Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 113, Section 112: The First Studio Diva
On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, the festive atmosphere in Beijing had not yet dissipated, but the Beijing Film Studio area had already returned to its usual rhythm.

However, schools in Beijing have not yet started classes and are still on winter break.

For Gao Yuanyuan, this winter vacation was destined to be different from the past.

As arranged by Wang Sheng, Li Tingting had already booked a room for her at the factory guesthouse, allowing her to stay in the factory area with peace of mind and devote herself to practice, saving her the trouble of traveling back and forth every day.

On the afternoon of the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, in the small conference room next to the dispatch center, Wang Sheng and Li Xiaoran had just finished a tutoring session on high school history.

Closing the book, Li Xiaoran rubbed her sore eyes and muttered complaints about the history and events that required rote memorization.

Wang Sheng packed up his stationery without looking up and said, "Go home tonight and do the exercises from Chapter 3 that we went over today. I'll be checking them tomorrow."

Li Xiaoran let out a wail and collapsed onto the table: "Wang Sheng, are you a devil? You won't even let people rest during the New Year!"

Wang Sheng then looked up at her, his tone calm but undeniable: "If you want to make a living in this industry, you have to put in more effort than others. Even the Somersault Cloud is working harder than you, and it's getting smoother and smoother at somersaulting."

Li Xiaoran glared at him angrily, but ultimately didn't argue back.

She knew Wang Sheng meant well, and she was also aware that she lacked a solid foundation and could only make up for it through hard work.

At this moment, Wang Sheng glanced at his watch and said, "You go back first and help my mother prepare dinner. I have something else to do."

Li Xiaoran's heart skipped a beat; she had a rough idea of ​​where Wang Sheng was going.

I heard before the New Year that the trainee named Gao Yuanyuan had moved into the factory guesthouse ahead of time, and Wang Sheng seemed to care about her a lot.

A wave of bitterness welled up in her heart, but she quickly suppressed it, simply pursed her lips, said "Okay," picked up her bag, and got up to leave.

She understood that with Wang Sheng, neither pouting nor arguing would work; it was already a rare privilege for him to give her a chance.

Wang Sheng watched Li Xiaoran's departing figure, his gaze flickering slightly before returning to calm.

He straightened his clothes and walked straight towards the rehearsal hall where the actors' troupe was located.

The rehearsal hall was well-heated.

Gao Yuanyuan, dressed in a simple practice outfit, was already waiting there.

Upon seeing Wang Sheng push the door open and enter, she immediately stood up straight, her hands unconsciously twisting together, and greeted him softly, "Hello, Mr. Wang."

"Ah."

Wang Sheng nodded, walked to a chair and sat down, his posture casual yet exuding an air of pressure: "Let's begin. First, let's look at your physique."

Gao Yuanyuan took a deep breath, walked to the barre, and began to do a basic ballet combination.

Just as Wang Sheng had predicted, at the age of seventeen, her skeletal structure was basically complete, and her flexibility and dance sense were far inferior to those of Li Xiaoran, who had built a foundation from childhood in the Oriental Song and Dance Troupe.

The movements were fairly standard, but lacked fluidity and extension, appearing somewhat stiff.

Wang Sheng watched expressionlessly, quickly assessing in his mind: the path of dance has a limited ceiling; it can only serve as an aid to physical training and stage presence.

Next up is vocal music.

Gao Yuanyuan sang a cappella a song called "Waiting for a Thousand Years," which was popular at the time.

Her voice was clear and bright, but her breath control was unstable, her high notes were somewhat strained, and her sense of rhythm was also average.

To correct Gao Yuanyuan's incomplete five-tone scale, the vocal teacher put in a lot of effort, barely managing to get Gao Yuanyuan into tune. Compared to someone with exceptional talent, it was pitifully difficult.

After finishing the song, she didn't seem very satisfied with herself. Her cheeks flushed, and she looked at Wang Sheng nervously.

Wang Sheng rubbed his chin, thinking to himself: his voice is average, and his singing skills are even more amateurish.

