Huayu: I'm reborn, but you still force me to be a scumbag?

Chapter 570 Warm Light
This isn't the first time Chen Nuo has been involved in film casting. From Zhang Yiyi's "Spring of the Blind" to the initial selection of the female lead for "Drop," he has been involved in both and has acted alongside actresses.

He was well aware that at this stage, no director, regardless of their position, would ever hand over the actual script to the actors.

however,
After resting overnight in Los Angeles, he arrived at the Sony Pictures audition studio and opened the script Quentin had handed him. It read:

"On a rainy day at Walmart, a couple is arguing over a bag of discounted laundry detergent at the checkout counter."

Woman: No! This laundry detergent is absolutely terrible, you can't expect me to buy this garbage!

Man: Please, what's the difference?
Woman: You—…

After spending two minutes reading it, he couldn't help but chuckle.

It's just Quentin.

He is arguably the director in all of Hollywood who does the best job of keeping his scripts secret.

Generally speaking, no one can guess the plot of a movie unless it's officially released on the day of its premiere.

Even during filming, they often use some illogical shooting techniques and fragmented scripts, leaving the actors often confused about the overall picture of the film.

Similarly, it's no wonder that he asked Quentin for the script yesterday, and the man said he would give it to him on set the next day.

It turned out to be the case.

He had very few lines in this fabricated script; he was essentially just a fellow actor.

Quentin laughed along with him and said, “There’s no way around it. Now the whole world knows I’m going to make a movie about China. It’s really hard to keep them guessing the plot. Okay, you’re here today not just to act alongside me, but I also hope you can give some feedback later. After all, this is the person who will be playing your wife, so you have the most direct experience. In this round, I will eliminate five people, leaving three for the third round. Finally, we’ll have one more costume fitting and screen test, and then I’ll make the final decision.”

Chen Nuo nodded. "I understand."

"Let's go then, they're all waiting."

The audition was well-attended, with Quentin Tarantino's directing team, as well as project producers and representatives from Sony Columbia.

As for the eight actresses today, Chen Nuo hasn't met them yet, but he learned from Quentin that they are already waiting in the backstage dressing room, ready to go on stage at any time.

The moment he and Quentin pushed open the door and walked into the audition hall, the previously noisy scene immediately quieted down, and everyone's eyes fell on them almost at the same time.

The two walked along the aisle to the first row of the audience, exchanged a few pleasantries with the Sony executives present today, including Tetsuro Kataoka, head of Sony's distribution department whom he had met before, and senior producer Amy Pascal, before sitting down in the center seats.

At this moment, Quentin whispered again, "Chen, I want you to listen to your gut feeling. If they can't even impress you, then there's no point in moving on to the next round. Understand?"

Chen Nuo nodded and opened the list of actor resumes in front of him.

The first person to audition was someone he knew.

Then, Quentin said into the microphone, "Let's begin. The first one is... Lee. Call her in."

"Okay, director." The staff member's voice then came from the loudspeaker.

As the words fell, the stage lights slowly came on.

Two minutes later, Li Binbing, guided by an assistant director, walked onto the stage with slightly nervous steps.

"Li, hello, we meet again." Quentin leaned back in his chair and smiled slightly. "In this audition, I will first give you some improvisational tasks. Afterwards, you and Chen will perform a duet based on the script I gave you before. Are you ready?"

Li Bingbing smiled and said, "I'm ready."

……

Li Binbing, Tang Wei, Gao Yuanyuan, Su Qi, Zhang Ziyi, Gwei Lun-mei, Yu Aoi, and Haruka Ayase were the eight actresses who auditioned that day.

Following the order drawn, Li Bingbing went on stage first, and Ayase Haruka was the last to finish.

Midway through, Chen Nuo let Gulnazar and Linghu go out to eat on their own, while he ate a pizza lunch with a group of Americans on site.

When he finished his lines and was tightly embraced by Haruka Ayase, he glanced at the clock on the wall of the audition room; it was already three in the afternoon.

Then, applause rang out in the audition room.

From the sound engineer to the photographer to the producer, everyone was applauding.

Ayase Haruka, who was in his arms, stepped back two steps and bowed deeply, saying, "Mr. Chen, thank you very much."

Chen Nuo smiled and shook his head, saying, "You acted very well, keep it up."

Ayase Haruka looked up at Chen Nuo, her heart churning with emotions, but apart from bowing again and saying, "Hi, thank you so much for taking care of me," she couldn't utter another word.

