Over twenty people showed up from the Beijing Film Academy, all young students from the Acting Class of '78.
Zhang Tielin, Zhang Fengyi, and Xie Yuan had all come. Only Zhou Lijing and Fang Shu were absent—they were off shooting actual films. Those two were the undisputed king and queen of the class, their starting line already well ahead of everyone else's.
"Why did Beijing Film Studio build a whole street? How extravagant!" Zhang Tielin remarked.
"What kind of grand production are they shooting?"
"I heard it's *Rickshaw Boy*, and they're currently casting! Hey, Old Zhang, you look quite a bit like Xiangzi to me," Xie Yuan said.
"Quit joking. How could I play Xiangzi?"
Zhang Fengyi wagged his head, though in truth his heart was racing with excitement. He asked, "The martial arts film Beijing Film Studio is shooting also has quite a grand setup. Just look at those costumes and props. I wonder what kind of roles they'll give us?"
"Either way, it's freelance work on the side. One yuan a day—might as well earn it!"
Xie Yuan was wearing a long-sleeved shirt with tight cuffs, making it impossible to slip his hands inside. He forced them in anyway, determined to tuck his hands into his sleeves, then suddenly whispered, "Hey, he's here, he's here! Everyone look sharp and snag a good role."
Chen Qi came walking over holding a megaphone, calling out, "Students from the Film Academy, come on over! Let's talk about the scene!
"Today we're shooting the male lead entering the capital for the first time. He runs into the villain's lackeys harassing decent folk, steps in to teach them a lesson, and that's it. Very simple. Let's try to wrap it up in a single day!
"Those in the back, go get your makeup done first!
"There are a few minor speaking roles. Let me hand them out. Xie Yuan!"
"Present!"
Xie Yuan immediately snapped to attention.
"You play a customer drinking tea by the roadside. You have one line. Memorize it and practice it yourself. You're all professional students, so don't make a fool of yourself!"
"Understood!"
Xie Yuan took the slip of paper, which had only one line written on it: *"The Prince Duan residence's running dogs are out causing trouble again!"*
He nodded, clutching it like a priceless treasure, and stepped aside to practice on his own. Many of his classmates already had on-set experience, but due to his physical appearance, this was his first real gig.
"Wang Yue! (The original Tang Monk!)"
"Present!"
"You play the tea vendor. The male lead will ask you for directions. You have two lines."
"Understood!"
"Zhang Fengyi!"
"Right here!"
"You play one of the prince's lackeys. Three lines. Whip the male lead, and then get knocked to the ground."
"Rest assured, I'll definitely give it my best!"
In the second half of this year, Zhang Fengyi would be chosen to star in *Rickshaw Boy*, instantly shooting to stardom. Later, he would marry a woman who turned fanatically religious, only to divorce her and never speak to her again for the rest of his days.
It was also rumored that Zhang Fengyi was a bottom. Mm-hmm.
"Shen Danping!"
"Present!"
"You play the innocent civilian girl being abducted. Weep and scream, 'Let me go, let me go!' Understand?"
"I understand!"
Chen Qi had a bit of a collector's streak. Thirty years from now, when audiences looked back at *Tai Chi* and saw that even the background extras were all famous faces, they would be struck with instant reverence. He took great pleasure in that prospect.
As roles were assigned one by one, Zhang Tielin grew anxious.
Last year, he had filmed a single-episode drama for CCTV called *There Was a Youth*, so he at least had experience. Why hadn't his turn come yet? Just as he was fretting, Chen Qi spoke up: "Zhang Tielin!"
"Here!"
His spirits lifted, his eyes shining brightly.
"You have great screen presence and handsome looks. I'm a man who appreciates talent, so I'm giving you the weightiest role in this scene. Known as the Jade-Faced Erlang, the Flower Butterfly, you are the prince's capable right-hand man—handsome, fond of women, and truly dashing and extraordinary..."
Chen Qi looked kindly at the future Imperial Father and said, "You'll be playing a lecherous bandit!"
***
"Hahahahaha!"
"Jade-Faced Erlang!"
"Flower Butterfly!"
A moment later, Xie Yuan and Zhang Fengyi, already dressed in costume and makeup, clutched their bellies in laughter as they looked at Zhang Tielin.
Zhang Tielin was dressed in a gaudy, multicolored robe, accented by a flamboyant purple sash set with a thumb-sized jade stone. He wore a hat adorned with a bright red flower.
And his face—good grief, it was so white! Heaven only knew how many layers of powder had been plastered on, resembling a freshly spackled wall.
"I suspect that kid has a grudge against me. Why did he make me play a lecherous bandit?"
"What's wrong with a lecherous bandit? You have several lines! I only have three!" Zhang Fengyi said.
"I only have one!" Xie Yuan chimed in.
"Are you all set?"
Just then, Chen Qi walked over, looked him up and down, and praised, "Splendid! Zhang Tielin, you really look the part all dressed up. If any similar roles come up in the future, I'll definitely seek you out!"
