Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 154 Audition
After answering the call, Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "Hey, Sister Xiaoxian, long time no see, how have you been lately?"

"Thanks to Director Wu, after winning the box office champion in mainland China last year, I've been getting a lot of film offers now~" Wang Zuxian said with a grin.

"Haha, Sister Xiaoxian, you don't need to flatter me. As long as you're willing to make a comeback, you'll definitely have plenty of film contracts."

"Hey, how can that be the same? These can't compare to the Hollywood-renowned Director Wu!"

The two were already quite familiar with each other, so Wang Zuxian spoke rather casually:
"Director Wu, do you still remember our agreement from before?"

"of course I remember."

"Director Wu, I heard you're making a new film, and the female lead..."

"Hey, hey, hey, I didn't say it was this one!"

"Hey, Director Wu, are you trying to break the contract?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen's heart skipped a beat. Actually, Wang Zuxian wasn't entirely incapable of playing Zhang Yiman. Zhang Yiman was a girl who appeared alluring and seductive, seemingly flirtatious but was in reality sincere and kind. In fact, Wang Zuxian's Nie Xiaoqian, Xiao Zhuo, and even Bai Suzhen were all of this type.

Wu Yuchen then said:
"Sister Xiaoxian, please listen to me first. I'm playing the female lead, and I need to shave my head. Can you accept that?"

"Shave your head?!" Wang Zuxian couldn't help but show a surprised expression.

For men, shaving their heads is generally not a big deal, but it's a different story for women, especially someone like Joey Wong with her long, thick, flowing black hair. It would take her at least several years to grow it back. And she's a celebrity with endorsements.

Meanwhile, she and Qi Qin have already started discussing buying a house and getting married, so this sudden shaved head...

Is shaving mandatory?

"Ah."

Wang Zuxian let out a long sigh of relief: "Director Wu, you've really put me in a difficult position!"

Wu Yuchen chuckled: "There's nothing I can do about it, it's what the role requires."

"Okay, then I'll let it go this time. But you won't make any more strange requests in the future, will you? It's a promise, a promise~" Wang Zuxian emphasized twice in a charmingly innocent way.

"Don't worry! How about this, if I still have time after I finish filming this movie, I'll tailor-make a movie just for you this summer, how about that?"

"Really?" Wang Zuxian asked in surprise.

"Yes, I'll definitely take beautiful photos of you!"

"Tch, do you think I'm doing this for? It's beautiful enough as it is!" Wang Zuxian said arrogantly.

"So you don't want to film?"

“Tap tap tap~” Wang Zuxian immediately said.

Then, feigning a weak tone, she added, "Who told you to be the biggest director, Mr. Wu, right now?"

The two chatted for a while longer, then Wu Yuchen smiled, shook his head, and hung up the phone.

……

"Let's go, let's go, we're not hiring extras this time!"

A young boy with a youthful and innocent face was sent away, and with his head down, he returned to his companions who were looking at him with mocking eyes.

"Fool, I've told you it's impossible, why are you still daydreaming? Do you think a world-renowned director would be interested in a simpleton like you?!"

How will you know it won't work if you don't try?

Wang Baoqiang stubbornly said that at just 16 years old, he had a dream of becoming an actor and star. He had met child star Shi Xiaolong when he was practicing martial arts at Shaolin Temple, and at that time, he had a thought: if he can do it, so can I!
However, upon arriving in Beijing, he was met with a harsh reality. Having never studied acting, he received no opportunities whatsoever, and even struggled to get minor roles due to his short stature and baby face.

When Wang Baoqiang heard that renowned director Wu Yuchen was holding auditions for his new film, he went to the audition with dreams in his heart, but was still rejected.

"Still arguing, huh? Then you can just stand there and see if you can get Director Wu Yuchen to even look at you!" His companion said, pursing his lips as he walked away.

Wang Baoqiang glanced back at the hotel. Although he was unwilling, he knew he still had to find a minor role and couldn't waste time here, so he jogged after his companion.

Actually, the staff didn't lie to Baoqiang. Since the filming location was set in western Shanxi, even extras would be found locally; they couldn't possibly bring a bunch of extras from Beijing. As for the main roles, those with absolutely no acting experience wouldn't even have their resumes presented to Wu Yuchen.

To be honest, out of all the extras across the country over the decades, only one like Wang Baoqiang has truly made it big. The success rate is incredibly low. If you really want to pursue an acting career, it's best to first get some training at a prestigious institution. Even local arts vocational colleges can produce actors like Jiang Xin, which is far better than starting out as an extra in Hengdian World Studios…

Meanwhile, the auditions had already begun inside the hotel.

