Chapter 505: A New Concept

Zhao Xilin is a "Hengdian drifter" and also a content creator on Bilibili.

As a young man who is somewhat handsome, he has been an extra in Hengdian for two years. It's not that he hasn't encountered opportunities to move up, but the director who offered him such a chance turned out to be gay and had ulterior motives toward him.

After Zhao Xilin rejected him, he lost the role he had already secured, and that director also badmouthed him to many other film crews.

Just like that, he was targeted for over half a year. That director still hasn't let up, keeping a close eye on him to cut off his acting path. As long as he lands a role other than an extra or a corpse, the crew's director will receive negative information about him—basically, all sorts of smears.

This director has significant connections in the industry. Other peers, whether out of a desire not to offend this director or because they truly believed these lies, would kick him out of the crew at the first opportunity.

Zhao Xilin originally had many chances to become popular, but unfortunately, they were all ruined by this director.

Later on, he temporarily gave up on the path of acting to become famous and turned to developing his own career on Bilibili. Simply put, he records his daily life as an extra in Hengdian and posts it on Bilibili to share with his fans.

Because every video contains content about eating boxed lunches on set, fans also call him the "Meal-Appetizing Streamer," saying that watching him eat makes them feel hungry, and they end up eating two big bowls themselves.

After Zhao Xilin became a content creator, his handsome appearance and humorous speech quickly earned him over a hundred thousand fans on Bilibili.

It's not a huge number, but the income earned from video views every month is already quite considerable.

However, his dream has never been to be an extra, nor to be a content creator with a hundred thousand fans. Just like all the Hengdian drifters, he wants to be famous; he wants to be like Gao Qiang, rising from a grassroots background to become a Best Actor!

Unfortunately, that "NT" (idiot) director is the stumbling block on his path to realizing his dream. Right now, his words carry little weight, and he can't topple him. Once his Bilibili fan base grows, he will personally expose the director's malicious conduct and use the power of public opinion to defeat him, clearing the obstacles for himself.

As for the current priority, it is naturally to film his daily life as a Hengdian drifter well and manage his Bilibili account.

"Ding-dong."

There was a new announcement in Zhao Xilin's "Hengdian Extra WeChat Group": A new film crew is recruiting male actors two hours from now on XX Road in the east of the city. Requirements: bare height of 1.75 meters or above, decent appearance, high school education or above. Salary negotiable.

Soon, the lurking group members all popped up. Most were complaining that the requirements were too high; just on the height requirement alone, over sixty percent of the group couldn't meet it.

As for a "decent appearance"... if they were truly handsome, they would have signed with an entertainment company long ago; who would come to Hengdian to be an extra?

Everyone was discussing it in a hubbub. Zhao Xilin, who usually likes to chat in the group, didn't participate; he was changing his clothes, preparing to head to the audition.

He met all the requirements in the announcement.

"Fans, there's a gig in the group today. The requirements are not just average; only a handsome guy like me can handle it. I must secure this role today!"

After leaving the house, Zhao Xilin said to his phone while walking.

Every day he records a lot of videos, then edits them at night, condensing them into ten-minute highlights. The more famous the crew, the higher the view count.

However, most of the crews he goes to are small and have no fame, so the quality of the video still depends on how the crew's food is.

Walking and recording, Zhao Xilin arrived at the crew's recruitment site ten minutes early.

There were many people, and the audition seemed to have already started, and it was being conducted in two batches.

One side was auditioning passersby, which meant ordinary extras.

The other side was auditioning actors with better images. Zhao Xilin took a look and walked straight toward the side with fewer people.

"Director, pick me! I have a bachelor's degree, and my acting skills are very good!"

"Director, pick me! I have many talents, and my singing is also good. There must be a place for me!"

A group of male actors with decent looks held their hands high, hoping to win the favor of the interviewer. The interviewer standing on the platform kept scanning the faces of these male actors, just like a middle-aged woman picking vegetables in a wet market.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up:

"You, what is your name?"

Everyone looked in the direction the interviewer was pointing, and it was Zhao Xilin, who was standing on the periphery and had just arrived.

"Director, my name is Zhao Xilin." Zhao Xilin was ecstatic and quickly shouted his name.

