Chapter 563: The Birth of an Actor is Here

"This heat is very good." Zhou Ping'an put down the data report in his hand and smiled at Cheng Hai, "Sure enough, after the teaser was released, your attention immediately went up. Your biggest advantage is that there is a group of people who know you. Before the program officially airs, what we need to do is maintain your heat by awakening these people's memories of you."

Cheng Hai nodded.

Zhou Ping'an: "The night after tomorrow, I have arranged for you to go to Lilyan's live broadcast room. No selling goods, just chatting. Chat about what you have been doing during these silent years. I have already arranged for someone to write the script for you. Go back and familiarize yourself with it, and memorize the content."

Cheng Hai hesitated for a moment and asked, "Do I need to play the victim?"

"No, you cannot play the victim." Zhou Ping'an shook his head immediately, "Don't forget, you are someone who came out of the same group as Lu Yanhe and the others. Your positioning benchmarks them. So, although playing the victim can stir up some heat and topics for you for a while, it is not beneficial for your long-term development. What I want to shape for you is an image of someone who has been silent for several years but has never given up."

Cheng Hai nodded silently.

"Actually, it is just what you have been doing these past few years." Zhou Ping'an said, "Strive to get one or two good projects through this program."

"Okay."

Zhou Ping'an looked at Cheng Hai seriously and said, "Cheng Hai, don't be timid because of the silence of the past few years. Do you know which point of yours I appreciate the most?"

Cheng Hai shook his head.

"Vitality, sunshine, warmth." Zhou Ping'an said, "Your personal charm needs the audience to feel with time. So, you are different from those artists who become famous overnight. You just need to stand your ground, not get off the stage. Let's take it slow and steady; there will always be good times."

Gratitude surged in Cheng Hai's expression.

"Thank you, Brother Ping'an."

Zhou Ping'an: "During this time, you can also actively invite them out for a meal. Don't feel inferior to others or be embarrassed."

"Okay."

"Keep working hard." Zhou Ping'an said, "Take the acting classes well during this time, and strive for better performance on the program."

Cheng Hai nodded.

Not long after Cheng Hai left, Fu Li came over.

"Have you familiarized yourself with the script?" Zhou Ping'an asked.

What Zhou Ping'an was talking about was that online movie script.

Fu Li nodded and said, "I have already memorized it."

"That's good, filming is about to start." Zhou Ping'an said, "I have booked a variety show for you. After this drama is finished filming, you will go on that program."

Hearing this, Fu Li was somewhat surprised, "Is there a program willing to let me on?"

"Mm." Zhou Ping'an nodded, "It took some effort, but I finally negotiated it for you. There won't be too much promotion in the early stage, to avoid generating some incidents and having you taken off again."

Fu Li nodded excitedly and said okay.

Her eyes seemed to have stars twinkling inside them as she said, "Thank you, Brother Ping'an. Fortunately, you are my Agent."

Zhou Ping'an looked at her once.

"I heard that when Lu Yanhe came last time, you met him in the small garden. Was there any progress afterwards?"

Fu Li was stunned.

She had not told Zhou Ping'an about this matter.

Moreover, this matter had already happened some time ago.

Fu Li even thought Zhou Ping'an did not know about this matter and had not thought to report it to him.

Now suddenly bringing it up—

Fu Li subconsciously smiled first before saying, "Brother Ping'an, I have sent Lu Yanhe several messages, but his responses have been quite cold. There is nothing worth telling you about—"

"If you think he is the kind of person who thinks with his lower body, you are wrong." Zhou Ping'an said, "If you want to take this route with him, I give you a piece of advice."

Fu Li tried hard to maintain the smile at the corners of her mouth, "Brother Ping'an, I haven't thought about wanting to—"

"Seduce." Zhou Ping'an said these two words as if striking a gavel to settle the matter, causing the tight smile on Fu Li's face to finally completely collapse, "If you cannot admit this matter, do not have thoughts in this direction again in the future."

Fu Li silently pressed her fingers tightly into her palm.

"Lu Yanhe is a person who is easily soft-hearted." Zhou Ping'an said, "The soft-heartedness I am talking about is not just a man being soft-hearted towards a woman. Do you understand what I mean?"

At this moment, Fu Li suddenly felt nervous, uneasy, and even a kind of embarrassment of being seen through by Zhou Ping'an.

She could not concentrate her mind at all to think about the "soft-heartedness" Zhou Ping'an was talking about.

Zhou Ping'an glanced at the time and said, "Go back and ponder it well. I have booked someone else afterwards."

Fu Li nodded as if her soul had wandered out of her body and left.

Zhou Ping'an looked at her back with disgust, opened the drawer, and took out an agreement from inside.

"I already said, I am just hyping with him. Can you stop being jealous about this?"

Meng Li rolled her eyes at Wu Zhouyou, "I only went on two dates with him. You knew about every single one."

