Chapter 503

The previous actors were at most just acting as Little Fu Hongying, only achieving a superficial resemblance, while the spirit was basically nowhere to be found.

But at this moment, Zhong Zhong Haohao had a bit of that spirit, giving people the feeling that she was a veteran soldier with over a decade of military service.

At such a young age, with such a small stature, she walked among a group of soldiers as if no one else was there. Looking indifferently, her eyes were full of raw recruits; even platoon leaders and company commanders had to sit on equal footing with her.

No, they all had to give up their seats for her.

The scene being auditioned this time was the scene where Little Fu Hongying and a few eccentric comrades from the Ninth Company go to the kitchen squad's courtyard to eat.

The veteran soldiers who were eating saw the little girl take the lead and enter, and they all scattered to the side, clearing out a table.

The new recruits who had just arrived didn't know the situation and wanted to question why they didn't follow the "first come, first served" rule, but after meeting Little Fu Hongying's gaze, they instantly turned around to find their platoon leader, only to find the platoon leader was also cowardly.

"Platoon leader, why are you..."

"Don't speak, don't provoke her."

Li Ye watched Zhong Zhong Haohao, who was both stubborn and unyielding, and couldn't help but smile.

"Clap, clap, clap, clap."

Zhong Zhong Haohao didn't have a single line of dialogue in this scene, but she vividly portrayed the "big bully of the Independent Regiment" from the script—pitiful in background, clever, and arrogant.

Applause broke out; although it wasn't very enthusiastic, it was very sincere.

And Zhong Zhong Haohao had projected herself into the role while acting.

Everyone moved aside, and Little Fu Hongying didn't say a word, sitting in the empty seat and starting to eat. At 1.4 meters tall, she actually ate with the spirit of a bold hero.

"Let's stop the auditions here for today. Now, everyone, share your understanding of the characters. Let's start with the male lead. Zhang Zhang Fengyi, why don't you go first?"

"Oh, I was recommended by an uncle."

"Why can't you adapt? Just play along!"

Zhong Zhong Haohao bowed slightly to the teachers offstage to express her thanks, her lips moved, but in the end, she didn't express gratitude like the people in the previous groups.

Zhang Zhang Fengyi and Zhou Zhou Lijing both spoke eloquently, clearly having a deep understanding of the character Hu Yi, and their understanding of Hu Yi was consistent with the trend of film and television works of this era.

That is, no matter what kind of material one was before, as long as one entered the people's army, one would eventually be forged into good steel.

But when she came down from the stage, she didn't walk with that swaggering gait anymore, and her rebellious nature subconsciously restrained itself a lot.

Wen Wen Leyu also realized the change in Zhong Zhong Haohao, and after making eye contact with Li Ye, she revealed a faint smile.

"Uncle? Is she a child from the compound? That explains it."

Little Fu Hongying's parents were both dead, and she was raised by the regiment commander and Uncle Old Luo. Zhong Zhong Haohao's parents were divorced, and she had always lived with her grandparents.

"Hiss."

"And the reason that made him come alive again was not just Su Qing's love, but also the Independent Regiment's platform, which was completely different from the Nationalist Army's..."

Li Ye turned back to look at Zhong Zhong Haohao, who was still "cramming" with the novel, and had to ask in a low voice: "It's going to be your turn soon. What are you planning to say?"

"Alright, Zhou Zhou Lijing, tell us your thoughts."

However, Li Ye believed that the reason Zhong Zhong Haohao had a bit of that spirit was not just because of her military family background, but also because her life experience had several similarities with Little Fu Hongying in the novel.

"She taught you how to shoot? She's not even as tall as a gun!"

Li Ye thought for a moment and asked, "Do you want me to write a short draft now for you to memorize?"

"Alright, thank you, Director and leaders, for giving me this opportunity. My understanding of the character Hu Yi is this: before he arrived in the guerrilla zone, he had been fighting the Japanese soldiers for many years."

"Because his comrades were constantly dying, he became numb, but after arriving in the guerrilla zone, he slowly came alive again."

Zhong Zhong Haohao didn't even look up and said casually: "I haven't finished reading it yet! I'll talk about my thoughts later."

A thirteen or fourteen-year-old child can certainly perform if they are singing opera; some child actors who have practiced since childhood perform very well.

Director Wang Wang Haowei instantly came to her senses. Li Ye hadn't been very interested in casting, but the day before yesterday, he suddenly said he wanted to recommend a young actor. That must be a "connected person." Combining this with Zhong Zhong Haohao's performance, it wasn't hard to guess some things.

