Chapter 221: Chasing Dreams

“But, President Xiao—no, Director Xiao, he doesn’t know how to act!” The planner was shocked that Xiao Ran had chosen this young man who only had good looks but no acting talent. “Besides, he’s only seventeen—not quite what you’re looking for!”
“Acting skills can be taught. His age is perfect—I need someone with that youthful innocence!” Xiao Ran smiled lightly. “It’s him. Sign a contract with him for at least three movies. Then send him to a star agency to find him a good agent!”
Jin Chengwu’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. He had thought he had done terribly just moments ago and was in despair, yet Xiao Ran had chosen him. Was this sheer luck?
Xiao Ran chuckled and left. He wasn’t needed here anymore—he had struck gold. With proper grooming, Jin Chengwu would surely be one of the best tools to expand the market in Japan. Moreover, Jin Chengwu knew several languages, which would be beneficial for his future.
He headed to the star agency. Xiao Han was probably training there now, and he needed to check on her. Since the lead male role was already assigned, the female lead was essential. And Xiao Han was the female lead of this movie. Upon arriving at the agency, Jin Ruyu personally greeted Xiao Ran and led him to the training area, where he saw Xiao Han struggling to stretch her legs. He couldn’t help but smile. This girl was so lively—unimaginable that she would put in such effort to fulfill her dream of becoming a star. It was a sign of progress.
Of course, training here didn’t interfere with Xiao Han’s studies; she only trained in her free time. Otherwise, she wouldn’t need to train for so long before debuting. Jin Ruyu knew that Xiao Han was Xiao Ran’s sister, so she spared no time or effort to make her the brightest new star.
It had to be admitted that Xiao Han’s innocent appearance was very appealing, coupled with her lively personality, making it easy for her to become famous. Seeing Xiao Ran staring intently at Xiao Han’s training, Jin Ruyu couldn’t help but smirk, thinking that even President Xiao would “abuse his authority.” She gently explained, “Xiao Han is very obedient. I don’t know what’s on her mind, but she manages to practice seriously. President Xiao, please don’t let her hard work go to waste! Just like that time when Master Liu trained her in martial arts—she got seriously injured, bleeding heavily, but she endured it through gritted teeth!”
“What? She was injured?” Xiao Ran asked anxiously, immediately feeling foolish. Injuries from training were inevitable. Anyone who had acted in action movies in Hong Kong could claim to have been injured—even the delicate Zhang Manyu was seriously hurt in “Police Story 2.”
Still, he felt extremely guilty as an older brother for not knowing his sister had been injured. Jin Ruyu looked at Xiao Ran in surprise. “President Xiao, you didn’t know? That time, Xiao Han injured her calf and couldn’t move for three days. In fact, many artists get injured, but we have thorough safety and emergency measures, so they don’t suffer serious injuries.”