Wu Zhouyou frowned tightly.

"You could have made it public with me."

"You are not an artist." Meng Li snorted lightly, "Moreover, I am about to record a dating Variety show with him. Let me tell you first, you are not allowed to get jealous."

Wu Zhouyou's frown deepened even more.

"Oh, don't worry. I will break up with him in June this year. There won't be any problems." Meng Li said, "Look, I only went on two dates with him, and I have already trended on the hot search four times this month, and got two new business collaborations. Don't affect my work."

Wu Zhouyou held Meng Li helplessly, "What about me? When do you plan to make us public?"

"When you write a script and ask me to be the female lead, then I will make us public." Meng Li tilted the corner of her mouth and smiled, "I told you before, write a female lead role for me in the second season of The Gold Rush. Have you written it?"

Wu Zhouyou sighed, grabbed Meng Li's hand, and gently rubbed and kneaded it, "Written, written."

"The role isn't that kind of side-character female lead, right? I won't play that kind of role."

"How could I give you a side-character female lead role."

"Who knows what you are thinking? You directors all like actresses, and you don't just like one actress."

Meng Li climbed off Wu Zhouyou, walked barefoot across the carpet with a graceful posture, and poured herself a glass of water.

"Anyway, I don't plan to be a virtuous wife who contributes silently. If you fall in love with someone else in the future and abandon me, and I get nothing, that would be too much of a loss."

Wu Zhouyou looked at the coquettish Meng Li and smiled very flirtatiously.

Meng Li carried a scent on her that no other woman possessed.

She always laid her worldly, utilitarian nature bare, yet scratched at his heart like a cat.

Wu Zhouyou liked her.

"By the way, have you found a male lead for your 'Yesterday Reappears' yet?" Meng Li asked.

Wu Zhouyou said, "Huang Kairen and Zeng Qiao both refused."

"It seems the success of 'The Gold Rush' isn't enough to sway them."

Wu Zhouyou: "If all else fails, we'll have to settle for less and see if Jiang Mingzheng will act."

Meng Li said, "Can Jiang Mingzheng carry the box office?"

"Male actors in the thirty-to-forty age bracket who can carry the box office have almost all been approached." Wu Zhouyou sighed, "Actually, if we hire Jiang Mingzheng, I'm worried the investors won't be willing to pay."

"Then why not consider revising the script? Changing the setting?" Meng Li said, "You collaborated with Yan Liang on 'The Gold Rush'. If you tailor the role to him, he'll definitely accept. He's at the peak of his popularity now; if he acts, the investors will definitely pay."

Wu Zhouyou shook his head. "Changing it to Yan Liang's age would make the story completely untenable."

The foundation of the story 'Yesterday Reappears' is a workplace setting.

Meng Li said, "Or you could add more scenes for the female lead in the story, more key scenes, and improve her character design. I'll act for you. That way, even if the male lead choice is weaker, the investors should be satisfied. If all else fails, I'll help you invite a few actor friends to make guest appearances."

Wu Zhouyou: "Didn't you just say you wouldn't take a loss? Helping me like this, aren't you afraid of taking a loss?"

"Consider it repayment for giving me the female lead role in 'The Gold Rush' season two." Meng Li lay back in Wu Zhouyou's arms. "I don't want to take a loss, nor do I intend to take advantage of you for free."

On the day 'The Birth of an Actor' was officially recorded, the snow had not yet melted.

Yuming was still shivering in the cold wind.

Each episode featured four groups of actors competing. According to the scheduled recording time, recording needed to start at 2:00 PM and continue until 10:00 PM.

This program did not just record the competition part in the studio; it also included interviews and chats before the competition, and behind-the-scenes footage after.

Lu Yanhe, because he had to stand on stage with Peng Zhixing to serve as the "Convener"—essentially a "host" who controlled the entire recording process of the program—had started rehearsing with Peng Zhixing two days in advance and going over the script with the director's team.

The production team for this program was provided by Aurora Video and Yuehu Station.

They were all veterans, highly experienced.

During their rehearsal, the competing actors from each group were also rehearsing.

Lu Yanhe had watched almost every group's rehearsal.

Which actors performed well and which were merely average could be seen as soon as they stepped on stage.

Almost half of them had privately greeted Lu Yanhe.

The four groups of competing actors for the first episode were: Liu Zhiyin and Zhang Pingqing as one group, Liu Yu and Wang Dashan as one group, He Sha and Cheng Hai as one group, and Liu Zhiyao and Zhen Hongyu as one group.

These were also the eight actors who appeared in the pilot episode.

They would PK in pairs; the winner advances, the loser is eliminated.

Of course, each episode had a power of revival and advancement held by the guest mentors, allowing them to choose one person to revive from the four eliminated.

The guest mentor for the first episode was Jiang Yuqian.

Before the official recording, Lu Yanhe had lunch with Chen Lingling and the others at a nearby restaurant.

