Chapter 6

Director Sun Shupei glanced at Ye Ming's resume and felt somewhat displeased.

Another person who got in through connections, is my place a shelter now?

A wave of inexplicable anger surged in his heart. He made up his mind that this time, if Ye Ming's performance did not impress him, he would remove Ye Ming even at the risk of offending the investors.

He Qiuqiong glanced at Ye Ming a couple of times and said calmly, "Ye Ming, a signed artist of Yonghua Company, I wonder how much you know about Ms. Qiongyao's works. We certainly don't want someone who doesn't understand the script to act in our play."

In fact, even He Qiuqiong, who was not very optimistic about people like Ye Ming who got in through connections, believed they were disrupting the filming of Qiongyao's drama.

However, she couldn't turn them away. As a producer from the island, she was very clear that the production team had no money, no extra funds to hire big-name stars.

Because another drama, "Heaven's Tears," was also starting production at the same time, and it was also a Qiongyao drama, the cast there was much larger, and more funds were being allocated to that side.

Therefore, this side had a funding gap, and without those investors, it would be impossible to continue.

At first glance, Ye Ming left a good impression, but He Qiuqiong had some reservations about his background.

She bluntly expressed her opinion right from the start. If it were a regular audition, this kind of pressure would have immediately subdued the person, making it impossible for them to perform freely later.

The previous person from Yonghua Film was like that, unable to even deliver their lines smoothly. How could such an actor join her production team without tarnishing the golden reputation of Qiongyao's dramas?

It seemed they had a lot of resentment towards him, which would greatly affect his audition. This preconceived notion might cost Ye Ming this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

No one understood better than he did how high "The Story of a Concubine" would rise. It would reach a height that countless people would look up to, a height that even Sun Shupei and He Qiuqiong didn't have much confidence in.

Just as Ye Ming was about to answer, He Qiuqiong seemed to think of something and waved her hand, saying, "Forget it, I won't say anything about it. This time, our production team is shooting a new Qiongyao drama, which is completely different from the previous ones. Therefore, we need to select actors who fit this direction. Listen to a song first, then answer my question. Director Sun, the rest is up to you."

As one of the producers, He Qiuqiong knew that the director was the soul of the production team, and respecting the director was essential. Although the "The Story of a Concubine" production team was not highly regarded, far inferior to "Heaven's Tears," the director was still the director.

Although Sun Shupei was as angry as He Qiuqiong, he hadn't forgotten his duties. Just as he was about to say something, a thin, bearded man walked in and said to the director, "Director Sun, there's an actor who needs your review."

This made the already displeased Director Sun even more irritated. His face darkened, "Xiao Zhang, what's going on? Can't you see I'm busy? Are you causing trouble? Tell him to wait in line."

Skipping the queue was something Director Sun despised the most. A production team without rules was like a square peg in a round hole.

If it were a top-tier star, they might enjoy some privileges, and sometimes the director would turn a blind eye.

But in the "The Story of a Concubine" production team, what was the biggest star? Su Youpeng, a singer who was new to acting. No matter how successful he was in singing, he was still a newcomer in acting.

Moreover, Su Youpeng's popularity had significantly declined in the past two years, an undeniable fact.

Therefore, Sun Shupei felt he needed to establish absolute authority in the production team.

In a production team without big stars, the director was the biggest.

Xiao Zhang glanced at He Qiuqiong and said, "It's hard to turn him away. Let's take a look, it won't take more than a few minutes."

The phrase "hard to turn away" made Sun Shupei understand the situation.

Connections, always connections. The production team couldn't afford to offend these people. Filming wasn't something that could be done by just a few people; it required consideration of all aspects. Director Sun was also helpless.

He glared at Xiao Zhang and said, "This is the last one. If there's another one like this, you can pack your bags and go back to Taipei tomorrow."

Xiao Zhang nodded quickly, like a chicken pecking at rice, "I promise this is the last one, I promise."

Director Sun turned to He Qiuqiong and said, "Manager He, what do you think about this?"

He Qiuqiong understood Sun Shupei's meaning. The director had to bear pressure from all sides. Moreover, she couldn't provide more funds to the director, which made her feel somewhat guilty.

