Chapter Eighty-Two: No Overacting, A Dreamlike Collaboration (Requesting First Subscription)

Lin Xing had indeed made up his mind.

On the plane, he skimmed through the script of "Portrait of a Murder" once more, and the more he read, the more he liked the story. Because of this, Lin Xing had planned to meet with the core creative team as soon as he arrived in the capital today.

“Sister Dao, I think this script is excellent,” Lin Xing said to her. “Even though it has two male leads, that’s not an issue—the show is episodic, with twenty episodes covering fifteen cases. The most important thing is that each case feels grounded in reality, and the mysteries themselves are both original and intriguing...”

“All right, since you’ve decided, I’ll handle the contract details after we meet the production team. You just focus on the script and your acting,” Sister Dao replied directly.

Half an hour later, Lin Xing met the main creators behind "Portrait of a Murder."

“Mr. Lin, hello, I’m Ma Wen...” Ma Wen was momentarily surprised to see Lin Xing, but quickly smiled and said, “Let me introduce you. This is Wang Yi, the head writer, and this is Liu Zhou, the director.”

“Hello, Mr. Ma. Just call me Lin Xing.” Lin Xing also extended his hand and greeted Wang Yi and Liu Zhou.

“Mr. Lin, let’s get straight to the point,” Ma Wen said with a smile, his eyes lingering on Lin Xing’s striking face. “We would really like to invite you to play Guan Feng. We believe you’re perfect for the role.”

Lin Xing was just as candid. “I actually really like this character. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come to see you as soon as I got back to the capital.”

“Mr. Lin, we can add a romantic subplot for you if you want—” Ma Wen began, but Lin Xing cut him off.

“Hold on, Mr. Ma, why add a romance?” Lin Xing questioned, puzzled. “This script already has two male leads, and the focus of all twenty episodes is solving cases. Wouldn’t adding a romantic subplot break the pacing?”

“Huh?” Ma Wen looked just as confused. “I thought you wanted a romance.”

“That’s a misunderstanding.” Lin Xing shook his head and chuckled. “I’m not here to ask for more scenes. I’m not so arrogant as to think I understand the script better than the writers. I just really like this script and wanted to talk with you. If I have any requests, there’s only one.”

“Please, go ahead,” Ma Wen said quickly.

“I hope the script can be shot exactly as it is,” Lin Xing said earnestly. “I don’t want to see it altered beyond recognition.”

He paused, then added, “Actually, the real protagonists in this drama should be the women in each case. I believe the female characters in each episode are the true heart of the story, so casting those roles is crucial.”

Ma Wen, Wang Yi, and Liu Zhou were visibly moved by his words.

They hadn’t expected Lin Xing to grasp the core of the show so directly.

"Portrait of a Murder" had always used women’s tragedies as the basis for its cases—stories about predatory loans for cosmetic surgery, campus bullying, the kidnapping of a wealthy girl, organized prostitution rings, and more.

These were the true core of the series.

Over the past three years, Wang Yi had continually refined the script, often consulting frontline detectives about real cases, which is how the current version came to be.

It was a two-male-lead structure, but the women in each episode shone in their own ways.

Ma Wen, Wang Yi, and Liu Zhou had discussed many times that, beyond the two male leads, casting the female roles to match their characters was even more important.

Everyone involved was committed to making a serious drama.

No compromises.

If Ma Wen hadn’t seen how proactive Lin Xing was, he would have considered giving Lin Xing a romantic subplot just to keep him interested.

After all, you can’t always do things your own way when making a show.

Sometimes, trade-offs are necessary.

Ma Wen and Wang Yi both expected this.

With Lin Xing’s current popularity and the boost he’d gotten from his recent surge in fame—even if it was only temporary—it could only help the production of "Portrait of a Murder."

More importantly, they believed Lin Xing had genuine acting skill.

How rare that was.

These days, having an actor who could actually act was a pleasant surprise rather than the norm.

Older, more seasoned actors often found it hard to understand why so many popular young stars didn’t bother to memorize their lines, experience life, or even read the script.

When it came time to shoot, some would just count numbers, “one-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight-nine,” or have an assistant hold up cue cards and read as they filmed.

