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After Suning released the casting information for "Moment in Peking", the entire industry was buzzing with discussion.

Some people think Suning has gone mad.

A student who hasn't even graduated yet is going to film Teacher Zhao's script right away, and then hold a nationwide audition? Isn't this just a joke?

Some people think Suning is foolish.

Why not use the big stars that are already there, and instead insist on finding some "real actors"? Isn't that just asking for trouble?

Some people are waiting to see the joke.

Let's see what kind of people Suning can pick. A bunch of unknown actors, will anyone watch the movie?

However, Suning doesn't care about these things.

What I want is not fame, but a good fit for the role.

When news of the auditions spread to major art schools and theater troupes, the number of actors applying was overwhelming.

There were recent graduates, veteran actors who had been performing for over a decade, people from drama troupes, and people from local opera troupes.

Suning had Ma Dongmei rent a small theater in Chaoyang District, set up a table, three chairs, and a lamp.

There was a stack of registration forms, a pot of tea, and a thermos next to it.

Old Zheng and Old Liu sat next to him, each of the three of them with one vote. Only with more than half of the votes could they advance to the next round.

Suning sat behind a table with a stack of registration forms in front of him.

The first person to enter was a young actress surnamed Zhou. She was beautiful and dressed fashionably, walking in with a clattering sound as she walked in wearing high heels.

She glanced around as she entered, and when she saw Su Ning, her eyes lit up, and a trained smile appeared on her lips. "Hello, Director Su. I graduated from the Performance Department of Beijing Film Academy and have acted in several plays. This is a still from 'XXX,' and this is my costume fitting photo from 'XXX'..."

Suning glanced down at the documents.

I graduated from Beijing Film Academy and acted in a few movies, but none of them featured names I'd never heard of.

Su Ning looked up at her face again.

She has an oval face, big eyes, fair skin, and delicate features.

But that's not what Suning is looking at.

He released his divine sense directly, and an invisible wave emanated from between his eyebrows, enveloping the actress.

Su Ning easily "saw" her drinking at a bar last night, with an older man sitting next to her, his arm around her waist.

Suning "saw" her and that old man smoking in a hotel room.

"I saw" her practicing her expressions in front of the mirror this morning, but Su Ning felt that her acting was very awkward.

At the same time, he sensed her inner thoughts: "This director is young and easy to talk to. If I make a good impression first, things will be easier later. I'm willing to sacrifice some of my looks for this role."

Su Ning withdrew her divine sense and, barely suppressing her cloying urge, asked, "What do you think of the character Yao Mulan?"

The actress paused for a moment.

She prepared a self-introduction, a talent show, and even a plan to deal with any difficult situations.

But to her utter surprise, the first question was this.

The actress's mind raced, and she rattled off every good word she could think of: "Yao Mulan! She's a well-bred lady, knowledgeable, gentle, and virtuous. She comes from a prestigious family, is well-educated, and is the kind of woman who is exceptionally cultured and elegant. After marrying Zeng Sunya, she worked tirelessly, devoted herself to her husband and children, and was a typical virtuous wife and loving mother."

Suning remained silent, waiting for the actress to continue.

Seeing that Su Ning remained silent, the actress thought she hadn't said enough, so she added a few more words: "She has a classical beauty, a kind of reserved and introverted beauty unique to Eastern women. She is not the flamboyant type; her beauty needs to be appreciated slowly."

Su Ning nodded, then asked, "Anything else?"

The actress opened her mouth.

Gone.

Because she has already said everything she can think of, saying anything more would just be repeating the same old things over and over.

She looked at Su Ning, unsure whether he was satisfied or not.

Suning drew an X on the registration form and said, "Thank you! I'll wait for your notification."

The actress was stunned. "Director Su, did I say something wrong?"

Suning smiled but offered no explanation.

He couldn't very well say that he had "seen" her chaotic private life and those illegal and prohibited behaviors, could he?
Saying this isn't just about offending people; it's about being seen as crazy.

So, it's better not to say anything.

After the actress left, Lao Liu, who was standing nearby, asked, "Is it not okay?"

Su Ning shook his head. "They haven't even researched the roles, yet they come here wanting to take the field. Do they think this is a vegetable market?"

Old Zheng, who hadn't spoken until now, nodded and continued to remain silent.

……

The second person to come in was a young male actor surnamed Li, who looked quite dashing.

He stopped at the door, took a deep breath, strode in, and bowed to Su Ning. "Hello, Director Su. I graduated from the Central Academy of Drama. I've acted in stage plays and also filmed TV series. This is my information."

