Chapter 79
Qin City.
Inside a diamond-grade audition room.
“Director Shi, did you really agree to such an absurd request?”
The supervisor of ‘The Knives of the Maiden’ wore a look of disapproval.
He knew the director admired Tong Zhao, had seen her movies and variety shows, and thought she had great potential to play Xie Guiya, but the idea that someone could possess multiple subconscious personas? That sounded too far-fetched to him.
The supervisor had seen actors, enraged by finding out their girlfriends cheated on them just before an audition, suddenly transform from their usual mild-mannered selves into volatile, aggressive characters once they got into the role.
He had also seen actors who, desperate for a final chance at an audition, broke through their own limitations of timidity and delivered excellent performances.
But those situations were different from what Tong Zhao was describing.
“Multiple subconscious personas in one person? I think she’s just buying into the hype about her ‘most special subconscious’ persona,” the supervisor shook his head, disappointed. He had a good impression of Tong Zhao before, but her recent behavior was ruining that. He added a logical inference, “Maybe she just really wants the role and is afraid she won’t perform well in a single audition, so she’s scheming to get two chances. If she were honest about it, I wouldn’t be so irritated.”
Director Shi smiled good-naturedly.
“You’re only doing this because of the old curator, right?” the supervisor asked.
“Movies and actors are a two-way choice. Tong Zhao is currently valued highly in commercial films,” Director Shi, though having high standards for movies, spoke smoothly, never really saying much while remaining respectful to everyone. “I’d like to see the results of the audition first before making any judgments. At the very least, her action scenes should be quite impressive.”
“That’s true. This is a new experiment for you, after all. The lead must have strong personal charisma, and she can definitely pull that off.” Reluctantly, the supervisor acknowledged her strengths.
Tong Zhao was well-liked by the audience.
This couldn’t be explained by just her appearance. Perhaps it was because she had experienced many different lives, continuously offering something new to the audience while allowing them to always find something they liked in her. And when she occasionally revealed her true self, the audience couldn’t quite figure out who she really was, adding a mysterious allure to her stardom.
That was the industry’s analysis, trying to uncover her “secret to overnight success.”
But so far, no one had been able to replicate it.
The supervisor glanced at the clock.
In Director Shi Dingjun’s special audition room, there was an unusually designed clock with hands shaped like swords of varying lengths, giving off an intense and intimidating vibe. “Are the supporting actors ready?”
“They’re already in the filming pod.”
“Good.”
“What about Tong Zhao?”
……
[Who’s going first?]
When Tong Zhao entered the private audition room, she asked the other personas for their opinions.
Duan Ge responded, [Shall I go?]
Tong Zhao readily agreed, giving up her role as the primary persona.
Due to budget considerations, the lead and supporting actors would audition together. Supporting actors wouldn’t be given a second chance, so even though Duan Ge and the female reporter (Shen Shuyi) were performing the same scene, the supporting actors would be different.
Aside from the male lead and the villain, the other two supporting actors were in their third round of auditions.
Accompanied by the faint hum of the air conditioner, Duan Ge fell into a deep sleep.
……
The purpose of the audition was to test whether the actor’s subconscious matched the character.
The clearest way to see this was in the character’s choices and reactions.
Scene: The top floor of a luxurious clubhouse in Jiang City.
Characters:
– Xie Guiya (protagonist)
– Cheng Siwen (important male supporting role)
– Plum Blossom Swordsman (supporting role)
– Horse Boxer (supporting role)
– Fu Xuancheng (important supporting role)
Combat rankings in this scenario: Fu Xuancheng > Plum Blossom Swordsman = Xie Guiya > Horse Boxer >>>>> Cheng Siwen
Plot: Xie Guiya, attending the martial arts tournament in place of her father, who injured his back during a midlife crisis and couldn’t lift his sword, needs to make a strong entrance to impress the martial arts elites. At the same time, she has to bring her boyfriend, Cheng Siwen, who has no fighting skills, to identify a notorious thief.
The challenge is to assert dominance over the other supporting characters while protecting her boyfriend.
In the script, the writer set up the “protection” as the female lead using various methods to prevent the others from harming him.
She could rely on intelligence or intimidation through martial prowess.
The main goal was to see if the actor’s subconscious could create chemistry with the character.
Fight scenes could be compensated with choreography, a common approach in action films. Backed by the old curator, Director Shi Dingjun had access to the best action designers.
The supervisor recalled the two previous actors who had already gone home to wait for results.
