pertwk Chapter 57 Snatching People
Chapter 57 Snatching People
The atmosphere at the selection event gradually became somewhat formulaic as each group of newcomers appeared, performed, and left.
Most of them are ordinary extras, and their talents are relatively average.
Those with even a little bit of special talent have already been picked up by other departments.
Lu Ran sat on the judges' panel, one hand supporting his chin, the other unconsciously tapping the table.
So interviewers can be this boring too? I thought it was cool to have the power of life and death. What should I do? Should I sneak out beforehand?
Tan Yu also came over and whispered in Lu Ran's ear, "Brother Lu, I feel like they're all pretty much the same. It's either recitation or pantomime. Apart from the first few raps, there's nothing new about it."
"We're just extras, don't expect too much," Lu Ran replied perfunctorily, but his eyes were already drifting out the window.
Just then, a clear voice rang out:
"Hello teachers, I am number 37, Xu Manxue."
A young woman dressed in a simple red practice outfit stood in the center of the stage.
Most of the actors who came today were dressed in ordinary clothes, but Xu Manxue's red dress stood out.
Xu Manxue is rather slender and not very tall, but she stands tall and straight. Her long, black hair is tied into a neat ponytail at the back of her head, and even her face has a touch of heroism.
Upon seeing Xu Manxue, Lu Ran's attention was immediately drawn to her.
"My talent show is... martial arts."
As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Manxue executed a clean and swift side roll followed by a forward somersault, then landed steadily and bowed with clasped hands.
Although the whole set of movements is simple, the movements are smooth and fluid, without any hesitation.
"Holy crap!" Tan Yu almost jumped up from his chair. "That's impressive! Brother Lu, how's that?"
"Hmm, not bad, let's take another look!" Lu Ran sat up straight, his eyes focused on Xu Manxue.
After Xu Manxue stood up, a staff member handed her a red-tasseled spear.
She took the gun, took a deep breath, and her eyes instantly became focused.
Starting stance, thrusting the spear, blocking the spear, taking the spear, piercing the spear... every move is precise and methodical.
Although it's clear that she's quite different from professional martial arts actors, her posture and gaze, combined with her agile movements, give her a rather dashing and heroic air.
"This girl...she's got some skills!" Zhao Dapeng exclaimed, his eyes wide with admiration.
Zhao Dapeng was originally a performing arts major, and seeing the other party's posture, he knew that she had some real skills.
After completing her spear technique demonstration, Xu Manxue stood still, her breathing slightly rapid but steady.
"I've also prepared a line." Xu Manxue adjusted her breathing, her eyes becoming focused again.
For the next three minutes, Xu Manxue performed a monologue from a period drama.
A female knight-errant's grief and resolute determination as she pays tribute to her sect on a rainy night.
Although it was also a one-person, pantomime performance, it was clearly a level above the performances of the previous extras.
When she read the last line, "I swear I will not be a man if I do not avenge this humiliation," tears actually welled up in her eyes.
"I want this actor." Lu Ran slammed his hand on the table, making his decision in secret.
Isn't this Mu Nianci herself? Her temperament, her skills, her appearance—even Mr. Jin would have to nod in approval.
On the stage, Xu Manxue stood ready, waiting for the judges' questions.
According to the procedure, it was Lu Ran's turn to ask a question.
He cleared his throat: "Xu Manxue, hello. Who taught you martial arts? How long did you study?"
Xu Manxue bowed slightly: "Hello, Teacher Lu. Because I was not very healthy when I was a child, my father sent me to a martial arts school for two years. Later, I had to stop because of my studies. I learned these moves back then, and I have been practicing them occasionally these past few years to keep up."
"Your delivery of lines is also quite good; did you receive formal acting training?"
"I graduated from the Shanghai Academy of Drama and spent half a year as a trainee this year," Xu Manxue answered frankly. "But I didn't have much acting experience before, and I practiced my lines in my spare time."
"So you want to start from being an extra to gain experience?" Lu Ran continued the conversation.
Xu Manxue nodded: "Yes. I think that no matter how big or small the role is, as long as there is an opportunity to perform, you should seize it. Who knows, you might just succeed."
Lu Ran nodded, having already made up his mind that he was determined to have this girl.
Just as he was about to ask further questions, a soft laugh came from the side.
It was Zhang Dehai, the head of the seventh production team of the long-running drama, who sat right next to him. He was a man in his forties with a receding hairline.
"Xiao Xu, right? You're quite a catch." Zhang Dehai pushed up his glasses slightly. "As a senior, I'd like to say a few words to you."
"In our line of work, although we all start as extras, no matter how good your skills are, you still need the right platform to showcase them. So finding the right direction is very important."
"It just so happens that our long-running drama production team is currently preparing a spy drama set in the Republican era, and we happen to be missing a female agent who knows some martial arts."
He paused, then gave Lu Ran a meaningful look: "Although your role isn't very big, there's a lot of room for development. Most importantly, our director is Director Liu, and you can learn a lot from him."
Lu Ran frowned deeply. This bald guy was blatantly trying to steal people!
Just as Lu Ran was thinking about how to teach him a lesson, Wang Wei, the head of the sixth production team of the long-running drama, also spoke up:
"Team Leader Zhang is right. Xiao Xu, the most important thing in this industry is to follow the right direction and find a good production team. Our sixth team happens to have a new drama in preparation, a modern workplace drama. There's a character in it who is the female lead's best friend. She has a cool personality and is very skilled. She matches your temperament perfectly."
"Furthermore, modern dramas will have a wider audience in the future, which will be of great help to you."
Oh? It seems that groups six and seven are teaming up to make things difficult for them. They finally found a promising talent, how can they just let him go like this?
"Go rob my mother!" Tan Yu picked up the notebook on the table and threw it at him.
"Zhang Dehai, Wang Wei, you two dare to rob even our Eighth Department's people?" Tan Yu pointed directly at the heads of the Sixth and Seventh Groups: "Believe it or not, I'll get you fired tomorrow."
This sudden turn of events startled Xu Manxue, who was originally in the performance area.
However, seeing that several people were vying for him, he felt a little smug.
Zhang Dehai and his companion dared not confront Tan Yu directly, as they were both aware of the reputation of this "Crown Prince of Xingyao".
However, if they are publicly insulted like this and do not retaliate, then they will not be able to recruit good actors in the future.
"Young Master Tan, that's not how it works," Zhang Dehai said. "Open selection is open to anyone. Just because you've taken a liking to it doesn't mean we can't participate. Even if we report this to the chairman, we won't be in the right."
"According to the previous rules, if multiple groups select the same person, the actor will choose the other way around," Wang Wei added.
In an instant, everyone looked at Xu Manxue, who was in the performance area.
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