Chapter One: Unfulfilled Ambition

  "What's going on?" "Why did it get stuck all of a sudden?"

  The newcomers around didn't see the camera and naturally didn't understand what was going on. Only a few people in front of the camera looked at Lin Xiao's face with suspicion.

  "Has it finally started?" Li Rui sneered and sent a short message on his phone.

  "Yao Yao, aren't you coming over to take a look at your masterpiece?"

  "Such a good thing, of course, I have to come and take a look at the scene. Adding fuel to the fire is always good." Soon, the text message came back.

  Chen Jialin took a deep breath, stood up and beckoned with her hand "Lin Xiao, come over here."

  Lin Xiao was about to walk over when Gao Lan Chun patted his shoulder "Your makeup."

  Makeup? He furrowed his brow. The makeup was applied by himself, and the medicine was from the system, so it was absolutely impossible for there to be a problem. That left...

  He sneered and said, no wonder, no wonder why Liu Yiyi suddenly had a stomachache today. He said that these days have been too quiet, it turns out they were all waiting for today.

  Looking around in a circle, I didn't see Liu Yiyi's beautiful and charming figure, but instead met Li Rui's fiery gaze.

  "Originally, everyone left a thread. As a result... " He smiled and said, "Cami sister was right, some people just have to be trampled to death. I'm still too soft-hearted."

  He walked up to Chen Jialin and before he could even open his mouth, the other asked "What's with your makeup?"

  Lin Xiao knew that her makeup must have been ruined by now, and it was still visible even in this dim light. However, explaining wouldn't do any good, if Chen Jialin called Liu Yiyi to testify, she would definitely deny everything, and the two sides would start a heated argument, delaying the filming schedule, and probably get blacklisted by the production team immediately.

  "Sorry, Director Chen, I was too careless." He said sincerely after instantly clarifying the severe relationship.

  "So many people are waiting, and you're going to dismiss them with just one sentence of apology?" Qian Zhong said sarcastically. "Just now Director Chen said it was okay once, the people behind have all come over, and now we have to wait for you to put on makeup? Not to mention the actors, isn't the crew tired from spraying water and guns?"

  "Take a look at yourself!" Chen Jialin angrily flung over a mirror. The crew hated it the most when someone carelessly implicated the entire crew, especially in scenes that should have been done in one take.

  Lin Xiao took a look and indeed, the makeup on the upper half of her face was completely ruined.

  He silently put down the mirror, and Qian Zhong's voice inserted at the right time "Why aren't you speaking? What to do? You should say something!"

  "Lin Xiao." Xue Zhongrui was the first to speak up. "You're a very talented actor, but you can't be arrogant just because of that. Any newcomer starts from scratch."

  "One careless move and you might ruin your own future." Yao Chang'an also said with a heavy heart.

  Chen Jialin looked at Lin Xiao and didn't say a word, getting angrier by the second. He said coldly, "We've been looking out for you because of your talent. But what you did today is really disappointing."

  Just then, a voice suddenly rang out "At that time, I said to use waterproof when I was making up. Even mentioned it several times. As a result, he had stomach pain for a few minutes, and he actually used my makeup to draw on himself."

  Liu Yiyi walked over with a flirtatious air, her slender waist swaying three times as she raised her elegant fingers and said, "Originally, for the rain scene shoot, we were going to use waterproof makeup. Unless it's heavy rain, no need for makeup." He was being so stubborn, I couldn't say anything about it. This thing is also my fault, after coming out of the bathroom, he left and I didn't carefully check which makeup products had been moved, otherwise I would have definitely chased him to the scene.

  Chen Jialin's face flushed with anger, and she stared at Lin Xiao for a long time before asking indifferently, "What else do you have to say?"

  "Director Chen, Lin Xiao is so disobedient, let him go wherever he wants." Qian Zhong said hastily.

  "I didn't ask you!" Chen Jialin's pent-up anger was all released, and she suddenly shouted loudly.

  Not far away, Wang Yetian and several others who were waiting to take a shot were all startled. Chen Jialin's temper was not bad, but suddenly he got angry, what big thing happened?

  "Something's happened." Wang Yuetian whispered to Li Hongtao.

  The two of them exchanged a glance and sighed "Let's go take a look."

  A group of people also walked past, when they saw Lin Xiao's makeup, they understood, and suddenly not a word was said, silently standing there watching the show.

  "It seems that no matter what I say, nobody will believe me." Lin Xiao bitterly smiled and said "Then I request the director to give me one chance, I'll put my life on the line, if I fail once, I'll personally apply to leave the crew."

  "It's a fact anyway, whether you believe it or not... What did you say?!" Qian Zhonggang hummed lightly, and the next sentence made him almost jump up in shock.

  "Bare face? Do you know why people put on makeup?! It's to cover up the inadequacy of your expression! To make up for the fatigue and disappointment in the play! Who do you think you are?! Are you a movie emperor?! You're just an unrefined newcomer! Director Chen, I think it's better to get rid of him..."

  He didn't finish what he was saying and stopped himself because he saw that Chen Jialin did not deny it, but instead several old men's eyes shot out with an unusual glow.

  "Director Chen... You're not going to agree with him, are you? Time is running out..."

  Chen Jialin waved his hand, and the anger from just now seemed to have vanished into thin air. He asked with great interest, "Are you going for a nude makeup look? Do you want to go through it once more?"

