CSGM - Chapter 56
Chapter 56: Talent Performance
Once Chu Xi made up her mind, not even eight bulls could pull her back. She was stubborn and refused to listen to reason.
Yu Yixue was completely defeated by her.
Though a hundred percent reluctant, Yu Yixue could do nothing about Chu Xi. When they signed the contract, Chu Xi had stated that she would never do anything she didn't want to do.
All she could do was offer a silent prayer... hoping that Chu Xi would fail her audition tomorrow!
To take the most precious time of her rising career to participate in a closed-door training camp with no public appearances or exposure—she truly couldn't understand what was going on in Chu Xi's head!
The next day.
Chu Xi arrived at the audition location for Three Kingdoms right on time.
It was in an office building. The faces lining up on this floor were all unfamiliar, new, and young. More than half were amateurs whose names she didn't know and who had come from who-knows-where.
There were also some who wore makeup and looked like entertainers, but they were definitely obscure; they might cross paths, but they wouldn't know each other.
Everyone faced each other without speaking or interacting, their minds focused on the audition room they were about to enter.
The seats were already full, so Chu Xi found a wall to lean against and took off her mask.
Her aura was sharp, and her handsome features held a gallant air, setting her clearly apart from the ordinary people of varying appearances. So, when she took off her mask, some people secretly shifted their gazes to size her up.
-Wow, she's so beautiful.
-With looks like that, she's practically a shoo-in for the audition, right?
-So even minor celebrities can have such a cool aura. I used to think only fame could give someone that kind of presence.
A few people found Chu Xi rather familiar. After a few uncertain glances, they walked up to her and asked cautiously:
"Chu Xi...?"
"Are you Chu Xi?"
Without a change in expression, Chu Xi uttered a single syllable: "Mhm."
She seemed very distant.
The people who recognized her didn't really have anything to say to her. But after confirming her identity, their sense of competition intensified.
Isn't Chu Xi already a little famous? Why is she here auditioning too?
The pay for this movie isn't high. Since she's already famous, why is she bothering to show up here...
Now their chances have dropped even lower...
This was the last day of open auditions for the Three Kingdoms crew, so there weren't many people left. There were about twenty or thirty people in the hallway, and it wasn't long before it was Chu Xi's turn.
Upon entering the audition room, the first thing she saw was an empty performance area. It was carpeted and quite spacious, giving the actors plenty of room to perform freely.
In front was the judges' panel, where a screenwriter, an acting coach, the casting director, the assistant casting director, and a producer sat at a long table.
When he flipped to Chu Xi's resume, the casting director was slightly surprised.
"Hello, Chu Xi." He greeted her first before continuing-
"I see you've been in the industry for a while, and your last variety show, Our Restaurant, received quite a bit of attention. What made you decide to come to this open audition?"
"I need a job," Chu Xi answered concisely.
The casting director almost laughed, but on second thought... what Chu Xi said wasn't wrong.
However, their production had a tight budget and had to be meticulous with every expense. For casting, they didn't plan on hiring expensive actors, only the right ones. They weren't going to take the route of "using A-list stars to carry the box office."
So, the casting director pointed out the key details: "Have you seen our compensation package? During the training camp, room and board are covered, and the salary is eight thousand yuan a month. Once you officially join the cast, you'll be paid according to your role. The pay for female roles is between 300,000 and 500,000 yuan."
That amount was roughly what a third-tier celebrity would make for a single episode of a TV drama.
This meant that Chu Xi could probably earn that much working for just three or four days on another production.
"I've seen it. I know." Her indifferent attitude toward money surprised all five judges.
The casting director nodded slowly. "Alright, let's begin the audition. The content is actually very simple. Show us a talent you have."
The open auditions for Three Kingdoms didn't include a script-reading segment by design. The director figured that since they were selecting new actors, everyone's acting skills would be subpar anyway. Having a bunch of rookies peck at each other wouldn't provide much basis for selection.
The crew was looking for promising actors whose personal qualities fit the script's setting and the characters, and who preferably had a historical feel to them.
Chu Xi thought for a moment.
She looked around and happened to see a prop drum next to a lighting stand.
It was red-rimmed with a white face, standing upright with an imposing presence. It was a war drum.
The drumhead was even printed with the Three Kingdoms crew's logo.
She decided to make use of what was available. "I can play the drums," she said. "I'll perform a war drum piece."
The acting coach stated the requirement: "No problem, but while you perform your talent, you must also recite these lines-"
She handed Chu Xi a script with four very short lines written on it, which Chu Xi memorized with a single glance.
"Express these lines with your emotion. That is your assessment. If you can't do it well, even if you're more famous than the other newcomers, we will still choose the actor with the better and more suitable performance," the acting coach said.
The implication was that they didn't care if an actor was famous or not; the crew's open auditions treated everyone equally.
"Okay."
Chu Xi walked to the war drum, picked up the drumsticks, and suddenly fixed her gaze intently on the drumhead. She began to play the Prince of Qin's Triumphal Hymn.
Dong-!
A single strike thundered, majestic and powerful, like a giant boulder thrown into a lake, sending ripples spreading outward.
Dong dong dong-!
The drumming grew impassioned, fiery and heavy.
Inside the enclosed audition room, the imagery of "border sounds rising with horns from all four sides" was overwhelming. The drumbeats crashed against the walls, the sound waves circling, overlapping, and crisscrossing, as if transporting everyone to a battlefield where two armies faced off amidst the smoke of war.
The collision of the drumsticks and the drumhead grew more intense, like two pieces of flint about to strike a spark. The judges' breathing involuntarily synchronized with the rhythm of the drum-sometimes short and rapid, sometimes long and deep.
Dong dong, dong dong dong-!
Chu Xi's gaze grew increasingly stern, the veins on her arms faintly visible beneath her skin. Her figure was slender but not frail; instead, she possessed a vigorous spirit.
Perhaps when she was standing alone before the judges' panel just moments ago, no one could have predicted that such immense power could erupt from her slender frame.
The judges' pulses quickened along with the drumbeats she played. The stirring rhythm flowed into their blood, and gradually, even their heartbeats merged with the sound of the drum.
Chu Xi caught a glimpse of their engrossed expressions from the corner of her eye, and the corners of her lips curled into a slight smile.
It was just a little trick she was using.
The drum is the instrument most capable of resonating with the human pulse.
In such an enclosed environment, with the drumbeats reverberating and lingering in their ears, how could their hearts not surge with emotion?
Moreover, she was playing the war drum piece she was most proficient in.
Proficiency, in this case, meant being able to use the instrument to evoke vivid imagery.
By now, all the judges had involuntarily closed their eyes to experience the new world conjured by the war drum.
She played with a clamorous, urgent repetition.
An image of a mighty army raising their whips and setting off appeared before the judges' eyes.
She played with a powerful, deep sound, full of lofty and enduring ambition.
The judges felt as if they were personally on a battlefield where horses trampled the yellow sand and battle cries shook the heavens.
She played with short, rapid beats, interweaving light and heavy strikes.
The judges then saw the glint of blades amidst the sound of hooves, the fierce slaughter of close-quarters combat.
The battle reached its climax and then gradually subsided, the drumming slowing down.
Finally, there was the tragic grandeur of gazing into the distance at yellow sands burying countless bones-
"The Blue Sky is dead!"
The victorious soldiers picked up their weapons, their resolute faces turned to the sky-
"The Yellow Sky shall rise!"
The commander leading his troops home in triumph was high-spirited, his heart filled with budding hope.
"The year is Jiazi!"
"And great fortune will prevail throughout the world!"
The drumming stopped, and Chu Xi's palms were slick with sweat.
-That was physically demanding. Tiring.
The five judges let out their breaths one after another.
They snapped out of the imaginary scenes, but their racing hearts couldn't slow down right away.
The way they looked at Chu Xi had changed.
There was shock, emotion, and admiration.
Wasn't this exactly the kind of powerful, emotionally rich, and malleable actor their crew was looking for?!
The war drum itself is a type of weapon on the historical battlefield.
Being able to play the war drum was a huge plus!
The acting coach took the score sheet, quickly made a few marks on it, and looked at Chu Xi with an expression of someone who cherished talent.
"It's a shame the maximum score for performance is 10 points, so I can only give you a 10. If the maximum were 100, I would definitely give you 100!"
Chu Xi's delivery of the lines just now was incredibly explosive. Her diction, tone, and rhythm all perfectly matched the scene she had created.
Delivering the right lines with the right emotion is a fundamental skill for an actor.
But these days, "actors in name only" were everywhere, along with those with non-standard Mandarin, bizarre line delivery, and an ability to pull the audience out of the scene the moment they spoke. It had been a long time since the acting coach had encountered an actor who had mastered the fundamentals to such a degree, and she couldn't help but show her admiration.
Amidst the lingering echoes of the war drum, the other four judges also gave Chu Xi high scores.
Adding up the total score, without even needing to calculate the average, it was clear she had far surpassed the standard for entering the training camp.
The casting director breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Chu Xi. "Our training camp is located on the outskirts of the Capital. We'll send you the specific address tonight. You can come tomorrow."
Chu Xi didn't look particularly grateful or overjoyed.
Why would she be overjoyed? Wasn't passing the audition exactly what she expected?
If she couldn't even pass an open audition, she might as well go back to her village and start farming.
She wore the same calm expression as when she had entered. On her way out, she casually pulled two tissues from the judges' table to wipe the sweat from her hands.
"Okay, I understand. See you tomorrow."
The other auditionees outside had just listened to Chu Xi's entire drum performance.
When she walked out of the audition room, no one in the hallway was sitting anymore. They had all unconsciously risen to their feet.
They watched her pass through the crowd, their eyes following her back until it disappeared around the corner. The moved expressions from her performance remained on their faces, and they couldn't snap out of their daze for a long time.
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