Entertainment Industry: I am a top-tier movie star

Before the afterglow of the National Drama Awards had faded, an even more significant opportunity, with director Kong Sheng’s characteristically concise style, was presented to Chen Nianbei.

The call came on a Sunday afternoon, just after Chen Nianbei returned from the gym.

"Xiao Bei, post-production for 'Nirvana in Fire' is almost finished. We're in talks with the broadcasting platform, so it should be airing soon."

Kong Sheng first gave the usual progress report, then changed the subject...

"I have another script in preparation, called 'The Pretender'."

Set in Shanghai during the War of Resistance against Japan, the story revolves around the three brothers of the Ming family who infiltrate and struggle against different factions.

There's a character named Ming Tai, the young master of the Ming family. He's young, seemingly a playboy, but actually a secret agent. He's later recruited into the underground Communist Party. He has a complex personality and a complete character arc.

Chen Nianbei's fingers tightened slightly as she gripped the phone.

Mingtai? The Disguiser? Of course he remembered that spy drama that later became a huge hit, and Mingtai was one of the most charismatic core characters in it.

In the previous life, this role was portrayed by Hu Ge, and it was considered a classic.

"The station and investors originally favored Hu Ge for this role, but he had scheduling conflicts and was considering a career change."

Kong Sheng said bluntly, "I think you can give it a try."

You can try.

These four words, spoken by Kong Sheng, carried immense weight.

"I'll have my assistant send you the script audition information to your email. The audition is in a month. Besides me, there will be director Li Xue, producer Hou Hongliang, and representatives from the investors. The competition is fierce; you're not the only one vying for it."

Kong Sheng paused for a moment, "The difficulty of playing the role of Mingtai lies in the 'contrast' and 'growth'."

The outward appearance of nonchalance, the deep sensitivity and intelligence, and the transformation and steadfastness after experiencing bloodshed and fire require precise understanding of the layers.

You have experience with "Gu Jian Qi Tan" and are confident in your ability to maintain a "steady" approach, but the "unconventional" and "spy" feel will be new challenges.

This is your month to figure things out on your own. Feel free to ask me any questions.

"I understand, Uncle Kong. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I will do my best to prepare."

Chen Nianbei responded in a deep voice, his heart pounding faster at the unexpected and momentous opportunity.

"Okay, let's look at the script."

After finishing his sentence, Kong Sheng hung up the phone, as decisive and efficient as ever.

Soon, I received the script for the play "The Disguiser" in my email. It was about twenty pages long and covered several key segments of Mingtai's early life in Shanghai, where he pretended to be a playboy; his middle period when he received training from the Kuomintang; and his later period when he was involved in a crucial undercover operation.

The dialogue is dense and the emotional shifts are intense, demanding a high level of skill from the actors in delivering lines, controlling their bodies, and delivering instantaneous emotional outbursts.

Chen Nianbei immediately locked herself in her study.

He printed out the script and marked it with different colored pens:

Red marks emotional outbursts, blue marks the need for an outward "performance" of a spoiled brat, green marks moments of rich inner monologues, and black marks the calmness and shrewdness required of a secret agent.

He first read through the entire story outline to understand the complete arc of Mingtai's journey from a carefree overseas returnee to being forced into espionage, experiencing the collapse and reconstruction of his faith, and finally growing into a steadfast warrior.

Then, he repeatedly studied every excerpt from the script, pondering how Mingtai should speak, act, and change his expression in specific situations.

The superficial "playboy" is not simply slickness, but a cynicism with an overseas education background, a kind of protective color, while inside he still needs to retain the cultivation and keenness of a scion of a noble family.

An agent's "calmness" requires eliminating unnecessary small movements, having sharp eyes, and quick reactions, but occasionally revealing the emotional fluctuations unique to the young man "Mingtai" that have not been completely extinguished.

The challenge was immense, but Chen Nianbei's innate passion for acting was fully unleashed.

This is far more complex than Ling Yue's composure, Jin Yichuan's gloom, or Shi Fen's quirkiness; it is a true "gold mine" that can test and enhance acting skills.

He adjusted himself to the state of sprinting before the college entrance examination.

I get up at six o'clock every morning, first do an hour of physical training and martial arts basic review, followed by several hours of script reading and dialogue polishing.

He practiced the nonchalant yet deliberate smile and gait of a spoiled brat in front of the mirror;

They also practiced the stress response of agents when facing a crisis, such as pupil constriction and muscle tension.

He rediscovered classic domestic and international spy films and period dramas, analyzing the mannerisms, expressions, and speech patterns of the characters from that era.

They even found old Shanghai maps, customs records, and memoirs of young students who had studied abroad, trying to get closer to Mingtai's life background from the details.

Naza was very excited to learn that he was preparing for an important audition for a new film directed by Kong Sheng, but she couldn't help but feel sorry for him when she saw him working so hard.

While Sister Li wasn't looking, she slipped into Chen Nianbei's dormitory, brought some soup she had prepared, and quietly ate with him, listening to him occasionally talk about his understanding of the character, without disturbing his focused state.

"This Mingtai sounds like a really difficult role to play. He has to be both a playboy and a secret agent," Naza said, resting his chin on his hand.

"Yeah, so we have to put in the effort." Chen Nianbei rubbed his temples.

You can do it!

Naza encouraged him, her eyes sparkling, "You can even play a tuberculous imperial guard and a stoic senior brother well, you'll definitely be able to do this!"

Dilraba also sent a message, her tone as supportive as ever:

"Go for it, Nianbei! You can definitely do it!"

She didn't bother her too much, but simply expressed her concern when appropriate.

Online, sporadic rumors began to circulate about Chen Nianbei possibly being involved in a new project, but they did not cause much of a stir.

In his fan community, several girls, including Wang Churan, Liu Haochun, and Tian Xiwei, noticed that his Weibo update frequency had decreased and guessed that he might be focusing on preparing for a new job. They spontaneously called on everyone in the fan community to quietly support him.

Time flew by as he worked on it day after day. Chen Nianbei felt that he was gradually peeling the fragment of "Mingtai's" soul from the words of the script and absorbing it into himself.

He gradually became able to sense a touch of playfulness in the character's expression when delivering line A;

While performing action B, I felt the underlying vigilance.

During this period, he called Kong Sheng twice. Once to inquire about certain behavioral details that might be related to Mingtai's overseas study background, and once to discuss the psychological basis of a certain emotional turning point. Kong Sheng answered patiently, concluding with just:

"Looks like you've put your heart into it. Keep it up."

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

The day before the audition, Chen Nianbei did not engage in intensive practice.

He reviewed the script again, then got a neat haircut and checked the clothes he would wear tomorrow.

A well-made casual suit is neither too formal nor too informal, yet it reflects the character's family background and taste.

He went to bed early, but his sleep was not deep. In his dreams, he seemed to hear the sounds of carriages and horses and the silent smoke of battle in old Shanghai.

On the day of the audition, the sky in Beijing was somewhat overcast.

Chen Nianbei arrived at the audition location half an hour early.

Inside a film and television company's conference room near the East Fourth Ring Road. Several people were already waiting in the corridor, some were actors of his age whom he knew, and others were strangers. They nodded to each other, and an invisible competitive pressure filled the air.

He took a deep breath and silently recited Mingtai's core qualities in his mind one last time, letting the month's worth of contemplation and hard work settle into a calm, sharp glint in his eyes.

The blade has been sharpened and is ready to be drawn.