Chapter Fifty-Seven: I've already yielded, what reason do you expect from me? (Please add to your favorites, and vote for recommendations!)

At this moment, Wang Hai was so distraught he could almost cry. If it weren’t for the embarrassment, he’d have slapped himself right then and there!

“Lao Jiao, what are you looking at? Can’t you say something fair for once?” Wang Hai snapped, seeing Jiao Chendong trying hard not to laugh, yet keeping silent.

Jiao Chendong couldn’t help it; he burst out laughing. “President Wang, you chose the actor yourself, assigned the role yourself. That’s the company’s decision. I wouldn’t dare meddle.”

Damn you!

When you’re not supposed to interfere, you’re all over it. Now that I need you to step in, you’re washing your hands of it.

Wang Hai was so infuriated by Jiao Chendong’s sarcasm at this particular moment, even his hair seemed to stand on end!

Left with no allies, Wang Hai had no choice but to rein in his temper. With a bitter expression, he squatted down in front of Li Shixin. “Sir, please! I’m begging you, this idea of one actor playing two roles is simply impossible. Think about it: you’re playing both the male lead and the third male role. If the audience spots the flaw, won’t it be a mess? No one makes films like this! You’re making things difficult for me; it’s just not reasonable!”

Reason? Who cares about reason anymore! At this point, what reason is left to discuss? Dignity, magnanimity, generosity—none of that matters to me now. All I care about is the role!

And young man, do you even understand the situation? I’m literally lying on the ground, talking to you!

While Wang Hai tried to reason with him, Li Shixin raised his head. “Young man, why don’t we both compromise? How about this: for the third male role, any scenes where the face is shown, you get someone else; I’ll do all the vagrant parts. Will that do? Listen, I’m already compromising this much. Be careful what you say—don’t go too far!”

Thank you so much for your generosity, damn it!

Wang Hai was at his wit’s end.

He’d been in Rongdian for fifteen years, and DreamSky Entertainment had been around for ten. He’d met thousands of actors, but never anyone like this.

As Wang Hai was fuming, half tempted to call security and have this old man tossed out, the young man in charge of the audition filming couldn’t hold back any longer and stepped forward.

The audition space was just an old dance studio, unused for ages and covered in dust. Li Shixin had been lying on the ground so long, he was covered in grime, his face as smudged as a soot-stained cat.

At first, the young man had thought Li Shixin looked familiar, but earlier he’d been neatly dressed, hair perfectly combed, so he hadn’t been sure. Now, seeing him in this disheveled state, the realization hit him like a bolt.

“Master! It’s really you! Everyone on Bilibili has been going crazy looking for you! How did you end up auditioning here?”

What?

Li Shixin, still sprawled on the floor, felt a wave of embarrassment. He never imagined he’d run into a fan from Bilibili during an audition!

“Young man, actually… I’m an actor,” Li Shixin replied, lifting his head with a slight smile.

“What’s all this about a ‘Master’ and Bilibili nonsense?” Wang Hai interjected, frowning as he dragged the young man aside. “Who is he?”

“President Wang, it’s the Vagrant Master! He’s a huge sensation on Bilibili right now. His most popular video has over forty thousand likes and hundreds of thousands of views!”

Hearing this, something clicked for Wang Hai.

In recent days, a few agencies and agents in the industry had indeed been searching for some internet celebrity called the Vagrant Master. But DreamSky focused solely on film and television, not the internet, so he hadn’t paid attention. Who would have thought that the very man making waves in the industry these days…

…was now lying at his feet, pulling this stunt.

Talk about coincidence.

His eyes flickered as Wang Hai plastered on a smile. “Sir, let’s let go first, shall we?”

“Are you agreeing to the roles?” Li Shixin asked.

“At least let me make a phone call, all right?”

“No. If you run off, who am I supposed to talk to?”

Ah!

Wang Hai sighed. He had mixed feelings about Li Shixin—such a talented old man, but so obstinate!

He steeled himself and took out his phone. The reason he’d tried to control the casting for “Riding the Wind” was because a big shot in the industry had specifically asked him to reserve a role. But now, after witnessing Li Shixin’s talent and skill, he’d made up his mind.

