Huayu: Starting with Xiang Yu, the Hegemon of Western Chu

The audition is scheduled for three days later.

The location was the main scene of the Hongmen Banquet, which was built by the crew of the TV series "Legend of Chu and Han" at the film and television base.

A temporary military tent, not large in scale, but with all the props and furnishings in place.

Inside the tent were a small table, a bronze wine vessel, mutton, and a wine jug. The floor was covered with a coarse hemp carpet, and several antique-style oil lamps hung from the ceiling, casting a dim, yellow light.

Gao hope sat behind the monitor.

The producer was sitting to his left, and two representatives from the investors were sitting to his right.

Four people, four chairs, four different thoughts.

Gao hope knew best that this audition, which appeared to be a fair competition, was actually a power struggle between him and the investors.

If Chen Mo completely outclasses Ji Yu, then no matter how much pressure the investors exert, they will have no grounds for complaint.

If the two people are of similar ability, then the final decision will fall to the investor.

If Ji Yu is actually better than Chen Mo, then Gao hope's previous judgment would be a joke.

Gao hope hadn't really considered the third possibility.

It's not confidence.

It was the look in his eyes that he saw in the corridor that day that convinced him he couldn't have misjudged the situation.

Thirty years have passed.

His eyes never lied to him.

Ji Yu arrived first.

He arrived in a black van, with his assistant opening the door and his agent, Sun Zhe, accompanying him. The entourage was neither large nor small.

When he got off the bus, Ji Yu straightened his collar.

Today he wore a black fitted T-shirt, revealing his collarbone and arm lines.

He went to the gym three times in the past few days and had a full-body deep treatment.

There is definitely more muscle in my arms.

But that kind of muscle is visual; it's the definition you get from working out in the gym, one set after another in front of the mirror.

good looking.

But it lacks substance.

He changed into Xiang Yu's costume in the dressing room.

He wore dark armor, a black cloak, and a red tassel on his helmet.

Ji Yu looked at himself in the mirror and was very satisfied.

He felt that he was already very much like Xiang Yu.

At least in terms of appearance, he is handsome, cool, and stylish.

"That's great, Brother Yu." Sun Zhe stood behind and offered a timely compliment.

Ji Yu nodded and adjusted his expression in front of the mirror.

He practiced what he thought was a very domineering look.

It involves furrowing your brows, slightly turning down the corners of your mouth, and half-closing your eyes as you look down.

He calls this "the aura of a king".

I practiced for three days.

Chen Mo arrived half an hour later than him.

There was no nanny van, no assistant, and no agent.

He came by subway by himself, and then walked for another twenty minutes after getting off the train.

When I got to the dressing room, there was still a thin layer of sweat on my forehead.

The costume assistant handed over a costume of Xiang Yu, the same style as Ji Yu's.

Chen Mo didn't look in the mirror after putting it on.

He simply moved his shoulders and arms, tested the tightness of the armor, and, after confirming that it did not restrict his movement, went outside.

He ran into Ji Yu as he walked down the corridor.

Both men were wearing Xiang Yu's armor and stood facing each other.

This scene is quite interesting.

The same costume worn by two different people has drastically different effects.

Ji Yu, dressed in armor, looked like he was posing for a period drama magazine photoshoot.

Exquisite, beautiful, and stylish, but when you look at it, you always feel like the armor is borrowed and can be taken off and returned at any time.

Chen Mo, dressed in armor, looked as if he had just stepped off a battlefield.

He didn't deliberately puff out his chest or pull in his stomach, nor did he strike any pose; he just stood there naturally. But his broad shoulders filled out the armor completely, and the metallic sheen on the plates rose and fell slightly with his breathing, as if a part of the armor had grown into his body.

Ji Yu glanced at Chen Mo.

Chen Mo also glanced at him.

Their eyes met briefly in mid-air.

Ji Yu's eyes held provocation, scrutiny, and a hint of disdain that wasn't quite concealed.

There was nothing in Chen Mo's eyes.

She just glanced at him indifferently, as if he were a stranger to her.

Then we passed each other.

Ji Yu stood there, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable.

He couldn't explain where this discomfort came from.

Perhaps it was because Chen Mo's gaze was so calm, so calm that it made him feel ignored.

"Don't overthink it," Sun Zhe whispered behind him. "Get yourself in the right state of mind, it'll be your turn soon."

Ji Yu took a deep breath and nodded.

The audition begins.

Ji Yu goes first.

The scene is Xiang Yu meeting Liu Bang at the Feast at Hongmen.

Chen Daomin was already seated at the table, dressed in Liu Bang's plain clothes, holding a cup of wine in his hand.

