The ecosystem of a film crew is subtle and complex; it is both a gladiatorial arena where strength meets strength and a delicate showcase of worldly wisdom.
With his exceptional professional skills and focused attitude, Li Kai quickly won the recognition of many crew members. The gaffer would proactively ask him if the lighting angles were appropriate, and the script supervisor was happy to check shot details with him. Strength is undoubtedly the hardest currency in this industry.
However, not everyone was pleased to see his rise.
His Oriental face stood out particularly in the almost entirely white crew. Some looked down on his background while secretly envying his powerful directorial intuition and talent for composition. Had Director Mamoulian not clearly appreciated him and adopted his suggestions multiple times, this hostility might have surfaced long ago. While things appeared calm on the surface, petty tricks in the dark never stopped—such as intentionally delaying his call times, "losing" his submitted continuity reports, or being passive-aggressive when he needed extras to cooperate... Li Kai, however, didn't take any of this to heart.
He knew very well that his primary goal in joining the cleopatra crew was to make money and alleviate his family's financial distress, followed by learning the ropes, gaining experience, and honing his directing skills. As for those hidden arrows? He had no intention of getting entangled in them. If he could truly establish a foothold in Hollywood one day, he would have the power to choose his own team and lead the creative process; there would be no need to work with people like this again.
Li Kai's mindset was exceptionally good.
However, a week after filming began, the entire set fell into a sudden standstill, which left him stunned.
The reason was simple: the leading lady, Elizabeth Taylor, hadn't shown up.
Rumors spread quickly that she had another creative conflict with Director Mamoulian. Mamoulian insisted that the director should be the sole authority on set and that all actors—even a superstar with a million-dollar salary accounting for a quarter of the initial budget—should follow the overall narrative. Taylor, as the undisputed box office core, was long accustomed to having the final say on character portrayal, camera angles, and even co-stars.
The tug-of-war between the two grew increasingly tense, with every confrontation causing the atmosphere on set to drop to freezing point. This time, Taylor was absent altogether—the official line was that she was feeling unwell due to bad weather, but almost no one believed it was a coincidence.
Production ground to a halt, but the wages for the hundreds of crew members didn't stop. Every day of waiting ruthlessly pushed up the already precarious production costs. The anxiety of 20th Century Fox had reached its peak.
Li Kai arrived at Director Mamoulian's office door with a document to give him. At that moment, the office door was slightly ajar, and the voices of Mamoulian and the studio representative, Prue Bronson, could be heard from inside.
"Mamoulian, I'm telling you for the last time—you must compromise! You must satisfy Taylor!" Producer Prue Bronson's voice was like a cold iron hammer, striking heavily in the air. "Otherwise, we can replace you at any time! Get this straight: the real core of cleopatra is Elizabeth Taylor, her face! Not any... replaceable director. Do you understand?!"
Mamoulian stood there in silence, his face ashen.
With the production company siding with Elizabeth Taylor, his position as director was truly pathetic.
At this moment, he felt like storming out.
He already deeply regretted taking this job.
Now, although his relationship with Taylor hadn't reached the point of being irreconcilable, it was teetering on the edge of collapse.
For a full minute, Bronson stood there aggressively until his last shred of patience was exhausted. Finally, he gave a cold snort, dropped the words "Suit yourself," and then turned abruptly, yanked the door open, and strode out, nearly colliding with Li Kai standing outside.
Bronson was in a fit of rage, and seeing this untimely Oriental face only added fuel to the fire. He glared sharply at Li Kai, his gaze like a knife, and without a second's pause, he hurried away with lingering anger, the sound of his leather shoes clicking against the floor echoing in the hallway.
Leaving only Li Kai standing there, the air still thick with the smell of the gunpowder from the recent argument.
"Damn it, who did I offend!" Li Kai rolled his eyes, utterly speechless.
After only a few days, Li Kai had already deeply felt the oppression and struggle behind this magnificent stage. He watched coldly from the sidelines, knowing full well: Director Mamoulian's seat likely wouldn't be held for long. What Fox needed wasn't an auteur who insisted on art, but an "executor" who could appease superstars and strictly control the budget.
"This job I just got... it won't be gone this quickly, will it?" Li Kai couldn't help but show a helpless, bitter smile... Li Kai's premonition was soon confirmed.
