Unaware of Ye Zhou’s temporary change of plans, Geng Bochuan, upon hearing his audition role, quickly recalled the passage in the script describing this plot.
He closed his eyes, repeatedly hypnotizing himself that he was Cheng Ye, not a celebrity, but a gangster who had to fight for a living.
But Cheng Ling was different. That child would have a bright future. He would be admitted to his dream university with excellent grades.
Cheng Ye had a younger brother. His younger brother was different from a bastard like him who was struggling to survive in the mud. His younger brother’s dream was to become a policeman. He was excellent in both character and academics and ranked among the top three in the class in every exam.
This was Cheng Ye’s life. If he was lucky, he would become an old gangster who did well in the future. If he was unlucky, he may die quietly in a fight one day.
It’s nothing. Cheng Ye could accept his ending calmly without any trouble.
Yet he just received a call from Cheng Ling’s teacher, saying Cheng Ling had not attended school for a week.
Geng Bochuan hung up, standing there dazed, his expression a mix of shock and anger, hands unconsciously clenched into fists, as if about to explode any second.
Ye Zhou’s gaze was fixed on Geng Bochuan’s facial expressions. The changes in his eyes and the subtle changes in his facial features due to emotions were all the focus of Ye Zhou’s attention.
After a few seconds, Ye Zhou found Geng Bochuan was about to erupt, with no further emotional transition, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. Is this all he can do? If so…
It’s still far from enough.
Just as Ye Zhou was about to look away, he saw Geng Bochuan suddenly move. He suppressed his anger, his reddened eyes from fury now appeared moist.
A very complex gaze.
Anger was gradually replaced by a sense of powerlessness. His raised hand slowly unclenched, and in a breath, his expression transitioned from anger to self-blame. Finally, he was pale and powerless.
Yes, this was the emotion Cheng Ye should have. Although his acting skill in emotional transition was still a bit crude, it far exceeded Ye Zhou’s expectations.
At least it proved that Geng Bochuan had truly put his heart into understanding the character of Cheng Ye.
Upon learning that his usually outstanding younger brother Cheng Ling had played truant, Cheng Ye’s reaction as a parent was the same as most people’s – initially anger.
But after the anger subsided, when Cheng Ye calmly considered Cheng Ling’s recent behavior and the reason for skipping school…
Cheng Ling had always been obedient and sensible, the two of them had hardly ever argued. The younger brother was so sensible it was heartbreaking. With Cheng Ling’s recent abnormal behavior, there could only be one reason.
The younger brother felt sorry for him and wanted to ease the family’s burden. Ever since seeing how hard Cheng Ye worked, coming home covered in injuries every day, Cheng Ling’s thinking had changed. He didn’t want to go to school or university anymore; he just wanted to earn money quickly to share the burden with Cheng Ye, nothing more.
Cheng Ye understood all this, yet realized that with his current abilities and conditions, he didn’t even have the courage to persuade his brother to study properly. For the first time in his life, Cheng Ye felt truly useless.
“Very good, that’s enough, excellent!”
Until Geng Bochuan’s performance ended, after a brief silence in the audition room, Ye Zhou, the director, was the first to come back to his senses, applauding vigorously, making no attempt to hide his appreciation.
Ye Zhou’s voice awoke the others, who were still immersed in Geng Bochuan’s performance, and they belatedly joined in the applause.
Obviously, his performance just now won everyone’s approval. Even the producer, who initially disliked him due to negative news and saw him as trouble, now had an appreciative look.
Only the assistant director’s expression remained unpleasant. From the moment Geng Bochuan entered, his face had been unsightly, and after watching his audition, his already unpleasant expression turned even darker.
He had a grudge against Geng Bochuan. Previously, while working on a production crew together, Geng Bochuan had mocked and ridiculed him several times. Due to their incompatibility, it ultimately led to the assistant director’s dismissal from the crew.
Although the crew’s compensation was generous, the assistant director still felt extremely humiliated. Since then, he completely hated Geng Bochuan.
When Song Qifan recommended Geng Bochuan this time, he was the first to object. Unfortunately, Ye Zhou insisted on arranging an audition for him. As the director, no matter how reluctant, he couldn’t defy Ye Zhou’s authority.
