Chapter 515: Big Move: Ensemble Cast

Tian Ou was very excited; he had come to the recording set of Director Show filled with high expectations.

However, the contestants in his camp seemed to lack a bit of enthusiasm when they saw him.

On the surface, one couldn't pick out any faults, but compared to when the camp was first formed, he could feel a clear difference.

It was as if this wasn't his camp, and he was just an uninvited guest.

In the previous two short films, Luo Mo had been too incredible!

So much so that the contestants who had participated still wanted to continue acting. Those who hadn't been chosen were also filled with all sorts of envy and held expectations.

Upon learning that Director Tian was returning and Director Luo would no longer be filling in for the recordings, everyone's emotions were very complicated.

Yes, you, Tian Ou, came back filled with high expectations.

But what about us?

Our expectations are about to deflate...

There were even some who were already discussing withdrawing from the competition with Ning Dan.

Xu Ruihong was the one with the best acting skills in the entire Tian Ou camp, and was viewed by him as a pillar of support.

He certainly didn't intend to properly promote him, but if there were any tough nuts to crack, any roles with too much difficulty, or any dirty or tiring work, he would definitely throw them to Xu Ruihong to solve.

Middle-aged, getting on in years, average-looking, and having gained middle-aged weight... he couldn't support traffic and popularity anymore!

But Xu Ruihong was useful; he was an indispensable screw.

"Why does he want to withdraw? On what grounds is he withdrawing?" Tian Ou couldn't figure it out no matter what.

For this type of person, there isn't much work; isn't it great to earn money by recording variety shows?

"And if I remember correctly, he is a 'freelancer' with no team and no company!" Tian Ou didn't understand.

He didn't know that in a few days, Luo Mo Studio would release news that they had signed Xu Ruihong.

The reason he wanted to withdraw was also because Luo Mo had work arrangements for him, and there would be some irreconcilable scheduling conflicts coming up.

From another perspective, even if Xu Ruihong stayed, he wouldn't have much of an opportunity to perform; this was related to many factors, and he might end up sitting on the bench.

If he wasn't valued, his acting skills wouldn't be of any help to the program Director Show.

Watching this, Ning Dan could only feel annoyed.

On the other side, Song Ge, who had been looking forward to Director Tian's return, was working very hard today to act as a wallflower, muttering in his heart: "Don't see me, don't see me, don't see me..."

But Tian Ou didn't think that way.

—Haha, Song Ge! I am going to put you to good use!

Holding this mindset, Tian Ou sought out Song Ge and stated directly that Song Ge would serve as the male lead in his next short film.

Song Ge suddenly felt a bit aggrieved.

When I needed you, you were nowhere to be found.

As soon as you return, you throw a hell-difficulty start at me.

You've already issued a challenge to Luo Mo; the short film you shoot will be compared to Luo Mo's by everyone.

His results are right there; I'm under a lot of pressure!

Can't we just shoot normally and act normally?

Why are you provoking him!

A voice emerged from the bottom of Song Ge's heart: "How about... we withdraw from the competition too?"

Looking at the somewhat dazed Song Ge and the performance of the others, Tian Ou realized that he must have missed something.

"Song Ge, come over, let's talk; I want to get an understanding of the situation from you," Tian Ou said.

"You motherfucker know to get an understanding of the situation now?" Song Ge cursed in his heart.

In order to make Tian Ou realize that the situation was very serious, he began to tell him everything he knew without reservation.

Since Tian Ou had returned to the recording, the non-disclosure agreement was now effective for him; he had the right to know everything in the program and also had to keep it confidential according to the rules.

This was when Tian Ou was dumbfounded.

—Luo Mo wrote and directed it himself, without bringing any screenwriters.

—Huh?

—Luo Mo's two short films were both ranked first.

—Huh?

—Luo Mo also participated in the acting himself, and he acted very well.

—Huh?

Tian Ou was stunned and frowned, saying: "But Director Li and Director Fang both said they didn't like Luo Mo's works."

