Reborn in the Hong Kong entertainment industry in the 1980s

Hu Xiaoxiao said, "But if we only run training classes, it will make our reputation seem too small, and it will not be conducive to our future sustainable development. That's why I suggested that we set up a real school, and these training classes will be affiliated with the school. In order to enhance the school's reputation and deepen students' sense of belonging to the school, we will hold a grand dance competition every year. If we open music classes in the future, we will also hold a music competition every year."

All students of our school, as well as students in our affiliated training programs, are eligible to participate. The prize money must be incredibly attractive; the first-place prize should be more than ten times their tuition fees—an amount that would entice anyone to even hear about it…”

It may seem like a lot of money, but it can attract more students to enroll in their school, giving the school a big advertisement and publicity.

The bonus money is much less than the advertising cost.

Chen Tianhua found the argument increasingly convincing and nodded repeatedly. When he heard Hu Xiaoxiao say that if the champion of the competition was of good quality, he could also be taken to participate in some activities, he himself was a little tempted.

This was a piece of cake for Hu Xiaoxiao; she received a lot of offers every year, both commercial and non-commercial.

She has a good singing voice and is often invited by commercial companies to sing. She previously tried bringing a few dance students to sing as backup dancers, and the effect was very good.

"I'll do as you say!" Chen Tianhua made the decision and, taking advantage of Hu Xiaoxiao's free time, quickly discussed the location of the new school with her.

Hu Xiaoxiao stayed at school until sunset and the teachers started to get busy before leaving.

With the school's future development decided, she had one less thing to do and could focus on studying the new script, "The Bund".

Besides the two main characters, the three female supporting characters with the most screen time in "The Bund" are An Baojuan, Yamamoto Masako, and Xie Weihua.

An Baojuan comes from a humble background and often dresses as a man, earning her the nickname "Tomboy." She works as a rickshaw puller. She is forthright, quirky, loyal, and possesses excellent martial arts skills.

An Baojuan is a very likable character, both in terms of her personality and the plot. She is a character who is easy to stand out and very popular with the audience.

Masako Yamamoto, a Japanese woman, is beautiful but ruthless. She has the most screen time of the three supporting actresses, but is a villain. A master of Japanese martial arts, she is a subordinate of the main antagonist, Ichiro Sato, causing numerous troubles for the male lead, Zhao Zhenchuan, and the female lead, Bao Jingmei. She is in love with Zhao Zhenchuan and nearly kills him.

Xie Weihua, the eldest daughter of the Xie family, returned from studying abroad. She comes from a merchant family; her father, Xie Zhe, is a well-known wealthy man in Shanghai. After returning to China, she works for the Japanese puppet government and has a romantic storyline with the male lead, Zhao Zhenchuan.

After reading about the character designs and backgrounds of the three important female supporting characters, Hu Xiaoxiao pondered which role to choose. First, she had to rule out Yamamoto Masako. She didn't like Japanese people and was a villain, so she had no interest in Yamamoto Masako after just reading about her character design.

An Baojuan's character is skilled in martial arts and possesses a certain chivalrous spirit, making her a role she is most familiar with. If Hu Xiaoxiao chooses this role, she will find it easy to play.

However, roles that are too easy to play are not challenging for her. The dramas she acts in are always full of fighting and killing, and they are all the same, which makes her somewhat tired of them.

She values ​​this anniversary drama so much because she wants to play something different, to break through her own limitations, and to act alongside the two leading actors, the top female and the top male.

Therefore, Hu Xiaoxiao turned her attention to Xie Weihua.

Xie Weihua was not skilled in martial arts, but she was an excellent marksman. Having returned from studying abroad, she was very stylish. Although she worked for the Japanese puppet government, she secretly helped Zhao Zhenchuan cover for him on several occasions, helping him deliver supplies to the anti-Japanese army.

Furthermore, Xie Weihua and Zhao Zhenchuan have a romantic storyline. In the eyes of the audience, female characters who have romantic storylines with the male lead are often considered to be female leads or semi-leads.

Hu Xiaoxiao pointed at Xie Weihua. This was a role she had never played before, and it was very challenging, so she decided to cast her.

She put down the script and pondered how to land the role.

Charlie secured one of the three supporting actresses for her, but didn't specify which one. In other words, he only gave her one ticket to choose from; which of the three she would ultimately win depended on the director's decision.

This is a major anniversary drama that has been meticulously crafted over a decade. To ensure its quality and make it a classic, the director is the most trusted director at the television station, and he has the final say. He can refuse actors who are unsuitable for the roles.

Therefore, Hu Xiaoxiao still needs to persuade the director to give her the role of Xie Weihua.

Hu Xiaoxiao first investigated to find out which two other actresses had obtained the ticket and which two actresses she would be competing with for the role.

The next day, Hu Xiaoxiao went to the TV station and visited the production and scriptwriting departments. She happened to run into Zhu Wanwen, who was also in the production department. The two chatted, and Hu Xiaoxiao learned that Zhu Wanwen would also be starring in "The Bund".

It was only then that Zhu Wanwen learned that Hu Xiaoxiao was also in the cast, and she happily said, "Then we can act together again."

"Have you decided which role you're going to play?" Hu Xiaoxiao asked.

Zhu Wanwen said, "It's settled. Sister Linda helped me get a role in the drama where I play Sister Yu's daughter-in-law. The role doesn't have many scenes, so it was settled quite early. Sister Yu also told me that she would mentor me."

Upon learning that Hu Xiaoxiao had not yet been cast, Zhu Wanwen knew that Hu Xiaoxiao was going to play an important role. Only important roles are cast with more care, requiring actors to fit the role and serve the role, rather than the role serving the actor.

Other less important roles, if their appearances aren't too different, can be decided in advance.

Zhu Wanwen is always well-informed, and since she also starred in "The Bund", Hu Xiaoxiao simply asked her about her two rivals.

Zhu Wanwen actually knew about this and said, "Sister Youna is also competing for one of the three supporting actresses. She's been studying the script and figuring out the character at home every day. I heard that Sister Youna wants to play the role of Xie Weihua. Xiaoxiao, which role do you want to play?"

“I also want to play Xie Weihua.” Hu Xiaoxiao told Zhu Wanwen her thoughts. The character of Xie Weihua is well-written and different from her previous roles. She wants to get the role.

"I reckon all three of you want to play Xie Weihua. This character has a romantic storyline with the lead actor, which would really elevate her status. As far as I know, Sister Youna came specifically for this role, and I've heard that the director also intends for her to play Xie Weihua. Xie Weihua is a returned student from studying abroad, and she possesses a sense of style that transcends her time. Sister Youna has always played career women, and her style and temperament are quite suitable."

After hearing this, Hu Xiaoxiao felt much more at ease and asked Zhu Wanwen, "Do you know who the other female artist in the competition is?"