Chapter 34: 034 Take Him Down!

Chapter 34: 034 Take Him Down!

In fact, Mu Qian did not have the audition videos from the "Rising Sun" crew.

As a director who had his contract terminated, why would he keep such videos? But one day, when Mu Qian opened his computer, he found a neatly arranged row of videos on his desktop.

Mu Qian suspected that someone from the crew had made a mistake.

He first reached out to his acquaintances from the "Rising Sun" crew. Although the director had changed, the crew's lineup hadn't changed much. Mu Qian first contacted the assistant director, Chen Changyin.

He didn't really like Chen Changyin, feeling that the man was too slick and opportunistic, putting on one face for investors and directors, and another for those of lower status.

However, Chen Changyin wasn't part of Mu Qian's team; he was closer to Ling Ge Entertainment, so Mu Qian tolerated him.

What Mu Qian didn't expect was that this time, when he approached Chen Changyin, he got a glimpse of another side of the man.

"How could we have anything of ours with you? Impossible!"

Before Mu Qian could even mention the word "videos," Chen Changyin immediately denied it, even subtly hinting that Mu Qian might have taken something when he left the crew.

"Director Mu, since you're no longer the director of 'Rising Sun,' you shouldn't concern yourself with the crew's matters. Director Xiao Bo wouldn't be happy if he knew."

Mu Qian: "..."

He didn't know if Xiao Bo would be happy, but he certainly wasn't.

The videos stayed on Mu Qian's computer to this day, as he worried that the crew might not have backups and it would be troublesome if they were needed later.

As it turned out... the "Rising Sun" crew didn't use them, but Mu Qian did.

The audition videos Mu Qian released showcased the acting skills of the "Rising Sun" crew members in a... very straightforward manner.

"...What kind of nonsense is this? I'm cringing so hard."

"Don't tell me Gu Sinian got the role based on this performance. Can Ling Ge Entertainment honestly call this fair and just?"

"Now I believe Gu Sinian hired three acting coaches. His performance in the show is indeed better than this."

"...So I'm really curious, why did Lu Xu get rejected?"

Although the audition videos were just snippets, the disparity in acting skills among the actors was glaring.

In the scene where Wu Shen tells his mother about his dreams, Li Li's performance was criticized by many viewers for being stiff and unconvincing, with disjointed emotions. While he was passionate about expressing his ideals, there was no tenderness toward his mother, as if he were addressing a piece of wood.

Too detached, too indifferent, as if he were playing Li Li himself, while Wu Shen was an entirely unrelated person.

Netizens specifically edited Li Li and Lu Xu's performances into the same video. Although both faces spoke the same lines, the emotional resonance was worlds apart.

Just looking into Lu Xu's eyes, you could almost glimpse the light shining from the youth of that era.

Even though Li Li was in costume and the room was luxurious, Lu Xu had only a blank white wall behind him.

"The only silver lining is that Wu Shen didn't cast You Zichen in the role. That would have been a real disaster."

"No, it would have been a total trainwreck."

"I always thought young actors couldn't really act, but Lu Xu... he's really good. Qin Zhao has been delivering strong performances lately."

"+1+1+1."

With Lu Xu as a comparison, Li Li indeed faced more ridicule. However, Gu Sinian's over-the-top facial expressions and flubbed lines during the audition left netizens speechless.

"Doesn't Verse have anyone else who can pursue an acting career? Must they push him?"

"Yes, isn't Lu Xu one? Oh, but they look down on him."

...

Lu Xu was completely baffled by how the whole situation unfolded.

But he remembered that the last time his failed audition was exposed, it was Mu Qian who suddenly took the heat, facing the direct bombardment from fans of Gu Sinian and You Zichen.

The clash was fierce.

It must be said, Director Mu is also a warrior.

However, Lu Xu could tell that Mu Qian was speaking up for Jin Mu.

"Jin Mu isn't writing a script for the first time. The quality of his scripts is well-known in the industry," Cheng Yun said. "Have you watched 'Rising Sun'? I think the show's pacing is uneven, and the later parts are edited too messily. Plus, some actors performed particularly poorly, so all the problems piled up."

The cast of 'The Son of Heaven' was attending an event hosted by Yunxi Film and Television that day, and Liu Chunfeng and Cheng Yun specifically called Lu Xu over.

Cheng Yun is a respectable person, and for him to say someone acted "particularly poorly" is quite harsh.

But 'Rising Sun' is a direct competitor to 'The Son of Heaven.'

During the period when 'The Son of Heaven' had lukewarm ratings, Cheng Yun was constantly grilled by marketing accounts. Some laughed at him for not being able to carry a show, others said he was too old to dream of being a lead actor, and some even said 'The Son of Heaven' was a good show but chose the wrong lead.

Cheng Yun knew very well that these trending topics were probably bought by Ling Ge Entertainment.

Since his youth, every show he starred in had mediocre ratings, which almost became a psychological burden for him.

He kept doubting himself, wondering if he couldn't play lead roles, and what was wrong with him?

Yet, under these circumstances, after ten years, Liu Chunfeng still invited him to play the role of Emperor Cheng in 'The Son of Heaven'—where Emperor Cheng is the only core character.

Liu Chunfeng didn't hold his lack of popularity against him, nor that he had never been a hit as a lead actor. When 'The Son of Heaven' wasn't doing well and the outside world was questioning him, Liu Chunfeng never said a bad word about him, instead advising him to stay calm.

