Huayu: This top star doesn't play by the rules.

Seemingly infected by Chen Chao's emotions, everyone behind the long table unconsciously sat up straighter, their eyes fixed on Chen Chao in the center of the venue.

The next second, Chen Chao slowly raised his head and looked behind the long table, where the enemy who had killed his entire family was located. Tears continued to fall, and the light in his eyes gradually went out and froze. His grief and anger were crushed and mixed with overwhelming hatred.

His once clear and gentle eyes instantly seemed to be covered with a layer of ice that would never melt, and deep within them surged a fierce anger.

Without a single line or any exaggerated movements, everyone in the audition room was stunned by the ruthlessness that arose from despair emanating from him. It was as if they were truly standing on the Nine Nether Platform, where blood flowed like rivers, watching that once bright young man die completely and be reborn in this moment.

"Cut!" Wu Jingyuan shouted abruptly, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

Upon hearing his voice, Chen Chao quickly detached himself from his role, the ruthlessness in his eyes vanished, and he returned to being the calm and composed young man he once was.

After a moment of silence, the audition room erupted in enthusiastic applause.

Wu Jingyuan stood up abruptly from his chair, looked at Chen Chao, and let out a hearty laugh, his tone full of undisguised admiration: "Good! Good! Good! Old Jiang wasn't lying to me after all. You're a natural for this!"

Having been a director for so long, he has met many actors, not to mention the new generation of actors, but even many so-called veteran actors, few can compare to Chen Chao.

Without makeup, acting opposite anyone, or any special setting, he conveyed the character's extreme emotions so vividly with just a glance and a gesture, drawing everyone present into the story.

The producer sitting next to Wu Jingyuan nodded in agreement. In his opinion, Chen Chao's performance was of such high quality because he had thoroughly understood the character. "Teacher Chen Chao, your understanding of the character Yan Xun has completely exceeded our expectations."

After pondering for a moment, Wu Jingyuan looked at Chen Chao again and asked, "I'll ask you another question. In your opinion, did Yan Xun win or lose in his life?"

Faced with Wu Jingyuan's question, Chen Chao pondered for a moment before raising his head to look at him, his tone calm and resolute: "He won power, he won revenge, but he lost himself, he lost the boy who once wanted to return to Yanbei with Chu Qiao and see all the scenery of the grasslands."

Upon hearing Chen Chao's answer, Wu Jingyuan's eyes shone even brighter. He exchanged a glance with the producer beside him, and after seeing him nod slightly, he immediately made the decision: "Very good, Chen Chao, the role of Yan Xun is yours."

Before seeing Chen Chao's performance, Wu Jingyuan and the producer actually preferred Dou Xiao, who had a lot of acting experience, as their choice for Yan Xun.

But Chen Chao won them over with his superb acting skills, and since there were no other auditionees, Chen Chao was chosen as the actor to play Yan Xun.

With a slight bow, Chen Chao bowed again to the main creative team behind the long table, his face showing no sign of smugness, remaining calm and composed: "Thank you, director, thank you, producer, thank you all for giving me this opportunity. I will definitely not let this role down."

He knew all too well what this role meant. After the broadcast of "Princess Agents" in his previous life, Yan Xun became a source of regret for countless viewers, and also made Dou Xiao a leading actor.

And now, the opportunity that will allow him to gain a foothold in the Chinese entertainment industry is truly in his hands.

Wu Jingyuan strode over to Chen Chao's side and patted him hard on the shoulder, his eyes full of admiration: "Kid, you really didn't embarrass Lao Jiang. I was thinking that a newcomer like you who hasn't acted in many films couldn't handle such a heavy role as Yan Xun. Now it seems that I was overthinking it. Lao Jiang really wasn't exaggerating."

"Director Wu, you flatter me. I was able to land this role thanks to the opportunities you and Director Jiang gave me. I will need to learn more from you and the other teachers during filming." Chen Chao's tone was neither humble nor arrogant, and he struck the perfect balance.

At this moment, the producer walked over with a smile and handed him a bound draft of the contract: "Mr. Chen Chao, this is the acting contract for the role of Yan Xun. Take a look at it first. The salary, shooting period, and percentage of screen time are all drafted according to the standards for the second male lead. If there are no objections, we can sign the contract today."

Reaching out to take the contract, Chen Chao flipped through the pages, his eyes quickly scanning the terms. His role had a four-month filming period, and filming would begin after he finished shooting "The Legend of the Condor Heroes." As for the remuneration, it was quite generous for a complete newcomer.

More importantly, the contract clearly stated Yan Xun's complete scenes and promised that they would not be cut arbitrarily. For a character whose arc runs through the entire series, this is more important than the salary.

In his previous life, he had heard many stories of actors having their scenes cut in half after signing contracts. Now that the production team was making such a promise, he felt much more at ease.

"There are no problems with the terms. I can sign now." Walking to the table, Chen Chao picked up a pen and quickly signed his name at the end. The pen tip swept across the paper, leaving behind not just a name, but also the first solid foundation for him to gain a foothold in the Chinese entertainment industry.

After signing the contract, the creative team finalized the arrangements for Chen Chao's joining the crew, script reading sessions, and other matters, and also handed him the complete script.

When Chen Chao walked out of the audition room for "Princess Agents", it was already past 2 p.m. After enjoying the midday sun, Chen Chao finally found a milk tea shop.

After ordering and sitting down, Chen Chao immediately opened their private group chat and quickly typed: "The contract is signed. I've successfully landed the second male lead, Yan Xun."

The group chat exploded shortly after he sent the message.

The foodie's message arrived the fastest, followed by a string of exclamation marks and a voice message. Her clear and loud voice made Chen Chao feel her excitement even through the screen: "!!! Chen Chao, you're amazing! I knew you could do it!!!"

Immediately following was Li Yitong's message, accompanied by a celebratory emoji: "Congratulations, Chen Chao! You didn't disappoint us. Now your seafood feast is in for the taking."

As for news about his good friend Chen Xingxu, it was still brief and to the point: "Awesome."