Chapter One: Unfulfilled Ambition

  The next day, CAMI went out with two others, leaving him alone in the hotel. After lunch, he immediately rushed to Kempinski.

  Knock open the door 413, and you see Zhou Xingchi wearing a very casual T-shirt jeans, lying on the chair, basking in the sun and reading a book.

  "Ah, you're here." Zhou Xingchi smiled and pointed at the sofa "Take a seat."

  Lin Xiao also sat down without hesitation, waiting for the other party to speak up.

  Zhou Xingchi closed his book and looked him up and down before suddenly asking "Which celebrity do you think likes playing soccer?"

  What's with this weird question?!

  Lin Xiao slightly raised his eyebrows, he knew that the assessment had already begun. Indeed, one director has one style, Wen Jun tested acting skills, while Zhou Xingchi's was this kind of "sudden attack".

  Suddenly a light bulb lit up in his mind, the other party was the comedy king, and his answer decided to take a risk.

  Anyway, it's just a joke and doesn't hurt anyone.

  He pretended to be deep in thought, while Zhou Xingchi discovered his thoughts and a hint of disappointment flashed across his eyes.

  "Look at his Happy Camp performance, it's great! He comes up with all sorts of jokes. Doesn't he think this question is too abrupt? In relation to my identity, my movie, doesn't he know this is a test?"

  Zhou Xingchi let out a sigh, indeed, it's hard to find someone who fits the role, he had been searching for too long.

  Thought I found a suitable "marriage partner", but it turned out to still disappoint myself.

  Just as he had lost all hope, Lin Xiao suddenly lifted his head and asked seriously "Keldon?"

  "Haha!" Zhou Xingchi burst out laughing without any politeness! And it was a laugh that held his belly.

  As expected! He's indeed a good seedling! The disappointment in his eyes was instantly dispelled by Clinton from afar in the US. He had thought that even if the other party understood, they would still bring up relatively serious old-school artists, but instead, it went even further.

  "Not bad!" The disappointment in his eyes was like fleeting clouds, and he smiled and asked "You knew that Clint/Denton is a soccer star, how come you still thought about it for so long?"

  "I was just thinking who's more famous between Morioka and Kurinton." Lin Xiao said with an apologetic tone.

  "Haha!" Even Zhou Xingchi, who has been in the "laughing scene" for a long time, couldn't help but smile wryly. He himself had brought up a football, while the other side had made a joke about the two countries' prime ministers. This kind of fanciful thinking is exactly what comedy stars need.

  "Alright, let's talk about the play now." Zhou Xingchi smiled and gave a thumbs up, making an "you're okay" gesture.

  "Everyone outside knows that I'm going to write, direct and act in a play myself, so everyone has high expectations, and it's also very difficult for me." He put away his smile, sighed with worry "I can't ruin my own reputation, so for every role that people will remember, I have to audition personally."

  Lin Xiao didn't say anything and quietly listened as the other person continued speaking.

  "Other roles have basically been confirmed, and there is only one role left. That role has few lines, or even no lines at all, just action. I need a young newcomer to play it."

  Lin Xiao thought for a moment and asked cautiously, "I don't know how many scenes this role has?"

  Zhou Xingchi burst out laughing, "This is how much I value this role. He doesn't say much, but he definitely has a lot of screen time, even several minutes of solo shots, and many close-ups too. My point is, this character needs to be done with flair."

  Finally, he concluded by saying "This role is a goalkeeper. My requirements are: cool, handsome, and has personality. But also must be able to blend into the entire comedy, cannot stand out alone."

  "Boom!" As soon as Zhou Xingchi finished speaking, the system sound that had been silent in Lin Xiao's mind for a long time rang out again, just like Zhao Wei's prompt back then.

  Golden Small Letters! Representing S-level Mission!

  "S-level task: Shaolin Football officially kicks off. Reward for signing contract: All attributes increased by 50. Popularity increased by 200. Rewards will be sent after signing."

  Fame increased by 200? He looked at his own fame with a puzzled expression, only to discover that this value he had neglected was a mere 100 points.

  Representing an artist who is completely unknown. And adding 200 points, it's enough to meet the standards of a third-tier artist.

  "May I ask if it's being carried out?"

  "Yes!" he thought without hesitation.

  At that moment, he suddenly felt a chill on his neck. The Bodhi seed necklace, which had never been useful before, was gone.

  He remembered that the necklace's effect was to increase the success rate of getting a role, and all along, he hadn't gotten any new roles. Unexpectedly, the system's reward had taken effect at this time!

  "Mr. Lin, what do you think of this role?" Seeing that Lin Xiao didn't say anything, Zhou Xing asked a question.

  Lin Xiao finally withdrew from his thoughts and smiled, saying "Director Zhou's play, of course I really want to be in it."

  Zhou Xingchi nodded and said seriously, "The feeling you give me is not bad, I believe you won't have a big problem fitting into the comedy. However, you need to pay attention to this role, it's not a comedic character itself. But it needs to fit the tone of the whole play. Now, I need you to do a few scenes."

