After Chu Qianze finished speaking, he maintained a valuable silence, standing in place, awaiting the subsequent assessment.
“Name,” He Luo prompted.
“Chu Qianze.”
“Nice name.”
“Thank you, I think so too.”
“You’re quite skilled. Have you practiced before?”
“Somewhat.”
“For how many years?”
Chu Qianze pondered for a moment, “Too long, I don’t quite remember.”
“Why did you choose to audition for this role?”
“Because I share the same name with him, so there’s a certain resonance. And some people say I’m capable of handling it.”
Shen Hezhi, who had been acting as a backdrop, slowed down the movement of playing with his fingers upon hearing this. He lifted his eyes and looked at Chu Qianze.
“Have you watched the few scenes I sent you before? Pick one and perform for us.”
“The first one.”
“Looking forward to your performance.”
Chu Qianze bowed his head, brewing for a moment. What was the situation at that time?
An unknown species launched a sudden attack on the bordering city. They were massive in size, with astonishing defensive capabilities. Due to a lack of information, the military forces were unable to keep up, resulting in a vast power disparity and a brutal battle.
While waiting for the list of those who would debut, news of F City’s fall reached them, and the casualties were yet to be tallied.
To gain control of the situation, all routes to F City were completely blocked, and no one was allowed to go there without permission. However, there was one exception: soldiers.
That night, he sat alone in the training room for a long time. The next day, he submitted an application to leave and chose to sign up for the selection of support troops, actively applying to go to F City.
He knocked on the door of his manager’s office, entered, and handed over the written report.
The manager picked up the report, carefully read through it, and then asked, “Now is a crucial period for assessments. In two days, the results will be out. From the initial interview until now, your performance has been consistently at the top. Debuting is definitely not a problem, and you can even secure an A-level contract. This opportunity is rare… have you really thought it through?”
“I’ve thought it through. You also know my personality. Decisions I make are usually unchanging. I pondered a lot last night, and everything I want to say is in the report. In the end, I made this decision, and regardless of the outcome, I won’t regret it.”
His eyes lifted slightly, gazing at the person in front of him, and his expression remained as calm as ever.
The room fell into silence. After a while, the manager didn’t say anything more, only offering good wishes.
“Thank you for your care during this time.”
He bowed slightly, turned, and left, his back straight and his steps determined.
One person left, one person stayed behind.
There were no intense emotions, no grand scenes—just an ordinary conversation that marked the beginning of a story.
Some say that from that moment, the world lost a future superstar but gained a one-of-a-kind general.
As the scene concluded, Chu Qianze turned to the two, awaiting the evaluation results.
“What do you think he was thinking when he said those words?” He Luo cleared his throat, pulling himself back from that emotional atmosphere and throwing out a topic.
“What else could he be thinking? Probably just wanting to go home quickly. There are a lot of good things stored in the basement, like cured meat, sauces, and stuff. And there’s a homemade enzyme. If that got spilled, it would be heartbreaking.”
“Enzyme?”
Chu Qianze shrugged. “I think it’s fruit enzyme because it tastes the best.”
Normally, when asking such a question, the responses would revolve around patriotism or similar sentiments. Hearing this down-to-earth answer, He Luo was at a loss for words.
“Well… I’m curious now. How do you view this character?”
Chu Qianze fell into an oddly silent state, his gaze involuntarily landing on Shen Hezhi.
“What do you think he does?” He Luo noticed and couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I’m afraid if I say it, he won’t be able to resist hitting me.”
He Luo laughed, “The more you say that, the more curious I am. Don’t worry, if he tries to hit you, I’ll step in.”
“Well, I hope you won’t get mad when I say it. If you get so angry that you revoke my audition qualification in a fit of rage, then I’ll have nowhere to cry.” Chu Qianze still seemed a bit uneasy.
“Alright, I won’t get mad.”
With the assurance from the other party, Chu Qianze spoke up, “A 16-year-old kid who hasn’t seen much of the world. Got first place in an exam and thought he was truly the best. A kid without even basic survival skills, but somehow believed he could handle it. So, he chose the most dangerous path.”
“And then?” He Luo propped up his chin.
At this point, Shen Hezhi’s face darkened slightly, his fingers tightening.
Chu Qianze wandered in thought for a moment, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “And then, he got a harsh reality check from society. Encountered some riff raff from other races on the road, ended up knowing nothing and being utterly defenseless, just slowing everyone down and causing trouble for everyone. In the end, to stay alive, he endured in a hidden lifeboat for half a month. Only when a professional military unit arrived did he finally come out.”
“Wait a minute! Do you even realize what you’re saying?” Shen Hezhi couldn’t hold back. He slammed his hands on the table and stood up abruptly.
“He dominated the top spot in the company’s assessments, a feat that has only occurred twice since the establishment of Interstellar Entertainment. And those two individuals became global sensations.”
“A musician who has received a lifetime achievement award once praised Chu Qianze, calling him the most talented person he has ever seen. If he hadn’t given up the opportunity to debut at that time, this award might have had his name on it.”
“Sure, he might have been impulsive in signing up, but if he didn’t, how could a 16-year-old find a way back to F City? Walk there himself? He would only end up arrested and detained.”
“You call him impulsive and naive, but I think he’s remarkable. To be so determined for a goal, to abandon a readily available future, and even willing to risk his life—could you do that!?” Shen Hezhi said as he walked up to Chu Qianze, his eyes filled with scrutiny and anger.