Looking at Zhou Xun in her Republic-era student uniform, Wu Yuchen saw her small body, big, watery eyes, slightly chubby face, and delicate features. She was innocent, lively, and adorable, without any trace of makeup or vulgarity—she was simply too pure!

Wu Yuchen nodded in satisfaction, then smiled at Zhou Xun and said, "Alright, go back and wait for news!"

"Thank you, Director Wu~" Zhou Xun bowed and left.

The role Zhou Xun just auditioned for is Sun Jia, a female student in "Mr. Donkey". She is the only truly honest and kind person in the entire film who dares to speak the truth and uphold justice. She also represents beautiful hope. Therefore, the actress must have the appearance of a young girl who is pure, cute and beautiful.

Many people auditioned for this role, including students from the Central Academy of Drama and Beijing Film Academy, such as Yan Danchen, Zhao Wei, Hu Jing, and Yuan Quan. However, the one who performed best and was the most suitable for the role was Zhou Xun.

……

The next day.

"Teacher Li, thank you for your hard work. Your performance was fantastic. I'll give you a definite answer in a few days!"

"Okay, thank you, Director Wu!" Li Xuejian smiled and nodded to Wu Yuchen before leaving the room.

The person who auditioned for the role was Sun Henghai, the principal of Sanmin Elementary School, who was also Sun Jia's father. He was a seemingly upright and honest man, but in reality, he was hypocritical and greedy. In order to achieve his own goals, he sacrificed others and made all sorts of compromises, and in the end, he even "sold" his daughter.

Wu Yuchen savored Li Xuejian's performance just now. He truly deserved to be called a veteran actor, and having just played Song Jiang, he really had a unique understanding of this kind of role.

On the third day, Wu Yuchen looked at Liu Ye, who had gotten up from the ground, and asked:

"Hey, Liu Ye, didn't you already sign on for 'Postmen in the Mountains'?" Liu Ye scratched his head and said, "Director Wu, I asked Director Huo, and 'Postmen in the Mountains' won't be filming until the summer. I was thinking of trying out your company..."

Although he has already signed with "Postmen in the Mountains," he would much rather join "Mr. Donkey" if they could cast him, since it's a big film by director Wu that's aiming for awards!

Wu Yuchen smiled and shook his head, then waved his hand at him: "Alright, alright, I know, call the next one."

Liu Ye didn't know what Wu Yuchen meant, but she didn't dare to ask any more questions and went out.

Liu Ye auditioned for the role of Zhou Tienan, a straightforward and hot-tempered man with a strong Northeastern accent. In the first half of the film, he appears quite manly, fearless and the kind of person who could explode at the slightest provocation. However, deep down he is actually a coward, all bark and no bite, and he loses all dignity in the face of a gun.

Many people auditioned for this role, including Chen Kun and Huang Xiaoming, all of whom came for the part. However, so far, none of their performances have been as good as Liu Ye's.

Liu Ye is from Northeast China and has a fiery temper, making him a better fit for the role than actors like Chen Kun and Huang Xiaoming. In his past life, at the wrap party for "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress," he and Zhou Xun had a heated argument that almost escalated into a physical fight, leading to a lifelong estrangement between them…

Oh, wait, there's another person, Sun Honglei, who's also a local tyrant in Northeast China. In terms of explosive power, he's no less than Liu Ye. Although he's not as handsome as Liu Ye, his performance of going from arrogant one moment to kneeling and begging for mercy the next with no dignity was quite interesting, making Wu Yuchen wonder if this really happened when he was involved in the underworld in Northeast China.
Wu Yuchen twirled his pen, comparing Liu Ye and Sun Honglei.

Fourth day.

Wu Yuchen asked Zhang Guoli, "Teacher Zhang, can you accept shaving your head?"

Zhang Guoli immediately laughed and said, "Of course, no problem! What's a little hair!"

Wu Yuchen smiled as he watched Zhang Guoli's retreating figure. Zhang was auditioning for the role of a special envoy, a character armed with guns and wielding force, representing power. As for why he was made to shave his head, it's because the character is a veiled reference to Chiang Kai-shek, so the appearance naturally had to be completely in line with that image!

Actually, Li Youbin also auditioned for this role and performed quite well, but Wu Yuchen felt that Lao Zhang was more suitable. Although he wasn't successful in raising his son, Lao Zhang's acting skills are still commendable.

……

"Teacher Ding, that's enough! You really nailed the shrew act!"

Ding Jiali's face lit up with joy: "Director Wu, then..."

