Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Audition

Si Xu was puzzled. He sensed something was off, but seeing how serious Mo Chen was, he couldn’t help but entertain the conspiracy theory.

’Could the person behind this bar be connected to the powers on Chaotic Star?’

’Did they recognize Mo Chen long ago and are now controlling him without a sound?’

’If that’s the case, this is a huge problem.’

“Come on. Back to my lab. I need to give you a full-body examination.”

Mo Chen had seen the second half of the performance for the past few days, so he knew nothing out of the ordinary happened then. He readily stood up and left.

Of course, he might not have even noticed it himself.

He had seen the first half of the show for several days as well, yet he was still unwilling to miss it.

Back at Si Xu’s lab, he gave Mo Chen a thorough checkup from head to toe, but the results came back clean.

He frowned and asked, “Describe the feeling to me again in more detail.”

“It’s not that serious. It’s just… I can’t stop thinking about what song she’ll sing at the bar tomorrow.”

“What dress that female will wear, and also…” Mo Chen grew more and more embarrassed as he spoke.

“Basically, no matter what I’m doing, I subconsciously think about her. From the moment I wake up, I’m already looking forward to the bar opening at night.”

Then I go line up early, and my attention is always captivated by the female on stage.

I’m supposed to be conducting a covert investigation, but I can’t focus on anything else at all.

By the time I snap out of it, the second half of the show has already started.

This is why I suspect I’m being drugged. Time just slips away without me even realizing it.

If I had to describe it, the feeling is a bit like hypnosis.

“Could it be that the female’s singing is used to hypnotize the patrons?” Si Xu voiced a reasonable suspicion.

Mo Chen opened his mouth to object, but reason told him it was highly likely. Otherwise, how could he explain always being in a daze?

’Every time I snap out of it, it’s right when her song ends and she’s leaving the stage.’

“Bring Mo Lan with you tomorrow.”

Mo Lan was Mo Chen’s younger sister. She was an exchange student in the Empire, majoring in psychology.

It was a field considered quite suitable for females, and many chose to specialize in it.

Of course, this applied to females who didn’t want to just be high-society wives at home.

“Alright,” Mo Chen agreed with a nod.

***

After her shift, Jiang Qin didn’t return to her temporary quarters behind the bar.

Instead, she went straight to the audition hall on the first floor of Tianwen Entertainment that same night.

That’s right. An audition.

The people who came to audition were muttering to themselves about why it was being held in the middle of the night. But since it was a major company like Tianwen doing the casting, they didn’t dare complain.

After all, for an opportunity like this, they would have come to try out even if it were held at the crack of dawn, never mind the middle of the night.

But since things hadn’t started yet, they stood around in small groups, greeting people they knew.

A-listers, eighteenth-tier nobodies, and newcomers alike—anyone with an open schedule was there.

“You guys think Tianwen is holding auditions this late because they’re filming something for the year-end awards race?”

“I doubt it. It’s definitely too late for anything releasing next month. Even for a new year’s drama, it would have to premiere by mid-January at the latest.”

“Maybe they’re prepping a drama for next year’s summer blockbuster season?”

“Or maybe for the June awards.”

“Whatever it’s for, a production from a big company like Tianwen is a safe bet. At the very least, it’s guaranteed to be popular.”

“That’s true.”

Even if they couldn’t land a leading role, a show can’t possibly cast A-listers for even the bit parts, right?

So most of them were here hoping for a supporting role.

“The lights in the audition hall just came on. It’s starting.”

As the lights came on, a voice announcement played.

“Will the candidate with number one please enter.”

The person with number one was a top-tier male celebrity.

To say nothing of his talent, he was incredibly handsome. Interstellar males were already a sight to behold, but he was even more dazzling than most.

In any case, from the moment he walked in, Yun Xie, who was leaning back in his chair, had a wary look in his eyes.

Because Jiang Qin was the only female among the panel of judges.

So… he was naturally on guard.

Compared to Yun Xie’s overt hostility, Lan Yuyan was far more reserved; after all, he remembered he was on the job.

An assistant handed a paper copy of a script excerpt to the top-tier male celebrity.

The Tianwen director said, “Number one, you have ten minutes to look over the script and choose a scene from one of the characters to perform.”

The script this time was for *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*, which Jiang Qin had redeemed from the System.

As such, there were quite a few major roles to cast.

After all, in a Mr. Jin Yong story, even the supporting characters were so full of personality that they couldn’t be played by just any unskilled actor.

What troubled Jiang Qin the most, however, were the female roles.

There were few female Beastman stars to begin with, and finding ones who met the criteria was even harder.

Pure human females were prone to illness, and the martial arts choreography would probably half-kill them.

And Half-beastman females had ears, tails, and so on, which meant every single frame would require post-production work.

And right now, time was their most critical resource.

’Still, quite a few females came to audition today. Hopefully, I can find someone suitable.’

…

Five minutes passed in a flash.

The top-tier male celebrity had originally been interested in the role of Guo Jing, but after reading the character description, he immediately realized he wasn’t a good fit.

He had no choice but to settle for his second choice, the character of Yang Kang.

The scene he was given was the one where Yang Kang discovers his biological father is Yang Tiexin, not Wanyan Honglie.

The celebrity first portrayed utter disbelief, followed by confusion and inner turmoil.

It had to be said, this male didn’t become a top-tier celebrity on his looks alone.

In the end, looking as if his soul had left him, he walked to the steps of the stage and sat down. His eyes were vacant, like a lost child lost in a memory.

His appearance was a great fit for Yang Kang as well.

He had a noble air, roguishly charming but not effeminate.

After his performance, Jiang Qin put a checkmark next to his name, marking him as a potential candidate.

’If no other actor is more impressive, the role is likely his.’

Number two was a female. Needless to say, she was also stunningly beautiful.

Jiang Qin asked a question, though. “Would you be willing to dye your hair black?”

“I would.”

“Alright. Go ahead and choose a character to perform.”

After reading the script, she chose the role of Huang Rong.

’To be honest,’ Jiang Qin thought, ’her looks aren’t quite right for the part. But appearance can be altered with makeup and styling.’

’The most important thing is the acting.’

The scene she chose to perform was when she first meets Guo Jing dressed as a woman.

Huang Rong’s defining traits were being mischievous and clever. She appeared innocent and naive on the surface, but was actually quite ruthless underneath.

She wasn’t some naive ingenue, but a free-spirited swordswoman.

“Brother Jing!”

The scene’s dialogue consisted of only two lines of “Brother Jing!”; the rest was all conveyed through expression and movement.

This A-list female star portrayed shyness and delight, but she was missing Huang Rong’s essential spark.

Jiang Qin frowned and drew an X next to the actress’s name.

“Alright, you can go home and wait for our notice.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep