Huayu: That year, I withdrew from the Super Boy competition.

The two walked downstairs one after the other, with a distance of two or three steps between them.

No one spoke the entire way.

Cai Yinong carefully considered her words.

Su Wei didn't say anything either.

His doubts grew stronger, and the face increasingly resembled an image from his memory, but he couldn't recall it no matter what he did.

He decided not to ask any questions and waited for the other party to reveal their hand first.

I walked out of the school gate in silence and turned into the coffee shop on the side of the road.

There weren't many people in the afternoon, and the shop was quiet, which was perfect for discussing business.

I found a seat by the window and sat down. The waiter handed me the menu.

"A latte, please."

"Iced Americano".

After taking the order, the waiter turned and left.

There were only two people left at the table. The atmosphere wasn't exactly awkward, but it carried a subtle sense of probing.

Cai Yinong sat up straight and broke the silence first.

"Let me introduce myself first. My name is Cai Yinong, and I'm the president of Tangren Media. You might have heard of this name before."

The moment the name Cai Yinong reached her ears, Su Wei's hand under the table tightened suddenly.

Tangren Media.

The production company behind "The Legend of Sword and Fairy".

A few years ago, that drama suddenly appeared and became a hit across the country, directly propelling Hu Ge and Liu Yifei to the ranks of "top stars".

Of course, the concept of "top influencer" doesn't exist yet.

In 2008, Tangren Media was at the height of its success.

Countless thoughts flashed through my mind.

The shock lasted only a second.

Su Wei quickly suppressed her emotions, and her face showed little emotion.

He simply nodded slightly, his tone steady and appropriate:

"Hello, Mr. Cai."

Calm and composed, neither humble nor arrogant.

There was no awkwardness like an ordinary student meeting an industry leader, nor any overly ingratiating enthusiasm; it was just a very normal greeting.

Cai Yinong paused for a moment, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

She has seen far too many young people.

Some men became so nervous upon seeing her that they became incoherent; others immediately pulled out their resumes, as if they wanted to shove them into her arms; still others deliberately acted mature, but ended up revealing their timidity at every turn.

The student in front of me clearly flickered his eyes when he heard her name.

But it only took a moment; he immediately regained his balance without even changing his posture.

This kind of composure is truly rare among college students.

She nodded to herself, her opinion of him rising even higher, and without beating around the bush, she got straight to the point.

"I came to Beijing Film Academy today for two reasons: first, to discuss school-enterprise cooperation, and second, to find some suitable actors for the film we are currently shooting."

She looked at Su Wei, her tone frank.

You've probably heard of "Chinese Paladin 3," right?

"Know."

Su Wei nodded. "I've played this game before."

This wasn't just polite talk; he had indeed played the Legend of Sword and Fairy series in his past life.

"That would be even better."

Cai Yinong's eyes lit up.

"There is a character in the play named Chonglou. We searched for almost a month and tried more than a dozen actors, but we still couldn't find a particularly suitable one."

I just saw you in the stairwell. Both your appearance and demeanor perfectly match my impression of this character.

So I'd like to invite you to audition for the film.

Paris polyphylla.

Su Wei's heart skipped a beat.

One of the most popular characters in Chinese Paladin 3, the aloof and domineering Demon Lord, although not having the most screen time, was extremely outstanding and gained countless fans after the show aired.

More importantly, he knows better than anyone how big a hit "Chinese Paladin 3" will become.

This was not a normal audition opportunity at all.

This is a ticket that can directly help him stand out from the newcomer circle and quickly become a familiar face.

If it were any other student, they would probably be overjoyed upon hearing this, or even jump up in excitement.

Su Wei merely raised his eyes, lightly touching the glass with his fingertips. The coolness of the iced Americano seeped through the glass, making him even more awake.

Despite the turmoil churning within him, he remained calm on the surface.

"Thank you for your recognition, Mr. Cai. Of course I'm interested."

His tone didn't reveal much elation; he simply asked earnestly.

"Have the audition time and location been tentatively set? I'd like to prepare in advance."

"It should happen in the next day or two. I'll have my assistant coordinate with you."

Cai Yinong took out her phone, "Let's exchange contact information first."

Su Wei gave her mobile phone number.

Soon, his phone rang.

"This is my phone number, please save it."

Cai Yinong put down her phone, looked at him, and changed the subject.

"In addition to this audition, I personally think highly of your qualifications."

Tangren Media is also interested in signing you, and they can provide you with film and television resources, packaging, and promotion.

You can also consider this matter together.

When the offer to sign a contract was extended, Su Wei's initial excitement gradually subsided.

The brain begins to work at high speed.

He knew very well that Tangren Media was currently the pinnacle of the period drama genre, and signing them meant there would be no shortage of acting opportunities.

However, the Tang Dynasty's long-term contracts were notoriously harsh, with long terms, high profit sharing, and numerous restrictive clauses.

Once you sign it, many things are no longer up to you.

What's more, he also had the music strings in his hand.

If he signed a full contract, his music production and distribution would inevitably be controlled by the company, and his original plans would be completely disrupted.

Besides, this is just an audition invitation; the role hasn't been secured yet. Talking about signing a contract now would be too early and put us in a passive position.

He was calculating rapidly in his mind, but his face didn't betray him at all.

He nodded slightly, leaving room for interpretation in his words:

"It's an honor to be favored by President Cai. However, signing a contract is a big deal, so I need to think it over carefully and discuss it with my family."

Neither agree nor refuse.

This saves face for the other party while also giving yourself enough space.

Cai Yinong smiled.

She didn't agree immediately, which actually suited her taste even better.

People who can remain calm, know how to weigh options, and don't lose their composure at the first sign of opportunity are the ones who can go far in the industry.

"Of course."

She nodded, picked up her latte, took two sips, and glanced at the time.

"I have to catch a flight this afternoon, so I won't talk much more. I'll have my assistant contact you about the audition details before tomorrow."

She stood up as she spoke, about to leave, when she suddenly remembered something and stopped.

"By the way, we've been chatting for so long, but I still don't know your name?"

"Su Wei".

"Su Wei..."

Cai Yinong silently recited the name to herself, memorized it, and nodded to him.

"See you at the audition."

After saying that, she turned around, pushed open the door, and walked out of the coffee shop.

The wind chimes on the door tinkled softly once, then quickly fell silent again.

Su Wei remained seated, without moving.

He rubbed his fingertips against his phone, the two words "President Cai" that he had just saved in his contacts still feeling a little unreal.

The iced Americano in front of me had melted most of it, and the water droplets condensed on the glass were running down the side of the glass, leaving a small wet patch on the wooden table.

From that unexpected encounter in the hallway to now, it's only been an hour.

He was just going to submit a regular form.

In the blink of an eye, he received an audition for a core role in a hit drama series and a letter of intent to sign with Tangren Media.

Any freshman at Beijing Film Academy would probably be overjoyed.