The first, Qin Yisi, was tall. She wore a mask and disguised herself as a man. Before her debut in films, she had been involved in online voice acting and could naturally produce a deep male voice without the need for a voice modulator, making Cheng Siwen pass as her brother.
Director Shi gave her a passing grade but felt she lacked confidence.
Why did she have to disguise herself as a man?
The ability to imitate a male voice was a nice touch, but Director Shi wanted to portray a modern female hero this time, so he sent her home to wait for further news.
The second, Zhang He, had Cheng Siwen pretend to be a waiter, entering separately from her, while she secretly told her friends to call the police if they didn’t hear from her for a certain period. This approach was too pragmatic and clearly reflected her personality.
This wasn’t the Xie Guiya Director Shi wanted.
In his audition notes, he wrote: [Reflects Xie Guiya’s self-perception but lacks uniqueness. Unable to capture the real essence of her character. Her actions are reasonable and steady, but the connection to the character is weak.]
In the female lead’s eyes, she was practical and had no relation to being a hero.
But in reality, she grew up immersed in a martial arts family and had a heroic spirit.
The entire film was about her journey from repressing that spirit to finally accepting it.
The supervisor mumbled quietly, “Actually, I thought Qin Yisi did a pretty good job.”
“Her choice to disguise herself as a man for the sake of courage was a major negative for me. While this might have been understandable in a patriarchal era, it’s unnecessary in a modern setting.”
Director Shi shook his head. “I want to convey the essence of traditional martial arts through this film. There’s no need to perpetuate outdated values.”
The monitor lit up.
This meant Tong Zhao had entered the world of the holographic film.
……
Outside the luxury clubhouse in Jiang City.
“Baby, should I follow you inside?”
The protagonist’s boyfriend, Cheng Siwen, the film’s male supporting character, asked.
The model created by Duan Ge’s subconscious was dressed in an ordinary outfit, not disguised in a mask and men’s clothing like Qin Yisi’s version, nor wearing any eccentric clothes. She wasn’t even in pants suitable for fighting but in a knee-length cocktail dress.
The modeler pulled up data showing that this cocktail dress could be easily removed by unfastening a side button, revealing black shorts underneath.
The difference between the audition and the official shoot was that in the audition, the actors chose their outfits based on their subconscious desires rather than pre-designed costumes. The AI would select something that aligned with the actor’s imagination from the modeling database, ensuring the props met the audition’s needs.
This explained the previous actor’s mask and men’s attire.
“Why wear a dress?” the modeler asked, puzzled.
“Because wearing jeans to such an event would look strange,” the supervisor, having watched countless films, immediately understood the logic. He saw the overlap between Duan Ge’s thinking and the character’s: “Attending a martial arts gathering, which is a super-realist setting, while maintaining a grounded and practical mindset—this performance is very in tune with the protagonist!”
Once the audition began, the supervisor quickly put aside his previous biases against her.
Sure enough, all the men and women entering the clubhouse were dressed in formal attire.
Duan Ge’s simple dress was already quite understated.
The supervisor commented, “The outfits worn by the previous two actors attracted attention from passersby, which actually goes against the protagonist’s principle of keeping a low profile in front of ‘ordinary people.’”
They continued watching.
Duan Ge nodded and instructed, “Don’t call me baby in there. Call me sis.”
She briefly explained that her boyfriend should act like her little brother or lackey. “Whatever you think—subordinate, follower, or gofer. If I scold or hit you, just bear with it. Don’t talk, do less, and use your eyes to observe.”
“Are you going to hit me?” Cheng Siwen looked dumbfounded.
He hadn’t expected his girlfriend to be so fierce, but behind his dazed look was a trace of excitement.
It wasn’t that he had a masochistic streak, but the character setting made him fascinated by anything related to martial arts, sparking positive emotions in him. (All character traits were controlled by manipulating brain chemicals to trigger preferences).
Duan Ge nodded slightly and whispered a few more instructions in his ear.
The actor playing Cheng Siwen had a more submissive subconscious, and with Duan Ge’s authoritative tone, he nodded obediently
The director and Mr. Shi were curious about what she said, feeling quite intrigued.
Unconsciously, they had already been somewhat drawn into the scene, like watching a movie and not wanting to immediately uncover the mystery.
After taking the elevator to the top floor, they were greeted by a vast rooftop and an infinity pool.
Three supporting actors were already waiting there for the two of them.
