Chapter 294: Drama Academy

Shanghai Drama Academy.

Inside a classroom,

Luo Xiao and Wang Bin sat at two desks, facing a stand-up sign advertising a casting call for actors.

“Brother Xiao, are you sure it’s okay to change the script this much?”

Wang Bin looked at the script in his hands, clearly worried.

At this point, the current version of the script was so different from the original that it could hardly be called a revision—it was practically a whole new story. Even the title had been changed.

What had started as a demon-slaying fantasy was now a tale of coexistence between humans and demons in a magical world.

“No problem at all,” Luo Xiao said confidently, nodding.

Ever since he started rewriting the script, he’d discovered a passion for it. He’d gone back to read several books on screenwriting and realized just how terrible the original script had been.

A good script needed twists, turns, and emotional arcs. The old one had none of that—it was flat and lifeless.

The two crappy films he’d shot before had suffered from the same problem.

So this time, he went all in and overhauled the entire thing. Now, he was brimming with confidence in his new version.

Wang Bin looked at Luo Xiao’s unwavering confidence and knew there was no way the script was going to change.

He sighed and pleaded, “Brother Xiao, fine, we’ll keep the script. But can we at least cut the part where I get pregnant? Or change how it happens? I mean, I’m a guy! You’ve got me, a male demon, getting pregnant—that’s just too weird.”

Ever since he read the new script, he’d been trying to get that part changed.

Sure, the story was fantastical and full of twists, but starting off with his male character giving birth to a little demon king? That was pushing it.

Luo Xiao looked at Wang Bin’s pleading face but remained unmoved.

“What’s so weird about it? This is a fantasy world full of demons and magic. A male pregnancy isn’t even that unusual. And besides, it’s a cute little demon king! That’s drama gold—it’ll definitely grab the audience’s attention.”

“Alright, alright!”

Wang Bin gave up trying to argue.

He was already cast as the lead, after all. If he had to give birth to a demon king, so be it. Maybe Luo Xiao was right—maybe it really would attract viewers.

Seeing Wang Bin finally quiet down, Luo Xiao picked up the script from the desk and began flipping through it, checking for any last-minute tweaks.

As for why they were at Shanghai Drama Academy—naturally, it was to scout for actors.

President Chen had made it clear: all the actors had to be amateurs.

After some thought, Luo Xiao had categorized amateurs into three types: those with zero acting experience, background extras like Wang Bin, and drama school students.

After careful consideration, he decided to focus on the drama students first. Most of them hadn’t acted in real productions yet, but they had received systematic training and were already familiar with the craft.

Casting them would be far better than picking people who had never acted at all. It would also make filming go more smoothly.

Luo Xiao himself was a graduate of Shanghai Drama Academy—though he had studied directing. Through one of his former professors, he managed to reserve a classroom on campus for auditions.

“Brother Xiao, why hasn’t anyone shown up yet? You don’t think it’s because our company isn’t well-known and no one wants to come, do you?”

Wang Bin looked nervously at the empty doorway.

“Don’t worry, they’ll be here soon,” Luo Xiao said, glancing at the time and smiling. Class was about to end, and he figured students would start arriving shortly.

As for the possibility that no one would come? He wasn’t worried in the slightest.

These students were studying acting to become actors. Now that a production was holding auditions, why would they pass up the chance?

Even if it was just for a minor role, they’d still want to try. After all, getting to act while still in school meant they could put it on their resume after graduation—it could become their calling card.

And if they did well, other productions might notice them. That could be the start of a steady acting career.

…

“Tangtang, hurry up! We can’t miss this chance. If we land a supporting role with a decent amount of screen time, that’d be amazing!”

A curvy young woman pulled along another girl with a more modest and elegant appearance as they jogged toward the classroom.

“But class isn’t over yet,” Su Tang said, tugging on the other girl’s sleeve, looking worried.

There were still about ten minutes left in the lecture. They had snuck out through the back door, and she was nervous their teacher would be upset.

“Class? You think the teacher didn’t see us leave? Of course she did,” Jiang Xue replied quickly, picking up her pace.

“Wait—then why didn’t she stop us?” Su Tang asked, surprised.

Jiang Xue rolled her eyes. “Are you dumb? That means she’s giving us her silent approval. Come on, we don’t even know how many roles they’re casting. The sooner we get there, the better our chances of picking a role with more lines.”

“Oh, okay!”

Su Tang nodded and hurried to keep up.

Before long,

The two of them arrived at the classroom where the auditions were being held. But when they looked inside, they froze.

The entire casting team consisted of just two people—and both of them were young.

Did they walk into the wrong room?

Jiang Xue glanced around the classroom. Once she confirmed it was the right place, she stepped inside.

“Hi, we’re here to audition,” she said softly.

Luo Xiao looked over at the two newcomers, studying them carefully. Acting skills aside, their appearances matched the character profiles in his script quite well.

Especially the girl with the simple, elegant look—she was a perfect fit for the female lead he had envisioned.

“Here, this is a short script. Each character has a small scene. Take a look, and pick whichever one you want to try out.”

As he spoke, Luo Xiao handed them the prepared script.

Jiang Xue and Su Tang quickly took it and began reading.

But as they scanned the pages, both of them froze.

“Excuse me, are all these roles really open for audition?” Jiang Xue looked up at Luo Xiao, incredulous.

She had spotted a scene for the female lead, along with several marked as key supporting roles.

That couldn’t be right.

Even when production teams came to schools to scout talent, they never cast the leads.

Main roles like these were usually reserved for popular stars or seasoned actors.

She had never seen a production that would let inexperienced students audition for the lead.

Surely those roles were already cast, and the ones they were being offered were just the minor parts with barely any screen time.

Jiang Xue thought to herself in silence.

Su Tang glanced at the script in her hands, thinking the exact same thing.