All the worries I had before the audition vanished in those ten minutes or so.

It wasn't just because the man in front of her displayed such professionalism that she was able to let go of her nervousness and distractions, allowing her to fully immerse herself in the audition.

It was also because she knew she was the last person to audition.

Her opponent had been acting for five hours straight, switching between seven different opponents.

But just now, he was still able to remain focused and engaged, without showing any signs of fatigue. He not only caught every emotional shift in her mind, but also took advantage of her impromptu performance to push the flow of emotions deeper and further, even to a height she had never imagined.

It sounds simple, but only fellow actors truly understand how difficult it is. At this point, Haruka Ayase felt that her trip to Los Angeles to audition for this film, regardless of the outcome, had already been worthwhile.

She not only met the person she had always wanted to see again, but also put on a great show with him.

What else could one possibly ask for?

After the applause.

Chen Nuo returned to his seat in the audience.

Sitting in the middle, Quentin praised, "A very wonderful performance, very impressive, Ms. Ayase, you did a great job."

Haruka Ayase placed her hands in front of her, bowed again, and replied in accented English, "Thank you, Director."

Quentin looked her up and down, remaining silent for a moment.

Ayase Haruka didn't know what the other person meant. She shrank back, feeling a little uneasy under their gaze, when she heard them ask again, "What was the most difficult part of that scene for you?"

Ayase Haruka thought for a moment and said truthfully, "It is difficult to look Chen-kun in the eye."

"Ha ha ha ha."

Everyone in the room burst into laughter.

Quentin laughed and said, "You're very honest."

Ayase Haruka blushed slightly, looked up at Chen Nuo, and seeing that he was also smiling, quickly bowed and said, "Thank you, Director."

Quentin continued with a smile, "Your performance just now showed me a wife who deeply loves her husband. So, Ms. Ayase, did you consider any other acting methods?"

Ayase Haruka thought for a moment, then shook her head again and said, "No."

A burst of soft laughter immediately rose from the audience.

Ayase Haruka seemed a little flustered this time, wondering if she had given the wrong answer.

But from the moment she received the script, she only thought about playing a wife who, despite complaining, still loved her husband deeply and never considered any other way of acting.

Quentin shook his head and laughed, "You're really honest. I admire that. So, as an actor, what do you think your strengths are?"

Unlike the Chinese actresses who spoke eloquently before, Japanese women, when asked this question, almost always had a death sentence. However, unlike Aoi Yu, Ayase Haruka thought for a moment and still mentioned one advantage: "I speak Chinese."

Another burst of laughter erupted.

Ayase Haruka also suddenly realized that, apart from her and Yu-chan, all the other actresses auditioning were Chinese actresses. What advantage did she have?

Her face instantly flushed.

Quentin laughed and said, "Really? Then introduce yourself in Chinese."

Haruka Ayase forced herself to calm down, thought for a moment, and said in Chinese, "My name is Haruka Ayase, I am 27 years old, I am very happy to be here, thank you everyone."

Quentin tilted his head and asked, "Chen, what did she say?"

Hearing Ayase Haruka's almost accent-free Mandarin, Chen Nuo was stunned for a moment, and his smile vanished instantly.

He initially thought the woman was exaggerating, but he truly hadn't expected Ayase Haruka to speak such fluent Chinese! Listening to her almost accent-free Mandarin, he was willing to bet that this couldn't have been achieved in a short time. She must have started learning long before this movie to have such an effect.

He didn't answer Quentin, but instead asked in Chinese, "Ms. Ayase, you can speak Chinese?"

Ayase Haruka looked at him, bowed, and said, "Yes, it wasn't very well said. Please forgive me."

Chen Nuo was even more surprised. This was excellent Chinese; he'd never heard a foreigner speak it better. He shook his head and said, "No, you speak very well. May I ask how long you've been learning Chinese?"

Ayase Haruka looked at him with complicated emotions and bowed, saying, "Hi. It's been more than five years since April Fool's Day, 2007."

More than five years.

Chen Nuo was surprised but didn't think much of it. After all, so much had happened five years ago; how could he possibly remember the exact time when the news was blocked in Japan?

He switched back to English and said to Quentin, "She has been studying Chinese for more than five years, and she speaks Chinese very well."

Quentin, who had been listening with a smile on his face, asked, "Are you sure?"

Chen Nuo turned around and glanced at Ayase Haruka.

