Inside the empty conference room sat Li Qiang, Zhang Jin’an, and two assistants.
"Holy crap!" Li Qiang suddenly shouted. Everyone except Zhang Jin’an looked up at him.
Li Qiang thrust his phone in front of Zhang Jin’an’s eyes. "Zhang Jin’an, did you follow Jiang Siyang?"
Zhang Jin’an glanced at the screen, then lowered his head to continue playing his match-3 game. "Oh, yeah. I followed him. What about it?"
"Do you have any idea it’s trending on the Hot Search?!" Li Qiang was beyond shocked. "So that’s why you were asking me about him earlier? That was the point?"
If he hadn't seen the Hot Search, he wouldn't have known this guy had followed Jiang Siyang. No wonder Xiao Liu had been trying to reach him; it must have been for this.
"It’s already trending? Then Jiang Siyang must have seen it." Zhang Jin’an paused his game and exited the app. "Let me see how he responded."
"Look at me first, not Jiang Siyang," Li Qiang said, covering Zhang Jin’an’s screen with his hand and forcing him to make eye contact. "Why did you suddenly follow him?"
Zhang Jin’an remained composed, propping his chin on one hand. "I think his acting is good. What’s the problem? Didn't you always tell me to look out for newcomers?"
"...Did I say that?" Li Qiang looked at the two assistants. They immediately nodded and said in unison, "You did."
Li Qiang: "..."
Zhang Jin’an moved Li Qiang’s hand aside and patted his shoulder. "Driving is exhausting and stressful. You’ve worked hard, Brother Qiang."
Li Qiang chuckled. "At least you have a bit of a conscience. But your follow is basically a public endorsement. He’s gone viral because of this; he’ll definitely have plenty of scripts coming his way now. His popularity is going to skyrocket. He’s about to blow up."
Zhang Jin’an shook his head. "Why thank me? I just clicked 'follow.' His fan base wasn't exactly small to begin with."
Zhang Jin’an had checked; even for the Weibo posts Jiang Siyang’s company posted on his behalf, the reposts reached several thousands. Having that many active fans was actually quite impressive.
"His future depends on him. If he lets it go to his head now, the netizens will put him in his place within months. But if he handles the opportunity well," Zhang Jin’an let out a small smile, "he might become even more famous than you imagine."
"Zhang Jin’an, from the way you're talking, it sounds like you have high expectations for him," Li Qiang noted.
Zhang Jin’an smiled without replying and opened Weibo.
Expectations? He did indeed have expectations for Jiang Siyang.
Setting aside his desire to read the fanfics, Jiang Siyang’s versatility and personality were points of interest for him. Otherwise, out of all the actors featured in those stories, why would he only follow Jiang Siyang? He wasn't the type to follow people randomly.
After finishing that story titled *The Overbearing CEO’s 250 and 13*, Zhang Jin’an had gone to Jiang Siyang’s Super Topic to cleanse his eyes.
Usually, every Super Topic has a pinned post, which is typically a promotional piece from the official fan account. These posts list every charming trait of a celebrity to win over new fans.
As Zhang Jin’an read through, he finally understood why Jiang Siyang—despite not being a top star—had so many dedicated fans and even managed to charm casual passersby.
The promotional post included over ten accounts of fans encountering him in person, ranging from his debut to the present day, complete with photos.
The man was exactly as Li Qiang had described: a "good kid," earnest and hardworking.
Coming from a military family, his background was impeccable, and his dedication was clear. What surprised Zhang Jin’an was that Jiang Siyang hadn't even majored in acting.
To act that well without professional training was impressive. If he honed his skills further—and if his personality was genuine rather than a persona—he would undoubtedly become an outstanding actor as long as he stayed on the right path. Fame was only a matter of time.
Zhang Jin’an found the Hot Search and glanced at the top comments. He was slightly surprised. "Jiang Siyang has seen my movies?"
"Any rookie actor probably has," the assistant, Xiao Zhou, chimed in. "But Jiang Siyang seems to view you as his role model. I saw him mention it in a magazine interview."