It seems that her dream of debuting as a talented singer and dancer is out of the question.

but……

Wang Sheng thought about the operating model of the record industry, and an idea popped into his head—

Perhaps by relying on the powerful post-production technology of the Beijing Film Studio's recording workshop, using techniques such as sound mixing, harmony, and mixing, a "recording studio diva" could be created?
This was not unprecedented in the late 1990s. Finally, there's the dialogue.

Gao Yuanyuan read aloud a designated passage from a prose text.

Her Mandarin is standard, her voice is good, with a clear and crisp quality unique to young girls. Although her emotional expression is somewhat immature, it is natural and not too affected by stage presence.

This made Wang Sheng nod slightly; this is probably the part of her that is closest to being an "actor" so far.

After showcasing all her talents, Gao Yuanyuan stood there, slightly out of breath, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead.

Looking at Wang Sheng's consistently calm face, she couldn't help but feel a surge of disappointment and unease.

She knew she hadn't performed well, and felt even more ashamed after witnessing her acting teacher's skill.

"Mr. Wang..." she mustered her courage, her voice trembling slightly, "I...am I not practicing well enough?"

Wang Sheng then focused his gaze on her face and said bluntly, "Your age does limit your potential in some areas. For example, it's very difficult for you to reach a professional level in dancing. Singing also requires a great deal of effort, and you may not be able to achieve significant results."

Gao Yuanyuan's heart sank to the bottom, her eyes instantly reddened, and she barely managed to hold back her tears.

Wang Sheng changed the subject, his tone calm but firm: "However, you also have your advantages."

Gao Yuanyuan looked up abruptly, her eyes brimming with tears and anticipation: "What advantages?"

Wang Sheng looked at her and clearly uttered four words: "She's beautiful."

Gao Yuanyuan was stunned. Then, her fair cheeks flushed red at a visible speed, and even her ears turned bright red.

She was completely taken aback by Wang Sheng's directness and was momentarily at a loss for words, her heart pounding like a drum.

Is that... a compliment?

But it sounded so businesslike.

Wang Sheng didn't seem to care about her embarrassment and continued, "In the entertainment industry, outstanding looks are a huge stepping stone, a gift from God. Your image is pure and clean, and you have audience appeal, which is something many people would kill for. So, there's no need to be overly anxious about areas you're not good at."

He stood up, walked over to Gao Yuanyuan, and looked down at her: "Your focus should be on acting and dialogue. That's the foundation of an actor's livelihood. Maintain your physical form, practice your vocal exercises if you can, but don't force it. Understand?"

Gao Yuanyuan felt flustered under his gaze and quickly nodded, "Yes, I understand, Mr. Wang."

"Practice hard." Wang Sheng's tone softened, with a hint of encouragement. "In a few months, the company will arrange your official debut."

Gao Yuanyuan's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Really?"

“Okay.” Wang Sheng nodded, then added seriously, “Also, you absolutely cannot fall behind in your academic studies. I’ve already asked Li Tingting to prepare high school review materials for you. Next year, you must take the college entrance examination, and your goal is to get into the Performance Department of Beijing Film Academy.”

Gao Yuanyuan was taken aback again, and blurted out, "Huh? Do I have to go to university?"

She thought that signing a contract to become an artist would allow her to focus on art.

"You must take the exam." Wang Sheng's tone left no room for negotiation: "This is a rule of our Shengying Media. All our artists must have a university degree in the future. This is not only for the sake of our brand, but also to improve your own qualities and broaden your horizons. There is no room for discussion on this matter."

Looking into Wang Sheng's unquestionable eyes, Gao Yuanyuan felt a sense of security that, while finding the request somewhat "strange," was more of a feeling of being valued and having her future planned for.

She nodded vigorously and replied in a clear voice, "Yes, Mr. Wang! I will definitely work hard and make sure I get into Beijing Film Academy!"

Looking at her radiant face, Wang Sheng nodded slightly: "Remember what you said. I only care about the results."

After saying that, he turned and left the rehearsal hall.

In the empty rehearsal hall, only Gao Yuanyuan remained.

She savored the conversation, her face still burning, but her heart felt warm and bright, like it was filled with a little sun.

She touched her burning cheeks and muttered softly, "Is my advantage... being pretty?"

But the corners of her mouth couldn't help but quietly turn up.

(End of this chapter)