Chapter 1

"Host, you are (9900/10000) away from unlocking the first stage of the 'Emperor of Acting System.' Please continue to work hard."

Lu Ze closed the system interface, his mind fixated on the fact that he was just 100 yuan away from unlocking it. He picked up his lunch box with a smile and sat on the green belt, quickly eating a few bites.

"Palace drama! Need six men! They need to be a bit delicate-looking! 100 yuan a day!"

A short distance away, the casting director shouted, and instantly, a group of people at the entrance sprang into action, rushing forward like mad. Lu Ze was no different; he threw his lunch box to the ground and pushed his way forward with his long legs.

"Everyone, stand still! No pushing! Line up properly, or no one will get work today!"

The casting director, Liu Le, roared, and the group obediently formed a few rows, like goods waiting to be picked, eagerly hoping Liu Le would select them.

"You, you, and you, the tall one in the back! Yes, you, come on, come on, you're selected. Follow me! The rest, you can go!"

Lu Ze was the tall one Liu Le referred to. He took a few sips from his water bottle and happily followed Liu Le into the film studio.

Lu Ze wasn't a newcomer; he had been in Hengdian for nearly two years. Being selected wasn't usually a big deal, but today was different. After today's shoot, he would get the money to unlock the system!

Speaking of the system, Lu Ze was still a bit confused about its origin. He only remembered drinking a bit of alcohol one night, watching a movie, and critiquing the lead actor's performance before going to bed.

But after falling asleep, Lu Ze found himself in the movie he had watched, playing the male lead and following the plot. When the movie ended, it was morning.

When he opened his eyes, he suddenly saw an interface in front of him, visible but untouchable, with only one sentence written on it.

"Host, you are (0/10000) away from unlocking the first stage of the 'Emperor of Acting System.' Please continue to work hard."

After that, it was a process of shock and adaptation. At first, he puzzled over what (0/10000) meant.

Then, after running an extra role and earning 100 yuan, he figured it out: the limit of 10,000 referred to money.

......

Following Liu Le into the production team, they changed into costumes. Lu Ze glanced at his outfit; it was the same old thing, the little eunuch he had played countless times!

The smell of the costume was overwhelming, not the kind of cheap fabric smell, but a distinctive odor of sweat and stinky feet.

It smelled... like a Hong Kong foot with athlete's foot had stepped on pickled vegetables in a jar for half a month, and a dog had peed on it in the middle.

Today's costume was particularly smelly, ranking in the top three of his eunuch career, truly quite stimulating.

Everyone knew that being an extra was a tough job, involving physical labor, rough handling, and poor food.

But what outsiders didn't know was that the most frustrating part for extras was the insult to their intelligence in the scripts. For example, a palace drama that was almost like a children's play, more ridiculous than the costumes.

After a year in the industry, your IQ drops by half; after three years, it's gone. Running as an extra for a few years, seeing a bit of outstanding acting or a good plot was more enjoyable than for the audience, and it could even make you cry.

But today, Lu Ze didn't encounter any good scenes. A palace drama with a modern female lead, and the palace maids walking like a fashion show. What was this? He was so annoyed he wanted to say "fuck"!

Lu Ze's job was to act serious and secretly watch the maids walk until the emperor arrived, then kneel and shout, "Long live the emperor, may he live ten thousand years!"

That scene went pretty quickly. The maids were also extras, but a bit higher level, just walking a few steps and showing off.

But the second scene completely stalled because the female lead couldn't cry!

Speaking of the female lead, Lu Ze knew her; she was a second-tier actress, a graduate of a drama school. But a drama school graduate couldn't cry on cue? That was hilarious! She would roll her eyes after putting in eye drops and often break into laughter, completely delaying the shoot.

Because the scene wasn't passing, the time the director spent explaining the scene to the female lead was the extras' break time. They found a quiet corner, lit a cigarette, and started chatting.

"Man, we're probably going to shoot for a long time tonight. I'm hungry, it's past five o'clock!"

"Past five? You'll still be shooting at five in the morning tomorrow. Hey, Ze, what time did you start today?"

An old extra who had been doing this for years patted Lu Ze's shoulder and asked.

"Today... I started at 6:30 AM. It was okay, we finished at 11 AM. I don't know when this one will end."

Lu Ze squatted and ground out his cigarette butt, yawning from fatigue. He had finished work at midnight the previous night and had only slept for about five hours, so he was quite tired.

"Extras! Where the hell are you? Don't you know we're shooting?"

Hearing the director's angry shout, the six little eunuchs quickly got up and ran, smiling apologetically at the director.

But after the scene, everyone was stunned. Where was the female lead? Wasn't she supposed to cry?

Sure enough, she needed a break because she couldn't cry. Lu Ze looked around and saw her eating dinner nearby, with a good spread of eight dishes for herself.

"That's what it means to be a star..."

Lu Ze swallowed hard, came to his senses, and knelt down, shouting, "Long live the emperor, may he live ten thousand years!"

......

Three scenes took over eight hours to shoot, finishing around 9 PM. The female lead was quite "dedicated," staying until her scenes were done.

No stand-ins, worth encouraging.

After the shoot, Lu Ze and the other extras had to help carry equipment, organize cables, and move boxes. By the time they finished, they all smelled like pickled vegetables.

Changing back into his own clothes, Lu Ze finally breathed a sigh of relief, eagerly waiting for Liu Le to pay him. He was just 100 yuan away!

"Here, 120 yuan. The director said to cover your meal expenses."

The extra 20 yuan stunned the six extras. They looked at the yellow bill in silence, speechless.

A young extra, probably around 18 or 19, started crying. It wasn't just about the 20 yuan; it was the feeling of being respected. The director was a good person, at least he treated extras like human beings.

Lu Ze had never encountered a director who covered meal expenses before. He suddenly felt a sense of guilt towards the director. When being scolded by the director, how many extras hadn't cursed the director in their hearts?

Thinking about the director's subservient attitude towards the female lead, he realized the director was also in a tough spot. Besides directing, he probably only had the power to cover meal expenses for extras.

Taking the 120 yuan, Lu Ze thanked Liu Le and left in silence.

On his way home, Lu Ze accessed the system interface.

"Conditions met to unlock the 'Emperor of Acting System.' Do you want to unlock it? (Yes/No)."

He silently said "Yes" in his heart. There was no grand display or auspicious signs; the interface remained the same, just with more options.

A dialog box appeared on the interface, saying, "Congratulations, host, you have successfully unlocked and received the title 'Dazzling Green Leaf.' You can now browse the courses freely."

"......"