Chapter 14
Five new interviewees lay down honestly, uncertain of the source of the lab-coated technicians who appeared out of nowhere and attached numerous magnets to their arms and foreheads. Before long, the voice of Zhang Kai was heard not far away, probably addressing someone, “You can get up now.”
Xi Ze knew the words were not directed at him. After a while, Zhang Kai’s voice resurfaced, this time much closer to Xi Ze, “You two can get up as well.”
As the voice sounded like it was behind him, Xi Ze’s initial reaction was that Zhang Kai was addressing him. However, as he moved, a staff member next to him restrained his hand, advising, “Don’t move.”
Xi Ze lay still, feeling like a small white rat. He wondered what exactly was going on – this certainly didn’t feel like an audition! Just as he was pondering this, Zhang Kai’s voice sounded again from nearby, in a completely official tone, “The three of you can go to the waiting room and find your managers.”
Among the three called by Zhang Kai was Xi Nan, and he happened to be the first one called. Xi Nan had initially thought that being called early was a good thing, but he hadn’t anticipated that he would be the first one eliminated among the five. What felt even more absurd was that Xi Ze was still lying there!
Youthful and spirited, and with Jia En not present, Xi Nan attempted to take initiative and protest. But just as he was about to speak, it was as if Zhang Kai knew what he was going to say. Zhang Kai’s gaze turned sternly toward him and the two boys beside him. He said, “No need for unnecessary words. Leave.” Clearly, there was no time to explain so much.
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Zhou Yang: “Xi Ze, can I call you by your name? Could you give me your contact code? Let’s be friends? If you think it’s too private, social media IDs work too!”
Zhou Yang: “Director, what were those machines for just now? Can you tell me?”
…
It was as if there was a persistent mosquito buzzing in Xi Ze’s ear. Zhang Kai couldn’t bear it anymore and turned, delivering a slap to Zhou Yang’s head, “Wouldn’t your jaw fall off if you talked any more? Save your saliva. When it’s time to audition, you and Arnold can talk then!”
Arnold?!
Xi Ze was taken aback, but Zhou Yang let out a high-pitched squeal, “Ah! Arnold!!”
Director, aren’t you exaggerating a bit too much? Using Arnold to audition for a minor artist? Is the show’s budget overflowing with money?
After this, Zhou Yang dared not make another sound. He practically stuck to Xi Ze’s back, walking with his head down. He seemed on the verge of shrinking into a potato.
Xi Ze pulled him out from behind and urged, “What are you afraid of?”
Zhou Yang’s facial features seemed to be tightening into a knot. He looked conflicted and said, “I—I’m nervous.” Obviously, being in close proximity to a superstar naturally invoked nervousness.
Led by Zhang Kai, they entered the audition room. Upon entering, as Xi Ze had anticipated, there were not only the two of them, but a number of other auditionees.
As Zhang Kai walked in, an assistant approached. He signaled a “thumbs up” toward the audition directors and said, “We’re good to go. These are the last two!”
The audition room wasn’t large, centered around a small circular platform with a chair on it. The perimeter of the platform was occupied by several people waiting for their auditions. Xi Ze and Zhou Yang found seats at random, yet just as they walked in, their presence had already attracted curious gazes.
Those gazes naturally fell on Xi Ze. The exchange meeting had already earned him some attention within the industry, and now, with him here, many of those who had passed the test couldn’t help but tense up. Especially the candidate for that specific Eastern role in the audition show, they were competitors with Xi Ze. Upon Xi Ze’s entry, a sense of apprehension stirred in their hearts. Some individuals with less favorable mindsets even secretly hoped that Xi Ze’s audition would become a major embarrassment. Yet, these individuals had no inkling of what awaited them shortly.
Zhou Yang sat next to Xi Ze, his leg trembling nervously due to the knowledge that his audition would involve acting opposite Arnold. Sensing the unfriendly atmosphere around them, he turned his head and, in the midst of his own anxiety, comforted Xi Ze, “Don’t mind those people. They’re afraid you’ll take that Eastern role. You’re definitely going to be selected.”
Xi Ze wasn’t naive. After all, he had spent many years in the entertainment industry in his previous life. He could discern genuine innocence from feigned innocence. Initially, he had intentionally kept his distance from Zhou Yang, but hearing the young man’s sincere reassurance moved him. He offered a smile in response.
With everyone present, Zhang Kai’s assistant quickly approached the center of the room. Addressing the circle of auditionees, she said, “Hello, I won’t waste time with unnecessary talk. We have three roles left out of the four, and only one role, the Eastern character, must be portrayed by an Asian actor. There are no specific requirements for the other roles. However, most of you are probably familiar with ‘Player.’ If you make it onto the show, you’ll be shooting alongside Arnold. So, for today’s auditions…”
At this point, Zhang Kai’s assistant intentionally paused, sweeping her gaze across the room before finally revealing the audition’s nature, “You’ll need to perform a scene opposite Arnold.”
