Chapter 35: Everything is Ready

The area outside the small theater of the Beijing Film Academy’s Acting Department was exceptionally lively today. Even before the doors opened, a queue had already begun to form. Those unaware of the situation might have mistaken the scene for a major production.

Dong Xuan, a student from the Class of 2000, had been informed by her teacher the previous day that a film crew would be holding auditions at the theater. If any of them were interested, they were welcome to give it a try. At the time, the students in her class found it strange; usually, teachers discouraged freshmen from auditioning for outside crews. What was different today?

Upon being pressed, the teacher replied with a smile, "Today is different. This is a practical project for a junior student in the Directing Department. It’s not like an outside commercial crew; the school encourages students to participate."

Hearing this, many students were disappointed. "A practical project? Just a short film? That’s not interesting."

Then, someone realized that if it were merely a student short, it wouldn't carry enough weight to have the Acting Department open up its small theater for auditions. Someone tentatively asked, "Could it be Cao Yang from the Directing Department?"

The room fell silent for a moment, then erupted into a chaotic buzz, like a vegetable market. "Could it really be Cao Yang? Isn't his current film still in theaters? Is he already shooting a new one?"

The teacher gestured for silence and confirmed with a smile that it was indeed Cao Yang’s new project. They were looking for five supporting actors—two men and three women—and any current undergraduate student was eligible to audition. Dong Xuan felt a surge of excitement. This was a rare opportunity. She had to sign up.

"Yueyue, are you ready yet? It starts in half an hour. Let’s get in line; so many people signed up yesterday, we don't want to be late."

"Don't rush. Our dorm is close to the small theater; we’ll be there in minutes. We won't be late."

"In this tiny school, which dorm isn't close to the small theater?" Dong Xuan retorted. She scanned the surroundings before whispering, "Yueyue, do you think the rumors are true? Everyone says that film was directed by Director Tian. But I don't think it looks like his previous work."

Guan Yue, busy carefully applying her eyebrow pencil in the mirror, replied, "Who knows? Why do you care who directed it? It doesn't have much to do with us."

"Wait, actually, it has a lot to do with us."

Guan Yue put down the eyebrow pencil and muttered to herself, "If the film that won Li Xiaoran the Best Actress award in Berlin was directed by Director Tian, and he stops making films, then what’s the point of this new movie?"

"No, are you sure it wasn't Cao Yang?" Dong Xuan looked at her, speechless.

"It's obvious. Look back at all the great directors who have graduated from our school. Have you ever seen a junior student win two Silver Bears? Could the 'State Master' do it? Could Kaige? Even Director Tian couldn't, right?"

"Just because they couldn't, doesn't mean Cao Yang can't." As Dong Xuan said this, she felt her own confidence waver. Could Cao Yang really be compared to the likes of the State Master or Kaige? She suddenly remembered the gossip she had heard recently and quickly added, "Didn't the seniors in the Directing Department say..."

She stopped, unsure if she should continue. While those rumors might refute the idea that Tian Zhuangzhuang directed the film, they were not very kind to Cao Yang.

"What did they say?" Guan Yue’s curiosity was piqued, and she grabbed Dong Xuan’s arm, urging her to speak.

"Many seniors are spreading rumors that it was definitely Cao Yang who shot it. They say Director Tian would never use such low-level, straightforward camera work—even someone who hasn't studied directing would have more complex shots. They also claim Cao Yang just got lucky, stumbling upon Li Xiaoran, whose acting was god-tier, and that’s the only reason he won the Silver Bear."

Seeing Guan Yue nod thoughtfully, Dong Xuan continued, "They also said if they had Li Xiaoran, they wouldn't just win a Silver Bear—they could win a Golden Bear. Li Xiaoran is indeed incredible. I wish I had half her acting ability."

"Mhm." Guan Yue nodded repeatedly. "They’re right. Her acting was so powerful. Even now, I can still picture the scene where she's painting on the beach. Ugh, Tian Zhuangzhuang is such a jerk. How could he not go after a woman as charming as her? She's so pitiful."

"Hey, don't confuse the movie with reality," Dong Xuan said with a laugh, giving her a light tap. The two then dissolved into giggles. Girls were strange like that.

Suddenly, someone shouted, "Oh no, the auditions are starting!" The two quickly tidied themselves up and hurried toward the theater. By the time they arrived, there were still ten minutes left, but a long line had already formed. Nearly every student from the Acting Department still on campus had signed up.

Dong Xuan still didn't quite understand. If so many people suspected the film wasn't Cao Yang's work, why were there so many applicants? She even spotted several seniors who were already somewhat famous. She realized that most people were likely thinking like Guan Yue: who cares who directed it? It was a film, after all. What if it turned out to be good and won awards? That kind of credit was hard to come by.

After a nearly day-long audition process, assistant directors Liu Shan and Li Mingyi finally selected the five actors. For the men, the righteous police officer role went to Yang Zhigang from the Class of 1999, and the prison guard who beats up the protagonist went to Zhou Yiwei from the Class of 2000 junior college program. Yang Zhigang had a personal connection, but since it was a small role and his acting was passable, they chose him. Zhou Yiwei was selected because his audition had a certain sinister quality that felt perfect for the prison guard.

For the women, the photographer’s young girlfriend was played by Che Xiao, the boxer’s girlfriend by Dong Xuan, and the kind, gentle girlfriend by Wen Zhengrong. The remaining minor roles—such as the three prisoners, the elderly couple’s children, and the couple returning from their trip—would be filled by crew members or interns.

With all roles cast and props prepared, they were ready to start filming at any moment. At the same time, good news arrived: after twelve days of screening, the box office for *Beach Alone at Night* had successfully surpassed 20 million. Mr. Han and Hou Keming called Cao Yang one after another to share the good news; it was a massive hit. They told him that, based on current trends, the film would likely bring in another 3 to 4 million without an extension.

On March 16th, with everything in place, the opening press conference for *3-Iron* was held on Ludong Island. As far as Cao Yang knew, legend had it that the "Old Monster Kim" had prepared the crew and shot the film in just thirteen days. He didn't know if that was true, but he certainly couldn't shoot it in thirteen days.

Old Monster Kim was truly a genius. A man who had once painted on the streets and beaches of France, he had returned home destitute and began writing scripts for money, only for several of them to win awards. He then started directing, and there was no stopping him; he had won the Berlin Silver Bear, as well as the Venice Silver and Golden Lions. He was a freak of nature, a weirdo, and a deviant. Controversial, his works focused primarily on themes of eroticism and ethical exploration, often involving sensitive topics like violence, sex, and the underbelly of society. *3-Iron*, relatively speaking, was one of Old Monster Kim’s more "normal" films.