Zhong Zhong Haohao must have lived in a military family since she was a child and had been in contact with soldiers, which is why she could portray that "veteran" spirit.

Wang Wang Haowei quietly turned back to ask Li Ye: "Classmate Li Ye, where did you find this girl?"

"I learned to shoot from her. Why do you think?"

"Clap, clap, clap, clap."

Zhong Zhong Haohao raised her head, looked at Li Ye for several seconds, and said indifferently: "Are you asking me to memorize this kind of 'ideologically correct' draft? Then you don't need to write it. I've known how to memorize these since I was six, and I can do it better than them."

"Why? Platoon leader, why are you afraid of her?"

"Shh... Little Fu Hongying's marksmanship is the second best in the whole regiment, hitting the target every time."

"Then can you adapt to such an environment? When the time comes, everyone will be 'ideologically correct'..."

Just looking at her like this, it was clear she had fallen in love with the role of Little Fu Hongying, but due to her previous arrogance, she was still acting like a child.

But if you ask them to act, they can probably only perform as themselves; no matter how they act, they act very much like themselves.

Everyone offstage couldn't help but gasp.

"Hello, Director, hello leaders. My view on Hu Yi is similar to Zhang Zhang Fengyi's. At the beginning, he looked down on the soldiers of the Independent Regiment because he had attended the Military Academy and understood military theory..."

Little Fu Hongying was naughty since childhood and "lacked discipline"; Zhong Zhong Haohao had been treated like a ball by her parents since childhood, which made her rebellious. Both of their minds were actually very sensitive, and they were both using superficial pride to hide their inner fragility.

Although her "Stand straight!" had successfully crushed Zhong Zhong Haohao's arrogance, Wen Wen Leyu, who had a kind heart, felt heartache for this child who wasn't even thirteen yet.

Although she had suffered a lot in the countryside, she had always had her mother by her side, but Zhong Zhong Haohao... sigh. "That Li Youcai, what are your thoughts on your character?"

Compared to the choice for the lead Hu Yi, the actor for Li Youcai was basically decided—it was Chen Chen Peisi, who was famous for "eating noodles," so the director addressed him directly by the character's name.

"Hello, leaders and comrades. Actually, I read the novel *Beacon Deserter* two years ago and have read it at least a dozen times from beginning to end. I especially like Hu Yi and Gao Gao Yidao."

"If you don't believe me, you can ask me about any part of it, and I can even memorize the dialogue in the novel."

"But when I heard the crew was recruiting actors, I went back and read the novel five more times. Because I knew I couldn't play the lead, I focused on the supporting roles."

"Then I really fell in love with the character Li Youcai. But I have a question in my heart that I can't grasp, which is..."

Chen Chen Peisi teased them, then suddenly turned his head and asked Li Ye with a smile: "Today, taking advantage of the fact that the author of the novel is here, I really can't help but ask: is Li Youcai considered a traitor or not?"

The sudden question made even Li Ye laugh.

Is Li Youcai in the novel a traitor? From his status, he certainly is. Serving under the Japanese army, if you aren't a traitor, who is?

But he is also a "friend" of the Ninth Company of the Independent Regiment, repeatedly helping the Ninth Company escape danger. Would you say he is a traitor?

Li Ye said seriously: "If you feel that the character Li Youcai is hard to grasp, then just remember one thing—Li Youcai never bullies the common people."

"Never bullies the common people..."

Chen Chen Peisi lowered his head to recall, then smiled and said: "That's true. In the whole novel, he really hasn't bullied a single common person. Thank you, brother—oh no, thank you, Screenwriter Li."

One has to say, the cultural workers of Chen Chen Peisi's generation were truly dedicated. To memorize a two-million-word novel for a small supporting role is truly admirable.

"Alright, let the performer for Little Fu Hongying speak."

Wang Wang Haowei put the role of Little Fu Hongying last, and Zhong Zhong Haohao was the very last one, clearly to take care of her and give her some time.

Anyway, Zhong Zhong Haohao came with Li Ye, the original author; Li Ye could just help her cheat a little, and that would be enough.

But who would have expected that after Zhong Zhong Haohao stood up, her words would be shocking.

"According to discipline, the character Little Fu Hongying shouldn't exist. According to our army's discipline, she could be executed eight times, but this kind of person is real. I know several of them myself."

"Little Fu Hongying has the status of a young soldier, but because she is young, she is subject to more lenient discipline. Or rather, although they wear military uniforms, in the eyes of the army leaders, they are still children."

"But the army is a place that emphasizes discipline, yet Little Fu Hongying's age and background made everyone spoil her and let her have her way."