The corners of Song Ge's mouth twitched, cursing in his heart that the old man was very bad and the old woman was truly disgusting, but he could only say: "The two directors indeed didn't vote much for Luo Mo; Director Li didn't vote even once."

Tian Ou sat there, lowering his head to look at his own toes.

"Heh, it seems I'm in a difficult position this time."

As a director, Tian Ou was the one in charge of the big picture; knowing he had done something stupid this time, he immediately adjusted himself.

He immediately placed his hand on Song Ge's shoulder and said: "Song Ge, actually, I have always thought highly of you."

"Help!" a voice sounded from the bottom of Song Ge's heart.

Don't think highly of me, I beg you.

As night fell, Reset updated.

The noble Penguin Video VIPs could already watch the seventh episode.

The sixth episode, which featured scenes involving Lu Di, received rave reviews after airing and also created a large number of laughs.

The seventh episode did not begin by directly continuing the content of the sixth episode.

The opening scene was inside a prison.

The person brought out from the cell by a prison guard to meet with family was none other than the old man on the bus with a burlap sack at his feet.

This served to inform the audience of the old man's identity.

He was a person who had served his full sentence.

In this scene, the old man's wife came to visit him, and he excitedly and joyfully said that in two more months, he would be able to go home.

He even began planning his life after release, saying he would tidy up the land at home, grow watermelons just like before, and since his son was grown up and ready to marry, he would renovate the old family house for the mother and son and build a second floor.

Yet, what greeted him was his wife's words: "You had better not... look for us in the future."

"All these years, because of your business, the child has been looked down upon and suffered so much grievance. People... all say his father is a murderer," the wife said in her dialect.

"He has no way to live where we are now. No decent girl is willing to marry him."

"From now on, you live your life, and we will live ours."

"When you get out, also... don't come looking for us."

This made the audience feel very conflicted.

This old man's acting was very good; because of his crime, he also had a fawning attitude toward his family, which made him look humble and heart-wrenching.

——One planning to leave, one planning for a reunion.

However, he is a murderer!

He has been to prison!

Judging from this situation, he was still in a state of utter despair.

So, is it possible that the bomb on the bus... is his!

The prison gate closed, the subtitles appeared for 【Episode 7】, and the main content officially began.

The focus of this episode actually began to center on 【Family】.

This made many viewers realize that they had overlooked these people.

Yes, the male lead and female lead can Loop again and again.

But after every bus explosion, what would the reactions and states of the families of the people on the bus be?

In the process of the police comforting the families and asking about the situation, the female lead Li Shiqing also learned that the old man had been to prison, had hit and killed someone, and had committed a hit-and-run.

Drama Critic Xiao Cai watched the seventh episode the moment it was released.

This time, while watching, she prepared pen and paper to record some inspiration at any time, so it would be convenient to write a review after finishing.

When the progress bar was halfway through, she saw Lu Di's mother taking the letter Lu Di had written and making a scene at the police station.

Lu Di's father had a dispute with him.

Listening to their back-and-forth, Xiao Cai was stunned: "Ah! Lu Di's father knows he is secretly renting a room outside!"

"He even said his son is grown up, so give him some Face and don't argue in public."

What moved her most was that before leaving, the father, with reddened eyes, said to his son who was hopelessly addicted to the two-dimensional world: "Actually, back in the day, I chased after rock Singers, and your mother chased after movie stars and poets; we were just like you back then."

Xiao Cai inexplicably felt like crying.

But the subsequent content turned from heartwarming to Comedy.

Lu Di's remarks to the police were incredibly chuunibyou, shouting: "We don't have much time left."

As for the male lead Xiao Heyun and the female lead Li Shiqing, they were already... used to it.

They had been in too many times.

Yo, regulars!

They were already killing time, waiting for the next 【Loop】 to begin.

——"Do as you please, I'm going to sleep first."

Xiao Cai couldn't help but leave a comment on the Live Broadcast: "I feel bad for them, this is too practiced."