“A Yu, you’ve done very well. Training is essential, but be sure to protect their lives at all costs.” Xiao Ran nodded and gave Jin Ruyu an approving smile. “How’s the promotion for her going?”
“Pretty well. Jiang Yibin’s miracle has arranged a few ads for Xiao Han, with decent results. Bai Pengfei has also arranged for people from Shuxiang to interview her to build momentum for her. Moreover, she recently voiced a role in an animated series, which should keep her in the spotlight for a while. Bai Pengfei will use that series to create a cover story for her. On TV side, Zhu Guangli has filmed a public service ad for her, which will be broadcast soon.”
The more Xiao Ran listened, the more alarmed he became, but Jin Ruyu wasn’t aware of this at all and continued talking nonstop: “I think we can give her sufficient promotion before that animated series is released, and I’ve also arranged for her to appear on ATV programs. We need to ensure that at least 80% of the people in Hong Kong know her name before she officially debuts.”
Xiao Ran was indeed very worried. He only wanted to promote Xiao Han like an ordinary star, not turn her into a superstar. But judging from Jin Ruyu and the other general managers’ enthusiasm, even before she debuted, she already had such attention—something that perhaps even those in this year’s Starlight Program wouldn’t get.
Only after finishing her report did Jin Ruyu glance at Xiao Ran and saw his extremely grim expression. Worried, she wondered if she had done something wrong. Xiao Ran looked at her but couldn’t bring himself to react. It was entirely his own oversight, but who would have thought Jin Ruyu would go to such lengths for Xiao Han?
However, if he didn’t show any reaction, it would also feel awkward. His original plan was just to have Xiao Han release a couple of albums or act in a few movies, letting her enjoy being a star before she went back to studying. Who knew things would turn out like this if he hadn’t come here.
“Ruyu, when did I say I wanted to promote Xiao Han like this?” Xiao Ran felt both amused and exasperated. Jin Ruyu’s actions were understandable, and from his perspective, it was really hard to express anger or anything similar, otherwise it might hurt her feelings.
Jin Ruyu was a shrewd person. Seeing Xiao Ran’s expression and recalling his words, she immediately realized she might have overstepped. She quickly apologized, “President Xiao, I’m sorry. I misunderstood your intentions!”
But of course, she was secretly laughing to herself. What did “misunderstanding” mean? When she told Zhu Guangli and the others about Xiao Han, they immediately pledged to do everything possible to help President Xiao make his sister famous. She had good intentions, but not knowing Xiao Ran’s true intentions, she ended up causing trouble.
Xiao Ran couldn’t help but sigh deeply. He had felt that letting Xiao Han enter the entertainment industry wasn’t a good idea, and now, even before she entered, such issues had already arisen. With that, he headed to the training field. As soon as Xiao Han saw her brother, she ignored the coach, dropped her legs, and rushed toward Xiao Ran, shouting for him.

“Jin Ruyu, do you know I really want Xiao Han to go back to school? Forget this time, but don’t act up again next time. Do as you think is best. She’s gone through so much hardship; it would be unfair to her if she gets nothing in return.” Xiao Ran glared at Jin Ruyu before walking over to Xiao Han.

Jin Ruyu was stunned. Wouldn’t this ruin President Xiao’s plans? While she was still in shock, Xiao Han jumped into Xiao Ran’s arms from a distance of two meters. The sudden move scared Xiao Ran to sweating profusely—had she hit the floor, she would have been badly injured.

Fortunately, Xiao Han’s agility had improved greatly. She landed like a piece of paper in Xiao Ran’s arms and clung tightly to his neck, acting like a little bear. Xiao Ran took a deep breath and immediately sensed her youthful energy, so he quickly set her down.

“What are you doing, brother? Oh, now that you have a sister-in-law, you don’t like me anymore!” Xiao Han’s words almost made Jin Ruyu burst into laughter—she was so adorable. The girl pouted and shook Xiao Ran’s hand, saying, “Brother, you haven’t come to watch me practice for so long. I’ve improved a lot!”

Xiao Ran felt frustrated. Unconsciously, he recited a line from Master Hong in “A Chinese Odyssey: Hero”. He thought to himself, “I, Xiao Ran, who’ve always been so composed, am now being driven crazy by this little girl.” He didn’t dare say it out loud, otherwise he didn’t know how long Xiao Han would pester him with it.

He clearly remembered once accidentally calling her “little girl,” and she pestered him until 1 a.m. before he could escape. He gently pinched her nose and said, “I know you’ve improved a lot. Sister Jin told me. It must be hard practicing this. Maybe you shouldn’t continue. Go back to school instead!”

“No, I want to act, just like you!” Xiao Han’s little nose wrinkled slightly, and Xiao Ran couldn’t resist the urge to pinch it again. But then she opened her bright eyes and said happily, “I also want to be the best actress, just like my sister-in-law!”

Xiao Ran was speechless. He had no idea who had instilled these ideas in her. He waved at Jin Ruyu, pulled Xiao Han down to sit on the floor, and then said to her with a smile, “Don’t worry. Brother has already secured a role for you. You’ll be able to act soon!”

“Really?” Her sparkling eyes flickered in front of Xiao Ran. She moved as if to jump at him again. Xiao Ran quickly held her back and said to Jin Ruyu, “Sister Jin, the lead actor for ‘The Legend of the Car God’ has already been chosen. It’s time for you to help with the promotion!”

Jin Ruyu nodded. “No problem. Everything is ready. We just need to start shooting!”