His makeup was very light, his expression was also very calm, and he exuded a vague feeling of "you can't figure out what I'm thinking".

Ji Yu walked in from outside the tent.

He practiced for three days, his brows furrowed, his steps heavy, trying his best to appear dignified and domineering.

He walked up to Chen Daomin and stood still.

Looking down at "Liu Bang".

Then he began to deliver his lines.

"Lord Pei, you entered Guanzhong before me, that's quite an achievement."

His voice was very low, his speech was slow, and the end of his words trembled slightly, probably to express Xiang Yu's suppressed anger.

Chen Daomin raised his head and glanced at him.

Then he responded to him according to Liu Bang's lines.

The two of them went back and forth for about five minutes.

How to describe Ji Yu's acting?

Not bad.

He memorized his lines well, his movements were mostly correct, and his facial expressions were well-controlled.

If this were an audition for an idol period drama, his performance would probably score around 70 out of 100.

The problem is, this isn't an idol period drama.

This is "The Legend of Chu and Han".

This is a trap.

Sitting opposite him was Chen Daomin.

Chen Daomin's performance was above 95 points.

When a 95-point Liu Bang sits in front of you, looking at you with those unfathomable eyes, every flaw you have will be magnified infinitely.

Ji Yu's problem is not his poor acting skills.

The problem lies in his lack of understanding of Xiang Yu.

He portrayed an "angry young man," but not Xiang Yu.

Xiang Yu was not "very angry" at the Feast at Hongmen.

At the Feast at Hongmen, Xiang Yu was like a lion watching a fox that had intruded into his territory.

Lions don't get angry.

The lion would only think that the fox was not worth mentioning.

Ji Yu's portrayal of "anger" actually made people feel that Xiang Yu and Liu Bang were on the same level.

It looks like the two of them are arguing.

Instead of a king standing on a cloud, looking down on a peasant at his feet.

Gao hope watched from behind the monitor, without saying a word.

The investor's representative muttered quietly, "Not bad, it seems pretty convincing."

Gao hope didn't respond.

He is waiting.

Waiting for the real Xiang Yu to appear.

Ji Yu's performance is over.

As he walked down, he had a confident air about him, as if he had performed well.

Sun Zhe handed over a bottle of water and said in a low voice, "It's fine, it's stable."

Ji Yu took a sip of water and sat down to one side.

Then, Chen Mo went into the tent.

He did not "walk" in from outside the tent like Ji Yu did.

He lifted the tent flap and strode in.

His steps were not fast, but each step carried an unconscious certainty, as if this military tent was originally his and everyone sitting inside was originally his subject.

He walked up to Chen Daomin.

Not standing still.

Instead, he casually pulled over a chair and sat down with an air of nonchalance.

This action wasn't in the script.

In the script, Xiang Yu should be standing when he meets Liu Bang, looking down at him to show his authority.

But Chen Mo chose to sit.

Because Xiang Yu didn't need to use the "standing" method to demonstrate his power.

He sat there, still looking down at everything.

After sitting down, Chen Mo glanced at Chen Daomin.

Just one glance.

It felt as if the air inside the tent had suddenly been sucked out.

Chen Daomin sensed that look in his eyes.

That wasn't a 23-year-old actor looking at him.

That was Xiang Yu looking at Liu Bang.

With a hint of amusement, disdain, nonchalance, and a faint hint of murderous intent, he conveyed his message.

That hint of murderous intent wasn't outwardly displayed.

It's hidden.

It was hidden in the curve of that half-smiling, half-serious mouth.

Chen Daomin's pupils contracted slightly.

Throughout his more than 30-year acting career, he has acted alongside countless actors.

The number of people who can make him feel "real" when acting with someone can be counted on one hand.

At that moment, he felt it.

That sense of "realism".

It was as if he wasn't acting opposite an actor, but actually sitting in that military tent from 2,200 years ago, with a young overlord sitting opposite him who could take his life at any moment.

He even got a slight goosebump on his back.

Chen Mo spoke.

"Lord Pei, you entered Guanzhong before me."

The same lines.

But the way it's described is completely different.

When Ji Yu said this line, he emphasized the word "first" and his tone was questioning, as if he were holding someone accountable.

Chen Mo emphasized "Guanzhong" in a light, languid tone, as if he were talking about something trivial.

But it is precisely this flippant tone that is truly terrifying.

Because it conveys the message: What is Guanzhong? The whole world belongs to me. So what if you're more advanced?

In a word.

High judgment.

Behind the monitor, Gao hope's lips twitched slightly.

