Countless memories surged in Lu Chen's mind.
All of them belonged to Mo Ran.
This powerful actor in the dream world was deep, reserved, and resolute, possessing outstanding talent. However, his luck had always been poor; he had never become a true protagonist. Although Mo Ran was very open-minded about this, Lu Chen knew it was one of the biggest regrets of his life.
As an actor, who doesn't want to be the protagonist?
Lu Chen had once vowed in his heart to help Mo Ran fulfill his long-cherished wish in his own world.
So today's audition was undoubtedly a great start! His mind was filled with thoughts, yet his expression remained calm and composed, his steps steady and powerful. Because Lu Chen knew that as an actor coming to audition, the first impression left on the director was very important.
He certainly did not want to lose points in this regard.
The conference room of Ultron Company was not large. For the needs of the audition, the conference table had been rearranged to leave enough space for the actors coming to audition.
Sitting behind the long table were four people: three men and one woman. In front of them were paper and pens, and beside them was a digital camera, with two young men and women standing side by side.
Lu Chen stood in front of the judges, first bowing to them, then saying, "Hello, Director Yan, hello, teachers, I am Lu Chen. Please give me your guidance!"
He recognized one of the four judges as Yan Chengyi, the director of "Urban Love."
After receiving the audition notice, the workshop had organized the corresponding materials for Lu Chen, and there were photos of Yan Chengyi online, so he wouldn't mistake him.
When Lu Chen entered, everyone present was taken aback. Compared to the three who had been quickly eliminated, Lu Chen's appearance was undoubtedly much stronger.
He was tall and handsome, and wearing a police uniform gave him a heroic and passionate aura.
In industry terms, with his demeanor, he could easily play roles in war films or spy films, wearing military uniforms with the flair of an underground worker, radiating positivity!
Most importantly, Lu Chen's performance was steady and polite, completely unlike a newcomer.
Yan Chengyi was extremely satisfied. He had come today to oversee this audition, primarily to interview Lu Chen.
The others were merely there as a backdrop, part of the necessary procedure. After all, the company and investors had their requirements. For example, the middle-aged woman on the far right, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, was the representative of the largest investor.
Yan Chengyi had little fondness for her and was somewhat worried she would complicate things for him.
Similar situations had occurred several times before. However, with Lu Chen's outstanding performance, he believed she would have nothing to say!
"Hello, Lu Chen." The director smiled kindly, nodding as he asked, "Have you read the script?"
Lu Chen replied, "Yes, I have read it."
He had not only read the content on the two thin A4 sheets but had also memorized it.
It included several scenes relevant to the audition.
"That's good." Yan Chengyi pointed to the young man and woman standing by the camera and said, "Then you can try it out. They will play the heroine and the thief."
Ultron Company clearly attached great importance to this audition, preparing not only uniforms but also supporting actors.
This way, the auditionees wouldn't have to act in a vacuum, which would help showcase their abilities.
Lu Chen nodded, "Okay!"
The script was already in his mind, and he had rehearsed it multiple times, so performing on-site would be no problem.
The assistant sitting next to Yan Chengyi pressed the play button on a digital recorder placed on the table. The sounds of the bustling city immediately filled the conference room.
The supporting actors stood apart, with the male actor positioned behind the female, his gaze fixed on her handbag.
He slowly reached for the bag.
The scene of the play was set in a subway, where the heroine was targeted by the thief, and the male supporting character, a police officer, came to help. As a result, they developed an emotional entanglement.
At the moment the "thief" made his move, Lu Chen, standing a few steps away, suddenly stiffened, his dark eyes flashing with a cold light, as if an eagle had locked onto a fox, his muscles tensing up!
"Good!" Yan Chengyi couldn't help but give Lu Chen a mental thumbs up.
As the saying goes, an expert knows the quality of a performance at first glance.
Having worked as a director for so many years, Yan Chengyi's ability to judge people and performances was undoubtedly more profound than his directing skills.
His initial concern was Lu Chen's acting ability, as the latter was not formally trained and was not even a real actor; Lu Chen was a newly debuted vagabond singer. Although Lu Chen had previously shot commercials and music videos, Yan Chengyi considered those experiences insignificant.
"Urban Love" was a youth idol drama, and this director had high expectations for the actors' performances.
Lu Chen's demeanor, gaze, and seemingly instinctive actions made him realize that he might have stumbled upon a treasure today. This felt too good!
Next, Lu Chen turned sideways, taking a quick step forward to confront the "thief."