The promotion Xiao Ran referred to was coordinated by the star company. Its purpose was obvious: to make the two leads famous. The typical tactic was to arrange interviews with journalists, ensuring they appeared frequently in newspapers and magazines, and always linking their names to the movie. When it came to releasing the movie poster, other tactics would be used. The goal was the same, just with different methods.

Suddenly, he thought of Kim Sung-moo. He smiled slightly and said, “We just found the lead actor today. Make sure to sign him and find a good agent to nurture him. In my opinion, with proper handling, this guy will definitely become famous!”
“Come on, Xiao Han. I heard you got hurt badly. Let me see if you’re okay!” Xiao Ran knew this was a late show of concern, but he thought it was the only way he could show care. Another option might be to have Bai Pengfei and the others work together to boost Xiao Han’s popularity and help her realize her dream.
At that mention, Xiao Han pouted. She was angry that Xiao Ran wasn’t there when she got hurt. Rolling up her sleeve, Xiao Ran saw a large bruise and quickly asked, “What’s this?”
“This is from falling on the floor a few days ago. It’s not a big deal!” Jin Ruyu also felt some admiration for Xiao Han. Glancing at Xiao Ran, she wondered if the two siblings shared the same stubbornness.
Seeing the obvious bruise on her fair skin, Xiao Ran felt even more guilty. If he hadn’t agreed back then, none of this would have happened. But Xiao Han seemed to understand his thoughts. Smiling, she pulled her hand back, rolled down her sleeve, and said, “It’s okay. It’s just a minor injury. Brother, don’t worry about me!”
Staring at this cute, stubborn, yet occasionally understanding sister, Xiao Ran couldn’t help but sigh. He turned to Jin Ruyu and said, “Forget it. Just follow the Starlight Plan to nurture her. But don’t push her too high too quickly. By the way, have you figured out a suitable path for Xiao Han?”
“President Xiao, don’t worry. We won’t rush her development!” Jin Ruyu smiled. Xiao Ran had already told her about the dangers of forcing growth too quickly and the public’s rebellious attitude. How could she make such a mistake? “Based on Xiao Han’s strengths and interests, we all think she’s suitable as an actress, a film actress.”
Actually, Xiao Ran didn’t want her to end up in an unsuitable role like TWINS did when they were young. Giving them roles they weren’t suited for wasn’t good—it could easily ruin an artist’s career.
“Sis Jin, do me a favor and give Xiao Han some time off. I’ll take her out to play!” Xiao Ran cherished his sister. Since he had time this afternoon, he simply made the suggestion, which was immediately approved.
Although it was almost dark, Xiao Ran still took the lively Xiao Han out to play around before returning home at night. He knew that once filming started, Xiao Han would likely have little time even for sleep.
When he mentioned this to Lin Qingxia, she also sighed deeply. “Being an actress is really tough. Sometimes you’re so busy that you don’t even have time to rest. Like me, I got hurt a lot while filming ‘The Three Heroes of the East.’ But who knows? People only see the surface glory of celebrities!”
Xiao Ran remained silent. Being an actress was indeed not easy. He didn’t have much experience, but his understanding was deep. When filming “The Female Warrior,” he had been scolded mercilessly by Xu Ke due to repeated failures. And during the ten-minute chase scene in “Espionage,” at least three stuntmen were injured. Thankfully, computer graphics now help actors reduce the risk of injury.

Xiao Ran really likes this guy, Yu Jiayu. He is extremely capable at handling tasks. It might not be accurate to call him Hong Kong’s number one producer, but he definitely ranks among the top. This time, Yu Jiayu is not appearing on set as a producer; he was recently transferred back from Rio Company in Europe by Mirage, and he himself asked Xiao Ran to let him serve as an assistant director.
The producer is a disciple personally trained by Yu Jiayu, a new director graduated from Hong Kong Baptist University. However, at Mirage, new directors can choose to hone their skills first or start by working as producers. By October, the film’s crew had been fully assembled.
The media outside was extremely interested in Xiao Ran’s new film, inadvertently creating a lot of hype around it. But Xiao Ran wasn’t too concerned about this; Liu Chun would naturally tell the crew members what could be said and what couldn’t be revealed.