Although it was a private lunch, the director's team had arranged for someone to follow and film, completely in the style of a reality show.

Every word they spoke from now on would be recorded.

"The four groups of actors recording today, Yan He must have seen their rehearsals, right?" Chen Lingling asked.

Lu Yanhe nodded.

"How was it?"

Lu Yanhe took a deep breath and said, "I can only say they are very strong; it's hard to choose."

"Really?" Chen Lingling glanced sideways at Lu Yanhe and said directly, "Liu Zhiyin acted better than Zhang Pingqing? You don't have a filter for your friends, do you?"

Lu Yanhe: "If we're talking purely about acting skill, then Zhang Pingqing is definitely better. But if we're talking about stage presence and charisma, to be honest, I feel Liu Zhiyin is in no way inferior to Zhang Pingqing."

Chen Lingling nodded, somewhat surprised.

"If you can say that, then I really look forward to it."

"What if we really eliminate Liu Zhiyin?" Chen Lingling asked again.

"Then she gets eliminated." Lu Yanhe said, "This program will definitely have many acquaintances, not just mine, but yours too. But a competitive program must be fair. Sister Zhiyin knows this; when I invited her to participate, I told her exactly that: it's very likely she'll be eliminated in the first episode."

Chen Lingling: "If you say that, I'm relieved."

"I clearly said it long ago." Lu Yanhe was very helpless.

"Who knows if you'll change your mind once we get to the recording site." Chen Lingling said.

Lu Yanhe: "Director, this program uses my title as Convener as its banner; how could I allow such a thing to happen?"

He sighed helplessly.

Shang Yongzhou smiled and said, "Yes, Director, have a little more trust in our little junior brother."

Chen Bige, however, was melancholy: "But I haven't decided yet. Later on the program, should I play the role of a caring big sister, or a sharp-tongued domineering sister?"

Lu Yanhe: "..."

Shang Yongzhou said, "You should just be yourself. Although you act very well on set, if you have to act in real life, you can't last three minutes; you don't have that patience."

Lu Yanhe smiled silently.

Chen Bige immediately glanced sideways, "Who are you looking down on?"

Shang Yongzhou: "Then act it out. I'll wait and see. Let's see how many minutes you can last."

Lu Yanhe couldn't hold back his laughter any longer.

Chen Lingling complained, "If you want to laugh, just laugh. Why hold it in?"

Lu Yanhe, with a serious face: "I didn't want to laugh."

As soon as the words fell, he really couldn't hold it back and burst out laughing.

Chen Bige: "This is too much. I'm quitting the recording."

After the four of them had lunch together, they returned to the recording location together.

There was still an hour before the audience could enter.

They could rest for a while, and then the preliminary discussion meeting for the recording would begin.

Everyone had a separate lounge, and each lounge was furnished with a sofa for them to rest on.

The production team had also prepared dossiers on all the competing performers for them to familiarize themselves with the situation.

Half an hour later, someone from the production team came to knock on the door and invited them to the meeting.

Lu Yanhe had originally thought he would be the first to arrive—he had always told the production team to notify him five minutes in advance.

Chen Lingling and the other three were personally invited by him; he hoped to fulfill his duties as an initiator well, especially on such small matters.

But when he entered the conference room, he discovered that Jiang Yuqian was actually the first to arrive.

"Sister Yuqian!" Lu Yanhe looked at her with delight. "I thought you were still on the way. Why didn't you send me a message when you arrived?"

"They said you were taking a nap, so I told them not to disturb you." Jiang Yuqian smiled, stood up, and came to Lu Yanhe. "It must have been quite tiring recently, right?"

"It's fine. Sister Yuqian, what about you? I heard you only arrived in Yuming this morning?"

"Yes, just got back." Jiang Yuqian nodded. "But I already slept on the plane. I just didn't have time to eat; I just ordered takeout, but it hasn't arrived yet."

"I prepared some food for you. Didn't they give it to you?"

"I just want to drink beef soup right now. Don't worry about me. I missed this taste so much while I was abroad," Jiang Yuqian said.

"Where were you before?"

"South Korea."

"No wonder." Lu Yanhe immediately showed a look of relief.

Jiang Yuqian said: "The Mist is really popular. Before, I was always filming The Phone and didn't have time to watch The Mist. This time in South Korea, I watched The Mist. It's been on screen for over a month, and in the screening I attended, there were still seven or eight people watching."

Lu Yanhe asked in surprise: "Sister Yuqian, did you watch the Korean version?"

"The English version. How could I possibly understand the Korean version?" Jiang Yuqian said. "Are you going to the Academy Awards right after recording this episode?"

"Yes." Lu Yanhe nodded.

Jiang Yuqian said: "Then we can meet again at the Academy Awards."

Lu Yanhe was somewhat delighted and asked: "Sister Yuqian, are you going too?"