Compared to "Heaven's Tears," the "The Story of a Concubine" production team clearly enjoyed much less favorable treatment.

There was no way around it. Emotional dramas were always Qiongyao's winning formula. Even if "Heaven's Tears" didn't have a high viewership, the golden reputation of Qiongyao's emotional dramas guaranteed a certain level of viewership.

In other words, "Heaven's Tears" was a surefire money-maker, but the "The Story of a Concubine" production team, being a transformation work, no one knew how it would turn out. Would the audience like this change in Qiongyao's style?

This wasn't just a change but a complete transformation.

Therefore, no one dared to guarantee the ratings of "The Story of a Concubine." The director didn't have the courage, the actors didn't have the courage, and even He Qiuqiong herself didn't have the courage.

"Director Sun, you've worked hard," He Qiuqiong said with deep meaning, and then said no more.

She understood the director's difficulties.

Director Sun Shupei glanced at Ye Ming and said, "Alright, let's have you two audition together. It will be a good comparison."

He naturally sought He Qiuqiong's opinion, but he didn't even bother to give Ye Ming a proper look.

Who are you in the entertainment industry?

Xiao Zhang went out and soon returned with a tall, handsome young man, with a strong and masculine presence.

Just standing there, he fit the image of a Qiongyao drama's prince charming.

This image made both the director and He Qiuqiong's eyes light up. The actor's natural conditions were excellent, and he showed great potential.

Therefore, the resentment in their hearts dissipated somewhat.

Ye Ming was stunned when he saw the newcomer, as if struck by lightning. Could my luck be that bad? To meet such an opponent, is this a joke?

The handsome young man introduced himself, "My name is Zhou Jie, a graduate of the Shanghai Drama Academy, and I have acted in..."

Director Sun Shupei immediately found Zhou Jie's resume, waved it, and said, "You don't need to say more. We know your background. The person in front of you is also here for an audition. Now, I'll give you a question to answer. Listen to some music first."

The radio immediately played a melodious song, "Plum Blossom Melody," the version by Fei Yuqing, one of the classic songs of Qiongyao dramas. Fei Yuqing's rendition conveyed a sense of grandeur and lingering beauty.

Listening to it was like experiencing a distant orchid in a valley, with a profound and distant atmosphere, as if it were drifting from the depths of a landscape painting.

"Plum Blossom Melody" didn't play in full, only halfway through, when Director Sun Shupei decisively turned off the radio.

Then he said bluntly, "This drama needs actors with explosive power, but not the same kind of explosive power as before. Your task today is to 'subvert.' In your opinion, how would you subvert Qiongyao's dramas, using 'Plum Blossom Melody' as a standard? I want to see your true selves, without any pretense. Zhou Jie, you go first."

At this moment, Zhou Jie didn't even bother to look at Ye Ming, as if he didn't exist.

Hearing the director's question, Zhou Jie performed a very clever segment, a classic scene from "Plum Blossom Seal," the "Roaring Emperor." As a graduate of the drama academy, he had clearly done his homework. His delivery of the lines and expressions were very precise.

His performance, full of intensity, effectively conveyed a sense of explosive power, a level of emotional intensity that a newcomer couldn't easily achieve.

If it were the "Roaring Emperor," then in Qiongyao dramas, it would be Ma Jingtao. However, if Zhou Jie's performance was exaggerated, he could be called the "Second Roaring Emperor." This Ma Kang's real-life counterpart seemed very adept at this style, later earning the nickname "Eye-Rolling Brother."

This performance was very successful, at least Zhou Jie had successfully captured the essence of Ma Jingtao.

After watching, He Qiuqiong wrote something on a piece of paper with a blank expression.

At this moment, Sun Shupei waved his hand and said bluntly, "Alright, you can go back and wait for the production team's notification."

However, at this moment, Zhou Jie didn't seem to realize he would be eliminated. He had already been confident before coming that he would get a chance to act in a Qiongyao drama.

Therefore, hearing the director's routine polite words, he felt no disappointment. He bowed politely to both of them and then left the meeting room.

From start to finish, he paid no attention to Ye Ming, believing that Ye Ming posed no threat to him.