Chapter 37: Do You Still Have Any Shame?!
Thousands upon thousands of women participated in this audition event. Standing out among so many people was by no means easy, especially for an ordinary person like her with no background whatsoever. If it weren’t for her good looks, she would have been eliminated long ago. Although the casting director wasn’t a big name, and wasn’t too famous before this casting, who wouldn’t want to be chosen as the female lead and become famous overnight? As long as one is human, they more or less have that desire.
Yu Linna had it too, but hers was more about escaping poverty and making her life a little more prosperous. Of course, becoming famous was also a crucial point, although things weren’t going smoothly right now.
“Sigh…”
Yu Linna sat on the bench, waiting silently for her name to be called, just like the countless contestants queuing inside for the next round of interviews. The backstage venue was really large, capable of accommodating two thousand people. It looked incredibly spacious, and there was no shortage of chairs, but even so, many people were still standing, waiting for the staff’s notification. The competition for this casting was evident.
Although Yu Linna was quite lucky, advancing all the way, unlike the singing competition where she was eliminated in the second round, this time she entered the semi-finals. After passing this stage, she would be qualified for the screen test. The screen test would also be fiercely competitive, selecting only one actress out of hundreds to play the female lead. But it was much better than competing among tens of thousands.
She hadn’t expected to advance so smoothly, but advancing was ultimately a good thing. The trouble was that her plan was disrupted, forcing her to stay in Shenzhen for a few extra days. The accommodation costs in Shenzhen were well-known. The hotel she stayed in these past few days was already the worst possible, yet it still cost several hundred yuan. She really felt the pinch for her money.
This money was supposed to be for paying back the landlady. Now it was spent just like that, truly heartbreaking. But in order to become famous, this sacrifice was necessary. Isn’t there a saying, “You can’t catch a wolf cub without sacrificing the child”? To escape poverty, she endured it. This was also where she differed from ordinary poor people. Many poor people couldn’t bear to part with even a single yuan, but for her ideals, she spent several hundred yuan in one go.
“But I still need to eat…”
Rubbing her belly, Yu Linna sighed. She hadn’t eaten anything since morning, just queuing here until five in the afternoon, and it still wasn’t her turn. She really didn’t know when it would end.
“Next, Yu Linna.”
Hearing her name, Yu Linna stood up, patted her face, then put on another expression and walked in. Forget it. For life, for the future, working hard should always be good. Nangong Ying achieved so much honor, wasn’t it because she started working hard from a young age? If she didn’t work harder, she would be left behind sooner or later.
The several judges for the actor selection were present, as was the director. They had truly worried themselves sick over this casting. Especially the director; he had racked his brains over the female lead, but still couldn’t find a suitable candidate inside or outside the industry.
When this movie project was initiated, many investors weren’t optimistic, thinking the film had a strong smell of imitation and would definitely lose money in the market. Moreover, the estimated investment capital was too large; failure would mean ruin.
Therefore, selecting a female lead was key to the film’s success. Because he decided to make this film a female-led drama. The market currently lacked this kind of movie carried by a strong female lead, and he thought this market segment could be tapped. He even invited the popular young actress Li Yuexin to audition for the female lead, but she hadn’t replied yet.
“Number 1392, Yu Linna.”
The director was a man in his forties, with neat short hair. Traces of age marked his face, but his eyes were as sharp as when he was young. He was slightly overweight, but thanks to exercise, his physique was still decent. He used to be an actor in his early years, but later switched to directing when his acting career didn’t take off.
When he saw Yu Linna, his first impression was that her looks were acceptable, nothing more. And her mixed-race appearance made him want to shake his head. After all, the movie he was shooting was set in ancient times, spanning over a hundred years from the late Qing Dynasty to the new millennium. No matter how you looked at it, Yu Linna didn’t seem suitable for the female lead role.
But thinking differently, if they used her, the script would definitely need further revision, which would add more depth to the female lead’s backstory. Considered this way, it wasn’t entirely a bad thing. In summary, there were pros and cons.
Next, Yu Linna auditioned according to her own state, performing her talent, although it was mostly just showcasing acting skills. Her acting was quite immature, but her impromptu reaction ability was passable, and her understanding of the movie story was coherent. The director, on a whim, started asking:
“Miss Yu, I want to ask you, if a character has to die at the end, how can their exit be made logical and not abrupt?”
“Well… foreshadowing is definitely needed, and hinting at the character’s final fate through others’ words is also necessary. It’s best to make the character sufficiently likable in the early stages, leaving a deep impression on the audience, so that when they exit, it can evoke a wave of tears.”
The director nodded. Although it wasn’t the answer he wanted, it had its own uniqueness. He hadn’t thought of this idea before; it was quite good.
