It was too late for explanations now. The assistant director’s lips moved, but Ye Zhou didn’t give him a chance to defend himself. He pointed toward the door and said, “If there’s nothing else, you can leave now.”
Assistant Director Huang wanted to protest and stay, but things had escalated to a point where the decision was no longer his to make.
Unwilling as he was, under Ye Zhou’s stern gaze, the assistant director had no choice but to leave the room with heavy steps.
As he passed Geng Bochuan, the assistant director, though still seething with anger, didn’t dare act as brazenly as before. Aside from shooting him a disdainful and vicious glare, he quickened his pace and left.
After the assistant director’s departure, Ye Zhou turned his attention to Geng Bochuan, who stood nearby.
With a light chuckle, he said, “Seeing is believing, Mr. Geng. I had previously doubted the rumors, thinking they exaggerated the truth. But after witnessing you firsthand, I realize your reputation doesn’t do you justice.”
The arrogant and aggressive Geng Bochuan, who had earlier confronted the assistant director, now appeared meek as a lamb under Ye Zhou’s provocation, remaining silent with his head lowered.
Seeing his silence, Ye Zhou asked, “Did you come here today because you knew in advance that Assistant Director Huang was here, so you came here specifically to seek revenge?”
Ye Zhou’s expression was very natural when he said this, without any hint of joking in his tone, he was very serious.
Yet it was precisely this seriousness that made his words sound comical, causing the nearby crew members to stifle their laughter.
Ye Zhou, however, showed no hint of amusement, his gaze fixed on Geng Bochuan, awaiting his response.
Geng Bochuan had initially felt like laughing too, but seeing Ye Zhou’s stern expression, he didn’t dare. Instead, he adopted an equally serious demeanor and replied, “No, I came for the audition.”
“I really like this script and your directorial style, Director Ye. I’m especially fond of the character Cheng Ye, and I would love to play that role if possible.”
“Fond enough to assault the audition panel?” Ye Zhou remarked coldly.
Geng Bochuan was caught off guard, unable to refute the accusation. In his view, his greatest mistake was retaliating against that idiot instead of waiting until after the audition to settle matters outside.
He had bitten first, and Geng Bochuan acknowledged his error lay in biting back, ultimately costing him the role he had a decent chance of landing.
“I’m sorry, Director Ye.”
When he was wrong, Geng Bochuan wasn’t afraid to admit it and apologize, setting aside his pride.
Ye Zhou seemed inclined to say more, but seeing Geng Bochuan’s frank apology, he reconsidered and decided against further admonishment.
“You can go back for now,” he said. “We’ll let you know if there are any updates.”
Upon hearing Ye Zhou’s words, the light in Geng Bochuan’s eyes immediately dimmed. Without a word, he bowed to everyone present and turned to leave.
Although Ye Zhou had only asked him to wait for news, Geng Bochuan clearly understood it as a rejection.
On his way downstairs, his expression remained unchanged, but he couldn’t help feeling regretful. If only he hadn’t engaged with that idiot Huang Yan earlier.
As he opened the car door and met his manager’s expectant gaze, Geng Bochuan spoke before being asked, “I ran into Huang Yan upstairs.”
The manager’s expectant expression froze, and a few seconds later, he asked, “Was it the assistant director from Dreamscape Thriller?”
Geng Bochuan nodded, relaxing his body against the chair’s backrest and covering his eyes with his hand.
“That idiot told Director Ye he couldn’t tolerate being in the same production with me. If Director Ye insisted on using me, he would resign directly.”
Upon hearing this, the manager’s expression fluctuated before he probed further, “Then what happened?”
“Heh.” Geng Bochuan let out a short, satisfied laugh. “Then that idiot got fired on the spot by Director Ye.”
Hearing this, the manager’s previously sour expression finally improved. He patted his chest and exhaled deeply. “That’s good, that’s good. Director Ye is wise. Getting rid of someone as underhanded as Huang Yan early minimizes the losses.”
“You helped expose Huang Yan to Director Ye, and then he decided to cast you instead?” The manager grew increasingly excited, grabbing and shaking Geng Bochuan.
Geng Bochuan rolled his eyes before shattering his fantasy. “No.”
“We almost got into a fight. Director Ye was angry, and after dismissing Huang Yan, he told me to wait for updates.” Geng Bochuan stated flatly, worried his manager might get unrealistic ideas again. “Although he said to wait for updates, some things remain unsaid, but we understand, right?”
Within minutes, the manager experienced the ups and downs of life, dramatically pinching himself. The two of them nearly fought in front of the director during the audition. What else was there to understand about this outcome?
He wanted to give his artist a slap in the face, but when he saw the black and blue eyes of Geng Bochuan, his manager couldn’t bear it.
Only the artist himself truly understood how much he loved this movie and role and the efforts he made to pursue them—no one knew this better than his manager.