He truly hadn't expected that this actress, whom he'd only met once at a banquet, would possess such ability.

He asked again:

Have you ever been to China?

Ayase Haruka replied, "I've been there."

How many times?

"Can not remember."

"What's your favorite place?"

Dalian.

"why?"

"It's clean and the scenery is beautiful."

Okay, now we can be sure, this woman really knows how to do it.

Chen Nuo nodded and said, "I'm sure."

Quentin immediately laughed genuinely and said, "Miss Ayase, wow, I didn't expect you to be so unexpected."

Upon hearing Quentin's tone, Ayase Haruka felt a surge of joy and quickly bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you, Director."

At that moment, Ayase Haruka seemed to sense some kind of destiny.

On the day "The Message" was banned in Japan, she was furious and impulsively enrolled in a beginner's course in "Chinese for Tourism," hoping it would come in handy when she traveled to China.

But what she didn't expect was that this matter would stay with her for a full five years.

Over the past five years, as someone's name and news have appeared on television, in magazines, and on live red carpet broadcasts time and time again, she has continued her studies again and again.

The person she used to hate and despise so much has, over the years, gradually faded from her hatred and become an indelible mark and symbol in her heart.

What started as "travel phrases" three times a week gradually evolved into "daily conversation," "movie dialogues," and "literary reading." Eventually, she was even able to understand a Chinese news article on her own, or comprehend the dialogue of a Chinese movie without the aid of a translator, and she even traveled to the other side of the strait alone.

I've been to Dalian, Shenyang, and Nanjing.

No one asked her to do any of this, and no one ever knew why she did it.

Only now, standing on the stage of this audition room, did she realize that everything before had been preordained.

She looked in a certain direction in the front row, bowed deeply once again, and whispered, "Arigato gezaimas."

Quentin was a little surprised by the woman's politeness, but he didn't ask any further questions. He flipped through the resume in his hand and said, "Ms. Ayase, that's all for today. We will inform you of the follow-up results within two days. It was a pleasure to have you here today. Goodbye."

"Hi! Director, Chen Jun, and everyone else, goodbye."

……

……

“Now everyone, let’s share your thoughts on each actor. Finally, we’ll vote to select the three who will advance to the third round,” Quentin said immediately after Ayase Haruka left.

“Well then, Jerry, it’s your turn now.” He then called out the name of a casting director.

The short man named Jerry immediately said, “Okay. But before that, I’d like to express my respect for Mr. Chen Nuo. Over five hours, eight actresses, improvisational performances of different styles—three Golden Globe nominations only prove that it’s well-deserved. If they can’t see the Oscars, then those old men really need to get their eyes checked. Although I’m a member of the Directors Guild and can’t vote for you when you were nominated, if you were nominated, I swear to God, my vote would definitely be for you, Mr. Chen. I propose that we applaud again to pay tribute to Mr. Chen’s brilliant performance!”

As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted in the audition room, mixed with slogans and shouts from all sides.

“You’re right, Jerry.”

"A magical performance."

“It’s really great!”

"I bet even Marlon Brando couldn't do that."

"I will never forget this audition!"

Chen Nuo could only manage a wry smile upon hearing this.

What can I say about these Americans?

This flattery was so crude and nauseating that it was almost unbearable to listen to. If it were Li Jing or the others, they definitely wouldn't have done it this way.

But he couldn't say much more.

Fortunately, Quentin finally stepped forward, pressed his hands down, and laughed, "Alright, Chen's acting skills are beyond question. Let's save the applause for after our movie premiere. Right now, our focus is on finding an actress who won't drag Chen down. Jerry, you continue."

The applause gradually subsided. Jerry organized the documents in his hand, cleared his throat, and his tone became professional again:
"Let's begin now. I have their scores for each item here, and we can discuss them one by one. If there's anything we're unsure about, we can also review the video recording to confirm."

He looked down and turned to the first page, saying:

"First up is Bingbing Li."

Jerry paused, looked up at everyone, and said cautiously, "Her performance was very solid, without a doubt. She handled the emotional layers very well, and her rhythm and voice control were stronger than I expected. Especially in the scenes with her co-stars, her emotional reactions were very natural, which is very important for the chemistry during filming."

“But the problem is,” he lowered his voice slightly, “that her acting style is too traditional, and the overall feeling is too safe, without much surprise. As the first person to audition, she performed adequately or even well, but in her scenes with Chen, there was always a lack of surprise.”

