Chapter 4: Me? The Male Lead?

June.

Graduation season.

At the college gate, the bustling noise under the night sky gradually faded into silence.

A light breeze blew; Chen Jianfeng, a 2003 performance department graduate, silently dragged his weary body through the main gate.

The 2003 graduating class of Beijing Film Academy was a cohort under intense public scrutiny.

Among the soon-to-graduate students, some had already been flooded with film offers since their freshman and sophomore years, releasing hotly anticipated works almost every year, long since becoming rising stars in the entertainment industry...

Others, gifted young talents, had directed their own films by sophomore year, rising step by step to the position of Best New Director amid thunderous applause, becoming new elites in the Sixth Generation director circle.

Some had taken up roles behind the scenes, supporting one film after another, and by graduation, had already joined major productions in key positions...

Others had joined crews as errand boys, constantly shuttling between sets, taking on any role no matter how degrading...

Of course, there were also people like Chen Jianfeng, who came from a small city carrying dreams of stardom into the big metropolis.

In the end, he had spent four years aimlessly among glamorous actresses and wealthy, handsome classmates, reduced to a background prop for those favored sons of fortune, now facing unemployment upon graduation in June.

Those standing under the spotlight, the center of everyone’s attention, were always few.

Some people seemed born merely to be ordinary backgrounds to those brilliant stars.

The evening wind brushed past.

Chen Jianfeng reached the entrance of Beijing Film Academy.

He was pondering which set to interview at tomorrow...

When suddenly, he spotted an A4 paper recruitment poster stuck to the security booth!

He glanced at it—and froze in shock!

Fuck!

【The World’s First Sino-American Co-Produced Blockbuster!】

But then his mind went blank!

Wait.

That doesn’t make sense.

How could a movie as huge as 【The World’s First Sino-American Co-Produced Blockbuster】 have a recruitment poster handwritten—and written so poorly?

It looks exactly like those midnight ads plastered on public restroom walls!

Just as he shook his head, about to leave, he suddenly stood still, hesitated, then silently stared at the words on the poster.

Seeking actors, seeking cinematographers, seeking lighting crew, seeking production assistants...

Except for director and screenwriter, this film was hiring for everything.

Was this film hiring this broadly?

“Student, interested in trying out?”

“Huh?”

As Chen Jianfeng stared blankly at the recruitment text, he saw a well-dressed, glasses-wearing young man inside the security booth smiling at him.

“Student, interested in landing a role?”

“Are you... making a movie?”

“Yeah, I’m with a film company. Here’s my card...”

Chen Jianfeng mechanically took the card, glanced down.

On the gold-embossed card were the words 【Xuanshi Entertainment】 Zhou Yang; the back listed his title as agent.

Chen Jianfeng looked from the poster to the earnest Zhou Yang.

【Xuanshi Entertainment】...

He’d never heard the name before.

First instinct: a scam company. But Zhou Yang’s demeanor didn’t seem like it. Finally, he scratched his head: “Mr. Zhou, what kind of production are you running?”

“Oh, a Sino-American co-produced action blockbuster...” Zhou Yang sized him up, then smiled: “Student, you’re from the 2003 graduating class, right?”

“Yes...” For some reason, meeting Zhou Yang’s gaze made Chen Jianfeng’s skin burn.

This guy’s eyes seemed to see right through him.

“Just finished auditioning for a martial arts film? And a modern drama too... Didn’t go well, right?” Zhou Yang glanced at his shoes, then his smile widened further.

“Huh? How do you know?” Chen Jianfeng was startled.

“You carry the distinct scent of urban film sets. From that scent, I can even guess your audition was for a rich girl falls for poor boy story. As for the martial arts film—your shoe wear shows you’ve done a lot of physical work today, but probably got paid nothing...” Zhou Yang adjusted his glasses and looked away.

“Ah!” Chen Jianfeng opened his mouth, completely stunned.

Zhang Shun, the security guard nearby listening to Hong Kong-Taiwan pop music on his radio, suddenly jerked his hand, turned off the radio, and stared at Zhou Yang like he’d seen a ghost.

He too was taken in by Zhou Yang’s act.

“Student, blindly searching only wastes your youth. Right now, you need to calm down and plan your life properly...” Zhou Yang looked at the dazed Chen Jianfeng and pointed to the empty chair beside him: “Interested in sitting down for a chat?”

“Uh, this...” Chen Jianfeng stood at the security booth entrance, watching Zhou Yang warily, hesitant to step inside.

“Student, you’re from a small county in Sichuan, right?”

“How do you know?”

“Relax. Even a scammer wouldn’t bother conning a poor guy who doesn’t even have a hundred yuan in his pocket...” Zhou Yang glanced again at Chen Jianfeng’s pockets.

“...”

Hearing this, Chen Jianfeng instinctively clutched his pocket, his face flushed crimson with embarrassment: “I, I don’t...”

Zhou Yang watched Chen Jianfeng’s expression but said nothing, only smiled and pointed again to the empty chair: “Success is sometimes simple: follow the right person, take the right path, do the right thing... If you want to change your miserable situation, sit down and talk with me. Just five minutes—won’t take much of your time...”

Chen Jianfeng hesitated for a long time.

He thought: he was so poor he could barely afford the bus fare—there was nothing worth scamming. Besides, this was the security booth of Beijing Film Academy, a highly visible spot with cameras everywhere—no one would dare harm him.

He finally stepped inside, sat down, and nervously looked at Zhou Yang: “Mr. Zhou, how much is the budget for this movie?”

