Superstars of Tomorrow

Fang Zhao had a visitor when he was composing.

It was late. Production crews were wrapping up certain scenes, and actors were starting to head back to their rooms. For the most part, the actors rested, memorized lines, or started preparing for upcoming scenes after returning to their rooms. Recently, quite a few actors had been approaching Fang Zhao for acting tips.

After speaking to Fang Zhao, Si Lu had completed his remaining scenes in peak form. Word that Si Lu had found inspiration from Fang Zhao had quickly spread on the set of the Yanzhou chapter.

While Zaro had taken shortcuts by using gimmicks to enhance his performances, Si Lu was the real deal. He was an A-list actor in Yanzhou who had won quite a few prestigious awards. His quite moving mastery of his death scene in season five of "Founding Era" had won widespread acclaim from senior figures in the industry.

But the bottom line was that both Zaro and Si Lu had gotten their inspiration from Fang Zhao. Thus, when actors were struggling to find their form, they often tried their luck with Fang Zhao.

Eventually, folks realized that Fang Zhao was indeed a big help. They didn’t make much of his handy advice, though, chalking it up to his impressive knowledge of Yanzhou history. As a consultant to the production, they figured he also had a deeper understanding of the script and the characters than the average actor.

When he heard the knock on the door, Fang Zhao thought it was another actor. Instead, when he opened his door, he saw Dina, the vice president of the Yanzhou Music Association.

Both Dina and Ming Cang had spoken highly of Fang Zhao when he had created the virtual idol Polar Light and produced the four movements of the "100-Year Period of Destruction" series.

Dina was a member of the team composing the score for "Founding Era." Ming Cang wasn’t—not because he wasn’t qualified but because his son Ming Ye was still receiving treatment. He couldn’t get away.

"Vice President Dina?" Fang Zhao invited Dina in and offered him a glass of warm water.

"I’m just taking a walk after dinner. We haven’t had a real conversation since we arrived in Wai, so I figured I’d see what you’re up to. What were you doing? Memorizing lines?" Dina scanned the room.

Fang Zhao’s single room wasn’t that big. Apart from his bedroom, he had a living room that he used as a study. There was little storage space. Dina could see everything there was to see.

When he spotted the electronic keyboard and an open notebook and pen next to it, the smile on Dina’s face grew.

"No, I was just composing," Fang Zhao responded.

"Sorry to intrude." Dina did feel bad, but he also felt encouraged.

He had dropped by to ask Fang Zhao about his future career plans. Fang Zhao was growing in popularity both in Yanzhou and globally. He had a big endorsement deal. His popularity was skyrocketing. Would he continue acting? What would his next step be?

Dina had been thinking that if Fang Zhao didn’t want to give up composing, the young composer could stick around after he finished shooting his scenes. He could remain as a special guest of the music team. If he could produce a piece or two, that would give them even more leverage. If Fang Zhao wanted to switch careers, Dina would definitely try to talk him out of it.

In terms of music composition, Dina considered Fang Zhao one of the most promising talents among Yanzhou’s young musicians. The last time Dina had had internet access and spoken to Ming Cang, they had wondered whether Fang Zhao was taking a break from composing. Little had Dina expected to come over and find Fang Zhao working on a new piece instead of memorizing his lines. Of course he was delighted.

And based on Dina’s observation of Fang Zhao’s patterns the past few years, he realized that Fang Zhao either opted out of the game or was fully committed. Once he set his eyes on something, he would definitely deliver at a high quality. It was too early to say if Fang Zhao’s new piece would be chosen for the "Founding Era" score, but Dina was happy about the mere fact that Fang Zhao hadn’t given up on composing.

He had no use for the spiel he had prepared in advance, and Dina didn’t want to interrupt this junior musician’s composing. He’d rather not stem the flow of Fang Zhao’s inspiration with a conversation.

"I’ll get going, then. Keep doing what you were doing. You’re very talented at composing pieces set against the Period of Destruction, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself. The journey is more important. There are no winners and losers in music. Even if your piece isn’t selected for the score, it doesn’t mean it’s a bad song."

"I know," Fang Zhao said.

"As long as you can stay sober-minded."

Dina got up to leave. En route to his dorm room, he ran into Fay Harmonik, the violin prodigy from Jizhou.

An old friend from Jizhou had just bragged about Fay Harmonik to Dina today, proudly noting that the young violinist had contributed to quite a few scores and songs recently. One of Fay Harmonik’s pieces had been chosen for the "Founding Era" score. It would appear in season six of the Jizhou chapter.

Dina always treated talented young musicians well, regardless of which continent they were from, but he did not know Fay Harmonik well. They exchanged perfunctory hellos before going about their own business.

Later, Dina remembered that he had seen Fay Harmonik carrying a case. He wondered if it was a new violin that Fay Harmonik had shipped to Wai.

Meanwhile, Fay Harmonik was in a decent mood.

When he needed inspiration or to adjust his mood, he always put on his headset. Sometimes he listened to the sounds of nature, sometimes to classic songs. He listened to all sorts of genres and musical styles.

People like him who were sensitive to sound had extremely exacting standards when it came to headset quality. They could pick up on every detail. Their ears had no tolerance for flaws.

He had brought just a lone headset to Wai, which had broken down. He had borrowed a pair but hadn’t been able to stand the sound quality. They had been pure torture, especially when used outdoors.

The climate on Wai interfered with certain types of electronic equipment. Interference in headsets created a noise that Fay Harmonik found unbearable. He had taken advantage of his internet access day to ask his assistant to order a new headset. Price wasn’t an issue as long as the headset was of good quality, sound quality was guaranteed, and they could function despite the crappy weather on Wai.

Knowing that Fay Harmonik was demanding when it came to headset quality, his assistant did careful research. He ended up deciding on Fiery Bird’s Diting Z Series, hailed online as one of the three top new models on the market. He managed to snatch a pair and sent the headset to Wai immediately.

Half a minute later.

Fay Harmonik was dying to get his hands on his new headset, but he froze when he saw the face of the celebrity endorser on the box.

The joy that the new headset had just drawn out in him had vanished completely.

"Bad luck!"

At that moment, he wanted to smash his new headset.

But he hesitated.

Eventually, he removed the headphones and gave them a listen.

Five minutes later.

Fay Harmonik couldn’t bear parting with the headset. Instead, he tossed the packaging into the trash can. What he couldn’t see didn’t bother him.

Fay Harmonik silently cursed Fang Zhao repeatedly. How come such a quality headset was endorsed by Fang Zhao?

Fang Zhao had no idea that someone was secretly cursing him in a nearby building. After Dina left, he didn’t continue with his composing. Instead, he read the parts of his script that hadn’t been shot and closed his eyes to meditate.

Wu Yan’s role got more substantial toward the end of the story. The last few seasons of the Yanzhou chapter were told from his vantage point, describing how he gradually rose to a position of leadership.

Meanwhile, Fang Zhao had fewer scenes, which was why he had more time to compose.

The next day, after the morning’s scenes had been shot, the cast had lunch together, munching on the boxed meals delivered from the canteen.

The younger actors had yet to completely remove themselves from their characters. They were a bit depressed. A few of the veteran actors sitting on the margins tried to liven up the atmosphere. They brought up the entertainment headlines they’d read the last time they’d gone online and speculated which actors would keep dominating the news.

"It’s the young ones who are grabbing the headlines."

"We’re too old. We can’t compete."

One of the veteran actors had a great perspective. "Old geezers like us are frail and ugly. We should just focus on acting and leave the headlines and the limelight to the youngsters."

"What are you talking about? I just turned 100 and I look like I’m in my 70s or 80s. I’m still young. Not long ago, a fan called me an evergreen male icon."

"You can’t believe what they say. Fans are biased."

"We’re not competing on our looks but on our ability. Last time I was online, my agent told me that quite a few major brands want me to endorse their products. Hahaha, my career has been rejuvenated with youthful vigor!"

"After finishing ’Founding Era,’ I’m going to shoot a few commercials and earn some travel money. I’m going to go on vacation and relax properly. I’m too tired!"