“……….”
The weight of those words seemed to descend upon the entire audition room. The tension was palpable.
The assistant glanced down at the first row of blank seats and quickly added, “Arnold will be sitting here shortly. You can select a character from a film or TV show, and we’ll provide the script lines. Alternatively, you can create a scenario and character of your own for the scene and freely improvise opposite Arnold.”
As the assistant finished speaking, the audition room’s door swung open. Arnold walked in from the outside, dressed in a simple white T-shirt and jeans. Even the plainest clothes couldn’t conceal the aura of cold arrogance exuding from him.
Xi Ze could feel the temperature in the room dropping.
Arnold nodded to the audition directors and Zhang Kai, then took a seat in the central chair. He leaned back, legs slightly apart, one hand resting on the armrest. He exuded an air of regal authority.
Having received the audition list, Zhang Kai announced, “Let’s begin. You have twenty minutes to prepare.”
For Xi Ze, this kind of audition felt unique, as though it harked back to a primitive survival of the fittest method – whoever could impress Arnold would emerge on top.
However, considering that “Player” was practically tailored for Arnold, centering the auditions around acting opposite him wasn’t entirely unreasonable.
As Arnold entered the room, Xi Ze had already figured out how he should act and perform. On the other hand, Zhou Yang was particularly nervous.
Seeing him like that, Xi Ze couldn’t bear to remind him, saying, “If you can’t handle complex roles, you can find ones that suit your own personality, incorporating the original character’s traits into your opponent’s role.”
Zhou Yang, trying to remain composed, nervously stammered, “Let me think, let me think.”
The competition in the future entertainment industry was indeed even fiercer. Taking Arnold as the benchmark, getting ahead through connections was almost impossible. Strength was the key, and out of all these people, only three would make it. The competition was intense, and soon, a group of them were ready, heading to the director’s team to ask for their lines.
The scripts, dialogues, character settings, and scenes were all different, allowing everyone to showcase their individual talents. The only constant was the scene opposite Arnold. Everyone understood that this audition was intense, but the rewards were higher. If they could make it onto this program, it would undoubtedly elevate their future careers.
Xi Ze sat quietly, not moving. At this point, nobody had the time to pay attention to him anymore. Unexpectedly, Zhou Yang suddenly turned to him and said, “Let’s go up first. With so many people and different lines and scripts, as it goes further, it’s likely that the venerable Arnold might lose patience and not bother to speak.”
Zhou Yang was actually quite clever. He hit the nail on the head. With so many people auditioning, only Arnold had a role. Allowing this handsome guy to sit in the chair and complete this audition, Xi Ze realized that it might not be possible.
Xi Ze had actually intended to take the first three spots to rehearse with Arnold. He was ready, so there was no reason to wait. Still, he said, “Should I go first?”
Zhou Yang shook his head and said with a wry smile, “I believe in you. I think you have acting skills. I should go first. Besides, you’re Asian, so you won’t need to audition like the others. Let me go first. At least, let me have a chance to get close to Arnold!”
Xi Ze had no objections and simply agreed, “Sure.”
But the first spot had already been claimed by someone else—a young actress who had gained popularity in the last couple of years, having acted in several successful modern dramas. She was in her twenties, very young and beautiful. Stepping forward to act opposite Arnold took great courage.
She chose a scene from a TV drama where the male lead was giving the silent treatment after a lovers’ quarrel. The young actress was quite clever; she knew Arnold tended to exude an aloof aura while sitting silently. She cleverly chose this scene.
She paced back and forth in the middle of the stage, her face showing hesitation and a hint of anger. After a while, she turned around, walked up to Arnold, and looked down at the seated man, her voice indignant, “Are you still mad? I haven’t even said anything yet.”
Arnold had been reclining in his chair all this while, his posture somewhat lazy. But his demeanor remained aloof. So far, everything was going smoothly, in line with the pace of this scene’s plot.
The young actress stamped her foot in frustration, about to playfully protest, but suddenly, she met Arnold’s lifted gaze. She froze for a moment, unexpectedly failing to continue the scene at this crucial moment, hesitating and lingering there.
Arnold accepted the challenge posed by the young actress. He lifted his gaze, his eyes softening, but still carrying a hint of annoyance. However, he didn’t explode with anger in front of his lover. Instead, he quietly contained his emotions and said, “What do you think?”
Blinking her eyes, the young actress suddenly realized that she had actually faltered when facing Arnold. She had messed up the scene! She, of all people! She found it particularly incredulous. While her acting skills might not be top-notch, she had played the leading role in several dramas, which meant she had some experience. Yet, facing Arnold, she couldn’t continue? Why? Arnold was getting into character, right?
