When the surrounding people heard their whispers, they subconsciously laughed out loud. Some even brazenly discussed that recent trending topic.
Amidst the gossipy voices, Bai Yun straightened her back and closed the script. She smiled at Lin Qu and declared confidently, "Don't worry, I don't fight unprepared battles."
The performance began in order. Every artiste had already obtained their corresponding characters and some general information before the assessment. Aside from varying scenes, there were all kinds of characters, including those from historical and modern dramas. The artistes had to interpret their characters based on these vague words.
When it was their turn, each actor would go forward to the large empty space in the rehearsal room to perform their segments. Every teacher would give them a grade according to their performance, ranging from S to D. S was the best, and D was the worst. C and above represented a pass, while D meant that they still had to continue their training.
Companies would invest in joint ventures to create cable dramas with tailor-made leading roles for those who obtained S grades.
This major production was created with the objective of reviving the film industry, which was currently going through a winter period. Young and talented actors in the industry were too precious now.
By the time the performance was halfway through, the teachers had given a few D's in succession, and their frowns were increasingly deepening. As Bai Yun stared at the actors walking across the empty space, it was obvious to her that not only did they have subpar acting skills, but even their bearing was lackluster.
A sophisticated and educated princess was portrayed with a hunched back and contorted expressions while an elegant and polite son of a noble family was portrayed with extremely casual etiquette.
Having watched Chu Jiang's movies, Bai Yun shook her head and sighed inwardly at the comparison. With such standards, it was no wonder that the film industry was undergoing a winter season.
Because the actors had no sense of conviction, their performance felt empty. After a few consecutive D's, the teachers even started to speed up the process. Several actors were called out halfway through their performances, and after most had performed, there were very few people who got at least a B.
Lin Qu mocked at the side, feeling that it was a pity that she and Yi Zhe were not performing this time round. The two of them would totally crush them.
Bored, she began to remind Bai Yun, "When you go on stage, if you succeed in letting the teachers watch your performance till the end, it'd be considered a victory already!"
She wasn't even counting on Bai Yun to get a C.
Instead of answering, Bai Yun only smiled and observed the environment in the room to slowly adapt to it and distort it into the scene she had imagined.
Bai Yun closed her eyes and went through the character she had sculpted in the past few days again, the storyline vivid in her mind. This being a ruthless character, there was no better way to interpret the darkness within her than to attack physically.
"Bai Yun." Hearing someone call her name, Bai Yun opened her eyes, took a deep breath, and walked up to the stage.
She stood in the center and bowed to the teachers before bowing to the audience.
When she straightened, her aura was completely different. "Teachers, I'm starting."
On this gloomy day, in a lightless alley, panting and cussing could be heard. This was a place far from the city limits, where hatred and violence bred in the gloom.
When Bai Yun opened her eyes, she punched the empty floor with all her might, and the wind from her punches shattered the silence.
Her eyes were bloodshot, and she showed no mercy. The howls shattered into soft sobs in her ears. Someone cursed, and her voice gradually merged into these two words: "Rotten person."
Bai Yun's ruthless gaze landed on the person lying on the ground.
The accumulated strength of the punch hit the bridge of that person's nose, seemingly staining her hand with red blood. When her lackey picked that person up, that face gradually merged with the face she remembered from her childhood. She could almost hear her father's and mother's cursing voices roaring in her ears; the curses that could not be driven away could only be heartily covered up when she saw him swallow the blood clot.
Therefore, her raised palm waved more forcefully in the air.
The sound of dripping water entered her ears. Someone was honking at the entrance of the alley, causing all her emotions to dissipate. Still in the dark, Bai Yun clenched her fists and suppressed her panting. She pulled open the shirt on her shoulder and wiped the blood off her hands.
There was a light in the alley, a pair of eyes in the gap, and a man's warning words. Bai Yun did not avoid looking at him. She kicked the person beside her who was still wailing and gave her sidekick a look.
"Seal his mouth."
Only when the painful moans were covered up did she wipe away the sweat on her forehead with her palm and light a cigarette. She exhaled a puff of smoke with great familiarity and deliberately made a low hoarse sound to cover up all traces that had originally belonged outside the scene.
She stared at the man warning outside the alley, the corners of her eyes still red from the fight. Though she looked weak and harmless in her school uniform, her words were not soft.
"Uncle, I'm handling some business. Be understanding. Stay away and mind your own business."