The light tone of their conversation was intentional. They wanted to help themselves and the young actors relax.

The veteran actors were more experienced and were tougher mentally, but they were still affected by their characters. They could let go only when they finished all their scenes and steered clear of anything related to the production.

"Fang Zhao, the ad you just did looks decent. My granddaughter managed to snatch a headset you endorsed. I’ll have to get you to autograph them when we return to Yanzhou," one of the veteran performers said while looking at Fang Zhao, who was wolfing down his second boxed meal. Secretly, he was full of admiration. What a professional Fang Zhao is.

"No problem," Fang Zhao responded.

Another veteran actor was about to say something, but he was interrupted by someone who yelled Fang Zhao’s name from a distance.

"Big Brother Zhao!"

A small figure darted toward the crowd.

The actors smiled when they identified the intruder.

"Xiao Tian, you’re not with your dad today?" one of the actors asked.

The visitor was the child actor Lu Aotian, who played a young Wu Yan.

Lu Aotian was not his birth name. His parents had named him Lu Ao. He came from a family of artists that included musicians and actors, so Lu Ao had had a head start. Of course, he was quite talented himself.

He’d made his debut at age 3 in a TV series. His versatile acting had enabled him to turn a supporting role into a leading performance. He’d won his first major acting award when he was 4.

After rising to fame, Lu Ao had felt that he was born to be a leading man. After some online research, he had come up with the stage name Li Aotian 1 . At age 6 1/2, leveraging his family background and his own talent, he had landed the role of young Wu Yan.

Common sense would suggest that Lu Aotian was closer to Wu Jun and He Lisi. After all, they played the same character at different ages. They shared a lot of common ground.

But in reality, the division of labor was a bit lopsided. Lu Aotian only had a limited number of scenes. There were few important events in Wu Yan’s youth, after all, so Lu Aotian had a lighter load.

But Wu Yan’s life became more eventful after he came of age. Wu Jun was under a lot of pressure to do a good job portraying Wu Yan in his early adulthood. Sometimes, the director found his performances lacking. He needed a lot of time to adjust, so he had no time to chat with Lu Aotian.

He Lisi was even busier. If Wu Jun was under considerable pressure, then He Lisi faced even more. He had little time to spare for Lu Aotian.

Perhaps because they had enjoyed good camaraderie in season one, Fang Zhao had left a good impression on Lu Aotian. After they had gotten to know each other better, Lu Aotian had begun to look him up for a chat even after the scenes they shared had finished shooting.

The little fella had endured some hardship to portray a young Wu Yan, losing quite a bit of weight. He had stayed away from high-calorie snacks and such for a long period, so what the audiences saw in season one was a malnourished, skinny figure, which was historically accurate.

But after completing those early scenes, the little fella had caught up on all the snacks he had avoided when he losing weight. In a few months, he had been back to his old self.

Lu Aotian had planned on maintaining his figure after completing his scenes as a young Wu Yan so he could become an extra. Random kids appeared in every season. Some simply served as a backdrop. Lu Aotian had badgered the directors to cast him as an extra, but he had been turned down and banned from all units. Most of the kids who served as backdrops were created by CG in post-production. Extras were the exception, not the rule.

Unable to serve as an extra, Lu Aotian had wanted to watch the older actors perform, but that request had also been rejected. Kids weren’t mentally as tough as adults. It wasn’t a good idea for them to stay malnourished and spend that much time on a stressful set. The negative vibes that the veteran actors gave off when they performed were also a bad influence on kids of Li Aotian’s age.

So Lu Aotian could only visit sets after the day’s shooting had been completed.

Lu Aotian’s father was an actor. He was shooting next door. His mother was a musician and was a member of the team that was composing and performing the score. He also had a few relatives working on the production who were heavyweights in the industry.

When he heard someone mention his father, Lu Aotian responded, "He doesn’t have any scenes today. He’s watching a performance at the concert hall. There are quite a few performances today. Quite a few actors who aren’t scheduled to film today are there. Do you guys wanna join?"

