The Entertainment Industry in Turmoil: Young Actresses All Want to Rise to the Top

Chapter 112 Wang Churan: Can we talk alone? [10,000 words, please subscribe and vote!]

The air in the conference room of Mohen Media was tense.

The usually boisterous Mohen Wumei were unusually quiet and sitting properly in the seats against the wall.

The occasional exchange of glances and the slight pursing of their lips betrayed their inner excitement and nervousness.

The door was pushed open, and Shen Mo walked in first, followed by Li Yitong and Chen Zhixi.

And a middle-aged man with a calm demeanor and wearing black-rimmed glasses, director Wang Jun.

The meeting room fell into an instant silence so profound you could hear a pin drop.

Shen Mo sat down in the main seat in the middle of the conference room, his gaze calmly sweeping over the five girls. Without much small talk, he got straight to the point.

"I believe everyone here today knows why we are here."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable weight, causing the girls' hearts to beat even faster.

"Our company, Ink Trace Media, plans to produce two short TV series in succession."

He turned slightly to the side, gesturing to director Wang Jun beside him.

"The film, 'A Little Reunion,' mainly tells the story of junior high school students facing the choices of further education, studying abroad, and growing up during adolescence."

"Another film, 'A Little Reunion,' focuses on the joys and sorrows experienced by high school seniors and their families in the face of the college entrance examination."

Both of these dramas will be directed by Wang Jun.

As soon as Shen Mo finished speaking, the girls all turned their gazes to the stern-faced director, their eyes filled with awe and longing.

Director Wang Jun simply nodded slightly, his sharp gaze sweeping over them as if conducting a silent preliminary screening.

"Among them, the core teenage characters in the drama."

Shen Mo lightly tapped his fingertip on the table, his gaze falling on five youthful, yet uniquely distinctive faces.

"We will choose from among you."

He paused, giving them some time to process the information, and then added.

"The selection of male trainees has ended this morning, and the two dramas will be starred by Wang Anyu and Zeng Shunxi from our company."

"Now, it's your turn."

"Are you all ready?"

Almost the instant the words were spoken, the five girls spoke in unison, their voices clear and loud.

"Ready!"

They had waited too long for this moment.

Shen Mo's words were concise and to the point, without any beating around the bush, directly revealing the preliminary arrangements that had already been made.

"The script excerpt for the audition was sent to you this morning."

"7

He calmly swept his light across the five girls who were momentarily holding their breath.

"In 'A Little Reunion,' the main student actress roles, namely, the first female lead Duoduo, the second female lead Jin Qinqin, and the third female lead Zhang Yueyue, will be prepared by Tian Xiwei, Wang Churan, and Liu Haocun."

"In 'A Little Reunion,' the main student actress roles, the female lead Qiao Yingzi and the second female lead Huang Zhitao, are prepared by Bai Mengyan and Meng Ziyi."

"Now, let's not say any more."

He raised his hand and gestured to the open space next to him, which seemed to instantly transform into a stage for deciding fate.

"Fang Duoduo will be the first one to audition. Tian Xiwei, you come up here."

The pressure arrived suddenly, as if it were a tangible reality.

Tian Xiwei stood up abruptly, took a deep breath, and walked out of the seating area.

The other four girls followed her intently, swallowing nervously as if they themselves were about to go on stage.

In the conference room, only the sound of Tian Xiwei's footsteps walking towards the center of the room could be heard.

The other four girls followed her intently, unconsciously swallowing hard, their hands clenching tightly under the table.

Tian Xi bowed slightly, then quickly adjusted her breathing and closed her eyes.

Just three seconds later, when she opened her eyes again, a girl with a slightly rebellious look in her eyes and a relaxed, even slightly slumped, posture appeared.

Her shoulders slumped slightly, and she seemed to be carrying a heavy, non-existent schoolbag in her hand. She took a few steps forward with somewhat hesitant steps, and then stopped.

Then he raised his head, focused his gaze on the empty space in front of him, frowned impatiently, and turned down at the corners of his mouth.

She is exactly like a teenage girl who is overwhelmed by her studies and full of resistance to her parents' discipline.

"Mom, how many times have I told you?"

When she spoke, her voice was hoarse with the peculiarities of adolescence and a hint of barely perceptible grievance, completely different from her usual sweet voice.

"I can handle my own affairs!"

Suddenly her arm froze in mid-air, and then she yanked it away.

