006 I Have an Important Role
Three days later.
At the Starshine Actors’ Audition Venue.
The crowd surged like a tide, the air thick with the mingling scents of hairspray and perfume.
Everywhere, tension and hope intertwined.
Yet Qian Lang and his companions strolled in unhurried and at ease.
The three of them slipped into the venue—not to audition, but to seize any opportunity that might come their way.
Naturally, they were unlike the anxious hopefuls.
“Director Qian, what kind of misfits are these people?” Chen Yuanyuan covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, her face full of schadenfreude.
“Heh, good thing we didn’t pay a dime!” Hao Han wore an expression of having scored an immense bargain.
“Keep a low profile,” Qian Lang muttered, tugging his baseball cap lower, burying his face in shadow.
His gaze flicked casually over the surroundings.
In the waiting area, a diverse array of candidates displayed various postures.
Some sat upright and solemn, silently repeating lines until their lips quivered.
Others paced back and forth, stretching limbs in an attempt to shake off nerves.
In a corner, a young girl clutched a piece of paper, murmuring to herself.
Her eyes shifted between determination and worry.
Not far off, a young man flicked his hair back now and then.
Qian Lang’s eyes sharpened.
That guy looked familiar.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the audition begins. Please welcome the first contestant!”
On stage, lights blazed as bright as daylight.
With the host’s announcement, a female contestant stepped forward, inhaled deeply, and began her performance.
“Oh, such natural breath! Courage like a sponge, soaking up my tears…”
Her melody wavered aimlessly.
Yet she clutched a stalk of celery, swaying left and right in full immersion.
The audience below was dumbfounded.
“Hahaha.”
From the judges’ panel came bursts of snickering.
“Can you show me your celery?” Director Zhang Mou could no longer contain himself.
“Huh?”
The contestant on stage was bewildered.
“Next!”
Wang Xingxing waved his hand grandly.
The girl fled in embarrassment.
“My lover! I love you, I believe you are my dream lover!”
The next female singer’s voice was decent.
But what was with her wildly flying eyebrows and distracted gaze?
Did she think this was a comedy stage?
Director Zhang Mou covered his face in silence.
“Next!”
Wang Xingxing waved his hand again.
The third contestant, a reasonably good-looking young man, stepped up.
But his slanting bangs covered his right eye, lending him a somewhat eerie air.
“Raising—rags! You abandoned me—”
Good heavens, that howl nearly drove many away.
“Oh my!”
Wang Xingxing jumped in, eager to outdo Zhang Mou with his high praise.
Several in the audience chuckled.
Yet the contestant maintained his composure, continuing to sing:
“Raising—rags! You abandoned me—”
“I’m going mad!”
Wang Xingxing waved him off.
The young man was politely ushered off by the host.
“Next!”
With that, a male contestant tossed his hair as he strode onto the stage.
Unlike others who launched straight into their acts, he first introduced himself.
“Hello, judges. My name is Wang Bo, formerly a singer…
I have varied interests.
Uh… I’m decent at pop, folk, blues, hip-hop, rap…”
His broken Mandarin matched with awkward, outdated gestures.
Before he even started, the audience burst into laughter.
What a riot!
This guy’s mere presence was comedic gold.
A born entertainer!
“Nex—”
Wang Xingxing was about to wave his hand again.
But Zhang Mou’s interest was piqued.
“Hurry! Anyone will do!”
There was potential!
Wang Bo cleared his throat and launched into his song.
“Oh~ oh~ yeah yeah!”
“Oh~ oh~ oh!”
It wasn’t exactly unbearable, but certainly an assault on the ears.
Wang Xingxing covered his ears in silence, feeling queasy.
If this guy got into the crew, damn it, nobody would want to eat their meals!
Not to mention his unattractive face, his every move was unbearable.
Director Zhang Mou had a very peculiar taste.
“Stop! Goodbye!”
Fortunately, Zhang Mou couldn’t endure it any longer and decisively cut Wang Bo’s performance short.
“Thank you, judges.”
Wang Bo was disappointed but still gave a clumsy bow before leaving.
“Hahaha, I’m dying laughing!” Chen Yuanyuan suppressed her laughter in a low voice, exaggerating her amusement.
“The rejects are utterly hopeless.”
Hao Han also covered his mouth, fearing that any loud laughter might attract staff attention.
Unreliable!
Absolutely unreliable!
Thankfully, Galaxy Pictures hadn’t paid for this audition.
“Let’s go!”
Qian Lang patted the two on the shoulder.
The overlooked talent had already shown up today.
Dodging left and right, they exited the audition site.
...
“Sigh, didn’t make it again!”
Wang Bo sighed.
He had come to the capital only to chase his musical dream.
But living in a dim basement, eating nearly spoiled cornbread,
working exhausting night shifts for barely fifty yuan.
If not for his childhood friend Guan Hu urging him to act, showing him the possibility of becoming a professional actor,
he probably wouldn’t have lasted in the capital.
“I’ve given up on the music dream! Can’t I even make a living as an actor?”
Recalling how he struggled to get into the Capital Film Academy on his second try,
Wang Bo felt an inexplicable bitterness.
No doubt, his looks were the greatest barrier to entering showbiz.
Were the Academy’s admission standards that low?
If he could be an actor, then why couldn’t he be a Best Actor?
He could pretend not to care about such biting ridicule.
But being ignored for roles was truly painful.
No matter what, he had to survive.
There were so many actors; not all of them looked better than him.
Why could others make a living this way while he was left to wander, starving on the wind?
Anxiety churned within him.
Unconsciously, tears traced down his cheeks to his lips.
Salty.
It was unbearable.
“Can’t fate just grant me a role? I’ll play anything, just give me a chance, please!”
If no work came soon, he might really have to return home.
These years drifting in the capital would forever remain a fading dream.
Wang Bo howled toward the sky.
But no one answered.
He stumbled, almost falling.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Suddenly, a female voice sounded nearby.
Wang Bo looked up to see a round-faced girl.
Next to her stood a burly man, watching him with keen interest.
What the hell!
Even someone as ugly as me attracts human traffickers?
Did they plan to kidnap me to the mountains to be...
Panic surged through Wang Bo’s mind.
He leapt up like a monkey, ready to flee, but before he could take a step, a young man blocked his path.
“Where are you running?”
The young man had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes.
Even more handsome than Wang Bo’s classmates at the Film Academy.
“N-no… I’m not running.”
Wang Bo replied instinctively.
The young man smiled warmly.
“Mr. Wang, I see in your forehead and cheeks a sign of great fortune! It is certain that your future achievements will be extraordinary!”
“What the heck?”
Wang Bo was utterly dumbfounded.