Turning her head, she signaled the director, helplessly saying, “Can I try again?”
Arnold had returned to his cold and aloof demeanor, sitting there and stating, “No, you can’t. You’re not up to it. Let the next person take over.”
Zhang Kai also said, “Next.”
Feeling disheartened, the young actress walked back, shaking her head in frustration. Regardless of the director and Arnold’s ruthless assessment, it was true that she couldn’t perform well. When she locked eyes with Arnold, she felt that their auras were out of sync. Though he wasn’t pressuring her and her acting was on point, for some reason, she couldn’t keep up with Arnold’s rhythm.
The other auditionees in the room also saw it clearly. The young actress had lost herself the moment Arnold lifted his gaze. They had always known that scenes with Arnold were tricky, but they never expected someone to falter to this extent, being defeated in just a matter of seconds.
Initially, some of the auditionees had been eager to take the lead. Now, many of them hesitated.
Zhou Yang couldn’t comprehend it. Arnold didn’t do anything special, so why couldn’t that young actress continue her performance? He turned to Xi Ze and asked, “What’s wrong with Arnold’s eyes? Why does just one look from him make it impossible to continue?”
Xi Ze replied, “Imagine you’re a girl, and you’re thinking of him as your boyfriend. You’re both in the middle of a lover’s quarrel and cold war. You approach to console him. He looks up, and all you see is Arnold’s face and his eyes. How would you feel?”
While Zhou Yang puzzled over why he had to make him imagine being a girl for this scenario and why not as a guy, he conjured up that mental image. Suddenly, tears filled his eyes, and he cried, “I would probably feel so overwhelmed with happiness that I’d faint.”
That’s it. Xi Ze looked toward Arnold, who was sitting not far away in the hall. Some individuals have an overwhelmingly strong presence, making it difficult for their scene partners to immerse themselves. Arnold was exactly that kind of person. Facing him head-on, it was tough to regard him as just a character. Everyone knew he was Arnold, so their energy fields and psychological states wouldn’t match, making it normal to struggle with getting into character.
This explained why actors needed time and practice to get into character. Those with more experience in acting were usually better at this aspect. Even if their scene partner was powerful enough to disrupt their immersion, they would still try their best to carry on with the scene.
Zhang Kai surveyed the room and said, “Next!”
“I’ll go!” Zhou Yang stood up and raised his hand, gesturing to the director’s team. He confidently said, “Let me go first.”
Zhang Kai was somewhat surprised; he hadn’t expected a newcomer to be the second to audition. He asked, “Role?”
Zhou Yang said, “I’ve set the scene myself.”
Zhang Kai nodded. Initially, he hadn’t paid much attention to this newcomer, but now it seemed he was quite smart. Knowing he hadn’t acted before and that he was up against the formidable Arnold, he had set the scene herself.
At this moment, Zhou Yang hadn’t even left the seating area. He stood near the edge of the stage center. As soon as Zhang Kai nodded, they heard a sharp scream, “Ah!!” Everyone in the room, including Arnold, froze for a moment, then turned their heads in the direction of the scream—
There stood Zhou Yang, his hands clenched into fists near his mouth, his eyes brimming with excitement as he stared intensely at Arnold. He rushed over with excited screams, “Ah ah ah ah ah, Arnold Arnold!! My idol!! Please give me an autograph, my male god!!”
Everyone: “……………”
Xi Ze was so shocked that he couldn’t utter a word. He stared in astonishment as Zhou Yang darted toward Arnold. In her excitement, he was acting like an adoring puppy circling around its male god… Actually, he was completely in his true character, wasn’t he?
Zhou Yang reached Arnold’s side, his eyes filled with stars. Seeing his idol up close, he was almost on the verge of excitedly kneeling and licking him. His expression was genuinely thrilled and excited, devoid of any pretense.
From seemingly thin air, Zhou Yang produced a pen and, trembling, thrust it into Arnold’s hand. He half-squatted, lifting his arm around his shoulder and tugging at his own shirt’s back hem. While turning his head, he excitedly blocked Arnold’s path and said, “Can you sign an autograph for me?!!!”
Zhang Kai, the director’s team, and other colleagues watching through the monitor were all struggling to contain their laughter. The jaws of the other auditionees were almost dropping! If the young actress from earlier was quick-witted, the young man taking the stage now was the epitome of brilliance. Tsk tsk, even Arnold, holding the pen, was frozen!
Xi Ze had been laughing, but suddenly, when his gaze fell on Zhou Yang, he paused. He followed Arnold’s gaze and looked at Zhou Yang’s back. In his mind, there was a sudden “boom”—damn!! His autograph was still on Zhou Yang’s back!!
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HAHAHAHAHA OMG Zhou yang got me.!!!,😭🤣 with the tense atmosphere then bam fang riling GAHAHAHAHHA