How many actors do you see whose performances are indistinguishable from just reading lines?

So, for the creators of "Portrait of a Murder," seeing Lin Xing’s initiative and acting chops, they felt it was only right to reward him for agreeing to join the cast.

But it turned out to be even more unexpected.

A popular actor who didn’t want more screen time?

Even more remarkable, Lin Xing not only refused extra scenes, he hoped the production wouldn’t randomly add scenes or rewrite the script.

Ma Wen smiled and said, “You can rest assured on that point, Mr. Lin. In our crew, there is absolutely no disrespecting the script. I am fully in charge of this project, and I give you my personal guarantee.”

Ma Wen went on to explain, “Actually, I’ve known Wang Yi for many years. When the script was first completed three years ago, I was already involved.”

Wang Yi added, “That’s right, Mr. Lin. As soon as I finished the script three years ago, I had Ma Wen read it. From the beginning, we wanted to make something fresh but focused on crime-solving.”

Liu Zhou also laughed, “Everyone in the industry knows me—I never randomly change scripts.”

With everything clear, all that was left was signing the contract.

Lin Xing didn’t need to worry about the details; Sister Dao would handle all the specifics and contractual protections.

“Looking forward to working together!” Lin Xing stood up and shook Ma Wen’s hand.

“Likewise!” Ma Wen was clearly in high spirits—like expecting a five and receiving an eight.

“Mr. Wang, Director Liu, I look forward to learning from you,” Lin Xing said, polite as ever.

“Haha, learning from each other is more like it. We’ll all grow together,” Liu Zhou replied warmly.

Wang Yi added, “Mr. Lin, if you ever have any questions, feel free to reach out to me.”

Ma Wen then pulled Lin Xing into the "Portrait of a Murder" WeChat group.

Ma Wen: “Welcome, Mr. Lin Xing!”

Wei Fei: “Wow, it’s Mr. Lin? I’m a fan!”

Wang Yi: “Welcome, Mr. Lin!”

Zhou Wei: “Welcome, Mr. Lin!”

Currently, the group included writers, directors, producers, supervisors, and actors, mainly for pre-production discussions.

At the moment, there were only three actors: Lin Xing, Zhou Wei, and Wei Fei.

Lin Xing and Zhou Wei were the male leads.

Wei Fei, Liu Zhou’s wife, would be making a cameo appearance.

Lin Xing sent a Guan Peng meme in the group chat.

“Newcomer here, please take care of me.”

As soon as the meme went out, Wei Fei flooded the chat with a barrage of memes—not just Guan Peng, but her own as well.

Quotes like, “This empress likes newcomers like you best,” and, “From now on, I call the shots here. Everyone listens to me.”

The group chat was thoroughly taken over.

Liu Zhou was a little exasperated. “Don’t scare Mr. Lin away.”

Wei Fei replied with a rolling-eyes emoji.

At this moment, Lin Xing was still chatting about the script with Liu Zhou and Wang Yi.

“My wife’s a bit of a social butterfly, so please bear with her,” Liu Zhou said, glancing at the group chat, looking slightly troubled.

“Director Liu, you’re too polite. I think Teacher Wei is refreshingly straightforward,” Lin Xing replied quickly.

Liu Zhou waved his hand, “You’ll see in time.”

Wang Yi chuckled, “I think Fei’s great. You’re an introvert, she’s an extrovert—it’s a perfect balance.”

Liu Zhou was surprised. “Wow, Old Wang, you know the latest slang?”

Wang Yi replied, “I’m a screenwriter. I need to keep up with the trends sometimes.”

Lin Xing chatted with Liu Zhou and Wang Yi for another half hour. They agreed to keep in touch about the script.

The show was scheduled to start filming on November 20th, and Lin Xing would definitely join the cast on the first day, since he was the leading man.

An hour later, the contract was signed.

The contract was fairly standard, clearly defining responsibilities and ensuring that all details were set out in writing.

“Mr. Lin, we’ll speed up preparations. You’ll need to keep your schedule open for us after the 20th,” Ma Wen said as he walked Lin Xing out. “Although we start on the 20th, you may need to join the crew a little early. Also, since your character is a forensic sketch artist, it would be good to experience the profession first. Here’s a friend of mine from the Academy of Fine Arts…”

He handed Lin Xing a business card. “You can meet with him to get some hands-on experience. He’ll also serve as a consultant for the show, so it’s good to get to know each other in advance.”

