Chapter 583 (1/2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Zhou Xing was just another regular university student, but he may have watched just a little too many movies. Moreover, uncharacteristically as a male student, he tailed celebrity-related trends with immense fervor. Even so, he was not a fan of those ‘pipeline-styled'[1] idols and celebrities. Those stars were far too homogenized – they would never stand the test of time. He could always count on their endless replacements who would themselves be replaced promptly…
It was most hurtful to see idols and celebrities claiming to be chaste, only to have them end up getting involved in scandals the most. These hypocrites most likely looked down on their own fans as well.
Zhou Xing read them like a book. Unfortunately, fangirls of those young and handsome idols did not know how to read. Several male idols had already been proven to be “Cannon Kings” – complete with substantial evidence. Even so, they never ran out of fangirls.
It was probably the very fact that they were “Cannon Kings” that precipitated this. If that was not the case, those girls could just stay at home and be fans of those handsome Gods within “Love and Producer!”[2] Go on, live in your 2D world!
When it came to the caliber of an actress, Zhou Xing placed her acting skills to be first on the list of priorities. Of course, he was not totally exempt from the allure of beauty either. He would never be a fan of an unbearable sight. All in all, it would certainly be best if acting skill and great beauty coexisted.
Unfortunately, such actresses were far too scarce. Even so, actresses with both great acting skill and beauty often fell under harsh, heavy criticism. Perhaps they confused great acting skill with “daring to strip and bare flesh for all the world to see.”
As a regular university student, his nights would often be free and empty. During those hours, his roommates might get together and have LAN parties with games like PUBG or the forever popular LoL. On the other hand, he would be doing what he enjoyed most – watching movies by himself.
As a highly experienced movie-watcher, he had seen just about everything the mainstream world could offer. He had probably watched all the movies in those “Top 10 xx” lists that you find on the internet.
Of course, he had yet to touch the truly great classics. After all, he was only a Second-Year university student. Two years was far from enough to be considered as a leisurely, wonderful university life.
Recently, this late legendary actress, Zhang Guorong had been resurrected by the internet. More were following the trend, claiming how remarkable her movies were, and how she truly deserved the title, “Queen Of A Thousand Faces.” Most of all, her melancholic eyes seemed to drain your very soul. Her acting was simply outstanding!
Most unfortunately, this candle had been snuffed out at the height of its radiance. The cause was never known, and to add to that mystery, photos of her daily casual life were next to non-existent. If you were lucky, you might find a few movie photos of her in-character!
Zhou Xing could not resist the flow of trends. We are not saying that University Students were so naive and hive-minded, it was the Internet Age, after all. When something picks up momentum on the internet, people would flock to it, if only to prove that they were keeping up with the times. Some just did it for the attention; others did it for profit and fame. They could even use this as a pick-up line for girls.
It did not take long for the “Sis, I love you forever.jpg” meme to take flight. Zhang Guorong had become the cosmic authority, she was like the heroine of “Violet Evergarden,” an anime which people have referred to as the human Bible. Whether they have ever watched it before, those people would simply tail the trend and blabber about it. Those who dared oppose were only making their own lives difficult, making an enemy out of the entire human race!
Undoubtedly, some high standard critics[3] walked among these people, hoping that these praises might end up as curses instead. Nevertheless, they could not bring themselves to deny her charm objectively.
Zhou Xing had also heard about Zhang Guorong before, if only by name. He knew very little about her. When he started off by watching some of her classic films, he quickly became convinced the trend had been well-founded. It was such a shame. At that age, filmmakers were severely limited by the technology of their time, and were thus unable to provide a full-on Zhang Guorong experience…
Zhou Xing even could not help but imagine how great it would be if the cameras of this age could film Zhang Guorong. When he thought it over, he soon realized that Zhang Guorong might not have been as accomplished in this age – celebrities today lived in far too much luxury. Money easily came pouring in. Who would have time to hone his or her acting skills?