"Alright, let's talk about something else interesting."
Shu Han clearly didn't want to bring up the matter of being treated differently anymore, so he simply started talking about other people's funny stories to ease the tension between them.
"The first batch of actors arrived around noon. I heard that the scene was chaotic and unruly. Some people even went in dressed as emperors, but they were kicked out as soon as they entered. They told children not to wear adult clothes."
Xiao He: "Pfft—"
That's really hard to hold back.
"There was also someone who wore heavy makeup on set, and because the contouring on his cheeks was so scary, Director Qiu thought he hadn't showered for many days and told him to go back to a bathhouse and get a good scrub."
Xiao He: "Haha—"
“There was another guy who was even funnier. As soon as he walked in, Director Qiu said that he had already auditioned and could not audition again.”
"Huh? Why? What does this mean?"
"Because this guy looks just like the actor in front of him, the two look very similar, and Director Qiu couldn't tell them apart at all."
"Cough cough cough—"
Xiao He was absolutely laughing his head off at these clowns.
It's too late. This should have been watched during the Spring Festival; it would have been so much fun.
Not only was Xiao He laughing, but Shu Han couldn't help but laugh after he finished speaking.
"I think Director Qiu's words are exceptionally sharp."
Moreover, perhaps because he has already left the entertainment industry and no longer pays attention to its affairs, and dislikes the behavior of some people, Qiu Zhenlong harbors deep prejudices against young actors today. He speaks with an aggressive tone and a morbid sense of humor that is out of touch with the times without his awareness.
Shu Han nodded in agreement, but after laughing, his face quickly fell: "I have a feeling that my audition won't go very smoothly this time."
Not long ago, Director Qiu had been questioning an actor's plastic surgery, refusing to believe the actor's claim that he had simply lost weight. He made a few sarcastic remarks and then kicked the actor out.
Shu Han felt that he probably wasn't much better off.
The other party will definitely keep asking him why he wants to go abroad to develop his career.
Why else could it be? Everyone else had gone abroad at the time, and Hollywood action films were at their peak, while domestic films were declining and there were no films to make. So, naturally, he wanted to go abroad as well.
But how could he answer?
Speaking out would offend others, while remaining silent would offend Director Qiu.
Shu Han continued to sigh.
However, he couldn't dwell on it for long, because he was soon called to wait in the wings.
As the staff moved around and gave instructions, Xiao He noticed that another group of people were leaving the scene one after another.
Many people were called away this time, and the already empty hall quickly became deserted.
Even other actors who were originally vying for important supporting roles left along with them.
Soon, only five people remained at the scene.
Yun Ziqi was also sitting among them.
Xiao He did not sit down. He remained standing by the window to enjoy the breeze, partly because the spot was relatively secluded and less likely to be seen by others, and partly because it allowed him to better observe his other competitors.
Besides the familiar "old friend" Yun Ziqi, there are two other people Xiao He knows. One is a TV King who is nearly forty but still looks young and has won a grand slam of TV drama awards. The other is also around thirty years old. He is an actor who became famous later but whose acting skills have always been on point. It seems that his debut work many years ago was a supporting role in Qiu Zhenlong's last work.
As for the last one—
Xiao He's gaze fell on the unfamiliar young man sitting in the corner, engrossed in reading the script, without ever looking up from beginning to end.
The actors who have made it this far are all good-looking, and their demeanor is the most outstanding among them. However, there is no doubt that their faces are very young, and they even have a bit of childishness. Judging from their appearance, they are probably around twenty years old, making them the youngest candidate actor among those present, apart from Xiao He.
Xiao He even suspected that the other person might still be in school and might not have even taken the college entrance exam yet.
Most importantly, the face was completely unfamiliar; Xiao He had never heard of this person before!
Not to mention the online selection of recommended actors after the public auditions for "The Imperial Empire", even in the information on competitors that Liu Rulan privately collected and organized, there was no such person!
Therefore, there are only two possibilities:
First, the other party is not an insider.
Second, the other party is a newcomer who has not yet officially entered the entertainment industry.
However, neither of these points is good news for Xiao He.
If it's the first one, then the other party's background should be that of a national team member—that is, a national theater, a formal actor from the drama stage.
These actors often perform in serious dramas, historical dramas, and stage plays with a clear patriotic theme. They possess extremely strong acting skills, dialogue delivery, and stage presence, and can be considered "artist" level actors.
The fact that he was sent to audition as a representative of the national team at least shows that he is a top actor in the theater and has likely played this type of role for many years, possessing rich experience, which makes him a very suitable candidate.
If it's the latter, then it's even more terrifying. Of the five people sitting here, four have already won different types of Best Actor awards. The fact that they were left until the end is enough to show how much importance Qiu Zhenlong attaches to them. And the other person is a newcomer who hasn't even officially entered the entertainment industry yet. Just how terrifying must their talent and strength be to be able to directly reach the last round and sit on equal footing with everyone else?
So neither of these is obviously a good thing.
Moreover, when Xiao He saw that person, he suddenly had a gut feeling.
The other party will be his biggest rival in this competition, and even Yun Ziqi, who has been digging traps for him, can only stand aside.
Because he suddenly remembered something very important from his past memories—
Director Yang Li didn't give the recommendation spot to him, nor to Yun Ziqi or any other actor he knew. So who did he give the recommendation spot to in the end?
Who exactly made Director Yang Li make a different choice between him and Yun Ziqi?
Xiao He frowned and thought carefully. Only then did he realize that none of the people on the list that Sister Liu gave him seemed to have come through Director Yang Li's recommendation.
We can't let this recommendation slot end up rotting in Director Yang's hands, with no one else giving it to him, can we?
The probability seems low.
Coincidentally, Director Yang Li is also an official non-staff member who has participated in the filming of many mainstream political projects. He is also from Beijing and knows far more serious drama actors and stage actors than Xiao He and his group. After all, many veteran actors in serious dramas were originally stage actors, and many of them were members of the national team.
If he knew such a character... it wouldn't seem so strange.
Xiao He observed the other person discreetly, and found him increasingly familiar.
But where have I seen this before?
Xiao He rubbed his temples, but couldn't find the answer after a long while.
-
Clearly, Xiao He wasn't the only one worried at the scene.
After observing the final competitors on the scene, everyone else also turned their attention to the unfamiliar young man, their expressions changing slightly.
Even Yun Ziqi, who had been paying attention to Xiao He, couldn't help but frown and shift his attention from Xiao He to the other person.
Xiao He did not know this person, and the other three naturally did not know this person either, nor had they received any relevant information /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ or materials.
This person seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
No, that's not right either...
The actor, who was nearly forty years old and had won a grand slam of TV King awards, carefully examined the other person for a moment, and seemed to finally recognize him, a knowing look appearing on his face.
The next moment, Xiao He saw the old senior put down his crossed legs, and his expression finally changed from relaxed to serious.
Xiao He:...So you really are a member of the national team, right?
