Chinese Entertainment King: Starting as a Fat Boy and Becoming a Singing King

The night he returned from Nanchizi Street, Xu Yao leaned against the headboard of his hotel bed, staring at the ceiling in thought.

Na-young said, "Sister, I'll try my best again," and he finally felt a little relieved.

But after relaxing, another thought popped into my head.

He picked up his phone and sent a message to Nayoung.

"Sister Na, please don't tell the production team about my cousin's situation. The production team's actions are baffling, and I don't want my cousin's illness to be discussed online."

"I don't want this kind of attention."

He sent the message and stared at the screen for a while.

Nayoung replied quickly, but every word was heavy: "I don't want to take the blame for the production team again and be cyberbullied once more."

The next day, Sister Lin dialed the phone again.

"Xu Yao, you went to the capital?" Sister Lin asked bluntly.

"Sister Lin, who told you that?" Xu Yao asked back.

Sister Lin didn't waste any time. After offering a few words of advice, she said, "Xiao Yao, the company's decision to sideline you is actually giving you a chance. If the company continues to arrange tours for you, and you don't show up, that's a breach of contract. If it goes to court, your singing career will be over."

Xu Yao calmly retorted, "Sister Lin, from beginning to end, I've been the victim. You've been bullying me, the newcomer, all along. Now the company has sidelined me, so can't I even come to Beijing to climb the Great Wall and relax?"

Sister Lin sneered, "You think you can hide it from Sister Na by going to Beijing to get on the Spring Festival Gala? You're really dreaming. Come back right now, don't waste your time doing impossible things. Xiao Yao, I'm advising you for your own good. Trainees who go against the company always end up badly. Is there any exception?"

Xu Yao remained calm: "Sister Lin, I've long heard that The Voice's legal team is invincible in the industry. If you threaten me like this, then I'll have no choice but to learn from you."

"Xu Yao, you really don't know what's good for you..."

Before Sister Lin could finish speaking, Xu Yao hung up the phone.

"Holy crap, they hung up on me again?"

Sister Lin was furious, and then she sensed something was wrong, but she couldn't figure out what it was.

Xu Yao's way of speaking suddenly seems like a completely different person. Is it just my imagination?

Threat? Sister Lin thought to herself, "I was trying to reconcile them today, and my words and tone were alright, weren't they?"

How did Xu Yao come to feel like he was threatening him?

Honestly, this phone call wasn't a threat; after all, the company's task was to negotiate a settlement.

A few days later, Na-young called.

When the words "Sister Na" popped up on the screen, Xu Yao was eating noodles at a noodle shop near the hotel.

He stuck his chopsticks into the bowl, grabbed his phone, and almost knocked over the vinegar bottle next to him.

"Na... Sister Na, what do you mean?"

"Xiao Yao," Na Ying's voice held a hint of barely concealed amusement, "It's done."

Xu Yao, holding his phone, froze, almost speechless.

"Your idea is good. The production team is willing to give you a chance to audition, out of consideration for me. Whether you stay or not depends on your own ability. However..."

"That's great." Xu Yao's voice finally came out. "That's great. Thank you, thank you, Sister Na."

"Then you really need to thank me."

Na-young's tone carried the satisfaction of a big sister finally getting things done.

"This time, I really begged and pleaded with everyone I knew, using every connection I had. I called Director Ha Wen at least five times, and even waited at her door. Every time, I kept saying, 'This kid is really good. Give him a chance, and he won't let you down.' By the end, I felt like a salesperson."

Xu Yao let out a breath, his mood reaching its peak: "Sister Na, I'm not very good with words. But I understand one principle: 'Don't forget the well-digger when you drink the water.' Just wait and see how I behave in the future."

"Okay, I'll remember that. When you become famous, remember how you got on your first Spring Festival Gala. Bye, prepare well. I'll send you the audition song, but you absolutely mustn't leak it."

"Okay, Sister Na."

Nayoung hung up the phone, leaned back on the sofa, and couldn't help but shake her head.

This kid just said he wasn't very good at talking, but then he immediately said, "Don't forget the well-digger when you drink the water."

The brilliant ideas they came up with have all reached the Spring Festival Gala directing team, yet they claim they're just bad at expressing themselves?

Xu Yao put his phone in his pocket, feeling excited, and immediately copied Shen Teng's meme: Awesome.

The audition for "The Night Peacock" took place the following morning.

In the hotel elevator, Xu Yao leaned against the handrail, took out his phone, and looked up the audition information that Liu Yifei had sent him before.

The address is a film and television industrial park in Chaoyang District. The role auditioned for is: Ma Lin.

A French flautist first falls in love with the father, Leon Lai, then is secretly admired by the son, Yu Shaoqun, and finally gets together with the uncle, Liu Ye.

