During my years at China Entertainment

Chapter 770 A Taste of Ah Xiang
The weekend ended, and the auditions for "Detective Chinatown" began.

When Wei Jin arrived at the company in his private Maybach, he could see through the car window that the ground-floor parking lot outside was already full of all kinds of high-end RVs and cars.

After all, most of those who came to audition this time were first- or second-tier actors in the industry, and their financial strength was not bad, especially now that their pay was getting higher and higher.

Of course, there are also a large number of media reporters who are stationed here, waiting to get the latest news.

Without stopping on the ground, Lao Zhu drove directly to the second basement level, because as Wei Jin's status rose, there were no shortage of people wanting to interview him.

After hurriedly entering the elevator, Wei Jin did not linger at the audition site on the 8th floor, but went directly to the artist training center on the 12th floor.

I had already made an appointment with Liu Tianchi and Zhang Songwen to come here today to discuss the character positioning and performance style of "Love Like a Bouquet".

Although the plot of this drama is simple, the performances are actually very rich, especially the male lead played by Wei Jin.

Having gone through the transition from college student to working professional, and the gradual alienation between emotions and ideals, the male protagonist's growth trajectory has a more layered feel than that of the female protagonist, who remains steadfast.

Moreover, compared to "The Fault in Our Stars", Wei Jin has a more significant role in this drama, so he will have to put in a lot of hard work to ensure a smooth filming process.

He never wants to repeat the incident from when he was filming "Starship Troubles" and was ridiculed by the female lead for making mistakes during filming!
While Mr. Wei was making thorough preparations for his new film, the atmosphere at the audition was tense.

At this moment, the eighth floor of the Shanhe Building was filled with people in several reception rooms and the large conference room.

Besides the majority of actors accompanied by assistants or agents, a small number of assistants were simply waiting for their numbers to be called, while their artists were still waiting in their cars downstairs.

After all, the entertainment industry is different from other places. Many actors and stars are "life-or-death" competitors, so it's best to avoid running into each other if possible.

However, many actors, while anxiously waiting, also seemed quite gossipy.

The competition for the leading lady is really exciting, with several popular actresses born in the 80s and 85s participating.

But at that moment, seeing the figure walk into the conference room, many people had some doubts.

"Goodness, she's here?"

"Tsk tsk, that's some serious shamelessness!"

"Still dreaming of turning things around? Keep dreaming."

"."

Those who appeared in the conference room were Huang Shengyi, who had recently directed and acted in an "international joke," and Yang Zi, who was full of lies and disgusting!

However, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. Although they looked down on the couple, what could they do when Juli Films was a production company?

Those actresses who were still secretly criticizing each other had to force a smile and greet each other, making the atmosphere very awkward!

Compared to the adult female lead, Ah Xiang, there were far fewer people auditioning for the role of the young female lead, Si Nuo, since there are indeed fewer child stars of the right age.

But the tense atmosphere in this private reception room was no less intense, because compared to adult actresses, there were fewer opportunities suitable for these child stars, and they had to seize them!
"Don't be nervous, sweetie. You've collaborated with Shanhe Media several times, and you already have the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Newcomer. It'll be hard for others to compete with you. Keep it up!"

Zhang's mother held Zhang Zifeng's hand and comforted her, saying that although her daughter had been in the industry for many years, she was only 14 years old after all, and it was inevitable that she would be nervous facing such a young leading lady with such a heavy role.

Hearing this, Zhang Zifeng still felt uneasy, and her gaze drifted to the other competitors.

Among them are Zhao Jinmai, who eliminated herself in "Nobody's Eyes 2", Zhang Xueying, who collaborated with Fan Bingbing in "The Suspect", and Li Landi, who worked with director Wei Jin in "Flying Colors".

There were even several people with connections, such as Li Gengxi, who was led by Aunt Xu Jinglei; Little Nezha, who was accompanied by Shu Chang; and Guan Xiaotong, who was brought along by a teacher from the Beijing Film Academy.
Sigh, all I want is to act in a movie, why is it so difficult?

I wonder if the director will come today? If he is, I'll probably feel more confident.
At that moment, a staff member walked in. "Jiang Yiyi, who is Jiang Yiyi?"

"I, I am."

A little girl with bright, curved eyes stood up from the crowd.

"It's your turn to audition."

"Oh, okay, thank you, teacher."

Wei Jin had to admit that although Liu Tianchi and Zhang Songwen hadn't participated in a particularly large number of film and television works, their acting skills were far from top-notch.

But his acting theory is truly comprehensive, with considerable insight into character construction, inner analysis, and role positioning.

Over the course of two days, Wei Jin, as the director, also benefited greatly.

He is confident that he will perform well after a short period of intensive training.

At this time, the audition process for "Detective Chinatown" also came to an end.

After pondering for a whole night, Yan Fei and Peng Damo handed over the preliminary cast list to Wei Jin.

