Global Film Emperor

Chapter 263 The Audition Begins

Upon hearing Song Guiyuan's words, Lu Ze paused for a moment, looking at the group with a somewhat surprised expression, before noticing their identical sullen expressions.

When they saw Lu Ze arrive, they immediately lost their confidence. There were already many competitors, all of whom were very strong. Now, the higher-ups had allowed Lu Ze to participate in the casting process against the rules, so there was bound to be some dissatisfaction. After all, although they had worked with Lu Ze before, only Song Guiyuan had a good relationship with him. Lu Ze hadn't contacted the others for a while.

These people haven't been doing too well in recent years, mainly because their biggest source of income is filming TV dramas. But now there are fewer and fewer roles suitable for them, and they are being exploited by popular stars. On the other hand, Lu Ze's career is going higher and higher, and he has won several Best Actor awards.

In the entertainment industry, you can share hardships and prosperity, but it's not enough for one person to be rich alone. This mentality exists among people in all industries, and even among children.

The younger brothers who were once inferior to them have now turned their lives around, are doing very well, and have a higher status than them. They can't hold their heads high, and they have to change their previous casual way of speaking, lest the younger brother has changed and holds a grudge. It can't be said that they are petty; it can only be said that they are not used to the change in their position.

Even Li Wei, who used to be so close to Lu Ze, didn't say a word when Lu Ze called him to play the second brother in "Mr. Tree" even though the pay wasn't worth his price. But now he's drifting further and further away from Lu Ze.

When Lu Ze sat down next to Li Wei, he noticed a subtle hesitation in Li Wei's eyes, as if he didn't know how to start a conversation with Lu Ze. Lu Ze noticed this change, and he had become accustomed to it. As Li Wei's career progressed, many of his former friends had experienced this feeling.

Let's not even talk about others, just Liu Le and Zeng Long. The two of them practically dragged Lu Ze out of Hengdian, but what about now? If Lu Ze doesn't call or text them, they absolutely won't contact him. They didn't even send him a group New Year's greeting during the Spring Festival.

The last time Lu Ze contacted Liu Le was during the Chinese New Year this year. He was looking through his contacts and called Liu Le, intending to tease him and ask if he didn't recognize his brother. Liu Le's reply was an awkward laugh, and he said he didn't dare to bother Lu Ze.

Lu Ze admitted that he never thought of helping Liu Le. After all, Liu Le's wife and children were in Hengdian. Most people in their forties pursue stability. Since his income in Hengdian was enough to meet the family's living needs, why should he go to a distant place? Moreover, the most taboo thing between brothers is the superior-subordinate relationship. Everyone understands the reason.

What's frustrating isn't that my own life is dull and boring, like silently waiting to rot and die, but the contrast. While I'm stuck in the same place, I see my friends living vibrant and colorful lives. Since feeling inferior is unpleasant, it's better to forget each other and move on.

Lu Ze didn't say anything, but simply put his arm around Li Wei's shoulder and patted him on the shoulder. Without needing to say anything, everyone could see what was going on, and the somewhat awkward atmosphere gradually eased.

"Let's get this straight, we're all buddies, so let's not ruin our friendship. No matter who gets selected today, or who doesn't, or even if none of us get selected, let's not say anything. Then we'll have dinner together tonight. Whoever gets selected can secretly pay the bill and leave without showing their face. If no one gets selected, then this dinner is on me. But if I do get selected, I won't go back to the private room after I pay the bill. Is that okay with everyone?"

Song Guiyuan didn't want this dinner party between buddies to turn into a show of the losers watching the winners boast, so he took the initiative to take the blame himself. He had the best interpersonal relationships here, so he got along well with everyone, and he was also suitable to take the blame.

"I don't like hearing that. It's like I owe you money for this meal."

"Yeah, don't flatter yourself, Lao Song, you're really putting on airs, trying to act like a big shot."

"What are you all saying? I've lived in the capital for so many years, and although I'm not a native, I'm practically a host. I'm just treating you guys. Old Wang, you'd better shut up. Have you forgotten when you were starving and your eyes were practically green with hunger?"

Everyone protested against Song Guiyuan's over-involvement and argued endlessly about who should treat them, but no one objected to Song Guiyuan's suggestion.

