Chapter 3

Ye Ming took the water pot and said to Li Dachuan, "You little brat, shut up. Xiao Qin, you go about your business and don't bother with this guy. We are waiting for Uncle Liang. He said there's an audition opportunity, and we can't miss it. We'll find you when Uncle Liang arrives."

Only then did Xiao Qin grumble and let Li Dachuan off, glancing at Ye Ming and saying, "Brother Ming, why are you still not giving up? I say, you should find a proper job and earn money honestly."

A proper job?

It turned out that, in Xiao Qin's eyes as a waitress, this wasn't a proper job at all.

Li Dachuan was speechless, feeling a sense of dejection and no longer wanting to argue or show off to Xiao Qin.

At 7:30, just before Li Dachuan was about to go crazy, Uncle Liang finally walked in with a short, plump middle-aged man. This man was a bit bald, with a round head like a ball, and looked very kind and likable.

Li Dachuan jumped up as if his butt had a spring and ran over, pulling Uncle Liang along.

As they walked, Li Dachuan said, "Uncle Liang, I've been waiting for you. If you hadn't come, I would have starved to death at this table."

Uncle Liang couldn't do anything about Li Dachuan, but fortunately, Ye Ming stood up, took out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes, and invited the guest to sit in the host's position, avoiding an awkward silence.

In the entertainment industry, there were rules about seniority and seating arrangements. Ye Ming and Li Dachuan could only sit at the end of the table.

This was a rule: your status determined your seat, and you couldn't get this wrong.

Once, a big star attended a banquet and was seated in the second position. The star left without a word, not giving any face.

They couldn't afford to lose face.

After Uncle Liang sat down, he introduced them, "Brother Chen, this is Ye Ming, and that one is Li Dachuan. They are both my promising young protégés. I hope you will take good care of them. Listen up, Director Chen used to be from the Emei Film Studio, a senior figure in the industry with extensive connections. You can call him Uncle Chen."

Chen Zheng waved his hand politely and said, "Xiao Liang, don't flatter me. I'm just helping Hunan TV as an executive director, and I'm retiring at the end of the year. After this, I might go back home. The entertainment industry is ultimately the domain of young people like you."

Although Chen Zheng spoke politely, there was still a sense of superiority, and a distance between him and Ye Ming.

Indeed, someone of Chen Zheng's status wouldn't bother coming here if Uncle Liang wasn't his childhood friend and good brother. He wouldn't even give Ye Ming and the others a chance.

After all, this was "The Story of a Return," a Qiong Yao drama. Just the Qiong Yao label was like a golden seal in the entertainment industry.

Ye Ming and Uncle Liang sat on either side of Chen Zheng. Taking advantage of the moment before Xiao Qin brought the food, Ye Ming quietly slipped a brown envelope into Chen Zheng's pocket.

Five thousand yuan in cash.

Chen Zheng discreetly felt his pocket, and in an instant, he easily guessed the amount, being familiar with such transactions.

At that moment, Chen Zheng's expression softened, and he no longer had that superior air. He seemed more amiable, like a satisfied elder, with the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothing out.

Uncle Liang seized the opportunity and said, "Brother Chen, please take care of the auditions. Don't be too polite with these two. If they do anything wrong, feel free to scold or even hit them."

Chen Zheng then looked at Ye Ming meaningfully and said, "Xiao Liang, you've given me a tough task. But, Ye Ming, if I remember correctly, you are signed with Xinghua Film, and you went to Hong Kong for training for half a year recently."

Ye Ming quickly replied, "Uncle Chen, don't worry. Xinghua Film disbanded a few days ago, and I'm now a free agent."

Uncle Liang quickly added, "Brother Chen, I can guarantee that Ye Ming is a free agent. He has no contracts with any company."

Chen Zheng nodded meaningfully and said, "I know that, or I wouldn't be here. Let me explain: this Qiong Yao drama, 'The Story of a Return,' is part of Qiong Yao's Eternal Series, a co-production with Hunan TV."

According to the production rules, every actor had to sign with Qiong Yao's agency.

