Chapter 564, "The Birth of an Actor," is here!

“This level of popularity is excellent.” Zhou Ping’an put down the data report in his hand and smiled at Cheng Hai. “Sure enough, your popularity immediately increased after the pilot episode was released. Your biggest advantage is that there is a group of people who know you. Before the show officially airs, what we need to do is to maintain your popularity by waking up these people’s memories of you.”

Cheng Hai nodded.

Zhou Ping'an: "The night after tomorrow, I've arranged for you to go to Lillian's live stream. You won't be selling anything, just chatting. You'll be talking about what you've been doing these past few years. I've already arranged for someone to write the script for you. Go back and familiarize yourself with it, and memorize the content."

Cheng Hai hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Are you going to play the victim?"

“No, you can’t play the victim.” Zhou Ping’an immediately shook his head. “Don’t forget, you came from the same group as Lu Yanhe and the others. Your positioning is based on them. So, while playing the victim might give you some temporary buzz and topics, it’s not good for your long-term development. What I want to create for you is an image of someone who has been quiet for several years but has never given up.”

Cheng Hai nodded silently.

"Actually, it's what you've been doing for the past few years," Zhou Ping'an said. "We're trying to get one or two good projects through this program."

"good."

Zhou Pingan looked at Cheng Hai seriously and said, "Cheng Hai, don't be timid because of the silence of the past few years. Do you know what I admire most about you?"

Cheng Hai shook his head.

"You're energetic, sunny, and gentle," Zhou Ping'an said. "Your personal charm needs time for the audience to appreciate. So, you're different from those artists who become famous overnight. You just need to stand firm and stay on stage. We'll take it slow and steady, and good times will come eventually."

Cheng Hai's expression showed gratitude.

"Thank you, Brother Ping An."

Zhou Ping'an: "During this time, you can also take the initiative to invite them out for a meal. Don't feel inferior to others or be embarrassed."

"good."

"Keep up the good work," Zhou Ping'an said. "Pay close attention in your acting classes during this period and strive for a better performance on the show."

Cheng Hai nodded.

-

Not long after Narumi left, Tomiri arrived.

"Are you familiar with the script?" Zhou Pingan asked.

Zhou Ping'an was referring to that online movie script.

Tomori nodded and said, "I've already memorized it."

"That's good, filming will start soon," Zhou Ping'an said. "I've got you a spot on a variety show. Once this show is finished, you can go on that show."

Fuli was pleasantly surprised to hear this. "A show is willing to let me on?"

"Hmm." Zhou Ping'an nodded. "It took some effort, but we finally got it done for you. We won't do too much publicity in the early stages to avoid any trouble that might cause us to lose you again."

Fuli nodded excitedly and said okay.

Her eyes sparkled like stars as she said, "Thank you, Brother Ping An. I'm so glad I have you as my manager."

Zhou Pingan glanced at her.

"I heard that when Lu Yanhe came last time, you met with him in the small garden. What happened after that?"

Tomori was taken aback.

She didn't tell Zhou Ping'an about this.

Moreover, this has been going on for some time now.

Fuli thought Zhou Ping'an was unaware of this matter and didn't think to report it to him.

Now that it's suddenly brought up—

Fuli smiled subconsciously before saying, "Brother Ping'an, I've messaged Lu Yanhe a few times, but his responses have been quite cold. There's nothing worth telling you—"

“If you think he’s the kind of person who thinks with his lower body, you’re wrong,” Zhou Ping’an said. “If you want to go down his path, I have a piece of advice for you.”

Fuli forced a smile, "Brother Ping An, I never intended to—"

"Seduction." Zhou Ping'an uttered these two words as if making a final decision, causing Fu Li's tense smile to finally collapse completely. "If you can't admit this, then don't even think about it again."

Furi silently dug her fingers tightly into her palm.

“Lu Yanhe is a soft-hearted person,” Zhou Pingan said. “I’m not just talking about men being soft-hearted towards women, do you understand what I mean?”

Fuli suddenly felt nervous, uneasy, and even embarrassed that Zhou Ping'an had seen through her.

She simply couldn't concentrate on what Zhou Ping'an meant by "soft-heartedness."

Zhou Pingan glanced at the time and said, "Go back and think about it carefully. I have other appointments later."

Tomori nodded as if she were in a trance, and then left.

Zhou Pingan glanced at her retreating figure with disgust, opened the drawer, and took out an agreement.

-

"I've already told you, it's just a publicity stunt between us, so please stop being jealous, okay?"

Meng Li rolled her eyes at Wu Zhouyou. "I only went on two dates with him, and you know about both of them."

Wu Zhouyou frowned deeply.

"You could have gone public with me."