  Lin Xiao nodded, this is what they called a point-to-point exam, usually just the most important few shots of that character.

  "The first is provocation. Two teams clash, and the goalkeeper provokes the shooter."

  Lin Xiao thought for a moment, point-to-point exams, often only one sentence, the director can't define the scene at once, if the actor performs perfectly, it's likely to pass once and sign on the spot.

  Maybe one action can bring a contract, maybe half an hour of talk only brings "I'm very sorry."

  He recalled the scene of Shaolin football, quietly thinking for ten minutes, and finally had a more complete summary.

  Very simple plot, boiled down to two points: penis, exaggeration.

  Facial expression exaggerated, actions over-the-top.

  She lifted her head and met Zhou Xingchi's expectant gaze.

  "I wonder how he will portray it?" Zhou Xingchi saw Lin Xiao raise his head, and he was also slightly excited. This role, he had secretly looked for many newcomers to play, but no matter what, none of them gave him the feeling he needed.

  Under the gaze of everyone's eyes, Lin Xiao only made one move, his thumb brushed across his upper lip, and he stretched out his right hand, shaking one finger.

  Zhou Xingchi's eyes lit up.

  The action is very simple, but the other party has also adjusted their expression while doing these actions, not being serious at all, but rather playful, with a slight downward curve of the mouth, and the body language is also quite in place. It doesn't look like it's on the court, but instead has a bit of a "triad" feel to it.

  But this action was exactly what he wanted!

  "Great! Excellent!" Lin Xiao's expression had just relaxed when he immediately heard Zhou Xingzhi's applause.

  "Can you tell me how you came up with this pose?" The other person asked excitedly.

  Lin Xiao thought for a moment, "Actually, it's very simple. I think that as the comedy king, Zhou Daogui's previous films have had many exaggerated styles. If this one doesn't, old audiences may need to spend some time to accept it. So just adding a bit of exaggerated body language or facial expressions will do."

  "It's like that." Zhou Xingchi burst out laughing. "To be honest, I've tried out many new actors, but their performances were all immersed in the play and very natural, but it was just too natural. What I want is not this kind of..."

  "It's a feeling. It's that kind of ingredient that needs a bit of acting in it."

  He became more and more happy "When I first found Zhao Wei, it was the same. She repeatedly pushed back saying she had never acted in a comedy. But I just felt that she could do it, unfortunately, I couldn't persuade her."

  "What did Zhou Dao say in the end?" Lin Xiao couldn't help but become curious.

  Zhou Xingchi smiled and said "Finally, I asked a question, don't you want to try roles other than Little Swallow?"

  Lin Xiao sighed, no wonder he's the old king of heaven. If saying Zhou Xingchi's name is not enough to make Little Swallow try a new route, then this sentence is a direct hit on her weak point, the last straw that crushes the camel.

  "When Zhao Wei recommended you to me, I was a bit worried, but now, this worry is completely unnecessary." Zhou Xingchi hesitated for a moment and then gave a thumbs up again "OK, no problem."

  However, Lin Xiao did not relax, earlier the other party said it was the first scenario, so that means there is a second one.

  Just then, his neck felt cool again, and the missing necklace returned to his neck.

  "As for the second scene...” Zhou Xingchi thought for a moment, but then suddenly laughed and clapped his hands "Forget it, if this scene can be acted well, then this character is almost done."

  Is it done? Is it okay?

  Lin Xiao couldn't quite believe it, although Hong Kong directors' auditions are completely different from those on the mainland, sometimes one sentence can decide whether an actor can get in or not. But to pass with just one scene is really rare!

  What is the effect of Bodhi seed necklace? Skipping the second step review directly?

  Seeing Lin Xiao looking at himself, Zhou Xingchi couldn't help but laugh and say "Congratulations to you, the name of this movie, I can now reveal it to you, its name is: Shaolin Soccer. Will be filmed at the end of the year, next month, announce the cast list, hold a press conference."

  Even Lin Xiao, who has been in the industry for several years, can't help but feel excited at this moment. This is not just an ordinary play, it's even more impactful than a big production! However, its influence will be far-reaching. Collaborating with Zhou Xingchi on his first self-directed and self-acted film, and making his debut on the big screen, will pave the way for a smooth and successful career in the entertainment industry!

  "Thank you for the opportunity given by Director Zhou," Lin Xiao said sincerely.

  "You and this film's flavor are just right." Zhou Xingchi said with a smile, "However, your treatment is still that of a newcomer. You shot Kangxi for 3000 yuan in film fees, movies naturally have to be higher, but not being the main actor, it can't be too high either. You need to mentally prepare yourself."

  I've long heard that "Star Master" is stingy, and it's actually true. Lin Xiao cursed in his heart, but this kind of opportunity was absolutely not something that could be measured by money.

  Seeing Lin Xiao nod in agreement, Zhou Xing said "In that case, I'll send the contract to your company later."

  After chatting for a while and discussing the content and style of this play, Zhou Xingchi said that after signing the contract, he will send over the script, of course, only his part, and let the agent arrange the schedule.