Sighing, the manager refrained from blaming his artist, transferring his resentment towards Huang Yan instead, cursing him out the entire drive.
He dug up Huang Yan’s eighteen generations of ancestors, showering the man himself with a torrent of insults.
After venting, the manager composed himself and consoled Geng Bochuan, “Don’t worry, Chuan-ah. You are still young. There will be many opportunities in the future. Maybe there’ll be an even better role waiting for you next time.”
Geng Bochuan remained silent, simply patting the manager’s hand.
Deep down, they both knew a golden opportunity like this might not present itself again, not just soon, but potentially for years to come.
Both Geng Bochuan and his manager accepted the outcome of this audition.
So when the manager received a call from the ‘Chasing the Light’ production crew asking him to report next week, he was utterly dumbfounded and took a long while to process it.
Wasn’t he rejected? How did he get cast after all? They hadn’t prepared at all, nearly getting knocked out by this pie falling from the sky.
Even on the day Geng Bochuan reported to the crew, an overwhelming sense of unreality lingered for both him and his manager as they dazedly arrived.
The ‘Chasing the Light’ launch ceremony remained simple. After lighting incense and sharing a meal, they took a group photo and wrapped up.
Without much fanfare from the media, ‘Chasing the Light’ quietly commenced production.
Although bewildered and in disbelief at landing the role of Cheng Ye, now that he had it, Geng Bochuan vowed to cherish this significant, hard-earned opportunity.
This appreciation manifested in various ways. To free up time for ‘Chasing the Light’, despite Ye Zhou’s willingness to allow occasional absences for important events, Geng Bochuan resisted the pressure and cleared his schedule extensively, turning down numerous engagements.
Moreover, whether or not Geng Bochuan had scenes that day, he would show up on set daily. During his free time, he would quietly observe others filming and occasionally discuss scenes with actors during breaks.
In ‘Chasing the Light’, Geng Bochuan played Cheng Ye, a small-time gangster, which meant he had numerous action and fight sequences.
Fight choreography poses challenges even for professionally trained actors, let alone Geng Bochuan, who rose to fame through idol dramas after switching careers midway.
Filming fight scenes isn’t difficult, but executing them beautifully and excitingly is extremely challenging.
Initially, Ye Zhou worried Geng Bochuan might struggle and considered reducing the action ratio. However, Geng Bochuan pleasantly surprised him by not only rejecting the offer to cut back but also diligently training with the martial arts instructor during breaks. He didn’t aim for outstanding performances but ensured each move met the standards.
His hard work and dedication were obvious to the entire crew. Even the producer, who was originally distrustful and concerned about potential disruptions from him, changed their initial perception after witnessing his dedication.
As for the initial rumors within the industry about Geng Bochuan being difficult, frequently throwing tantrums, and acting like a big-name, the crew began doubting these claims after interacting with him.
However, after behaving for over a month, Geng Bochuan finally displayed his first instance of confrontation on the ‘Chasing the Light’ set, seemingly aware of everyone’s doubts.
The incident unfolded like this: ‘Chasing the Light’ is a dual-lead film. While Geng Bochuan played the gangster Cheng Ye, the role of the younger brother Cheng Ling went to a second-tier actor named Xi Yang.
Xi Yang gained recognition years ago as the second male lead in a suspense film. Recently, he often appeared in movies, portraying various supporting roles, good and bad. Although lacking a substantial fan base, his decent acting skills earned him a few minor awards.
Unlike Geng Bochuan, who enjoyed widespread fame, Xi Yang enjoyed more success and favor from investors and directors in the film industry, even with a lower profile.
Initially, Xi Yang proactively auditioned and was selected. Although his appearance was not very outstanding, his clean persona appealed to Ye Zhou, who saw similarities with Cheng Ling’s character, coupled with passable acting skills.
During the initial filming of Chasing the Light, Xi Yang also exhibited diligence and effort. However, this only lasted about half a month before he began frequently taking leave. This significantly impacted progress since he was the lead, and most scenes revolved around him and Geng Bochuan.
Moreover, his on-set performance deteriorated, often requiring numerous retakes for a single shot.
At first, Ye Zhou assumed Xi Yang felt unwell and accommodated his leave requests. But after half a month of this pattern, it raised suspicions.
Eventually, Assistant Director Meng learned through inside sources that alongside ‘Chasing the Light’, Xi Yang had taken on two other films – a crime thriller and a romantic drama.
Ye Zhou was aware of the crime thriller. At the time of the audition, Xi Yang claimed it was nearing completion, so he didn’t think much of it. However, the romantic drama was evidently a recent addition where he played the lead.
Upon investigation, Ye Zhou discovered the crime thriller wasn’t as close to wrapping as Xi Yang suggested, with at least a third of his scenes remaining.
As for the romantic drama, it was even more absurd. It started around the same time as ‘Chasing the Light’.
Such blatant overcommitting made the situation quite interesting.
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