"Could you please stop staring at me like that?"

This line comes from a scene in the script where Fang Duoduo has a conflict with her mother.

Tian Xiwei's lines were accurate, capturing the character's complex emotions of inner turmoil and yearning for independence.

When she uttered her last line, her emotions shifted from excitement to a weary silence.

Wang Jun slowly began, "The emotions were basically there, and the details were handled well, but the explosive power could be a bit stronger."

"The other person is your mother. In your resistance, besides impatience, there should also be a trace of fear."

"You didn't show the fear of disappointing her."

"Next, Wang Churan, you're up."

As soon as Wang Jun finished speaking, Wang Churan stood up in response.

While both involve rebellion, Tian Xiwei's portrayal is more like a suppressed, frustrated outburst.

Wang Churan's version, on the other hand, exudes a cold and stubbornness from the core.

Unlike Tian Xiwei, whose back was deliberately relaxed and slumped, hers was tense and unwilling to bow her head.

Her voice had changed as well, but the hoarseness carried not grievance, but a weariness after being repeatedly questioned.

Her arm also remained suspended in the air, but the swinging motion was smaller and faster.

It's more like a conditioned reflex of extreme resistance to being touched, with a clear sense of boundaries.

Her gaze wasn't one of impatience, but rather one of clear detachment and resistance.

This is Fang Duoduo, who uses indifference and a hard shell to protect herself, but is actually more sensitive and vulnerable inside.

"Your understanding is very interesting," Wang Jun said slowly.

"You brought out Fang Duoduo's toughness; this interpretation of using indifference as armor is logical."

"But you only portrayed her resistance," not her desire.

"No matter how stubborn she is, the person standing opposite her is her mother, whom she cares about the most."

"Your Fang Duoduo's armor is too thick, so thick that people can't feel the beating heart beneath it."

The smugness on Wang Churan's face vanished instantly, and she pursed her lips.

"Thank you, director, I understand."

"Next, Liu Haocun, come up."

Wang Jun's voice made the slender figure in the corner tremble slightly.

Liu Haocun stood up almost reflexively, her movements carrying her usual timidity.

With her head down, she quickly walked to the center of the venue and bowed deeply towards the judges' panel, the bow almost forming a ninety-degree angle.

She tried to portray Fang Duoduo's rebelliousness, but the rebellion in her turned into a kind of stubbornness that was more like aggrieved and tearful.

Unlike Tian Xiwei's collapsed posture, or Wang Churan's tense posture, it was a posture as if she wanted to hide herself.

Her voice was soft and trembling, the hoarseness sounding more like a sob about to burst into tears.

It was less of a confrontation and more of a plea.

He should have been declaring his desire for independence, but his voice trailed off at the end, even carrying a hint of uncertainty.

She raised her arm, intending to make the swinging motion, but the movement froze halfway through. Her fingers curled up and eventually fell limply down, more like a helpless struggle.

In her last sentence, her voice was almost inaudible, her eyes were actually slightly red, her gaze flickered, and she dared not meet the eyes of her "mother".

It was filled with the pressure of being watched and endless grievances, but it lacked the reckless spirit that Fang Duoduo should have had in her bones.

Director Wang Jun looked at her silently, his fingers, which were tapping the table, paused.

"Liu Haocun," his voice was unexpectedly less stern than before.

"You captured the character's inner vulnerability and sensitivity; this aspect exists, and you captured it."

"However," Wang Jun said, his tone becoming serious.

"Fang Duoduo's underlying nature is stubbornness, is defiance."

"And you only portrayed her helplessness and grievance after she was cornered."

"She is not a completely passive little rabbit; she has claws, even if they are still very immature."

"Thank you—thank you, director."

Liu Haocun's voice became even softer. She bit her lower lip hard, and her eyes were even redder than before.

She lowered her head and quickly returned to her seat.

At this moment, Director Wang Jun turned slightly to the side, leaned closer to Shen Mo, and spoke in a low but clear voice.

"Mr. Shen, my suggestion is..." He glanced at the brief notes in his hand.

Fang Duoduo is played by Tian Xiwei.

He paused for a moment, then gave his reasons.

"The rebelliousness she displayed carried a sense of life and genuine restlessness. The energy she showed in seeking a breakthrough amidst repression was layered, not a flat confrontation."

