Chapter 89: 089 Film Offer

Chapter 89: 089 Film Offer

More than a month after Lu Xu's issue of "NF" was released, the magazine showed no signs of promoting Zhang Che—even a search on the official "NF" blog showed that the last post about Zhang Che was from four or five years ago.

That was the first time Zhang Che appeared on the cover of "NF" supplement, and fans snapped it up, setting a sales record for the domestic edition of "NF" since its launch.

At that time, fans were full of confidence in Zhang Che, confident he would rise to the top among the leading young actors.

The supplement was just the beginning; Zhang Che would eventually break into the big four and become a true superstar.

But even though "NF" was published, the current issue still hadn't been released. M brand gave him their highest endorsement, the pinnacle of luxury branding, but Zhang Che's momentum wasn't as unstoppable as fans had hoped, instead leaving them feeling frustrated.

Though there was still Zhang Zhizhen's film.

"Do you think 'The Swordsman' will be a hit? The recent leaks don't seem right to me."

"Me too..."

"Director Zhang hasn't talked much about A Che recently."

Even Zhang Che himself... seemed different from before.

But fans only dared to keep these thoughts buried deep in their hearts, not daring to voice them out loud.

Thinking about it carefully, it would be fine if Zhang Che continued on his previous path, taking on roles one by one and gradually improving his acting skills. Even if he didn't win the Starlight Award right away, it was okay to take it slow. After all, his development was already a step ahead of other young actors.

Getting movie roles was definitely a good thing, and fans were genuinely happy for Zhang Che.

But perhaps due to the unsettling experiences during this period, they always felt that the bright prospects of "The Swordsman" seemed overshadowed by a sense of gloom, making them restless and anxious.

...

The "NF" cover that Lu Xu posed for wasn't the proud work of "NF"'s regular photographer, after all, the theme of "Small Town Youth" didn't quite fit with fashion.

But the fact was—the final result was much better than the photographer expected, probably because Lu Xu had the ability to embody various elements.

If any other actor had been chosen for the shoot, it might not have achieved the same effect.

Lu Xu seemed like he had grown up in that environment and had his own take on it.

When the camera focused on his face, the sunlight happened to hit his face, and in that moment, Lu Xu looked even warmer than the sunlight.

"He must have filmed a very heartwarming drama this time, right?" Hearing that the shooting theme was close to Lu Xu's new drama, the photographer couldn't help but laugh, "Then I'll have to take a good look."

As for the sales expectations of this issue, the "NF" editorial team hoped it would match the sales of the "NF" supplement issue featuring Zhang Che.

Currently, Lu Xu is also one of the leading actors, but because he has been nominated for the Starlight Award for two consecutive years, in the public's impression, Lu Xu is closer to being a powerhouse actor.

Moreover, Lu Xu's fans rarely "go on campaigns," and the popularity of his series far surpasses his own. Although there were rumors of Z brand's new shampoo selling out, that was a long time ago.

Lu Xu's position as a top actor is now firmly established, and to some extent, this is a relatively difficult stage to attract new fans.

Fans certainly admire strength, but Lu Xu is a bit too strong now. He doesn't need fans to do data work, nor does he suffer much injustice that requires fans to back him up. Even when he is attacked, Lu Xu himself can take on the crowd, one person worth a thousand troops.

Lu Xu is too capable, so naturally, fans' sense of participation is reduced.

Under these circumstances, the "NF" magazine isn't sure how much sales he can bring to the magazine.

But G brand, which pushed for the cover, should be satisfied—the outfits Lu Xu wore on the cover are currently sold out on G brand's official website.

On the day the new issue of NF Magazine hit the market, fans criticized Brand G for not dressing Lu Xu well enough, while still enthusiastically placing orders.

On the day the new issue of *NF* magazine was released, fans criticized the G brand for not dressing Lu Xu well enough while enthusiastically placing their orders.

"Can’t they dress Lu Xu better? [Angry][Angry]"

"A man who defines fashion with just his face."

"He might as well not wear anything."

"He might as well not wear anything; I couldn’t help but imagine it. [Heart eyes][Heart eyes]"

While the clothes weren’t particularly striking, Lu Xu’s face on the cover and inside pages was impossible to ignore. Celebrities often seem to be wearing the clothes, not the other way around, when they don high-end fashion, but this was definitely not the case with Lu Xu—no matter the styling, he pulled it off flawlessly.

The first fans to get the magazine couldn’t help but share a set of pictures on their homepage—

"He looks amazing!!"

"Ahhhh, I’m fangirling so hard! I wish Lu Xu could take eight hundred photos for me a day!"

"@Feiyang Entertainment, quickly get more fashion events, don’t waste this puppy’s charm!"

Tan Qi made sure to save the photo of Lu Xu walking with a golden retriever. The man and the dog were under the sunset, their shadows stretched long, the orange hues made it feel warm and inviting.

Though Lu Xu rarely makes public appearances, no matter how he appears, Tan Qi never feels distant from him. Even as Yu Yi in *The Path of Bones* is icy, or Ji Xiuya in *The Supreme* is the martial world’s biggest eccentric, Lu Xu is still Lu Xu.

Ever since Lu Xu shot this issue of *NF*, Tan Qi had been waiting for the release date. The release day was a Saturday; she grabbed a copy early and went back to bed. When she woke up, her friend had sent her a dozen messages, all about one thing—*NF* was sold out!

"I missed it completely, and I was only half an hour late!!"

"Hate!!!"

"If I’d known Lu Xu’s first cover would be this powerful, I wouldn’t have slept in, hate!!"

Tan Qi searched on Weibo and indeed, like her friend, many fans didn’t get the new issue of *NF*.

