Chapter 439: All Tricks Used by the Evil Cultivator

Since the emergence of "The Birth of an Actor" two years ago, domestic performance competition variety shows have entered their spring.

Shows like "I Am an Actor" and "The Birth of an Actor" have already carved out this variety show landscape.

The initial success of acting-focused programs stemmed largely from the novelty of their subject matter and unique presentation format, delivering unprecedented dramatic intensity through an "over-the-top theatrical" approach.

However, as time progressed, the homogenization of such programs became increasingly evident.

For instance, in terms of cast composition, they all feature the same character archetypes: fresh graduates from drama schools, idols transitioning into acting, mid-career actors long out of the spotlight, and veteran actors lowering their status—each of their story arcs has grown formulaic.

In selecting performance segments, they favor highly dramatic scenes with intense emotional swings, relying on actors' exaggerated displays of joy and sorrow to create audiovisual impact.

Beyond rigid formats, repetitive scripts, and stale storytelling, there have even emerged chaotic phenomena like manufactured controversies and excessive celebrity exploitation.

All these flaws are present in "Actors, Please Take Your Positions."

Yet one of this show's strategic advantages lies in bringing the "director"—the god of the set—to the front stage.

And when Guo Xiaosi appears among the mentors, it's clear the production team intends to feast on traffic too!

Controversy around him has barely paused since he became a director.

His directorial works—the four "Tiny Times" films plus "The Legend of Jueji"—have received no passing scores, yet they're endlessly discussed.

It feels as if the production team invited him solely to stir up trouble.

Of course, this show also has other masters.

In the first episode, guest performer Li Chengru, after watching Guo Junchen and Dong Li perform "The River of Sorrow," launched a scathing critique of so-called "bestselling literature" and "youth literature."

His series of phrases—"sitting on pins and needles, feeling thorns in his back, a bone stuck in his throat"—became the show's catchphrases, driving massive online buzz.

Clearly, one of this man's roles on the show is to oppose Guo Xiaosi.

These two are polar opposites: Li Chengru upholds professionalism and industry tradition but is rigid.

Guo Xiaosi, by contrast, uses his half-baked skills to overwhelm seasoned veterans, his ability to carve flowers on shit provoking universal outrage.

As for the other three mentors, Li Chengru serves as their mouthpiece.

After all, they can't personally jump in to brawl with Guo Xiaosi~

Bai Liang learned these details before joining the show, but Li ShaoHong seemed unable to hold back behind the scenes.

Yet Guo Xiaosi declared he wasn't the least bit afraid: "If you've got guts, come at me all together!"

If he loses the debate, he can always cry~

Currently, nearly all trending topics on the show are tied to him.

If directors were categorized like entertainers, Guo Xiaosi would unquestionably be the traffic type.

Bai Liang: Funny—I'm also a traffic type, and a top-tier one at that.

But he has no intention of seeking resonance with Guo Xiaosi, since their methods of generating traffic differ greatly.

Bai Liang specializes in extreme stunts, while Guo Xiaosi often pulls off eye-searing acts.

After roughly mapping out the show's "doctor-patient dynamics" and "feuds," the next segment begins: assigning films and rehearsals.

After host Sha Yi introduced how this episode's competition would unfold and who would be eliminated, the session could officially end.

Bai Liang and the other three each picked a director and headed to the dressing room to rehearse with their new teammates.

The show appears to be a competition, but in essence, it's still variety entertainment.

And since Bai Liang and his group came here collectively for drama promotion, how could they maximize its effectiveness on this show?

Without doubt: perform a scene from "Chang'an Twelve Hours"!

Of course, this drama follows Bai Liang—whichever director's team he joins, that team will be responsible for selecting actors to perform the "Chang'an Twelve Hours" segment.

Bai Liang himself will definitely play Zhang Xiaojing.

This role poses no difficulty for him; in a sense, he himself is the "standard answer."

"Guo Dao, who's going to act with me?"

That "Guo Dao" truly pleased Guo Xiaosi!

Though many now call him that, Bai Liang saying it clearly differs from others!