"More importantly, her eyes still retain the liveliness and innocence of her age, which matches the essence of the character Fang Duoduo, showing great versatility."

"Jin Qinqin is played by Liu Haocun."

Wang Jun continued, his gaze sweeping over the girl who was still looking down.

"Her performance just now was indeed too timid and not suitable for Fang Duoduo."

"But it is precisely this sensitivity, vulnerability, and even a touch of inferiority and caution that makes it so."

"She closely resembles Jin Qinqin, the 'other people's child,'" she said, bearing immense inner pressure, yearning for recognition yet fearing failure.

"When she's performing, guiding her to transform that energy into the character's inner struggle and resilience might produce unexpected results."

"The last Zhang Yueyue is played by Wang Churan."

Wang Jun looked at the girl who still sat with an air of arrogance.

Her "hardness" and "coldness," along with that unconscious sense of superiority, perfectly embody the character of Zhang Yueyue, a classmate from a wealthy family with a somewhat self-centered and even slightly mean personality.

"This role doesn't require much inner vulnerability; it needs more outward flamboyance and a certain sense of branding, which she can do very well."

After listening, Shen Mo quickly exchanged glances with Li Yitong and Chen Zhixi beside him.

All three nodded slightly. They had all witnessed the performance and Wang Jun's analysis was reasonable.

Shen Mo withdrew his gaze and looked at Wang Jun, his tone certain.

"Since we've invited you to direct, the casting will naturally be based on your professional judgment. We have no objections."

Director Wang Jun nodded, not surprised by the result.

Then, Shen Mo turned to the five girls who were holding their breath and announced his decision in a clear voice.

Tian Xiwei's eyes suddenly lit up, like stars that had been ignited in an instant.

His hands were clenched tightly together under the table, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

She subconsciously looked at Shen Mo, her eyes filled with undisguised excitement and a tacit reliance.

She knew her brother Mo would take care of her.

Liu Haocun looked up in disbelief, his eyes reddening and filling with tears at a visible speed.

Just now, Wang Jun's incisive comment almost plunged her into despair.

Yang Tianzhen's warning that "if you can't act well, you'll have to go through a public audition" still rings in her ears, which has already made her think the most pessimistic thing: she has no chance of getting this role.

Hearing Jin Qinqin land on her head, she was overwhelmed with joy, leaving her speechless except for the urge to cry.

Upon hearing the name "Zhang Yueyue," Wang Churan was struck dumb, frozen in place.

For the first time, a clear crack appeared on her usually aloof and indifferent face.

I thought that based on my qualifications and performance, I should at least be the second female lead.

As a result, she got the role of the third female lead, which not only had little screen time but also had a slightly villainous character.

A mixture of shock, resentment, and immense disappointment gripped her.

She lowered her head slightly, and tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes, which she forcibly held back.

She clenched her teeth, her jawline taut, and didn't hear a single word of the conversation in the conference room behind her.

Finally, the cast for "A Little Reunion" was finalized.

Qiao Yingzi, who possesses great tenacity and explosive power, was won over by Bai Mengyan, while the beautiful and confident academic star Huang Zhitao fell to Meng Ziyi.

Meng Ziyi herself happily accepted the result.

For her, whether she plays the lead or supporting role isn't that important.

"Alright, all the auditions for today are over," Shen Mo announced.

"Specific work arrangements and team joining times will be communicated to everyone by the team later. Meeting adjourned."

Just then, Wang Churan, who had been keeping his head down and silent as if isolated from his surroundings, suddenly raised his head, quickly walked through the departing crowd, and went straight to Shen Mo, who was talking quietly with Li Yitong.

She tried to keep her tone calm, but the slight tremor in her voice and her reddened, moist eyes betrayed the turmoil in her heart.

"Mr. Shen," her voice was soft but clear, "can I speak with you alone?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yitong's sharp gaze lingered for a moment on Wang Churan's forced composure, and she immediately understood.

She didn't ask anything, but simply gave Shen Mo a smiling look.

He then turned around naturally, smiling as he greeted Tian Xiwei, Bai Mengyan, and the others who had gathered around.

"Alright, alright, the audition's over. Relax, let's go out now."

She left with a few bewildered girls, the door closing gently behind her, leaving them alone in the large conference room.

Wang Churan's eyes were filled with a mixture of grievance, resentment, and intense incomprehension as she stared straight at Shen Mo.

Waiting, or rather, demanding an answer.