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

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Luckily, I made it to the final round.

Even more fortunately, the person who came in with her group was Zhang Ruonan, whom she had met in the waiting room yesterday.

Zhou Ye winked at her, a slight smile playing on his lips, which eased the tense atmosphere somewhat.

The examination room is spacious and bright, with a floor-to-ceiling window on one side and a mirrored wall on the other.

The three judges sat behind a long table: General Manager Yang Tianzhen, acting teacher Zhang Songwen, and a man wearing a mask and a baseball cap.

He looked down at the documents in his hand, his facial expression completely obscured, making him seem very inconspicuous.

But Zhou Ye had a sense of familiarity, even though he didn't know anyone in Mohen.

Zhang Ruonan and Zhou Ye stood in the center of the field, waiting for instructions.

Zhang Songwen briefly introduced the final examination process and provided the examination questions.

"Impromptu scenario: You are college roommates who haven't seen each other for many years and had some conflicts. You unexpectedly reunite at a class reunion after many years of graduation. You have three minutes to prepare."

The questions weren't difficult, but they were still quite challenging for newcomers who had no acting training experience.

Zhou Ye and Zhang Ruonan exchanged a glance and quickly went to a corner to talk in hushed tones.

"A holiday... what kind of holiday?" Zhang Ruonan thought quickly. "Competition? Misunderstanding?"

"Could it be a clash of ideologies, or... an emotional entanglement?"

Zhou Ye spoke quickly, his eyes shining, showing no sign of nervousness.

Three minutes passed in the blink of an eye.

The assessment begins.

Zhou Ye took a deep breath and walked to the center of the field. When she turned to face Zhang Ruonan, her entire aura changed.

His back remained straight, but his chin was slightly raised, and his expressionless face revealed a cold and aloof feeling. His eyes glanced sideways, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

Zhang Ruonan also instantly got into the zone.

She walked slowly forward and stopped a few steps away from Zhou Ye. Her sweet smile seemed a little stiff, her eyes darting around, and she looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't.

She gently clasped her hands together in front of her and kneaded them vigorously until her fingertips turned white.

"have not seen you for a long time."

Zhou Ye spoke first, his voice low and deep.

Her gaze swept over Zhang Ruonan's entire body, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Looks like you're doing well."

Zhang Ruonan met her gaze, and the smile she had been trying to maintain trembled slightly.

"You too... I didn't expect to see you here."

Her voice was soft, with a forced smile.

Zhou Ye chuckled. "You thought I wouldn't come? You thought I'd hide from you?"

"Back then, I was young and naive, and I felt frustrated."

She picked up the wine glass she had imagined, swirled it gently, but didn't drink it; instead, her eyes were fixed on Zhang Ruonan.

"But now that I think about it, I haven't done anything wrong, so why should I avoid you?"

Zhang Ruonan's face paled, and a hint of trembling and urgency welled up in her eyes.

"What happened back then... I'm sorry. But I really didn't..."

"Nothing?"

Zhou Ye interrupted her and stepped forward.

"Did you not take advantage of my trust? Or did you not abandon me in the crucial moment?"

Zhang Ruonan was forced to take a half step back, then stopped and suddenly raised her head.

"I had no choice at the time!"

"So you've chosen to sacrifice me?"

Zhou Ye sneered, but quickly turned her face away and looked out the window.

"Forget it. It's all in the past. There's no point in talking about it now."

Zhang Ruonan stared blankly at her profile, her eyes gradually reddening.

She opened her mouth, her voice choked with emotion.

"I...I've been wanting to find a chance to apologize to you."

There was a long silence.

Zhou Ye turned back and looked at her for a long time.

Finally, she sighed softly, raised her hand, and pushed the glass of wine in her hand toward Zhang Ruonan.

"drink wine."

Zhang Ruonan looked at the glass of wine, and tears finally rolled down her cheeks.

She reached out, her fingers trembling slightly, and grasped the wine glass.

The performance has ended.

