novellhall Chapter 16 Dormitory Night Talk
Chapter 16 Dormitory Night Talk
Chen Nianbei pushed open the dormitory door, and a complex smell wafted out—instant noodles, sweat, and cheap hairspray.
"Hey, you're back!"
A head popped out from the top bunk near the door. It was Zhang Lei from the directing department. "I heard you amazed the whole class at your audition today?"
Chen Nianbei put down her backpack and smiled, "It's not that exaggerated."
"Why isn't it here!"
Wang Hao turned around from his desk, still holding a copy of "Film Language" in his hand. "Zhang Lei, you didn't see it, Nian Bei was acting in the scene with Zhou Ping today..."
"Stop, stop."
Chen Nianbei quickly raised her hand, "Say it again and it'll be too much."
"Okay, okay, I won't say anymore."
Wang Hao scratched his head, thought about it, and felt that there was no need to say it again.
The dormitory is a four-person room with two bunk beds.
Chen Nianbei and Wang Hao lived on one side, while Zhang Lei and Li Xiang from the directing department lived on the other side.
Four sophomore boys were crammed into this space of just over ten square meters, their belongings piled up to the brim.
Books, scripts, posters, half-eaten snacks, and an old-fashioned computer buzzing in the corner.
"Nianbei, you're awesome."
Li Xiang climbed down from the top bunk, wearing a T-shirt.
"When Wang Hao came back and told us, we were both shocked. You've been on the team for a month and you've practically evolved?"
"I was just lucky." Chen Nianbei sat on the edge of her bed and took off her shoes.
"Good luck my ass."
Zhang Lei threw a bag of potato chips down from the top bunk. "I heard that Director Kong is very strict. If you can learn something from him, that's real skill."
Chen Nianbei took the potato chips and opened the package: "You even knew that?"
"Definitely."
Zhang Lei sat up, cross-legged, and said, "There's a senior in our department who worked as an assistant director in Director Kong's crew last year. He came back and said that Director Kong is extremely meticulous when it comes to filming. He can spend an entire morning working on a single shot."
Li Xiang leaned over and grabbed a handful of potato chips: "So Nianbei, what exactly have you learned in this past month?"
Chen Nianbei chewed on potato chips and thought for a moment: "What I've learned is... acting isn't about acting, it's about living as that person."
This sounds a bit mystical, but all three people in the dorm understood it.
We're all in this field, so we know what that's like.
"Awesome." Li Xiang gave a thumbs up.
"Oh, right."
Zhang Lei suddenly remembered something, and his tone became excited, "Speaking of the film crew, I have something to tell the brothers."
"What's up?" Wang Hao asked.
"Thanks to my uncle's connections, I've gotten a spot on the set of 'Brotherhood of Blades' next month!"
Zhang Lei's voice was brimming with barely suppressed excitement, "It's a martial arts film directed by Lu Yang, starring Zhang Zhen and Liu Shishi!"
After he finished speaking, the dormitory was silent for two seconds.
Then--
"Holy crap!" Wang Hao exclaimed first, "Really?"
"Zhang Lei, you're amazing!"
Li Xiang was also excited, "Director Lu Yang! I saw his last film, 'Blind Cinema,' and his cinematography was amazing!"
Chen Nianbei's heart skipped a beat.
"Brotherhood of Blades" was released in 2014, directed by Lu Yang, and starring Zhang Zhen, Liu Shishi, and Wang Qianyuan.
He knows this film very well.
When it was released in its previous life, it wasn't a top box office hit, but it received rave reviews and was hailed as "the best martial arts film of the decade".
Later, it won the Golden Horse Award for Best Costume Design, and its Douban rating rose to over 8 points, becoming a classic.
More importantly, the action choreography, camera work, costumes, and props in this film are all considered industry benchmarks.
Even if Zhang Lei is just doing odd jobs in this group, it's still a rare learning opportunity.
"What exactly are you going to do?" Chen Nianbei asked.
"The director's assistant..."
Zhang Lei was a little embarrassed. "To put it bluntly, it's just doing odd jobs, like running errands, organizing documents, and keeping an eye on things."
But my uncle said that if I perform well, I'll have the opportunity to learn dispatching.
"That's great!"
Wang Hao's eyes widened with envy. "A movie crew! And it's Lu Yang's movie! Zhang Lei, you've got some serious connections."
"My uncle worked in a film and television company for more than ten years and has some connections."
Zhang Lei scratched his head. "Actually, it's just a trial. Whether I can stay or not depends on my performance."
"It will definitely work!"
Li Xiang patted him on the shoulder, "You're always serious about your homework, so you'll definitely be fine."
Zhang Lei chuckled and then looked at Chen Nianbei and Wang Hao:
"I'll be involved in pre-production this week. If the production team needs anyone or there are audition opportunities, I'll try my best to recommend them. We're all roommates; we'll lend a hand if we can."
