Jiangnan City's Sports Center on Saturday could literally be described as a sea of people. Ever since Zhang Menglong announced that the auditions for "Three-Body" would take place here, the young people of the city went crazy.
Of course, not everyone came for the work "Three-Body"; many were there to see their beloved idols.
According to incomplete statistics, among the people coming to audition today, there were dozens of popular stars, and former top actors and actresses were emerging in droves.
To put it dramatically, today was practically a gathering of half the entertainment and film industry!
Early in the morning, passionate fans had already gathered outside the venue, causing the staff who came to open the doors to almost think there had been a terrorist attack, nearly calling the police.
To prevent chaos, hundreds of security guards pulled up long security lines, but still couldn't extinguish the fans' fervent hearts.
"They're coming, they're coming!" With a burst of cheering, the somewhat weary fans finally started to boil over with excitement.
"Dozens of Rolls Royces? That's quite a statement, isn't it?"
"I wonder which actors or actresses they are!"
"You guys are out of the loop, right? Those cars aren't for the actors coming to audition; they're sent by Zhang to pick up people from the airport!"
"Damn, dozens of Rolls Royces, does he own the company or what?"
"This...bro, you're not wrong, it's not entirely impossible!"
"Isn't that Brother Shimmering Light?"
"After a few years of doing game endorsements, hacking down dozens of brothers, the movie star has finally returned!"
"Gu Tianluo! My male god!"
"They're among the few people in the world who could threaten my looks!"
"Look at the male stars nowadays, none of them has a manly vibe, none at all. This is what a real man looks like!"
"Sob, my goddess! Wow, she's over forty but still looks younger than me!"
"Excuse me, excuse me, I don't deserve to be a woman."
"Such an all-star lineup, it's something that probably only happened over a decade ago, right?"
"Truly worthy of Director Zhang, so lavish. Any other person wouldn't even be able to afford their salaries!"
The audition took place in the central area of the gymnasium, with the surrounding stands opened up for spectators for free. The seats, capable of hosting tens of thousands, quickly filled to the brim.
"Isn't that the genius director Zhu Xiao?"
"And there's Roberts, the internationally renowned director. Director Zhang really invited them all over!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, this is practically a super talent show of the performance industry!"
Each of these directors was world-famous for their outstanding talent, and likewise, they were extremely discerning when it came to casting, only accepting actors who perfectly matched the roles.
The first to audition was Gu Tianluo; the martial arts characters he played in the past had really captivated the hearts of the audience, even spawning a variety of memes. The plain Gu Tianluo—that was him.
Over the years, he continuously took on lousy films, spending most of his earnings on building schools and doing charity, earning the nickname from netizens as the man "who can only be tarnished by the sun."
"Look, that's him—the guy who defeated the Sect Leader of the Kongtong Sect in three moves, and then beat the one-armed blademaster, Liu Jingzhan, in six moves."
"But he looks so ordinary, nothing special."
"Hahaha, goddamn ordinary, I wish I could look that 'ordinary'!"
"Gu'er, are you okay, I'm your aunt!"
The audience in the stands happily played with the memes.
Though he had taken on terrible films over the years, it was only the scripts, directors, and screenwriters that were awful; Gu Tianluo, as a professional actor, had never given up his pursuit of excellence in his craft.
When Zhang Menglong was choosing one of the main characters, Wang Miao, the first person he thought of was him!
Even with just a few days of preparation, his performance was as if he had been preparing for months. His audition was so engaging that even the audience in the stands had fallen silent.
"Good!" Someone initiated the applause, and suddenly the whole room burst into thunderous clapping.
"A professional actor is indeed a professional actor—I'm convinced by your judgment, Old Zhang," Wang Ling said to Zhang Menglong as they sat in the director's seats, watching the performance. It must be said, the role seemed tailor-made for Gu Tianluo.
"Directors, what do you think?" Zhang Menglong, after all, was not a professional, and the directors' evaluations were the most important.
"I think it's not a problem, he's fantastic!" Zhu Xiao said. "Though he's the first to audition, I doubt we could find a second person more suited to this role."
"Director Roberts agrees!" Roberts' interpreter said, "If he doesn't join this film, he feels it would lose its soul!"
"Since that's the case, let's settle on Wang Miao's role!" said Zhang Menglong. With such high praise from both directors, there was no need for any hesitation.
"Mr. Gu, the investors Mr. Zhang and Mr. Wang invite you to rest a bit at the Wanda Hotel nearby," a girl called out to Gu Tianluo just as he had left the audition area.
"Did I not pass the audition?" Gu Tianluo's attention was caught by the words "rest a bit," which seemed like just a polite phrase.
He sighed with a wry smile. After all, he was in his forties now, and his body wasn't as nimble as in his younger years. Though he had taken on many roles over the years, his fees were not high, not even close to one-tenth of what popular artists made.
Such income couldn't support his charity work any longer. He had come to try his luck because he had heard the investors were wealthy and generous.
It seemed that he could no longer compete with the younger generation of fresh-faced actors.
"Mr. Gu, you'll know if you go," the girl said.
"Alright, I'll rest tonight and head back tomorrow. The fee for that film might be low, but it should still be enough to build a few more school buildings," Gu Tianluo said, turning to the girl. "Then please lead the way."
The hotel was just across the street from the sports center and happened to be the largest one nearby. But strangely, the girl didn't take him and his agent-cum-assistant to a room to rest, but instead to a space that looked like a conference room.
Inside sat two young men in their early 20s, one of whom had a girl about the same age standing behind him, seemingly his assistant.
"You are..." Gu Tianluo didn't surf the internet much. Aside from charity and acting, nothing else really appealed to him or caught his interest.
"Mr. Gu, my name is Zhang Menglong, one of the investors for 'Three-Body,' and this is Wang Ling, the chairman of Wanda Film Production Company, which is organizing the shooting plan for this film," one of the young men said.
"Hello," Gu Tianluo greeted, somewhat surprised to see such young investors.
He had heard that not only had they invited the most outstanding special effects team, but the director and screenwriter lineup were all top-level. The people with such financial backing turned out to be just two young men.
"Mr. Gu, we cordially invite you to join our film crew as the lead male actor, Wang Miao," Zhang Menglong earnestly invited.
"Ah?" Gu Tianluo was stunned. Wasn't he supposed to have been eliminated?
Even if they really did favor him, shouldn't the decision have taken longer? He was just the first to audition, and there might be others more suitable than him yet to come.
If it weren't for his faint recollection of Zhang Menglong's name, he might have even suspected a scam.
"You've decided just like that, without further consideration?"
"All the directors believe you are the most suitable candidate, so there's no need for further consideration. Now, we just want to hear your choice," they said.
"Willing—I am, of course, willing!" Gu Tianluo knew all too well that even though he was past his prime, this was still the lead role. The other party might skimp on his fee, but it wouldn't be too outrageous. With this money, he could probably invest in a few more schools.
"Then here's to a happy collaboration!" Zhang Menglong shook hands with Gu Tianluo. "Hong Yi, make the payment!"
"Mr. Zhang, we haven't discussed the fee yet, this..."
"Gu-zai!" Before Gu Tianluo could finish, his assistant interrupted him, then showed him the screen of her phone.