Jiang Yuqian nodded and said: "A brand I work with has a guest invitation slot and asked me to go—just to walk the red carpet and take photos, nothing much. But being able to see you go on stage to present an award is fine; at least I won't be watching strangers the whole time."

While the two were chatting, Chen Lingling came in holding a thermos cup.

"Director."

Lu Yanhe and Jiang Yuqian greeted her simultaneously.

Chen Lingling nodded, looked at Jiang Yuqian, and showed a bit of a smile.

"Haven't seen you in a long time, Qianqian."

Chen Lingling stepped forward and warmly hugged Jiang Yuqian.

"Missed you so much, Director."

Chen Lingling: "How have you been recently? Still running around everywhere?"

"Yes, still running around everywhere." Jiang Yuqian smiled and nodded. "After finishing the Fashion Week schedule in March, I'll join a cast to film a drama and can finally have a quiet stretch."

"That's good. Don't put the cart before the horse; you still have to act." Chen Lingling said. "Actors still have to speak through their works."

"Mm." Jiang Yuqian nodded.

Lu Yanhe glanced at the camera nearby.

Was the segment Chen Lingling just said to Jiang Yuqian suitable to be broadcast on the public camera?

Should he tell the director to cut this segment?

This segment could easily be taken out of context by marketing accounts and turn into Director Chen Lingling accusing Jiang Yuqian of neglecting her duties.

Lu Yanhe silently noted it down.

Cheng Hai took a deep breath.

He was about to go on stage to perform.

This time, he was paired with He Sha for a PK. As acting opponents, they had to trust and cooperate with each other; as competing opponents, one of the two of them would be eliminated.

He and He Sha had rehearsed this segment about four times already.

To be honest, the cooperation was not very pleasant.

Because He Sha had been constantly trying to add scenes and lines for herself, and the script had been changed several times in the middle.

After Zhou Ping'an learned about this, he showed up directly during a rehearsal, holding the script modified by He Sha and the Screenwriter, and questioned what was going on.

He didn't indulge He Sha at all. When he lost his temper, he wasn't arrogant; he immediately asked: "What? You think Cheng Hai isn't famous anymore, that he's a minor artist, so you can bully him at will?"

There were always cameramen present during their rehearsals.

He Sha's assistant was startled and quickly stepped forward to smooth things over: "Teacher Zhou, don't be anxious. The script modifications are for better artistic creation. It's not that our Shasha can just change things whenever she wants; it also requires the approval of the director and the Screenwriter."

"Approval your ghost. Artistic creation? If you love artistic creation so much, why come to create on a Variety show? This is a competition! This is a PK!" Zhou Ping'an spoke as fast as a machine gun. "This is a competition PK between He Sha and Cheng Hai. Does changing the script not require Cheng Hai's approval? Who would believe such nonsense?"

Zhou Ping'an suddenly pointed at the cameraman: "Just broadcast all of this. I'd like to see what the audience says and see if they believe it!"

He Sha's face turned green.

Everywhere, gentlemen are not feared, but petty people are.

Zhou Ping'an's posture of directly flipping the table and cursing left He Sha with no way to save face.

"Cheng Hai, let's go! If the production team indulges someone so much that they destroy the fairness of the competition in the name of artistic creation, then what's the point of competing!"

Zhou Ping'an took Cheng Hai and left immediately, but before they had even walked out, they were stopped by the production team members who were polite and smiling apologetically.

Then, He Sha over there became obedient.

The script has been reverted to its previous version.

It's just that the rehearsals between the two have been fraught with tension ever since.

Cheng Hai has no idea what the effect will be on stage later.

He sighed.

At that moment, his phone buzzed.

He glanced at his phone, somewhat surprised; it was a message from Lu Yanhe, who had not contacted him for a long time: "Good luck!"

Ever since Cheng Hai decided to participate in this show, Lu Yanhe had not proactively contacted him, and Cheng Hai had not proactively contacted him either.

Cheng Hai did not want people to think he was trying to get close to Lu Yanhe at such a time.

And Lu Yanhe also hoped that Cheng Hai, in this show, would not be perceived as being too close to him.

Both of them shared the same thought on this matter.

But Lu Yanhe still sent Cheng Hai a "Good luck" before he went on stage.

Cheng Hai replied with a "Okay."

"If Cheng Hai really advances in the end, what will you do?"

In a corner where cameras were not filming, Liu Zhiyao and He Sha were chatting together.

Just before going on stage, both of them felt a bit nervous and anxious; they sent messages, met here, and chatted to relieve their emotions.

When Liu Zhiyao asked that, He Sha only let out a slight cold laugh and said, "He has Lu Yanhe behind him; if he really advances, what can I do? Should I say the production team is unfair?"

Liu Zhiyao: "Forget it. At least you still have a fifty-fifty chance of winning against Cheng Hai. Even if you don't win, with the audience favor you've accumulated over time and your acting skills, others won't think you lost because of your acting. Look at me; being paired with Zhen Hongyu is practically making me cannon fodder."

