LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Dog Eats Dog, Fur Everywhere!
"Helped you get into character?"
Liu Xiaoli was a bit surprised but kept her composure.
Though she hadn't taken much notice of this "Du Sheng," his ability to stand out implied he had noteworthy qualities. She decided to keep him in mind.
"How did it go?" Wang Yaoyang asked nonchalantly, rubbing his hands together.
Internally, he was a mess. He knew the chances of Du Sheng passing the audition were slim, but he couldn't suppress a glimmer of hope.
Du Sheng, now changed back into his own clothes and holding his bag, replied, "It went okay, I think."
Wang Yaoyang instinctively started saying the comforting words he'd prepared, "Don't worry too much. After all, Qiu Qing was practically handpicked by Zhang Da-Hu—wait, what did you just say?"
He suddenly snapped out of his stupor, his face shifting from confusion to astonishment.
"Let's go home," Du Sheng said, beckoning him along. "Whether I get the role or not, we'll know in a day or two."
---
Wang Yaoyang shot to his feet, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"So… you… you might actually get the role?"
"There's a chance," Du Sheng said coolly as he headed for the door.
He gave a brief summary of the day but left out certain details. After all, Zhang Da-Huzi hadn't even left the hospital yet and likely had bigger legal troubles to deal with.
---
Wang Yaoyang was dumbfounded. It took him a while to gather himself. When he finally spoke, his excitement was barely contained.
"This calls for a celebration! Let's hit the Three Yuan Street Food Market!"
---
That evening, the casting process for The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils wrapped up. All shortlisted candidates' profiles were sent to Zhang Da-Huzi, who was still reeling from the fallout of his recent scandals.
While the major roles had been finalized, dozens of secondary characters remained to be cast. With three or four candidates per role, the stack of resumes was overwhelming.
Gazing at the mountain of documents, Zhang Da-Huzi, already battered by public opinion, felt a wave of irritation.
The thought of painstakingly combing through these profiles was exhausting, but professional obligation compelled him to start skimming.
When Zhang reached the section for Murong Fu, he paused.
As the central antagonist of the revised adaptation, Murong Fu was a crucial role. Zhang expected a flood of candidates for the part.
But to his surprise, Zhou Yaowen had submitted only a handful of profiles.
Zhang began flipping through them, one by one.
The first few candidates were unremarkable, failing to make any strong impression.
Then, near the bottom of the stack, a familiar name caught his eye: Qiu Qing.
"Ah, Qiu Qing," Zhang murmured, a faint smile crossing his face.
Having worked with Qiu Qing on Legend of the Condor Heroes, Zhang had always appreciated his skill. He'd even invited Qiu Qing to audition for The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils long before production began.
Satisfied, Zhang was about to set the stack aside when he noticed one more profile.
He flipped it over, noting that this candidate seemed to have been prioritized.
"Du Sheng?"
Curiosity piqued, Zhang scanned the profile. At first glance, Du Sheng's noble and charismatic appearance was undeniable. He looked like he was born to play Murong Fu.
But his acting experience was underwhelming compared to Qiu Qing's.
"How could he be more suitable than Qiu Qing?"
Zhang turned to the directors' evaluations.
Zhou Yaowen: "Outstanding presence. Deep understanding of the character. His demeanor aligns perfectly with Murong Fu's essence. Immense potential."
Ju Jueliang: "A promising newcomer backed by Zhongyao Media. Excellent in both emotional and action scenes. Bonus: he has over 100,000 social media followers."
Zhao Jian: "Exceptional in action sequences. Solid martial arts foundation and impressive physical coordination. Highly recommended."
Yu Min: "Great appearance and solid acting skills. Even Qiu Qing, after seeing his performance, admitted he was outshined."
Zhang Da-Huzi's brows furrowed in surprise. It was rare for all four directors to unanimously praise a single actor.
Even Yu Min, who had always championed Qiu Qing, had given Du Sheng a glowing review.
"Qiu Qing voluntarily gave up to shoot a film in Bay City?" Zhang murmured. He considered calling Qiu Qing to confirm but was interrupted by a knock at the door.
A nervous assistant entered, placing several newspapers on Zhang's desk.
Zhang glanced at the headlines, his face darkening with each one.
"Karma Strikes: The Fall of Zhang Da-Huzi!"
"Former Laughing in the Wind Star Shao Bin Plans to Sue Zhang Da-Huzi!"
"Exposed! Was Shao Bin's Dismissal Just a PR Stunt?"
Fury erupted within Zhang as he read about Shao Bin's allegations.
The former Laughing in the Wind star accused Zhang of sabotaging his career for personal vendettas, claiming his dismissal was nothing more than a publicity stunt.
Shao Bin's public outcry added fuel to the fire already raging against Zhang Da-Huzi.
"Find out who's behind this!" Zhang roared, slamming his desk so hard that papers scattered everywhere.
"And Shao Bin—was he behind that firework incident? I want answers!"
Meanwhile, Du Sheng leaned back in his modest apartment, scrolling through the day's headlines.
The storm of bad press surrounding Zhang Da-Huzi was almost poetic.
"Could it be that his greed finally caught up with him?" Du Sheng mused, sipping his tea.
Indeed, Zhang's downfall seemed inevitable in hindsight. With so many enemies waiting i
n the wings, all it took was a little push for the walls to come crashing down.
It truly was a case of dog eats dog, fur everywhere.