Chapter 60: It's Time to Show Real Skill!

The twenty-minute video call came to an end.

Su Mu and Qian Jida ultimately reached an agreement. Their guiding principle was to make money, and regarding the sustainability of the final two years of the contract, they adopted the strategic motto: "Grab it first, grab it fast, grab it whenever you can." With united determination and unwavering purpose, their exchange concluded successfully.

He hung up.

Su Mu opened his mobile banking app. On various cards, he calculated his balances. Previously, he had over fifty million in savings, and with this year’s earnings, it totaled just over sixty-six million. For an ordinary family, that would be more than enough—even enough to live comfortably for the rest of his life. Yet Su Mu felt it was still insufficient.

At first, he thought thirty million would be enough to call it quits. But when it comes to making money, when is it ever truly "enough"? If he didn’t someday achieve a box office total in the billions, he wouldn’t know how to face his ancestors.

…

The next day.

Su Mu went to the set as usual. Filming for "The Son-in-law" wasn’t particularly difficult; the series didn’t demand too much from the actors’ performances. Unlike "The Surge" or "Nirvana in Fire," there weren’t complex, deeply layered characters. The real draw was the witty plot and the crisp pacing—how the protagonist used modern thinking and knowledge gaps to stir up trouble in ancient times, and so forth.

As for the soon-to-begin "The Blue Orchid Oath," it was all about looks and the unique flavor of fantasy romance. If he wanted to shake up the period drama market, he needed to cover all tastes—everything available, every flavor. How could he not take the market by storm?

"Good! Cut!"

"Great job, Su Mu!"

"Su Mu, you were amazing!"

As the director called for a halt, applause broke out around him. Su Mu climbed down from the carriage prop. Turning, he extended his hand gentlemanly to help the young actress down.

The director had chosen the cast wisely. Attractive, with potential, a bit of localized popularity. Actresses with these qualities didn’t demand high salaries, but their cost-effectiveness was extraordinary.

Take Lin Jianing, the female lead, for example. She had been a popular online influencer, later signed by New Trend Entertainment Media, and transitioned into film and television. She was one of the more successful influencers to cross over into acting. Of course, her beauty played a major role. For once, the tastes of capital and the masses aligned.

"Thank you, Teacher Su Mu."

"You’re welcome," Su Mu replied.

Lin Jianing, holding onto Su Mu, got off the carriage, not forgetting to praise him, "Teacher Su Mu, your acting was fantastic just now. When you got into character, I felt I couldn’t keep up with you."

"Your acting is so good, do you have any tips? I’m worried if I don’t perform well, the director and my agent will blame me."

Su Mu said, "If you can’t keep up, just force yourself to keep up."

Lin Jianing was silent.

Su Mu continued, "Acting is like grinding an iron rod. You can only polish it little by little. We’re all ordinary people—there’s no shortcut."

"Oh... Thank you for your guidance, Teacher Su Mu. I’ll go touch up my makeup," Lin Jianing said, and left with her assistant.

Watching her walk away, Su Mu quietly admired his own kindness. There were tricks to acting, of course, but young people shouldn’t take shortcuts. They needed to hone their skills, take their lumps, and grow through experience.

[Expression proficiency +1]
[Emotion proficiency +1]
[Dialogue... +1]
[...+1]

The notifications of proficiency increases floated through his mind. Su Mu silently tallied his skill points. Satisfying.

Just then, the director approached, smiling warmly. Directors chosen by Penguin weren’t chasing fame—they valued professionalism and high completion rates.

"Su Mu, you acted well. There’s something I want to discuss with you."

"Go ahead, Director."

"The remaining scenes need to be scheduled tighter. Mr. Yu called, asking to wrap up as soon as possible. Also, production for 'The Blue Orchid Oath' will start earlier."

"When?"

"Probably the second or third day of the new year—just a few days."

"Alright."

…

New Year’s Eve.

Su Mu had dumplings with the crew. For those toiling at the frontline of making money, it didn’t feel particularly special. But as usual, he received plenty of New Year’s greetings:

[Qian Jida: Three dramas, 180 million + endorsements, 80 million. Happy New Year! Keep it up!]
[Orange: Su Mu, happy New Year! Red envelope, hehe!]
[Zhang Huaimou: New year, new beginnings. See you in ‘Joy of Life’.]
[Yu Hong: Su Mu, this year could be the turnaround for our Penguin Video drama division. Thank you! Let’s talk more when you have time—I love hearing your insights on life.]
[Ning Yuyan: Happy New Year.]
[Liu Yadong: Su Mu, happy New Year! Will you release a new song?]
[Liu Qiangxi: Su Mu, happy New Year. Mr. Qian and I have already discussed it—our brand will sponsor the street dance variety show, but recording will be a bit later. You’ll have plenty of time to prepare. Looking forward to your performance! Let’s make our new brand’s debut a success! If you run into any difficulties, come to me. I have some influence in the business world.]
[Ma Baoguo: Su Mu, happy New Year. Hope to invite you to give a lecture at the Capital Film Academy next year.]
[Driver: image.jpg]

Seeing everyone’s greetings on WeChat, Su Mu suddenly realized—

It seemed that in the past half-year, his network had begun to expand. From big stars and directors in the entertainment industry to the heads of major brands and video platforms. His horizons were opening up.

…

After the third day of the new year, everyone returned to work. Qian Jida and Fan Orange came back to the film base, and Su Mu joined the crew of "The Blue Orchid Oath." Filming officially began.

From then on, he shuttled between two sets, so busy his feet nearly smoked. But seeing his acting proficiency edge closer to LV4, he felt it was worth it.

Once all acting-related skills reached this level, Su Mu guessed he would gain fresh insight into performance. Even now, his technique was refined, but still limited to the surface. Although he could evoke emotion and convey a character’s inner world, in some sense, he was only imitating the character.

True acting, though, has two states. One: whoever you play, they become you. Your performance is so distinctively yours that every role is yourself. This level can deeply move audiences—people never forget you, and your presence is magnetic. Many superstar actors, especially those with huge box office appeal, are at this stage.

The other state is naturalness: whoever you play, you truly become them.

Su Mu was well aware he hadn’t reached either state yet. But he knew he needed a distinctive personal style. Perhaps when all his acting categories hit LV4, he could consider entering that phase.

A strong personal style is the key label to unlocking the battleground of the box office.

…

On set.

Su Mu chewed his Xuanmai Kissing gum, his expression resolute.

Orange asked, "Are you nervous?"

Su Mu replied, "Are you kidding? Your boss has been in the film industry for years. What storms haven’t I weathered? Nervous? Impossible."

Orange teased, "But the young actress obviously looks scared of you."

Su Mu smirked, crooked mouth. It was time to show his real skills.

"The Blue Orchid Oath! Scene 76! Action!"

"Mmm~~~"