“You’re not a celebrity,” Meng Li scoffed. “Besides, he and I are about to film a dating reality show. Let me tell you beforehand, you’re not allowed to be jealous.”

Wu Zhouyou's brows furrowed even deeper.

"Don't worry, we'll break up this June, there won't be any problems," Meng Li said. "Look, I've only gone on two dates with him, and I've already been on the trending topics four times this month, and I've also landed two new business collaborations. Don't let this affect my work."

Wu Zhouyou hugged Mengli with a hint of helplessness, "What about me? When are you planning to go public with us?"

"I'll announce it to you when you finish writing a script and ask me to be the female lead." Meng Li smiled and said, "I told you before, 'Write me a female lead for the second season of Gold Rush,' have you written it yet?"

Wu Zhouyou sighed, grasped Mengli's hand, and gently kneaded it, "I've written it, I've written it."

"It's not the kind of minor female lead role, is it? I don't play those kinds of characters."

"Why would I give you a supporting role as the female lead?"

"Who knows what you're thinking? You directors all like actresses, and you like more than one actress."

Meng Li climbed off Wu Zhouyou, walked barefoot across the carpet with graceful movements, and poured herself a glass of water.

"Anyway, I don't intend to be a devoted wife who silently supports others. If you fall in love with someone else and then abandon me, I won't get anything in return, and that would be too much of a loss."

Wu Zhouyou looked at Mengli's charming face and smiled broadly.

Mengli has a scent that no other woman has.

She always displayed her worldly and pragmatic nature clearly, yet she also tickled his heart like a cat.

Wu Zhouyou likes her.

"By the way, have you found a male lead for your 'Yesterday Once More' yet?" Meng Li asked.

Wu Zhou persuaded, "Both Huang Kairen and Zeng Qiao refused."

"It seems the success of 'The Gold Rush' isn't enough to impress them."

Wu Zhouyou: "If all else fails, we'll have to settle for second best and see if Jiang Mingzheng will still be acting."

Meng Li said, "Can Jiang Mingzheng carry the box office?"

"We've approached almost all the male actors who can carry the box office and are in their thirties or forties," Wu Zhouyou sighed. "Actually, if we approached Jiang Mingzheng, I was worried that the investors wouldn't be willing to fund the project."

“Then why don’t you consider revising the script? Changing the setting?” Meng Li said, “You worked with Yan Liang on ‘The Gold Rush.’ If you modify the character to resemble him, he’ll definitely accept the role. He’s very popular right now. If he plays the part, the investors will definitely buy it.”

Wu Zhouyou shook his head, "If we change it to Yan Liang's age, the story wouldn't make any sense at all."

The story of "Yesterday Once More" is based on a workplace setting.

Meng Li said, "Or you could add more scenes for the female lead in the story, more key scenes, and a better character design, and I'll act in it for you. That way, the male lead's choice will be weaker, and the investors should be satisfied. If all else fails, I'll ask a few actor friends to fill in for you."

Wu Zhouyou: "Didn't you just say you weren't willing to suffer a loss? You're helping me like this, aren't you afraid of suffering a loss?"

“Consider it a way of repaying you for giving me the lead role in the second season of ‘The Gold Rush’.” Meng Li lay back in Wu Zhouyou’s arms. “I don’t want to suffer a loss, nor do I intend to take advantage of you for nothing.”

-

The snow hadn't even melted by the time "The Birth of an Actor" was officially recorded.

Yuming was still shivering in the cold wind.

Each episode features four groups of actors competing. According to the planned recording schedule, the recording will begin at 2 PM and continue until 10 PM.

This program is not just about recording the competition in the studio; it also includes pre-competition interviews and chats, as well as behind-the-scenes footage after the competition.

Because Lu Yanhe was going to stand on the stage with Peng Zhixing as the "convener," which was actually the "narrator," he had to control the entire recording process of the program. So he started rehearsing with Peng Zhixing and going over the script with the director team two days in advance.

The production team for this program was provided by Aurora Video and Yuehu TV.

They are all veterans with extensive experience.

While they were rehearsing, the competing actors from each group were also rehearsing.

Lu Yanhe had watched almost every group's rehearsal.

You can tell which actors are good and which are just average just by watching them perform on this stage.

Almost half of the people greeted Lu Yanhe privately.

-

The four groups of actors who participated in the first episode were Liu Zhiyin and Zhang Pingqing, Liu Yu and Wang Dashan, He Sha and Cheng Hai, and Liu Zhiyao and Zhen Hongyu.

These are also the eight actors who appeared in the pilot episode.

Two players compete against each other; the winner advances, and the loser is eliminated.

Of course, each episode has a flight mentor who has the power to revive one of the four eliminated contestants.

The first flight instructor was Jiang Yuqian.

