Chapter 42: Premiere I

Once the cities were selected, it was time to arrange for the actors to go on roadshows in those cities.

After discussing it with Master Han, Cheng Sheng divided everyone into five groups. Each person would visit at least three cities, with some visiting up to five; it didn't matter if their schedules overlapped.

After all, everyone had different fanbases, so if activities were held in the same location, fans from different groups could all attend together.

Cheng Sheng would also participate in the roadshows, but he would only visit Beijing and Rao City.

After all, he still needed to write scripts, making it impossible for him to follow the crew for the entire journey.

In this era, things weren't like the future, where everything could be known online or by simply scrolling through an app to see celebrity updates.

Therefore, holding roadshows was highly meaningful; it could maximize fan engagement, create news hotspots, and draw more people who knew nothing about the film into the cinemas.

After the discussion, everyone went their separate ways.

Cheng Sheng invited everyone to his new home as a celebration for his new project's success.

If an ordinary person bought a new house, they would certainly host a banquet to celebrate grandly.

But Cheng Sheng found that too much trouble, so he simply invited some close acquaintances for a meal as a celebration.

When Zeng Li heard that Cheng Sheng had bought a new house, her eyes couldn't help but flicker with emotion.

She wasn't from Beijing, but as a major actress, she had some assets and had even bought a villa in Beijing. She just didn't live there often.

Upon arriving at Cheng Sheng's new home, Cheng Sheng told everyone to make themselves at home, while Zeng Li stepped outside to observe the surroundings.

There were three households on the fifth floor.

The unit Cheng Sheng bought was the largest.

The other two units were each one bedroom smaller than his.

The middle unit was already occupied, and only the unit opposite Cheng Sheng's was vacant, though it had already been sold.

Zeng Li saw the property management's number at the elevator entrance and took out her phone to dial.

"Hello."

Hearing the voice on the other end, Zeng Li said, "Excuse me, are there any more houses for sale in your complex? Preferably in Building 4."

"I'm sorry, Miss, all units in Building 4 have been sold..."

"Wait, I think I saw an unoccupied unit on the fifth floor of Building 4. I wonder if you could communicate with the owner; I'd like to buy it," Zeng Li said.

"This..."

Seeing the property manager hesitate on the other end, Zeng Li said, "If I buy this unit, I can pay ten years' worth of property management fees upfront."

"Deal."

Upon hearing Zeng Li's offer, the person on the other end agreed immediately.

"Thank you. Please notify me as soon as there is news," Zeng Li said with a slight smile.

Money didn't matter; as long as she lived on the same floor as Cheng Sheng, it was fine.

Hanging up the phone, Zeng Li returned to the house.

After showing everyone around the new home, Cheng Sheng took the group to a nearby hotel for a feast. In the end, everyone was slightly tipsy and was escorted back to Cheng Sheng's place by the hotel staff.

That night, everyone stayed casually at Cheng Sheng's house.

The next day, they all went to attend the premiere together.

September 30th, 3:00 PM.

The guests invited by China Film Group began to arrive one after another.

Although this was the premiere of Cheng Sheng's film, the real support came from China Film Group, as domestic film distribution was handled by them.

Furthermore, it was only when China Film Group hosted a premiere that major stars would attend.

If Cheng Sheng had organized it alone, not only would he not know anyone, but others would have no reason to attend the premiere of a stranger's film!

However, as the director of the film, Cheng Sheng was still tasked by Master Han to welcome the guests.

With the help of Zhang Yang and Zeng Li, Cheng Sheng met the people he needed to know and welcomed those who should be welcomed.

The film industry is a place that respects seniority; when the older generation arrived, even if they weren't extremely famous, Cheng Sheng still had to greet them.

Moreover, almost all the teachers from the Central Academy of Drama had come. These were Cheng Sheng's mentors, requiring him to personally receive them, exchange pleasantries, and escort them to their seats in the venue.

Regarding the guests invited by China Film Group, Cheng Sheng counted several top-tier actors and many great directors.

Even Zhang Weiping, who had a poor relationship with Cheng Sheng, came along with Director Zhang.

Zhang Weiping had criticized Cheng Sheng online; logically, he and Cheng Sheng were at odds, so there was no way he should have attended the premiere.

He could refuse to give Cheng Sheng face, but Zhang Weiping didn't dare to disrespect Master Han.

Offending China Film Group meant being effectively blacklisted from the industry.

Many people from the Beijing Film Academy also arrived, even the President of the Academy.

Seeing President Xu Xiaozhong chatting privately with the President of the Beijing Film Academy, Cheng Sheng felt like laughing.

It was because the President of the Beijing Film Academy kept a dark expression, while President Xu Xiaozhong continued to show off.

If anyone with a bad temper were there, they would have struck Xu Xiaozhong long ago.

Fortunately, everyone was an intellectual, so it didn't come to physical violence.

However, Cheng Sheng could tell that the President of the Beijing Film Academy was truly angry; if given the chance, he would definitely strike back.

The big and small Wang presidents from Huayi also arrived, bringing Li Shuangbing along with them.

Cheng Sheng was quite puzzled. Wasn't Director Feng currently filming *Trouble Makers*? Although Li Shuangbing wasn't the lead, she was the second female lead; how did she have time to attend a premiere?

"Hello, Director Cheng."

As soon as President Wang saw Cheng Sheng, he immediately greeted him.

"Hello, President Wang. Thank you for coming to this premiere."

Cheng Sheng shook hands with the Wangs and exchanged a few pleasantries.

"Bingbing, come here. Let me introduce you. This is Director Cheng Sheng, the winner of the Golden Lion at Venice."

President Wang pushed Li Shuangbing forward toward Cheng Sheng.

"Hello, Director Cheng. You are my idol; I've wanted to meet you for a long time," Li Shuangbing said with a smile.

"You're too kind. Teacher Bingbing, your performance as Ling Chuchu in *Young Justice* was truly wonderful. You played a highly skilled and righteous heroine so convincingly that she captured everyone's hearts," Cheng Sheng said with a smile.

Regarding Li Shuangbing's future, Cheng Sheng had long since learned about it from his other set of memories.

Aside from her rumors with President Wang, the roles she played were indeed good, and she possessed a certain level of acting skill.

"So Director Cheng has seen my work. What do you think of my acting?" Li Shuangbing asked, secretly throwing him a wink.

"Your acting is certainly beyond reproach; among female stars in the entertainment industry, you could certainly rank among the top few."

Cheng Sheng didn't mind giving her a compliment; after all, speaking well didn't cost anything.

But he wasn't lying. While Li Shuangbing's acting wasn't at the absolute peak, it was overall very excellent, and she had demonstrated superb skills in many film and television works.

In the future, through roles such as Liu Rong in *Waiting Alone*, Wang Jindi in *Cloud Water Melody*, and Shangguan Jing'er in *Detective Dee: The Mystery of the Phantom Flame*, she would prove her immense acting strength through various styles.

However, compared to other top actresses of her generation, she would always fall a step behind.

Compared to people like Xu Jinglei, Fan Shuangbing, International Zhang, or Xun-ge, Li Shuangbing's acting was somewhat standard, lacking a prominent personal characteristic or iconic, signature roles.

(End of Chapter)