Time passed quickly. Half an hour later, all the employees of "Always Smiling" who wanted to watch the excitement gathered in the audition hall. One hundred seats were completely filled, and even the corridor was packed.
The technical department was also very proactive. During the previous half hour, they had written a small program for employees to scan codes to log in and vote.
Backstage, Quan Jiu and Wei Tian drew lots to determine the order, with Li Gui performing before Xiang Fei. While Li Gui was performing, Xiang Fei and Quan Jiu waited backstage.
Zhao Wei took the stage on time, briefly explained the background and purpose of the competition, and then announced its commencement.
The stage was plunged into darkness, followed by a spotlight. Li Gui appeared, his handsome face clearly broadcast on two large electronic screens. His casual bangs, chestnut-colored permed hair, and stylish denim outfit immediately drew gasps and screams from the female audience.
Chang Ye led the chant of "Li Gui," and the fan club members responded enthusiastically. For a moment, the entire performance hall vibrated, showcasing his considerable presence.
Li Gui felt a surge of pride. He had spent the last ten minutes having the stylist apply makeup to him, all for this very moment.
"Li Gui has a high chance of winning," one of the judges in the front row murmured.
Hearing this, Zhao Wei became even more nervous. From the previous round, he could tell that Xiang Fei was definitely more skilled than Li Gui. However, even in a small company like "Always Smiling," the fan effect worked the same way as in the entertainment industry: popularity often determined success.
"It's a shame. Xiang Fei truly has potential. He has the same demeanor as Ren Chao back in the day," Zhao Wei sighed.
Wei Tian, standing beside him, sneered, "Have you been bewitched by that woman? Comparing someone like Xiang Fei to Ren Chao, aren't you ashamed?"
Zhao Wei snorted impatiently, "Who knows who's been bewitched."
Wei Tian's heart tightened. With a dismissive chuckle, she stopped responding.
On stage, the spotlight faded, and the fans, led by Chang Ye, gradually quieted down. The lights then came up fully, and the venue fell silent.
Li Gui adjusted his emotions and fully immersed himself in the role.
He sat at a small square table with a bowl of noodles in front of him, but he didn't touch it. Instead, he stared blankly at the bowl.
"Waiter, some kimchi," he said, his voice somewhat dazed, as if speaking out of reflex.
Soon, a waiter placed a small dish of kimchi in front of him. At the same time, the phone on the table rang.
He gazed at the phone screen dazedly. After a long moment, he shakily picked it up.
Whatever was said on the phone caused his eyes to widen in shock, his body trembling. The phone slipped from his hand, still emitting voices from the receiver. He dazedly picked up his chopsticks and began eating the noodles, bite by bite.
Two high-definition cameras captured a close-up of his every expression and broadcast it to the massive electronic screens on either side of the hall, ensuring that even those in the back row could clearly see every nuance of his face.
Li Gui indeed possessed talent. As his emotions shifted, the audience below was drawn in. When tears finally streamed down his face, the audience members also began to weep silently. Chang Ye and his group were particularly moved to the point of heartache.
"Not bad. Although he's still a bit behind Ren Chao, for someone of the younger generation to perform at this level is quite commendable," Gao Hu offered a neutral assessment.
Wei Tian immediately smiled and said, "It's all thanks to your excellent guidance. Everyone knows how difficult it is to earn your 'not bad.' Li Gui will surely have a boundless future."
At this point, Li Gui on stage concluded his performance. He stood up, bowed, expressed his thanks, and exited.
Zhao Wei announced that the second contestant, Xiang Fei, would take the stage. The lights dimmed again, and as Xiang Fei walked onto the stage, the spotlight followed him.
His unassuming face was smudged with dirt, as if he had just come from a construction site. He wore a worn-out worker's uniform. When he clapped his hands, visible dust flew off.
Xiang Fei took off his worker's cap. His messy hair, damp with sweat, stuck to his forehead. Beads of sweat, mixed with dust, left streaks like charcoal marks on his forehead and face.
He wiped his face with the grimy towel hanging around his neck and mechanically sat down at the small square table.
"Boss, a bowl of plain noodles," he called out. Then, his gaze fixed on the "street," he stared blankly at the "people coming and going" during the commute home.
The noodles arrived quickly. He looked at the bowl of clear broth, "listening" to passersby discuss where to go for fun. After a moment of hesitation, he called out again, "Waiter, some kimchi."
The kimchi was also brought quickly, and then the phone rang. He stared at the phone for a while before slowly picking it up. As the conversation on the other end unfolded, his emotions gradually changed.
Shock, disbelief, anger, grievance, and finally, an emotional outburst. He gulped down the noodles, his lips trembling, tears falling like broken strings. Yet, his eyes held a fierce, unyielding gaze. Even as he cried, one could feel the immense power hidden within his body.
At this moment, the audience below was completely captivated. Anger, grievance, sadness, and heartache were genuinely felt, even a yearning for his moment of desperate counterattack.
The hall fell so silent that one could hear breathing.
On stage, "He Tao" finished his noodles in a few mouthfuls, picked up the bowl, and drank even the broth.
He placed five yuan on the table, picked up his phone, and walked away expressionlessly.
As the lights dimmed again, the audience remained silent. Suddenly, a sob was heard from somewhere, and gradually, other sounds emerged – sniffles, choked sobs, weeping. The entire performance hall felt as if it had witnessed a human tragedy, a somber atmosphere permeating the space.
Wu Qian watched Xiang Fei, who had returned to the spotlight, with his arms crossed and a smile.
Zhao Wei's blood seemed to boil with excitement, and he exclaimed repeatedly, "Excellent, truly excellent."
Gao Hu also looked incredulous. After a pause, he praised sincerely, "This is truly He Tao."
Wei Tian's heart skipped a beat. She chuckled, "His appearance is indeed that of He Tao, but since it's an acting competition, using makeup and styling to such an extent is quite opportunistic."
Gao Hu had no intention of arguing with Wei Tian, but the audience behind them began to murmur.
"I thought Li Gui's performance was already very good, but I didn't expect Xiang Fei to break me down," a girl said, sniffling, her eyes still red.
"Then who will you vote for?" someone beside her asked in a low voice.
"Of course, I'm voting for Tu Tu. Are you not a fan?" the girl, still wiping her nose, questioned the person next to her.
The two fell silent. In other areas, similar discussions were taking place.
Of course, there were also those who were not Li Gui's fans, analyzing the performances of both contestants with seriousness.
Zhao Wei called both Li Gui and Xiang Fei onto the stage and then said to Wu Qian, "Mr. Wu, would you like to say a few words first?"
Wu Qian waved his hand, "You go ahead."
Zhao Wei no longer hesitated and began, "Both of you performed very well, but Xiang Fei was better. As for why he was better, I believe everyone here can feel it. I will primarily focus on where Li Gui fell short, so you don't feel unbalanced.
The character He Tao is a worker. Firstly, your image is worlds apart from that. There isn't a trace on you of someone who has been weathered by society. You are too clean. You haven't experienced hardship, so even with your emotional outburst later, you were acting as yourself, not He Tao. The audience sympathized with you because it was you. If your performance just now were spliced into a film, it wouldn't even be called acting; it would merely be called natural portrayal."
Li Gui's face turned pale, and he offered an excuse, "I didn't have time to prepare my makeup and styling. I only had half an hour, and I was rehearsing the whole time."
"You still haven't grasped the core issue. This isn't about makeup and styling; it's about your acting itself. You are not He Tao; you are simply Li Gui," Zhao Wei said sternly.