“Thank you, Mr. Ma,” Lin Xing said as he accepted the card.

“It’s the least I can do—for the sake of the production.”

Ma Wen shook his head, “My job is to support the crew in every way possible. If you have any requests in the future, just let me know.”

“All right.” Lin Xing chatted with Ma Wen a bit longer, then left with Sister Dao.

“Ma Wen’s the real deal,” Sister Dao said in the car. “And the contract is pretty generous. This is your first time as the male lead, and there are less than twenty days before filming starts. Just focus on the script at home.”

“Understood,” Lin Xing replied.

Two days later—

November 3rd, Friday, noon.

Lin Xing’s Weibo was buzzing.

Today marked the premiere of the finale (first part) of “Farming Life,” as well as the debut of the “Follow the Stars to Alleviate Poverty” episode set in Dafeng Mountain.

“‘Farming Life’ is ending already? It’s the only variety show I’ve found truly relatable.”

“Hope we get a second season soon. Lin Xing’s chef persona is unbeatable.”

“Right? I used to think Lin Xing could only cook in big pots, but he’s been making all kinds of dishes.”

“And when they film Lin Xing cooking, it’s always a full shot—you can tell he’s actually cooking. Unlike Ren Dayi, who’s never been filmed from head to toe.”

“Don’t just watch ‘Farming Life’—check out ‘Follow the Stars to Alleviate Poverty.’ Lin Xing cooks there too.”

“I just saw it. And it’s not just cooking—he seems to know every student in Dafeng Mountain by heart.”

“Are you kidding? Lin Xing’s been doing charity work in Dafeng Mountain for three months a year. It’s not just talk.”

Both programs aired at the same time, and Lin Xing promoted both on his Weibo.

The “Follow the Stars to Alleviate Poverty” Dafeng Mountain arc had three episodes in total.

The first episode aired today, with subsequent ones focusing on poverty alleviation efforts and donations from Dima.

The show’s format was to document the before-and-after at each poverty-alleviation site.

That was the charm of the show.

For example, today’s episode highlighted the outdated facilities and equipment at Dafeng Mountain School.

No students were shown on camera.

That was at Lin Xing’s request—he didn’t want the children paraded in front of the camera for pity’s sake.

While viewers were reluctant to see “Farming Life” end, many were amazed at Lin Xing’s presence in the Dafeng Mountain episode of “Follow the Stars to Alleviate Poverty.”

He was just so familiar with everything.

Lin Xing’s rapport with the children was unmistakable—something that couldn’t be faked.

“People forget Lin Xing’s debut was filming ‘Trading Lives’ at Dafeng Mountain, and that show was directed by Feng Gang.”

“Whoa, that was fifteen years ago.”

“Yeah, and when Lin Xing was accused of harassment, fans pointed out he’s done charity in Dafeng Mountain every year for the past five years.”

People were suddenly struck by how surreal it all was.

Lin Xing had recorded “Farming Life” and the Dafeng Mountain episode of “Follow the Stars to Alleviate Poverty” almost simultaneously.

And the director of “Farming Life,” Feng Gang, was the same person who took the “Trading Lives” crew to Dafeng Mountain all those years ago.

Fifteen years had passed in a flash.

Netizens buzzed, and soon there was a “dream crossover” between “Farming Life” and “Follow the Stars to Alleviate Poverty,” sending both shows to the top of the trending topics.

This brought more attention to impoverished areas.

That was a good thing.

Most importantly, the program was honest—no melodrama, no traffic-chasing, no performative charity. It simply showed reality as it was.

Sincerity is the greatest weapon.

Lin Xing saw the discussions online and thought it was a good sign.

After all, poverty alleviation isn’t a one-day job. As long as today is better than yesterday, that’s progress.

While these two variety shows were generating heated discussions online, Lin Xing received a call from Ding Bai.

…

PS: Two chapters, 12,000 words, have been updated! Dear readers, please support me with your monthly votes! The author will keep writing—more to come today.

(End of chapter)