Actor: Thank you.

In the following days, he had his assistant bring a lot of expensive health products such as donkey-hide gelatin, sea cucumber, ginseng, and deer antler to the hospital to visit him.

Although I didn't show up, I knew the other person was recovering well.

During this period, many friends from the industry also visited him, and there were many visitors.

Let the other person recover first, and we'll talk about it after they're discharged from the hospital.

Invite them to dinner to gauge their attitude, and then see if they're a good fit.

He, on the other hand, got busy with other things.

I had already told the admissions department of the Central Academy of Drama that I would follow the proper procedures.

It's a special recruitment, but you have to take an exam and have your image recorded.

Whether it's a professional major or a humanities subject, I have to take the exam myself.

To avoid being exposed by some crazy person later, and then it becomes unclear.

With video evidence, exam results, and a legitimate process as a backup, no one can bring me down.

He wants a degree, partly to improve his professional skills and theoretical knowledge.

The other half is for the future.

Those who do not plan for the long term are not fit to plan for the short term.

When you're at the peak of your career, you need to plan your exit strategy.

In the future, regardless of whether you go through the Film Association or the Television Association, these are semi-official governing bodies.

Or the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, or even higher-level cultural departments—these are the governing bodies.

Is it okay if I don't have a degree?
Everyone says that a degree is a stepping stone, but if you don't have that stepping stone, the door just won't open for you.

In the future, we'll be in the era of internet platforms. What will I have to compete with the major platforms? Let alone fight them, let's just have a friendly chat, not squat or kneel down.

How can we achieve this?
In my past life, back when I was working on construction sites as a designer, the project supervisors at my company were being pressured by the review experts who demanded bribes and favors. They thought, "If they don't pressure you, how can you get what you want?"

Sometimes it's not just about what they want; it's about helping people with connections, or they just don't like you, so they'll make things difficult for you. What can you do about it?

Until the company's second-in-command also became an expert on the audit committee.

Instantly, peace and tranquility returned, and no one blocked the review process anymore.

If you block me today, I'll block you tomorrow.

Only those in power can torment others without being tormented themselves.

Aside from moving up the ranks, Zhang Yuan couldn't think of any other way to check and balance the major platforms.

It's unlikely I'll ever become a high-ranking official in my lifetime; I guess I'll have to wait for the next generation.

But if you become an expert in the industry, there's still hope for getting approved.

I hired a tutor to help me with... no, to tutor me in the academic subjects for the art exam.

The exam paper is worth 6 or 700 points, and it's the Beijing exam paper. You only need to score a little over 300 points to pass perfectly.

It's not difficult for him.

Because most art students' science scores are so poor that they are practically illiterate.

His strength lies in science, and he would have no problem taking the postgraduate entrance exam.

Especially now that regulations are lax and there are no mandatory percentage lines yet.

Later, even schools like the Central Academy of Drama and the Beijing Film Academy, as long as it was an undergraduate program, required that the students' academic scores not be lower than 80% of the provincial undergraduate admission line.

Unlike before, where you could get into a good school just by scoring 1 or 200 points.

However, as academic requirements increased, their professional skills declined.

After spending a few days preparing, I went to the Central Academy of Drama to participate in the special entrance examination for arts and the special entrance examination for academic subjects.

He also cannot take the regular college entrance examination.

Zhang Yuan thought to himself, "If I were to appear in the examination room, how could the other students concentrate on the exam?"

He made a point of wearing a mask and sunglasses, and rode his bicycle from the small courtyard to the Central Academy of Drama.

I didn't ride in a car driven by a chauffeur; I wanted to recapture that student feeling.

After entering the school gate, he even took off his sunglasses and mask to admire the lush campus.

Under the same shade of trees, playwright Cao Yu once strolled around with a book in his arms.

Chen Baoguo and Chen Daoming, these now-powerful actors, also spent their youth in the same place.

Did the four beauties of Class 96 once stand under this tree, receiving countless admiring glances from boys?

Along the way, many male and female students strolled along the roadside.

Huff... Zhang Yuan took a deep breath.

This is the taste of youth.

Hmm, why does it smell a bit like feminine wash?

The female students aren't exactly clean!
Their average appearance score is significantly higher than that of students from ordinary undergraduate universities.

Logically speaking, the Central Academy of Drama has many stars. Not to mention that many of its students became famous at a young age, there are also many famous teachers.

For example, Professor Feng Gong, whom I just contacted, is a senior teacher in the Acting Department of the Central Academy of Drama and a doctoral supervisor.

Don't let Feng Gong's background as a crosstalk performer fool you; he's quite a good actor!
Just like Mr. Zhao Benshan, these veterans of the traditional performing arts are very capable.

Jiang Wenli is also a professor in the Department of Performance at the Central Academy of Drama.

I have a few friends on campus.

Because there are many celebrities, most students on campus, unless they are freshmen, are not surprised by the presence of celebrities from outside the school.

If you actually meet them, you can nod and smile to say hello, but if you try to get close to them, they might not pay any attention to you.

After indulging in delicacies every day, one becomes numb to them.

