Chapter One: Unfulfilled Ambition

  Just in time!

  Lin Xiao was most worried about this just now. If it exceeded ten minutes, the time of the medicine would pass, and his current level would really have a hard time facing this uncrowned king.

  "Alright!" The spray bottle and gun stopped working at the same time. Chen Jialin hastily shouted, "Where's the person?! Stagehand, quickly bring water for the two of them to wash up and change clothes!"

  The scene suddenly became busy, two men of about the same age as Lin Xiao were both busy looking for water cups and kettles.

  "Ah Hua, what's going on?" While searching for a cup, the two exchanged puzzled glances. "Normally, isn't it just serving Teacher Gao alone? What's this? From the director's tone, do we also have to serve water to that newcomer?"

  "What's the point of asking so many questions? Just do what the director says! I'm also curious, who to ask?" Ah Hua said with a hint of dissatisfaction and rolled her eyes.

  "This is strange, when did new actors get treated like this?" Muttering to themselves, the two finally found Lin Xiao's cup and towel, and quickly sent them over.

  However, Lin Xiao did not take it over. His whole body seemed to have lost its senses, as if he had just been electrocuted again, and his whole body was numb. His fingers moved like a wooden puppet.

  "What's going on?!" Chen Jialin, who was not far away, asked someone beside him.

  Xue Zhongrui watched for a while and sighed, "Seriously into the play, I'm afraid I need to slow down. It's been a while since I've withdrawn."

  Finally, after more than a minute, Lin Xiao regained control of his body.

  "This side effect is really big, it's better to use less in the future." he thought to himself.

  "Director Chen, how's it going?" He took a big gulp of hot water and wiped his head with the towel. Fortunately, because they were filming a bald-headed scene, he had kept his head shaved and didn't have to worry about his hair. As soon as he finished wiping, he asked Chen Jialin.

  The group of people in front of the director's chair didn't say a word, their eyes emitting an unusual gaze, as if they were looking at an artifact. The kind that was extremely rare.

  "Lao Xue, if the movie emperor asks you how's my filming going? How would you answer?" He suddenly turned his head and asked Xue Zhongrui with a weird expression.

  "Uh-huh, I'll leave with a mask on." The other party replied seriously.

  In a word, several people burst out laughing, having just watched an incredibly wonderful scene of dialogue, their mood was great, extremely good! Everyone had some epiphanies, and all they needed to do now was wait for time to ferment before they could make progress.

  But this play is a psychological warfare, and those who are not in front of the camera can't understand its essence.

  Apart from Qian Zhong, with a pale face, he understood that if he were to say anything about Lin Xiao now, he would probably be the first to get kicked out. Even if Chen Jialin gave him face, Xue Zhongrui and Yao Chang'an wouldn't give it to him.

  "This bird hasn't even grown all its feathers yet!" he thought resentfully.

  "Alright, you go change your clothes first and come over afterwards." Chen Jialin said to Lin Xiao who was drenched like a drowned chicken. Gao Lanchun had already gone to change, after all, she was also getting on in years.

  Lin Xiao nodded and went to the locker room.

  "The Film Emperor is gone." Chen Jialin said with a smile to the people around her "Hey, Manager Qian, why is your face so pale?"

  "Oh, it's nothing. I just ate something wrong last night. Ouch... No, my stomach hurts again. Director Chen, I'll be right back." Qian Zhong quickly made an excuse and slipped away.

  As he walked past Li Ruijin's side, he gave a signal to the unsuspecting opponent and they both left together.

  Chen Jialin smiled and replayed the shot from just now once again.

  "Good, great! Too good!" He couldn't help but applaud again.

  After finishing speaking, he shouted around "Everyone come over and take a look at what was just taken, especially new people."

  "Haha, Director Chen, don't be so harsh." Xue Zhongrui said with a smile, "You're pushing him to the forefront of the storm."

  "Ah, I don't know what others will think if they see this." Yao Chang'an also smiled.

  The scene was in an uproar, but Li Ruijin and Qian Zhong had already left the scene.

  "Manager Qian, how is it?" Li Ruijin hastily asked, he was standing too far away and couldn't see the situation on the scene at all. "How did you come out so quickly?"

  "Fast?! I think it's still too slow!" Qian Zhong hummed in a bad mood, after watching Lin Xiao's performance, no matter how he looked at Li Rui, it was not good.

  "I stayed there and listened to Chen Daoxian responding to people?! Look at how they fawn over that little brat?!"

  "What?! Li Ruijin was suddenly stunned, he had been waiting for so long and had hoped to hear the news of Lin Xiao's downfall, but instead, what he heard was a bolt from the blue!

  "You... You mean..."

  "What's the meaning of this?!" Qian Zhongyi suddenly had a bellyful of pent-up anger and it all came pouring out at Li Rui "I'm telling you, just because you're Xu Lao Da's relative doesn't mean you can recklessly dig holes! Next time, take stock of yourself first! Look at Lin Xiao's performance, is it on the same level as yours?! Others are already catching up to first-rate actor levels!"

  Boom! Li Rui's progress was as if he had been struck by a thunderbolt. First-rate? Are you kidding me?!