He couldn't help tilting his head forty-five degrees toward the sky.

No choice—he couldn't see Bai Liang's face unless he stood beside him at that angle.

"You pick."

"Huh? Me?" Bai Liang said, slightly surprised, "That doesn't seem right~"

"I'm the one calling the shots!" Guo Xiaosi declared with "authority."

He radiated a distinct "tycoon" vibe.

Bai Liang laughed: Wait, are you showing off your masculinity to me?

He didn't understand, and was greatly shocked, but he reluctantly showed respect~ As long as Guo Xiaosi stayed more than half a meter away, fine.

Previously, Bai Liang had watched a talent show called "China's Best Men," which flopped hard, but the judges were fascinating.

Liu Xiaoqing, Xiao Yaxuan, and Guo Xiaosi.

Who on earth thought to put these three women on a male-only talent show as judges?

The three of them together weren't selecting talent—they were holding a "concubine selection."

Honestly, they shouldn't have accepted the show's appearance fees—they should've paid the production team.

According to online info, these three women each favored different types: Liu Xiaoqing liked rugged, masculine men; Xiao Yaxuan liked handsome, well-behaved men; Guo Xiaosi liked tall, gentle men.

Sisterhood Rule #1: Never like the same man.

So forget about harmony among them~

Perhaps Guo Xiaosi, now being savaged by "old guard" figures in the film industry on "Actors, Please Take Your Positions," misses those two former "sisters" who got along so well with him.

At this moment, the actors in Guo Xiaosi's group were already waiting in the dressing room, each with different expressions, but all generally excited.

They had already watched the "Chang'an Twelve Hours" scene and received their scripts.

Knowing that aside from Bai Liang's Zhang Xiaojing, they still needed two male actors and one female actor.

At this moment, the atmosphere between them was actually a little bit strange.

Who wouldn't want to act this scene with Bai Liang!

No matter how well they acted, the traffic and exposure would absolutely be maxed out.

The actors who came on this show weren't really here to compete; the main goal was exposure, to be recognized by more people.

The male actors were fine with it for now—after all, there were two slots—but for the female actors, the competition for that one slot was much fiercer.

Luckily this thing was personally picked by Guo Xiaosi, otherwise they'd probably have to tear into each other first.

After Guo Xiaosi and Bai Liang arrived at the lounge and finished greeting everyone, Guo Xiaosi smiled and looked up at Bai Liang. "Want me to let them introduce themselves, so you can pick?"

"No need, I know them all. But I'll just pick a female actor. The two male actors, you, Guo Dao, should pick them yourself. After all, I definitely don't know them as well as you do."

"Sure!"

Guo Xiaosi was even happier hearing this. He felt Bai Liang was respecting him!

Truly worthy of being his "muse" in his heart—indeed different from those flashy sluts in the entertainment industry~

And he really did lack this kind of respect in the industry.

Everyone else: emmm respect? He doesn't even say a single "you" with respect~

After making the decision—one to pick a female actor, one to pick a male actor—the vibe in the lounge changed.

Guo Xiaosi was surrounded by the male actors; Bai Liang was surrounded by the female actors.

Both were quite happy.

Only Guo Xiaosi looked at the "ugly ducklings" in his group and couldn't help comparing them to Bai Liang's side. Felt they couldn't compare at all!

But before Bai Liang came, he actually quite liked them.

"Teacher Bai, who are you going to pick~"

"That scene has high emotional demands. I want to try!"

"Brother Xiao Bai, we met on 'Grade One'! Do you still remember me?"

"Can I get an autograph~ pleeeease!"

"."

Full of anticipation, volunteering, trying to get close—but Bai Liang actually caught the one asking for an autograph.

"Jin Jing!"

Jin Jing, who had just taken advantage of the chaos to shout nonsense about wanting an autograph and act silly, was completely dumbfounded. That somewhat comedic big face seemed to carry a hint of questioning her entire life.

"Ah~ Teacher Bai, it's me!"

"Can you act this role?"

"Huh? Me?"