“Not high—just under a hundred million.”

“A hundred million!” Chen Jianfeng was stunned.

Zhang Shun, who had been sipping tea, choked instantly, staring in shock at the suit-clad Zhou Yang.

This guy’s serious?

So ruthless?

“Yes...” Zhou Yang nodded: “We’ve hired renowned director Shen Long; currently in pre-production...”

“Then... the lead actor...”

“Because this film has special requirements, the first round of recruitment is limited in scope. I’m handling the auditions personally. Oh, Brother Zhang, could you take down the poster? I told you not to stick up ads like this—they’re too low-class, makes people think our company’s a scam...”

“???”

Zhang Shun’s eyes widened.

What the hell!

You stuck it up yourself, now you blame me?

Are you kidding?

As Zhang Shun’s expression flickered, Zhou Yang casually slipped him a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes.

Seeing the cigarettes, Zhang Shun coughed, then nodded silently and tore down the recruitment poster.

Fuck!

What the hell is Zhou Yang up to?

Even if he’s running a scam, why target a broke student with nothing in his pockets?

If not a scam, is he really investing a hundred million to make a movie?

Are you serious?

“So... who’s the lead actor...”

“You want to be the lead?”

“Me? I can?”

“Sure, no problem!”

“I...” Chen Jianfeng jumped to his feet, pointing at his own nose, his head buzzing, staring at Zhou Yang like he’d seen a ghost.

“I think you can!”

“You’re joking, Mr. Zhou?”

“I like jokes, but do you think I’d waste time joking with a broke student who can’t even pull out a hundred yuan?” Zhou Yang shook his head. “Do I have nothing better to do?”

“Th-then, I, I... I...” Chen Jianfeng’s mind went blank again.

Me?

Lead actor?

Wait—is it me going crazy, or is this guy insane?

“Alright, five minutes are up. It’s late tonight. Tomorrow morning, I’m acquiring a cinema to enter the film industry. If you’re free, call this number and come find me.”

Watching Chen Jianfeng’s stunned expression, Zhou Yang smiled, patted his shoulder.

Acquiring a cinema to enter the film industry?

I...

Lead actor?

Sino-American co-produced blockbuster?

Chen Jianfeng’s mind went blank.

He instinctively stood up, clutching the gold-embossed business card.

Then, dumbly, he walked out of the security booth and into the Yan Ying Academy dormitory.

………………

Watching Chen Jianfeng leave, security guard Zhang Shun lowered his head and stared at the utterly pathetic poster.

“Zhou Zong, tell me… you really plan to make a movie?”

“Yes.”

“You’re not running a scam?”

“I already said it—why would I go to such lengths to scam a poor student who doesn’t even have a hundred yuan in his pocket?”

“But this poster…”

“Oh, anyone who actually reads this poster is either desperate and gambling on luck, or… well, easy to handle…”

“Wait, how do you know he doesn’t even have a hundred yuan?”

“It’s sweltering outside, yet he refused to take a cab, trudged over sweating, wearing cheap clothes, carrying a bottled mineral water… Most importantly, he’s tall and handsome, but keeps his head down, avoids eye contact, hesitates constantly—clearly deeply insecure. And in this academy, he’s probably one of the lowest-tier scraps… A girl’s insecurity might stem from looks or other factors, but for a boy, beyond appearance, the biggest source of shame is usually family background…”

Security guard Zhang Shun froze.

“Then how do you know his audition was for a modern or wuxia production?”

“Lately I’ve been eavesdropping on entertainment gossip and reading plenty of newspapers. In Beijing, there are only two such productions. A little probing was enough to figure it out… Just now, when I tested him, his eyes darted away, and he couldn’t hide his disappointment—he must’ve failed. And did you notice the cracked bloodstains on his hands? He’s probably done manual labor…”

Zhang Shun stared blankly at Zhou Yang, who had his eyes half-closed.

Suddenly, the air felt chilly.

After a pause, he hesitantly asked, “If he’s so ordinary, why did you pick him?”

“Every stone in this world has its unique value… but most people’s eyes are blind.” Zhou Yang took off his glasses and wiped away the dust, speaking calmly.

Zhang Shun stared at Zhou Yang’s glasses, wondering if it was his imagination—

Weren’t these just plain lenses?

Were these glasses just for show?

“Zhou… Zhou Zong, you really plan to make a movie? To invest in movie theaters?”

“Do I look like a liar?”

“Then…”

“By the way, Brother Zhang, if you see any unemployed losers around lately, show them that recruitment poster. Those who are too sharp and immediately call you a scammer? Ignore them. But if someone shows interest—especially those with big dreams, the kind willing to try anything for their dream, who seem grounded—tell them to call me. Don’t worry, I’m not running a scam… Anyway, it’s late. I’ve got to go. Tomorrow I need to meet with theater owners about investment…”

“Why do I feel like you’re becoming more and more like a scammer?”

“Have you ever seen a scammer jump into a river? Oh, by the way, Brother Zhang, your electric scooter’s nice—green, eco-friendly, fully charged. Here, lend it to me for a day. I’ll return it tomorrow afternoon…”

“???”

Zhang Shun watched helplessly as Zhou Yang walked over to his newly bought electric scooter, unplugged the charger, swung his leg over, and gave him a smile.

Zhang Shun nodded instinctively…

Only when he saw Zhou Yang riding off into the distance did he suddenly snap out of it!

Why the hell did I nod? Am I supposed to walk home after my shift now?

Am I insane?!