Suning took it and flipped through it.

She graduated from the Central Academy of Drama, acted in several plays, and has some stills from those plays.

Release your divine sense again.

I found this person practicing his lines in front of the mirror in his rented room last night, until midnight.

I came by bus this morning, and I was even reciting short biographies of the characters on the bus.

My palms were sweating with nervousness before I went in, but the moment I pushed the door open, all my nervousness disappeared.

At that moment, the other person was thinking, "This is an opportunity I've waited ten years for; I must seize it."

Su Ning's heart skipped a beat.

This is a serious person.

But Su Ning still asked, "What do you think of the character Zeng Sunya?"

The young actor's eyes lit up. "Zeng Sunya is a contradiction. He comes from a wealthy family, but he's rebellious at heart. He loves Yao Mulan, but he also hates that she's too perfect. He wants to break free from the constraints of his family, but he doesn't have the courage. He's not a bad person, he's just an immature kid."

Su Ning then asked, "So why do you think he got together with Yao Mochou?"

The young actor thought for a moment, “Because Yao Mochou is the same type of person as him. Yao Mulan is too perfect. Standing in front of her, Zeng Sunya feels like a useless person. But Yao Mochou is different. She can cry, make a fuss, and be willful. Zeng Sunya has the same flaws as her. When the two of them are together, he doesn’t have to pretend or put on airs. He can be himself.”

Suning nodded.

This answer wasn't from a book; it was something I figured out myself: "What roles have you played?"

Several young male actors were nominated, but they were all supporting roles with limited screen time.

Suning circled a number on the registration form and said, "Go back and wait for our notification!"

The young actor stood up, bowed again, and said, "Thank you, Director Su."

He walked out with light steps, but stopped at the door and looked back, as if afraid he might have forgotten something.

Old Zheng, standing nearby, said, "This is good."

Su Ning nodded. "He's good. But he's too upright. Zeng Sunya has a wicked streak in his bones; he needs to have that kind of sly and wicked feel to work."

Old Zheng remained silent, increasingly trusting Suning's judgment.

He realized that his young boss had a very good eye for people.

……

The third, the fourth, the fifth... I met more than a dozen people in one morning, men and women, young and old.

As soon as some people came in, Suning shook his head.

It's not that your appearance is wrong, it's that your thoughts are wrong.

Su Ning released his divine sense and scanned the area, clearly seeing what special fetishes those people had and what they were thinking.

Some are there to build connections, hoping to get to know people in the industry through this film; some are there to make their faces known, not caring if they don't get a role, just showing their face is enough; some are there to find a rich husband, having heard that the investors are wealthy, hoping to try their luck here.

Some people have someone backing them up.

Suning "saw" another face in them, a greasy, greedy, and desire-filled face.

That's the face of a certain boss, a certain producer, a certain investor.

These people aren't here to put on an act; they're here to enhance their own image.

After filming wrapped, a new line appeared on his resume: "Participated in 'Moment in Peking'".

As for whether they acted well or not, they didn't care at all.

Suning didn't want any of these people; he marked them all with crosses on the application forms, one after another.

Old Liu watched from the side, his heart aching with worry. "This one won't do, that one won't do, what kind will do?"

Suning didn't look up. "Anything that's suitable will do."

……

During the lunch break, Suning stood at the theater entrance to get some fresh air.

Ma Dongmei rushed over from the courtyard house to deliver the meal, handing him the lunchbox and asking, "How is it? Is there anything suitable?"

Suning shook his head. "Not yet."

Ma Dongmei sighed, "Don't be too picky. Just settle for something that's good enough."

Su Ning took the lunchbox. "It can't be 'good enough.' This is Teacher Zhao's script, and it's my first film or television drama. We have to make sure it's done well. If we don't choose the right actors, the show will be a disaster."

Ma Dongmei fell silent. She knew Su Ning's temper; once she made up her mind, nothing could sway her.

……

We'll continue this afternoon.

The first person to enter was an actress, dressed simply and without makeup.

When I walked in, it was quiet and peaceful, without any fancy performances.

Su Ning glanced at the other person, and a thought struck her.

This person is different.

Her eyes were clear, without calculation, without ulterior motives, without any of those messy things.

Just stand there, calm and composed, neither arrogant nor humble.

Suning released his divine sense.

I immediately "saw" that she was reading a script at home last night, until midnight.