"Teacher Ding, that's about it. You can go back and wait for news."

Ding Jiali auditioned for the role of the coppersmith's wife, a rustic, ugly, and shrewish country woman. She performed the role very well, and Wu Yuchen had basically decided on her.

Day .

Pei Kuishan's audition portrays a very typical sophisticated egoist. The character is also quite complex. In the early stages, he likes Zhang Yiman, but after failing to get her, he degrades her to the extreme, trampling her into mud. Moreover, he is opportunistic. In the film, he transforms from a hypocrite into a very typical villain.

After auditioning for this role, Wu Yuchen himself was having a hard time making a decision. Several big names...

Director Chen needs no introduction, but he didn't quite deliver his best performance in this role...

Pu Cunxi, a graduate of the Beijing People's Art Theatre, has truly superb acting skills. He captures the essence of the character even better than Director Chen.

Wang Zhiwen's performance was vivid and nuanced, exuding an intellectual air, and his delivery of lines was superb.

However, Wu Yuchen wondered if these two were a bit too good-looking?
Both Pu Cunxi and Wang Zhiwen are now beloved screen idols.

In the movie, Zhang Yiman slept with Pei Kuishan, but never agreed to be with him. If these two actors were to play the roles, even if the characters were impotent, perhaps it wouldn't be unbearable.
There's another person whose performance was also quite remarkable: He Bing from the Beijing People's Art Theatre. Speaking of his representative works, his role as Sha Zhu in "The Great Song Dynasty Forensic Examiner" and "Full House of Love" has practically supported a large number of online novel authors. It's true that everything can be adapted into a courtyard house.

That said, He Bing's image is quite suitable, and his performance in the audition was also very good...

The choice of this role really put Wu Yuchen in a dilemma.

Despite the hesitation, the auditions had to continue...

Day .

"Good! No wonder you've been rehearsing this play for a year. Da Long, go back and prepare well!"

Upon hearing Wu Yuchen's words, Fu Dalong showed a look of surprise and delight, and then immediately bowed slightly, saying, "Thank you, Director Wu!"

For Wu Yuchen to say this on the spot, it must mean he was very satisfied with Fu Dalong's performance. This was also the first major role he decided on the spot.

Fu Dalong auditioned for the role of a coppersmith. The character was simple and honest in the early stages, but later became a villain who was extremely greedy for fame and fortune and had a strong desire for revenge, and would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

The coppersmith is brought in to temporarily impersonate an English teacher, and he is the one who strings together the entire absurd story. Many of the turning points and rhythms of the story also occur here, making him an extremely important character.

It wasn't that he wasn't competing with others; Duan Long also auditioned for the role, but in terms of performance, Fu Dalong was a cut above the rest. Fu Dalong had a thorough understanding of the character and even went so far as to learn some Mongolian. His year-long experience in theater had truly paid off.

On the seventh day, which was also the audition for the female lead, Zhang Yiman, the drama took place.

Wearing a cheongsam, Jiang Qinqin let out a long sigh of relief after emerging from the large audition room. She was confident she had performed well; after all, she had read the script two years ago and rehearsed the play for over half a year, giving her an advantage over others. Moreover, Wu Yuchen had smiled and nodded at her at the end, which reassured her considerably.

Although Wu Yuchen said it was all based on her audition performance and that he wasn't seduced by her, could any other actress compare to the intimacy he shared with her?

Jiang Qinqin snapped out of her daze and noticed that the actresses waiting outside were somewhat agitated. Even her good roommate and rival, Chen Shasha, seemed uneasy. So she went over and asked:

"Sasha, what's wrong?"

“Yes, a big shot is coming…” Chen Shasha murmured.

A big shot?

Jiang Qinqin frowned, then said:
"Isn't it normal for big names to be there? Aren't Ning Jing and Jiang Wenli, who have already auditioned, examples of them?"

Ning Jing and Jiang Wenli are both top-tier actresses in China, with great fame and outstanding acting skills.

Chen Shasha shook her head: "Gong Li is here! She was just taken to change clothes..."

Upon hearing the words "Gong Li is here," Jiang Qinqin's mind went blank for a moment, and she involuntarily shook her head, immediately realizing that this time it was probably hopeless...

It's no wonder Jiang Qinqin reacted. Gong Li is currently in a league of her own in China; no other female star can compare to her—she's a completely different level of stardom. She's the ultimate queen in the hearts of all actresses today!

Although the title "Empress Gong" has not yet been invented by fans, her acting skills and status are beyond doubt!
(End of this chapter)