“In every battle that followed, he was always at the forefront, even as his military rank rose. With inadequate equipment and soldiers not knowing how to repair their weapons when they broke, he learned how to dismantle and assemble them himself and then taught everyone else. Such an outstanding person, and yet here you are…!”
Shen Hezhi felt a bit suffocated, taking a deep breath to regain composure. He approached step by step, his tone full of questioning, “Who gave you the confidence to assert yourself here? To criticize and judge?”
Ah, it’s turned into this, that’s why I didn’t want to say anything.
Chu Qianze raised his hand in front of him, showing a hint of helplessness, “I didn’t mean anything else.”
Still maintaining this indifferent posture, completely oblivious to the importance of the matter!
“Then, what do you mean by what you said?”
If there was a semblance of reason just a while ago, Shen Hezhi is now completely enraged. He grabbed Chu Qianze by the collar, staring fiercely at him, “From the beginning, you’ve looked at the whole situation with biased eyes, filled with inexplicable arrogance and conceit, lacking basic respect for the character. Even if you act the role perfectly and look like him, we don’t need you!”
“Wait, calm down, calm down. Impulsiveness is the devil, impulsiveness is the devil!” He Luo hurriedly stepped forward, trying desperately to separate them.
Wasn’t Chu Qianze your recommendation? What’s going on with this fervent desire to confront someone head-on?
Shen Hezhi let go, ran his fingers through his hair, still feeling unsatisfied. He didn’t even bother picking up the hair tie that fell to the ground.
His eyes turned red with anger. This person is really…
Adjusting his collar, Chu Qianze finally spoke, “Didn’t expect your reaction to be this intense. I didn’t think it through.”
“If that person knew he had such a devoted little fan like you, he’d probably be quite happy.”
With that, he bent down to pick up the hair tie and handed it to Shen Hezhi, a faint curve forming at the corner of his mouth. “He’s really lucky.”
Shen Hezhi stood still, holding the hair tie in his palm. The small ponytail that was once neatly tied now scattered, with a few strands standing still in the air.
He Ge looked at Shen Hezhi and found it quite intriguing. This person’s temper was extinguished just like that.
“Director He, should we continue the audition?” Chu Qianze turned to ask He Luo.
“The audition is over. You can go back and wait for the notification.” He Luo shifted his focus onto Chu Qianze.
Truly, this level of composure was quite rare. It’s hard to tell if it’s confidence or genuine indifference.
“Thank you, Director He. I’ll take my leave then.” Noticing Shen Hezhi’s gaze, he also greeted him in passing.
Shen Hezhi averted his eyes, letting Chu Qianze pass by without acknowledging him.
“You’ve changed your approach?” He Luo couldn’t help but ask. Normally, if someone spoke ill of an idol, wouldn’t the usual response involve explosive reactions, relentless until the person was metaphorically skinned alive? How did he suddenly become so composed?
Glancing at Shen Hezhi, who remained silent, he didn’t speak. He just went back to his seat, picked up his coat, and walked briskly toward the door.
“Where are you going? We still have auditions to conduct.” He Luo called out.
“You handle it yourself.”
“What about this Chu Qianze? Should we pass on him? If you revoke your sponsorship, he won’t have anything to do with us.” He Luo deliberately asked aloud.
Hearing this, Shen Hezhi stopped in his tracks, turned back to face He Ge, and said, “You’re the director; you have the final say.”
After saying that, he left the audition room without looking back.
“Still being a sponsor, huh,” He Luo muttered, recalling Shen Hezhi’s expression a moment ago, and couldn’t help but laugh.
“Well, he’s truly changed.”
Chu Qianze walked out of the venue, watching a hovering car fly by from a distance, and continued walking forward.
Passing by a bubble tea shop, he took a few steps back, entered the shop, and ordered a drink that looked incredibly colorful and fancy, even though he didn’t know what it was.
Walking leisurely along the return route, he occasionally took a sip of the specialty drink, casually ignoring the intense gaze behind him.
Shen Hezhi sat in his car, his eyes staring blankly at Chu Qianze. It wasn’t until Chu Qianze entered the hotel that he snapped out of it, choosing to change his route home.
At night, Shen Hezhi dreamt of that person again. The figure looked ahead, dressed in military attire that perfectly showcased their physique—broad shoulders, narrow waist, and a tall, erect posture. The face wasn’t clear, but just this much was enough to captivate anyone.
He stood there, staring blankly at the person, a silent sadness surging in his heart.
This time, Shen Hezhi gathered the courage to take a step toward the person. The person seemed to sense something and turned to look in his direction.
He’s going to see!
Shen Hezhi’s heart pounded violently, and the corners of his mouth trembled involuntarily.
His gaze traversed the features between the other person’s eyebrows and eyes, finally settling on those slightly upturned lips.
With courage from an unknown source, Shen Hezhi reached up and bit that spot.
He was pressed down, his skin scorched by the flames, his entire body swept away by a dark current. All he could do was keep breathing and desperately call out the other person’s name.
……
Shen Hezhi suddenly sat up. At first, he lowered his head, but when he saw the situation clearly, he closed his eyes tightly and couldn’t help but curse.
Damn it, damn it.
The dream was exceptionally vivid, and that face was unmistakably Chu Qianze—the same Chu Qianze he had harshly criticized for reckless comments.
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