However, since this was a co-production between the two sides, if I give you this audition opportunity, you must sign with Yonghua Film. As the representative of the investment party, we have the right to recommend our own actors. Otherwise, why would we recommend you?"

Ye Ming understood very well. There was no such thing as a free lunch. If he didn't sign with them, why would they give him this opportunity? If they made him famous, what would they gain?

At that moment, Ye Ming seemed to understand something. It was as if a thread had appeared, but he couldn't quite grasp it. He said, "Uncle Chen, don't worry. I'm actually looking for a company. But, Yonghua and Xinghua, are these two companies related?"

Chen Zheng smiled and nodded approvingly, "You're a smart young man. Indeed, the boss of Yonghua, Huang Yonghua, is the rival of your former boss, Huang Xinghua. Do you know why I agreed to Xiao Liang's request? Do you think getting an audition opportunity is easy?"

This is a Qiong Yao drama. Even though Qiong Yao dramas aren't as popular as they used to be, Qiong Yao's golden brand is still there. Not just anyone gets this opportunity.

However, I mentioned your situation to the boss. When he heard you were from Xinghua, he immediately decided to give you a chance. He said, 'What Huang Xinghua couldn't make famous, Huang Yonghua can.'

These two brothers are quite interesting, like natural enemies. If not, do you think you would get such a good opportunity?"

The entertainment industry is cruel. Every day, countless people dream of making it big and becoming famous overnight, but the opportunities are limited.

Many people die as extras, never even getting a chance to step onto the stage.

Let alone touching the wall of new talent.

Ye Ming, in fact, was a relatively good extra. At least, he had a chance to touch the wall of new talent.

If Xinghua Film hadn't suddenly collapsed, Ye Ming might have been trying to touch the wall of new talent in the entertainment industry.

Regardless, this was an opportunity, and a rare one at that.

No matter the rivalry between Yonghua and Xinghua.

Ye Ming said firmly, "No matter what, I'm very grateful for this opportunity, Uncle Chen."

Chen Zheng saw that Ye Ming was unperturbed, showing no anger at being used. This young man gave him a sense of stability and maturity beyond his years.

Is this the actor from Xinghua who couldn't even touch the wall of new talent? If so, Yonghua's investment might have a chance.

Chen Zheng then said, "Alright, since you understand, I'll give you an address. Go to Yonghua Film, and someone will receive you. Xiao Liang, Ye Ming has some acting experience and was trained in Hong Kong for half a year, so he has a good chance of getting a role in this Qiong Yao drama. As for Li Dachuan, you should also try. If you can get a supporting role, that would be a good result."

In Chen Zheng's view, Li Dachuan was still a bit unstable. An actor with such a character might not be suitable for a Qiong Yao drama.

However, this time might be an exception.

Even if Li Dachuan didn't get a lead role, he was still very happy to have an audition and a chance at a supporting role. This was a significant step forward for him.

Therefore, Li Dachuan didn't feel the slightest bit discouraged.

Xiao Qin brought the food, and Li Dachuan eagerly took over her role as a waiter.

After a few rounds of drinks and several courses, everyone had had quite a bit to drink, and the atmosphere became more relaxed.

Chen Zheng, who was already a close friend of Uncle Liang, became even more talkative after a few drinks. He said, "Xiao Liang, to be honest, this Qiong Yao drama isn't easy. To put it nicely, it's a co-production. To put it bluntly, it's a stepchild.

Do you know how much this production is budgeted? I'll tell you, 1.5 million yuan. That doesn't include post-production and promotion. In reality, only 1.2 million yuan is available for production. Come on, 1.2 million yuan for a Qiong Yao drama? Don't make people laugh."

This was a big piece of gossip, a super big piece of gossip.

1.5 million yuan, for Ye Ming and the others, might seem like a huge amount, but for a TV drama, especially a Qiong Yao drama, which is more expensive to produce, it was quite tight.

Directors need money, costumes and props need money, and renting locations needs money.

Post-production and promotion also need to be budgeted in advance.

Therefore, the amount of money that could go to the actors was quite limited.

At that moment, Ye Ming finally understood why "The Story of a Return" was heavily relying on new talent. It all came down to two words: salary.