However, perhaps because the previous storyboard had been rejected by Wei Jin, the two were somewhat cautious this time, and had a shortlist of candidates for each role.

For example, there were three candidates for the female lead: Tong Yaya, Tang Yan, and Ni Ni, each with their own comments.

Tong Yaya's audition performance was A+. She was alluring yet not seductive, charming and captivating, with mesmerizing yet clear eyes. She also possessed a fiery spirit when serious, perfectly embodying the character.
Tang Yan's audition performance was A; her mature and alluring appearance perfectly suited the role. Weakness: High hairline, requiring specific makeup and styling.
Ni Ni's audition performance was A+, demonstrating solid acting skills and a beautiful appearance, perfectly blending alluring charm with youthful coldness; Weakness: Not conventionally beautiful at first glance.
"Goodness, Director Yan, Director Peng, you absolutely mustn't let anyone else see your comments, hahaha!"

To be honest, while there was nothing wrong with this judgment, its presentation in written form always gave Wei Jin a sense of humor, which made him laugh.

Especially Ni Ni, being labeled as "not pretty enough" can affect her career. Aren't you afraid this girl will whisper sweet nothings in her ear?

It's worth noting that Liu Shishi still occasionally grumbles about Wu Ershan to this day, which shows how much of a blow the initial reviews of "Mojin: The Lost Legend" dealt to her!

"Hehe, don't worry, Mr. Wei, this is internal information and will be destroyed later."

Yan Fei scratched his head and answered, then Peng Damo probed again, "So what does President Wei mean?"

"Let's go with Ni Ni. She's the most beautiful woman in Chinatown, but not the most beautiful woman in the country. That's good enough."

Wei Jin finalized the deal immediately. Ni Ni was, after all, his woman and an artist in the company, so he had to take care of her.

As for Tong Yaya, Boss Wei can only apologize; after all, she got married.

Next, Wei Jin, Yan Fei, and Peng Damo continued their discussion about the characters.

The second male lead, Qin Feng, was successfully won over by Liu Haoran, who was recommended by Sister Li.

He truly fits the role perfectly and is very talented. Both directors gave him high praise, putting him far ahead of other competitors such as Dong Zijian, Zeng Shunxi, and Yu Xiaotong.

As for the role of Huang Landeng, after some discussion among the three, they chose Tian Yu over Chen He.

Although the two received similar evaluations, Chen He's negative news is still fresh in people's minds, so choosing him would have some impact.

On the contrary, Tian Yu, who graduated from the Central Academy of Drama, has worked with Yan Fei and Peng Damo in "Goodbye Mr. Loser" and his role as Wang Qinian in the "Joy of Life" series has also won him many fans, which is really good.

For the young female lead, Si Nuo, Wei Jin ultimately chose Zhang Zifeng over Jiang Yiyi, who received the highest ratings. Firstly, they had worked together before; secondly, the young actress's performance in the original version was also commendable, and Wei Jin's preconceived notions naturally influenced his choice.

As for why they didn't just cast the original actors from the beginning and instead wasted time with auditions?
Are you kidding me? !

This isn't just a matter of respecting the director; it's that Shanhe Media, as a production company, has no right to do this!

In fact, apart from the male lead Wang Baoqiang and Xiao Yang who played Kuntai, who were decided when Wei Jin decided to start the project, all the other roles went through a public audition process, each relying on their own abilities.

The reason these two actors were chosen was not only because of Wei Jin's natural affinity for them, but also because their performances in the original film were truly classic, and there were no actors who could replace or surpass them!
Especially Xiao Yang, even with his eyes closed, Wei Jin could imagine the scene of "I am irreconcilably opposed to evil," it's truly a classic!

As for the villainous role of the adoptive father, Pan Yueming is now a big star thanks to "Mojin: The Lost Legend", "The Suspect" and "Day and Night", so naturally he wouldn't audition for it.

Ultimately, Wei Jin chose Qin Hao over Geng Le, who had performed well in the audition—Qin Hao was a close associate and someone he had worked with before, and was also good at playing psychopaths, so his advantages were stacked up!

"Okay, let's settle on this."

After the main cast was finalized, Wei Jin, too lazy to bother with the remaining details, turned and asked, "How's the pre-production going? When do you plan to start filming?"

"Mr. Wei, the preliminary preparations are complete. Based on the actors' schedules, we plan to start filming in two weeks, which will also give us time to adjust our condition."

Hearing Yan Fei's words, Wei Jin understood.

The actors who came to audition all had available time slots, including Xiao Yang, who was already pre-selected and had his schedule reserved in advance.

Only Wang Baoqiang, when his company contacted him before, learned that he had already accepted a role in a military-themed variety show on Hunan TV.

During the Spring Festival, when Bao Qiang extended New Year's greetings to Wei Jin, he also vaguely mentioned that the recording started in early February, with each episode lasting a week. The food, lodging, and recording were all done at the military base, with each episode recorded every other week.