-

Before the official recording, Lu Yanhe had lunch with Chen Lingling and the others at a nearby restaurant.

Although it was a private lunch, the production team arranged for someone to follow and film it, making it feel like a reality show.

Every word they say from now on will be recorded.

"Yan He should have seen the rehearsals of all four groups of actors who recorded today, right?" Chen Lingling asked.

Lu Yanhe nodded.

"How about it?"

Lu Yanhe took a deep breath and said, "I can only say that they are very strong and difficult to choose from."

"Really?" Chen Lingling glanced at Lu Yanhe and said directly, "Liu Zhiyin acted better than Zhang Pingqing? You don't have a bias towards your friend, do you?"

Lu Yanhe: "If we're talking about pure acting skills, then Zhang Pingqing is definitely better. But if we're talking about stage presence and charisma, to be honest, I think Liu Zhiyin is just as good as Zhang Pingqing."

Chen Lingling nodded, somewhat surprised.

"If you put it that way, then I'll really be looking forward to it."

"What if we really eliminate Liu Zhiyin?" Chen Lingling asked again.

“Then she’ll be eliminated,” Lu Yanhe said. “There will definitely be a lot of acquaintances on this show, not only my acquaintances but also yours. But competitive shows are all about fairness. Zhiyin knows this too. When I invited her to participate, I told her that she would most likely be eliminated in the first episode.”

Chen Lingling: "I'm relieved to hear you say that."

"I already said that a long time ago," Lu Yanhe said helplessly.

"Who knows if they'll change their minds again when we get to the recording studio?" Chen Lingling said.

Lu Yanhe: "Director, this program is using my name as the convener, how can I allow such a thing to happen?"

He sighed helplessly.

Shang Yongzhou smiled and said, "Yes, director, please have more trust in our junior brother."

Chen Bige, however, was quite distressed: "But I haven't decided yet whether I should play a caring older sister or a sharp-tongued older sister on the show later."

Lu Yanhe: "..."

Shang Yongzhou said, "You should just do what you normally do. Although you act very well on set, you can't act for more than three minutes in real life. You don't have that kind of patience."

Lu Yanhe smiled silently.

Chen Bige immediately glared at him, "Who do you think you are?"

Shang Yongzhou: "Then you act. I'll be watching and see how many minutes you can act."

Lu Yanhe couldn't help but laugh now.

Chen Lingling complained: "If you want to laugh, just laugh. Why hold it in?"

Lu Yanhe said seriously, "I didn't mean to laugh."

As soon as he finished speaking, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Chen Bige: "This is too much, I'm quitting the recording."

-

After having lunch together, the four of them returned to the recording location together.

There is still one hour before the audience can enter.

They can take a short break before they start recording the preliminary discussion meetings.

Each person has a private lounge with a sofa where they can rest.

The production team also provided them with information on all the contestants so they could familiarize themselves with the situation.

Half an hour later, the production crew knocked on the door and asked them to go to a meeting.

Lu Yanhe originally thought he would be the first to arrive—that's what he had always told the production team, asking them to notify him five minutes in advance.

He invited Chen Lingling and the other two himself, hoping to fulfill his role as an initiator, especially in such small matters.

But when he entered the conference room, he found that Jiang Yuqian was the first one to arrive.

"Sister Yuqian!" Lu Yanhe looked at her with surprise, "I thought you were still on your way. Why didn't you send me a message when you arrived?"

"They said you were taking a nap, so I told them not to bother you." Jiang Yuqian smiled as she stood up and approached Lu Yanhe. "You must be having a tough time lately, right?"

"It's alright, Sister Yuqian. How about you? I heard you only arrived in Yuming this morning?"

"Yes, I just got back." Jiang Yuqian nodded. "But I slept on the plane and didn't have time to eat anything. I just ordered takeout, but it hasn't arrived yet."

"I prepared some food for you, didn't they give you any?"

"I just want to drink beef soup right now. Don't worry about me, I've been craving this food so much while I'm abroad," Jiang Yuqian said.

Where were you before?

"South Korea."

"No wonder." Lu Yanhe immediately looked relieved.

Jiang Yuqian said, "The movie 'Misty' is really popular. I was busy filming 'Telephone' before and didn't have time to watch 'Misty'. I watched 'Misty' in South Korea this time. It has been released for more than a month. There were even seven or eight people watching the screening I attended."

Lu Yanhe asked in surprise, "Sister Yuqian, did you watch the Korean version?"

“It’s the English version, how could I possibly understand the Korean version?” Jiang Yuqian said. “Are you going to the Oscars after recording this episode?”

“Yes.” Lu Yanhe nodded.

Jiang Yuqian said, "Then we can meet again at the Oscars."

Lu Yanhe was pleasantly surprised and asked, "Sister Yuqian, are you going too?"

