Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Dad, Mom, come quick! There's hope for our garment factory!" Jiang Shangyun burst into the office holding a magazine, his excitement palpable, and slammed the door open. He shouted at Jiang Fu, who was puffing on a cigarette and looking deeply troubled behind his desk.

Jiang Fu, still lost in worry over the overdue payment notice from the bank, jumped in surprise and hastily stubbed out his cigarette. "What did you say? There's hope for our garment factory?" he asked gruffly.

Ruan Cuimei, who had been sitting on the sofa wiping her tears, instinctively stood up. "Has your girlfriend agreed to lend us money?"

"No! I didn't even mention borrowing money!" Jiang Shangyun spread the magazine open and flipped to the page announcing the *Prince of Beggars* Jewelry Design Competition and *Prince of Beggars* Costume Design Competition. "I'm going to participate in this costume design competition. If I can win the championship, I'll be able to join the production as a designer and design all the outfits worn by the female lead in the series. I'll also get to collaborate with a luxury brand to design a co-branded collection in real life."

His excitement growing with each word, Jiang Shangyun slammed his hand on the open page of the magazine. "At that time, I'll convince the production team or the brand to assign the order for these clothes to our factory. With orders, our factory can survive and even grow stronger!"

Jiang Fu and Ruan Cuimei looked at each other. Ruan Cuimei carefully flipped through the contents of the magazine and said with some hesitation, "Is this thing reliable? It says that international designers with rich experience are participating in the competition, and some of them even know the judges. You're just a college student. How can you beat these people and win the championship?"

Afraid that she had dampened her son's enthusiasm, Ruan Cuimei quickly added, "But it's good that you have this ambition. Mom supports you in joining this competition. Even if you lose, you'll know where you stand compared to top designers."

"Mom, don't boost others' morale and dampen your own spirit, okay? What if I beat everyone and win the championship?" Jiang Shangyun jumped in frustration, then added enthusiastically, "By the way, Mom, I remember you like designing jewelry. Do you want to participate in the jewelry design competition too? The organizers don't require participants to be professionals. You can sign up too."

Upon hearing her son's suggestion, Ruan Cuimei was stunned.

Jiang Fu, who had been gloomy, couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Son is right. You really like designing jewelry. You should give it a try. If a jewelry company likes your design, they might want to collaborate with you, and you can turn your designs into real jewelry."

Encouraged by her husband and son, Ruan Cuimei's heart began to stir.

At the same time, in Edinburgh Art College, Y Country

"Gu, have you seen the jewelry design competition advertised in this issue of *ELLE* Magazine? It's being held in our home country, Hua. The judges are chief designers from several luxury brands, and it includes your idol, Victor Pamirand. Do you want to participate in this competition?"

Sitting at his desk sketching designs, Gu Qing paused slightly, took the magazine from his roommate, and read the information carefully. After a moment of contemplation, he copied down the email address for registration. "Of course I'm going to participate."

*

Half a month later, the *Prince of Beggars* production team officially started filming in Hengzhou Film and Television City.

This was Ye Mingzhao's first time attending the opening ceremony of a production team. Despite having no acting experience, his legendary journey of outshining popular idols and veteran actors to land the roles of the male lead and the second male lead had spread throughout the entertainment industry during the month of preparation.

The journalists invited to the opening ceremony were curious about this actor who should have been unknown but had easily stirred up global fashion trends by hosting two design competitions.

Compared to the unrealistic portrayals of domineering CEOs in idol dramas, Ye Mingzhao's real-life maneuvers made those characters seem like child's play with no credibility.

Was this a case of a real CEO playing a domineering CEO, a kind of dimensional downgrade?

Not only the journalists but also the other actors in the *Prince of Beggars* were curious about Ye Mingzhao.

During the script reading, Ye Mingzhao had always been humble, diligent, and eager to learn. Apart from his excessively handsome face and the refined aura of good upbringing, he appeared gentle and harmless, like a pure white jasmine flower untouched by the storms of life. It was hard to reconcile this image with the shrewd and experienced strategist who had orchestrated the jewelry and costume design competitions on a global scale.

The more low-key Ye Mingzhao appeared, the more cautious others became. Veterans in the industry knew that young people who were arrogant and proud of their talents were not to be feared. They had seen many overnight sensations and instant hits, but such young people often didn't last long in the business.

What was truly fearsome was someone like Ye Mingzhao, who seemed gentle and harmless, without any sharp edges, but could effortlessly stir up situations with a single move. His extensive network and the capital to organize such events made him a target for many in the entertainment industry.

Many actors had been advised by their agents to get close to Ye Mingzhao. If they could secure a luxury brand endorsement or a cover shoot with one of the top five fashion magazines through him, it would be a major coup.

For all artists in the entertainment industry, these were the top-tier resources.

And now, these resources, or the channels to obtain them, were in Ye Mingzhao's hands.

Thus, during the entire script reading period, all the actors who interacted with Ye Mingzhao were exceptionally friendly.

The female leads, who have numerous scenes with Ye Mingzhao, are the most popular and trending actresses of the past two years. Yu Mingze had previously warned Ye Mingzhao several times, saying that the agents of these two rising actresses were particularly difficult to deal with, advising him to be careful and not to get short-changed.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they joined the cast, the two young and stunning leading actresses showed overwhelming enthusiasm towards Ye Mingzhao. Not only did they proactively suggest adding each other as friends, but they also shared Ye Mingzhao's costume photos on Weibo. During the script reading sessions, they often brought him snacks, claiming that reading the script was tiring for the throat and that sugary drinks were needed to replenish.

The young male actor who was originally supposed to play the second male lead, Fu Shen, but had to step back to the third male lead because Ye Mingzhao was playing dual roles, showed no hostility about losing his part. Instead, he openly praised Ye Mingzhao for being capable and handsome, saying that he was a natural fit for the male lead role.