"Once they reach sixteen, they will immediately become true soldiers with strict discipline. So the character Little Fu Hongying can only exist before the age of sixteen."

"If handled poorly, it will make some old soldiers slap the table and curse."

Everyone was stunned.

Because Zhong Zhong Haohao was not only clearly indicating "only someone my age can convince the audience," but also saying "I know several of them myself," leaving others with no way to argue.

How could you argue? She knew several former young soldiers and understood the situation in the army back then better than all of you.

Didn't this completely exclude Liu Liu Xiaoqing, Jiang Shan, and the others?

Liu Liu Xiaoqing's face looked visibly displeased.

Director Wang Wang Haowei's face didn't look good either.

Because Zhong Zhong Haohao had said "someone will slap the table and curse."

In the public opinion environment of 1985, if a work was produced where "old cadres slap the table and curse," that would be a major filming accident.

And when the people from the Beijing Film Studio first looked for Li Ye, Li Ye had mentioned the problem of "difficulty in passing censorship."

So Wang Wang Haowei frowned and looked at Li Ye.

"Classmate Li Ye, how do you think the character Little Fu Hongying should be filmed to satisfy the broad masses of soldier comrades?"

Li Ye said calmly: "Actually, it's not just Little Fu Hongying; the entire Ninth Company is a group of 'crooked melons and cracked dates' who don't follow the rules. They are a group of distinct, non-conformist individuals."

"Compared to the strictly disciplined First Company, the Second Company that likes to use bayonets, and the Third Company that hangs slogans on their lips all day..."

"They don't care about trifles in peacetime, but they are never behind in wartime. They aren't perfect, but they are respectable. In the end, many of them sacrificed themselves. So it is precisely these kinds of characters that have distinct personalities, rich content, and are easier to perform brilliantly."

"Distinct personalities and brilliant—that's right, that's exactly it."

Director Wang Wang Haowei pondered Li Ye's explanation and nodded slowly.

When she first read the script for *Beacon Deserter*, she felt it was different from previous anti-Japanese dramas like *Fighting North and South*, *Tunnel Warfare*, and *Plain Guerrilla*.

You have to know that in many war films shot in previous years, once the bugle sounded, the enemies would immediately flee in fear, and the battle would be won easily. The space left for actors to perform was too small; the style was distinct, but the flesh and blood were insufficient.

Compared to the stereotypical hero Li Xiangyang of the previous decade, Hu Yi, Little Fu Hongying, and the others were real people with personalities, flaws, and rich flesh and blood.

Wang Wang Haowei felt the pressure, but also felt a faint excitement. She had already foreseen that after this TV series was broadcast, it would inevitably be controversial, but it would also inevitably be brilliant.

"I'll make a suggestion, let's discuss it."

Seeing Wang Wang Haowei frown, Li Ye said, "I think *Beacon Deserter* could be filmed as a special operations-themed film and television work."

"The Ninth Company is not a regular combat unit. Every one of their battles is basically an emergency combat mission under special circumstances."

"So the composition of the personnel and the constraints of discipline are quite special. This makes it easier for people to accept."

Wang Wang Haowei's eyes lit up, and she immediately thought it was a great idea.

That's right! How could a combat unit composed of children, deserters from the Nationalist Army, and surrendered bandits be required to meet strict standards?

One must be more tolerant when dealing with special personnel!

This is just like how the script for *A World Without Thieves* couldn't pass censorship for a long time, as the protagonists were a pair of thieves.

Later, someone pointed out that they should change the script to make the female thief played by Rene Liu pregnant, and then she would turn over a new leaf and start life anew; the censorship department immediately and leniently passed it.

Everyone whispered to each other and also expressed their approval of Li Ye's suggestion.

But Chen Chen Peisi suddenly said: "If it's a special operations film, is it like *Garrison's Gorillas*?"

"Don't say that... hi, the many battle scenes in the novel are really similar to that lighthouse TV series. It will definitely look good when filmed."

"That's right! Every time it's a thrilling completion of a combat mission, we can also film our own ordinary heroes."

Their thinking was instantly opened up, and everyone spoke one after another, looking forward to the mainland's first special operations film and television work.

And Li Ye looked at Zhong Zhong Haohao.

"If you are selected, you might not be able to go home. You'll have to live alone in the Beijing Film Studio's guesthouse, take care of your own life, and communicate and learn with the director and those actors..."

Zhong Zhong Haohao's eyes also lit up.

"Alright, go tell the director; I'll move into the guesthouse today."

Other thirteen-year-old children cry for their mothers in the middle of the night when they are away from home!

But wouldn't this one be even better?

Wasn't she clamoring to go abroad just because she wanted to be alone?