"Hmm, you look quite refined. You go on the bus first and wait to audition later." The interviewer thought about the actor requirements the director had given him and said.

Amidst the envious gazes of those around him, Zhao Xilin got on the bus the interviewer pointed to.

Good luck came too suddenly. He didn't expect to be selected as soon as he arrived, which made Zhao Xilin full of anticipation for the upcoming journey.

After waiting for about ten minutes, the interviewer brought five or six selected male actors onto the bus. Also coming along were the interviewer from the other side and more than thirty extras.

After the bus started, the interviewer walked to the front of the bus and shouted with a megaphone: "Everyone, put down your phones first and listen to me talk about the rules for joining the crew.

This time we are filming an urban movie, and the director is a big star, so don't get too excited when you see her, and don't take out your phones to sneak photos. If you get caught, you might be kicked out of the crew."

"Don't worry, what haven't we Hengdian drifters seen?" one actor said with a chuckle, and the others followed suit with laughter.

The interviewer's mouth curled up, but he didn't respond, only saying: "I'll also tell you about the pay. You guys really hit the jackpot this time. The director's salary standard is based on the American standard. Even for a passerby extra, it's 700 to 1,000 per day.

As for those with slightly more screen time, the pay will only be higher, and the food is provided directly by 'Good Taste'!"

"Wuhu!" As soon as this was said, everyone on the bus cheered. They had been extras for so long, and this was the first time they had encountered such a generous crew.

Usually, when they act for a day, the pay is only around 200, and the better ones can get 300. This crew is great; it directly tripled it!

As for "Good Taste," that is the best boxed lunch provider in Hengdian. The boxed lunches they make have plenty of meat and taste fragrant, and the rice is enough and the soup is fresh, but the price is relatively expensive. Generally, only big-budget crews would choose this shop.

"The sun is rising from the west. Doesn't the boss of this crew control costs? No matter how much is invested, it can't withstand such squandering." Zhao Xilin kept recording the video while whispering his mockery, "I'm becoming more and more curious about which director's crew this is."

The bus drove for more than ten minutes and stopped near a hotel. After dropping off several actors including Zhao Xilin, it continued to drive into the distance.

The interviewer also got off: "You are not the same type of actors, so the audition place is also different. The director will personally conduct the audition in the conference room on the second floor."

"At the Yuehua Hotel..." Zhao Xilin looked at this top-tier hotel in Hengdian and recalled the most disgusting moment of his life.

More than a year ago, that "NT" director was also here, auditioning him in room 2401, saying a bunch of disgusting things. Even now, thinking about it makes one feel nauseous.

Mentioning the hotel, several of the male actors had unnatural expressions. Even if they hadn't eaten pork, they had seen pigs run. If an audition is related to a hotel, it's never a good thing.

Having stayed in Hengdian for so long, they knew a thing or two, but clearly, they were not mentally prepared for this.

"What, are you afraid the director will proposition you?" The interviewer chuckled, "Don't worry, if you see the director, you'll probably be wishing she would proposition you.

Don't think about these useless things. Just follow me. You're all grown men; are you afraid of being eaten?"

After speaking, he walked toward the hotel entrance. The other male actors looked at each other and then quickly followed.

After arriving at the conference room on the second floor, Zhao Xilin discovered that it wasn't just them auditioning here, or rather, it wasn't just these male actors.

There were also female actors, and there were more of them. They were heavily made up and dressed in flashy clothes. Those who could come here must have been carefully selected by the interviewer, and their looks were not low.

"Go in. Find a place to sit in the conference room and wait for the director to call you." The interviewer opened the conference room door and said.

Zhao Xilin took the lead and walked in. Then he saw a figure he never dreamed of: "It's actually her!"

………………

"Wang Yue, right? Leave your contact information, and I will contact you later." Miss Luo Quan finished auditioning the last female actor and rubbed her temples.

Auditioning actors is a quite boring process. She had been sitting here for nearly two hours and finally resolved the casting for the female actors.

It is worth mentioning that the roles of the female lead, second lead, and third lead had already been decided. Those auditioning here were actually female extras for the movie. However, in order to better reflect the glamour of this movie, Miss Luo Quan wanted to choose higher-quality extras.