He Sha said, "Zhen Hongyu coming to participate in this show is truly sick."

"She doesn't need to come at all." Liu Zhiyao pouted, "I originally thought I could gain some attention through this show."

"Didn't you already gain quite a bit of attention at that press conference?" He Sha said.

Liu Zhiyao: "How long can that last? Look at Liu Zhiyin; since it was announced she would participate in this show, how many trending topics has she been on? The production team must have bought all the trending topics just for her."

He Sha: "Well, she is popular."

The two chatted on and off for a while.

"If we are really eliminated in the first episode, then this episode will be the only chance to appear on the show."

"Mm."

"If we are really eliminated, we'll talk about it then."

The show officially began recording.

The first group was Liu Zhiyin and Zhang Pingqing.

According to the production team's positioning, this was a major showdown between an idol-style actor and a powerhouse performer; especially since the former boasted high popularity and fame, as the inaugural episode of "The Birth of an Actor," it needed buzzworthy topics and gimmicks to captivate the audience.

The play they performed was a scene between Jiang Yuqian and Huang Kairen from "The Golden Age."

Lu Yanhe watched from the side of the stage.

Zhang Pingqing's acting skills were indeed exquisite and good, but in Lu Yanhe's view, the shortcoming was that he was too steady, lacking that star-like, soul-grabbing charm. In other words, he lacked his own personal style and characteristics.

Liu Zhiyin, on the other hand, belonged to the type whose performance was not very precise, but as a non-professional actor, her belief in the character, her control and explosive power over the stage, could infect people.

Of course, if Lu Yanhe were to vote, he would choose to vote for Zhang Pingqing.

The two of them delivered a very moving performance.

Lu Yanhe and Peng Zhixing went on stage together.

Peng Zhixing said, "Thank you to both actors for their wonderful performance. Dear audience, please pick up your voting devices. If you prefer Zhang Pingqing, press 1; if you prefer Liu Zhiyin, press 2. Please start voting!"

After the audience finished voting, Lu Yanhe and the others began to give their opinions on this performance.

"Yan He, this is the first performance segment of our show 'The Birth of an Actor.' After watching it, do you have anything you want to say?" Peng Zhixing first threw the question to Lu Yanhe.

Lu Yanhe took a deep breath and said, "I very solidly breathed a sigh of relief. Sister Zhiyin, I am very familiar with her, but I was very nervous for her because she is not a professional actor. I was also very afraid that this show would not bring her good feedback—I am very grateful she came to our show and supported us. But I believe everyone who just watched this performance shares a feeling with me: Sister Zhiyin has great acting talent, and she can try acting more in the future."

Liu Zhiyin smiled and said, "Before I came to this show, I asked him. I said, 'I'm coming to this show, but I'm a bit unclear about what I actually want.' Because actually, I very much love the stage of singing and dancing and did not plan to transform into an actor. Yan He told me that as an artist, one should try more possibilities. Actually, my biggest gain this time was meeting Zhang Pingqing. Really, you might not know, he is so good. He rehearsed with me no less than ten times, and moreover, he would lead me, analyzing the character bit by bit, telling me how to read the script, how to deconstruct the script. This is the first time I have understood the matter of acting so meticulously."

Zhang Pingqing smiled and waved his hands, "We helped each other."

"That's wonderful." Peng Zhixing nodded. "Brother Pingqing, you are a very familiar old face to our audience. Previously, you said you came to participate in our show hoping more audiences would get to know you. After completing this performance with Liu Zhiyin this time, how do you feel?"

"Very satisfying, even more satisfying than I imagined." Zhang Pingqing said, "Because before, I actually rarely had the chance to play the lead role. Opportunities for performances where the entire play rests on us are almost non-existent. Moreover, I very much like our show's format of doing it in one take without re-recording; it forces us to act like in a play, with no do-overs."

"Yuqian, this segment they performed, you must be very familiar with it." Peng Zhixing smiled and looked at Jiang Yuqian, who was sitting in the guest mentor seat. "What do you think of how the two of them performed?"

Jiang Yuqian said, "I got immersed. After receiving today's program schedule, I was actually most nervous about this group. Because I am too familiar with the story of this segment, and I even acted in it myself, so I was very afraid I wouldn't be able to get into it—Zhiyin indeed had several places where she had those moments that instantly hit me. You can indeed try acting more; you are fully capable. Of course, I still want to express my special respect to Pingqing. Pingqing and I have collaborated twice; he is a very good actor."

Zhang Pingqing expressed with surprise that he did not deserve such praise.

"Really, his acting skills are good, which is beyond doubt; I won't say more about that. I want to say one thing." Jiang Yuqian said, "We collaborated on a play called 'The Maze Wall.' In it, he played a disabled person with a disabled right hand. There was a scene where he had to tie his shoelaces using his left hand and his own teeth. The difficulty of this scene was so great that the director even discussed with the Screenwriter, wanting to cut this scene. But he told the director he wanted to try. Then, he spent a month practicing tying shoelaces with his left hand and teeth. A month later, he nailed this scene in one take."