Jiang Yuqian nodded and said, "A brand I work with has a guest invitation slot, and they asked me to go—it's just to walk the red carpet, take some photos, nothing special. But it's nice to be able to see you on stage presenting an award; at least I won't be watching strangers the whole time."

As the two were chatting, Chen Lingling came in carrying a thermos.

"director."

Lu Yanhe and Jiang Yuqian greeted each other at the same time.

Chen Lingling nodded, looked at Jiang Yuqian, and smiled slightly.

"It's been so long since I've seen you, Qianqian."

Chen Lingling stepped forward and gave Jiang Yuqian a warm hug.

"I miss you so much, Director."

Chen Lingling: "How have you been lately? Still running around?"

“Yes, I’ll still be traveling around.” Jiang Yuqian nodded with a smile. “After I finish attending Fashion Week in March, I’ll be joining a film crew, and then I can finally have some peace and quiet.”

“That’s good. Don’t get your priorities backwards. You still have to act,” Chen Lingling said. “An actor still has to let their work speak for itself.”

"Mm." Jiang Yuqian nodded.

Lu Yanhe glanced at the camera next to him.

Is it appropriate to broadcast the part that Chen Lingling just said to Jiang Yuqian in public?

Should we talk to the director and cut this part?

This part is easily misinterpreted by marketing accounts, turning it into Director Chen Lingling accusing Jiang Yuqian of neglecting her duties.

Lu Yanhe silently wrote it down.

-

Cheng Hai took a deep breath.

We're about to go on stage to perform.

This time, he and He Sha are in a PK team. They are not only acting partners who must trust and cooperate with each other, but also competitors. One of them will be eliminated.

He and He Sha have rehearsed this scene about four times already.

To be honest, the collaboration wasn't very pleasant.

Because He Sha kept trying to add scenes and lines for herself, the script was changed several times.

After Zhou Ping'an learned about this, he went directly to a rehearsal and questioned He Sha and the screenwriter about what had happened, holding the revised script.

He didn't tolerate He Sha at all. When he got angry, he wasn't arrogant. He immediately asked, "What? Do you think that just because Cheng Hai isn't famous anymore and is a nobody, you can bully people like that?"

There are photographers present during their rehearsals.

He Sha's assistant was startled and quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "Teacher Zhou, please don't worry. The script revision is for better artistic creation. It's not something that He Sha can change on her own. It also needs the director's and screenwriter's approval."

"Agree with you my foot! Artistic creation, my foot! If you love artistic creation so much, why are you creating something on a variety show? This is a competition! This is a battle!" Zhou Ping'an spoke at a rapid pace, like a machine gun. "This is a competition between He Sha and Cheng Hai. Changing the script doesn't require Cheng Hai's permission? Who would believe this nonsense?"

Zhou Ping'an suddenly pointed at the cameraman: "Just broadcast all of this, and I'll see what the audience says, and see if they believe it!"

He Sha's face turned pale.

No matter where you are, you should not fear gentlemen, but you should fear petty people the most.

Zhou Ping'an's outburst of cursing and swearing left He Sha utterly humiliated.

"Chenghai, let's go! If the production team tolerates someone using the guise of artistic creation to undermine the fairness of the competition, then what's the point of competing!"

Zhou Ping'an and Cheng Hai left without a word, but before they could even leave, they were stopped by the production crew, who were all smiles and polite.

Then, He Sha behaved herself.

The script was also changed back to its original state.

However, the rehearsals between the two became very tense after that.

Cheng Hai had no idea how he would look on stage later.

He sighed.

Just then, his phone buzzed.

He glanced at his phone, somewhat surprised, to find a message from Lu Yanhe, whom he hadn't contacted in a while: Keep it up!

Since Cheng Hai decided to participate in the program, Lu Yanhe has not contacted Cheng Hai proactively, nor has Cheng Hai contacted him proactively.

Cheng Hai didn't want people to think that he was trying to get close to Lu Yanhe at this time.

Lu Yanhe also hoped that Cheng Hai wouldn't be perceived as having too close a relationship with him on the show.

The two of them shared the same thoughts on this matter.

But Lu Yanhe still sent him a message of encouragement before Cheng Hai took the stage.

Cheng Hai replied with an "okay".

-

"What will you do if Cheng Hai really advances?"

In a corner where no cameras were filming, Liu Zhiyao and He Sha were chatting together.

Before going on stage, both of them were a little nervous and anxious. They sent a message to meet here, chatted, and relaxed.

When Liu Zhiyao asked this question, He Sha just gave a slight cold laugh and said, "He has Lu Yanhe behind him. It's really him who advanced. What can I do? Say that the production team is unfair?"