At the time, Wei Jin suspected that his agent might have sabotaged him by deliberately accepting the show, and even gave him a few subtle hints.

But Baoqiang himself was quite happy, saying that this variety show gave him the feeling of filming "Soldiers Sortie" back then, which makes it hard to judge.

Given this, Wei Jin couldn't bring himself to speak openly, and could only hope that he could understand the meaning behind the script.

"I was rejected?!"

Looking at the message her assistant sent on her phone, Yang Ying's eyes widened in disbelief.

She felt she had performed very well at the audition the day before yesterday, and the two directors had been very friendly to her, so why was she rejected?!
Just as Yang Ying was about to have a word with Huang Xiaoming, she turned around and saw that the man was happily playing on his phone. Yang Ying was furious.

She stepped forward, snatched the phone, and said, "All you do is play games. I've already been rejected, and you don't even try to comfort me."

"Baby, give me your phone, I have something important to say."

Huang Xiaoming was somewhat helpless. His girlfriend was good in every way, but she wasn't very bright. How easy was it to get a role in a drama produced by Shanhe Media?

"What important matter has to be done now? You won't come to the audition with me, fine, but now you're being so perfunctory? Even Yang Zi goes with Huang Shengyi, are you that busy? Waaaaah~~~"

As Yang Ying spoke, she began to cry. In her mind, if Huang Xiaoming had accompanied her, things might have been different.

After all, she's just a pretty face; what difference does it make who we choose?

"Okay, okay, baby, stop crying. Your makeup will be ruined and you won't be pretty anymore."

Although Huang Xiaoming felt that Yang Ying was being unreasonable, he was easily swayed by her and gently comforted her while holding her.

"I don't care, you have to pay me back, waaaaaah~~~"

"Okay, okay, I'll pay you back, but you have to give me back my phone first."

Hearing this, Yang Ying stopped crying, looked up and asked, "Really compensate me? For the big director's film?"

"Really? Big director, big production. Didn't I mention it to you before?"

"You mean that Hollywood movie? It's been confirmed? What are the specifics?"

Yang Ying reacted quickly, immediately recalling what happened before the Spring Festival. Her eyes lit up, and questions came one after another.

"Yeah, I didn't go with you that day because I was talking to Mr. Wang about this. Look, I was just talking to him. If nothing unexpected happens, the Asian role will be yours."

This film is a sequel to *Independence Day*, with a total budget of at least $1.5 million, and is directed by Roland Emmerich, director of *2012*.

As Huang Xiaoming spoke, he also picked up his phone and started typing away.

Huayi ultimately did not participate in this project, but we must express our gratitude to Mr. Wang for his hard work in negotiating the role.

Upon hearing keywords such as "1.5 million US dollars", "director of '2012'", and "sequel to 'Independence Day'", Yang Ying was filled with immense happiness.

Heaven have mercy! Are we finally going to make it big and go international?!
When she came to her senses, she said coquettishly, "Why didn't you say so sooner?"

Huang Xiaoming put down his phone and spread his hands, "I mean, you need an opportunity. We just finalized it, and you immediately started attacking me."

"I'm sorry, my dear husband, I was wrong. I shouldn't have lost my temper with you, muamua."

After a bit of coquettishness, Yang Ying offered several kisses, but then felt it lacked sincerity, so she shook Huang Xiaoming's arm and licked her red lips.

"Honey, how about you punish me severely tonight?"

"Um?!"

Whether Huang Xiaoming severely punished Yang Ying or not, Boss Wei naturally didn't know, but he himself was about to severely punish Ni Ni.

The girl called Wei Jin immediately after receiving the notification, her desire to repay the debt of gratitude was very clear.

Yes, this is a traditional skill of the company's female artists.

Considering that he hadn't cheered for Ni Ni for three months and that his new film was about to start shooting, he probably wouldn't have time to see her off in the office, so Wei Jin gladly accepted the invitation.

Wei Jin never expected that Ni Ni would be so brave, directly borrowing Ah Xiang's costume from the production crew. Wasn't she afraid of tearing it to shreds?!
"Young man, you weren't there when they auditioned. Do you need to check their qualifications now?"

It must be admitted that Ni Ni is not the kind of woman who is stunning at first glance, but she really captures the alluring and charming demeanor perfectly.

With just a flick of her finger, she could ignite a man's primal desires, making him want to pin her down and rub her hard.

Even the well-traveled Boss Wei was a little thirsty at this moment, and couldn't help but reach out and put his arm around the beauty's slender waist, "Alright, let's do the scene where Ah Xiang takes a bath?"

Ni Ni gave Wei Jin a captivating glance, then lightly tapped his chest with her finger, saying coquettishly, "I knew you liked this kind of thing. Everything's ready. Tonight, please savor the most beautiful woman in Chinatown."

After speaking, Ni Ni took Wei Jin's hand and gracefully backed away, pulling him into the bathroom.

In this drizzling rain, Boss Wei once again experienced the allure of "violent aesthetics."
(End of this chapter)