The only sun in Huayu

The Olympic atmosphere is growing stronger, and the streets and alleys are filled with festive colors.

Shen Shandeng's work pace has not slowed down.

While "Jiajing" and "The Embroidered Uniform Guard" are progressing steadily, another personal work, "No Man's Land," has also been put on the agenda.

He already had a preliminary idea about the actors.

He still prefers Xu Zheng for the central role of lawyer Pan Xiao.

The two enjoyed working together on "Lost in Thailand" and have plans for a sequel, making it the perfect time to further develop their chemistry.

Huang Bo, a rising star in comedy, was chosen by Huang Bo to play a member of a poaching gang who is greedy, ruthless, and treats human life as worthless.

Ruthless and strikingly different, Huang Bo's acting skills are certainly up to the task.

As for other roles, especially those involving character actors, Shim Sun-dung tends not to cast celebrities.

That's exactly what we're looking for – that raw, authentic feel. They really are people who came straight out of the Gobi Desert in Northwest China.

The ultimate villain, representing the "law of no man's land," is the poaching boss, a villain who commands respect and inspires fear without ever being angry.

He thought of Ji Chunhua, with whom he had worked before; that cold, hard aura etched into his bones was perfect for the role.

The original actor, Dobje, has other plans; he intends to drastically change the character and place a more symbolic one at the end.

The only thing that made him somewhat hesitant was Jiao Jiao, the dancer who had been abducted.

This character is a bright spot in despair, a symbol of wild and tenacious vitality, and needs to bloom with amazing beauty in desperate situations.

In the original story, Shen Shandeng is portrayed as a girl with an artistic temperament who has gone astray, rather than the teacher in the original story.

The casting of this role requires a unique charisma and explosive power.

This reminded him of Shuangzi, that fierce little white flower inside.

Remembering his previous promise, Shen Shandeng made the call.

"Hey, senior?"

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded surprised, but also very nervous.

"Yes, as I mentioned last time, I have a role here, and I'd like to see if you'd be interested in auditioning."

Shen Shandeng calmly said, "Have you prepared a script for your role? Let's see how good your acting is."

To be honest, there were various considerations behind pushing forward with "No Man's Land".

But Shen Shandeng may also have wanted to challenge himself.

Previously, he had mostly worked with established actors. This time, he wanted to try discovering and polishing a rough gem himself.

"Ready! Senior, I'm available anytime! Are you at the hotel?"

Sawako answered almost immediately, her voice brimming with eager excitement.

Shen Shandeng said calmly, "No need for the hotel, lest it attract unnecessary gossip."

Shuangzi was a little disappointed.

To avoid suspicion, Shen Shandeng arranged the audition to take place in his company office.

In the afternoon, the secretary brought Shuangzi in.

Today, she was dressed in a pure and innocent style, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt with a white skirt, her long hair tied in a ponytail, exuding a compelling youthful vibe, like a new lotus flower with dew on its leaves.

"Senior."

Shuangzi bowed slightly, her face showing just the right amount of shyness and anticipation.

Shen Shandeng pointed to the camera that had already been set up, its red light flashing: "Use your job title when you're working."

"Yes, Director Shen." Shuangzi couldn't help but become serious.

Shen Shandeng explained professionally, "The camera is on, recording the whole thing; that's the procedure."

Shuangzi nodded, walked to the camera, and began to introduce herself in a natural and confident manner.

"Hello Director Shen, I'm Shuangzi, a first-year undergraduate student in the Acting Department of Beijing Film Academy. I've been learning piano, flute, and dance since I was little."

She clearly articulated her talents and her experience of being accepted by the Central Academy of Drama, Beijing Film Academy, and Shanghai Theatre Academy at the same time, which was obviously well-prepared.

Shen Shandeng sat behind his desk, his hands clasped on the table, and spoke calmly after listening.

"I know about these experiences. But I have to remind you that film acting is quite different from stage performances and talent shows. Film shots can be refined and filmed repeatedly. Often, if the temperament is right, the feeling is mostly right. If the temperament is wrong, no amount of technique will be of any use." "The big screen will magnify your strengths, but it will also magnify your weaknesses."

That's a bit harsh, but it's the truth.

Shuangzi was not discouraged at all; instead, her eyes shone even brighter: "I understand, Director Shen. I've studied the script carefully these past few days and rehearsed on my own. I'm ready. May we begin?"

"Which scene would you like to try?" Shen Shandeng asked.

Shuangzi spoke boldly, almost without hesitation: "I want to try the scene where Jiaojiao dances in the store, trying to seduce Pan Xiao."

Her gaze was fixed on Shen Shandeng, her intentions made no attempt to conceal.

Seeing her directness, Shen Shandeng raised an eyebrow.

However, he is a professional.

Shen Shandeng reminded Shuangzi to calm down: "This is a rehearsal, the camera is recording."

"I know it's acting."

As a professional director, Shen Shandeng remained calm.

Instead, I wanted to see just how far she could go in her acting.

Shen Shandeng asked, "How long have you been doing this?"

Sawako was clearly well-prepared, or rather, she was born knowing how to use her strengths.

She moved closer to Shen Shandeng and gently swayed her waist to the rhythm of music that wasn't even there.

Her movements carried the awkward sexiness of a young girl just beginning to mature, and while they were clumsy, they were incredibly bold.

Shen Shandeng could feel her body trembling slightly, unsure whether it was from nervousness or excitement.

He maintained the composure of a director and offered guidance: "Your emotions are off, like a novice. Temptation isn't about getting as close as possible; you need to maintain a distance, using your eyes and subtle movements."

With Shen Shandeng's guidance, Shuangzi gradually got into character.

Instead of obeying, they became even closer.

She rubbed against Shen Shandeng in a seemingly insignificant way.

"Should we rework this lens?"

Shen Shandeng took a deep breath, pressed down on her restless hand, and warned her.

"Nizi, you've crossed the line. The camera's on. Think about the consequences of your actions!"

Shen Shandeng is not afraid.

His personal life is a flaw he deliberately left unresolved.

Especially as his film career develops, he must give both internal and external enemies hope of defeating him.

That way, the other party will have hope.

Therefore, one must have weaknesses, ideally fatal in one's personal life but not in one's career.

Deep down, Shen Shandeng had already prepared for the worst.

The future of the film industry rests on his shoulders; Shen Shandeng cannot let others mess things up!

Of course, Shen Shandeng has his own principles, and he will not hesitate to issue warnings as necessary.

Unexpectedly, this warning seemed to provoke Shuangzi.

I do not know how long it has been.

The audition has come to an end.

Shen Shandeng looked at the red light still on the camera and flipped through the audition video from earlier.

He couldn't help but frown.

A while later, he dialed Shuangzi's number and said sternly, "Shuangzi, your audition is over. I'm sorry, you've been eliminated."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Shuangzi's somewhat hoarse and unwilling voice: "Why? Was I...wasn't my acting good?"

Shen Shandeng looked at the darkening sky outside the window and said calmly, "Because you are unprofessional and tried to seduce the director. My crew doesn't need actors with that kind of mentality."

?
Shuangzi: "." (End of chapter)