Huayu97: Starting with Wu Song Fighting the Tiger

"Old Guo, let me tell you, this kid's got some nerve. Not only did he touch the tiger at the zoo, he even dared to give it a massage!"

"Old Kang, stop bragging to me. Would you dare massage that thing of a tiger yourself?"

"I'm too scared to give massages, but he is!"

"Then he's a complete idiot!"

Liu Xiang: "..."

Kang Honglei: "..."

The two exchanged a glance, and Kang Honglei muttered under his breath, "Listen to this, that's Lao Guo for you, he's got a real sharp tongue."

Liu Xiang suppressed a smile: "Then before I go inside, should I clarify that I'm just poor, not stupid?"

"No," Kang Honglei said, "just pretend you didn't hear that."

He raised his hand and knocked on the door.

"Go in." It was Zhang Shaolin's voice.

As soon as the door was pushed open, a strong smell of smoke hit the door.

The meeting room was small, with a long table in the center and chairs around it. On the table were several documents, a stack of resumes, and an ashtray that was already half full.

Sitting further inside was a middle-aged man in his forties, with a square face, sharp eyes, and an imposing aura between his brows!

Kang Honglei quickly introduced, "This is Zhang Shaolin, the director of 'Water Margin'."

Liu Xiang quickly stepped forward to shake hands and said, "Director Zhang, thank you for giving me this opportunity!"

Beside her sat a young woman with short hair, dressed in a simple beige sweater and jeans, exuding a clean and efficient air. She held a thick stack of scripts and a pen in her hand. At that moment, she was looking down, writing something in a notebook.

There was also a young man sitting in a chair, flipping through a script. Hearing the sound, he looked up.

At that moment, Liu Xiang's heart skipped a beat.

So cool!

He was probably over 1.8 meters tall, with broad shoulders and a thick back, and a well-proportioned physique. It wasn't the kind of dead muscle you get at the gym, but rather the kind of solid build that comes from years of boxing training. He had handsome features, with striking eyebrows, bright eyes, a straight nose, and well-defined lips. He was the kind of person who would immediately catch your eye if he stood in a crowd.

Even more crucially, he possessed something that Liu Xiang didn't yet have—

"The temperament of a professionally trained actor".

That naturalness and composure that comes from being used to the camera and being watched.

The man stood up, nodded to Liu Xiang, and said with a polite smile, "Hello."

"Hello." Liu Xiang nodded in return.

Guo, who had just been arguing with Kang Honglei, also came in and sat down to the side.

Kang Honglei formally introduced: "Liu Xiang, this is Assistant Director Guo, Guo Baochang."

Liu Xiang was startled.

Guo Baochang?

He was familiar with that name.

Of course, he was more familiar with "The Grand Mansion Gate," which Guo Baochang directed a few years later. That series became an instant hit, a defining memory for a generation. Guo Baochang himself went from a director with some reputation in the industry to a household name.

Currently, he is just an assistant director in the "Water Margin" production team.

"This is our screenwriter, Lan Xiaoling." Kang Honglei then pointed to the short-haired woman, "She wrote the most for the 'Wu Song' storyline."

Lan Xiaoling looked up, smiled at Liu Xiang, and asked with a scrutinizing look in her eyes, "You're Liu Xiang?"

"Yes." Liu Xiang nodded.

"Director Kang raved about you on the phone, calling you the best in the world," Lan Xiaoling said half-jokingly. "I finally met you in person today."

Kang Honglei coughed and said, "That's called an objective evaluation."

Lan Xiaoling didn't respond to his words, but her gaze swept back and forth between Liu Xiang and the young actor, as if she were creating a "file" for the two of them in her mind.

"This is Ding Haifeng." Guo Baochang pointed to the young man, his tone tinged with pride. "He graduated from a junior college and is now with the Air Force Political Department Drama Troupe. He's a proper professional actor and has acted in several TV series."

He paused, then added, "We took him to touch a tiger once before. Although it was a bit of a struggle, at least he wasn't like some people who just say they're not afraid."

Kang Honglei's eyelids twitched: "What do you mean?"

"It doesn't mean anything," Guo Baochang shrugged. "It's just telling the truth. Our Ding Haifeng, at least, has actually dealt with tigers, not just worked as a security guard at the factory gate."

The atmosphere immediately tensed up after those words were spoken.

Lan Xiaoling put down her pen and smiled as she tried to smooth things over: "Director Guo, Director Kang, let's not label the actors yet. It doesn't matter who was a security guard at the factory gate or who worked in a drama troupe. What matters is—who is more like Wu Song."

She spoke softly, but with a gentle quality that made it impossible to argue with her: "We all have to get to the film set soon, so let's stop arguing for now and save our energy for the set."

Zhang Shaolin hummed in agreement and then continued, "Xiaoling is right. You two can argue all you want, but don't take it out on the actors!"

Kang Honglei snorted and didn't argue back.

Guo Baochang also toned down his sharp edge, but the look in his eyes when he looked at Liu Xiang still carried a hint of disdain.

Ding Haifeng extended his hand to Liu Xiang: "Nice to meet you."

Liu Xiang reached out and shook his hand: "My name is Liu Xiang."

"Yeah, I've heard about it." Liu Feng smiled. "The one who can massage tigers!"

Liu Xiang: "..."

That sounded rather sarcastic.

Kang Honglei coughed and said, "Director Zhang, you can judge my people."

Zhang Shaolin sized up Liu Xiang a few times, his gaze sweeping from his hairstyle and facial features to his clothing.

To be fair, Liu Xiang's outfit was a significant improvement over her appearance at the factory gate in Beijing. Her short hair was neat, her jacket fit well, and while her trousers looked slightly cheap, they were clean and tidy. At 1.85 meters tall, she naturally commanded attention.

But the problem is—

Standing next to him is Ding Haifeng.

One is a "security guard" who just climbed out of the basement and salvaged his image with secondhand clothes and a haircut;

One is a "professional actor" with formal training, military uniform, drama troupe, and mature temperament, who has already "barely" touched a tiger once.

The difference between the two is striking.

Zhang Shaolin's brows furrowed slightly.

Guo Baochang, observing this, smiled faintly and said, "Director Zhang, I think we need to find someone experienced for the role of Wu Song. Look at Ding Haifeng, he looks just like the right person standing there."

Kang Honglei immediately objected: "Liu Xiang standing there isn't bad either! Besides, Wu Song is from a humble background, not some noble young master. Being too 'pretentious' would make him seem out of place."

Guo Baochang glanced at Liu Xiang and said in a nonchalant tone, "Even ordinary people need to have spirit and energy. It's not that dressing plainly and having a bad attitude makes someone an ordinary person."

"What do you mean by that?" Kang Honglei glared at him.

"I didn't mean anything by it," Guo Baochang said, shrugging.

"I'm just telling the truth. This is a major production for CCTV, not a low-budget videotape movie. The role of Wu Song is too crucial; we can't let newcomers practice on it."