Huayu: Serious director, who's eavesdropping on your thoughts?

The door opened.

A kind-looking young man walked in.

He seemed very nervous as soon as he entered the room.

"Hello Director...Hello teachers, my name is Wang Baoqiang!"

As he was talking, he suddenly lunged forward and almost fell face-first onto the table.

Director Zhang couldn't help but cover his face and mutter to himself, "What is this?"

Even Ning Hao couldn't stand it anymore, thinking it was a bit too outrageous.

Zhao Huaiyuan smiled and sat up straight.

He became interested.

Who would have thought that this honest-looking boy would become Feng Yuxiu, the martial arts fanatic who would one day determine who was superior and who would die for him?

"Don't be nervous, listen carefully to the question," Zhao Huaiyuan repeated the question, "Dangerous environment, bring your family home."

After listening, Wang Baoqiang scratched his head.

"Danger...does that mean there are bad guys?"

He took a deep breath, and his eyes suddenly changed.

Suddenly, he did a side somersault, rolling directly to the side of the chair with swift and clean movements.

He grabbed the chair and shielded it behind him, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings.

"Who! Who dares to come any closer!"

He roared in his thick dialect, "Sis! Don't be afraid! I've trained, I'll carry you out of here!"

As he spoke, he actually made a carrying motion, and to make it more realistic, he even pretended to trip, then gritted his teeth and moved little by little toward the door, as if there was a real person on his back.

"Okay! That's enough." Zhao Huaiyuan called out to stop.

Wang Baoqiang immediately stopped, wiped the sweat from his brow, looked at Zhao Huaiyuan expectantly, flashed a bright white smile, and said in a simple and honest manner:

"Director, did I act well? My martial arts skills were alright, weren't they?"

"Good, very good. Go back and wait for news." Zhao Huaiyuan did not express his opinion on the spot, but simply drew a special symbol on the resume.

"Although this child isn't good-looking, he's honest, has clear eyes, and is quite skilled. But I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to carry the role of the male lead," Director Zhang said.

"Yes, I can tell he's not pretending to be naive," Ning Hao interjected.

Zhao Huaiyuan nodded without saying anything.

next.

The door was pushed open.

The newcomer had long, flowing hair, wore a black jacket and dark jeans, and sported a mustache.

He came in carrying a large guitar.

But his appearance... in Director Zhang's words, was rather unpleasant, even making one want to call the police.

As soon as Huang Bo entered, he glanced at Ning Hao subconsciously, and was about to introduce himself.

Ning, who was sitting at the end, suddenly closed his laptop, raised a hand, and interrupted the process.

"Director, Director Zhang...may I interrupt?"

The two of them looked at him.

Ning Hao said seriously, "I know this person. He's my friend. According to the rules, I need to avoid suspicion, so I won't participate in this round."

After saying that, he turned to leave.

Director Zhang nodded slightly. Not bad. Although it wasn't really necessary, they knew the rules.

Zhao Huaiyuan waved his hand dismissively, "No need to avoid it. I'm just watching the show, not going by any personal favors. Let's begin."

Having received approval, Huang Bo immediately took a step forward, brimming with confidence.

He doesn't think he has a chance of winning if things proceed normally.

But he came here with his talent, which gives him an advantage!

"Hello everyone, teachers and director! My name is Lao Xian. Um... before the performance, could I show you a talent to liven things up?"

Director Zhang was taken aback. He'd been interviewing people for ages, and all they'd seen were crying, wailing, or doing martial arts; he'd never seen anyone ask for a talent demonstration. He nodded instinctively.

"Okay, then you can demonstrate."

Huang Bo fiddled with the guitar for a while, but was stopped by Director Zhang.

"We won't be showcasing the instrumental music."

Huang Bo was taken aback, put down his guitar, stood up straight again, and said:

"Ah, I won't show you. Anyway, I have a wide range of interests, like popular music, folk music, blues, hip-hop, and rap."