"What else needs to be done next?" After resting for a while, Miss Luo Quan asked her assistant, Lan Xuan, who was beside her.

Su Yu was practicing her role in the room, and since Lan Xuan had nothing to do, she was pulled over to act as a secretary.

Lan Xuan looked at the memo and quickly said: "It's time to audition the male actors."

Miss Luo Quan looked up at the surroundings and said into the microphone: "Please come up for the audition, male actors."

"It's our turn!" Zhao Xilin stood up, full of ambition.

Having acted in Hengdian for nearly two years, stage fright shouldn't have appeared anymore, but for some reason, facing Miss Luo Quan, he was incredibly nervous and his legs felt weak.

Looking at the others accompanying him, it seemed their expressions were more or less unnatural.

"I know why the interviewer told us not to get too excited just now. This director is Miss Luo Quan; who wouldn't be excited!" a male actor whispered. Zhao Xilin heard it and agreed wholeheartedly.

Walking up to the director, the group of male actors was about to introduce themselves one by one as they had done in previous auditions, but they were suddenly interrupted by Miss Luo Quan:

"You... that's right, it's you! What's your name?"

"Zhao... Zhao Xilin." At this moment, Zhao Xilin suddenly had an illusion that he had become the protagonist in a "cool" novel.

It had been two times in a row; before it was the interviewer, and this time it was Miss Luo Quan, both directly asking for his name.

He was somewhat handsome, but not to the point where everyone loved him.

Zhao Xilin certainly wasn't handsome enough for everyone to love him. There are few handsome guys with the looks of Lyon in the world. The reason Miss Luo Quan specifically asked for his name first was just because the system prompted her that this was a potential new star and suggested signing him.

All along, she thought the system would only recommend female artists for signing; she didn't expect it to provide male artists this time.

"Then let's start with you, Zhao Xilin. Tell me what talents you have, or what specialties." Miss Luo Quan looked at Zhao Xilin and asked seriously.

"I... uh, my image is okay..." He regretted saying this as soon as it came out. Which male actor who could come here didn't have a good image? Isn't this nonsense?

Sure enough, whether it was the male actors or the female actors sitting below, they all laughed.

"I can see that. Anything else?" Miss Luo Quan didn't have any change in expression; she really wanted to understand what Zhao Xilin's strengths were.

"I have also studied Peking Opera, four years of Mei-style Dan roles. I basically know all the famous arias."

Miss Luo Quan's eyes lit up. This was a bright spot. Having studied Mei-style Dan roles for four years, no wonder his temperament looked refined to the point of being somewhat weak.

If this was the case, then the role of the male lead in the movie would be very suitable for him.

In "The Queen Who Wears Chanel," there are two main male characters: one is the female lead's boyfriend, and the other is an old employee in the female lead's company, who is also a noble person who helps the female lead transform in fashion.

In Miss Luo Quan's view, this old employee is more important than the female lead's old friend.

And based on her stereotype of men in the fashion circle, this circle, whether it's male designers or male models, probably has some tendencies in that direction.

Even if they don't, because of work, they will be a bit more feminine in habits or personality.

So when Miss Luo Quan was casting for this role, she wanted a "refined" male actor to play it.

The so-called refined means not being too rough or overly masculine; they need to be intellectual and gentle, but not too "sissy," otherwise the audience's perception won't be very good.

Such actors are really not easy to find. However, after seeing Zhao Xilin, Miss Luo Quan felt she had the best candidate.

A male actor who has studied Peking Opera and sang Dan roles, his temperament can be said to fully meet Miss Luo Quan's expectations. At that time, she only needs to make some minor adjustments on the spot, and he can basically meet the character image requirements in the script.

"Your image and temperament, I think, are very suitable for playing the male lead in the movie. Take a look at the script and the character profile I wrote, and consider whether to take it." Miss Luo Quan gave Zhao Xilin a document. The other male actors looked at Zhao Xilin, and the look in their eyes was no longer envy, but complete jealousy.

"Have I really become the protagonist?" Zhao Xilin held the script with trembling hands, his mind already somewhat numb. ===== CHAPTER 506 =====