  "He couldn't believe it and asked, 'Boss Qian, I know my acting skills are not as good as his. However... first-rate... you're also overestimating that kid..."

  "What's going on?! Do you know what Mr. Xue and Mr. Yao just said?! Tsk tsk, an Oscar-worthy performance! My ears are hurting from listening!" Qian Zhong was so angry that he was panting, and after venting his anger, he grumbled, "That lucky bastard passed with flying colors. All our efforts this time were for nothing."

  Li Rui's lips trembled and he couldn't speak a word.

  After half a day, he finally gritted his teeth and said, "I'm not reconciled!"

  "I won't accept it! Why does that bastard have such good luck?! Why do all the actors favor him so much?! Without him, I would be the first! I am the first!"

  "Aren't you resentful? Do you think I'm willing?! " Qian Zhong snorted and said, "Dare to snatch food from my mouth, who does he think he is?! Just a newcomer! This matter isn't over!"

  "Just you wait, Ulanbutong still has many days ahead! As long as he's around, I'll find a way!" He glanced at Li Rui and continued "If the small pit won't work, we'll dig a bigger one. If the director won't do, I'll take another route!"

  "He's now considered the number one person in this crew, but he's still far from being the top newcomer! Having a big name is also a good thing, as long as the director thinks he's arrogant, then he'll naturally have his downfall..."

  After finishing speaking, Qian Zhong left. Li Rui stood in place, and it wasn't until half a day had passed that a hint of sinister light flashed in his eyes.

  When Lin Xiao returned to the set, the atmosphere had completely changed.

  In front of the director's chair, a large crowd gathered, and all the onlookers came over, just like the situation when showing small movies in county towns in the 80s.

  Not just onlookers, but also heated discussions, pointing fingers at each other in front of the camera.

  "Hey, the master is here." Wang Yuetian said with a smile as he saw Lin Xiao coming over.

  In an instant, the scene fell silent.

  The newcomers all turned their heads back in unison, and his gaze already carried a hint of admiration. Several old-timers were also smiling.

  "Here it is." Chen Jialin's face was flushed with excitement, and the more he looked at the footage from earlier, the more excited he became. He smiled and asked, "Want to know how the shoot went?"

  "Director Chen, you're also too bad at hiding it." Li Hongtao burst out laughing "With this attitude, everyone knows it's over after one time."

  "Really?" Chen Jialin suspiciously touched her own face "I clearly made a great effort to restrain my smile."

  "Haha." Everyone chuckled. Chen Jialin beckoned Lin Xiao over with a wave of her hand, indicating for him to come over.

  Lin Xiao walked up to the director's chair, and just as he stood still, Chen Jialin couldn't wait to speak up "How much more do you have left to show? Do you know what level of performance that was just now?"

  Lin Xiao shook his head and thought to himself: 2,010 minutes, although still far from Chen Daoming's current 5 million per episode, at least it was a first-rate level.

  "Hehe, let's not talk about that for now." Chen Jialin's eyes lit up and asked "I want to ask you, can you still achieve that state again in the future?"

  I don't have that much money! Lin Xiao bitterly smiled, Chen Jialin didn't know that just now he had spent two thousand. He could only reply "It's probably very difficult, Director Chen, earlier I was also unintentional, privately I had rehearsed this scene many times, earlier I didn't know how I suddenly got into character."

  "You also know that's getting into character." Yao Chang'an burst out laughing "Getting into character, after the first time, it gets easier next time, every time you get into character, it's a leap forward for actors. Alright, Old Chen is being hesitant, I'll help him say it, your performance just now was Oscar-worthy!"

  "What?!""Movie Emperor level?!""I'm going! I just thought it was well-acted, didn't expect it to be this level?!""Isn't that saying Lin Xiao is a Movie Emperor? Isn't that unscientific?!"

  One sentence was like throwing a big stone into the lake of newcomers, stirring up layers of ripples. Suddenly, the murmurs were about to turn the scene upside down!

  "Quiet down!" Chen Jialin spoke up, and the scene gradually quieted down. He then said, "Old Yao was right, I couldn't have thought of it, you had such a great performance. I've been a director for so many years, not to mention that I haven't seen it before, I dare bet that Zhang Yimou hasn't seen it before! Last time we chatted, he even complained about how hard it was to discover new actors!"

  "Yes, and it's facing Lao Gao. I find it unbelievable!" Xue Zhongrui sighed and shook his head "Alas! I was wondering where your company dug up such a freak?! I've been acting for decades, and this is the first time I've seen a newcomer perform at this level!"

  "This should be shown to Old Chen and the others." Xue Zhongrui said with a raised eyebrow, "Right, Lin Xiao's gamble is considered a loss, huh? Ah, what a pity. I was saying we could get some free labor, but now it seems someone will have to pay out even more."

  Chen Jialin burst out laughing "Can't what I said count? Losing is losing. Lin Xiao, I want to recommend you to join a drama crew as a backup. Of course, that's also a TV series."

  "Really?" All the newcomers looked at each other in dismay, and even old-timers like Li Hongtao and Wang Yetian were no exception. Chen Jialin recommending a drama crew to newcomers? Isn't that his agent's job?!