"Hurry up, just give me anyone." Director Zhang said impatiently.

Huang Bo gathered his emotions, cleared his throat, and began to sing:

"Oh~ Oh~ Oh~"

"Stop! Goodbye!" Director Zhang interrupted, then looked towards the door, "Next."

Huang Bo was dumbfounded.

He could only say, "Teacher, I'm not in the best shape today. I'll sing something I'm prepared for, a folk song."

Director Zhang covered his eyes, not wanting to see.

"I...I...I'll sing a bit." Huang Bo took a few steps back, widened his stance, and adjusted his posture.

"Horses gallop across the vast frontier, steel spears stand guard for me on Liangshan Mountain."

He sang and danced at the same time, his body swaying to the rhythm of the song, his hands swinging in the air as if riding a horse.

"Stop! Get down." Director Zhang waved his hand, he really couldn't stand it anymore.

Huang Bo was stunned.

A few seconds later.

He suddenly started singing and dancing again.

"The mountains and rivers of my motherland are always connected to my heart, and will never be few in the face of those wolves..."

"Stop! Stop singing! Get out!" Director Zhang shouted, extremely angry. "Is this some kind of lunatic?"

Huang Bo's face twitched, but under Director Zhang's piercing gaze, he had no choice but to incline inch by inch toward the door.

With every step he took, he would stop and plead with his eyes.

Ning Hao sighed, but couldn't say anything, since he had said from the beginning that he wanted to avoid suspicion.

By this time, Huang Bo had already moved half his body out the door, but he still wouldn't give up. "Teacher, I... I also have a street dance routine, or a rap routine, I can do one..."

"Next!" Director Zhang ignored him.

"etc."

An undeniable voice rang out.

Huang Bo instantly pulled his foot back from the doorway, his movement as fast as lightning.

He immediately closed the door, returned to the house, stood up straight again, and looked at Zhao Huaiyuan with a humble smile on his face.

"Hey! Hey! Director, just say the word, I can do everything."

Zhao Huaiyuan looked at him calmly: "Since you're here, finish the questions before you leave."

He pointed to the side, "Put down the guitar, listen carefully to the question: Late at night on a foreign street, you encounter a disoriented girl who wants to go home. The surroundings are dangerous, and you have to take her away. You only have one chance. Let's begin."

Huang Bo took a deep breath, knowing this was his last chance, and he had to seize it.

He carefully placed the guitar aside, and when he looked up again, the expression on his face changed instantly.

Get into character in a second!

He shrank his neck, shivering as if from the cold wind, and muttered curses under his breath:

"Oh my, my dear aunt, you really are my dear aunt! I haven't even had a hot meal all day, and then I run into this burden like you!"

He spoke harshly, yet he took off his coat with remarkable ease, then casually wrapped it in the air in front of him.

"What are you looking at, you idiot? You're sick, I'm sick, we're both sick! Let's go, let's go!"

Then, he seemed to notice the danger around him.

He instinctively stepped in front of the girl, grabbing the ground as if it were a brick.

"Hold on tight to my clothes! Don't let go! If you let go and get lost, I won't care. I'll break your legs and still not care. Let's go!"

He's stubborn, soft-hearted, and timid, but responsible. His down-to-earth nature and deep-rooted sense of justice blend together seamlessly.

"Okay, stop." Zhao Huaiyuan called for a halt.

Huang Bo instantly snapped out of character, his face breaking into a wide smile: "Director, what do you think of this..."

"Thank you for your hard work. Go back and wait for news." Zhao Huaiyuan said expressionlessly.

at this point.

Huang Bo knew it was all over. He forced a smile, bowed, left the stage, and closed the door.

The person just left.

Director Zhang pointed to the door and asked Ning Hao beside him:

"Do you know him?"

"Huh? We're...we're friends." Ning Hao's heart skipped a beat.

"Then hurry up and go check on him. Don't let him die here. I think this man's mental state is a bit off; it seems like he has some kind of brain problem."