The kinder the director was, the guiltier Cheng Yun felt.

At his most guilty moment, those trending topics from Ling Ge Entertainment stabbed him in the heart again and again.

Fortunately, he finally got a chance to fight back.

'The Son of Heaven' first hit 7000 in ratings, then slowly climbed to 8000, 9000—the latter being the threshold for a hit show. Audiences were also discussing the plot of 'The Son of Heaven,' the magnificent life of Emperor Cheng, and the performances of the actors.

Cheng Yun, with decades in the film industry, had never received so much attention.

But he was truly happy, not just because 'The Son of Heaven' became a hit, but also because the burden he had been carrying in his heart suddenly lifted.

"Cheng, you're just too soft-hearted," Guo Yining said to Cheng Yun. "They're clearly trying to pin the blame on Jin Mu, but we all know, with Xiao Bo's temper, would he let Jin Mu interfere?"

Every director has a different style. In 'The Son of Heaven' crew, the script was written by Qin Yu, but the filming details were fine-tuned collaboratively by the director, screenwriter, and actors. If there were discrepancies in understanding the script, Qin Yu's opinion would still take precedence.

The screenwriter naturally understands the script better.

But some directors aren't like Liu Chunfeng; they are more domineering, not allowing screenwriters to interfere, treating them as tools.

Xiao Bo's personality is inherently strong, and since he was invited by Ling Ge Entertainment, they were afraid he might quit, so they gave him much less restraint. As a result, Xiao Bo's iron grip was especially noticeable in the 'Rising Sun' crew.

Cheng Yun and the others didn’t believe that the poor performance of *Rising Sun* should be blamed on Jin Mu.

Jin Mu likely didn’t have much influence in the crew.

After discussing *Rising Sun* for a while, they started eating and drinking to celebrate. Lu Xu was arranged to sit next to Liu Chunfeng, which, according to others, was a perk for the young.

Lu Xu: "..."

Did they think he didn’t hear their earlier conversation?

Before the meal even started, they’d already agreed not to sit next to Liu Chunfeng, because this director had the robust physique of a boxing coach, and if he was in a good mood, anyone sitting next to him would receive a pat on the shoulder as encouragement.

"Man, that hurts."

"My old bones can’t take it, let the youngsters go."

Unfortunately, there were no "youngsters," just Lu Xu alone.

Lu Xu mentioned that the director was indeed not a boxing coach; he was from Shaolin Temple and had practiced Iron Sand Palm.

Too bad the Olympics don’t have an Iron Sand Palm event.

As the meal wound down, Lu Xu was on the fence about joining the after-dinner activities when Cheng Yun and Guo Yining waved at him.

They sat in a small room, and before the door closed, the last to enter was a stranger.

The person introduced himself as Xu Wen, a broker from Feiyang Entertainment.

Lu Xu then remembered he might have Xu Wen’s WeChat contact. After *The Son of Heaven* aired, the number of agencies wanting to sign him doubled, and Lu Xu had made a list detailing the pros and cons of each agency.

Some companies, like Ling Ge Entertainment, are great at marketing, but Lu Xu didn’t even consider them and wrote them off immediately.

There are also companies with good business and fashion resources, but Lu Xu could only say that the titles of the artists signed by these companies are quite impressive, though their actual achievements are too weak to support them.

The film and television resources of such companies are usually inferior.

As for companies that constantly pressure actors to perform in self-produced dramas and have few external resources, they are also not within Lu Xu’s consideration.

He had to admit, in this industry, these agencies all seem flashier than the last, but in reality, there are only a few to choose from, and Feiyang Entertainment is one of them.

Cheng Yun and Guo Yining are signed with this company.

Just looking at the fact that these two uncles still have high-quality dramas to act in at their age, you can tell that Feiyang Entertainment should be pretty good.

After *The Son of Heaven* became popular, Cheng Yun’s film offers multiplied, and although his salary did not double, it reached the peak of his acting career.

He even received several new endorsements, which are much rarer than film offers in his decades-long acting career.

Cheng Yun was not in a hurry to jump into new projects because he firmly believed that the popularity of *The Son of Heaven* would continue to rise.

Xu Wen really wanted to sign Lu Xu.

During the filming of *The Son of Heaven*, he already had this intention, even though he hadn’t seen Lu Xu’s performance at that time, only heard descriptions from Cheng Yun and Guo Yining.

But Lu Xu’s type is indeed what Feiyang Entertainment currently lacks.

He wanted to finalize the contract with Lu Xu early, but Lu Xu said he would wait until after *The Son of Heaven* aired.

At that time, Xu Wen didn’t think much of it; if Lu Xu wanted to wait, he would wait a while longer, no big deal.

However, *The Son of Heaven* exploded in popularity, and Lu Xu, who played Qin Zhao, started gaining more public attention.

Everyone knew he had the looks, the acting chops, and the buzz.

Lu Xu had only starred in two dramas so far: *My Baby, The Noble Son* made it into the top five on the annual popularity charts, and *The Son of Heaven* shattered the viewing records for historical dramas over the past decade.

But in no time at all, Xu Wen realized the competition had doubled.

Some companies in the industry would stop at nothing to poach talent, dangling astronomical signing fees.

Xu Wen didn’t dare hesitate any longer and asked Cheng Yun and Guo Yining to set up a meeting with Lu Xu as soon as possible.

Lock him down!