Chinese Entertainment, 1993: I Became a Legend Through Perfect Performances

Xu Zhuo, an unremarkable-looking director, is reborn in 1993. As filming begins on the television series Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he plans to start by taking minor roles and quietly honing his craft. Then the Huayu Entertainment King System awakens. “What? The role of Hua Xiong is vacant?” “What? Another female star has started asking about my whereabouts? I only want to focus on my career—I have no interest in scandals!” Xu Zhuo’s path of patiently working his way up as an extra turns out to be far shorter than expected. Before long, he is ready to leave minor roles behind and step onto a much larger stage. Years later, Xu Zhuo is the holder of the world box-office record, the head of Asia’s largest media company, and the recipient of countless awards. During an exclusive interview, a reporter cautiously asks, “Director Xu, what did you do before all this? How were you able to build such an entertainment empire in barely more than a decade?” Xu Zhuo grins and answers casually, “It was nothing more than a tiny bit of opportunity and a tiny bit of effort...”