  "Yes." Lin Xiao replied affirmatively.

  "Lin Xiao." Xue Zhongrui furrowed his brow "Do you know who's going to be your acting opponent?"

  "I know, it's Teacher Gao Lan Chun."

  Qian Zhong clapped his hands and burst out laughing, "Ah, yes, it's indeed Teacher Gao Lan Chun! So you think that just by silently responding according to the script, everything is over? You really are thinking too simply!"

  His intention is to stir up the pride of new people, as long as Lin Xiao has a brain fever and says he wants to perform a highlight, then he will be thoroughly finished. Under Gao Lan Chun's command, it is absolutely not easier than Chen Dao Ming!

  Even if Lin Xiao didn't respond, he had already sown seeds in the hearts of other old theater veterans.

  "Of course not," Lin Xiao laughed and said, "Since I dare to go all out, I will absolutely not perform a mediocre show!"

  Silence, deathly silence!

  Everyone around him, the stagehands, the stage manager, the old actors, and the miscellaneous staff all looked at him as if they didn't know him. Especially Liu Yiyi, who almost popped her eyes out.

  "Has he gone mad?" A stagehand almost bit his tongue off. "Playing a heroic role with Gao Lan Chun teacher? And still a newcomer?!"

  "A newcomer should do their own job well." Another person also shook his head, apparently finding Lin Xiao's confidence inexplicable. "Look at the old man's face and walk accordingly. Don't say I've been in this line for so many years, but it's the first time I've seen a newcomer dare to 'jump' like this."

  Liu Yiyi's orchid-like hands covered her mouth, looking like she had seen a ghost "Crazy, really crazy, blocking all her own way out. Originally I just wanted to let him eat and choke, but I didn't expect this person to be so unwilling to give himself a way out!"

  "Lin Xiao." Chen Jialin's face sank as he spoke up, "You're really too disrespectful to the old actors, aren't you? That's Teacher Gao Lanchun."

  The other old actors didn't say a word, but their eyes looked at Lin Xiao, without anger, but with a kind of expectation.

  Qian Zhong opened his mouth, originally wanting to say something, but always felt the atmosphere was not right, and closed it again. For someone like him, what kind of atmosphere, for what kind of people should say what words, he had long been familiar with.

  His intuition told him it was dangerous to talk nonsense now.

  "Damn brat!" He gritted his teeth and gave Lin Xiao a look "I don't believe you still have such good luck this time! You can actually walk under High Teacher's hands without being suppressed!"

  Lin Xiao looked at several people's gaze and solemnly nodded "If you don't believe me, I dare to make a bet with everyone here."

  He once again emphasized "I will definitely perform my own highlights if I go on stage naked. If not, I am willing to quit the crew and return the signing fee."

  "Is the light returned? What about the play that has been shot?" Qian Zhong chimed in with a timely remark.

  Lin Xiao smiled and said "Of course I'll perform for free."

  Everyone was stunned, including several old actors. Gao Lan Chun had already walked over from the rain, also with a shocked face.

  Newcomer, being able to film a play and get paid is already a blessing. He actually dares to use his only job now as a bet, not compromising at all, this guts can't be said to be small!

  The key is that his opponent was a seasoned veteran! Everyone watched in shock as this newcomer, wondering if he was arrogant or confident?!

  "Lao Gao, you're being looked down upon now." After a few seconds, Xue Zhongrui smiled and said, "I've never heard anyone new speak to you like that before."

  Gao Lan Chun lost her smile: "Old Xue, don't come here to stir up trouble."

  After finishing speaking, he looked at Lin Xiao seriously "Do you know that just now I didn't completely let go?"

  "I know, thank you, Teacher Gao, for your tolerance towards me," Lin Xiao said sincerely.

  Gao Lan Chun nodded "But if you bet like this, I will absolutely not give in."

  His voice was light and casual, but everyone in the scene felt a sudden jolt. These old actors who had been through decades of performances may not have the aura of a movie emperor, but their acting skills would never be inferior to any movie emperor!

  Lin Xiao's eyes were even more determined. "What I say now, no one will believe, only actual actions can make up for my mistakes, please give me another chance, Teacher Gao."

  "Alright, alright, alright." Gao Lan Chun said three "alrights", raised an eyebrow and asked, "So, Old Chen, are you ready?"

  Chen Jialin smiled: "Old Gao, are you really going to join in?"

  Gao Lan Chun didn't say anything and just walked towards the filming location.

  Chen Jialin looked at his back and said to Lin Xiao, "You're really something, daring to play against Teacher Gao. I dare say that in the entire Chinese film and television industry, there won't be more than a handful of people who would dare to do so. Among newcomers, you're probably the only one."

  "But also, no need to say we bully the small. Since you've gambled, I'll agree with you, as long as you and Teacher Gao perfectly act out this play, I'll help introduce a play for you."

  He slightly curled up the corners of his mouth "Also a promising play that will hit CCTV, how about it? Dare to bet?"

  "Director Chen, Teacher Gao has already passed away." Lin Xiao also smiled "Do you think I can still back out?"

  "Alright! Young man! You've got spirit! I'll vote for you just because of the way you stood up to Gao Lan Chun today!" Yao Chang'an burst out laughing and patted him on the shoulder "Hurry up! Old Gao is getting old, don't keep him waiting."