Huayu, my cheat code is a bit strange.

Chapter 61 First Arrival in Tianlong (Please read on, please recommend, please do everything!)

Upon hearing "Tianlong production crew," the waiter looked enlightened:
"So you're a teacher from the film crew. Please come with me."

He bowed slightly and led Gu Xiao through the spacious and bright lobby to a side corridor.

If Gu Xiao hadn't yet grasped the significance of the "CCTV mega-project" You Jianming had mentioned, he truly understood the scale and pressure of a "mega-project" when he followed the staff into the audition waiting area.

The rectangular room was covered with an intricately patterned carpet, and the space, which was about a hundred square meters, was full of people.

Men and women of all kinds—pure, handsome, beautiful, and with different temperaments—either lean against the window alone reciting their lines or gather in twos and threes to talk in hushed tones.

Gu Xiao can even find the faces of many of them in currently popular TV dramas.

This isn't an audition waiting area; it's a microcosm of the entertainment industry today.

Gu Xiao's gaze swept across the entire room. Just as she was about to find an inconspicuous corner, she felt a twitching sensation in her pocket again.

Xiao Jiu asked curiously, "There are so many people!"

Gu Xiao subtly pressed her finger through the fabric, signaling it to be quiet.

Just then, a warm voice rang out from his side:
"Gu Xiao?"

Gu Xiao looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young man in a white polo shirt with a refined demeanor stand up and walk towards him with a cheerful smile on his face.

It's Qiao Zhenyu.

Gu Xiao asked in surprise, "Aren't you filming 'Snowflake Goddess Dragon'?"

Qiao Zhenyu patted him on the shoulder and teased, "I took a few days off to come here specifically to challenge you."

Gu Xiao was amused by his directness and smiled slightly: "Okay, then let's each do our best."

Qiao Zhenyu glanced at him and asked with a playful tone, "Aren't you angry?"

Gu Xiao shook her head. "Fair competition, what's there to be angry about?"

Seeing that the look in his eyes seemed genuine, Qiao Zhenyu sighed, his tone tinged with emotion:

"Now I understand why Commander Chi admires you so much; you really have a great attitude."

If he were in that position, he felt he couldn't be so carefree.

This is Duan Yu after all!

One of the most popular characters in Jin Yong's novels, the absolute protagonist in a major CCTV production—which young actor wouldn't be tempted?

Gu Xiao had no interest in dwelling on these matters and instead asked, "When does it start? You can't be the only one auditioning for Duan Yu, can you?"

"of course not."

Qiao Zhenyu lowered his voice and said in a volume that only the two of them could hear:
"The production team contacted many people, all of whom were actors who had acted in serious dramas or period dramas such as 'The Legend of Lü Buwei,' 'Empress Ma with Big Feet,' and 'The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.' I also heard that several artists from Taiwan Province were in contact with them."

After saying that, he subtly gestured with his chin to a boy sitting quietly in a corner not far away.

Gu Xiao followed his gaze.

The boy was facing away from them, thin and dressed in simple casual pants and a T-shirt, looking down intently at the paper in his hand.

Gu Xiao recognized him; he was Li Jie, who played Lin Pingzhi in the CCTV version of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer".

He remembered this actor, who later played Ouyang Ke, the young master of Baituo Mountain, in the 08 version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes." He was indeed an excellent actor in period dramas.

Qiao Zhenyu's voice pulled Gu Xiao back to reality. "Producer Zhang has high requirements for the role of Duan Yu. In addition to appearance and temperament, he also needs to have a certain level of martial arts skills."

He said seriously, "You've never filmed a martial arts drama before, which is a huge disadvantage."

“Everyone has their own destiny,” Gu Xiao said calmly, without any apparent emotion. “I’ll just do my best.”

……

……

South Hall of Kunlun Hall. Behind a long table covered with dark green velvet sat the decision-makers for this audition.

Right in the center is producer Zhang Jizhong, with his signature full beard, piercing eyes, and an imposing presence.

To his left are the chief director Zhou Xiaowen and action director Zhao Jian, while to his right are the assistant director Yu Min and art director Song Hongrong.

Several cameras were pointed at the open space in the center of the room from different angles, recording every frame of the actors' performance.

At this moment, a male actor entered the room, stood in the central area, bowed to several directors, and then performed a set of long fist punches with great force.

The movements were precise and powerful, showing that the person had put in a lot of hard work.

The punch stopped, the male actor was slightly out of breath, and looked expectantly at the long table.

The decision-makers exchanged glances.

Action director Zhao Jian was the first to shake his head, his lips moving silently as he whispered to Zhou Xiaowen beside him:
"His frame is good, but his height and temperament are lacking; he doesn't have the agility that a martial arts hero should have."

Yu Min, however, still wanted to try, so she leaned forward and whispered to Zhang Jizhong:
"Teacher Zhang, his appearance is a good fit. How about letting him try out the lines and see how he feels for dramatic scenes?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiaowen's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. He picked up the actor information from the table and sharply looked at the scene:
"Your resume says you've acted in many police dramas?"

The male actor nodded quickly: "Yes, Director Zhou."

Zhou Xiaowen's voice was not loud, but every word was clear, "So what do you think are the differences in artistic expression between martial arts dramas and police dramas?"

The male actor opened his mouth, but was momentarily speechless.

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Zhou Xiaowen frowned, but still patiently continued:
How much do you know about the character Duan Yu? What do you think is the most outstanding part of him in the original novel?

The male actor looked flustered and stammered as he answered:
"Duan Yu is a dashing and romantic man. As for his most outstanding achievement, it should be when he learned the Six Meridians Divine Sword."

Zhou Xiaowen raised his hand to his forehead without saying a word, but everyone could sense his dissatisfaction.

That's not just about the actor, but also about the accumulation of experience from a series of less-than-satisfactory auditions.

Seeing this, Yu Min knew there was no need to insist any longer, and helplessly leaned back in her chair.

Zhang Jizhong remained silent throughout, only tapping his fingers lightly on the table, his gaze deep and unreadable.

Zhou Xiaowen closed the documents in her hand, her tone returning to calm: "Alright, go back and wait for further notice. Next."

The male actor bowed deeply in utter dejection and left, his retreating figure revealing his disheveled state.

A staff member peeked in and read out the next name.

……

……

The atmosphere in the waiting area grew increasingly tense.

Every actor who went in felt like they were going through a trial.

Some people came out with joy on their faces, while many more could not hide their disappointment.

Qiao Zhenyu gently touched Gu Xiao's arm and whispered:
"This is the sixth one already. It seems the requirements are even stricter than rumored."

Gu Xiao nodded slightly, her gaze remaining calm.

At this moment, the staff reappeared at the door.

"Next, Qiao Zhenyu, get ready."

Qiao Zhenyu took a deep breath, and the usual gentle smile on his face faded, replaced by a more serious expression.

He straightened his collar and whispered to Gu Xiao:
"I'll go ahead and scout the way."

Gu Xiao looked him up and down, then nodded with a strange expression.

(End of this chapter)