The executives at 20th Century Fox had long since lost patience with Rouben Mamoulian. It wasn't just the irreconcilable conflict between him and Elizabeth Taylor; more fatal was his "slow work yields fine results" creative philosophy, which was incompatible with the studio's urgent budget and schedule.
Back during the time at Pinewood Studios in the UK, Mamoulian's obsession with perfecting every shot had already caused serious delays. The continuous rainy weather made matters worse, becoming the final straw that broke the progress. On the studio's books, every day of delay was literally burning tens of thousands of dollars, causing the executives' anxiety to gradually evolve into panic.
In their view, controllable costs and precise schedules were far more important than the ethereal "artistic perfection" on screen. When Mamoulian could neither effectively manage the star nor advance the filming as planned, Fox finally reached a cold and realistic conclusion: this director, known for his meticulousness, did not possess the ability to handle such a massive and highly commercial project.
Replacing him was a foregone conclusion.
Currently, 20th Century Fox had already contacted a director named Joseph L. Mankiewicz and was persuading him to take over Mamoulian's directing duties.
Mankiewicz was already one of the most respected directors in Hollywood, having won the Oscar for Best Director and Best Screenplay for two consecutive years with A Letter to Three Wives and All About Eve. He was famous for his witty, complex dialogue and profound insight into human nature.
As for whether to take over cleopatra, he was still considering it; being a "firefighter" was no easy task.
The astronomical production cost of cleopatra hung over the heads of every lead creator like a Sword of Damocles. With such a massive investment, turning a profit was already as difficult as climbing to heaven.
If the box office ultimately failed, causing the production company to lose everything and suffer heavy losses, as the person in overall charge of the project, the director would undoubtedly bear the brunt of the blame. This would not be an ordinary setback, but a fatal blow to his directing career; his reputation and credit would suffer a devastating hit. Amidst the accusations and reckoning, all past glory could be wiped away in an instant, and the doors of Hollywood might be closed to him forever.Ever since producer Prue Bronson issued an ultimatum to Rouben Mamoulian, an invisible pressure seemed to quietly transmit to every involved party. Sure enough, not long after, Elizabeth Taylor "recovered" and reappeared on set.
Li Kai stood at the periphery of the crowd, his gaze sweeping past the busy staff and landing on the focal point, surrounded by stars. As soon as Elizabeth Taylor appeared, she seemed to radiate light, instantly capturing everyone's attention. She wasn't just walking; she was a moving visual feast.
The most unforgettable feature was her legendary eyes — a deep yet bright violet, like irises drenched in morning dew, with thick lashes casting shallow shadows, giving her gaze a hint of languor yet a penetrating power that went straight to the heart. Her skin was so fair it was almost translucent, forming a stark contrast with her meticulously styled, glossy black hair, making her seem like a goddess stepped out of a classical oil painting.
Her figure was graceful and well-proportioned, exuding peerless elegance in every gesture and smile.
Even from a distance, Li Kai could feel the powerful, almost tangible aura of a star. Her every expression, every casual wave of her hand, firmly attracted all surrounding attention and breath. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking that what film could capture was probably less than one-ten-thousandth of her real charm.
"Holy crap, she really is beautiful!!!" Li Kai looked at Elizabeth Taylor, who was surrounded in the center, and couldn't help but marvel silently in his heart.
Only such peerless beauty could drive film fans worldwide crazy, even making film companies willing to spend a fortune on her.
Even Li Kai, who was usually calm and self-possessed, had to admit at this moment that Elizabeth Taylor indeed possessed a charm that could almost captivate souls.
Li Kai wasn't intentionally exaggerating Taylor's charm.
Just imagine, Taylor had eight ex-husbands, which tells you what an irresistible attraction she possessed.
It was precisely for this reason that when the cleopatra project was launched, 20th Century Fox unhesitatingly listed her as the sole female lead, even breaking precedent by offering a sky-high million-dollar salary. All of this was simply because she was Elizabeth Taylor.
"How about it, Li, isn't Taylor beautiful? Doesn't she look almost unreal?" Gaius Hansen, another director's assistant beside him, nudged him with his elbow and whispered with a chuckle.