Liu Zhiyao: "Forget it, at least you still have a 50% chance of winning against Cheng Hai. Even if you don't win, with the audience goodwill you've built up and your acting skills, no one will think that your acting skills are inferior. Look at me, I was assigned to a group with Zhen Hongyu, it's practically making me cannon fodder."

He Sha said, "Zhen Hongyu is really sick for participating in this program."

“She didn’t need to come at all.” Liu Zhiyao scoffed. “I thought she could gain some attention through this show.”

"Didn't you already get a lot of attention at that press conference?" He Sha said.

Liu Zhiyao: "How long can that last? Look at Liu Zhiyin, how many trending topics has she been on since the news of her participation in this show broke? The show's team must have used all their trending topics to focus on her alone."

He Sha: "Well, they're famous."

The two chatted casually for a while.

"If I'm eliminated in the first episode, then this episode will be my only chance to appear on the show."

"Um."

"If we really get eliminated, then we'll see."

-

The recording of the program has officially begun.

The first pair is Liu Zhiyin and Zhang Pingqing.

According to the program's positioning, this is a big showdown between idols and actors with real talent. In particular, the former has high popularity and fame. As the first program of "The Birth of an Actor", it needs to have topics and gimmicks to attract the audience.

The play they performed was a scene from "The Golden Era" featuring Jiang Yuqian and Huang Kairen.

Lu Yanhe watched from the side of the platform.

Zhang Pingqing's acting skills are indeed superb, but in Lu Yanhe's opinion, his weakness is that he's too predictable and lacks that star-like, captivating charm. In other words, he lacks his own personal style and characteristics.

While Liu Zhiyin's performance wasn't very precise, as a non-professional actress, her conviction in the role, her control and explosive power on stage were infectious.

Of course, if Lu Yanhe were to vote, he would choose to vote for Zhang Pingqing.

The two of them delivered a very moving performance.

Lu Yanhe and Peng Zhixing went on stage together.

Peng Zhixing said, "Thank you for the wonderful performances of the two actors. Dear audience members, please pick up your voting devices. If you prefer Zhang Pingqing, please press 1; if you prefer Liu Zhiyin, please press 2. Please start voting!"

Only after the audience vote ended did Lu Yanhe and his team begin to give their opinions on the performance.

"Yan He, this is the first performance clip from our show 'The Birth of an Actor.' What are your thoughts after watching it?" Peng Zhixing asked Lu Yan He first.

Lu Yanhe took a deep breath and said, "I feel very relieved. I know Zhiyin very well, but I was worried for her because she is not a professional actress. I was also afraid that this show would not bring her good feedback. I am very grateful to her for coming to our show and supporting our program. But I believe that everyone who watched this performance just now has the same feeling as me: Zhiyin is very talented in acting. She can try acting more in the future."

Liu Zhiyin said with a smile, "Before I came to this show, I asked him if I was really sure what I wanted. Because I really love the singing and dancing stage and I didn't plan to switch to acting. Yan He told me that as an artist, I should try more possibilities. Actually, my biggest gain from this trip was meeting Zhang Pingqing. You might not know, but he's so great. He rehearsed with me no less than ten times, and he also guided me step by step, helping me analyze the character and telling me how to read and break down the script. This is the first time I've understood acting in such detail."

Zhang Pingqing smiled and waved his hand, "We help each other."

"That's great." Peng Zhixing nodded. "Pingqing, you're a familiar face to our audience. You said before that you came to participate in our program hoping that more viewers would get to know you. How did you feel about performing this with Liu Zhiyin this time?"

"It was so much fun, even more so than I imagined," Zhang Pingqing said. "Because I rarely had the opportunity to play the lead role before, I almost never had the chance to perform like this where the whole show was on us. Moreover, I really like the one-off, no-re-recording format of our program, which forces us to act like we're performing a play, without any retakes."

"Yuqian, you must be very familiar with this scene they're performing," Peng Zhixing said with a smile, looking at Jiang Yuqian sitting in the flight instructor's seat. "What do you think of their performance?"

Jiang Yuqian said, "I really got into it. After receiving today's program, I was actually the most nervous about this group. Because I am so familiar with the story of this segment, and I have even acted in it myself, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get into character. There are indeed several parts where Zhiyin really hit me hard. You can definitely try to act it out more; you absolutely can. Of course, I still want to express my special respect to Ping Qing. I have worked with Ping Qing twice, and he is a very good actor."

Zhang Pingqing expressed his surprise and said he didn't deserve it.

“Really, there’s no doubt that he’s a good actor, so I won’t go into details. I want to talk about something,” Jiang Yuqian said. “We worked together on a show called ‘The Maze,’ where he played a disabled person with a missing right hand. There was a scene where he had to tie his shoelaces with his left hand and his teeth. The scene was so difficult that the director discussed with the screenwriter about cutting it. But he told the director that he wanted to try, and then he spent a month practicing tying his shoelaces with his left hand and his teeth. A month later, he nailed the scene in one take.”