That was said very sincerely.
Chen Nianbei nodded: "Thanks, Lei Zi."
Wang Hao was also touched: "That's really kind of you!"
"But then again,"
Li Xiang sat back on his bed and sighed.
"In our line of work, relationships are really important."
Look at Zhang Lei, he has his uncle's help.
Nianbei was familiar with Director Kong.
People like Wang Hao and me, who rely entirely on ourselves, have to slowly weather the storm.
He said this without complaining, simply stating a fact.
Wang Hao deeply agreed:
"Yes. Back in my hometown, my parents were ordinary workers and had no connections in this industry."
Every time I see classmates with connections getting roles, I feel...
He didn't finish speaking, but we all understood what he meant.
Chen Nianbei looked at them.
He had experienced something like this in his past life.
Watching peers easily obtain good resources because of family connections, while I had to run from one film crew to another, and face rejection after rejection in every audition.
He understood that feeling of powerlessness all too well.
"Not necessarily."
Chen Nianbei spoke calmly, "Relationships can give you a head start, but how far you can go depends on yourself."
He paused for a moment: "If I don't perform well, Director Kong won't keep me."
Zhang Lei went to "Brotherhood of Blades," but if he wasn't serious, he still wouldn't have stayed.
That's a very practical statement.
Zhang Lei nodded: "Nianbei is right. My uncle also said that connections can only knock on the door; once you're inside, how you get around is up to you."
That's the logic.
Wang Hao smiled wryly, "But sometimes, you can't even get the door opened, let alone get in."
A moment of silence fell over the dormitory.
The sounds of a basketball court commotion drifted in from outside the window, and someone was practicing their lines in the corridor, reciting a scene from "Teahouse."
"By the way, Nianbei,"
Li Xiang broke the silence, "When will your 'Battle of Changsha' air?"
"It will probably be a long time from now."
Chen Nianbei said, "Filming is not finished yet, and post-production will take some time."
"What are your plans before the broadcast?"
"We'll see if there are any other plays after the end-of-term performance."
Chen Nianbei said, "If all else fails, I'll go to a drama troupe and hone my acting skills."
"A drama troupe?"
Zhang Lei's eyes lit up. "This is a good approach. I've heard that many good actors were honed in the theater."
"Um."
Chen Nianbei nodded.
He rose again through stage plays in his previous life, so he knows how important that kind of refinement is.
The atmosphere in the dormitory became relaxed again.
The four boys chatted about this and that.
We talked about recent movies, departmental gossip, which teacher was the strictest, and which cafeteria window had the worst food.
They chatted until almost 11 o'clock, then Zhang Lei glanced at his phone:
"I'm not talking anymore, I have class tomorrow morning, I need to sleep."
"I'm going to sleep too." Li Xiang climbed back to the top bunk.
Wang Hao turned off the desk lamp, plunging the dormitory into darkness.
Only the streetlights shining through the window cast blurry shadows on the ceiling.
Chen Nianbei climbed onto her bed, leaned against the headboard, and took out her phone.
There was an unread text message from Nazha: "Have you arrived at the dorm yet?"
He replied, "I've arrived. I just finished chatting with my roommate."
Naza replied immediately: "What did you talk about?"
"Let's talk about the future, opportunities, and who will become famous first."
As Chen Nianbei typed, the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.
Naza replied with a laughing emoji covering her mouth: "So who will become famous first?"
"I don't know, it's up to fate."
"I think you can," Naza said confidently.
Why?
"Because you're different now."
Naza said, "You have a reassuring quality to you right now. It's like you'll do a good job no matter what role you play."
Chen Nianbei felt a warmth in her heart upon reading those words.
"And you?"
He asked, "When is the movie audition?"
"It will take a few more weeks. Sister Li said she'd let me read the script first to prepare."
"Prepare well."
Chen Nianbei typed, "Although Cheng Long is a big star, he's a very nice person, so don't be afraid."
"How do you know he's a good person?" Naza asked again.
Chen Nianbei paused.
In his previous life, he had attended several industry gatherings and met Jackie Chan a few times.
Just as rumored, he is very caring towards younger generations and has no airs.
But these things cannot be said.
"I heard it from people in the industry," he said vaguely.
"Okay. Then get some rest, see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
Chen Nianbei put down her phone, lay down, and stared at the ceiling.
He could hear Zhang Lei's soft snoring, the rustling sound of Wang Hao turning over, and the faint light from Li Xiang's phone screen as he looked at it in bed.
This is university life.
Ordinary, real, full of all sorts of trivial troubles and small expectations.
He closed his eyes in the darkness, turned over, and fell into a deep sleep.
In his dream, he seemed to have returned to the set of "Battle of Changsha".
Kong Sheng was calling "Cut," Yang Zhi was smiling at him, and Lao Zhang was waving from a distance.
The moonlight outside the window crept into the dormitory and shone on the faces of four sleeping young people.