The entire venue erupted in gasps of surprise.

"Actually, this scene didn't need to be filmed." Lu Yanhe said. "This shot should add up to no more than half a minute, right?"

"Yes." Jiang Yuqian nodded. "A half-minute shot, and he spent a month practicing this shot."

Zhang Pingqing said, "That scene was crucial to the shaping of my character. The Screenwriter wrote that scene actually wanting to shape an image of a disabled person who strives for self-improvement. Cutting that scene and relying solely on facial expressions to perform a state—mainly because my character had very few scenes upon appearing, there actually wasn't that much space for me to express myself. I could only use such a shot. Although it was only half a minute, once filmed, that sense of self-reliance and striving for self-improvement came out."

Chen Bige nodded.

"Director Chen, I see you nodding. Do you have anything you want to say?" Peng Zhixing immediately asked.

"Pingqing is indeed a good actor; these past years he has always been acting conscientiously." Chen Bige said. "That your production team could find him and invite him to this show is especially good. I hope this show can help him open up some fame."

"It certainly will."

"Since everyone has praised so much, I will just give some suggestions, a few small suggestions." Chen Bige said with a smile. "First, the segment just now was good-looking, but Zhiyin, the layers of your performance are not clear enough. For example, when you shed tears, it is very moving, but after you shed tears, before turning around, if you could struggle to look at Pingqing once more at this moment, the contradiction in your heart would be expressed more clearly—because at this moment your emotions have already reached this point; you are not as rational as before. But from the previous scenes, it can also be seen that your character is not a personality that disregards everything, right?"

Liu Zhiyin nodded.

"Pingqing, your acting skills are very good, but, forgive me for speaking bluntly, they are too mediocre."

As soon as Chen Bige finished speaking, the entire venue gasped in shock.

Shang Yongzhou and Chen Lingling both looked at Chen Bige with some surprise.

They probably never expected Chen Bige to speak so harshly.

Especially to a good actor.

Chen Bige said, "Please forgive me for being a bit direct, but I'm afraid you'll fall into the strange loop where everyone around you praises your acting skills, yet you remain lukewarm. You deserve to be known by more people, but to be known and liked by more people, you need something unique. In China, there are too many actors with good acting skills. Actually, just now Yan He and Yu Qian both mentioned a point: Liu Zhiyin's performance had several moments that moved them. Her overall performance certainly didn't have as high a level of completion as yours, but acting is both the whole and the moment. As an already very mature actor, you can no longer use just the three words 'good acting' as the requirement for yourself."

Zhang Pingqing seemed not to expect such an evaluation of himself; his expression was somewhat ashamed. He pressed his lips together and said, "Okay."

"Pingqing, let me offer you a small suggestion," Shang Yongzhou said with a smile. "Bige is actually holding you to a higher standard. Here's a practical tip: when Yan He portrayed an autistic character in 'Seventeen Floors,' he felt anxious and unsure how to act, worrying that such a role could easily become stereotypical and unappealing. So he did something remarkable: he studied numerous film and television clips of actors portraying individuals with autism, meticulously imitating each performance until he discovered his own unique interpretation through this process. You should watch performances by great actors, particularly those celebrated for their profound spiritual depth, and emulate their most brilliant fleeting moments. Don't worry about initial clumsiness in imitation; your acting foundations are already remarkably solid. With sufficient practice, you possess the ability to internalize these techniques and ultimately discover that singular moment that belongs uniquely to you."

Zhang Pingqing nodded with red-rimmed eyes and said, "Thank you, Teacher Yongzhou. Thank you, Teacher Bige."

Lu Yanhe laughed and said, "It's obvious how much our mentors love Brother Pingqing. Why don't I ever see you guiding me with such openness and detail in the past?"

He threw in a hearty laugh, causing the whole room to burst into laughter, and the atmosphere relaxed again.

Afterwards, Liu Zhiyin and Zhang Pingqing each expressed their personal journeys and interacted a bit with everyone.

The mentors began to vote.

Chen Lingling and Chen Bige both voted for Zhang Pingqing, while Shang Yongzhou voted for Liu Zhiyin.

Only after enough footage was shot did Peng Zhixing begin to announce the voting results.

Zhang Pingqing won by a margin of two votes and successfully advanced.

He seemed unable to believe it.

He still looked at Liu Zhiyin with some unease.

He truly thought that being paired with Liu Zhiyin meant he couldn't advance.

Liu Zhiyin is a current popular star; who is he?

Liu Zhiyin very happily embraced Zhang Pingqing.

"Congratulations, you truly deserve it."

