Chapter 2

Listening to "The Story of a Concubine," in an instant, it was as if an electric current had stimulated Ye Ming's cerebral cortex.

It left his entire body numb and blank, this was a show like no other, no wonder it was an S-level script.

A divine-level drama.

A transformation work by Ms. Qiongyao that had dominated the emotional dramas across the two shores and three regions for decades, an unparalleled miracle, with the highest viewership reaching 65%.

This number, even a decade later, stood as an unbreakable peak in the world of television and film.

A generation's memory, an eternal classic.

A TV series that could never be praised enough.

It launched the careers of all the lead actors in the drama, Zhao Wei, Lin Xinru, Fan Bingbing, and others, all of whom became incredibly famous.

Even Su Youpeng, who had been struggling, made a comeback because of this drama. Even the supporting roles became classics, like Auntie Rong, who later became synonymous with sinister and cruel supporting characters.

When Li Dachuan heard this, he jumped up, his entire body in a state of excitement. He was just an unsigned extra, at best a higher-level extra with a few lines sometimes.

Now, to have the chance to audition for a Qiongyao drama, how could he not be excited?

Li Dachuan grabbed Ye Ming's arms tightly and said, "Uncle Liang, you're not kidding, right? We really have the chance to act in a Qiongyao drama?"

Even now, Li Dachuan still had a look of disbelief, not daring to blink, as if the slightest blink would make this golden opportunity slip away.

Uncle Liang pulled out the script from his pocket and tapped Li Dachuan's head, saying, "You silly boy, don't make a fuss. I said it's an opportunity. My old friend is helping the Qiongyao production team select roles. Whether or not you get selected depends on the audition. But don't be too discouraged, I heard the investment for this Qiongyao drama isn't huge, and there aren't many big stars. If you try, there's still a chance to get on screen."

Ye Ming naturally understood how difficult it was to get into such a production. He said sincerely, "Of course, we understand the rules. Thank you, Uncle Liang, for giving us this opportunity. We will definitely seize it. You can rest assured."

Uncle Liang was very satisfied with Ye Ming's response. This young man was calm and composed, with a flexible mind and potential.

Uncle Liang nodded and said, "Alright, I won't say more. At six o'clock this afternoon, we should finish work. There's no night shoot scheduled, so we'll go to the usual hotel to introduce my old friend to you. I'll tell him about your situation in advance. You two, good luck."

Looking at Li Dachuan, who was still excitedly dancing around, Uncle Liang felt a strange impulse. Back in the day, he had come to the capital with the same mindset, but now, after all these years, he was still just a production assistant in a second-rate production. Who knew if the show would even be broadcast after it was filmed.

Taking a puff of his cigarette, Uncle Liang sighed. The Qiongyao production team wasn't something that could be entered with just 3,000 yuan. Had he lost out on this?

These two silly boys, I hope they don't let me down.

Getting into the Qiongyao production team, even just for an audition, was an opportunity that Uncle Liang wouldn't sell for 3,000 yuan.

In other words, even if you had money, you might not be able to get it into the right hands without connections.

At this moment, Li Dachuan was still immersed in his happiness. He couldn't believe he had such a good opportunity, and it felt like a dream.

Walking to the alley entrance, Li Dachuan still looked dazed and said, "Big star, tell me, this isn't a dream, right? We have the chance to audition for a Qiongyao drama. I'm really going to become famous, aren't I?"

At this moment, Ye Ming poured a bucket of cold water over the excited Li Dachuan, pulling him back to reality, "Wake up, Dachuan. I ask you, what about the money? What are we going to do about the money? Don't tell me you're going to let Uncle Liang pay for the dinner today. And do you think it's appropriate to meet the director empty-handed?"

Instantly, Li Dachuan sobered up and said helplessly, "You're right. With the little money we have, we can just about afford to treat Uncle Liang to a street stall. If we take him to a street stall, he won't say anything because of our old relationship. Last time, we even talked business at a street stall. But this time is different. We only have 100 yuan between us, not enough for a proper dinner."

This was the life of a struggling actor in Beijing. It wasn't that they couldn't afford the next meal, but they were always worried about money, a common plight for every struggling actor, especially extras.

Or perhaps this was the price of becoming a star in the entertainment industry.

Ye Ming was unwilling to give up this opportunity. "The Story of a Concubine," a classic of classics, an S-level script. Even a supporting role in it would be very beneficial for his future acting career.

Gritting his teeth, Ye Ming made a firm decision, "If we have to, I'll sell my phone. Otherwise, we'll lose this opportunity."

