Entertainment King:Extracting Skills from the Movies

"Wow, a beautiful girl just smiled at me! Could she have feelings for me?" Wang Yaoyang blurted, blushing slightly as he let his imagination run wild.

Du Sheng, afraid of catching whatever delusion Wang was suffering from, quickly moved his seat farther away and began observing the surroundings.

The hallway was filled with a mix of tension and anticipation. About a dozen actors sat scattered across the benches. A few faces seemed familiar from vague memories of bit parts in various TV dramas.

The only one Du Sheng could identify with certainty was Qiu Qing, seated in a corner.

These twelve actors were all auditioning for the role of Murong Fu, underscoring the fierce competition. Most of them had some acting credits, with a few even boasting notable roles.

But the most prominent among them was undoubtedly Qiu Qing, who had appeared in The Legend of the Condor Heroes, a production also helmed by Zhang Zhizong. His past work made him the strongest contender and a potential dark horse for this audition.

Despite the crowd, no one exchanged pleasantries. The tension in the air was palpable.

Du Sheng understood the dynamics at play—many of these actors had secured their spots through connections with investors, producers, or directors.

To stand out, he would have to demonstrate exceptional talent that could convince the judging panel.

The one silver lining? Zhang Zhizong was stuck in the hospital and wouldn't be attending.

This left the decision in the hands of the chief director and the three other directors.

---

After twenty minutes of waiting, the auditions finally began.

Two actors were escorted into the makeup room and didn't return, signaling their auditions were likely over.

Then the third and fourth actors were called in.

"Next, Qiu Qing."

As Qiu Qing strode confidently toward the audition room, the tension in the hallway grew more intense.

Most of the actors had heard the rumors—Qiu Qing's selection for Murong Fu was supposedly a done deal.

But inside the makeup room, Qiu Qing's confidence wavered when he noticed something unexpected: Zhang Zhizong wasn't there.

His sponsor, director Yu Min, was present, but she sat quietly to the side, leaving the decision-making to others.

---

Meanwhile, in Zhang Zhizong's hospital room, he was about to make a phone call to check on the auditions when the door burst open.

Standing in the doorway was his wife, Fan Xinman, her expression a mixture of cold disdain and disappointment.

Zhang Zhizong paused mid-dial, surprised.

"Xinman, what are you doing here?"

Fan Xinman didn't respond immediately. Instead, she walked in, tossed a stack of papers onto the table, and fixed him with a piercing gaze.

"You said those photos online were fake. Then how do you explain these?"

Zhang Zhizong instinctively glanced at the papers. His face turned ashen—they were unedited, high-resolution photographs, far clearer than the pixelated ones circulating online.

Everything—absolutely everything—was visible.

For a moment, he was struck dumb, his excuses dying in his throat. The phone call to the auditions? Forgotten.

---

Back at the makeup room, the door opened, and a staff member called out loudly:

"Du Sheng! Is Du Sheng here?"

Du Sheng immediately stood up.

"I'm here."

"Come in!"

The moment put Du Sheng at ease—he had feared they might abruptly announce the role had already been decided.

Wang Yaoyang stood as well, his usual jokey demeanor replaced by sincerity.

"Go get 'em. I know you've got this."

Du Sheng nodded, said nothing, and took a deep breath. Following the staffer into the makeup room, he felt his nerves steady.

The room was spacious and neatly divided into three areas: the left side held the audition space, the right side housed weapons and props, and the center was lined with costumes and changing rooms.

This was not just the audition for Murong Fu—other supporting roles were also being cast here.

Du Sheng, following instructions, selected a set of fitted robes under the guidance of a costumer.

The outfit—a flowing blue gown with an intricate waist sash and headpiece—closely resembled the one Qiu Qing had worn.

After dressing, Du Sheng examined his reflection and felt a sense of satisfaction.

The costumer circled him a few times, her eyes lighting up as she studied his appearance.

While his attire and hairstyle were similar to Qiu Qing's, the effect was completely different.

Du Sheng's broad shoulders, slim waist, and upright posture gave him an elegance that seemed to lift straight off the pages of a wuxia novel.

Walking with a natural poise and grace, his robes billowed as if he were a wandering swordsman stepping out of an ancient painting.

The costumer's heart skipped a beat, her eyes sparkling. She hadn't expected one outfit to produce such starkly different impressions on two people.

"Over there, by the left door. You're up next," she said, her tone lighter, as if buoyed by Du Sheng's appearance.

Du Sheng thanked her with a polite nod and waited at the designated spot.

The earlier auditioning actors began to trickle out, their expressions varied. Some left with visible disappointment, others wore proud smiles, while a few maintained stoic facades.

Yet curiously, Qiu Qing did not leave.

But Du Sheng had no time to dwell on this.

When the assistant came out and called his name, he steadied his breathing, stood tall, and stepped into the audition room.

Inside, he quickly scanned the room.

The panel consisted of four directors: Zhou Yaowen (the chief director), Qu Jueliang, Yu Min, and Zhao Jian.

Standing off to the side was Qiu Qing, who appeared to be in a "tentative" status.

Du Sheng caught a subtle nod from Qu Jueliang, which he understood to mean one thing: Qiu Qing's selection was pending. If no one else performed better, the role would be his.

Zhou Yaowen, seated behind the monitor, had been silent throughout the auditions. His sparse notes, scribbled on each actor's file, carried immense weight—they could determine an actor's fate with a single stroke.

In addition to his authority as the chief director, Zhou Yaowen held significant sway over the production.

Even the decision to place Qiao Feng (Xiao Feng) as the central protagonist of this adaptation of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils had been his suggestion to Jin Yong.

Zhou Yaowen's veto power extended even to the female leads. Liu Yifei might have been cast as Wang Yuyan, but only after rejecting a roster of high-profile contenders, including Kim Hee-sun, Huang Yi, Xu Jinglei, and Jiang Qinqin.

Zhou's reasoning was blunt:

"Kim Hee-sun doesn't speak Mandarin and knows nothing of traditional culture. How can she embody Wang Yuyan?"

He dismissed others with equal directness:

"Xu Jinglei can't act, Huang Yi isn't pretty enough, and Jiang Qinqin looks too old in period costumes."

It was a testa

ment to Zhou Yaowen's boldness—and his ultimate authority.

Now, the weight of that authority rested squarely on Du Sheng's shoulders.