Chapter 71: Are You Truly Certain He Is That Kind of Person?

As Zhang Huaimo called for a halt, silence fell over the set for a moment. Everyone let out a long breath, yet no one could immediately pull themselves out of the state they’d just been in.

How to describe it… Watching Su Mu’s performance gave one a strange, inexplicable sense of satisfaction—brief, addictive; comfortable, yet exhilarating. The crucial moments always seemed to linger in those last few seconds left unsaid on camera.

“Man! If they make this scene into a behind-the-scenes clip, it’ll blow up for sure!”
“Su Mu wasn’t faking it—he was really drinking Red Star Erguotou. He must actually be drunk!”
“That’s why it felt so real, yet his lines were still clear.”
“I thought this poetry-recitation scene would be awkward, but Su Mu made it feel amazing!”

Just then, Su Mu walked out from the filming area, his face flushed. The alcohol hadn’t worn off yet; his steps were still a bit unsteady. He was just about to support himself on the wall when he saw Zhuang Yan and Wang Ouyi—veterans of the craft—quickly approaching. They reached out and helped steady him.

Zhuang Yan’s eyes were full of approval. “Good lad! Your performance just now was excellent. My presence couldn’t overshadow you. That instinct on set, and the resonance in your chest as you recited those verses—if you went into theater, you’d be a natural!”

Theater doesn’t pay, though… Su Mu thought to himself, but replied, “Thank you, Mr. Zhuang, for the praise.”

Wang Ouyi, supporting Su Mu’s arm on the other side, nodded in agreement. “Not bad at all. You were really drinking, using the most authentic state of drunkenness to capture the tone of this scene. That’s something, Su Mu. Not a single stumble in the poetry—one take, all the way through. Excellent.”

The two of them, one on either side, showered him with praise. Su Mu, however, did not lose himself. While his acting fundamentals, honed through practice, had reached a pretty good level, he knew the art of performance had depths far beyond this. To put it simply, right now, he was just reworking the assignments of his past life. If the original was a sixty, he fixed some mistakes and made it a seventy. Of course, for scenes like those in "Breaking Bad" or "Nirvana in Fire," where the original actors had already scored an eighty, he could just copy their work outright.

“You two are really too kind. I’m just showing off my amateur skills in front of experts—self-taught, really. If I hadn’t had a bit to drink, I’d have been terribly nervous,” Su Mu said, controlling his expression into a bashful smile. The flush of drunkenness only made him appear more honest and sincere.

[Expression Control Proficiency +1]
[Skill Point +0.01]

“Modest,” Zhuang Yan said with a gratified look, continuing to praise him. “Su Mu, you’re too modest. In this industry, that won’t do.”

Wang Ouyi added, “Exactly. So what if you’re self-taught? Zhang Jianlin was my student at the Film Academy. His graduation performance was also a drunken scene, and as his advisor, my verdict was… yours was better!”

“An actor must be confident. That’s how you develop your style and command the stage! Theater is all about manipulating emotion in the moment, and your ability to explode with feeling—that’s your talent and your potential. You need to make good use of it,” Zhuang Yan went on.

He wasn’t wrong. And how else would one make real money? Su Mu nodded. “I understand, and I will.”

The three of them continued conversing as they walked off the set. With the two seniors supporting him and Su Mu’s drunken grin, the scene looked like old friends laughing arm-in-arm.

“!!!”
“???”

Letting his seniors support him? Arm-in-arm? The younger actors watching outside were dumbfounded, even a little envious. To be honest, Zhuang Yan and Wang Ouyi might not be the absolute titans of the film world, but they were respected veterans with both reputation and ability. For young actors, even a bit of advice from them was considered a stroke of luck. But Su Mu was already on brotherly terms with them?

“Director Zhang, how was that last take?” someone asked.

Zhang Huaimo turned and gave a thumbs up, smiling. “Even better than I expected. We’re good!”

“Great.” Su Mu felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Thank goodness it was done in one take—if they’d needed another, he might not have managed to drink that much again. Now, all he wanted was to find a cool spot and get some sleep.

Zhang Huaimo glanced behind him, still smiling. “What do you two think?”

Zhuang Yan replied, “Su Mu’s performance was excellent. Huaimo, with his potential, Professor Wang and I are thinking of inviting him to audition for that film next year.”

A film? Hearing the prospect of work, even the slightly dizzy Su Mu perked up.

“Which film? The pay… uh, how’s the project going?” he asked.

Zhuang Yan explained, “Oh, it’s like this, Su Mu. The project is being organized by the capital’s Ministry of Culture—it’s an art film, so there’s not much prep needed. I was thinking of recommending you.”

Not much prep meant a small investment. Small investment, small pay. The drunkenness surged again. Why was the Erguotou kicking in once more?

Zhuang Yan noticed, “Aiya, Su Mu, you haven’t sobered up yet. Go rest first.”

Zhang Huaimo nodded. “Yes, go on, Su Mu. You’ve had quite a bit. Heatstroke and alcohol don’t mix.”

Su Mu tried to stand straight. “This Erguotou really packs a punch. Sorry, everyone, I’m a little dizzy. I’ll go lie down for a bit.”

[Action Proficiency +1]
[Expression Proficiency +1]
[Skill Point +0.01…+0.01]

As they watched Su Mu’s retreating figure, the veteran actors were full of approval.

Zhuang Yan said, “Su Mu is an excellent young man—forthright and, more importantly, sincere.”

Wang Ouyi agreed, “Humble and unassuming, a promising student indeed.”

Zhang Huaimo: “…??”

…

Su Mu followed Little Orange onto the RV. After wiping his face with a wet towel, he finally felt more awake. He glanced at the driver and asked, “Master Zhu, didn’t President Qian say he’d be arriving by high-speed rail tonight?”

The driver replied, “Yes.”

Su Mu thought for a moment. “Alright, there’s nothing else this afternoon. Let’s go pick him up.”

“Okay,” the driver replied.

Little Orange looked a bit worried. Though just a small assistant, she knew exactly why Qian Jida had returned to Galaxy City a few days ago.

“Brother Su Mu, don’t worry. No matter what happens, I’ll always follow you!”

“That’s right,” echoed the driver.

Su Mu laughed, “Of course you will. After all, your salaries don’t come from the company—they come from me. Naturally, you’re with me. Let’s go, to the station.”

Little Orange: “Okay.”

…

At six in the evening, Qian Jida boarded the car in a rush. He seemed in high spirits, with a rare air of boldness about him. It wasn’t often that he shed his usual “maternal” demeanor.

Could it be…?

Su Mu was startled. “President Qian! You… you’ve made up your mind?”

Qian Jida smiled. “Yes, I’ve decided.”

Su Mu asked, “Will it hurt?”

Qian Jida replied, “What’s there to hurt? With things like this, you have to cut the knot quickly—strike before they can react, leave them no chance to harden up.”

Su Mu: “!!!”
Little Orange: “!!!”
Driver: “!!!”

Qian Jida smiled helplessly. “Alright, enough with those looks. The road ahead is still long. I’ve wanted to be myself and truly move on for a long time. Isn’t this perfect?”

Su Mu said, “President Qian, you’ve suffered.”

Qian Jida replied, “If you know I’ve suffered, then you’d better work harder. From now on, the few of us are counting on you to make our living.”

Su Mu: “…”