The concert hall was where the music team was based. It was equipped with rehearsal space and instruments. There were also professional recording studios and performance halls.

Musicians working on the production put on shows there frequently. It was a way for them to interact and exchange ideas. Meanwhile, the on-set psychologists encouraged the actors who were free to attend the performances as a form of relaxation.

"Big Brother Zhao, are you going to check out the shows this afternoon?" Lu Aotian asked.

Fang Zhao looked at Li Aotian, who was staring at him eagerly, and nodded. "I don’t have any scenes this afternoon. I’ll head over."

"Then let’s go together in a bit! Finish your meal first, Big Brother Zhao. I’ll give Director Bai a heads up." Lu Aotian dashed toward the director’s office.

One of the veteran actors chuckled. "Fang Zhao, you’re quite popular!"

Fang Zhao used to be the center of attention of a few young actors led by Ji Polun. After they had finished their scenes, Fang Zhao had suggested they look for work as extras on other shooting units. Eleven chapters, 11 units. They were bound to be short on actors at some point. Working as an extra was good experience. Spending time on the sets of the other chapters, getting to know the other actors, and picking up a few acting tips was a good thing for Ji Polun and company.

Now, Ji Polun and friends rarely showed up on the set of the Yanzhou chapter, but Lu Aotian showed up from time to time to chat up Fang Zhao.

Lu Aotian returned soon. Noticing that Fang Zhao had finished eating, he said, "Big Brother Zhao, let’s take a picture together again. I’ll post it next time I have internet access."

"Didn’t you post one already?" Fang Zhao asked.

"I’ll post another one. I don’t have any more scenes. If I don’t show up, my fans will forget me. This time I’ll have to hitch a ride on your popularity, Big Brother Zhao."

Lu Aotian was delighted to get Fang Zhao’s OK. Instead of sitting quietly next to Fang Zhao, he climbed Fang Zhao’s body as if it were a tree trunk. Using Fang Zhao’s hands for support, he sat on Fang Zhao’s shoulders.

After taking the picture, Lu Aotian excitedly yelled to the actors who were bystanders, "I sat on the shoulders of a giant again!"

There was a story behind Lu Aotian’s comment.

General Wu Yan had said during an interview when he was elderly that the reason he had advanced so far in his career was because he had stood on the shoulders of a giant.

The only surviving photo of a young Wu Yan was a picture he had taken with Fang Zhao. In the photo, the diminutive Wu Yan sat on Fang Zhao’s shoulders.

Much of the storyline in the Yanzhou chapter had been drawn from Wu Yan’s memoirs.

Wu Yan had said in the book that without Fang Zhao, there would have been no him. Wu Yan had been mentored by Fang Zhao.

A similar scene was part of season one of the Yanzhou chapter. A tiny, skinny Wu Yan sat on the shoulders of a Fang Zhao still reeking of gunpowder and blood. Fang Zhao’s eyes were watery with emotion. It was an exact recreation of the old photo.

Away from the set, Lu Aotian, who was fast gaining weight, and an out-of-character Fang Zhao struck a similar pose for pictures.

"I, Lu Aotian, have stood on the shoulders of a giant more than once. I’m bound to have a bright future!" Lu Aotian followed up by asking Fang Zhao, "Don’t you agree, Big Brother Zhao?"

"Xiao Tian, you’ve gained weight again," Fang Zhao said.

That little cub of a child had been eating excessively since giving up on his diet. He was rapidly gaining back the weight he’d lost.

"Rubbish! I haven’t been eating much," Lu Aotian said, gazing at his chubby limbs. "I’m just a little chubby. Not to mention that you’re a strong man, Big Brother Zhao. I’m just a baby. This is nothing for you!"

Knowing that Fang Zhao could carry him easily, Lu Aotian didn’t dismount, instead showing Fang Zhao a bunch of pictures he had taken recently and starting to gossip.

"Big Brother Zhao, did you know they came up with a nickname for the private gym reserved for the prominent actors?"

"What’s the nickname?"

"Guess!"

"’Cream of the crop’?"

"No, ’rec center for retired officials’!"