Xu Yao could almost conclude that the screenwriter must have been drinking fake alcohol the night he came up with the idea, and then his brain short-circuited.

Director Dai Sijie may not know what deeper theme he wanted to express, but the film's reputation has already been discussed online: "The Night Peacock, also known as 'Why did Liu Yifei sleep with her father first, then her uncle, and almost get slept with by her son in the end?'"

The elevator was still going down, the floor numbers jumping one by one.

The preparation office for the TV series "The Night Peacock" was small, with storyboard sketches and location photos from Chengdu and Paris covering the walls.

Three people were sitting behind a long table.

The person in the middle is the assistant director, in his forties, wearing black-rimmed glasses, with short hair, and a dark gray windbreaker.

To the left is a younger casting director, who looks to be in his early thirties, with a stack of actor profiles spread out in front of him.

To my right is a female teacher in her forties, with short hair reaching her ears, a serious expression, a pen twirling in her hand, and a notebook in front of her with one page open, half of which has already been written.

When Xu Yao walked in, the assistant director was flipping through the documents in his hand.

He looked up, peering through his glasses, and sized him up.

"Xu Yao? Never acted before, came straight to audition for the role of Marin. Sister Feifei introduced him." He paused, "Okay, first tell me your thoughts on the character of Marin. How do you understand this character?"

Xu Yao sat down in the chair, looked at the three teachers opposite him, and said frankly, "I think the character of Marin is a rotten apple."

The room fell silent instantly.

The young casting director next to him looked up, his mouth slightly open.

The female teacher sitting on the far right paused in mid-air as she twirled her pen; the pen stopped.

The assistant director froze, blinking behind his black-rimmed glasses: "What do you mean?"

It means "to spoil the whole pot of porridge".

The assistant director's expression finally changed, revealing confusion and displeasure.

He placed the documents in his hand on the table, leaned forward slightly, and stared at Xu Yao.

"Be more specific. You're here to audition, not to criticize the role. If you have any opinions about this character, explain them clearly."

Xu Yao nodded.

"The film 'The Night Peacock' uses the imagery of silkworms and night peacocks. Silk production requires killing the silkworm pupa, but the night peacock is different; it can obtain silk without killing the pupa. This contrast explores the cost of life and ethical choices. Some things are destroyed through sacrifice, while others are reborn without sacrifice. This is a very sacred theme."

He paused and looked at the assistant director.

"Then why force a twisted love story into such a sacred theme? Why make Marin fall in love with his father's girlfriend? Why make him stalk Elsa by the pool? Spy in her room, and finally suffer a mental breakdown and be sent to a mental hospital after witnessing his father's relationship with Elsa? This character is completely unnecessary. He's not deepening the theme, he's destroying it."

"What do you know?"

The female teacher sitting on the far right finally spoke.

She slammed her pen on the table with a loud, urgent sound.

His short hair swayed slightly as he was tossed around, and his expression was one of undisguised anger.

"This is art! Do you understand? Do you have an artistic eye? Do you understand art?" Her voice echoed in the room.

"The character of Marin is the most crucial source of dramatic tension in the entire film! Father and son falling in love with the same woman—this isn't a gimmick; it's a tragic fate reminiscent of ancient Greek drama! Sophocles wrote about it, and Euripides wrote about it too. Who do you think you are? A newcomer who's never even acted before, coming in and immediately denying the character's value?"

As she spoke, she glanced at the assistant director, then turned back to stare at Xu Yao: "You think you can act just because you can sing? Acting requires cultural depth! Do you have it? Do you even have cultural depth? Do you know who Sophocles is?"

Xu Yao didn't refute, but pondered whether to retort, since it was Sister Xixi who introduced him to the production team.

The assistant director neither responded to the female teacher nor looked at Xu Yao.

The silence made the air in the room grow increasingly tense.

"Xu Yao." The female teacher's voice lowered slightly, but her tone was colder than before.

"Don't think that just because you were chosen by Sister Feifei, you can do whatever you want. I'm telling you right now, if your audition results aren't good, we have the right to reject your participation. We respect Sister Feifei's feelings, but whether the show is good or not is up to us. Even if Sister Feifei were here today, I would still say the same thing. Don't young people these days understand the meaning of respect?"

(P.S.: Following Bai Lu, Liu Yifei is the second female lead candidate. This story will ultimately focus on a single female lead, but the process will involve in-depth interactions with multiple female leads to choose the happiest one. Whether they are suitable or not, we'll only know after spending time together. If you have any suggestions for which actress or singer you'd like to see featured, please leave a comment, and I'll try to portray them from a different angle. My writing skills are limited, but I'll do my best.)