Considering Geng Bochuan’s disastrous acting skills and foul temper, the assistant director optimistically thought that as soon as Ye Zhou saw Geng Bochuan, he would undoubtedly dismiss the idea of casting him as the lead without hesitation.
The assistant director’s presence today was partly due to work requirements, but another reason was his desire to witness Geng Bochuan’s embarrassment.
He had planned to exaggerate and defame Geng Bochuan’s image in front of Ye Zhou after his performance, completely cutting off any chance of their collaboration.
However, Geng Bochuan performed exceptionally today, as if he had gained some ability. Even the assistant director, who was looking for faults, couldn’t find anything to criticize about that performance.
From the moment Geng Bochuan expressed that complex gaze, the assistant director felt a sense of foreboding. After witnessing Ye Zhou’s and the others’ reactions at the end, his heart sank to the bottom.
The assistant director refused to give up easily. Steeling himself, he whispered to Ye Zhou: “It’s obvious he put in some effort, but there are still flaws in his performance. The emotional transitions are too abrupt, lacking smooth transitions…”
“Those are minor issues,” Ye Zhou interrupted him before he could finish, smiling at the assistant director and saying earnestly, “This kid has a solid foundation and is willing to study. His alignment with the character is also quite high, far exceeding my expectations.”
“If I’m not mistaken, this kid has never played a lead role in a movie before, right? Although there are some flaws, they don’t overshadow his strengths. If he already knew everything, what would we directors be needed for? Don’t you agree, Assistant Director Huang?”
Ye Zhou’s tone was very relaxed, with a slightly teasing undertone, but his meaning was clear. He was satisfied with Geng Bochuan’s performance today. He looked forward to his growth and was willing to give him a chance.
Those able to survive in this industry are rarely foolish. Ye Zhou’s words were so obvious that Assistant Director Huang naturally understood the implied meaning.
Under normal circumstances, he should have remained silent and begrudgingly accepted this.
However, the resentment between them was too deep. The assistant director kept thinking, with past conflicts continuously surfacing in his mind and that humiliating feeling enveloping him once more.
Just the thought of having to work together filled Assistant Director Huang with dread. Gritting his teeth, after much hesitation, he stubbornly called out, “Director Ye.”
Just as Ye Zhou was about to chat with Geng Bochuan, Assistant Director Huang stopped him. Turning his head, he heard Huang’s voice tinged with anger.
“I’m sorry, Director Ye. Although personal emotions shouldn’t interfere with work, as the assistant director of this production, I truly cannot accept any collaboration with such an abhorrent actor.”
“If you insist on choosing him as the lead, I’m truly sorry, but please find someone more capable. I cannot continue as the assistant director.”
Assistant Director Huang’s words seemed forced through gritted teeth, sounding rather vicious and resolute.
His statement carried an evident threat. Ye Zhou had to choose between them. If he wanted Huang to continue working, he couldn’t cast Geng Bochuan. If he chose Geng Bochuan, Huang would immediately resign.
No one expected their relationship to have deteriorated to such an irreconcilable state. After Huang’s words, the atmosphere in the audition room seemed frozen, and you could hear the needle drop in silence.
With a tactful nature, the producer cleared his throat, about to resolve the situation first. However, someone else spoke up before him.
“Tsk.”
A derisive snort rang out clearly in the silent room. Everyone turned towards the sound, realizing it came from Geng Bochuan standing not far ahead.
Assistant Director Huang glared at him. “What are you laughing at?”
Geng Bochuan was not intimidated in the slightest. He met Huang’s gaze directly, his tone lazy with a hint of mockery. “It’s not me with a guilty conscience, why can’t I laugh?”
Enraged by his words, Assistant Director Huang stood up from his seat and rolled up his sleeves, about to charge at Geng Bochuan.
“What, did I strike a nerve that you’re acting so desperate? Is that the extent of your capability? Come on, you can’t even win a verbal argument, do you think you can win a fight?”
Geng Bochuan was not afraid at all. The mockery in his eyes only intensified. Upon seeing Assistant Director Huang charge towards him, not only was he unafraid, he even boldly flipped him off in a provocative manner.
There was a lot of tension between the two, and the fight was about to break out as if they would start brawling the next second.