She “saw” that she copied down Yao Mulan’s lines line by line and even wrote annotations next to them.

I saw her say to herself in the mirror this morning as she left home, "You are Yao Mulan."

Su Ning realized that she wasn't thinking about how to please the director or how to make a good impression.

My mind was always on the line: "I want to play this character well."

Suning was somewhat moved.

It's not easy to maintain this kind of spirit after so many years in this industry.

"What's your name?"

"Jiang Qinqin".

Which school did you graduate from?

"Beijing Film Academy".

What plays have you acted in?

Jiang Qinqin mentioned the names of several dramas, all of which involved supporting roles with limited screen time.

Su Ning nodded and then asked, "What do you think of the character Yao Mulan?"

Jiang Qinqin remained silent for a while, not rushing to answer, but thinking seriously for a moment, "Yao Mulan is a tragic figure. She is good in every way, knowledgeable, gentle and virtuous, but she has never lived for herself in her entire life. She married someone she didn't love, stayed in a home she didn't love, and swallowed all her bitterness. It's not that she didn't want to resist, it's that she couldn't. She is the daughter of the Yao family, the daughter-in-law of the Zeng family, and the mother of her children. She can't be willful."

Su Ning looked at her without saying anything.

Jiang Qinqin added, "But she's not one to give in to others' misfortunes. She has her own principles and her own bottom line. She can endure, but she'll also fight for what she needs to fight for. This kind of woman may look soft, but she's tough."

Suning had already made up his mind.

But I still asked one more question, "Why did you choose this role?"

Jiang Qinqin thought for a moment, "Because I want the audience to know that there are women like this in the world. They are quiet and unassuming, yet they support a family and an era. Without them, those men would not have achieved their success. But no one has ever written their stories. Teacher Zhao wrote one, and I want to act in it."

Su Ning smiled and said, "Okay, go back and wait for our notification."

Jiang Qinqin stood up, bowed, and said, "Thank you, Director Su."

Old Liu and Old Zheng both said with satisfaction, "This is good."

Su Ning nodded. "Okay. She's the one."

……

In the following days, Suning met with over a hundred more actors.

Some will work, some won't.

Those who succeed are mostly those who have truly studied the role and have their own understanding. Those who don't are either just there to coast, to curry favor, or have someone backing them up.

Suning left none behind.

He scanned everyone with his divine sense.

No matter how deeply you try to hide those thoughts in your heart, they can't be hidden forever.

Some people want to become famous, some want to make money, some want to use this show to rise to fame, and some want to climb the social ladder by associating with Suning.

Suning doesn't care about these things.

What matters is whether, when this person stands in front of the camera, the audience can believe that she is Yao Mulan and he is Zeng Sunya.

The show is paramount; everything else is trivial.

Suning met with seven or eight candidates for Zeng Sunya, but was not satisfied with any of them.

It's either too oily or too wooden.

One of them came in and smiled at Suning, his smile like a toothpaste commercial.

Su Ning scanned the other party with her divine sense and "saw" that the other party was thinking: "This director is young and should be easy to fool."

Suning simply crossed out the answer.

There was another one who came in with a stern face, speaking slowly and deliberately, like he was reciting a text.

Su Ning scanned him with her divine sense and saw that he hadn't looked at the script at all last night; he had just flipped through a couple of pages.

Suning also drew an X.

The eighth person to enter was a young male actor, fair-skinned and seemingly frail, but with a stubborn streak in his eyes.

When he came in, he didn't smile or have a stern face; he just stood there quietly.

Suning released his divine sense.

I "saw" that this person was reading a script in their rented room last night, until 2 a.m.

This person actually recited Zeng Sunya's lines over and over again until his voice became hoarse.

I saw him arrive by subway this morning, still pondering his role on the train.

"I saw" him standing at the theater entrance, his palms sweaty, but when he pushed the door open and came in, he suppressed all his tension.

What I was thinking was, "I can play this role. Because I am Zeng Sunya."

Suning was a little surprised.

Although he didn't have formal training, his ambition is stronger than many of those who did.

"What's your name?"

"Pan Yueming".

Which school did you graduate from?

"He's from Beijing Normal University, but not from a formal academic background."

Su Ning was taken aback. "Not formally trained?"

"Yes. I didn't study acting, but I've acted in a few plays."

Su Ning looked at his profile and found that he had indeed acted in a few productions, but all of them were minor roles.

Su Ning then asked, "So what do you think of the character Zeng Sunya?"