After the atmosphere eased, everyone got into a lively conversation again. Actually, these middle-aged actors suffered a lot when they were young. They didn't have the same good conditions as today's popular celebrities, nor did they earn as much. Although popular celebrities also suffer, the suffering is different for each of them. However, they also don't have the deep cultivation of veteran actors. They are the average type, just like ordinary people when they're not acting.

In addition, chatting with old friends, even though there was no cup of tea, a handful of melon seeds, a deck of cards, or a cigarette, they still couldn't control their mouths, and the cursing didn't stop either.

"Wow~ This chubby boy, how heavy he is now? He's so fair-skinned and handsome, with a small nose and eyes. He looks just like your wife. Luckily, he didn't take after you, or he'd be another rough old man." "Go to hell, Zhao Xinxiang, are you blind? Look at my son's mouth, his eyes, his double eyelids, doesn't he look like me? Anyone can recognize him as my son."

What else can a bunch of rough old men talk about? Ordinary people dare to talk about national affairs, but they don't. At their age, their main topics are definitely their wives and children.

Except for Lu Ze, all of these people had wives and children. Lu Ze looked at their photos one by one, and they were all quite good-looking. In this day and age, as long as the conditions are right, there are no ugly children. They were all incredibly cute, which made Lu Ze very fond of them.

"Lu'er, when are you going to find a wife? You like children so much, hurry up and get married and have one. You're not young anymore, this is the perfect age to start a family."

As he gets older, his family and friends start asking him about Lu Ze more often. Lu Ze has established himself in the business, and it's time for him to settle down and start a family.

"What can I do if I can't find someone suitable? You want me to go on blind dates? Stop worrying about me and focus on your daughter. Elementary school textbooks are so hard these days, can you even do them?"

He retorted to Zheng Yi's words and also took the opportunity to mock the problem that parents are now struggling with: helping their children with their homework. At this moment, the conference room door was pushed open, and three old men walked in. They clapped their hands with serious expressions, and the conference room instantly fell silent. Lu Ze and the others quickly sat up straight, their faces serious.

If you interview a passerby and ask them who they think is the best director in China, their answers might be varied. But if you ask them who the number one director in China is, they will definitely say He Ruikuan.

This is not contradictory. The title of the top director in China is a combination of factors, including strength, influence, fame, and so on. And this outstanding person, the undisputed top director in China, is the first one on the right among the three people who just entered the room. He is of medium height, with a square face, a somewhat serious demeanor, and a strong presence. He is the chief director of "Find You".

Lu Ze knew the man in the middle very well, as he had worked under him before and the two had a very good personal relationship. This man was Liu Ying, the tyrant on set who looked like a bully dog, and he was the assistant director of "Find You".

Lu Ze also knew the last person, but they had never met before. He was about 180 cm tall, very fat, and looked like a shot putter. With such an appearance, no one would guess that he was a sensitive art film director. Although his works had never made money in China, he was still quite famous at home and abroad and could be called the number one art film director in China. His name was Wang Yizhuo, Zhuang Yu's biggest challenger to fame, and he served as the producer of "Find You".

This director lineup is amazing, and the combination is terrifying. It has Liu Ying for commercial appeal, Wang Yizhuo for depth, He Ruikuan to oversee the overall direction, and finally a group of national-level actors to perform. This kind of film is going to be a hit.

"Now that everyone is here, on behalf of the three of us and all the staff, I welcome you all. You've all worked hard, and today will surely be a boring and tiring day because most of you will have to wait. So I want to apologize to the actors who have to wait until the end. Okay, without further ado, let's begin today's auditions. First, let's prepare the auditionees for the male lead."

The three might not care much about a national-level actor, but this was a room full of about a hundred national first and second-level actors, as well as some veteran actors. The three had to express their gratitude to everyone. After He Ruikuan gave a speech on behalf of the group, the interview process officially began.

"Wang Pushen, Mr. Wang, please come with me."

Upon hearing the staff's call, Wang Pu let out a deep breath. He hadn't expected to be the first to be called, which was quite a surprise. To be honest, he was quite nervous, as his career had been in a slump for the past few years, and he needed a role to return to the public eye. So he had been dreaming of getting the role of Wang Jian.

After he got up, no one said anything, they just patted him on the back. Everyone was competing for the roles, but the good wishes between friends were still important.

After the audition began, especially after Wang Pushen left, the atmosphere became oppressive. Everyone stopped talking to each other. Lu Ze took out the script and water bottle from his bag and started spinning the decompression top at high speed. He was going to give it his all.

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(End of this chapter)