On the third morning, Chen Hao and the others arrived in Yanjing.They checked into a small budget hotel, and Yang Yang immediately went off to find his uncle, Director Zhang.
Yang Yang himself wasn't very old — around thirty or so — but he was already married and known to be a man of principle.To date, he had never abused his position to take advantage of any actresses, which was rare in the entertainment industry.
It wasn't until midday that Yang Yang returned. He pulled Chen Hao outside in a hurry, saying he had secured an opportunity for him to audition for the second male lead.That second lead was none other than Duan Yu.If Chen Hao could actually land the role of Duan Yu, it would be nothing short of a career breakthrough.
Chen Hao asked Sister Yaya to stay at the hotel and followed Yang Yang into a taxi.
Before long, they arrived at an administrative office building.They took the elevator to the 13th floor, and as soon as the doors opened, Chen Hao saw a stunning, seductive beauty standing in front of him.
She wore a form-fitting purple dress, her figure curvaceous and alluring. Her hair was pinned up with a classical hairpin, exuding an air of elegance and traditional charm.
Her delicate face wasn't conventionally seductive, but her unique allure — especially her captivating eyes — made her impossible to ignore.
Chen Hao took a closer look.Wasn't this the actress Chen Hao (same name, different person) who played Azi in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils?
As they walked down the hallway, Chen Hao saw another familiar face — it was none other than Liu Tao.
Well, calling her a "wife" now was a mistake — she wasn't married yet.Back then, she was known as Sister Tao, graceful and elegant.
Her rosy face radiated youthful energy, and her figure was quite attractive.Though not overly exaggerated, she had everything needed to turn heads.She didn't yet have the mature elegance she would gain years later — instead, she had the fresh beauty of youth.
Of course, Tao Jie (Sister Tao) wasn't that young anymore.Born in 1977, she would have been around 24 years old at that time.
It was tough for her — fate hadn't been kind.She was expected to marry into a wealthy family, but life had other plans.Just days after her wedding, she was forced to return to acting to help her husband pay off his debts.
There were a lot of rumors floating around online about her, some quite nasty.But in this moment, Chen Hao could see with his own eyes — she was glowing with youthful charm, perhaps with a faint trace of a mature woman's elegance, but nothing too obvious yet.
Liu Tao noticed Chen Hao looking at her and gave him a soft, friendly smile.
Chen Hao nodded politely and followed Yang Yang into a spacious room.Sitting at the center was Director Zhang, the producer of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.Compared to the Zhang Dao (Director Zhang) of Chen Hao's previous life, this one looked much younger.
Of course, this wasn't Zhang Yimou, the famous director of Hero.Though not as well-known in the film world, this bearded Director Zhang was still a major figure in the television industry in Huaxia.
"Yang Yang, this is the actor you brought in?"Director Zhang glanced over at Chen Hao with a neutral expression.
His nephew had been enthusiastically pushing this young man to play Duan Yu, and at first glance, Zhang could see why.Chen Hao's handsome features were easily on par with Lin Zhizhi, the actor they had originally considered for the role — maybe even more striking in some ways.
He was tall — probably over 1.85 meters — whereas Lin Zhizhi was barely over 1.70.
The only real concern was likely his acting ability.Lin Zhizhi had been an actor for years and definitely had experience.Chen Hao, though personally recommended by his nephew, would still need to prove himself.If his performance was lacking, he wouldn't get the part, no matter the recommendation.
Yang Yang smiled and said,"Uncle, don't be fooled by Ah Hao's age. He may be young, but he…"
"His acting skills aren't inferior to many well-known actors," Yang Yang added confidently.
Before Director Zhang could respond, another middle-aged man sitting beside him interjected,"Director Zhang, you can't play favorites just because he was recommended by your nephew. Besides, he's just some no-name extra who worked in Hengdian for a while. This drama we're producing is a major project — letting an unknown extra play one of the lead roles? That's a risky move."
Yang Yang shot an annoyed glance at the man who had interrupted.This middle-aged man was Zhao Jian, also from the mainland, but he had previously worked under the famous director Xu Ke for a while.Since returning, he acted like he'd ascended to the top of the hierarchy, especially fond of flattering actors from Hong Kong and Taiwan, often speaking as if mainland actors were worth nothing.
Director Zhang smiled but didn't respond to Zhao Jian.Instead, he looked at Chen Hao with genuine interest and asked,"Young man, do you want to play the male lead?"
Chen Hao grinned and replied,"Since I've chosen to be an actor, of course I want to play the lead. An actor who doesn't want to be the lead isn't a real actor."
"Good. I like your confidence."Director Zhang nodded."But confidence alone isn't enough. Even though Yang Yang recommended you, if your acting doesn't meet the standard, I won't go easy on you."He pointed to Yang Yang and added,"Take your friend next door to the fitting room. Get him into a costume. Let's see how he looks in character."
"Thanks, Director Zhang!"Yang Yang, clearly excited, pulled Chen Hao toward the dressing room next door.
Although Zhao Jian was displeased, he didn't say anything further.After all, the one with real authority here was the producer, Director Zhang.Zhao Jian was just a nominal director — all final decisions were up to Zhang.
As he watched them leave, a cold sneer crept onto Zhao Jian's face.He didn't believe for a second that some young extra who had spent half a year running around Hengdian could possibly deliver a good performance."Let's see how embarrassed he'll be later — then we'll talk," he thought to himself.