Xiao Zhou’s information was highly reliable. He loved buying magazines, especially for the interview sections. He would cut out interviews of various celebrities and paste them into a notebook so that if Zhang Jin’an ever had to interact with them, he could provide relevant background info to avoid any awkwardness.
"A role model? Just don't let him learn your habit of chatting online all day," Li Qiang quipped from the side.
Zhang Jin’an chuckled and clicked on @JiangFourSheep from his following list.
Sure enough, there was a new post from seventeen minutes ago.
[@JiangFourSheep]: I’m stunned. Is this real?
Zhang Jin’an let out a soft laugh.
He looked at the comments below. It was the highest engagement Jiang had received recently, with about eight thousand comments.
[@SiyangsQuiltedJacket—SlicedNoodles]: My reaction is the same as Four Sheep’s: Is this real?
[@FallingFlowersWhoDoesntKnowYou]: Hahahahahaha I knew you’d be stunned!!! I’m stunned too!!! [Crying Emoji]
[@OnlyAFoolWouldBelieveMe]: As a Big Brother fan, I have to say Four Sheep is too cute, haha! It’s real, it’s real! Thanks for liking our Big Brother! Congrats on being a successful fan!!!
[@PinkySwearWhyHang]: As a fan of both, I’m also completely stunned. Today is like New Year’s!!! [Crying Emoji] [Teary Emoji]
[@EatUntilChubbyChubby]: I can already imagine the look of pure confusion on Four Sheep’s face when he heard the news, hahahahaha.
Finding it amusing, Zhang Jin’an replied to the top comment.
[@ZhangJinan] replied to [@SiyangsQuiltedJacket—SlicedNoodles]: It’s for real.
Within seconds, several people noticed him.
[@NuanNuanExpandingList]: ?? Holy crap? Is it real? It’s not a fake account?
[@NoSignal]: Big Brother, please stay away from the fans' lives, okay????
[@SiyangsQuiltedJacket—SlicedNoodles] replied to [@ZhangJinan]: Aaaaaah it’s real, Big Brother!! Confirmed mutual follow!!!! Who am I? Where am I?!!!
Zhang Jin’an found it hilarious and wanted to reply to a few more, but he remembered his promise to post less on Weibo, so he stopped.
He then exited and searched for *System-Limited Reunion*.
This *System-Limited Reunion* had posted twice in a short interval.
Six minutes ago—
[@System-Limited Reunion]: I was startled awake by my DMs. I thought people were attacking me again, but it turns out everyone was telling me to check the Hot Search. What happened? I’m going to look now.
One minute later—
[@System-Limited Reunion]: I’m back. I’m also stunned.
The comments below were perfectly uniform: "What a coincidence, I’m stunned too."
Zhang Jin’an was dying of laughter internally. If he could reply with this account, he would have joined the thread with: "What a coincidence, I’m stunned too."
"Director Tang is here," Xiao Zhou said.
Zhang Jin’an turned off his phone and placed it face down on the table. All four of them stood up.
A man in his late thirties or early forties walked through the door. He wore a hat and a white shirt, and his beard looked a bit unkempt. This was Tang Shang, followed by an assistant carrying a laptop bag.
"Director Tang, long time no see," Zhang Jin’an stepped forward first to greet him, extending his hand.
Tang Shang’s most distinctive feature was a missing front tooth, but he didn't care and loved to smile.
Seeing Zhang Jin’an, Tang Shang grinned widely and patted his shoulder. His speech was a bit breathy due to the gap, but it wasn't a major issue. "I see you on Weibo every day. You’re getting more famous by the second, kid. When I spoke to your assistant the day before yesterday, I was afraid you’d look down on me and wouldn't come."
Zhang Jin’an immediately shook his head. "How could you say that? I’d be willing to play a walk-on role in one of your productions."
"Director Tang, let’s sit and talk," Li Qiang suggested.
"Oh, right. I got too excited seeing a big star and forgot," Tang Shang teased Zhang Jin’an again before taking the seat at the head of the table. "Speaking of which, Jin’an, how long has it been since we last met?"