The entire audience gasped in surprise.

“Actually, this scene didn’t need to be filmed,” Lu Yanhe said. “This shot should only add up to less than half a minute in total?”

“Yes.” Jiang Yuqian nodded. “He spent a month practicing this half-minute shot.”

Zhang Pingqing said, "That scene was crucial to the development of my character. The screenwriter wrote that scene to create the image of a self-reliant disabled person. Deleting that scene and relying solely on facial expressions to portray a state was mainly because my character didn't have many scenes, so there wasn't much room for me to express myself. We could only use that one shot, which was only half a minute long, but after filming it, the sense of self-reliance came through."

Chen Lingling nodded.

"Director Chen, I see you nodding. Is there anything you'd like to say?" Peng Zhixing asked immediately.

“Ping Qing is indeed a good actor. He has been working diligently in acting all these years,” Chen Lingling said. “It’s great that your program team was able to find him and invite him to this program. I hope this program can help him gain some recognition.”

"It definitely will."

“Since everyone has praised it so much, let me offer some suggestions, just a small suggestion,” Chen Bige said with a smile. “First of all, the scene you just saw was good, but Zhiyin, the layers of your performance weren’t clear enough. For example, when you shed tears, it was very touching, but after you shed tears, before turning away, if you could have looked at Pingqing with a struggle at that moment, your inner conflict would have been clearer—because at that point your emotions had reached that point, you weren’t as rational as before. But from the previous scenes, we can see that your character isn’t someone who doesn’t care about anything, right?”

Liu Zhiyin nodded.

"Ping Qing, your acting is very good, but, if I may be so bold, it's too good for mediocrity."

As soon as Chen Bige finished speaking, the entire audience gasped in surprise.

Shang Yongzhou and Chen Lingling both looked at Chen Bige with some surprise.

They probably didn't expect Chen Bige to say such harsh words.

Especially for a good actor.

Chen Bige said, "Please forgive me for being a bit direct, but I'm afraid you'll fall into a vicious cycle where everyone around you praises your acting skills, but you just remain lukewarm in popularity. You deserve to be recognized by more people, but to be recognized and liked by more people, you need to have something different. There are too many actors with good acting skills in China. Actually, Yan He and Yu Qian both mentioned this earlier; Liu Zhiyin's performance had several moments that moved them. Her overall performance is definitely not as polished as yours, but acting is both a whole and a moment. As a very mature actor, you can no longer be judged solely on your acting skills."

Zhang Pingqing seemed surprised to be praised in this way. She looked somewhat ashamed, pursed her lips, and said "okay."

“Pingqing, I also have a little advice for you,” Shang Yongzhou said with a smile. “Bi Ge actually set higher expectations for you, so I’ll offer a little methodological advice. When Yan He was acting in ‘The Seventeen Floors,’ he played a character with autism. At the time, he was anxious and didn’t know how to act. He felt that such a character was easy to portray in a monotonous and unlikable way. What he did was find many clips of autistic characters in movies and TV shows and imitate them one by one. Through imitation, he finally found his own style. You should watch more performances by great actors, especially those who are considered to have great talent, and imitate their most brilliant moments. Don’t worry about imitating them too poorly. You already have very solid acting skills, and you have the ability to understand your own moment after enough imitation.”

Zhang Pingqing nodded with red eyes and said, "Thank you, Teacher Yongzhou, thank you, Teacher Bige."

Lu Yanhe laughed and said, "It's clear how much we mentors adore Brother Pingqing. Why don't you usually give me such detailed and thorough guidance?"

He laughed and slapped the door open, which made everyone burst into laughter and lighten the atmosphere again.

Afterwards, Liu Zhiyin and Zhang Pingqing shared their personal journeys and interacted with everyone.

The mentors began voting.

Chen Lingling and Chen Bige both voted for Zhang Pingqing, while Shang Yongzhou voted for Liu Zhiyin.

Only after shooting enough footage did Peng Zhixing begin announcing the voting results.

Zhang Pingqing won by two votes and successfully advanced.

He seemed to find it hard to believe.

He looked at Liu Zhiyin with some unease.

He genuinely believed that being in the same group as Yoo Ji-eun meant he had no chance of advancing.

Liu Zhiyin is a popular star. Who is he?

Liu Zhiyin hugged Zhang Pingqing with great joy.

Congratulations, you truly deserve it.

Fortunately, both mentors voted for Zhang Pingqing.

Liu Zhiyin is still quite popular. If it weren't for the fact that each mentor counts as 10 votes, Liu Zhiyin would have advanced.