Ye Ming had once had the chance to escape the life of an extra. As a promising talent of Xinghua Film, he had trained in Hong Kong for half a year.

It seemed that the star-studded path of the entertainment industry was slowly opening up to him, and a brilliant future was beckoning.

Unfortunately, Xinghua Film went bankrupt, and Ye Ming became an extra again.

Yesterday, he had dragged Li Dachuan out to drink until they were both drunk and unconscious over this matter.

Li Dachuan looked at Ye Ming as if he had seen a ghost, "Brother Ming, are you running a fever? The latest Motorola phone from Hong Kong costs 12,000 yuan even in Hong Kong. It's a prize from your training program. Can you bear to sell it?"

The latest Motorola phone from Hong Kong wasn't something just anyone could afford, even in Hong Kong. Carrying this phone would guarantee 100% attention.

In mainland China, only a few wealthy people could afford such a phone, and it hadn't even been officially released there yet.

When Li Dachuan first saw the phone, he had held it all night and only reluctantly returned it to Ye Ming the next day.

However, Ye Ming hadn't really used the phone because he couldn't afford it. He couldn't even afford food, and the landlord was about to evict him. How could he afford a phone, let alone the service fees?

Ye Ming nodded decisively, "That's it. We can't rob a bank, can we? It's a genuine Hong Kong phone, and I kept the receipt. It should fetch a good price."

Without another word, they went home to get the phone and find a buyer.

They even solved their lunch problem with a bowl of Lanzhou noodles and then went to sell the phone.

To get a better price, they ran around quite a bit.

By sunset, Ye Ming finally clutched 6,000 yuan tightly, coming out of a store across from a post office.

Looking around, Ye Ming carefully put the money away and took a deep breath. This was it, success or failure hinged on this.

Li Dachuan complained, "We ran to over ten stores and only got 6,000 yuan. If we could find someone to help, we could have gotten 8,000. These merchants are real scoundrels."

Ye Ming comforted him, "Be grateful. 6,000 is already the highest price. We might have gotten a bit more with connections, but we don't have the time. Opportunities like this are fleeting, and many people are waiting for them."

Sichuan Restaurant. In the past, if Ye Ming, Li Dachuan, and Uncle Liang had made money, they would celebrate here because Uncle Liang was from Sichuan and naturally liked the food.

At this moment, the air was filled with a hurried atmosphere. Under the neon lights, people rushed by, living out their various joys and sorrows.

Ye Ming loved to sit and observe the passersby at such times, reading their stories from their eyes and expressions, imagining how he would handle things if he were them.

This was also a way to practice his acting.

The clock had already struck half past six. At this point, Li Dachuan was getting restless, frequently glancing at the old 1980s wall clock in Sichuan Restaurant, which made noise everywhere except for the clock itself.

Each tick of the clock was a torment for Li Dachuan.

The agony of waiting.

At this moment, Li Dachuan complained to himself, "Uncle Liang must have forgotten about us. He should have finished work and come over by now."

In Li Dachuan's view, the production site was only a ten-minute drive away. Even if Uncle Liang had been delayed after work, he should have had enough time to get here.

It was already half past six, and he was clearly late.

From Li Dachuan's anxious expression and restlessness, it was clear how much he valued this opportunity.

Ye Ming tapped the table and called a waiter for a pot of water.

A young and pretty girl, neatly dressed, walked over with a small teapot and said in fluent Sichuanese, "Oh, aren't you two big stars? Why aren't you eating, just drinking water? Can you get full from drinking water?"

Because they were regulars, the girl didn't hesitate to tease them.

Li Dachuan,不服气地哼哼唧唧地学着服务员说话, "小琴你个女娃儿懂啥子，哥哥这是卧薪尝胆，卧薪尝胆懂不懂。哥哥马上就要成为明星了，以后，记得哥哥给你签名，要不，现在你拿本子来，我先练练，不然，等哥哥成名了，你想要就难了。"

小琴毫不犹豫地白了李大川一眼说, "要的，大明星，那你都有啥子作品，说说看，本姑娘也开开眼界哈。"

(Translation for the last part: Li Dachuan,不服气地哼哼唧唧地学着服务员说话, "Xiao Qin, you little girl, what do you know? This is called 'enduring hardship to achieve success.' Do you understand? I'm about to become a star. In the future, remember to ask me for an autograph. Or, you can bring a notebook now, and I'll practice. Otherwise, when I become famous, it will be hard for you to get one."

Xiao Qin, without hesitation, rolled her eyes at Li Dachuan and said, "Sure, big star. What works do you have? Tell me, I want to see them and broaden my horizons.")