Zhang Jin’an sat down as well. "About half a year. The last time was at the film festival."
"Time really flies. The film festival was already six months ago," Tang Shang sighed before continuing. "I watched your recent drama. Not bad. As expected of you, your acting has improved significantly." He gave a thumbs up.
"To be honest, from the moment you walked in, I was worried you’d say my acting had regressed," Zhang Jin’an patted his chest. "Now that I’ve heard the praise, I feel much more relaxed."
Tang Shang chuckled and pointed at Zhang Jin’an, laughing to the group. "Listen to him. This kid is putting on an act again. There’s no use performing here; who here doesn't know you? Are you really the type to be afraid of what I say?"
Zhang Jin’an nodded. "I’m actually very timid."
Tang Shang waved him off. "Fine, we’ll see if I can make you cry later. If you don't cry, you’re treating everyone to dinner today."
Zhang Jin’an: "Alright, actually, I’m not that timid."
Tang Shang laughed heartily for a moment before getting down to business. He clapped his hands, and his assistant immediately opened the laptop.
Zhang Jin’an received the digital copy of the script, which was about three hundred pages long.
He read through it page by page. By the time he finished, over ten minutes had passed.
"What do you think?" Tang Shang asked.
"It’s very faithful to the original novel, but..." Zhang Jin’an frowned slightly. "If we really film it this way, the amount of post-production special effects will be massive."
Although *Dark Hidden* was a story about vampires living among humans in a modern setting, there were many fight scenes in the latter half. The author’s writing was incredibly flamboyant and visual.
The script hadn't omitted these parts; on the contrary, they were all annotated, meaning they were all intended to be filmed.
This was a good thing, but it was also exactly what Zhang Jin’an was worried about.
The first principle of an adaptation is to stay true to the source material, especially the combat scenes. Naturally, the more faithful, the better. However, many TV dramas claim to be faithful while spending all their budget on hiring "traffic stars." Setting aside the acting quality, the special effects are often subpar.
If *Dark Hidden* turned out like that, he would be the first one to complain.
"I know what you’re worried about. Don't worry. Do you know why the acting fees are lower this time? It’s because I saved that money to hire a top-tier special effects company," Tang Shang explained.
Zhang Jin’an realized, "I see. Then I’m relieved."
He had initially found the offered salary for *Dark Hidden* strange. Director Tang Shang was never one to be stingy, but the fee this time was much lower than what Zhang Jin’an usually received.
If the lead actor’s fee was that low, one could only imagine how little the others were getting.
Zhang Jin’an had assumed it was a low-budget web series with ten-minute episodes. It turned out that wasn't the case; the money was being diverted to the VFX.
That was a good sign.
"You should have said so earlier. I would have come for free; you could have given the whole fee to the effects team," Zhang Jin’an said.
Tang Shang shook his head repeatedly. "That won't do. You’re putting in the time and effort. I already felt bad giving you so little; if I took you for free, wouldn't I be swindling you?"
"Alright, we’ll do it your way, Director. By the way, have the other actors been cast yet?" Zhang Jin’an asked.
"Oh, right. Speaking of that, I’ll have to trouble you this time," Tang Shang said.
"How so?" Zhang Jin’an asked, puzzled.
"You know, the pay this time..." Tang Shang trailed off, giving Zhang Jin’an a look.
Zhang Jin’an understood immediately. "The pay is low, so not many people are willing to come?"
"There were veteran actors willing to join, but the schedules didn't align. The rest are all newcomers," Tang Shang said. "The female lead and the second female lead are both rookie actresses, Ge Xianxu and Yuan Yuan."
Zhang Jin’an: "Yuan Yuan?"
Tang Shang: "Why, do you know her?"
Zhang Jin’an shook his head. "I don't. I’ve seen her on Weibo covers. I think she’s from a girl group called J... something..."
"JUC2," Li Qiang interjected suddenly.
Everyone turned to look at him.
Li Qiang was startled. "Why... why are you looking at me?"