The two relaxed almost simultaneously and bowed slightly to the judges' panel.

Zhang Songwen spoke first, leaning slightly forward as his gaze swept over the two men.

"Stiff facial expressions, awkward dialogue, illogical lines, and nonsensical dialogue."

The two were stunned for a moment. They had thought their performance was already quite good, and even extremely nuanced.

But I never expected to receive such a response.

"You're Zhou Ye, right?"

Zhang Songwen turned his gaze to Zhou Ye.

"Your appearance and temperament are very distinctive; this cool and aloof feeling is your characteristic."

"You're trying to use details, like that faint smile, the way you hold the wine glass, and the changes in your eyes, to express the character's inner world. That's the right direction."

"but……!"

He changed the subject slightly.

"The problem lies in the 'degree' and 'level'."

"What was the intention behind your initial laugh? Was it sarcasm? Self-deprecation? Or simply indifference? This makes it difficult for the audience to immediately grasp the accurate information."

"Also, when you're questioning the other person, your emotions are running high, but the subsequent turn of events feels a bit off."

Zhang Songwen then looked at Zhang Ruonan.

"Zhang Ruonan, your appearance is very pure and you have a lot of audience appeal, which is a huge advantage."

"You just tried to express your inner guilt, struggle, and eventual relief; you were emotional."

"But the problem lies in the way it's expressed."

"Your lines were delivered in a voice that was too soft and gentle."

"Your lines were delivered in a voice that was too soft and gentle."

"Your body language, such as rubbing your hands, stepping back, and reddening eyes, was well-intentioned, but the traces were a little too heavy, and the acting was too obvious."

"Also, what is the content of your story? Where is the logic? As a viewer, I can't see it."

The two girls were stunned by the questioning, their self-confidence severely damaged. Were they really that bad?

However, Zhang Songwen smiled slightly, his serious expression vanished instantly, and his tone softened as he looked at the two of them again with a hint of encouragement.

"The problems I just mentioned do indeed exist in your system."

"However, as a complete newcomer with no systematic performance training."

"It is commendable that the film was able to create such a conflict-filled and emotionally charged scenario in a short period of time and attempt to express the relationships between the characters."

"I point these things out not to negate you. On the contrary, it's because I see your potential and strengths."

"You need to recognize your shortcomings and know where to work harder, instead of being complacent."

"After all, actors should prioritize their acting skills."

Yang Tianzhen then smiled and took over the conversation.

"Teacher Zhang gave very valuable advice from a professional perspective, so I'd like to add a couple of points from the perspective of the market and artist development."

"You two have the kind of looks that the market currently favors, and each of you has a distinct and memorable quality."

"Zhou Ye's cool and sophisticated aura, and Zhang Ruonan's sweet and approachable charm, are both excellent starting points."

"But how far you can go in the end depends on your own ability to absorb information, your level of effort, and whether you can truly understand and master your own characteristics, or even break through them."

"Today's performance was a good start. I hope you can continue to move forward with these questions and expectations in mind."

Zhou Ye listened intently, the blush on his face not yet completely faded, his eyes already filled with tears, but he still bit his lip and nodded repeatedly.

Zhang Ruonan pursed her lips, memorizing every word, her eyes clear and focused as she stared at the judges before her.

At this moment, the masked man who had been looking down at the documents slowly raised his head and took off his baseball cap and mask.

Shen Mo's highly recognizable face was revealed.

Zhou Ye's pupils contracted instantly, and he froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.

The color drained from her face instantly, then quickly returned, and her ears turned red at a visible speed.

Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

Only those eyes were wide open, filled with disbelief, shock, ecstasy, dizziness, and a hint of unexpected shyness.

She actually put on such a terrible show in front of her idol!

And yet, he was criticized like this by the judges!

God!

Zhang Ruonan was also stunned.

She certainly recognized Shen Mo, the boss of Mohen and a legendary figure in the entertainment industry.

But she wasn't surprised at all that he was there, after all, he was the boss of Mohen.