The comments were incredibly dense at this moment.

"Hahaha, they've learned to take the initiative."

"The male and female leads are both numb, just going to sleep, while little Lu is too excited to sleep!"

A new Loop began again, and everyone started to look forward to it and feel curious; Xiao Cai couldn't help but mutter to herself: "Can Lu Di enter the 【Loop】? Can it change from a duo to a trio?"

However, Lu Di did not enter the 【Loop】.

Xiao Cai felt a bit disappointed, but she also knew very well that precisely because Lu Di did not enter the Loop, the previous foreshadowing would take effect.

"Didn't Lu Di say, as long as they shout that long name of his, something like Cat Apostle, he would believe them and provide them with help."

Since Lu Di did not successfully join the team, the male lead and female lead had to continue checking the passengers on the bus.

And that old man who had been to prison and brought a large burlap sack was the key suspect.

His sack had a hole in it, and inside were watermelons.

But who could guarantee that in such a large sack, there wasn't a bomb mixed in?

In the process of verifying, Xiao Heyun kicked the sack, and after kicking it, he stepped on it, crushing the watermelons inside.

The old man immediately stood up: "What are you doing! Why are you kicking my watermelons?"

"Hey! No fighting, no fighting! What are you doing!" Happy Brother, who was doing a Live Broadcast, immediately said.

Who would have thought that upon hearing this, the old man immediately squatted down, raised his left hand high, and began to answer.

This was a habit after being in prison, a physical conditioned reflex.

Finally, the old man opened the sack and, with a pained expression, took out the watermelons one by one to check them.

These watermelons were all grown by himself; they weren't for sale, he wanted to give them to his son to eat.

In the end, he even shared the broken watermelons with everyone on the bus, giving them to everyone to eat.

"One episode finished, the old man's identity and background have been explained, and his suspicion has been cleared."

Drama Critic Xiao Cai picked up her pen and began to record her thoughts.

"I feel that the first five episodes of 'Beginning' are just explaining the grand background and the grand setting."

"Starting from the sixth episode, that is the true moment of showing off skills!"

"Episodes six and seven let me see the reconciliation between the two-dimensional youth and his father, and also let me see the subsequent life predicament of a person released from prison."

"I saw the complexity of human nature; everyone has strengths and weaknesses, good points and bad points."

"Very realistic, not stereotyped."

"Every detail is done very well."

"When the person released from prison hears someone scolding him, he will subconsciously squat down and then raise his hands."

"Hearing someone tell him to apologize, he will also apologize immediately and obey at once."

"Group Portrait, ah! Luo Mo is using this ultimate move again—Group Portrait!"

Suddenly, Xiao Cai seemed to realize something; she reacted.

At the end of the seventh episode, the bus still exploded on the cross-river bridge, and the sound of 'Canon' still rang out.

This bridge is truly the Naihe Bridge, damn it; no matter what, they just can't get across!

She began to drag the progress bar back, starting to search for something.

She dragged it back to the first half of the episode, to the scenes of the families' reactions after learning the terrible news about the bus.

The one she focused on was the watermelon uncle's son, Ma Xiaolong.

The person who had refused to meet his father many times after he was released from prison.

In this scene, there were no excessive sentimental images, nor were there any flashback clips played to prove the father-son bond.

"Luo Mo is still that same Luo Mo, truly amazing!"

Xiao Cai only saw that in this scene, the camera gave a close-up of the name tag on Ma Xiaolong's suit.

Written on the name tag was—【Yanjiang West Sales Manager】.

Seeing this, Xiao Cai suddenly felt that this close-up was even more heartbreaking than those deliberately sentimental scenes in other dramas.

"Yanjiang West, Yanjiang West..."

"So it turns out that as long as he crossed the bridge, his dad would have reached his stop, they could have met, and he could have... eaten the watermelon."

(PS: First update, requesting monthly tickets.)

(End of this chapter)