But as he rode his bicycle, he simultaneously took both hands off the ground to pick up fallen peach blossoms, a scene that still attracted the attention of many students.

If you see too much of that, you'll lose interest; that applies to ordinary minor celebrities!
Before them stood a Hundred Flowers Award-winning actor, a Tokyo International Film Festival Best Actor winner, the Most Popular Actor at the College Student Film Festival, and a fashionable male artist who had graced the covers of numerous major fashion magazines.

A male artist with special talents praised by many alumni of the Central Academy of Drama's Class of '96.

Men are envious, women are captivated.

He waved to the passersby in a friendly manner and slowly made his way to the front of the teaching building.

It's rare to feel relaxed like this.

I don't know if it's because I don't have to wear a suit to keep myself in check, or if the school really does have a purifying effect on the soul.

He got into the car, put his hands in his pockets, and went into the building.

On the third floor, next to the classroom office, as the curtains fluttered in the breeze, another gaze was cast out the window.

Looking at that familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar figure, the female teacher with glasses blinked slightly, keeping a close eye on him until he disappeared from sight.

"I heard Zhang Yuan came to the school!"

A performing arts teacher from the same office walked in and said loudly.

"That movie actor?"

"Who else could it be but him?"

The teacher put down the thermos cup with annoyance and shook her head.

Although the weather wasn't cool, but rather a bit hot, it was common practice for performing arts teachers to drink hot water to protect their voices so they could teach dialogue lessons.

"I was teaching a class just now, and a bunch of kids were looking down at their phones."

"As soon as the bell rang, everyone ran faster than rabbits."

"I finally managed to get a question out of him and found out it was Zhang Yuan who came," the teacher said, shaking his head helplessly.

"So popular?"

"Hey, you know perfectly well that students these days are restless and can't sit still."

"Compared to studying and performing, people are more interested in becoming stars."

"I don't idolize him."

"Everyone wants to be like that, making a lot of money and becoming famous."

“Yes, he may be famous, but I’ve seen his performances, and he’s quite good,” another female teacher said.

"I'll go take a look too. I heard they're here to study."

"what?"

"I thought they were coming to be our colleagues!"

As they spoke, they both turned around and said to the female teacher by the window.

"Cheng Hao, are you going or not?"

"You guys go ahead, I'm not going, I still have some lessons to prepare."

"Then we're leaving, you take your time."

After his colleague left, Teacher Chen shook his head.

The student was famous, and a huge crowd surrounded him as soon as he arrived.

It's really popular...

Teacher Chen twirled a pen in one hand and rested her chin on the other, her thoughts drifting to a distant place that seemed to have been there for a long time, even though it hadn't been long.

Do you really know what kind of person he is?
He asked himself the question, and then asked himself the question.

Do I really know what kind of person he is?
...At the same time, Zhang Yuan reported to the Academic Affairs Office, where a teacher led him to the practice room to prepare for the interview and professional exam.

Just a few steps down the corridor, dozens of heads appeared one after another around the corner.

There were also acquaintances.

"Jun Jie!" he waved.

Qin Junjie, who co-starred with me in "Curse of the Golden Flower," is now a junior in college.

Zhao Yingzi, Zhu Yanmanzi, and Qiao Xin, whom he had met before, were all his classmates.

The rest of the men and women, some of whom looked familiar but whose names I couldn't recall, were probably students from the next two years.

The star power seems to be fading with each new generation.

"See you all later, I have to get back to work now." He said goodbye and went inside.

Immediately, students came to the door and tried to observe through the small window.

But the teacher ruthlessly stuck it on the newspaper.

These teachers were relaxed; they all knew it was just a formality.

Normally, the entrance exams for the Central Academy of Drama are divided into three main categories and seven subcategories.

The three main categories are preliminary test, retest, and third test.

Each round eliminates more than 80% of the participants, which is extremely brutal.

The content of the three exams was also different.

The preliminary test is a recitation; you will need to prepare your own material and can practice beforehand.

In some years, a simple group skit will be added, where a dozen or so examinees will be grouped together and perform together without knowing each other, to see their improvisation and on-the-spot reactions.

This kind of exam is prone to having unscrupulous people who try to cheat you, deliberately pushing or stepping on you during your impromptu performance.

The second round of the exam also includes a recitation, which you must prepare yourself, but it cannot be the same as the content of the first round. In addition, you will need to perform a short skit, either solo or in pairs.

If you're confident, it's best to go solo to avoid encountering bad teammates.

There are also those who deliberately sabotage others by teaming up with their competitors to eliminate them.

The third round of auditions includes more content, such as vocal performance, and many famous actors' embarrassing singing experiences are included in the third round of auditions.

There's also physical fitness; gymnastics and martial arts are both options, and if you don't know either, you can do radio calisthenics.

Someone actually did it. Wang Qianyuan auditioned three times back then. He sang "The Internationale" for vocal performance and did radio calisthenics for physical performance. He exuded righteousness and stood out from the crowd.

Then, I was ridiculed by my classmates for four years...