But this was the audition room. No matter how deep their enmity, no one would allow them to fight here. Just as Assistant Director Huang was about to hit Geng Bochuan, he was immediately restrained by the producer and another assistant director beside him.
Seeing Assistant Director Huang restrained, Geng Bochuan did not advance further. He crossed his arms, his cold gaze fixed on the assistant director. Although still enraged, he did not make any rash moves.
Everything happened within just two minutes – from Assistant Director Huang’s outburst to their confrontation, nearly coming to blows – the speed was so fast that many had not even reacted yet.
The room once again fell silent.
Ye Zhou, who was usually easygoing and friendly to all, suddenly asked coldly, “Are you done yet? Do you know where this is? Do you remember what you came here to do?”
“One is the assistant director, and one is an actor here for an audition. You both have really outdone yourselves. Do you want to make tomorrow’s headlines?”
Ye Zhou’s expression was so gloomy it seemed water could drip from it. His gaze swept across their faces as he sneered coldly, “Come to think of it, I should thank you both. This film hasn’t even started shooting yet, but you’ve already come up with a marketing gimmick.”
“Come, let him go. You can’t control your impulses? You want to fight? Come on, I’ll stand right here and watch you two fight it out. Don’t either of you dare stop until there’s a decisive winner – as the director, I’ll personally record it for you today!”
The producer and the other assistant director looked at each other helplessly before releasing their grip.
Now unrestrained, Assistant Director Huang stood motionless, showing none of his earlier rash impulse to fight at the slightest provocation.
Geng Bochuan was even calmer, standing in the same spot without changing his posture. Faced with Ye Zhou’s barrage of scolding, he lowered his head, his arrogance gone. He hung his head silently, looking pitiful like a defeated little rooster.
After a long while, seeing that neither intended to actually fight, Ye Zhou let out a light sigh. “So you’re not going to fight, alright. Let’s discuss the real matter at hand then.”
Ye Zhou turned to Assistant Director Huang. “I don’t care what grievances you two have. Since you’re here today representing the production crew, you’ve implicitly accepted your role as the assistant director for casting. Having taken on this position, please have at least basic professional ethics.”
“As the assistant director, you certainly have the right to voice your views and opinions, which we can discuss. But who taught you to use your position to threaten the director into accepting your opinion, otherwise you’ll resign?”
“And who gave you permission to physically attack an actor during the audition process? Who gave you that authority and audacity?”
Ye Zhou’s voice was not loud, but each word struck Assistant Director Huang’s heart, causing him to break out in a cold sweat. Moments later, his forehead and back were drenched in a thin layer of perspiration.
Seeing his state, Ye Zhou closed his eyes briefly. “Regarding your conduct today, I won’t comment further. You can contact Finance after we’re done here.”
As Ye Zhou finished speaking, Assistant Director Huang’s complexion turned from pale to ashen gray. He opened his mouth as if to defend himself, but meeting Ye Zhou’s gaze, he couldn’t utter a single word.
His impulsive resignation threat was not his true intention. He only wanted Ye Zhou to consider their past association and not cast Geng Bochuan.
Although the investment in this movie was not large and Ye Zhou was not a very famous director, he was known to be generous with crew compensation, offering conditions on par with well-known directors’ productions.
Such favorable conditions, coupled with Ye Zhou’s previous film’s success, held significant meaning. If this film, ‘Chasing the Light,’ flopped at the box office, it wouldn’t matter much. However, if it achieved success similar to his previous work with impressive box office numbers, the implications would be vastly different.
If the film also won awards, those who had worked on the crew would not only gain a good reputation but enhanced resumes, affording far more opportunities with new productions in the future.
Assistant Director Huang had been in this industry for a while. Before taking this job, he had thoroughly researched Ye Zhou. Although public opinion was divided, Huang was well aware that Ye Zhou was a truly talented director, not an amateur.
Through their collaboration, Assistant Director Huang became more convinced of this. Considering the film’s script and theme of this movie, as long as nothing unexpected happened, it was very possible to win an award.
Such opportunities did not come often, and Assistant Director Huang had encountered one, yet his impulsive outburst had nearly cost him this chance.
Upon hearing Ye Zhou’s disciplinary decision, Assistant Director Huang’s anger-clouded mind finally cleared somewhat. Realizing what he had done, he genuinely regretted it to the core.
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