The investors' representatives stopped muttering.

They stared quietly at the screen, their expressions changing from "just browsing" to "watching intently."

The two actors continued their scene together.

Chen Daomin's Liu Bang began to show weakness, speaking humbly and adopting a very low posture.

When acting opposite Ji Yu, Chen Daomin's performance was restrained because his opponent was not strong enough. If he went all out, the gap between the two would be so large that it would make the scene unbalanced.

But when acting opposite Chen Mo, Chen Daomin let loose.

He no longer restrained himself.

Because he knew that the young man in front of him could handle it.

And so, a real trap was set in this makeshift military tent.

Every time Liu Bang feigned weakness, it concealed a hidden cunning.

Every glance from Xiang Yu was filled with contempt, as if to say, "I know you're acting, but I'm too lazy to call you out on it."

The two exchanged words, their interactions subtly simmering beneath the surface.

Although there was no fighting inside the tent, everyone felt a deadly killing intent permeating the air.

This murderous aura did not come from swords or blades.

It comes from a clash between two equally matched actors.

As the performance reached its final act, Liu Bang got up to say goodbye, making an excuse to go to the toilet before slipping away.

When Chen Daomin stood up, his knees bent slightly, as if they had been sitting for a long time and were a little numb.

This detail is not in the script.

It was Chen Daomin who added it on the spot.

Because Liu Bang was in a state of extreme tension throughout the Feast at Hongmen, his muscles were tense the entire time. The numbness in his legs when he stood up was a genuine physiological reaction.

Chen Mo noticed this detail.

A slight smile played at the corners of his lips.

That was Xiang Yu's instinctive reaction when he saw Liu Bang showing weakness.

It's not mockery.

It's a confirmation of "as expected".

In Xiang Yu's eyes, this was exactly what Liu Bang should look like.

Hesitant and timid, subservient and obsequious.

There is nothing to fear.

This subtle movement of the corner of his mouth changed Chen Daomin's expression.

It has become deeper.

He looked into Chen Mo's eyes and suddenly had a very strange feeling.

He didn't want to "act" anymore.

He wanted to really have a showdown with this young man.

It's not a case of senior colleagues mentoring newcomers.

It was a true, evenly matched contest between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu.

The audition was originally scheduled to last ten minutes.

The performance lasted for 23 minutes.

Gao hope never called "stop".

Because he couldn't bear to part with it.

The investors' representatives didn't urge them either.

Because they were stunned.

It wasn't until Chen Daomin's "Liu Bang" got up, left the tent, walked out of the tent, and disappeared from the camera's view that Gao hope slowly uttered a single word.

"it is good."

The sound was very soft.

But in the quiet film set, everyone heard it.

Then Gao hope stood up.

He didn't look at the investors' representatives, nor at anyone else.

He looked at Chen Mo as he walked out of the tent and remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he said something.

"Filming starts the day after tomorrow. Xiang Yu is yours. No one can change that."

This wasn't said to Chen Mo.

He was speaking to the two investor representatives behind him.

The two representatives glanced at each other, opened their mouths, but didn't utter a single word.

Because they're not blind either.

They saw clearly what happened in those twenty-three minutes.

If a score of 70 and a score of 95 are standing side by side, would you choose the one with the 70?

That's not casting, that's suicide.

In the corner, Ji Yu sat on a chair, the mineral water bottle in his hand deformed from his grip.

He watched all of Chen Mo's auditions.

Not a single second was missed.

He originally thought he had acted well.

But after watching Chen Mo's performance, that "not bad" confidence seemed to have been slapped into the ground.

He couldn't explain where the difference lay.

But he sensed it.

That gap isn't about technology.

It's not a matter of whether the lines are delivered well, whether the expressions are appropriate, or whether the blocking is accurate.

It is something more fundamental.

When Chen Mo was acting, he "disappeared".

Instead, Xiang Yu took his place.

When Ji Yu was acting, he was always "Ji Yu playing Xiang Yu".

This gap can't be bridged in three days of gym workouts.

Even after three years of practice, I still can't fill in the gaps.

Sun Zhe walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"Let's go."

Ji Yu didn't move.

"Let's go, Brother Yu," Sun Zhe said again, his tone unusually gentle.

Ji Yu stood up and threw the deformed mineral water bottle into the trash can.

As he walked out of the film set, he looked back at the door.

Chen Mo was still standing inside the tent, talking to Gao hope.

Sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the tent roof, falling on his armor and giving it a faint golden sheen.

Ji Yu withdrew his gaze and got into the van.

The moment the car door closed, his face darkened completely.

This is not over yet.