The veteran actors playing Ye Mingzhao's parents in the drama went out of their way to teach him many acting techniques. They also took the opportunity during the script reading sessions to act alongside Ye Mingzhao, using their exquisite performances to help him get into character.

Moreover, they would patiently explore various ways to interpret the same scene during multiple readings, allowing Ye Mingzhao to experience firsthand the differences between the most acclaimed acting methods: Method Acting, the Stanislavski System, and Expressionism.

It must be said that the thoughtful and professional guidance from the fellow cast members benefited Ye Mingzhao greatly. Along with the targeted and meticulous teachings from the veteran actors and director Li Zhengzheng, Ye Mingzhao's acting skills improved rapidly.

By the time filming started, the senior actors, director Li Zhengzheng, and screenwriter-producer Yu Mingze all agreed that Ye Mingzhao's acting was more than adequate for the lead role in an idol drama.

At the opening ceremony of *Prince of Beggars*, all the main cast members interacted harmoniously, much to the admiration of the invited media reporters.

No matter how strong Ye Mingzhao's background was, in the acting profession, he was still a complete novice with no experience. Many media reporters, upon learning that director Li Zhengzheng and screenwriter-producer Yu Mingze had boldly chosen such a pure newcomer to play dual roles, immediately thought of the potential for hype in the coming months.

After all, the *Prince of Beggars* production team comprised not only the scandal-ridden lead actress Luo Lingling, but also the breathtakingly beautiful Bai Ruowei, who had a history of "eclipsing" other female leads in every drama. Additionally, there was the seasoned actor Yu Dehai, renowned for his public criticism of流量 actors for their lack of professionalism, and the newly rising heartthrob Zhang Pinglan, who had to swallow his pride and accept the third male lead after losing the second male lead role.

With such a mix of drama-prone individuals, it wasn't just the media reporters who were hoping for a disaster; even many industry insiders were waiting for a good show.

As the saying goes in the industry, Ye Mingzhao was undoubtedly an actor with powerful connections. It's common to see actors with strong backing parachuting into lead roles, but whether he could hold his own against the veteran actors would depend on his individual abilities.

Nobody had high hopes for Ye Mingzhao. After all, without the halo of the Ye family business, he was just an inexperienced young man in his twenties. How could he possibly hold his own against so many formidable characters? That was until the two design competitions hosted by the *Prince of Beggars* production team made their debut, and everyone had to take Ye Mingzhao seriously.

To the discerning eye, it was clear that Ye Mingzhao was flexing his muscles.

Ye Mingzhao was equally aware of his strengths and weaknesses.

Leaving the Ye family business to reposition his future career as an actor was a small strategic adjustment he made after learning about Chu Hengyi's rebirth and revenge plan, carefully weighing the pros and cons.

This step was crucial. However, it didn’t mean Ye Mingzhao was willing to waste his energy on trivial matters. So, he proactively proposed holding a design competition under the crew's name. During the competition, he subtly showcased his abilities, which helped him execute his plan while allowing most people to recognize his strength and potential, avoiding unnecessary friction or disputes.

As expected, actors who had reached a certain status in the entertainment industry were smart, or at the very least, had smart teams behind them.

No one picks a fight without a good reason, especially when there’s something to gain. This was why Ye Mingzhao never got those slap-happy scenes in idol dramas. To him, they only created unnecessary waves and enemies, offering no real satisfaction.

It was better to size up the situation from the start. Smart people would naturally weigh the pros and cons. As for the rest… well, they’re not worth worrying about.

"Mingzhao, come over here!"

In the bustling scene of the opening ceremony, Yu Mingze, standing in the front row, looked around and waved Ye Mingzhao over, practically forcing him into the center spot.

"In a moment, you’ll be the one to light the first incense," Yu Mingze said enthusiastically.

The ceremony was somewhat complicated. They had selected an auspicious day and time for the ceremony. They would offer incense, pay respects to Guan Gong, and sacrifice three animals. All the main cast and crew faced north and bowed. Finally, the director stepped forward to unveil the red cloth covering the camera.

The crowd erupted in applause as the *Prince of Beggars* production officially kicked off.

All the main cast members were invited to the pre-arranged site. It was a huge temporary stage with a *Prince of Beggars* poster as big as a wall behind it and a long table covered with red cloth in front. As Ye Mingzhao sat down according to the nameplate order, crew members were adjusting the microphones.

Sitting to his left was the screenwriter and producer, Yu Mingze. As the production was about to start, the screenwriter, still deep in revisions, leaned over with the latest script and whispered to Ye Mingzhao, "What do you think about giving the antagonist, the male second lead, a hyperthymesia power?"

Otherwise, it would be hard to explain how a poor college student, struggling at the bottom of society, could replace the male lead, Gu Mingchao, in just a few years without anyone noticing.

Unless he had a photographic memory and powerful rapid-learning abilities.

——Hyperthymesia is indeed such a powerful and cool superpower.

In any case, since Ye Mingzhao is also playing the male second lead, even if Yu Mingze made the villain super strong, the villain won’t stand a chance against the main guy. So, Yu Mingze figured he might as well go all out with the changes.

Yu Mingze had a hunch that these two characters were the pinnacle of his creative genius. So, he needed to give it his all.

What excited Yu Mingze even more was that the changes also reflected Ye Mingzhao's real-life personality. This is because Ye Mingzhao himself has hyperthymesia, a fact known to very few people.

"I’ve heard people with hyperthymesia can recall every detail of their lives," Yu Mingze suddenly wondered, "So, can you remember everything from the moment you were born?"

That thought gave Yu Mingze a chill.

No way, right? If he could remember, Ye Mingzhao would still have a clear image of the parents who left him.