"I really underestimated Lu Xu’s power; who would have thought buying a magazine now feels like a battle."

"...Here’s one sad fan who missed out, @NF Magazine, when will you reprint?"

"!!!! Absolutely cannot allow this to happen!"

As soon as the staff of *NF*’s official blog went online, they received a huge number of @s, while the editorial team was immersed in the shock of "sold out in just 15 minutes."

In fact, because the cover figure of this issue was Lu Xu, *NF* had already printed more copies than previous issues, but the sales speed still exceeded everyone’s expectations.

To some extent, sales equal popularity.

Although *NF* still maintains the high posture of a top magazine, influenced by new media, its influence has not been as strong in recent years, and the brand’s advertising volume has also reached a historical low.

This is why top magazines are willing to lower their stance to embrace traffic.

Although envious of the profits brought by traffic, *NF* is still striving to maintain a balance between traffic and style. Celebrities who have just become popular still start from the supplements and inside pages, and only when they have enough seniority will *NF* consider letting them appear on the main cover.

Stars like Lu Xu, who make it big in one go, are rare.

Of course, inviting Lu Xu to the cover does not lower the style of *NF*. Whether it’s the achievements of the dramas he starred in or his breakthroughs in award nominations, all are worthy of *NF* extending an invitation to him.

But obviously... the magazine underestimated Lu Xu’s popularity.

The speed at which this issue of *NF* sold out was almost twice that of the issue featuring Zhang Che.

Compared to other prestigious magazines like "Fashion" and "New Edge," the cover of this issue of "NF" undoubtedly received the most attention across various platforms. The photo of Lu Xu walking with the dog was praised by several media as the month’s best—the trench coat he wore almost became the most iconic piece of G-brand’s current season.

Not to mention, after signing Lu Xu, G-brand’s sales have been consistently rising, outpacing competitors for several consecutive quarters and claiming the top spot in the men’s clothing category.

...

However, Lu Xu only shot this one issue of "NF." He wasn’t rushing to feature in other prestigious magazines. Once the cover shoot was done, Lu Xu’s focus returned to scripts.

The script Yue Hui had invited him to collaborate on was already in his hands.

Lu Xu: "..."

He’d once wondered if Yue Hui might hold a grudge against him because of "Watchmen." Now, it seemed he had been misjudging—the script he received was even more impressive than he had imagined.

In fact, you could say this script and Zhang Zhizhen’s "The Swordsman" were the polar opposites.

Yue Hui had won several Best Actor awards in his career, and Lu Xu had assumed he preferred more artistic films or relatively heartwarming dramas. He had braced himself for a very "artsy" script.

After all, he had once been deeply confused by the script of "The Swordsman," even questioning if his mind was playing tricks on him.

However, this film titled "Deception" was a pure commercial piece. The characters in the script deceived each other, skirting the law, going to any lengths for profit.

The role of the older con artist in the script was undoubtedly meant for Yue Hui.

And the young con artist? That would be his role.

Although the script wasn’t particularly detailed, Lu Xu could tell that this character was handsome. In this script, the two characters were evenly matched, pushing deception to its limits.

Indeed... it was a perfect fit for him.

Mainly because Lu Xu had never played this type of role in his two lifetimes. Rather than seeing the character as a villain, he saw the character as someone who relished the thrill of deception.

"This script is interesting, right?" Xu Wen looked at Lu Xu, "I’d recommend giving it a shot."

Lu Xu smiled at his agent, "Alright."

He didn’t insist on his first foray into the film industry being a big-budget production. In fact, Lu Xu didn’t even have a clear concept of "entering the film industry." Yue Hui had invited him to act in a movie, he found the script interesting, and he wanted to take it—that was all.

"It feels pretty casual."

This process was much quicker than his involvement in TV dramas.

"Do you need me to arrange a ceremony for you?" Xu Wen asked, "Something more formal, maybe even a press conference to announce it?"

Lu Xu quickly stopped his agent, "Absolutely not."

"Filming won’t start too early. After the actors are confirmed, Yue Hui will probably look for a suitable director and then finalize the rest of the cast," Xu Wen said, "There aren’t many directors in the country who can handle this kind of commercial film."

"Too artsy?"

"Way too artsy," Xu Wen thought for a moment, "Directors like Zhang Zhizhen became famous before the film marketization. Even when they make commercial films, they still stick to their old styles."

There are very few directors in the country who can make commercial films and accurately capture the audience’s attention. Even though the film market has been commercialized for many years, the themes of commercial films remain relatively monotonous.

"If this one is done well, it should be quite interesting," Lu Xu said.

"Yue Hui wouldn’t be careless," Xu Wen laughed, "Everyone in the industry knows he’s been scammed before."

In fact, the reason Yue Hui made "Ups and Downs" was to clear the impact "Watchmen" had on his reputation.

"Watchmen" was the first TV series he starred in after winning the Best Actor award. He took on this series because the investor was a long-time friend of his, and the director and scriptwriter of "Watchmen" had a good reputation in the industry. He couldn’t turn down the offer and ended up taking the role.

But unfortunately, "Watchmen" ended up flopping.

Yue Hui couldn’t just bail and go back to movies, as it would make others think he left a mess in the TV world and ran away.

He didn’t want his TV career to be defined solely by "Watchmen."

"Ups and Downs" was the series he used to redeem himself.

When he took on this series, Yue Hui went all out to overcome numerous obstacles, fearing that the tragedy of "Watchmen" would happen again.

Fortunately, it didn’t.

"Ups and Downs" even earned him the Starlight Award for Best Actor. After winning this award, Yue Hui had cemented his status as an accomplished actor in both film and television.