Fortunately, two mentors voted for Zhang Pingqing—

Liu Zhiyin's popularity was still high enough; if not for the rule that one mentor counts as ten votes, Liu Zhiyin would have advanced.

"It's fine. I'm very satisfied with this result," Liu Zhiyin said with a smile. "I also think he should advance, so don't feel sad for me; I've already gained a lot."

Chen Lingling asked, "Zhiyin, if I ask you to act in the future, will you come?"

Liu Zhiyin widened her eyes, flattered. "Really? I'll definitely come!"

"But I'm very fierce on set," Chen Lingling said.

Liu Zhiyin laughed and said, "Director, I'm an idol artist who debuted as a trainee. Before debuting, I was scolded by people every day; I'm very stress-resistant."

Lu Yanhe stepped forward and hugged her.

"Thank you."

"Oh, so polite," Liu Zhiyin lightly patted his cheek. "I didn't even cry; don't you cry."

Lu Yanhe actually felt very guilty and indeed wanted to cry a bit.

Liu Zhiyin came to this program; no matter what she said verbally, he knew in reality she came specifically to support him.

Otherwise, why would an idol as famous as Liu Zhiyin come to this stage to "fail"?

"I'm leaving. Bye-bye," Liu Zhiyin waved to everyone and left.

The recording of the first part ended.

This performance segment was about fifteen minutes; adding the filming before and after, an hour and a half had passed.

A break in the middle.

The audience went to the restroom; they needed adjustments too.

Chen Lingling shook her head and said to Lu Yanhe, "You really are something; you actually made Liu Zhiyin get eliminated."

Lu Yanhe's eyes were red.

"I said it would definitely be fair and just," he sighed. "I feel a bit uncomfortable now."

Chen Bige stepped forward and patted his shoulder.

"Don't feel uncomfortable. Liu Zhiyin's performance was not bad at all. She just didn't advance, but she certainly made everyone's eyes light up," Chen Bige said.

Lu Yanhe nodded.

"Besides, Director Chen also sent her an invitation, right? She'll be looking for her to shoot a new drama later," Chen Bige said with a smile. "What a wonderful thing."

Peng Zhixing came over and put his arm around Lu Yanhe's shoulder.

"You are all people of deep emotion, but a Variety show must be done this way. Being a bit cruel, having a bit of competitiveness, is what makes the audience love to watch. If the program is done with warm sentimentality, the audience won't love it. Even if it looks like 'you're good, I'm good' inside the program, in reality, it's bad for everyone. The audience loves to watch; the program has fierce competition, but outside the program, everyone gains something."

Lu Yanhe said, "Alright, alright, stop comforting me. It's as if I was the one eliminated. I'll go to the backstage first."

He hurried away.

"I'll go comfort Sister Zhiyin."

Peng Zhixing said, "Don't turn around and make Sister Zhiyin comfort you."

Lu Yanhe: "..."

"Liu Zhiyin actually got eliminated," Liu Zhiyao was extremely surprised.

She thought that with a pairing like Liu Zhiyin and Zhang Pingqing, it must be Liu Zhiyin who advances.

Which production team would eliminate a current popular star like Liu Zhiyin and keep an unknown actor like Zhang Pingqing?

Liu Zhiyao had originally prepared herself to be eliminated.

At this moment, He Sha sent her a message: I'm a bit confused.

Liu Zhiyao: Me too.

He Sha: Could it be that Liu Zhiyin has no schedule later? That's why she was eliminated?

Liu Zhiyao: That's possible. Come to think of it, she doesn't have that much time to waste on this program.

He Sha: "Zhen Hongyu might be in the same situation; perhaps she has no schedule available afterward."

Liu Zhiyao: "That's not certain. Let's prepare first; the next group to record is mine and Zhen Hongyu's."

He Sha: "Good luck."

Half an hour later, the program continued recording.

Zhen Hongyu had previously collaborated with both Lu Yanhe and Chen Lingling. In "Phoenix Terrace," the role of Xiao Yun was originally hers, but she withdrew later due to a scandal involving her boyfriend at the time that affected her.

However, this matter did not truly affect her.

After resolving the issue, she joined a new film crew to shoot a drama and consistently maintained her position as a top actress.

Compared to her, her competition opponent Liu Zhiyao, if not for the attention generated at the press conference for the pilot episode of "The Birth of an Actor" previously, would have been ignored for a long time.

The play performed by the two women was a classic palace intrigue drama.

The two acted with flashing blades and sword lights, with undercurrents surging.

To be honest, both actresses performed brilliantly; in Lu Yanhe's view, they were evenly matched.

In the short twenty-minute segment, the two performed three plot and character reversals, with their acting handled perfectly.

"Both actresses acted well," Chen Lingling said. "I can hardly say who acted better than the other; both actresses completed their roles very perfectly."

"Indeed, in just twenty minutes, flashing blades and sword lights," Shang Yongzhou said. "Zhiyao, I haven't seen you act in a long time; your skill is no less than in the past."