"It's great, I'm very satisfied with the result," Liu Zhiyin said with a smile. "I also think he should have advanced, so don't feel sad for me, I've already gained a lot."

Chen Lingling asked, "Zhiyin, if I ask you to act in a movie in the future, will you take it?"

Liu Zhiyin stared wide-eyed in surprise and delight, "Really? I'll definitely come!"

"But I'm really fierce on set," Chen Lingling said.

Liu Zhiyin said with a smile, "Director, I'm an idol artist who debuted as a trainee. Before I debuted, I was scolded by people every day, so I'm very resilient."

Lu Yanhe stepped forward and hugged her.

"Thanks."

"Oh, don't be so polite." Liu Zhiyin gently patted his cheek. "I didn't cry, so don't cry."

Lu Yanhe actually felt very guilty and really wanted to cry.

Regardless of what Liu Zhiyin said, he knew that she came to this show to support him.

Otherwise, why would such a popular idol like Yoo Ji-eun "fail" on this stage?

"I'm leaving, bye-bye." Liu Zhiyin waved to everyone and left.

-

The recording of Part 1 has ended.

This performance segment is only about fifteen minutes long, but with all the filming before and after, an hour and a half has passed.

Take a break in between.

When audience members go to the restroom, they also need to adjust.

Chen Lingling shook her head and said to Lu Yanhe, "You're really something, you actually managed to get Liu Zhiyin eliminated."

Lu Yanhe's eyes were red.

"I said it would be fair and just." He sighed. "I'm feeling a bit down right now."

Chen Bige stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't be upset. Liu Zhiyin's performance was excellent. She just didn't advance, but she definitely impressed everyone," Chen Bige said.

Lu Yanhe nodded.

"Besides, didn't Director Chen also send her an invitation? He wants her to star in his new film." Chen Bige said with a smile, "What a great thing!"

Peng Zhixing came over and put his arm around Lu Yanhe's shoulder.

“You are all passionate people, but variety shows have to be done this way. Be a little ruthless and competitive, and the audience will love watching them. If the show is all warm and sentimental, the audience won’t like it. Even if everyone seems to be on good terms on the show, it’s actually not good for anyone. If the audience likes it, the show may be fiercely competitive on screen, but everyone will benefit from it outside of the show.”

Lu Yanhe: "Alright, alright, stop comforting me. It's like I've been eliminated. I'm going backstage now."

He left quickly.

"I'll go comfort Zhiyin-nee."

Peng Zhixing: "Don't turn around and let Sister Zhiyin comfort you."

Lu Yanhe: "..."

-

"Liu Zhiyin was actually eliminated." Liu Zhiyao was very surprised.

She thought that with a combination like Liu Zhiyin and Zhang Pingqing, Liu Zhiyin would definitely advance.

Which production team would eliminate a popular star like Liu Zhiyin and keep an unknown actor like Zhang Pingqing?

Liu Zhiyao had already prepared himself for elimination.

At this moment, He Sha sent her a message: I don't quite understand.

Liu Zhiyao: Me too.

He Sha: Did Liu Zhiyin run out of time? Is that why she was eliminated?

Liu Zhiyao: That's possible. Come to think of it, she doesn't have that much time to spend on this show.

He Sha: Zhen Hongyu might be in the same situation; she might not have any available time later on.

Liu Zhiyao: That's not necessarily true. Let's prepare first. The next group is me and Zhen Hongyu's recording.

He Sha: Keep it up!

-

Half an hour later, the recording of the program continued.

Zhen Hongyu has worked with Lu Yanhe and Chen Lingling before. The role of Xiao Yun in "Phoenix Terrace" was originally hers, but she withdrew from the role because a scandal involving her boyfriend at the time affected her.

However, this incident did not really affect her.

After resolving the matter, she joined a new film crew and has maintained her position as a popular actress ever since.

Compared to her, her competitor Liu Zhiyao would have been largely ignored long ago if it weren't for the attention she garnered at the premiere of the "Birth of an Actor" pilot episode.

The play they performed was a classic palace drama.

The two actors portrayed a scene of swordplay and undercurrents.

To be fair, both of their performances were excellent; in Lu Yanhe's opinion, they were evenly matched.

In a short 20-minute segment, the two of them delivered three plot twists and character reversals, showcasing their excellent acting skills.

“Both actors performed well,” Chen Lingling said. “I can’t even say who acted better than whom; both actors portrayed their roles very well.”

"Indeed, in just twenty minutes, there was a flurry of swordplay," Shang Yongzhou said. "Zhiyao, it's been a long time since I've seen you act. Your skills are as good as ever."

Liu Zhiyao smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Looks like I didn't embarrass myself."