Honestly, among these few Misses, Jin Jing might be the only one who was purely there to join the fun and create show effects.

She was the type of artist with a relatively narrow acting range—well, a fairly typical variety-show regular.

Mainly doing silly bits on various shows, creating all sorts of program effects.

Just now, that "gene" in this area had been activated—she put on the exaggerated look of a star-chasing girl and even screamed twice.

But her acting experience to date consisted of only one short drama.

And even in that short drama, she played a supporting role.

Plus her looks were very comedic. You could say in the entertainment industry, she had absolutely nothing to do with the "beauty" attribute.

Felt like no matter who Bai Liang picked, he couldn't pick her.

The "female lead" Ding Tong'er from that 'The Longest Day in Chang'an' scene was definitely not a role she could play well right now.

Not to mention this time their rehearsal time was much shorter than before—not even a full day.

So~ this must be a joke, right?

At this moment, the other Misses nearby clearly thought the same—that Bai Liang was joking—and someone immediately started teasing Jin Jing.

"If you were given a chance to act with your male idol"

Jin Jing reacted instantly and caught the bit, reaching out to start unzipping her jacket. "Don't say another word, I'll take it off! I'll take it off!"

Bai Liang couldn't hold it in either, laughing so hard he was shaking.

The other Misses were laughing even harder. The commotion here immediately made Guo Xiaosi's side, who were seriously discussing "casting," couldn't help but glance over.

Having such a good time chatting?

But two minutes later, the Misses were all dumbfounded.

Because Bai Liang wasn't joking—he really did pick Jin Jing.

"Me? I'm going to play a brothel girl who elopes with her scholar lover?" Jin Jing's mouth hung open in disbelief, then couldn't help adding in an exaggerated tone: "Never in my life have I received such affirmation!"

"You don't look like you had a tragic childhood, or suffered a lot, either?" Bai Liang tilted his head and said.

"Brother, you don't know—although I'm tragic, I eat a lot~"

And after confirming once again that Bai Liang really, really wasn't joking, Jin Jing immediately said to her sisters: "Male god probably isn't optimistic about me. I feel like he's pitying me."

What a capable Miss!

With this little trick, she felt like she could thrive anywhere~

But after the picks were really made and everyone went to the rehearsal room together, Jin Jing didn't say anything like "I can't do it" anymore.

"I'll try my best to perform well. Without holding everyone back, I can shield you guys and play the supporting role. But if you break character, you can't blame me, got it? Hold it in!"

Ding Tong'er in 'The Longest Day in Chang'an' was just a minor female supporting role with not many scenes—even in the original novel she was pretty inconspicuous.

But in the drama, the director and screenwriter added scenes for this character, and somehow, with limited screen time, she played a trump card.

Ding Tong'er's background was simple yet tragic, summed up in one sentence: at 17, she was brought to Chang'an by the man she was betrothed to, and sold into a brothel as a prostitute.

She debuted battered and bruised, because the day before, she had conspired with her beloved scholar Qin Lang to elope, but both were caught by Old Ge and imprisoned in the dungeon.

If Zhang Xiaojing hadn't come, Tong'er and Qin Lang would have been tortured to death by Old Ge.

So she is simply a weak woman struggling to survive in the cracks of society, yearning to break free from bondage and oppression.

When Zhang Xiaojing appeared in the dungeon, she saw a glimmer of hope—and her subsequent performance was utterly brilliant.

During the filming of this scene, Bai Liang nearly got overshadowed by the actress playing this role.

Jin Jing: Is it too late for me to run now?

"How's the rehearsal going?"

"Sister Ni!"

"Sis~"

"."

Unlike Unlike Unlike Ni Ni waved at the others, turned to Bai Liang, who was lounging in his chair like a lazy old man, and her smile vanished: "You're so relaxed—we're all exhausted."

"Still tired?"

"Do you know what our group is performing?"

"Didn't ask. What is it?"

"'Qing Yu Nian'—they made me play Hai Tang Duo Duo. Do I look like a village girl?"