Pan Yueming thought for a moment, “Zeng Sunya is a pitiful man. He has everything, yet he has nothing. He has a home, but that home is a cage. He has a wife, but his wife is more like a member of the family than he is. He wants to escape, but he can’t escape. His fussing, his antics, his relationship with Yao Mochou—all of these are actually him struggling with himself.”

Su Ning looked at him without saying a word.

Pan Yueming added, "He's not actually bad, he just hasn't grown up. He's always been protected, protected by his family, protected by Yao Mulan. He doesn't know what responsibility or commitment is. By the time he understands, it will be too late."

Su Ning nodded. "What roles have you played?"

Pan Yueming named several actors, all of whom were supporting roles with few scenes.

Suning circled a number on the registration form and said, "Go back and wait for further notice."

Pan Yueming stood up and bowed.

Old Zheng remarked from the side, "This is interesting."

Suning nodded. "It is somewhat interesting."

……

When it came to choosing Yao Si'an, Suning's first thought was Chen Baoguo.

This veteran actor has been acting his whole life, and he can take on any role with ease.

Su Ning asked Aunt Qiong to help make the contact. When Chen Baoguo heard that it was a Republican-era drama with a script by Teacher Zhao, he immediately agreed, saying, "Teacher Zhao's script? Then we have to make a good film. Okay, I'll take it."

Su Ning smiled and said, "Thank you, Teacher Chen."

Chen Baoguo laughed heartily on the other end of the phone, "Don't thank me, just focus on making a good film. By the way, I heard your film crew has a lot of rules?"

"Yes. There are no unspoken rules, we do not encourage high salaries, and we do not allow diva-like behavior."

Chen Baoguo paused for a moment, then said, "Okay. That's good. When I was young, there wasn't any of this messy stuff on set. Everyone was just filming and doing their job. These kids nowadays, they're not even famous yet and they're already acting like divas. I don't know where they learned that from."

Suning did not respond.

Some things don't need to be said.

……

For the role of Mrs. Zeng, Su Ning approached Pan Hong.

This is also a veteran actress who has played mothers, mothers-in-law, and wives her whole life.

Pan Hong read the script and really liked the character. "This Mrs. Zeng is interesting. She's not a bad person, but she's harmed many people. She thinks she's doing it for her son's good, but she's ruining him. There are too many mothers like this in real life."

Su Ning said, "That's why you have to play the role. No one else can pull it off."

Pan Hong smiled and said, "Okay, I'll take it."

……

Suning approached Wang Gang as the replacement for Niu Sidao.

In later generations, Wang Gang became famous for playing Heshen, a role he excelled at portraying as treacherous, cunning, and shrewd.

Although Niu Sidao was not Heshen, he was still that kind of person.

Wang Gang read the script and laughed, “This character is interesting. He’s not a purely bad guy; he’s a villain. Villains are the hardest to play; you have to make people hate you, but not to the core.”

Su Ning said, "That's why you have to play the role. If someone else plays it, they'll just be a villain. But if you play it, you can bring out the layers."

Wang Gang laughed heartily, "Okay, I'll take it."

……

Su Ning was not satisfied with any of the candidates he met for Niu Suyun.

This character is willful, capricious, and competitive, but deep down he is also a pitiful person.

If you overact, it becomes annoying; if you don't act enough, it loses its flavor.

Several actresses came; some acted too shrewishly, some too softly, and some too fakely.

The last person to come in was a young actress named Hu Ke, a graduate of the Central Academy of Drama.

The moment she stood there, Su Ning knew it was the right place.

It's not about looks, it's about charisma.

That energetic feeling, that's Niu Suyun.

Su Ning released her divine sense and "saw" that she had memorized Niu Suyun's lines perfectly last night, and that she had practiced that ambiguous smile expression countless times in front of the mirror.

It turns out that what she was thinking was, "I want everyone to know that I, Hu Ke, can act."

At this point, Su Ning directly asked Hu Ke, "What do you think of the character Niu Suyun?"

Hu Ke thought for a moment, "Niu Suyun is an immature child. She insists on having what she wants, and throws a tantrum if she doesn't get it. She's not bad, she's just stupid. But she's not without her merits; she's straightforward and doesn't hide anything. She's better than those two-faced people."

Su Ning smiled and said, "Okay, go back and wait for our notification."

Hu Ke stood up, bowed, and said, "Thank you, Director Su."

……

Suning approached Chen Kun as the candidate for Kong Lifu.

This young man was refined-looking, had a clean-cut demeanor, and possessed a scholarly air in his eyes.