Now that they've lost the election, what if they're so distraught that they drink poison in front of the China Film Group Corporation, jump off a building, or cause trouble with banners?

"Our film hasn't even been made yet, and our reputation is already ruined! This is a very serious public relations disaster!"

Director Zhang looked worried and became increasingly frightened as he spoke, urging Ning Hao to go out and comfort him.

First, keep him calm and don't let him do anything foolish.

go!

Ning Hao panicked upon hearing this. He got up to leave, but then stopped and looked at Zhao Huaiyuan.

Zhao Huaiyuan remained expressionless, twirling his pen in his hand, lost in thought. He simply said:

"Go ahead, since he's a friend, spend more time with him."

"good!"

Ning Hao was genuinely worried that his brother might do something rash, so he grabbed his coat and hurriedly chased after him.

..

Only Zhao Huaiyuan and Director Zhang remained in the conference room.

"Next."

The interview continues.

Several more handsome men with formal training came in, as well as a few character actors. For each one who came in, Zhao Huaiyuan would seriously give them questions, observe them, and then mark them in his notebook.

Director Zhang watched from the side, nodding in agreement, thinking to himself that this was more like it; it would be better to have fewer lunatics like that.

Until the last interviewee left.

Zhao Huaiyuan stretched and closed the folder in front of him.

"How about it, Xiao Zhao? I thought that Liu Shuai from earlier was pretty good," Director Zhang asked with a smile.

Although he was the production manager sent by China Film Group and had full authority to supervise the production, the final decision still rested with Zhao Huaiyuan.

"No need to choose anymore, let's cast him as the male lead." Zhao Huaiyuan picked up a pen, circled Huang Bo's resume, and pushed it in front of Director Zhang.

Upon seeing this, Director Zhang's smile froze, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and his blood pressure skyrocketed.

"Who? That lunatic?? You want to cast him as the male lead???"

"Xiao Zhao, you're not kidding me, are you?"

"I'm not kidding, he's the most suitable." Zhao Huaiyuan said casually. Others might not know, but surely he did?

The male lead in this film, Zhang Yong'an, is a complex character.

First, he needs to be funny, since the first half of the play is a chaotic comedy, and Huang Bo had already proven his comedic ability during the initial audition.

Secondly, he needs a down-to-earth, street-smart vibe, that shrewdness honed through years of struggling in the lower rungs of society.

What we need even more is that explosive power—the ability to risk one's life for a promise at a critical moment.

The scene just now reminded Zhao Huaiyuan of a movie that the other party had acted in in his previous life, called "Cow".

In the film, Huang Bo plays Niu Er, who guards a cow amidst the flames of war, never regretting his decision even after facing death nine times.

This is a kind of vitality that, despite being trampled by life, still yearns for the light. No one but Huang Bo could portray it.

Huang Bo is the most suitable actor for this role.

Snapped!

Director Zhang was unaware of all this. He was furious. After all the searching, he had chosen this one guy as the male lead.

Isn't this a joke?

He simply slammed the resume on the table.

"Xiao Zhao, what gives you the right to choose this kind of male lead? Where does your confidence come from? How are you going to explain this to the audience? How are you going to explain this to President Han? I absolutely disagree with this."

"Director Zhang, you ask me why? Well, I'll tell you now."

Zhao Huaiyuan didn't look at him, nor did he call him "uncle." He absolutely could not back down on matters of principle. As the director, he had to ensure that he had absolute control.

Otherwise, they'll be sidelined sooner or later!

He raised a finger, his voice not loud, but every word carried immense weight!

"I will break through the market barriers that others cannot."

"I will use the unpolished gem hidden in the sand that others dare not use."

"In short, I will deliver the box office returns that traditional blockbusters can provide, and I will also deliver the cinematic classics that traditional blockbusters cannot!"

"Within the film crew, the director is supreme."

"Execute first, report later—President Han has given his special permission!"

"That's my confidence, isn't that clear enough?"