Seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune, I became a legend in the entertainment industry by avo

Director Gu Wei walked into the rehearsal hall and looked around:

"Alright, everyone's here. Let's begin today's rehearsal."

The actors began to prepare.

Today was Chen Mo's rehearsal day. Zhang Qilin sat in a chair against the wall, a notebook on his lap, occasionally looking down to take notes.

About twenty minutes into the rehearsal, a scene ended, the director called a stop, and began to explain the scene to the actors.

During this break, several actors who were not yet on stage moved to the back row.

"Xiao Zhang, I saw you walk the whole show yesterday, that's not easy," said Li Xuehai, who played Mr. Cao. He was in his fifties and had been playing supporting roles at the Beijing People's Art Theatre for twenty years. His voice was gentle.

Zhang Qilin quickly closed the notebook:

"Teacher Li, I went through it with you yesterday, but I still don't understand many things."

"Being able to make it through is a good start," said Sun Zhenhai, who plays Lao Ma, in the background.

Sun Zhenhai entered the academy three years earlier than Zhang Qilin, and last year he was transferred from a small theater to a large theater to play supporting roles.

He continued:

"The character Xiao Shunzi is interesting. He seems like a messenger, but every time he appears, he has a dramatic moment."

Zhang Qilin's eyes lit up:

"Did you research this character, Professor Sun?"

"It's hardly research," Sun Zhenhai waved his hand. "Last year in 'Teahouse,' I played the ear pick seller. I had even fewer scenes than Xiao Shunzi, just three lines. But I spent a month researching and spent half a month squatting on the overpass, watching how those small business owners hawked their wares, moved around, and talked to people."

Li Xuehai nodded:

"It's not about the size of the play, but whether you truly understand the character. Take Xiao Sun's ear pick, for example. After the performance, several veteran actors backstage said it was authentic."

Zhang Qilin seemed lost in thought:

"I'd like to experience being a rickshaw puller, but where can you find real rickshaw pullers these days?"

"It's really hard to find," a female voice interjected. It was Zhao Qing, who played Xiao Fuzi. "But I have a way. You don't necessarily have to find the driver himself."

Several people looked at her.

Zhao Qing continued:

"When I played Sifeng in 'Thunderstorm,' in order to find that feeling of being both innocent and repressed, I interviewed several elderly people who had worked as maids in old-fashioned mansions."

"Although they haven't been maids for many years, they still retain that ingrained caution and the habit of bowing slightly when speaking. They haven't been able to shake it off for decades."

"You mean..." Zhang Qilin's heart skipped a beat.

“Find those elderly gentlemen and ladies who have ridden in rickshaws,” Sun Zhenhai continued. “Their impressions of the rickshaw drivers are probably even deeper than the drivers themselves. My grandfather once said that when he was a child, he could tell from the driver’s breathing how many trips he had made that day and whether his family urgently needed money.”

At the other end of the rehearsal hall, the director began to talk about the next scene, and several people lowered their voices and gathered closer together.

Li Xuehai thought for a moment and said:

"Teacher Yu Shizhi once talked about how he played Wang Lifu. He said that when he was a child, he saw real waiters in teahouses. Those kinds of people always have their eyes busy and their hands always have something to do... Think about it, isn't Xiao Shunzi a bit like that?"

"My eyes are busy, and my hands are occupied..." Zhang Qilin murmured repeatedly.

I pictured several scenes of Xiao Shunzi from the script in my mind: delivering messages, relaying messages, helping out, and occasionally chiming in.

Zhao Qing said softly:

"One more thing, Xiao Shunzi is a young rickshaw puller, and he's from the same generation as Xiangzi, but he's not as stubborn as Xiangzi. He's more shrewd, knows how to read the room, and knows how to get things done."

"These kinds of people actually survive the longest at the bottom of the old society because they know how to get some benefits for themselves without crossing the line."

At this moment, the director finished his work and looked over here.

The group understood each other, and tacitly dispersed, returning to their respective positions.

Zhang Qilin's eyes were on the rehearsal, but his mind was on the discussion he had just heard from the others.

For him, the most important thing now is to master Xiao Shunzi as soon as possible.

At 5:30, the rehearsal ended, and everyone left the rehearsal hall.

Zhang Qilin returned to his small courtyard and sat down at his desk.

There was one thing that puzzled him.

This afternoon in the rehearsal hall, everyone except Chen Mo chatted with him for a few minutes.

Chen Mo, however, acted as if he hadn't seen him at all.

But what about the divination slip I read last night?

He thought Chen Mo would try to get close to him and take the opportunity to instill wrong views or lead him in the wrong direction.

In retrospect, he had underestimated the situation.

If Chen Mo doesn't personally intervene, what method will he use?

After a moment, Zhang Qilin suddenly realized a possibility.

Could Chen Mo have accomplices?

Only in this way can we subtly influence his understanding of the character without arousing his suspicion.

He thought of Li Xuehai and the others he had been chatting with the most that afternoon.

Could it be one of them?

He recalled the conversation the three of them had previously had.

Li Xuehai cited Yu Shizhi's suggestion, which was suitable for a teahouse waiter, but Xiao Shunzi was a rickshaw puller, a different role.

Rickshaw drivers are more likely to wait, run, and interact with customers, rather than be busy in the teahouse like waiters.

Sun Zhenhai suggested finding elderly people who had ridden in the car before.

This approach is actually quite clever. Since it's difficult to find drivers now, finding out information indirectly from passengers is a good way to solve the problem.

Zhao Qing analyzed Xiao Shunzi's personality, saying that he was more cunning, knew how to read people's expressions, and was good at handling things.

This could be the key.

If you overemphasize slipperiness, you might come across as cunning.

However, it overlooks the hardships, simplicity, and tragic circumstances of Xiao Shunzi as a young rickshaw puller from the lower class, which are similar to those of Xiangzi.

If he portrays the character as too worldly, it might deviate from the complexity and depth that the character is meant to possess in the script.

Of course, these are just his own speculations, and their veracity cannot be determined.

The three suggestions each have their own merits and are open to discussion.

While these insights are valuable, if viewed in isolation or if a particular point is overemphasized, they can indeed lead the performance astray.

Without any hints from the divination slips, he wouldn't think much of it.

Another possibility is that the three of them had only good intentions.

Chen Mo deliberately ignored them because he saw them talking to him.

In other words, Chen Mo might not need any accomplices at all.

All he needs to do is keep his distance and observe from the sidelines.

Let Zhang Qilin doubt and ponder over and over again everyone around him.

Ultimately, his suspicions led him to become isolated.

Thinking about this, Zhang Qilin felt a headache coming on.

This is too difficult!

Zhang Qilin didn't want to rack his brains anymore.

He focused his mind and concentrated.

The Celestial Compass appeared before my eyes.

He silently recited in his heart:

"Daily Buzzword: Among these people exchanging character experiences, who can I trust?"

The compass shimmered with light, and the runes on the surface of the divination tube flickered.

Several jade sticks flew out of the divination tube.

Sun Zhenhai is skilled at observing life...

【…】

Zhang Qilin looked at the fortune slip with anticipation, but the slip only gave the three people their preferences and characteristics.

Ultimately, it's up to him to analyze it.

Just then, the phone rang.

Zhang Qilin picked it up and saw that it was a call from Sun Yu.

He answered and asked:

"Ah Yu, what's wrong?"

"Brother Lin, I've already contacted several magazines, including Esquire and Renjia..."

As Sun Yu announced the name of the magazine, an idea suddenly popped into Zhang Qilin's head.