Chapter 65: Professional Advice from a Professional Perspective (Please Follow)-I Became a Top Star Before Gaining Mastery(Even the silly husky is captivated by cats.)

【Male Performance Panel】
Strength: 6.1
Speed: 6.1
Vocal Range: 5.1
Cardio: 5.1
Stamina: 11.1
Brain Computing Power: 16.1
Skill Points: 30.4

Su Mu began to organize his panel parameters.

After months of relentless filming, his proficiency in various acting-related skills had increased significantly. Script comprehension, emotional control, line delivery, and behavioral imitation—these four skills at LV3 proficiency—were all four-fifths complete. He was just over a thousand points away from reaching the full 5,000 proficiency mark.

At this rate, Su Mu estimated that by the time he finished filming "The Joy of Life," he would be ready to level up.

As for his basic attributes, he hadn’t added much so far. Su Mu knew this was because he hadn’t started training those proficiencies that required baseline attributes to reach a certain threshold. For example, after advancing further in singing proficiency, he would need to enhance his vocal range. Or, to earn the eighty million endorsement fee, he might need to practice dancing, which would require strength, stamina, flexibility, and other physical attributes to match higher-level proficiency.

Knock, knock.

He was still organizing his data when someone knocked on the apartment door.

Su Mu went to open it. He saw Qian Jida and Fan Xiaojue standing at the door, carrying takeout.

"Time to eat~ Time to eat!" Fan Xiaojue entered first, looking quite happy.

Qian Jida followed closely, his face glowing with delight.

Su Mu glanced at the opened takeout—it was spiced crayfish from Hengdian’s night market. He understood immediately why Xiaojue was so cheerful.

But Qian Jida’s expression wasn’t about the crayfish.

"Mr. Qian, is there good news? Why are you so pleased?" Su Mu asked.

Qian Jida grinned broadly, unable to contain his smile. "What, I can’t be happy unless there’s good news?"

Su Mu said, "Being happy for no reason—isn’t that a bit silly?"

Qian Jida: "..."

Su Mu clarified, "I mean, usually there’s a reason for joy, right?"

Qian Jida rolled his eyes. "You don’t understand. I finally get to hold my head high. You spend all day filming on set, you have no idea what’s happening outside. Let me tell you, since 'Nirvana in Fire' premiered, it’s been dominating all the other period idol dramas. The ratings are at 8.9, leading the pack!"

Su Mu shrugged, "Is that surprising?"

Qian Jida replied, "Of course, but that’s not what’s making me happy. What really delights me is seeing our rivals suffer. You have no idea—they all thought that after 'Nirvana in Fire' concluded, it would be their turn. But then 'My Heroic Husband' went online and snatched the audience away again. Li Xinjie’s 'Eternal Love Across Two Lifetimes' and NNQT’s 'New Four Talents' are barely watched now, their ratings are pitiful. I bet Li Hui and Zhang Hua’an never imagined your new dramas would explode one after another. I guess those two are fuming now. And with 'Cang Lan Jue' and 'The Joy of Life' coming up, you’ll be dominating the screens till year’s end. Just thinking about it keeps me too excited to sleep, haha!"

Su Mu asked, "Is it really that dramatic?"

Qian Jida replied, "Of course! Do you know how many fans you’ve gained lately? You’re about to hit thirty million followers on Weibo, and twenty million on Douyin. And this is just the beginning. I’m even more excited to see how many female fans 'Cang Lan Jue' will bring you. Guys might not watch much, but girls definitely will—and female fans are the most productive force in fandom!"

Su Mu queried, "Is that useful?"

Qian Jida assured him, "Absolutely! If you ever need votes for rankings or want to sell merchandise, you’ll see just how powerful your female fans are."

Su Mu: "..."

Fan Xiaojue chimed in, "Let’s eat first. Crayfish isn’t good when it’s cold."

Responding to Xiaojue’s call, Su Mu and Qian Jida quickly moved to the table, put on gloves, and prepared to dig in. Both were seasoned eaters; if you didn’t hurry, you’d only be left with shells in a few minutes. Xiaojue was a pro at eating crayfish—fast and efficient.

The three began to feast.

"By the way, Mr. Qian, what’s happening with the variety show sponsored by Liu Qiangxi?" Su Mu asked.

Qian Jida replied, "According to your idea, they’re coordinating on their end. Recording will probably start at the end of the year, so you’ll have time after finishing 'The Joy of Life.'"

Su Mu considered this. It seemed there was still some time.

"What about the appearance fee?"

"It’s separate, just as quoted—one and a half million per episode, fifteen to twenty million for the full season. If it works out, your earnings this year will be about three hundred million."

Listening to Qian Jida, Su Mu pondered for a moment.

Suddenly, he looked at Qian Jida and Xiaojue, as if remembering something.

"By the way, has the driver eaten?"

Qian Jida: "..."

Fan Xiaojue: "..."

…

After a few days of comfortable rest, Zhang Huaimou arrived in Hengdian with the new crew.

It was evident that months of preparations had taken a toll on him—he looked thinner. After all, he was getting older, and filming two dramas a year was certainly exhausting.

At that moment, the crew was setting up the set. All around were green screens for post-production effects.

On the steel beams of the set, there were also suspended pressure rigs.

Although "The Joy of Life" wasn’t as fantastical as "Cang Lan Jue," it still required some special effects scenes, and there were plenty of fight sequences. However, the action was straightforward, requiring no real martial arts skills.

Zhang Huaimou finished directing, then returned to Su Mu’s side, laughing, "You’ve been on fire lately! Once 'My Heroic Husband' finishes airing, 'Cang Lan Jue' takes over, and finally our 'The Joy of Life' rounds it off. I never imagined you had this plan in mind from the start."

Su Mu looked confused, "Director Zhang, what are you talking about? I don’t see it—I think you’re misunderstanding me."

[Expression Control +1]
[Skill Points +0.01]

Zhang Huaimou chuckled, unwilling to expose Su Mu, and shifted the conversation. "Recently, a friend told me that 'Nirvana in Fire' has a strong chance for this year’s Peak of Huaxia Awards."

Su Mu asked, "Any competition?"

Zhang Huaimou replied, "None at the moment."

Su Mu said, "Then it’s pretty much a sure thing."

Zhang Huaimou responded, "Whether it’s certain or not is another matter. But there’s a question—I want your opinion."

Su Mu asked, "What is it?"

Zhang Huaimou explained, "I still haven’t confirmed the female lead for 'The Joy of Life.' The other roles are settled, but I’m still undecided on the female lead. One is Ning Yuyan—you know her, you’ve worked together before. The other is Wang Xueyao, a promising young actress in recent years. Both have auditioned, but for the role of Lin Wan’er, I’m not sure who fits better. Since you wrote the script, why don’t you weigh in?"

The character Lin Wan’er meets the protagonist in a rather special way in the script—eating a chicken drumstick in a temple when they first encounter each other. She needs to appear somewhat fragile and pure.

Su Mu thought for a moment, "Do you have their styling photos? Let me see."

"Oh, yes." Zhang Huaimou sent them to Su Mu’s phone.

Su Mu opened them.

Ning Yuyan (portrait)
Wang Xueyao (portrait)

Well, in terms of vibe, Ning Yuyan was definitely better. But Wang Xueyao seemed to fit the role more closely.

After weighing it for a while, Su Mu finally gave his professional advice.

"Ning Yuyan."

Zhang Huaimou replied, "Alright, settled then."