39: Chapter 39: Isolated Cases

However, Meng Zhu did not know that, far away in the political center of the Light and Shadow Federation, Xuan Continent's Zhongjing City.

Many big shots were flipping through his files.

Light and Shadow Federation Film Bureau.

Monthly routine meeting.

As the tedious and boring routine meeting was about to end, a young man began to speak eloquently.

Li Feng.

Li Linxian's older brother.

Strictly speaking, the person Li Linxian was looking for was actually someone Li Feng was also looking for.

"Leaders, after three years, I am once again proposing my previous suggestion."

"Please do not rush to refute it; please take a look at the materials I have sent to you."

After speaking, Li Feng clicked on the big screen and began his report.

After a while, a leader spoke up.

"Team Leader Li, this is an isolated case. You should understand that this doesn't prove anything."

"That's right, your idea is too bold. Everyone present knows that subconscious movies are irreplicable. Even if this Meng Zhu himself were to act in this movie again, it would be impossible for him to replicate the miracle of his comeback."

Li Feng didn't care at all and smiled slightly.

"Leaders, the reason I brought out this material is just to tell you that what I am saying is not a fantasy, nor is it a delusion with zero probability."

"As for today, I don't want to talk about this material, but rather speak from the heart."

"Respected leaders, I would like to ask, how many years has it been since the Light and Shadow Federation made progress? How many Best Actresses and Best Actors do we have? How long does it take for one to be born?"

He tapped the table, his tone serious.

"Most importantly, are the Best Actors and Best Actresses that can be counted on two hands today truly qualified? No one knows better than us how much padding there is in the evaluations."

The entire meeting hall, with thousands of people, fell into collective silence.

After a while, an elder spoke up.

"When desperate, one must change; when one changes, one finds a way. I can understand the thoughts of you young people, but Team Leader Li, you should have checked the relevant materials. Why don't you talk about the risks?"

Li Feng immediately stood up, excited; this was the first time he had felt hope.

He quickly controlled the meeting's intelligent assistant to display the materials he had already prepared.

"Leaders, regarding the plan to have actors replace the main characters, the thing that worries people the most is the risk."

"In the early days, our actors would directly replace the main characters. This was also the norm before the Light and Shadow Federation's reforms."

A large amount of footage and historical data were projected onto the screen.

"Historical summaries indicate that the requirements for main characters were too strict, especially for protagonists in angst novels, who could almost be described as saints. In history, this once caused actors to shy away and turn pale at the mention of it."

"There have been specific statistics on many early actors who replaced main characters. Research shows that even with emotional memory firewalls, a large number of actors were left with various sequelae, and basically all actors were affected to some degree."

"This includes but is not limited to personality changes, mental illness, and even sleepwalking. Long-term psychological counseling still didn't show much improvement. Those with mild cases faded into obscurity and quit the entertainment industry, while severe cases suffered mental breakdowns, and some even committed suicide."

"The second problem is the success rate. The probability of successfully completing a movie where an actor replaces the main character is extremely low, less than one percent. Even in sweet romance novels where both sides are in love, actors often fail to keep up with the qualities the male lead should have, losing the favor of the female lead and often being countered by supporting characters."

"There is also a special category here, which is the 'Big Male Lead' novel. The success rate for completing these types of novels is slightly higher, but script collapse is the norm. Either they end halfway or have a bad ending; in short, problems are constant."

The many leaders in the conference room nodded one after another; these were things they all knew.

Their disagreement with Li Feng's crazy idea was also based on these reasons.

However, after saying all this, Li Feng clapped his hands, his whole body radiating the vitality and confidence of a young man.

"But respected leaders, the early ban on actors replacing main characters can only be said to have suited the national conditions of that time; it does not mean it is an eternally correct truth."

"We need to progress. Every decision that changes the course of history seems bold and risky at the time."

"Now, let us set aside the script world and think about our own history."

"Our own history?"

A leader frowned, lost in thought.

"Correct."

Li Feng's smile became even brighter.

"Leaders, in the earlier period before the Federation's unification, the Light and Shadow Planet was called Blue Star, where many countries stood. I would like to ask, in history, have we had heroes, great men, saints, or those figures comparable to script protagonists?"

The intelligent assistant turned the page at the right moment, and a large amount of data on great figures spread across the screen.

Page after page, it was overwhelming.

The leaders were in an uproar, whispering to each other.

"Leaders, do you see? The answer is yes, and there are many, many of them."

"But, for hundreds of years since the Federation's unification, we haven't even had a single true Best Actor. Could it be that during these hundreds of years of unification, we have been going downhill, and haven't produced a single hero?"

"This..."

Li Feng's sincerity today was unprecedented, and many leaders chose to listen to him until he finished.

"Therefore, I think there is a saying that goes well. It is an ancient saying from our Xuan Continent, called 'Circumstances create heroes'!"

"I think by now, you all understand that if actors are always replacing supporting characters, without the special opportunities that main characters have, then we will never welcome a true Best Actor, and the Light and Shadow Federation will never progress."

"Li Feng, you are not the first person in hundreds of years to think this way, but the risks you mentioned earlier are an uncrossable chasm."

Li Feng restrained his smile and said seriously:

"Of course, I have never underestimated the risks. But leaders, compared to the early period before unification, we now possess more scientific virtual equipment, more powerful and professional psychological disciplines, a more perfect actor education system, and even better national quality."

"At the very least, we cannot develop for hundreds of years and still not even dare to try."

After saying this, Li Feng once again brought out Meng Zhu's file.

you are my moonlight

"Leaders, at least for now, we already have our first successful case, don't we?"

"He played the role of a supporting character, yet successfully performed as the lead, and even ended up with the female lead."

Now everyone was stunned.

At first, when looking at this file, everyone didn't think much of it, but after Li Feng's long speech, which had everyone itching to try, looking at the file again felt different.

The venue with hundreds of people finally boiled over.

Everyone whispered to each other and began to discuss.

It wasn't until a long time later that the leader at the very head of the table spoke.

"Then, Comrade Li Feng, after our discussion, we have decided to give you a chance to try."

"We need you to come up with a feasible, perfect, and relatively safe plan for a pilot within a year."

"Establish a special task force, which you will be responsible for. Report progress every month, and you must submit a complete project plan within half a year."

"Can you do it?"

Li Feng stood up excitedly and saluted.

"Yes, I guarantee to complete the mission!"

A plan that would change the entire Light and Shadow Federation was quietly born at this moment.

After the meeting, Li Feng quickly began to form his special task force.

"Xiao Han, go to Xianteng Film Industry and notify my sister that Meng Zhu's next movie will be designated by us."

"I don't care what method she uses; she must ensure that Meng Zhu, without noticing, chooses the script we have prepared in a reasonable and compliant manner, and does so willingly."

"Yes, Team Leader, I will go make the arrangements now."