His right hand shot out like lightning, grabbing the thief's hand just as it was retracting, firmly holding it.
Before the other party could react, Lu Chen's left hand had already seized his shoulder, forcefully twisting it back while his right leg swept across the knee joint.
The "thief" was caught off guard and instantly lost his balance, being taken down to the ground by Lu Chen with a standard grappling move, both hands firmly locked!
"Ah!" The four judges gasped in unison.
Because the script did not require the actor to go to such lengths, after being caught, the "thief" would cooperate and be subdued on the ground, not like now, completely at Lu Chen's mercy, controlled like a puppet.
"Is the 'thief' really not hurt?"
In fact, their concern was unnecessary; Lu Chen had controlled the force perfectly, and although the supporting actor was restrained, he was not injured at all, merely letting out a startled cry.
Lu Chen ignored the "thief," snatching the wallet that had just been stolen from him and crouching to hand it to the heroine.
He smiled and said, "Miss, is this your wallet?"
The heroine was completely stunned, unsure how to respond, and after a moment, she finally came to her senses.
Blushing, she accepted the wallet Lu Chen handed her and softly said, "Thank you."
Lu Chen did not continue the performance but helped the struggling "thief" up, brushing off the dust from his clothes and apologizing, "I'm really sorry, did I hurt you?"
The "thief" shook his head, a look of admiration on his face: "You're amazing!"
Lu Chen smiled and turned to face the judges.
Yan Chengyi was the first to raise his hand, clapping loudly. Lu Chen not only met his expectations for the character Chen Yaoyang but exceeded them remarkably!
Lu Chen's skills were not just stunts; he had real martial arts prowess. Young and handsome, with top-notch acting skills and martial arts knowledge, he was simply the perfect idol star!
Yan Chengyi was convinced that Lu Chen was Chen Yaoyang. The director even became excited, believing that with Lu Chen's caliber, the related scenes could easily be extended.
The others joined in the applause. This had never happened in previous auditions.
Yan Chengyi lowered his hand and smiled, "Very good, I think..."
"I think..."
Just as Yan Chengyi was about to express his approval of Lu Chen, the representative of the investment party sitting on the far right interrupted, "You are not very suitable for the role of Chen Yaoyang!"
Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned. Including Lu Chen.
Everyone looked at the middle-aged woman with disbelief. She adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses and smiled at Lu Chen, saying, "Lu Chen, your appearance and acting are quite good, and I like you very much, but you are too tall, and it doesn't match well with the heroine. Moreover..."
Pausing, she continued, "You put too much pressure on the male protagonist, which is not conducive to the overall style of our episode, so it's really a pity."
He was rejected, and yet the reason was such. Lu Chen was left speechless. This woman was not denying his strength; rather, she believed his strength was too strong, overshadowing the others! Such a powerful reason left him without words.
Yan Chengyi's face turned pale. What nonsense reasoning! He chose Lu Chen precisely for that effect!
The first season of "Urban Love" had average ratings, and although the second season was renewed, to improve the ratings, there had to be highlights or even explosive points.
The character Chen Yaoyang was the breakthrough point, needing an actor like Lu Chen to shine. Moreover, Lu Chen was quite popular, with nearly ten million fans on the Wave Blog.
That was a guarantee for ratings! The investment representative actually thought Lu Chen overshadowed the main character.
It was simply absurd! If this were a movie, having a supporting character shine brighter than the protagonist would be a problem, but as a fast-paced weekend drama, good supporting characters undoubtedly bring freshness to the audience; having controversy and conflict is a good thing.
He firmly stated, "Manager Gong, I believe these are not issues."
The middle-aged woman continued to smile, "Director Yan, let's set this aside for now and let the others audition. If no one more suitable comes along, we can reconsider Mr. Lu Chen, okay?"
Yan Chengyi finally understood; what nonsense about too much pressure, it was clear that the investors already had someone in mind.
They were definitely waiting for the casting to finish! What was worse was that they hadn't discussed this with him beforehand, pulling a fast one on him at a critical moment.
The reasons behind this were complex. But in the world of investments, the investor's word is paramount; angering them could lead to a director's replacement without hesitation.
The first season of "Urban Love" had already been filmed, and Yan Chengyi's importance to this TV play was not irreplaceable. Unless the first season's ratings were exceptionally high, making it impossible to ignore his role.
Yan Chengyi felt disheartened, his expression blank as he said, "Whatever."
This was the strongest protest he could muster.
(End of Chapter)
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