Hollywood, I became a legend with special effects.

Chapter 55: A Shocking Counterattack

Friday, January 6th.

The official websites of Fox Searchlight Pictures and Light Chaser Animation North America, as well as the online versions published by authoritative media outlets such as Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, simultaneously released a short but information-packed press release at 9:00 AM Beijing time:

"Searchlight Pictures and Light Chaser Animations have officially announced the lead actress for their psychological thriller 'Black Swan.' After several rounds of global searching and rigorous video interviews by the production team and director Darren Aronofsky, we are very pleased to announce that Chinese actress Crystal Liu will play the central role of Lin Xin, a ballerina struggling between perfectionism and inner collapse."

The press release briefly introduced Liu Yifei's acting career, highlighting her English proficiency, early dance training background, and "the impressive complexity of her emotions demonstrated in her recent audition performance."

Finally, it was stated that the film will soon begin several months of intensive ballet and performance training in the United States, followed by formal filming, with the release date to be determined.

This news, like a precisely dropped depth charge, stirred up a huge wave, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, on the eve of a seemingly calm weekend!

In a high-end apartment in Beijing, a talented actress who was once considered the strongest competitor silently closed her computer screen.

She didn't smash anything; she simply walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looked at the gray sky outside, and remained silent for a long time.

My agent called, sounding indignant: "This is outrageous! There's definitely something fishy going on! What happened to the global selection process? Are they just playing us for fools?!"

The actress simply replied, "A loss is a loss. At least, he's Chinese."

The resentment and desolation in his tone were so intense they were almost palpable.

Not to mention the companies and agents, big and small, who have spent their time and resources to fight for opportunities for their artists, only to have it all come to naught.

A sense of anger and powerlessness, of being fooled and manipulated, spread rapidly within the industry.

"So, it was all pre-arranged? All that fanfare and global selection was just a joke?"

"Liu Yifei... isn't she the one who had the rumored romance with Jiang Yu last month? No wonder!"

"That's a brilliant move! They used a scandal to attract attention, then announced the casting, instantly boosting the buzz and simultaneously clearing up the scandal—a win-win situation!"

"Is Light Chaser Pictures really determined to promote someone? Jiang Yu's move..."

Many people who were "late to the party" have started to frantically review the events of last month. Looking back now, the seemingly farcical "secret meeting scandal" looks like a carefully planned prelude!

Everyone felt like they'd been fooled and tricked, and even helped generate buzz for the topic.

As a result, new scrutiny focused on Liu Yifei.

How did this "Fairy Sister," who had faded into obscurity after "The Forbidden Kingdom" and was suspected of being soft-banned, quietly board the suddenly rising aircraft carrier that is Light Chaser Pictures?

Is it just because of that one scandal that he's making a living? Or is there a deeper, more solid relationship?

What exactly is going on between her and Jiang Yu? Various speculations and "insider information" have begun to surface again.

.......

Domestic entertainment media outlets reported the news almost immediately after it was confirmed, with headlines that were either front-page headlines or pop-up ads, each more sensational than the last.

Breaking Free from the Cocoon! Liu Yifei Wins Lead Role in Hollywood A-List Production "Black Swan"!

Shocking! Liu Yifei beats international stars Zhang Ziyi and the "Four Dan and Two Bing" (referring to four top actresses and two top actresses, respectively) to star in Darren Aronofsky's new film!

Rumored Boyfriend's Support? Liu Yifei Makes a Stunning Comeback After a Year of Obscurity!

The internet was in an uproar.

The trending topics were instantly dominated by related topics: Liu Yifei as the lead actress in Black Swan, Liu Yifei defeating Zhang Ziyi, Black Swan was pre-selected, and the "Fairy Sister" ascended to heaven.

Liu Yifei's fans erupted in ecstasy and triumphant celebration:

"Aaaaaah, I'm crying so hard! Sisi's been quietly doing amazing things!!"

"Black Swan! Hollywood! Leading lady! Art film! Sissi is awesome! (voice cracks)"

"Where are those haters? Those who said our Sisi is washed up? Come out and take a look! What kind of resources are these?!"

"Thank you Light Chaser Pictures! Thank you, director! Go Sisi!"

"I told you we were talking about work last time we ate together! That's a slap in the face to those spreading rumors!"

"Sissi deserves it! She's always worked so hard and remained so humble; finally, she's been recognized!"

Passersby and netizens were mostly surprised and curious:

"My God, Liu Yifei? She can play a ballet dancer?"

"Isn't this incredible resource? Jumping straight from a domestic TV drama to a leading role in a Hollywood award-winning film?"

"It seems that the rumor from last month wasn't unfounded. Even if it's not a romantic relationship, it must be that a deep collaboration has been finalized."

"Regardless, it's always a good thing for Chinese actresses to get these top-tier resources!"

"The pressure is immense. If I don't perform well, I'll embarrass myself internationally."

There are also some dissenting and pessimistic voices:

"Giving her such an important role? Can she handle it? What if her acting skills are completely outshone by foreign actors?"

"It's definitely a result of financial manipulation, a forced promotion. Would Darren Aronofsky even appreciate her acting skills?"

"I'm waiting to see the movie come out and make a fool of myself; I have a feeling it'll flop."

"With so many talented actresses in China, why choose an idol? Light Chaser Pictures' aesthetic sense..."

Regardless, after being silent for more than half a year, Liu Yifei's name has returned to the absolute center of public opinion in the most powerful way, and has reached an unprecedented height.

Inside Huayi Brothers, Wang Zhonglei stared at the overwhelming news on his computer screen, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

His earlier suspicions were confirmed, and the situation was even "worse" than he had imagined.

This is not just about Liu Yifei getting a good role; it signifies that Light Chaser Pictures has broken the "blacklist" atmosphere that Huayi Brothers had previously tried to create in an extremely high-profile and successful way.

Liu Yifei not only didn't flop, but instead soared to great heights, jumping directly to an international platform that even Huayi Entertainment can hardly reach.

This was tantamount to a resounding slap in the face to Huayi.

As expected, Yang Siwei's phone was bombarded with calls again, but this time she handled it with much more ease.

To every call—whether congratulatory, inquiring, or questioning—she gave the same response: "Ms. Liu Yifei received this opportunity after a rigorous interview with the director and production team, thanks to her own qualities, hard work, and high degree of compatibility with the role. Light Chaser Pictures respects the director's artistic choices. Thank you for your attention to the project." Formulaic, impeccable.

At the absolute center of this storm, Liu Yifei was sweating profusely in a secluded dance rehearsal room on the outskirts of Beijing when the news was announced.

Her ballet training has entered the second stage, which is more intense and demanding.

When her assistant, Sister Chen, handed her the news page with trembling hands, Liu Yifei was panting, leaning on the barre, sweat dripping down her chin.

She took the tablet, looked at the few lines of English announcement and the familiar Chinese translation, and remained silent for a long time.

There was no screaming of ecstasy as I had imagined, nor any tears of excitement.

She felt as if a heavy stone that had been pressing on her chest for a long time had finally been lifted with a thud.