“How do you think the female lead can win the favor of the female audience in a film like this?”
“I think since it’s a strong female lead drama, it’s not exclusively serving the male audience. Since it’s aimed at all ages, the female lead should preferably be a bit cool, the type that can make women ‘bend’ (fall for her). Because many girls also like cool and decisive girls, as they are different from the ‘silly, white, sweet’ (naive and innocent) female protagonists often seen on TV.”
The director nodded. He increasingly felt that this child had her own unique understanding of stories. Although her acting wasn’t good enough, her thinking was good. Perhaps she could come up with good ideas during filming. As a director, what he craved most were ideas, that feeling of inspiration hitting, that was what he wanted most.
“Alright, you can come for the screen test next week. I’ll notify you of the location.”
“Thank you very much!”
Yu Linna thanked him repeatedly, bowing constantly. Only when a staff member reminded her did she leave with a flushed face.
Great! She succeeded! Her good days were coming!
All her hard work wasn’t in vain!
Yu Linna danced with joy after walking out, almost going crazy. How happy she was! She had never received recognition before. Now, she finally gained the director’s attention. Although it was just a screen test, it was better than nothing! She could foresee her life reaching new heights. She was going to be famous!
However, the director did quite like this child. Although she didn’t meet the standards in various aspects, her brain worked well, and she had many ideas, which he thought was excellent. If they used her, the script would definitely need revision later. If Yu Linna could improvise many good ideas on the spot, then this film might become interesting. Of course, he hadn’t decided to use her yet, just wanted to test her.
Also, if Yu Linna played the role, her backstory could be explored more. He could make the female lead a mixed-blood child of a foreigner and a Qing person, despised by her own people and not accepted by the British Empire. This way, the female lead’s adventures in the jianghu (martial world/society) would have more appeal. Thinking about it this way became increasingly exciting!
He could imagine his movie becoming full of highlights.
Back to Yu Linna. She walked out of the casting venue with a happy face, feeling ecstatic. After a week of selection, she successfully got the ticket to the screen test. Although there would be thousands of people auditioning later, it was still a hard-won opportunity.
“That being said, I’m so hungry…”
Yu Linna rubbed her belly. She hadn’t eaten anything all day and was quite hungry. And last night she only ate a bowl of instant noodles. Was she going to eat instant noodles again tonight? But she was about to vomit from eating instant noodles.
“I really want to eat a good meal…”
Touching her wallet, it had become much thinner, with at most two hundred yuan left. This was her return trip fare. As for WeChat and Alipay, there was no balance. She was really going to starve to death this time.
Forget it, skipping one meal won’t kill me. Thinking this, she decided to just let it be for tonight.
“Isn’t this Classmate Linna? What are you doing in Shenzhen?”
Suddenly, a boy came up to chat with her. At first, she put on an impatient face, but hearing the somewhat familiar voice, steady yet carrying a natural air, she looked up.
This natural male compatriot wore a handsome denim jacket, his hair neatly styled, with a smile on his face. His sunny big boy appearance should be liked by many girls.
“Li Muqing? What are you doing here? Where’s your childhood sweetheart?”
“You mean Zhiyun? She didn’t come along. I came with my dad. My dad had to discuss a project, so we came to Shenzhen. What about you, what are you doing here? You don’t look like you’re here for tourism.”
“…So your family is rich.”
Yu Linna felt a wave of defeat.
She had previously thought Ye Zhiyun liking this blockhead was blindness. And Li Muqing’s image resembled a harem anime protagonist, so she subconsciously thought his family background was average, just favored by a young lady. Thinking about it now, she was naive. Ye Zhiyun and he were truly well-matched; both were rich.
She just didn’t understand, since they were rich, why did they both take the bus that commoners took? It really didn’t fit their status. Who squeezes onto a bus when they have money? (Girl, you seem to have forgotten the news about Chow Yun-fat buying groceries at the market).
“By the way, Li Muqing, are you alone?”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m so hungry. Treat me to a meal, okay? Otherwise, I’ll starve to death on the street.”
To fill her stomach, Yu Linna didn’t care much, deliberately acting cute to beg him. No choice, it was just one meal. Forget about integrity. Besides, Li Muqing, this blockhead, was an honest person; he wouldn’t do anything to her. (Honest people ate your family’s rice or something, treating them like this?)
“I see. No problem at all. Let’s go. My uncle’s hotel happens to be nearby. I’ll take you there to eat. You can come whenever you want in the future, always welcome.”
Wow! Having a tycoon as a friend is truly a blissful thing! I, Yu Linna, am going to ascend to heaven with happiness!
“Tycoon, from now on we’re brothers! Outside, I’ll cover for you!”
Well, anyway, Yu Linna’s integrity was already gone. Did she still care about face?
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