".
Of course, there's no need to dwell on these comments now; the film "The Thief Catcher" is enough to silence all doubts.
However, these were not the main targets of Xiao He's investigation.
His gaze fell on the name Qu Qiuyan.
If you ask the younger generation about Qu Qiuyan, they probably wouldn't know who she is. But if you ask the older generation, they would probably blurt out "Goddess Qu"!
There were many actresses and divas in that era, but only one person could be called a goddess by countless movie fans—Qu Qiuyan!
Qu Qiuyan is a legendary figure in Chinese cinema. She has created countless memorable and classic roles, winning numerous Best Actress awards both domestically and internationally, setting a historical record. Even American media weekly magazine named her "【Asia's Most Influential Actress】" and "【Asia's Most Beautiful Goddess】". Her influence and achievements have become a mark and symbol of an era. If one were to discuss the history of Chinese cinema, her existence would be indispensable.
Qu Qiuyan and Lin Jiexiu complemented each other perfectly, but they were also able to create popular and classic works even when they were apart. At that {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} time, they were often jokingly referred to as "Asia's strongest couple." Whenever they attended an award ceremony, the awards would always be divided up by the couple first, without any controversy. They were simply strong.
However, just when everyone thought Qu Qiuyan would continue her career in the entertainment industry, or switch to education like her husband, an accident occurred.
During an advertisement shoot, a crew member accidentally threw a real Molotov cocktail at Qu Qiuyan, causing it to burst into flames. Qu Qiuyan screamed in agony as she was engulfed in the fire. Although the crew managed to extinguish the flames with a fire extinguisher, Qu Qiuyan still suffered severe burns and even facial disfigurement.
From that day on, a star fell from the sky and disappeared completely.
Qu Qiuyan completely withdrew from the entertainment industry, and no one knows what became of her in the end.
Some say she went insane after being disfigured and was sent to a mental hospital by Lin Jiexiu. Others say she was actually burned alive on the spot and was only sent to the hospital for humanitarian treatment. Still others say she did survive, but became neither human nor ghost, and eventually committed suicide by overdosing on pills and left this world forever.
At the time, there was much speculation online, but the person involved never appeared again. Even Lin Jiexiu rarely appeared in front of the media. Even when the media managed to break into the school and meet Lin Jiexiu, he refused to answer questions and drove them out.
So, more than ten or twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye, and people have long forgotten her existence; many even thought she was dead.
However, Xiao He knew that Qu Qiuyan was not dead.
Although he hadn't seen Qu Qiuyan's current condition with his own eyes, Xiao He had previously seen Lin Yipeng's post on social media about returning home to celebrate his mother's birthday, so he was certain that Qu Qiuyan was not dead.
Based on the foreshadowing that Lin Yipeng had previously planted in the story of the bandits, Xiao He boldly speculated that the role of the landlady of Penglai Inn was actually originally prepared by Lin Yipeng for her own mother.
No wonder the landlady's voice wasn't clear; Shen Jue's feelings for her were more of a filial affection.
This explains many of the things that happened before.
It's easy to imagine that if Qu Qiuyan were willing to participate in the film "The Thief Catcher," the movie would become even more significant.
Unfortunately, not everyone can calmly face the trauma and pain of those years later, let alone fall from the peak.
