Reborn in the Hong Kong entertainment industry in the 1980s

"Xia Lu."

"Xia Lu?" Hu Xiaoxiao was confused. She didn't seem to have seen this person at the company. She hadn't seen her appear in the anniversary program or in the recent popular dramas.

"You haven't seen her at the company; she just came back. If you've watched TV dramas from a few years ago, you should be familiar with her. A few years ago, she was a top actress at the TV station and starred in many popular dramas."

Hu Xiaoxiao grasped the key point: "A few years ago? That means she hasn't acted in any TV dramas in recent years?"

"Yes, she went to try her luck in the film industry and only recently came back." Zhu Wanwen was born and raised in Hong Kong and is very familiar with the artists of Hong Kong TVB. When Xia Lu became famous, Zhu Wanwen hadn't even gone abroad to study yet. By the time she returned to Hong Kong and competed in the Miss Hong Kong pageant, Xia Lu had already entered the film industry.

"Come on, let's find a place to sit down and tell me about Xia Lu's situation." Hu Xiaoxiao could tell that Xia Lu was different. She hadn't been at the TV station for several years, but she was able to get such an important role as soon as she returned. Obviously, she was someone with a big background.

She has a powerful background and was once a top-tier actress. She has resources and audience appeal, making her a formidable competitor.

After leaving the TV station, the two women found a quiet afternoon tea restaurant with good privacy.

They hadn't eaten together in a long time, so they decided to have a small get-together. They all ordered their favorite dishes and chatted about Xia Lu while eating.

After finishing a company sandwich, Zhu Wanwen picked up a frozen lemon 7UP and took a sip. The lemon and 7UP had a unique taste, and with the ice, it was very refreshing.

Zhu Wanwen leaned back comfortably in her chair and slowly recounted the information she knew to Hu Xiaoxiao, "Xia Lu was a protégé of the former director of the production department. Several years ago, the former director was appreciated by Ji Sheng for his outstanding work ability and was sent to manage a film company. Xia Lu went with the former director to make movies. Our current two deputy directors in the production department were both trained by the former director. The reason why the production department does not have a director is because after the former director left, Sister Linda and Charlie could not surpass each other to get promoted."

Baogang Television is just one subsidiary of the parent group, which also includes film companies, real estate companies, and other businesses, covering a very wide range of sectors.

"After Xia Lu went into the film industry, thanks to the strong support of her former director, she starred in several films as the female lead and was once very popular. Unfortunately, she didn't adapt well to the environment. Although the TV series she starred in had good ratings, the box office of the films she starred in was not ideal. In recent years, she has lost her status as the female lead and had to make several films as a supporting actress. Whether it was bad luck or she really didn't have the appeal of movie audiences, the box office was still not ideal."

Zhu Wanwen sighed, "Xiaoxiao, you know, the film industry is much more competitive and cruel than the television industry. The films in which Xia Lu starred or played important supporting roles did not perform well at the box office, which greatly affected her development in the film industry. Even though the former CEO regarded her as a favorite, he had to give her up for the sake of the company's interests. Xia Lu could not get good resources and was unwilling to lower herself to a supporting role, so she chose to return to the television station and continue to film TV dramas."

Even though she left the TV station several years ago, she still has her former fame and audience base, plus the connections with her former director, so she can still get good resources at the TV station and compete for important roles in the anniversary drama.

"The Bund" is Xia Lu's first major drama after returning to television. It is conceivable how much Xia Lu values ​​this drama, and she will definitely choose the role with the highest status and the most memorable character after the main character to play.

Zhu Wanwen also gave Hu Xiaoxiao another piece of information: "The chief director of 'The Bund' is someone who was trained by the former director."

Therefore, given Xia Lu's status and previous connections, she can basically play any role she wants, except for the female lead. Aside from not being able to compete with Sister Yu, no one can compete with Xia Lu.

If Xia Lu had taken a liking to the role of Xie Weihua, it would almost certainly have been hers.

Hu Xiaoxiao was certain that Xia Lu would definitely want the role of Xie Weihua, so if she wanted to compete for Xie Weihua, she would not only have to defeat You Na, but also Xia Lu.

As a close friend, Zhu Wanwen unconditionally stood by her friend's side and cheered Hu Xiaoxiao on, saying, "Although the role of Xie Weihua is very difficult to win, I believe you can definitely do it."

Hu Xiaoxiao laughed, "You have that much confidence in me?"

"Of course," Zhu Wanwen said with a smile. "I've known you for so long and I've never seen you lose."

"Since you've put it that way, I have to take this role no matter how difficult it is." Hu Xiaoxiao said it was difficult, but there was no sign of difficulty on her face.

The more competition there is, the more interesting it becomes, isn't it?

If she wanted a comfortable life, she could just go and be a decorative figure in Charlie's play.

However, although Hu Xiaoxiao speaks lightly, she always takes things seriously. She may look down on all opponents in her mind, but she never underestimates any opponent in her actions. No matter how weak the opponent seems, she will be on high alert to deal with them.

Moreover, Xia Lu is coming on strong, and You Na is also a top-tier actress on the TV station whose popularity is not much less than hers. The three of them are all formidable opponents.

After obtaining a lot of useful information from Zhu Wanwen, Hu Xiaoxiao spent a lot of effort inquiring about the chief director, Qi Weiming.

Qi Weiming served Baogang Television for nearly twenty years and was one of the station's leading directors. In recent years, he has rarely directed television dramas and is in a semi-retired state. If a script is not compelling enough, it is practically impossible to get this veteran director to take the helm.

Hu Xiaoxiao made a special effort to find out about Director Qi's personality. Many people had contacted or worked with this director, so she easily obtained a lot of information about him, including his personality and style of doing things.

Director Qi Weiming is a very serious and meticulous person with a perfectionist personality. He has very high standards for the dramas he makes and is a very strict and dedicated person.

Upon seeing these messages, Hu Xiaoxiao understood why Director Qi's dramas were so good. He not only had very high standards for the actors, but he also had even higher standards for himself, to the point of being able to nitpick.

This is actually a good thing for Hu Xiaoxiao.

She fears encountering someone like Qiu Lihua who blurs the lines between public and private matters, ignoring facts and prioritizing personal feelings. As long as it's fair and just, no matter how difficult, even if it's incredibly challenging, she's willing to take the plunge.

Besides the director, the screenwriter of this drama is also a top screenwriter at the TV station, and has a say in the matter.

Hu Xiaoxiao then began to study screenwriter Lin Yi, mainly focusing on Lin Yi's characterization of Xie Weihua when writing the script.

Persistence pays off. After overcoming numerous difficulties, Hu Xiaoxiao finally discovered that the character Xie Weihua, written by screenwriter Lin Yi, was based on a real person.