“Zhiyao used to be a big fan of palace dramas, right?” Chen Bige asked with a smile. “I remember watching several of your palace dramas.”

Liu Zhiyao nodded and said, "Yes, this theme was very popular ten years ago, and many productions were made. I also acted in quite a few. Because my most popular and famous play is 'The Imperial City,' for a long time, most of the roles offered to me were palace dramas."

But Liu Zhiyao's success and failure both stemmed from palace intrigue dramas.

Because palace dramas were severely restricted for a period of time and almost disappeared, Liu Zhiyao's other dramas did not perform well and were gradually eliminated by the market.

"It's great to see you again today. I'm sure your appearance will bring back many memories for many viewers," Chen Bige said. "Hongyu, your appearance here is also a surprise to me, and I'm sure it will surprise many others as well."

Zhen Hongyu: "Thank you. I hope I haven't disappointed everyone."

“Not disappointed at all.” Chen Bige waved her hand. “But what were your own thoughts? Why did you choose to have a competition show at this time?”

“I think this format is quite interesting, and look, all the actors competing with me are so excellent,” Zhen Hongyu said. “In the past, it would take us several months to film a single drama. I’ve been in the industry for quite some time now, and so far, not counting cameos, I haven’t actually acted in more than ten dramas. I really want to try more different genres and themes, and this program gives me that opportunity.”

"Have you considered the possibility of being eliminated?" Chen Lingling asked.

Zhen Hongyu paused for a moment, then said seriously, "I have always had great faith in my acting skills."

“Of course, otherwise I wouldn’t have invited you to act in ‘Phoenix Terrace’ in the first place. But look, this time Zhiyao is competing with you, and she’s just as good as you. Don’t you feel threatened?” Chen Lingling asked.

Zhen Hongyu turned her head and glanced at Liu Zhiyao.

Liu Zhiyao smiled.

“She is also a very good actress, but I still maintain that I have great confidence in myself,” Zhen Hongyu said. “I am full of confidence in myself, no matter who my co-star is.”

Zhen Hongyu's statement certainly demonstrates her confidence.

Lu Yanhe even felt that her remarks might attract some criticism.

Because most of the time, people still prefer a humble person.

"And what about you, Zhiyao? Who do you think performed better today, you or Hongyu?" Shang Yongzhou picked up the thread and threw the question at Liu Zhiyao.

Liu Zhiyao smiled shyly.

“I am also very confident in my performance,” she said firmly.

Suddenly, the atmosphere between the two women on stage became tense.

“Excellent.” Chen Lingling suddenly clapped her hands and said, “The fact that you two can be so confident in yourselves in front of everyone is the attitude a good actor should have. In fact, actors should know that they should be full of self-confidence, even narcissism.”

"Director, between the two actors, who would you choose?" Peng Zhixing began to cue the process.

Chen Lingling lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then decisively wrote down her choice on the whiteboard and revealed it: Hong Yu.

Zhen Hongyu bowed and thanked her.

At this moment, Chen Bige and Shang Yongzhou also wrote down their choices.

They both chose Liu Zhiyao.

Liu Zhiyao's face lit up with unbelievable joy. She covered her mouth, her eyes instantly reddened, and tears streamed down her face.

Peng Zhixing glanced at Zhen Hongyu, whose expression was not very good, took a deep breath, and decided that for the sake of the show, he still had to ask.

"Teacher Bige, Teacher Yongzhou, why did you choose Liu Zhiyao?"

Chen Bige said, "To be frank, just like Director Chen said, both actors were very good. Their performances and roles were equally impressive. But I haven't seen Liu Zhiyao perform in a long time, and perhaps that's why she attracted my attention more on stage—so I chose Liu Zhiyao."

Shang Yongzhou also said, "Hongyu's performance is more inclined towards the style of film and television shooting. Liu Zhiyao is more skilled in stage control, which is also more difficult. I'm not saying that you're bad in this aspect, Hongyu, but your role doesn't have that space to show it. To put it simply, Bige and I are no longer making choices based on the two actors' performance levels. You two can't be compared in terms of performance level, so we can only make a judgment based on these peripheral details. I'm sorry, Hongyu."

Although Zhen Hongyu's face looked terrible, she still nodded and waved her hand to indicate that she was okay.

However, a very dramatic scene unfolded when Peng Zhixing read out the audience votes.

Of the 200 audience members, 118 voted for Zhen Hongyu and only 82 votes went to Liu Zhiyao. Even including the judges' votes, Zhen Hongyu still had the better total number of votes and advanced.

Liu Zhiyao, who had been beaming with relief, was now stunned, as if struck by lightning, standing there dumbfounded.

Zhen Hongyu was also stunned.

(End of this chapter)