Good scripts are plentiful, but good artists are hard to come by these days.

Decision made, Wang Hai opened WeChat. After carefully composing his message, he tapped on a contact marked with a special note.

“Apologies for disturbing you, Director Zhao. I regret to inform you there’s been a change regarding the role you asked me to reserve. I’ve discovered a very promising actor and intend to use ‘Riding the Wind’ as a testing ground. If you trust me, I’ll immediately arrange another role for your candidate in a different project. I promise you’ll be satisfied!”

Ding-ding-ding.

No sooner had Wang Hai sent the message than a reply came.

“Sorry, President Wang—things have been hectic lately and I forgot to update you. The person I asked you to look after already accepted another role. As for the new project, handle the casting as you see fit. Thank you for keeping my request in mind. Let’s have tea some day.”

“Of course, Director Zhao! Please let me know when you’re next in Rongdian. I look forward to working together. Wishing you health and prosperity!”

After sending the message and seeing that the famed Iron Lady—Chairwoman of Huaqi Group—wasn’t displeased, Wang Hai finally relaxed.

“Riding the Wind” was a hot IP, and finding investors wouldn’t be hard. The only reason he’d held back on casting was to avoid offending Huaqi’s top executive. Now that everything was settled, the weight lifted from his heart.

He looked at Li Shixin, still sprawled on the ground, and couldn’t help but laugh. “Sir, are you really confident about playing two roles?”

“Naturally.”

“All right, it’s settled!”

“Thank you, President Wang?”

“If you really want to thank me, how about letting go of my pants first?”

…

Leaving DreamSky Culture, Li Shixin stood at the company’s entrance, hands clasped behind his back, basking in the golden autumn sunlight and crisp air. He felt utterly at ease.

Truly, there’s no problem in the world that can’t be solved by playing dead. And if there is, just stay on the ground until it’s solved.

“Brother Shixin!”

Zhao Jinzhi and the others had been waiting outside for over an hour. The moment Li Shixin emerged, they rushed to greet him.

“My goodness, how did you manage to get so filthy during an audition?” Wu Ming exclaimed, distressed, and pulled out a handkerchief to dust him off.

“Ahem, Brother Shixin, did you get the part?” asked the oldest fan in the group, Grandpa Liu Feng, his face filled with concern as he approached with shaky steps.

Li Shixin gently stopped Wu Ming from brushing him further. Looking at the crowd of worried fans, he chuckled.

“Of course! The role is mine. And here’s the good news: in Director Jiao Chendong’s new film ‘Riding the Wind,’ I’ll be playing two roles—both the male lead and the third male character!”

“Oh, that’s wonderful!”

The fans were overjoyed to hear this. Grandpa Liu Feng grinned so wide his dentures nearly fell out. “Then hurry up and film it! I’m eighty-four this year. Who knows if I’ll survive the winter. Before I go, I’d love to see you on the big screen!”

“It’s all right, Brother Feng. If you really can’t wait, we’ll burn you a copy in the afterlife,” quipped an old lady from the fan club.

That made Grandpa Liu roar with laughter. “How can that be the same? If I’m alive, I can buy a ticket at the cinema. If you burn it for me after I’m gone, wouldn’t that make me… what do you young folks call it again?” He beckoned his grandson over. “What’s the word you use?”

“Grandpa, it’s called ‘freeloading.’”

“That’s it!” Grandpa Liu exclaimed. “That’d be freeloading, wouldn’t it?”

“Hahaha—” The postwar Grandpa Liu tossing around internet slang had everyone in stitches.

As Li Shixin was basking in the warmth of his adorable old fans, a man in a gray pinstripe suit, with meticulously styled black hair, stepped up to him.

“Mr. Li, is it? Just now, you said you’re playing both the lead and the third male role in Director Jiao Chendong’s new film?”

The man surveyed Li Shixin, still covered in dust, and let out a cold laugh.

“Are you telling the truth?”

Li Shixin frowned at the man before him. “And you are?”

“Antang? What are you doing here?” Wu Ming, standing nearby, was astonished to see her own son appear.