The character Kong Lifu embodies the image of a scholar.

Su Ning didn't meet with him; she directly asked Aunt Qiong to help her contact him.

Chen Kun read the script and liked it very much, so he immediately came over. "The character Kong Lifu is quite different from the ones I've played before. He's an idealist who believes that there is truth in books and that knowledge can save the country. But in the end, he discovers that books can't save the country, and neither can knowledge. That sense of disillusionment has to be portrayed."

Su Ning said, "That's why I came to you. You have that kind of drive."

Chen Kun smiled and said, "Okay, I'll take it."

……

The role of Yao Mochou was given to Yan Ruyu by Su Ning.

There was no open audition, no screen test, they were cast right away.

Some people privately gossiped that Suning was biased, reserving the best roles for his girlfriend.

Suning, however, didn't care.

I know Yan Ruyu's acting skills.

She is really suitable for the role of Yao Mochou.

Besides, auditions are fair, but sometimes what's right for someone is right for them, and you know it without even trying.

When Yan Ruyu got the role, she wasn't particularly happy, after all, she's now the boss lady of the "Justice League".

First, he read the script through once, then again, and then he went to find Su Ning and said, "Su Ning, there are a few things I don't quite understand about the character Yao Mochou."

"What don't you understand?"

"Why would she get together with Zeng Sunya? She knows perfectly well that her sister married him, and she knows that Zeng Sunya doesn't love her. What is she after?"

Su Ning thought for a moment, "She didn't want anything. She was just willful. She was spoiled since she was a child and got whatever she wanted. When she saw Zeng Sunya, she thought he was interesting and wanted to be with him. She didn't think about the consequences or whether it would hurt her sister. By the time she did, it was too late."

Yan Ruyu nodded. "I understand."

Ma Dongmei held the list and checked each name one by one: "Yao Mulan, Jiang Qinqin. Zeng Sunya, Pan Yueming. Yao Mochou, Yan Ruyu. Kong Lifu, Chen Kun. Yao Si'an, Chen Baoguo. Mrs. Zeng, Pan Hong. Niu Sidao, Wang Gang. Niu Suyun, Hu Ke."

After she finished reading, she looked up at Su Ning and said, "None of these people are famous! Apart from Chen Baoguo, Pan Hong, and Wang Gang, I've hardly heard of the others. Will anyone watch this film?"

Suning said, "If the show is good, people will watch it."

"But those investors, they're fans of celebrities! Do you think they'll agree to this?"

"We are the investors ourselves. That's why I have the final say."

Ma Dongmei fell silent.

I suddenly remembered the rules Suning mentioned: no unspoken rules, no high salaries, and no diva-like behavior.

It now seems that Suning is serious; they are trying to create a utopia in the entertainment industry.

……

After the casting was completed, Suning called everyone to the courtyard house for a meeting.

The main cast and crew all came, including Jiang Qinqin, Pan Yueming, Yan Ruyu, Chen Kun, and Hu Ke.

Chen Baoguo, Pan Hong, and Wang Gang were unable to attend due to other commitments, but their assistants relayed a message that they would definitely be present when filming began.

Su Ning stood in the middle of the courtyard, looking at everyone. "Dear teachers, the script is finalized, the roles are set, and we're about to start filming. There are a few things I need to say beforehand."

"..." Everyone was looking at him.

"First of all, there are no unspoken rules in my production team. If anyone does anything like that, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"..." No one spoke.

"Of course, I won't engage in fascist practices. If you two really do develop feelings for each other on set, I wish you all the best, but it must be after filming is completed."

"Secondly, we will not offer high salaries. The money will be spent on production, not on celebrities. The salaries of the actors are all in accordance with the rules. They are neither high nor low. If you feel it is not suitable, you can leave now."

"..." No one left.

"Third, no diva behavior is allowed. Everyone who comes to my crew is an actor or a staff member. No one is superior to anyone else. If you have to wait, you have to wait; if you have to endure, you have to endure. If you can't stand the hardship, you can leave now."

Still, no one left.

Su Ning smiled, "Alright! Since everyone agrees, it's settled then. Once filming starts, everyone work hard. Make a good film and show those people what a real film is."

Everyone stood up and applauded, realizing they had encountered an amazing film crew.

Ma Dongmei stood in the corner, holding a notebook, writing down Su Ning's words one by one.

She suddenly felt a little excited.

After working for Suning for so long, we're finally about to start filming.

...(End of this chapter)