“Of course, her camera presence and versatility are fine,” Jerry added, “but if we’re looking for a leading lady who can create real chemistry with Chen on screen, she might be a little lacking.”

Although this wasn't the first time Chen Nuo had participated in casting, he had previously worked either in domestic production teams or in small, makeshift crews like those for "Drop." This was the first time he had engaged in such in-depth casting discussions.

Without a doubt, Quentin's team members are extremely professional. Even the two people sent by Sony showed no bias whatsoever. Everyone was focused on the facts and had a thorough discussion of every aspect of the eight actresses' qualities. This made him feel that the five hours he spent today were truly worthwhile.

The three finalists naturally revealed their faces in this atmosphere.

Surprisingly, neither of Chen Nuo's two acquaintances were selected.

He didn't know what to say about it.

Li Binbing is one thing.

As for Gao Yuanyuan… she was clearly affected by what happened a couple of days ago. He could tell during their scene together that she was still angry. He had originally thought that once everyone calmed down, he could say something conciliatory and things would probably be over. But now, after preparing for so long for a scene, she was eliminated because of it. It's hard to say how long it will take for this artsy woman to even acknowledge him.

Quentin pointed to the names written on a small whiteboard and said, "These three are now our final list. The female lead of our movie will be chosen from among them."

"First, Zi Yizhang. Needless to say, her international influence and acting skills are impeccable."

"Secondly, Tang. I saw the basic qualities of a good actor in her, which led us to choose her."

The third one is Ayase. This girl not only showed the same chemistry with Chen Fei, but importantly, she speaks Chinese.

In the end, Quentin didn't laugh.

And no one else did either.

And so the meeting ended, and everyone dispersed.

However, Chen Nuo still had a job to do, which made him and Quentin stay until the end.

……

……

"While The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 is still going strong in theaters, its lead actor is already eager to embark on the next chapter of his journey."

Yesterday afternoon, a reporter from our newspaper, who was staking out the entrance of Sony Columbia, took this photo.

Yes, this is a photo of No Chen and director Quentin Tarantino.

The photo shows the two of them having a pleasant conversation.

Clearly, Norman Chan, the world-renowned vampire actor, has not been keeping his sights on the present after being nominated for the 2013 Golden Globe Awards for a record three films.

There have been many rumors about his new film with Quentin Tarantino, which has now entered the formal preparation stage.

According to sources, the film is currently casting for the female lead, and several actresses from China and Japan have auditioned…

On the edge of a gray-brown rocky slope, a girl wearing a woolen hat, with some long black hair peeking out, was holding an old newspaper and looking down at it with great interest.

Suddenly a hand slapped her on the shoulder, and then a head popped out from beside her.

"Vivian, what are you looking at? Oh? Isn't this the Los Angeles newspaper I use to cushion my butt? It's over a week old, you know. The lead actress has already been cast, it's that Japanese woman."

The girl named Vivian looked up and revealed a stunningly beautiful Asian face: big eyes, an oval face, a small mole on her straight nose, slightly full lips, and she looked young, around 20 years old, with a touch of baby fat on her cheeks.

She laughed and said, "I know, I was watching the news the other day too, you don't need to tell me. Since you're so slow, I had to read the newspaper to pass the time. Dora, how are you? Has the wind here frozen your butt?"

The Latina girl named Dora, with brown hair and striking beauty, shuddered after hearing Vivian's words and said with lingering fear, "It was really just a hair's breadth away. Holy shit, I almost couldn't even poop."

"Hahahaha." Vivian burst into laughter.

The laughter echoed far and wide in the canyon and the sound of the wind.

It is January 3, 2013, on a pine-covered slope east of Donner Pass, more than 1 kilometers from Sacramento.

This is a high-altitude area in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, at an altitude of nearly 2200 meters. The air is thin, and the temperature at night often drops below minus ten degrees Celsius.

The surrounding scenery was both desolate and magnificent.

The valley was covered with thick snow, with only two black railway tracks winding out from the ice, like some kind of steel behemoth that had been sleeping for a hundred years, lying quietly between the mountain ridges.

Vivian looked up at the sky and saw several snowy owls flying across the horizon. The wind rustled through the pine forest, making a low, mournful sound, and the clouds on the horizon were already tinged with orange-red by the twilight. She turned her head and said, "Alright, we need to hurry up and get going. We're still more than ten miles from the next campsite, and I don't want to be searching for a way in the snow before dark."