And indeed, he is as handsome as he appears on TV.

Her heart began to race involuntarily, and a glint flashed in her eyes.

Man, you've caught my attention.

She quickly suppressed her inner turmoil; compared to Zhou Ye's near-frozen state, she appeared much calmer.

Shen Mo took in the reactions of the two men, his face expressionless, and his gaze first fell on Zhou Ye, who was still in a petrified state.

"Zhou Ye."

"arrive!"

Zhou Ye almost reflexively stood at attention, grinning widely, his voice rising eight octaves higher than before.

After she finished speaking, her face turned even redder, but she wasn't shy at all, and kept staring at Shen Mo.

Shen Mo slightly curved the corners of his mouth, "Your appearance is outstanding and memorable."

He praised me! Shen Mo praised me!

Zhou Ye grinned so wide his teeth were showing, and his eyes were practically sparkling.

"But right now, your facial expressions are too exaggerated, which ruins your image."

In just a moment, Zhou Ye gave everyone a demonstration of what it means to change one's expression.

Her entire chin drooped, and the upward curve turned into a downward curve.

Her curved willow-leaf eyebrows were furrowed into a V-shape.

Shen Mo smiled, his eyes full of doting affection.

"However, this contrast is quite cute."

"It has development potential."

Shen Mo nodded, then turned his gaze to Zhang Ruonan.

"Zhang Ruonan."

"President Shen."

Zhang Ruonan bowed slightly in polite response.

"You have a significant advantage."

"Your face and demeanor are both incredibly approachable and deceptive."

"The audience may easily assume from the outset that you are an innocent and naive girl."

"You could develop in this direction in the future, but are you opposed to being labeled 'sweet'?"

Shen Mo could tell that the girl in front of him was not the sweet type.

His tone and posture were very assertive; you could tell he was a bit stubborn.

Zhang Ruonan's lips curled up slightly; this was a question she hadn't expected.

She stared into Shen Mo's eyes, remained silent for two seconds, and then narrowed her smiling eyes.

"No, this is my outward appearance, or it could be my disguise."

"I don't reject 'sweetness,' but I don't want to be defined solely as 'sweetness.'"

"However, if the company needs me to be 'sweet,' then I will be 'sweet.'"

Shen Mo chuckled, nodded, and put his baseball cap back on.

His gaze swept between Zhou Ye and Zhang Ruonan.

He came here specifically for these two people.

One reason is that they hadn't been able to recruit them before, but this time they actually came on their own initiative.

Secondly, the names that Li Yitong recorded were not simple.

Looking back now, the first impression was that one was a die-hard fan, and the other was a mix of white and black.

"You did a great job. Welcome to the team, and we look forward to your future development."

The door closed gently.

Zhou Ye and Zhang Ruonan stood at the door for a few seconds.

suddenly!

"ah----!!!"

Zhou Ye let out a piercing scream, then covered his face with his hands, jumped up, and spun around Zhang Ruonan.

"It's Shen Mo!"

"It really is Shen Mo!"

"He spoke to me!"

"He gave me feedback!"

"He called my name!"

"Oh my god! I'm so happy!"

……

Completely losing her aloof demeanor, her talkative nature was revealed after successfully meeting her idol.

Zhang Ruonan reached out and covered her mouth with her hand, gesturing for her to look around.

At that moment, countless eyes turned to the two of them.

Zhou Ye, who was just celebrating wildly, suddenly squatted on the ground and began to sob softly.

It's hard to tell whether it was shyness or tears.

Zhang Ruonan couldn't help but laugh, and she gently patted Zhou Ye's shoulder.

"Get up! Don't block the doorway, others need to line up to get in!"

Zhou Ye raised his head slightly, revealing one eye through his fingers; it was bloodshot.

Then he immediately stood up, grabbed Zhang Ruonan, and ran outside.

……

There weren't many people who made it to the final round.

It lasted for about two hours before it ended.