Tang Shang sighed. "Li Qiang, you... I didn't expect you to be that kind of person."
Li Qiang: "?"
Zhang Jin’an patted Li Qiang’s shoulder. "So this is the kind of person you are, Brother Qiang."
Li Qiang: "What did I do?"
"Brother Qiang, you have a wife! What about her? Does she know about this?" Xiao Zhou said with a look of mock grievance.
Only then did Li Qiang realize what they were implying.
"Pah! What are you talking about?" Li Qiang immediately explained. "This group is the one Zhongye is heavily promoting lately. Zhongye has some business ties with us; how could I not know about them?"
"Ah, so that’s it. See, if you’d just explained earlier, we wouldn't have misunderstood," Tang Shang said.
"Exactly," Xiao Zhou agreed, nodding.
Li Qiang: "?"
After teasing Li Qiang, the atmosphere lightened considerably. Zhang Jin’an stopped smiling and turned back to Director Tang. "So, how is their acting?"
Regardless of what idol group they were from, the priority was acting. This was a project he had been looking forward to for a long time; he didn't want the special effects to be great while the overall quality suffered.
"You really get serious the moment acting comes up. They can't compare to you, of course, but they’re decent. Yuan Yuan, in particular, surprised me. Her acting is quite spirited."
Zhang Jin’an’s expression softened. "If you’ve vetted them, Director, then I’m at ease."
"Don't just praise me. You’ll have to help guide them on set. When it comes to acting, you’re the one with the most authority here," Tang Shang said.
"If the Director commands it, I shall obey," Zhang Jin’an thought about Tang Shang’s words. "What about the second male lead? Is he cast?"
Tang Shang shook his head. "No."
"Why? No candidates?" Zhang Jin’an asked.
Tang Shang: "There are candidates, of course, but I didn't dare make a hasty choice. So I left it pending for you to take a look."
Zhang Jin’an was surprised. "Me? I’m going to look?"
"Yes. Haven't you read the original novel? You should know how important the second male lead is to this story," Tang Shang said as if it were obvious. "So, my choice alone isn't enough. We need someone who truly loves the original work and is a professional to make the selection."
That made some sense.
Indeed, casting for an adaptation was a heavy task. If one hadn't read the source material carefully, the chosen actor would inevitably deviate from the original vision.
Furthermore, the second male lead in *Dark Hidden*—while technically the second lead—had almost as much screen time as the protagonist. It could almost be seen as a dual-protagonist story.
The protagonist was an ordinary human, while the second lead was the vampire. The author’s descriptions of the second lead’s appearance and movements were very detailed. The more specific the description, the harder it was to find a match. The second lead definitely required careful consideration.
"Then why can't the author choose?" Zhang Jin’an asked.
He hadn't acted in an adaptation before and didn't know the inner workings, but if they wanted someone who had read the original, the author would be the best choice. After all, they created the characters and had the deepest insight into them.
"I asked the young lady," Tang Shang said. "But she said she isn't as professional as we are, so she declined. However, she did have one request."
Zhang Jin’an: "What request?"
Tang Shang: "She wants handsome men and beautiful women."
Everyone fell silent.
"That counts as staying true to the original, since the book is full of handsome men and beautiful women," Zhang Jin’an said. "So, who are the candidates for the second lead?"
"I’ve narrowed it down to three: Ping Yang, Xie Fujie, and Kong Xiaoyun." Tang Shang folded down three fingers.
"Not bad. Those three have just debuted recently, but they’ve all made a bit of a splash," Li Qiang said. "It’s good that they all applied."
Tang Shang smiled and looked at Zhang Jin’an. "What are you talking about? These actors basically all came because of Zhang Jin’an’s name. Jin’an, do you know any of them?"
Zhang Jin’an: "...I know them, but I don't."
Tang Shang burst out laughing. "What kind of answer is that?"
It was the truth.
Zhang Jin’an didn't actually know any of them; he didn't even know what they looked like. But he had seen all of those names in the fanfics.
***
**Glossary**