Next, there will be a themed performance and a final Q&A interview.

Zhang Yuan followed the procedure and did everything.

He started with a poetry recitation, and he prepared Xin Qiji's "Po Zhen Zi".

"Looking at the sword while drunk, I dreamed of blowing the corner of the company."

He squinted his eyes during the first two sentences, as if waking from a dream.

"The horse gallops swiftly like the wind, the bowstring twangs like thunder!"

These two sentences, on the other hand, have a soaring tone and a majestic momentum.

But then it quickly turned and went down.

"Winning fame both in life and after death... pitifully, his hair has turned white."

The teacher nodded. The speech was fluent, the stress was mostly correct, and it conveyed emotion, variation, and even performance.

If you take the preliminary exam normally, you will definitely pass on your first try.

Next came the second round of interviews, which included recitation and a solo skit.

"Dear teachers, in order to save you time, I will combine the recitation and the skit into one performance."

The teacher can do as he pleases; we're all fine with it.

After all, most people with connections don't have as many connections as you, so whatever you say goes.

Zhang Yuan raised his arm high, shook it, and mimed taking off the wide sleeves of an ancient robe.

"The Moon Over the West River"

"I studied the classics and history since I was a child." He said, gesturing as if he were writing on the wall.

"Even as one grows up, one can still be cunning and scheming."

"Like a fierce tiger lying in a desolate hill, it conceals its claws and endures the elements!"

"Unfortunately, he has tattoos on both cheeks; how can he be exiled to Jiangzhou?"

As he wrote, his legs trembled.

His face showed signs of intoxication, and his eyes were glazed over.

Because what he recited and performed was the rebellious poem written by Song Yashi at Xunyang Tower.

"If I ever get my revenge, I will stain the mouth of the Xunyang River with blood!"

He wrote with increasing force, and when he reached the last two lines, it felt as if he were carving with a knife, not a pen.

His entire body was surging with murderous aura.

What are the 36 Heavenly Spirits and 72 Earthly Fiends?

That's a demon star descending upon the world!
The teachers also noticed that, compared to the magnanimity and regret they felt earlier when they couldn't serve their country, their emotions and personality were completely reversed at this moment.

Both were frustrated and unfulfilled, but one felt regret and wanted to work harder, while the other felt hatred and wanted revenge.

The performance had a great deal of depth.

Furthermore, a teacher who understands calligraphy noticed that his writing posture and stance were correct.

If it were actually written, it probably wouldn't be very good.

These teachers now shared the same questions as those in the office earlier.

Are you here to be a student or a teacher?
Why do I feel like most of the teachers in our acting department aren't as good as you?

Actually, that's an understatement. Zhang Yuan didn't prepare much in terms of professional skills; he only put in about 3% of his effort.

He performed "The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau" for vocal music, and some teachers advised him to take it easy.

He hit the high notes immediately, with powerful breath control and a strong high pitch.

I'm the kind of person who's taken advantage of Vitas.

The form is even simpler.

A set of Tongbei Quan punches made the whole room explode with loud noises.

The teachers couldn't see it clearly at all; it was all afterimages.

It's like watching Lin Dan play badminton.

You can hear the sound, but you can't see the ball.

Several teachers felt that if they saw such a person outside of school, their first reaction would definitely be to run away, but they probably wouldn't be able to escape.

Improvisational performance was even easier for him; he performed all the time, big and small, and fooled far too many people.

The scene depicts the protagonist's behavior after failing an audition and returning home.

The teacher's evaluation didn't seem like an act.

In just over an hour, it was time for the final professional interview and Q&A session.

This step observes the student's daily reactions, their attitude, thought process, and thinking speed when answering questions, as well as whether their answers reflect ideals and aspirations.

Yang Mi scored extremely high in this category. After all, she has been in the industry for many years and is not afraid of being interviewed in front of the camera, let alone by several teachers.

Zhang Yuan has become more easygoing; this is child's play for someone who spends all his time outsmarting reporters.

What are your expectations of yourself?

"Regardless of the filming process or the final outcome, once you accept a script and a role, you must give 100% effort to express it."

What are your artistic ideals?

"I want to be the best actor among my peers. If possible, I hope to become a well-known performing artist in China in the future, perhaps decades from now, through my own efforts."

"So what are your art plans?"

"Learn Western film and television technology, introduce it to China, and bring Chinese culture to the West."

"To let the whole world know about Chinese culture, and to help China spread art and culture on the road to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and to complete the cultural exchange between China and the West."

The teachers were speechless.

If a typical test taker said something like that, several teachers would definitely label him as arrogant and boastful.

Then a high score will be given.

Being thick-skinned is also an advantage...

But for Zhang Yuan, it's not a matter of being thick-skinned.

They seem to be telling the truth...

Zhang Yuan's basic attack was more powerful than the opponent's ultimate move.

And judging from what he said... the teachers felt that he probably didn't come here to be a student, nor did he come here to be a teacher.

The way he's talking to me sounds even more sophisticated than our department head.

You're here to be a leader, right? (End of Chapter)