“You are the successor of Xie Shengyi?”
The martial artist asked, looking at Cheng Siwen.
This was a default assumption, that the person who could attend in place of their father had to be a man.
Previously, Qin Yisi had caught the attention of the supporting characters by wearing an eye-catching mask and men’s clothing, preventing any cases of mistaken identity.
Cheng Siwen kept in mind what his girlfriend had told him—don’t speak, do less—and kept his head down, observing in secret.
“I’m talking to you.”
The martial artist strode forward.
Each step exuded the aura of a mere cannon fodder.
“What will Tong Zhao do next?” the director wondered.
As soon as he spoke, in the filming scene, Duan Ge moved faster than the martial artist. Using two moves of Bajiquan, she struck his vital points, leaving him stunned. She then grabbed the fabric of his back, pulling him down, while raising her knee to strike his chest. The front and back of a person’s chest are places that cannot withstand heavy blows easily. The martial artist, whose strength was set lower than the protagonist at this point, had no ability to fight back.
Duan Ge’s subconscious had been infused with a lot of martial arts knowledge, all of which the protagonist had learned from a young age.
She chose the most brutal and ruthless close-combat style of Bajiquan.
“Ouch.”
The director felt the pain just watching it.
“Tong Zhao really hits hard. If she’s not careful, she could kill someone. She’s basically going for the kill,” Mr. Shi, being an expert, saw it even more clearly. Initially surprised, he then recalled that she was a ruthless character who had eliminated 20 people on a reality survival show. That made it all seem reasonable. “Her subconscious temper is really explosive.”
The martial artist saw stars and could barely stand.
The other supporting actor and villain had no intention of helping him.
He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, he got beaten up again.
The AI scanned Cheng Siwen’s character, who had a loud inner monologue: “Yes, it’s now! She’s going to ask me to speak up and stop her!”
“Sis, if you keep hitting him, you’re going to kill him…”
“Hmm?”
Duan Ge grabbed the martial artist, who had passed out, by the back of the neck like he was trash and looked back at Cheng Siwen.
In the camera shot, her eyes were indifferent and deep, with the reflections from the infinity pool lights in her pupils, shimmering like the glint of madness.
She let go, and the man collapsed to the ground.
Facing Cheng Siwen and the camera, from the perspective of the other two characters, she lifted a wicked smile and softly said, “Are you teaching me how to do things?”
From the view of the two supporting actors, she was even attacking her own people.
There was no need to explain. Her actions and presence had already conveyed that she was the sole heir of the Xie family.
Pure madness!
This unpredictable hidden strength, combined with her ruthlessness, made the other two wary of her.
The director finally pulled up the protagonist’s inner monologue for this scene.
Duan Ge wasn’t actually insane.
She simply knew that in this banquet, she was the primary target. One against three was a fight she couldn’t win. So, she chose to single out one person and beat them up to establish dominance. But how to ensure no one would touch Cheng Siwen? Her reasoning was that no one would be interested in a minor character. By making him act timid and allowing him to be scolded in front of everyone, she figured they’d see him as insignificant and useless and would simply ignore him.
At the same time, he also served as a tool to display her imposing aura.
She pretended to hit him a few times, but it was all for show—lots of noise but little harm.
Cheng Siwen recognized the infamous thief Fu Xuancheng. After testing the waters, he quietly and pitifully asked her, “Weren’t you supposed to not really hit me?”
Duan Ge:
“Anyone I really hit is already waiting to get into the ICU. You’ll just cry for two days and be sore for a week, and then you’ll be fine.”
Pulled into her twisted logic, Cheng Siwen whispered his thanks.
The audition ended with a shot of him looking slightly confused, wondering if he had been tricked.
The director laughed out loud. “Tong Zhao is funny, but she seems a bit too fierce.”
“I want to see that other side of her that Tong Zhao mentioned.”
Mr. Shi noted this on her audition feedback: “Highly skilled at utilizing the martial arts knowledge infused into her subconscious, adept at using the people and objects around her to highlight her character and achieve plot objectives. Has a certain comedic sense, but is a bit too fierce. If we decide to use her, the script might need slight adjustments.”
After watching Tong Zhao’s audition, Mr. Shi felt a strong urge to choose her.
But “The Knives of the Maiden” might not be quite the right fit for her.
Unless the script was rewritten…
The screenwriter, who had already been asked by the client to rewrite the story about ten times before the audition even started, sighed:
“Director, why are you looking at me?”