Just as Shen Mo put on his mask and baseball cap and walked into the front desk lobby, a figure suddenly darted out from the side of the glass door and stood in front of him.

Shen Mo suddenly stopped in his tracks.

The person in front of me is Zhang Ruonan, whom I just finished interviewing not long ago.

"It's you."

Zhang Ruonan looked at him with a smile.

Just as Shen Mo was wondering what she wanted to do, Zhang Ruonan reached out her hand to him.

"Hello, Shen Mo, may I formally introduce myself? My name is Zhang Ruonan!"

Shen Mo chuckled softly beneath his mask. He looked at the hand in front of him for a moment, then turned his gaze back to her face.

She showed no shyness, no hesitation, and no nervousness; she smiled radiantly as if she were the master and the one in a superior position.

"Hello, Zhang Ruonan! It's nice to meet you."

Shen Mo returned the grip, but they separated after a brief touch.

"Can we add each other as WeChat friends?"

Before Shen Mo could ask any questions, Zhang Ruonan continued to control the pace of the conversation, taking out her phone from her backpack.

Shen Mo crossed his arms over his chest, tilted his head slightly, and looked at her with amusement.

"Now I believe you when you say 'innocent girl' is just a disguise."

"I saw in your profile that you worked as a Taobao model for two years and have been preparing for a self-taught bachelor's degree. I think you, this innocent little flower, must have seen a lot of ups and downs."

Can you give me a reason?

"Why do you want my WeChat?"

Zhang Ruonan was not surprised at all by Shen Mo's rejection. She had even considered how she should respond if he ignored her and left.

"Because the little white flower wanted a big tree to help shelter it from the wind and rain."

"So now, Little White Flower wants to establish a communication channel with Big Tree."

Shen Mo nodded, took out his phone, opened the QR code, and handed it over.

"Actually, Inkmark is your support. Once you join us, you'll have shelter from the rain."

After scanning the QR code, Zhang Ruonan clicked the "Add" button, looked up, and smiled.

"Because I still want to improve."

……

Until Shen Mo's figure disappeared through the door.

Zhou Ye walked over, his eyes wide and his mouth agape.

He held onto the thumbs-up he had given Zhang Ruonan for a long time.

"sharp!"

"I was too embarrassed to even go up and talk to him."

"You actually dared to ask for his WeChat directly!"

"Sister Ruonan, you are my goddess!"

"Could you please send me Shen Mo's WeChat ID? I don't want to add him, I just want to take a look!"

Zhang Ruonan reached out and grasped her thumb, then led her outside.

"That won't do. You'll have to find a way to add it yourself later."

"Teach me, you must teach me!"

Realizing what was happening, Zhou Ye immediately grabbed Zhang Ruonan's arms with both hands and swayed them as they walked.

Zhang Ruonan couldn't take the shaking anymore, so she nodded to her.

Zhou Ye chuckled and then stopped shaking.

However, her curiosity was piqued again at this moment.

"Sister Ruonan, how dare you! Why did you think of asking Shen Mo for his WeChat ID?"

"Because I want to improve!"

"Do I need his WeChat ID to make progress?"

"Yeah! Think about it, there are four of us in this year's class, two men and two women."

"What about the previous session? And the next session?"

"Company resources are always limited, so how can we ensure we get the best allocations?"

"Not to mention, some resources even require competing with people outside the company."

Zhou Ye suddenly turned his head and raised his voice.

"I understand! So you want to build a good relationship with Shen Mo so he can recommend you for TV shows and movies!"

Zhang Ruonan rolled her eyes speechlessly and sighed, "Little girl, you don't understand."

Then he nodded again, as if to say, "Just assume you know."

"Sister Ruonan, can you teach me? I want to learn too, but I get shy whenever I see Shen Mo."

"I like him so much!"

Zhang Ruonan pursed her lips and clicked her tongue.

"You don't need to be taught. Just keep this fan mentality, and you'll have no shortage of resources."

"Really?!"