Chapter 49: Could an Illiterate Really Come Up With This?

Half an hour later, in the conference room of Zhuoming Studio.

Zhuoming smiled and said, “I think that actor Qibing we just saw is quite good. He portrayed Zhou Bo’s twisted side very well.”

“Yes, Qibing’s acting is impressive.”

“I agree—among these candidates, Qibing seems the most suitable.”

The casting director and assistant director both nodded in agreement.

“Alright, let’s settle on Qibing then,” Zhuoming considered. “For now, he seems the best fit.”

With that, Zhuoming turned to his assistant. “Xiao Ai, please invite Lin Xing in. Be sure to be polite.”

Xiao Ai hurriedly nodded and left.

While Xiao Ai went to fetch Lin Xing, Zhuoming smiled and said, “Whatever happens, Lin Xing was recommended by Old Feng, so let’s try to give him some respect.”

The casting director quickly responded, “Director Zhuo, we’ll follow your lead—just going through the motions, really.”

Clearly, none of them believed Lin Xing could be suitable for the role of Zhou Bo.

That was precisely why Zhuoming had arranged for Lin Xing to audition last.

This way, he could formally fulfill his promise to Feng Gang without embarrassing anyone.

As Zhuoming spoke, Lin Xing arrived.

“Hello, Director Zhuo. Hello, esteemed teachers.” Lin Xing entered with polite greetings, then took a seat opposite them.

“Lin Xing, you want to audition for Zhou Bo?” The assistant director asked before Zhuoming could speak.

Lin Xing nodded lightly. “Yes, I’d like to audition for Zhou Bo.”

“No need to be nervous, Lin Xing. We’re just having a chat,” Zhuoming suddenly smiled. “Old Feng warned me not to scare you.”

These auditions were arranged in advance, so the actors didn’t need to introduce themselves.

In Zhuoming’s view, Lin Xing, being illiterate, couldn’t possibly understand the character deeply.

That’s why he had the assistant director ask, then planned to talk about Zhou Bo’s character.

“Lin Xing, have you read Zhou Bo’s character profile?”

Lin Xing nodded. “Yes, I have. I also finished reading the original novel, ‘Storm Over Jinghai.’”

“Oh?” Zhuoming was a little surprised. “So what are your thoughts on the character of Zhou Bo?”

“This question…” Lin Xing almost answered reflexively, then paused.

“Is it hard to answer?” The casting director secretly laughed. An illiterate is an illiterate, after all.

Zhuoming didn’t want Lin Xing to feel embarrassed, so he smiled and said, “Let’s do it this way, Lin Xing—I’ll ask, you just answer.”

Lin Xing quickly agreed, inwardly deciding to think carefully before responding, not letting his illiterate counterpart from another world affect him.

Zhuoming asked, “What do you think are Zhou Bo’s main characteristics?”

Lin Xing thought for a moment. “Obsessive.”

“And?”

“Evil.”

This time, Lin Xing spoke without hesitation.

The casting director asked, “Why does Zhou Bo become evil?”

“Because he’s obsessive,” Lin Xing replied.

This forms a closed loop.

Obsessive people tend to have their own logic. Zhou Bo, as a fanatic, never looks for the fault in himself. He believes everything is caused by others.

If he succeeds, it’s because Zhou Bo is favored by heaven—a triumphant comeback.

If he fails, it’s someone else’s fault, and those people must be destroyed.

The casting director continued, “Besides obsession, what other factors contribute to his evil?”

“Family, poverty, the ridicule and disdain of relatives and friends…” Lin Xing considered. “But I think these are only triggers. The real reason is that he’s inherently a twisted, evil person.”

Human nature is inherently evil.

That was Lin Xing’s deeper insight into Zhou Bo.

The casting director frowned slightly. “In Zhou Bo’s character profile, he’s introduced as honest and simple. You’ve seen that, right?”

“I have, but I think ‘honest and simple’ is just him suppressing his true nature. After all, he’s the son of a fishmonger. What else can he be if not honest and simple?” Lin Xing explained. “Precisely because he represses his nature, when he kills, he fully releases it and ultimately falls into the abyss. That’s why I believe he embodies the innate evil of human nature…”

The wolf of Zhongshan—once successful, becomes rampant.

How many people are honest and simple before they make it?

Even ‘honest’ can be a camouflage.

This perspective hadn’t occurred to Zhuoming.

Whether in the original ‘Storm Over Jinghai’ or the adapted script ‘Sweeping the Black Waves,’ Zhou Bo’s role was always seen as a transformation.

Essentially, the main theme was that the environment caused Zhou Bo’s evil.

He was just a supporting villain, so his character profile simply mentioned a father—a fishmonger—and nothing else.

That was normal; nobody dwells much on supporting villains.

So, even Qibing, in today’s auditions, understood Zhou Bo as a transformation from good to evil.

But hearing Lin Xing’s analysis, Zhuoming instantly wondered if writing a character obsessed, even twisted and mad, might be better.

Could an illiterate really come up with this?

Zhuoming looked at Lin Xing in front of him, inwardly marveling.

He had considered whether Lin Xing had memorized answers, or if Feng Gang or his agent had coached him.

But as a director, Zhuoming could tell when an actor was acting or being genuine.

This seemed truly Lin Xing’s own interpretation.

“So, since you believe Zhou Bo is inherently evil, why does he respect his godmother so much?”

The assistant director asked.

“Because Zhou Bo lacked maternal love from childhood. His mother abandoned the family when he was five because they were poor, and never returned. Since then he’s been called a ‘mongrel’…” Lin Xing recalled his recent thoughts on Zhou Bo and constructed a logical backstory.

A fishmonger’s son—what about his mother?

Either she died, or she ran off with someone else.

In the novel, Lin Xing’s bond with his godfather was rooted in fear and utility, but his respect for his godmother was genuine—even to the point of killing his godfather’s mistress for her.

So either Zhou Bo fell in love with his godmother, or it was for maternal love.

Lin Xing himself interpreted it as maternal love.

After Lin Xing finished, Zhuoming was left with a head full of questions.

He had anticipated Lin Xing’s audition might be bizarre.

But not this kind of bizarre.

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