Second Take On Romance - The A-List Actor Wants Me
Chapter 176 : The Audition (2)

Chapter 176: Chapter 176 : The Audition (2)

As Shen Jingwei sat on the carpeted floor in the waiting room, he came to ponder Feng Jietang’s words just now.

Was that true?

Could no one succeed without having any backup?

That being said, were auditions nothing but a facade? The actual battle took place off the stage, where giants rubbed shoulders with giants in an attempt to secure a glorious spot for their "champions".

Shen Jingwei let his gaze drift from one hopeful face to another, all of them budding talents trying to make a breakthrough.

10,000 people vying for a single spot.

That’s 0,01% chance for every single person if they did not ride on any other benefits.

One person was going to get this role in the end, while 9,999 other people were going to go home in tears.

How many more of such auditions must one go through to finally get a role? Ten thousand?

If that was the case, might as well retire early, go to a village, and become a farmer.

"Brother Shen."

Jin Zhuo found him again.

"Hey, Jin Zhuo, I am so sorry for before."

"No, no, no! In fact, Brother Shen, I admire you so much. You really have a wonderful streak this year. First you landed such a powerful role, and then you secured yourself Feng Jietang’s friendship as well! I admire you so much."

Shen Jingwei chuckled.

If this was the past, Jin Zhuo would strike a completely different tone.

He was not a bad person, but almost every butler who worked in the Handsome Butler Coffee Shop looked down at him.

They considered him a failure.

A birdling who never learned to fly.

A new, but defected light bulb.

A star who lost its shine before it traversed the sky.

Shen Jingwei accepted it a long time ago, so he did not mind their playful mockeries from time to time.

In fact, he pitied Jin Zhuo somewhat. Buttering up to Shen Jingwei must be the last thing on his mind before they met today.

"I am sure that it will happen to you sooner than you expect," Shen Jingwei said, guilt gnawing at his conscience as he spoke.

Should he have kept his mouth shut and say nothing?

Now that he understood how the entertainment industry worked, wasn’t it crueler to feed Jin Zhuo with false hope?

On the other hand, crushing Jin Zhuo’s dreams was also not an option.

Suddenly, Yan Renzhong’s course of actions in the past made more and more sense.

He could not lead another onto a path of stardom before walking the path himself.

And also why Lang Yuxuan insisted on hugging Yan Renzhong’s golden thigh to thrive.

Success in the entertainment industry was a chain reaction fueled by strong networking connections and a dash of luck.

And this "luck" was not the sort of empty "good luck"s they exchanged prior to an important audition.

It was the kind of luck that stemmed from someone else’s unluck...

"Shen Jingwei! Is there a Shen Jingwei here?" A middle-aged woman, her face etched with sternness, cut through the din of the waiting room with a forceful voice

Shen Jingwei snapped from his reverie and rose to his feet.

"I am Shen Jingwei," he said.

The woman handed him a lanyard with the number 2890 prominently displayed, and a locker room key.

"Please put all your belongings in the locker. After that, move to the hall over there."

"Thank you."

Shen Jingwei heaved a sigh of relief.

After completing the registration, each applicant was required to go through a background check.

Photos were taken, family information verified, agency verified, correspondence address confirmed, work history outlined, awards and accolades listed out.

It was an exhaustive process reminiscent of the hiring process for a military personnel.

Typically, half of the applicants failed to pass this preliminary inspection and were sent home before they had the chance to showcase their acting ability.

Thankfully, Shen Jingwei’s portfolio did not look too shabby. Not as shabby as it was before he landed the male lead role in "Dance Of The Dragons", anyway.

Was it going to be enough to beat everyone else in the race?

Doubtful.

Was he still going to try?

Well, he was already here.

Might as well give it a try.

In the initial round of the audition, hundreds of candidates were divided into groups. After being given a brief instruction at the beginning, they were assigned specific roles to act out in a scene. Those new to acting were quickly eliminated. Mistakes like incorrect facial expressions, poor reading tone, and stammering proved fatal for many, reducing the candidate pool by another half.

The unsuccessful candidates were dismissed on the spot, and the second round commenced.

For this round, each of them were given the same monologue to read in front of the panel of judges. Afterward, a short interview session would follow to assess the talent’s interpretation of the character they were auditioning for.

Shen Jingwei was quietly reading the script while enjoying a chicken sandwich for lunch when someone came to disturb his focus.

"Aren’t you Shen Jingwei?"

Shen Jingwei looked up to find himself facing a trio of men. Their leader, garbed in a flashy outfit of metallic black, gazed down at him with a smirk.

Despite his lacking circle of acquintances in the industry, he was positive that he had never met any of these three men, directly or indirectly.

"Who are you again?" He genuinely asked.

The leader blew air through his nose.

"Remember your ancestor’s name well. This big brother bears the noble surname Fu and the honorable name Wenchang. You may refer to me as Senior Fu."

Shen Jingwei stared at the haughty man before him.

"Is that so?"

"That is correct," the henchman on Fu Wenchang’s left side confirmed. "You should be grateful that Senior Fu goes out of his way to talk to you."

"An important person like him doesn’t usually have time to waste on the likes of you."

Shen Jingwei crossed one leg atop his other leg and flashed them a sweet smile.

"To what do I owe this honor then?"

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Author’s note :

Shen Jingwei : *sharpening his knives*