Dora bent down, picked up the backpack from the ground, slung it over her shoulder with difficulty, patted the heavy shoulder strap, and said, "OK, let's hurry up and go."

So the two girls walked along the railway tracks again.

For hikers on the PCT Pacific Roof Trail, a renowned long-distance longitudinal national trail in the United States, this section of the railway that crosses Donner Pass and the Sierra Nevada Mountains is undoubtedly the most unique and easily identifiable part of the entire route.

In this wilderness where even GPS signals are often interrupted, you don't have to worry about getting lost as long as you follow these tracks—because the two railway tracks stretch almost parallel to the hiking route, serving as natural directional guides.

So although the two girls said they wanted to hurry, they still walked at a leisurely pace. Dora even took out a Canon EOS SLR camera and took pictures as she walked.

"Wow, this scenery is absolutely beautiful. Vivian, it seems you really weren't wrong. Although it's a bit cold now, seeing such a view is definitely worth it. If I put this on my YouTube channel, I'm sure a lot of people would watch it," Dora said, taking pictures with her camera.

Vivian, carrying a bag, walked beside her, her face, ears, nose, and mouth completely covered. "Thank you for saying that, Dora. Traveling across America has always been my dream, and without you by my side, I definitely wouldn't have had the courage to make it happen this year after my graduation."

"Haha, so why don't you find a boyfriend? You have so many suitors in Berkeley, I think both Lee and Lawrence are pretty good. I think they would both be willing to do this kind of thing with you."

"No, I don't like their type."

"So what kind do you like? Like those idol male stars that are popular in Korea? Why don't you ask your sister to introduce you to one? Her current group is so popular in Korea, she should know a lot of those kinds of boys."

“You don’t understand, Dora. What I want is, well, something different.”

"Haha, different from others. There aren't that many different from others. Aren't all men the same? If you ask me, this is all a side effect of going to the Golden Globe nomination dinner, making it hard for you to come back to reality."

"Perhaps you are right."

“I’m always right. Here, Vivian, take this and take a picture of me. When there’s a signal, I’ll edit this into my YouTube video. It’s so beautiful.”

The two girls walked and talked, and before they knew it, it was getting dark.

The cold wind howled all around, becoming increasingly fierce, and the temperature around us dropped lower and lower, from minus three or four degrees Celsius in the evening to nearly minus ten degrees Celsius.

Gradually, Dora lost interest in filming, and the two of them trudged on through the thick snow, heads down. The girls felt their hiking boots getting heavier and heavier, as if they were filled with icy water.

"Vivian..." Dora called out breathlessly from behind, "Should we...find a place to stop for now?"

Vivian looked up at the straight railway track ahead, then glanced at her watch and said loudly, "No, Dora, we're doomed if we stay here. If we walk for another twenty minutes... we should reach our campsite for tonight."

"Fuck!" Dora cursed.

The two girls then continued trekking through the snow.

Step by step, their feet almost felt like they didn't belong to them anymore. Each time they lifted their feet, they had to use all their strength. Their breath turned into white mist in front of them, and fine ice crystals formed on their eyelashes.

Just when Vivian and Dora were almost at their breaking point and were preparing to find a sheltered rock to pitch their tent,

Suddenly, a faint orange-yellow light appeared in the darkness ahead.

"We're here!" Vivian exclaimed with delight.

“Thank God,” Dora added.

The two girls then quickened their pace.

As they got closer to the orange-yellow light, they saw that, indeed, this was the campsite they were supposed to reach that day.

It was a sunny, sheltered snow-covered platform backed by the mountain, surrounded by several huge rocks that naturally formed a semi-circle, effectively blocking the biting cold winds from the valley. And now, some people had already arrived.

That orange-yellow light came from a portable camping lamp hanging at the entrance of a tent.

Right next to the tent, in the open space, there was a shallow pit dug with a snow shovel. Outside, a fire was made by surrounding it with rocks and windbreaks, and a pot of water was boiling on it, steaming continuously rising.

All of this was already enough to make the two exhausted and freezing girls yearn for it.

What's even more frustrating and enviable is the man sitting in the folding chair by the fireplace.

He was dressed very warmly, and was holding a water glass in one hand, sipping a steaming hot drink while leisurely scrolling through his phone screen with the other, as if he were watching some news. He was leaning back in his chair, his posture as languid as if he were on vacation on his own balcony, rather than camping in the snow-covered plains of Nevada in January when the temperature was below -10 degrees Celsius.

(End of this chapter)