49 Let the Game Begin

Yuan Ge and Chow Mingrun lead the three young actors into the Guan family mansion. True to the style of a Qing dynasty royal residence, the mansion is a standard courtyard compound[1]. It is difficult to say how many layers of courtyards there are, but it is quite convenient for audition purposes, as one would only be allowed to enter the next layer of courtyard once they have passed the current round.

The outermost courtyard is now packed with actors of all types, their agents and assistants. The teams of the big stars from several major studios, such as Polar Bear Pictures and Magic Lamp Pictures, occupy the best spots. They have even set up makeshift heated tents under the trees. Assistants are busy serving tea and handing towels to their stars, who are surrounded by busy hairdressers and make-up artists to make sure they looked perfect at all times.

Naturally, King Guan Entertainment did its best to be a good host and hired a lot of extra staff to serve the thousands of people in the courtyard compound. Although it is the middle of winter, today is exceptionally warm, and the several thousand people packs the outermost courtyard to the brim, actually making those who are overdressed get a bit sweaty.

Virtually unknown in showbiz circle and with only a few people attending the audition, Dragon Dreams Pictures naturally doesn't get a good spot or the heated tent treatment, so they have to stand in the corner of the courtyard and wait for their number to be called.

"You can call today the grand opening of King Guan Entertainment. The general public can't get into this royal residence normally, so it is really an eye-opener for all of us. I don't know where the Guan family's offices and living quarters are … maybe they are not open to the public, but the actual size of the mansion must be much larger than the parts we can see."

Since Chow Mingrun entered the courtyard, he has been observing carefully all the way.

"Both of the old Master Guan's sons are quite something, the older one has taken over the real estate part of the family business, and the younger one has inherited the entertainment part after he returned from his studies from America. It seems that the first chair in showbiz will still be theirs in the future."

Yuan Ge saw that Chow Mingrun's sly face seemed to be plotting something, his eyes searching in the direction of the industry bigwigs, looking as if he was thinking of going over to make an appearance. Yuan Ge knows that he can't persuade him otherwise, so he just keeps quiet and lets it be.

"Get lost!"

Just as Chow Mingrun is babbling on, there is some commotion at the entrance to the second courtyard. It turns out to be Cherry Media's top star, who was eliminated shortly after entering. She hasn't had time to tell which way was in and which was out, or even to see what the second courtyard looked like, before she was rejected. She is furious and is venting her anger at her assistant.

"Ah, it seems that this second young Master Guan really shows no mercy. He has the guts to eliminate the big shots in the first round of the 3,000-strong audition, that's ruthless! It seems like he's playing for real, actually choosing people based on their acting skills and real ability. I'm afraid relying on connections alone won't work this time."

Just as Chow Mingrun is lamenting, a surprising number of well-known actors keeps walking out with their heads hanging low in disappointment. With 3,000 people auditioning, each person has a pitifully small amount of time to perform, and many just has a few seconds to appear before the selection committee. Only a few makes it to the next courtyard in the compound, and a large number are quickly eliminated. The originally crowded outermost courtyard soon has thinned out, seeming a little empty.

Waylon, Stephen and Chestnut all look quite nervous when they see how quickly those big names are eliminated.

"Don't be afraid. The more you think about it, the more it will affect your performance in front of the judges. Try to relax when it's not your turn, let your mind go and focus on yourself."

"The director is right. You don't know what they are going to test you on anyway, so it's useless to think about it. Come over here, let me point out to you which are the bigwigs in showbiz, so you won't make a fool of yourselves when you get the chance to talk to them later."

Yuan Ge listens as Chow Mingrun chats with the three young actors by his side, but his mind has wandered elsewhere. He is thinking about the little lunatic at home and getting increasingly worried. He wonders if he has managed to get himself something to eat. It was probably a bad idea to leave a mentally imbalanced child alone in the flat. He should have brought him here at the audition to keep an eye on him.

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[1] A courtyard house, or siheyuan in Pinyin, is a historical type of residence that was commonly found throughout China, most famously in Beijing and rural Shanxi. The entrance gate is usually painted vermilion and with copper door knockers on it. A pair of stone lions are often placed outside the gate. Some large courtyard compounds would have two or more layers of courtyards and even private gardens attached to them. Such is a sign of wealth and status in ancient times.