Chapter 79: The Three Swordsmen of the Northern Film Academy

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In the year 2000, who was the hottest star in the domestic film and television industry? The answer was obvious: Little Swallow, Vicki Zhao. One TV series, "My Fair Princess," had the entire nation glued to their screens; when it aired, every household tuned in. The show didn’t just make an actress famous—it made a television network a household name. There’s no need to elaborate, but Wu Xiang knew that even more than a decade later, with countless reruns, "My Fair Princess" could still dominate its time slot in ratings.

That’s how legendary it was! A myth in the world of Chinese television, and not just domestically—even places like Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Korea, and Japan were swept up in the craze.

To be honest, Wu Xiang had been at the Film Academy for quite a while now, and this was the first time he’d seen the real Little Swallow in person! It wasn’t that Vicki Zhao never attended classes, but their schedules simply never overlapped, and so he’d never run into her. But now, not only did Wu Xiang finally meet her, he even shook her hand.

“This is Wu Xiang. And this is your senior, Zhao,” Brother Kun naturally took on the role of introducer.

“Hello, Senior,” Wu Xiang greeted.

“I’ve heard for a while that there’s a particularly talented junior in the class of ‘97, already making films while still a student. So you’re that tall, huh?” To his surprise, Vicki Zhao was completely down-to-earth, chatting and joking with Wu Xiang.

“I suppose I spent all my energy growing taller,” Wu Xiang replied with a grin.

“Hehehe... you’re really funny.” It was their first meeting, so Vicki Zhao wasn’t quite used to Wu Xiang’s sense of humor.

Soon, a crowd of “Swallow” fans gathered to say hello, and some even asked for autographs. The power of idols! Even at the Film Academy, there were die-hard fans who lost all sense.

At that moment, someone stood up from the other side.

“You’re back!” Don’t forget, this was a banquet for the cast and crew of two productions—Little Ming was among them as well.

“Hey, Xiaoming Huang, wow! You’ve become even more handsome!” Vicki Zhao quickly left Wu Xiang to chat with Little Ming. In fact, it was Little Ming who’d come over to join their conversation.

Just like that, the trio of the Class of ‘96 Performance Department—the Three Musketeers of Beiying—gathered together!

“Why don’t you find a place to sit? Why stand there talking?” As the host, Wu Xiang naturally had to attend to his guests. As for the overzealous fans earlier, Wu Xiang subtly encouraged them to disperse—otherwise, it’d be too embarrassing.

But as soon as they sat down, the dynamic was clear: Vicki Zhao, Chen Kun, and Xiaoming Huang formed an unbreakable triangle. No one else could join the conversation, mostly because of the sheer presence they radiated. By now, all three were stars—even the least famous, Xiaoming Huang, was rapidly rising. It was like a whirlpool, and everyone else, consciously or not, kept their distance. It seemed that, after their initial fan frenzy, the rest of the crowd regained their composure.

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Wu Xiang was sitting nearby, but he didn’t join in either. Though silent, he was far from idle—he was observing.

He noticed that Xiaoming Huang and Vicki Zhao spoke the most, while Chen Kun said little. Yet, Wu Xiang sensed that it was Chen Kun whom Vicki Zhao cared about most.

As a reborn soul with experience in the entertainment industry, Wu Xiang had heard rumors about the three of them. Chen Kun and Vicki Zhao were said to be extremely close during their school days, while Xiaoming Huang gave Vicki Zhao a birthday present every year—perhaps not expensive, but always thoughtful.

The gifts were real; Xiaoming Huang had confessed that he’d kept this up for over ten years without interruption. If all this were true, then the situation was clear—there should be no doubt whom Vicki Zhao held a special fondness for.

Watching their interaction today only confirmed Wu Xiang’s suspicions. Anyone with half a brain could see it.

But observing Brother Kun’s demeanor now, Wu Xiang finally understood why the two never ended up together.

He’d found the answer in his heart: “Brother Kun just lacks confidence. But with Vicki Zhao’s current status, it’s understandable why a man might hesitate—especially someone as melancholic and introverted as Brother Kun.”

So what to do? It was obvious that, no matter how hard Xiaoming Huang tried, he could never succeed—Vicki Zhao saw him as nothing more than a friend. Chen Kun still had a chance, but he simply didn’t know how to express himself.

Help was needed! They were his friends, after all. How could he not lend a hand? As for Little Ming, he’d find someone who truly loved him.

With that thought, Wu Xiang rose and raised his glass.

“Everyone, may I have your attention for a moment? There’s something I’d like to say!”

Seeing him stand, everyone paused with their chopsticks. As his girlfriend, Hai Qing knew what was coming—this banquet was partly for distributing profits, but more importantly, Wu Xiang was about to announce his new film project, a major production with a substantial investment.

“I’ve already worked with many of you twice now, and I’ve found our collaborations incredibly enjoyable. So I’d like to keep working together.” Wu Xiang paused, scanning the room—offering everyone a choice. If anyone didn’t want to continue, now was the time to say so. Fortunately, no one so direct appeared.

He continued, “I have a new film project—a historical epic. I plan to invest ten million yuan. The script is nearly finished; it’s about Emperor Wu of Han. I’m mentioning this now to gauge everyone’s interest. If you’d like to work with me, I’d be delighted. If not, that’s fine as well. But I didn’t expect this—there’s a surprise.”

A surprise? What surprise?

Everyone’s curiosity was piqued. Even Hai Qing was puzzled—this didn’t match what Wu Xiang had told her.

Wu Xiang chuckled. “The surprise is the appearance of Senior Zhao, our Little Swallow.” He smiled at Vicki Zhao as he said this.

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“How come I’m the surprise?” Vicki Zhao was a little confused, though her smile suggested he was joking.

Wu Xiang was half-joking, half-serious as he continued, “Originally, the male lead was going to be Brother Kun, and the female lead was going to be Xiao Zhang. But now that I’ve seen you, Senior Wei, I can’t help but wonder—would you honor me by taking the lead role? But if Senior Wei joins, I’m afraid my budget won’t be enough. Ten million might not cover it. How about this—”

At this point, Wu Xiang looked toward Chen Kun. “Brother Kun, could you do me a favor and persuade Senior Wei to accept a friendly rate for me? Hehehe…”

Though Wu Xiang sounded playful, there was a seriousness underneath—if it worked out, they’d make the film; if not, it would be as if he’d never mentioned it.

“Sounds great!”

“With Senior Wei on board, that would be amazing!”

“With Senior Wei, we’re bound to break a hundred million at the box office!” The friends began to cheer—who wouldn’t want to join such a project?

“Kun!” This time Chen Kun was silent, but Vicki Zhao turned to him with a smile. “What do you think? Junior Wu is looking to you.”

Her words and expression made Wu Xiang think the matter was almost settled; he felt his own maneuver was brilliant—helping his friend and gaining a superstar for his film.

How clever am I!

But how did Chen Kun respond?

“I… um…” Chen Kun seemed hesitant, unable to get the words out.

“Come on, Brother Kun! This is it—just take the step and it’ll all work out!” Wu Xiang could only shout this in his mind, frustrated that things had come to this point and still he hesitated.

Brother Kun seemed to be struggling internally. At last, he said, “It’s up to you.”

Silence fell. The atmosphere was suddenly awkward.

(There will be another update tonight. Please recommend, bookmark, and support! Black Car thanks you!)