Liu Zhiyao smiled and waved her hand, saying, "It seems I haven't lost face."

"Zhiyao used to be a major producer of palace intrigue dramas, right?" Chen Bige asked with a smile. "I remember watching several of your palace intrigue dramas."

Liu Zhiyao nodded and said, "Yes, ten years ago this genre was very popular; many were made, and I acted in quite a few. Because my most famous and well-known drama is "Imperial City," for a long time, the dramas offered to me were mostly palace intrigue dramas."

But Liu Zhiyao belonged to those who succeeded because of palace intrigue dramas and failed because of palace intrigue dramas.

Because palace intrigue dramas were severely restricted for a period, almost becoming extinct, Liu Zhiyao's other dramas did not broadcast well, and she was gradually eliminated by the market.

"I am very happy to see you again today; I believe your appearance will certainly bring many memories to many viewers," Chen Bige said. "Hongyu, your appearance here also surprises me greatly; I believe it certainly surprises many people."

Zhen Hongyu: "Thank you; I hope I haven't disappointed everyone."

"No disappointment at all," Chen Bige waved her hand. "But what do you think? Why choose to come to a competition PK-type program at this time?"

"I feel this format is quite interesting, and, look, all the competitors are such excellent actors," Zhen Hongyu said. "In the past, when we shot a drama, it took several months. I have been in the industry for so long; up to now, excluding cameos, I have actually acted in no more than ten dramas. I still want to try more types and genres; this program can give me such an opportunity."

"Have you considered that you might be eliminated?" Chen Lingling asked.

Zhen Hongyu paused for a moment and said seriously, "I have always believed in my own acting skills."

"Of course, otherwise I wouldn't have asked you to act in "Phoenix Terrace" back then. However, look, this time Zhiyao is competing with you; she is no worse than you. Do you feel threatened?" Chen Lingling asked.

Zhen Hongyu turned her head and looked at Liu Zhiyao.

Liu Zhiyao smiled.

"She is also a very good actress, but I still say the same thing: I trust myself very much," Zhen Hongyu said. "I am full of confidence in myself, no matter who my opponent is."

Zhen Hongyu's statement was indeed very confident.

Lu Yanhe even felt that her making such a statement might attract some hate.

Because most of the time, everyone still prefers a humble person.

"Then what about you? Zhiyao, who do you think performed better between you and Hongyu today?" Shang Yongzhou took over the conversation and threw the question to Liu Zhiyao.

Liu Zhiyao smiled shyly.

"I am also full of confidence in my own performance," she said firmly.

For a moment, the atmosphere between the two women on stage became tense.

"Especially good," Chen Lingling suddenly clapped her hands at this moment and said, "The fact that you two can be so confident in yourselves in front of everyone is exactly the attitude a good actor should have. Actually, actors should know that they must be full of confidence in themselves, even narcissistic."

"Director, then between the two actors, who do you choose?" Peng Zhixing began to cue the process.

Chen Lingling lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then decisively wrote her choice on the board and revealed it: Hongyu.

Zhen Hongyu bowed in thanks.

At this time, Chen Bige and Shang Yongzhou also wrote down their choices one after another.

Both of them chose Liu Zhiyao.

Liu Zhiyao showed an expression of incredulous surprise, covered her mouth, her eyes instantly turned red, and tears poured down in a rush.

Peng Zhixing glanced at Zhen Hongyu, whose complexion looked somewhat unpleasant, took a deep breath, and for the sake of the program, had to press further.

"Teacher Bige, Teacher Yongzhou, why did you choose Liu Zhiyao?"

Chen Bige said, "I'll speak plainly. As Director Chen said, both actresses are very good; today's performance and the weight of the roles were completely evenly matched. But I haven't seen Liu Zhiyao's performance in a long time; perhaps for this reason, she attracted my attention more on stage—so I chose Liu Zhiyao."

Shang Yongzhou also said, "Hongyu's performance still leans more towards the style of film and television shooting. In terms of controlling the stage, Liu Zhiyao is more skilled, and the difficulty is greater. I'm not saying you, Hongyu, are lacking in this aspect, but your role didn't have this space to show it. Actually, simply put, both Bige and I are no longer choosing based on the acting level of the two actresses; your acting levels cannot be distinguished, so we can only make a judgment from these marginal details. Sorry, Hongyu."

Although Zhen Hongyu's complexion was very bad, she nodded at this moment, waved her hand, and indicated that she was OK.

However, when Peng Zhixing announced the audience votes, a very dramatic scene appeared.

Out of two hundred audience members, 118 voted for Zhen Hongyu, and only 82 votes went to Liu Zhiyao. Including the judges' votes, Zhen Hongyu still had the better total number of votes and advanced.

Liu Zhiyao, who had previously worn a look of relieved joy, stood stunned in place at this moment as if struck by lightning, bewildered.

Zhen Hongyu was also stunned.