Li Kai withdrew his gaze, nodded, and praised, "Truly astonishing!"
"Just look, but don't think too much or get any ideas," Gaius clicked his tongue, his tone half-teasing, half-self-deprecating. "She's a woman at the pinnacle of Hollywood; people like us are miles away from her..."
Li Kai was stunned by his words. 'Damn, I'm thinking too much? You're the one thinking too much, even reminding me about it, how speechless...' At this, he deliberately raised an eyebrow at Gaius, a hint of playfulness in his eyes, and said in a drawn-out tone, "Taylor is extremely beautiful, but... she's eight years older than me. I'm twenty, she's twenty-eight, it's just not quite suitable, no matter how you look at it."
After a pause, Li Kai then flashed a carefree smile and joked in a low voice, "Of course... if she's willing to pursue me, I wouldn't mind having a short passionate romance with her."
Gaius Hansen's eyes widened as if he had heard something out of a fairy tale, his expression a mix of shock and exasperation: "Oh, God! You must be crazy! Elizabeth Taylor pursuing you? Li, you're starting to hallucinate, this is the most ridiculous daydream I've heard all week!"
Li Kai, however, wasn't annoyed; he merely smiled calmly, even deliberately tidying his collar slightly, and retorted in a relaxed tone, "Who knows? Maybe she appreciates my Eastern charm. Besides—do you think I'm not handsome enough?"
Gaius Hansen was startled by this, subconsciously scrutinizing Li Kai a few times. He had to admit that this Eastern face was indeed exceptionally striking. He opened his mouth as if to refute something, but in the end, he just rubbed his nose sheepishly and mumbled, "...Tsk, you really do look the part."
Li Kai's face possessed a rare handsomeness that blended Eastern and Western charm. His facial shape had the perfectly balanced smooth lines of an Easterner, with clear yet not sharp contours, and a neatly defined jawline, combining the sculptural bone structure of the West with the soft elegance of the East.
His figure was tall and slender, with broad shoulders, appearing refined and sharp even in a simple shirt and trousers. When still, he gave an impression of calmness, self-discipline, and meticulous thought; once in motion or conversation, that hidden confidence and talent would subtly reveal itself through his eyes and posture, forming a quiet yet powerful attraction.
Moreover, Li Kai was so young; he might really be able to attract Taylor's attention.
The more Gaius Hansen thought about it, the more jealous and envious he became. While a director's skill could be caught up through diligent study and practice, appearance was purely a gift from heaven, not something to be forced.
Gaius Hansen himself, in fact, had a rather rough and unpolished face... The next morning, pressured by the deadline, the producers ordered the crew to resume work.
During a break in filming, Elizabeth Taylor leaned languidly back in her chair, her gaze inadvertently sweeping across the edge of the set. An unfamiliar Eastern face caught her eye—calm, focused, and out of place amidst the busy, noisy atmosphere.
She subtly raised her chin and softly asked her assistant beside her, "Who is that person?"
The assistant followed her gaze and quickly whispered in response, "Li Kai, the new third director's assistant. I hear he's quite capable and highly regarded by Mr. Mamoulian."
Hearing Mamoulian's name, Taylor's delicate brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. Her accumulated dissatisfaction with that director instantly and subtly spread to this young man she had just noticed.
"Oh."
She hummed softly, her tone cooling, and the flicker of curiosity she had felt earlier vanished. He was just an insignificant little assistant, not worth her further attention. She casually picked up the water glass beside her, no longer sparing another glance in that direction.
Although the crew had resumed work, the rift between director Rouben Mamoulian and lead actress Elizabeth Taylor remained unbridgeable. On set, the two continued to clash over creative differences; one insisted on narrative authority and overall artistic integrity, while the other maintained absolute autonomy over character portrayal and acting methods. Each confrontation caused the filming atmosphere to stagnate, and progress once again slowed in a silent tug-of-war.
This sustained deadlock increasingly eroded 20th Century Fox's patience with Mamoulian, and their dissatisfaction grew more intense.
At this moment, things took a turn—Joseph L. Mankiewicz, the renowned director and screenwriter who won an Oscar for All About Eve, finally agreed to take over the seemingly glamorous but actually troublesome "mess" of cleopatra after numerous sincere invitations from Fox.