"Thank you for your high regard!"
The corner of Zhang Tielin's mouth twitched. *What high regard? You're the lecherous bandit! Your whole family is full of lecherous bandits! You tongue-thrusting creep who forces French kisses in romance scenes!*
"Oh, right, Zhang Fengyi!"
Chen Qi turned around and said, "Director Ling Zifeng is preparing to shoot *Rickshaw Boy*, and the actor for Xiangzi hasn't been decided yet. I think you're quite suitable in every respect. I'll put in a good word for you with the director later."
"Really? Oh, heavens, thank you so much!"
Zhang Fengyi was beside himself with excitement. Though four years older than Chen Qi, he bowed repeatedly. "You're my great benefactor. I'll never forget this for the rest of my life!"
"All right, all right, it's no trouble at all. Go wait by the set, and do your best in a bit!"
The three of them watched his departing figure, an identical hint of admiration showing on their faces. The young man was only twenty years old, yet he was already giving orders on such a massive set. Moreover, watching him organize the extras so methodically and thoroughly, it was clear he was a remarkable talent.
***
On set, Li Lianjie, Gong Xue, and Wang Qun sat at a roadside tea stall, drinking tea while asking for directions.
Gong Xue's styling followed Chen Qi's exact instructions. She wore a short white jacket over a light blue skirt, with a small pouch filled with stones hanging at her waist. Her hair was styled into two small braids with airy bangs, and her skin looked radiant and tender, showing no hint that she was several years older than Li Lianjie.
"Brother, how do we get to the Prince Rong residence?" she asked crisply.
Wang Yue, playing the tea stall assistant, answered, "Follow this street up to the archway, then turn west. When you see a sprawling compound of grand courtyards, that's the Prince Rong residence."
"Thanks!"
Wang Qun tossed down a few copper coins. Just as the three of them stood up, a clamor of shouts and frantic weeping erupted nearby. The tea customer played by Xie Yuan delivered his line: "Sigh, the Prince Duan residence's running dogs are out causing trouble again!"
Over there, Zhang Fengyi was whipping bystanders, sporting a one-eyed look with a black eyepatch.
Zhang Tielin delivered a true-to-life performance, pouncing toward Shen Danping with a leering chuckle. Shen Danping wailed heart-wrenchingly, "Sob, sob... Please, let me go, let me go!"
"Cut! Good!"
Having wrapped up these shots, Li Wenhua shouted in praise. Actors with formal training really were a cut above the rest. Immediately afterward, Yuen Woo-ping stepped forward to choreograph the fight scene. Zhang Fengyi took it in stride, but as Zhang Tielin listened, his face turned the color of chronic constipation, his eyes twitching as though he were having a stroke.
"He moves like this, you move like that, and then you tumble backward with the momentum.
"Your hat gets knocked off and rolls across the ground a few times, stopping right behind that horse's backside. A fresh pile of dung drops right onto you, the horse kicks you, and you crash into that table... In short, you end up in a truly miserable state, with nothing left on your head except that single flower.
"Since you're a lecherous bandit, Wang Qun's character fights with ruthless precision. For the finale, he stomps right between your legs, crushing your family jewels. Scene!"
*Hsss!*
Zhang Tielin felt a phantom pain between his legs. *Does he really have to be this ruthless?*
He regretted coming, but he couldn't refuse. In this era, sacrificing oneself for the arts was considered an absolute duty. If an actor dared tell the director that a scene was too grueling, that the ground was too filthy, or that he refused to shoot it, he would be told to pack his bags, earning the disdain of the entire industry.
"Any questions?" Yuen Woo-ping asked.
"N-No, none!"
"Then let's begin!"
Li Lianjie and Wang Qun charged forward, dispatching the thugs in a flurry of swift, decisive moves and knocking them to the ground.
Zhang Tielin was a sight too wretched to behold. His flamboyant robe was smeared with foul-smelling mud, a prop clump of horse manure was plastered over his face, his features contorted in excruciating agony, while that lone red flower remained perfectly intact—making him look all the more ridiculous.
"Ouch!"
Xie Yuan couldn't bear to watch, muttering to himself, "That one yuan really isn't worth this. Totally undignified, utterly undignified!"
"Ha!"
Chen Qi watched with immense satisfaction. He had always been a man of distinct loves and hates, harboring particular distaste for the "Great Director," "Imperial Father," and "Talented Lady Xu." It was just a pity that Talented Lady Xu was currently six years old and Zhao was only four; one couldn't very well pick on little children.
He hadn't found a chance to deal with the Great Director yet, so only Imperial Father had his talent thoroughly "appreciated."
*From now on, whenever there's a lecherous scoundrel to play, he's the guy. I'll shape him right into the President Hou of the eighties. The moment audiences see his face, they'll know exactly what kind of sleazeball he is. You might not recognize the name President Hou, but you'd certainly know his face—a narrow acting range that everyone else could only envy.*
Chapter 103