Huayu: It's normal for me, as a director, to mentor young actresses, right?

Chapter 27 Script Reading

China Film Grand Hotel, third-floor conference room.

A sign stood at the entrance that read "Reading of the Script for 'Twelve Citizens'".

The tables in the conference room were arranged in a circle, and the long table behind them was covered with all kinds of drinks, fruits, and pastries. It looked quite plentiful, but no one had the mind to take any.

The actors gathered in small groups, talking quietly.

Although they were standing far apart, clear boundaries could still be seen.

Students from the Beijing Film Academy were gathered on the left, those from the Central Academy of Drama in the middle, and those from the Shanghai Theatre Academy on the right. An invisible dividing line separated the three groups, and no one took the initiative to cross it.

Lin Yu had already met all the actors who came. Although both the Central Academy of Drama and the Shanghai Theatre Academy recommended them by their schools, the final decision was still made by him.

Logically, these recent graduates, or even those who haven't graduated yet, should be happy to have the opportunity to make a movie. But not a single person on set had a smile on their face; they were all tense and worried.

There was no way around it, the pressure was just too much.

Dou Xiao and Zhou Dongyu stood by the window, chatting quietly.

This is their second collaboration. The first time was in Director Zhang's "Under the Hawthorn Tree," where one played the male lead and the other the female lead.

Neither of them wore a smile. Dou Xiao frowned, while Zhou Dongyu, though her expression was calm, kept flipping through the script, clearly not at ease either.

"Who's this junior?" Dou Xiao finally couldn't help but ask. "Aren't you his classmate? I haven't heard anything about him?"

"I don't know either." Zhou Dongyu raised her head and instinctively tossed her hair. "She usually doesn't show off, who knew she would go all out like this."

"Aren't you nervous at all?" Dou Xiao lowered his voice. "Teachers from three schools are watching this film right now."

"What's there to be nervous about?" Zhou Dongyu interrupted him. "You just need to act better than everyone else."

Dou Xiao was stunned for a moment and didn't react immediately.

He really hadn't thought of this angle.

Not far away, Zhang Ruoyun sat alone in a corner, staring blankly at a character biography.

He only received the detailed script after signing a contract.

Making a movie was an opportunity he couldn't miss. At the time, the teachers at the Beijing Film Academy only gave him a rough plot outline, and he accepted the role without hesitation.

This biography seems tailor-made for him, depicting the irreconcilable conflict between father and son, the repressed emotions, and the eventual outburst of anger.

He read the biography once, and became even more immersed in it; this completely turned him into an experiential learner.

I won't say much about Zhang Yishan, Yang Zi, and Li Xian. Li Xian was so grateful to Yang Zi and her brother for giving him this opportunity before, but now he just wants to strangle them.

On the other side, the three people from the Shanghai Theatre Academy also gathered together, whispering among themselves.

The leader was Lin Gengxin.

This guy just graduated this year and has already acted in several dramas, but unexpectedly, the school called him back.

To be honest, the Shanghai Theatre Academy's move was a bit unethical.

Lin Gengxin was genuinely a little scared.

As the only person who later won the lawsuit to terminate his contract with Sugarman, his family had some connections and could find out some information.

He knew who had tormented the sugar figurine so badly.

So when he heard that Lin Yu was the director of the project, his instinct was to decline.

Unfortunately, he couldn't fight city hall, and was still sent there.

"Do you think we'll be able to get back alive this time?" Lin Gengxin asked Wang Yanlin in a low voice.

"What do you mean by 'coming back alive'?" Wang Yanlin looked bewildered. "We're here to film a movie, not to go to war."

"You don't understand." Lin Gengxin shook his head and didn't say anything more.

Wang Yanlin really wanted to strangle the man who only spoke halfway through his sentence.

On the Central Academy of Drama's side, Bai Yu was leading the way.

He was engrossed in reading the script, his brow furrowed.

Although he didn't know why this "glorious and arduous" task had fallen on him, he accepted it without hesitation because of the pay and the opportunity to act in a movie.

Mark, who was standing next to him, leaned over and asked, "Brother Yu, what do you think of this script?"

"The script is definitely a good script," Bai Yu said, closing the script. "The rest is another story."

"I heard the director is only a freshman in college," Mark said in a low voice. "Is that reliable?"

"So what if he's a freshman?" Bai Yu glanced at him. "He can become a director, he must be really good at it."

Mark thought about it and agreed.

Without keeping everyone waiting any longer, the meeting room door was pushed open.

Lin Yu led Wang Yanyang in.

The sounds in the conference room fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes turned to them.

Lin Yu was wearing a simple black hoodie, and he did look like a college freshman. However, he was very composed, without the impetuousness often seen in young people.

He walked to the head of the conference table, stood still, and clapped his hands.

"Alright everyone, I'll be hosting the first script reading."

He looked around, saw everyone's tense expressions, and smiled: "Don't sit so far apart, everyone. You've all already received your roles, so sit according to the order of your roles."

After speaking, Lin Yu sat down first and opened the script.

The group looked at each other, and then took their seats one after another according to their roles.

Once everyone was seated, Wang Yanyang instructed the hotel staff to serve everyone a cup of tea and snacks.

Lin Yu then spoke again: "Let me introduce myself first. I am Lin Yu, a freshman at Beijing Film Academy, and currently the director of this film."

He paused, observing everyone's expressions, and continued, "As you all know, the school attaches great importance to this film. I hope that in the time to come, we can work together to make a wonderful movie."

At this point, Lin Yu's tone relaxed a bit: "These past two days of script readings have only been with us. Teachers from various schools will move in after filming starts. Everyone should introduce themselves and get acquainted first, since we'll be filming together later."

After speaking, Lin Yu's gaze shifted to Dou Xiao, who was sitting in the number one seat.

Dou Xiao nodded and cleared his throat: "Dou Xiao, from the Performance Department of Beijing Film Academy, will play the role of juror number one."

Next were Yang Zi, Zhang Ruoyun, Zhou Dongyu...

Each person briefly introduced themselves, their school, and their role.

The students from the Central Academy of Drama were Bai Yu, Mark, and Qiao Xin. Apart from Bai Yu, Lin Yu didn't really remember the other two.

The three from the Shanghai Theatre Academy are Lin Gengxin, Wang Yanlin, and Dilraba.

The initial list did not include Dilraba Dilmurat; the last person on the list was Zhang Zhehan.

Yes, those were the traitors who later visited the Japanese shrine. Lin Yu didn't even hesitate before sending them flying.

Later, they brought in Jiang Jinfu, but Lin Yu thought about it and sent him back anyway, since the risk was still too great.

The final list submitted was for Dilraba, and this time Lin Yu didn't send it back.

We should bring Nazha along so she can spar with her.

Pretty girls fighting is the most interesting thing to watch.

"Alright, now that we've all gotten to know each other," Lin Yu clapped his hands. "We've all been paid, so I won't stand on ceremony with you all."

He opened the script and looked at the first page: "Let's start with the first scene. Dou Xiao, you go first."