Hearing this, Bai Liang didn't laugh right away—he paused, stunned. "The other two groups aren't also…"

"Hey! You got it! All yours: 'Zhi Zhu' and 'Da Ming Feng Hua'."

Bai Liang:.

This production team really picked the most popular format.

All four dramas selected for this episode are works starring Bai Liang.

I don't know how the other actors performed, but the viewership and traffic for this episode will definitely be staggering.

Tencent has fully mastered the art of hype.

And they've even crafted a decent underlying message.

'Qing Yu Nian,' 'Zhi Zhu,' and 'Da Ming Feng Hua'—all blockbusters Bai Liang starred in over the past two years, including two drama kings!

Audiences are extremely familiar with these dramas—some satellite channels still rebroadcast them randomly.

Add in Bai Liang's personal participation, and it's as if 'Chang An Shi Er Shi Chen' has now joined them at the same table.

Bai Liang: Pretty good~

He looked at Unlike Unlike Unlike Ni Ni. "Why aren't you rehearsing? Don't let your performance fall far behind Xin Xin Zhilei—people will roast you."

"I'm not even in the same league as her," Unlike Unlike Unlike Ni Ni waved dismissively.

Then she gleefully told Bai Liang about Xi Zi Ge's "torture" at Chen Kaige's hands.

She drifted over to Bai Liang last—before that, she'd already visited Xi Zi Ge and Zhou Yiwei.

Old Chen's methods were "extremely cruel."

It felt like he was treating Xi Zi Ge like his own son.

Bai Liang: That's overkill—you haven't seen how Chen Kaige treats his actual son. Xi Zi Ge doesn't deserve that.

After chatting a while, Unlike Unlike Unlike Ni Ni finally noticed Bai Liang's casting choices.

"She's playing Ding Tong?"

"Yeah~"

"This casting feels a bit off," Unlike Unlike Unlike Ni Ni said delicately.

But Bai Liang shook his head. "This is a variety show."

Variety shows demand entertainment value.

Casting Jin Jing is entertainment value—and of course, the twist matters too.

If Jin Jing, whom everyone doubts, delivers a great performance, the reversal will shock and amaze countless viewers!

Unlike Unlike Unlike Ni Ni:???

So how, exactly, can this variety-show girl deliver a great performance?

Guo Xiaosi was already heading over to "train the actors"—though truthfully, he wasn't very good at training actors.

Self-taught directors often have a major weakness: they simply can't articulate what effect they want.

Sometimes they know it in their minds but can't put it into words.

That's why Guo Xiaosi spouted endless jargon—to sound incomprehensible, and therefore profound.

But Guo Xiaosi's main focus remained on the other two male actors—he clearly had no idea how to make Jin Jing portray the role well.

Soon, Jin Jing came over, script in hand, and joined Bai Liang in "playing dead."

"Giegie~ You picked me—aren't you supposed to take responsibility for me?"

"Sure~"

"Really?! No dowry, no house, nothing—I'll marry you right now, have eight babies, and call my mom!"

She's truly a remarkable woman!

Bai Liang wriggled around like a wriggling maggot, laughing—but still politely added: "Say hello to your mom for me~"

"Ahh~ Giegie, you speak Shanghai dialect too?"

"How else would I spar with a Shanghai mother-in-law? Is your mom as fun as you?"

"A soul like mine is one in ten thousand—not everyone can be as outstanding as me!" Jin Jing bragged, then immediately deflated, bowing to the camera: "All just for show, don't attack me—I'm a fan of CPs too!"

"So you've got survival instinct?"

"Of course."

"Which ship are you rooting for?" Bai Liang suddenly launched a sneak attack.

"Giegie, are you really trying to get me killed?"

After the two of them performed a bit of "crosstalk" in front of the camera, Bai Liang became slightly more serious. "How does it feel? Can you act it?"

"This role is really hard. I'm not some genius actor blessed by heaven either."

Yet Bai Liang didn't offer Jin Jing any advice in terms of technique or character analysis.

There wasn't enough time.

So, since she wasn't a gifted inner disciple.

She might as well become a demonic cultivator who uses every trick in the book!

(End of chapter)