Chapter 112: Have You Really Never Acted Before? (2)

Mr. Chen’s brow furrowed even deeper. On one hand, he truly did not want to insert Yang Xiaofan into the cast as Zhao Liufang suggested. After all, Yang Xiaofan had no acting experience whatsoever; he simply did not know how to perform. Such a person, if cast in the film, would only bring a flaw to the production—a flaw that could become a significant regret for the entire movie.

Yet, on the other hand, he had to admit that the domestic film and entertainment industry was somewhat sluggish at the moment. Short videos, self-media, mobile games, and various other fresh forms of entertainment were siphoning off the audience’s attention. People favored fast-consumption culture, and fewer and fewer young viewers were willing to spend long hours watching a movie or even a television series.

In this situation, if they did not innovate, the box office might truly flop. So, there was no choice but to compromise. However, he would try his best to ensure that Yang Xiaofan would not affect the overall quality of the work. First, they would see how well he acted; if it was within an acceptable range, they would give him more opportunities. If not, he would find ways to reduce his screen time and edit him out in post-production.

“Alright then, come with me. The others cannot come,” Chen said.

Yang Xiaoqing was somewhat reluctant. “I really want to watch the acting.”

Qin Nuanyu smiled and explained, “That’s not possible. Before the film and television series wrap up, secrecy is essential. Otherwise, if the plot leaks out, who would still want to watch?”

“That makes sense,” Zhao Liufang smiled. “Over at the film city, I have my private restaurants and cafés; you’re all welcome to go there. I’ll give you my affiliated gold cards.”

Qin Nuanyu waved her hand. “No need. We’ll pay for ourselves.”

“That won’t do. Mr. Yang is someone I’ve painstakingly invited to help. How could I let you spend your own money?” Zhao Liufang insisted on paying, and Qin Nuanyu and the others stopped being overly polite. They understood that he was simply trying to win Yang Xiaofan’s favor.

Afterward, they strolled about the film city on their own.

Meanwhile, Yang Xiaofan was brought into the crew by Mr. Chen, who began instructing him on the acting.

“You’re playing a rival to the protagonist in this scene—a rare intelligent villain in the film. Although your screen time is brief, your role is significant. The demands for dialogue and emotional control are very strict. I’ll give you twenty minutes to memorize your lines. When the time comes, you must deliver your lines flawlessly without a script and express the emotions convincingly.”

“First, study the lines carefully. Once you’re ready, I’ll test your acting before moving on to further guidance.”

“Understood,” Yang Xiaofan replied.

He glanced at the script and, in less than ten seconds, memorized all the lines. One must know that he was no ordinary person; his memory had long since been enhanced.

“All done. I’ve memorized everything,” he said.

Just as Mr. Chen was about to leave to coach others, he suddenly stopped, turned back, and frowned at Yang Xiaofan.

“Are you joking with me?”

Chen couldn’t help but be suspicious. Although the lines weren’t particularly tongue-twisting, they were numerous. In just ten seconds, even he couldn’t have memorized them all.

Yang Xiaofan shrugged. “Why would I joke? We’re all adults here; I’m not that childish.”

“Well, recite them for me then.”

“Sure,” Yang Xiaofan responded, and began:

“Xiao Ye, are you looking for death? What do you think you are? Do you really believe you’re the eldest son of the Xiao family? I’ll tell you, you’re just the son of a lowly cook, and you…”

He rattled off the entire passage with ease.

Mr. Chen’s expression shifted from disbelief to shock, and finally to something strange.

“Did Director Zhao show you the script beforehand?”

Yang Xiaofan blinked, puzzled.

Chen quickly added, “It must have been Director Zhao. Otherwise, there’s no way you could have memorized that in ten seconds.”

“Fine, whatever you say,” Yang Xiaofan said, spreading his hands, unwilling to argue further. He knew it was hard for ordinary people to believe his story, and any explanation would be pointless. Besides, he had no need to prove anything to anyone.

After a pause, Yang Xiaofan spoke again, “So, can we start acting now?”

He was ready to leave after the performance.

“Of course,” Chen nodded, clearly pleased, convinced that he had correctly guessed Zhao Liufang had given Yang Xiaofan the script in advance.

“The scene opposite you is the male lead. Since this is your first time acting, we won’t shoot yet. You two will improvise and simulate the performance first.”

“Okay, no problem.”

Soon, Chen brought over the male lead—a young rising star who had just gained popularity in recent years. Though also a young heartthrob, the actor had a solid reputation for his acting skills online. This was likely why he had been accepted into Chen’s crew.

“Hello, Mr. Yang.”

“Hello.”

The young lead was polite, and Yang Xiaofan was unpretentious.

“Let’s begin,” said Chen.

“Alright!”

The young lead spoke first. The protagonist’s character was decisive and ruthless, yet extremely indifferent to ordinary people. It was this aloof and superior demeanor that provoked the villain’s taunt.

Next, the protagonist would kill the villain. Of course, stunt doubles would handle the later scenes.

The focus was on this initial exchange of dialogue.

The young lead’s acting was indeed as good as his online reputation suggested.

After finishing, the scene cut to Yang Xiaofan. He took a deep breath and shouted fiercely:

“Xiao Ye, are you looking for death?…”

Everyone in the crew, who had been busy with their tasks, suddenly paused and stared at Yang Xiaofan’s performance. Even Mr. Chen was momentarily stunned, seemingly taken aback by Yang Xiaofan’s intensity.