026 "Conquest" Audition, Wu Tian and Da Peng

Being a good neighbor and maintaining amicable relations, Yan Li didn't charge for the braised meat and even served the kid a bowl.

The neighbor across the hall felt quite embarrassed and specifically brought over a bag of fruit when returning the bowl, which left a favorable impression on Yan Li.

Reciprocity is the secret to getting along! No one wants to maintain long-term dealings with someone who only takes without giving.

After instructing Zhou Yiwei to clear the table and wash the dishes, Yan Li returned to his bedroom. He spent some time pondering how to improve his braised meat recipe before shifting his focus to other intelligence analysis.

Whether it was running a braised meat shop or a deli stall, these were merely stopgaps or side hustles; Yan Li had no intention of making a living this way forever. His serious, primary profession was acting, and his current top priority was securing a new film role.

Yan Li had been dwelling on this for the past few days, which had triggered a few relevant pieces of information and allowed him to grasp the situation. There were several production crews in Beijing where he stood a fighting chance. After all, Yan Li had a good physical appearance, was a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, and now had the experience of a well-known production like "Legend of the Sui and Tang Dynasties." Even though the show hadn't aired yet, it still commanded a certain level of respect. Coupled with the assistance of his system, if Yan Li could find a way to successfully win over key individuals, securing one or two roles was quite promising.

However, compared to these crews with uncertain prospects, Yan Li’s mind was fixated on "Future Film & TV," which had appeared in his monthly intelligence reports. For instance, the drama "Conquest," directed by Gao Qunshu.

The intelligence indicated that "Conquest" was the most popular crime drama of 2003, with some rankings even listing it among the top ten dramas of the year. This achievement was extraordinary; being associated with terms like "annual," "most popular," and "top ten" meant that even playing a supporting role would be incredibly beneficial.

One must realize that, except for a very small number of prestigious productions, actors are rarely certain whether the projects they join will become hits. Some aren't even sure if their shows will ever air—everyone just takes the money, shoots the scenes, and hopes for the best. If you happen to land a hit, you ride the wave of popularity; if not, you lack the "star luck" and must continue struggling in the industry. For actors, appearing in one potentially hit drama is worth more than acting in five or ten run-of-the-mill projects.

If Yan Li hadn't known the inside story, it would be one thing, but knowing full well that "Conquest" was poised to be a massive success, failing to pursue it while chasing after projects with unclear prospects would be equivalent to throwing away a watermelon to pick up a sesame seed.

After considering it for a while, Yan Li made up his mind. He would set aside the other crews for now and go all-in on securing a part in "Conquest," gambling on this 2003 crime drama.

With that thought in mind, Yan Li pulled out his phone and dialed a contact he had previously established.

"Brother Liu, it's me, Yan Li. Yes, the one who had dinner with Brother Wang last time... I wanted to ask about that 'Conquest' project you mentioned..."

***

The next day, Yan Li took a taxi to Haidian and, introduced by Brother Liu, met with the director of "Conquest," Gao Qunshu.

Gao Qunshu was a short, stout man wearing sunglasses, with a stern face and a lack of humor. Before coming, Yan Li had done his homework: this director specialized in crime dramas with a documentary-style aesthetic, his most notable work being the 2000 series "Thirteen Murder Cases."

Yan Li had seen that show and remembered it quite vividly; the narrative was straightforward, highly realistic, and delved deep into human nature and the legal system. For a director who had produced such excellent work, Yan Li kept a very low profile, showering "Thirteen Murder Cases" with praise and expressing his genuine admiration and respect for Gao Qunshu.

Everyone loves to hear compliments, and even someone as experienced and worldly as Gao Qunshu couldn't help but form a decent impression of the young man before him.

"I’ve looked at your materials; your conditions are good. However, I’ll be blunt: our production budget is limited, and the pay is very low."

Gao Qunshu’s first move was to drive the price down, which spoke volumes about the crew's financial difficulties. Yan Li wasn't surprised by this—between the intelligence he had gathered earlier and the new info triggered today, he knew the production was strapped for cash. According to the reports, Gao Qunshu was currently funding the shoot out of his own pocket. The actors were either his old team, friends he had pulled in by cashing in favors, or people hired at rock-bottom prices—the focus was on being economical.

Because of this, the system gave a clear hint: lowering your salary can increase the chances of passing the audition.

So, the moment Gao Qunshu pressed him on the pay, Yan Li responded without hesitation.

"The pay is negotiable. What I value is the opportunity to learn from a director like you."

Once those words left Yan Li's mouth, Gao Qunshu immediately perked up. There were plenty of actors who didn't care about pay—you could find a crowd of them squatting outside the Beijing Film Studio, ready to take any job and listen to orders. But most of those people could only play extras or background filler and couldn't meet Gao Qunshu’s standards. The actors he actually wanted usually had some talent, which gave them more leverage, making it difficult to recruit them when the budget was so low.

After all, most actors work to make money. A drama shoot takes months, and the production team of "Conquest" didn't exactly look like a hit-making machine. If the pay wasn't enough to cover living expenses, anyone with other options would turn the job down. Yan Li had a good look, professional training, and had played significant supporting roles before; if he didn't care about the pay, he was certainly worth considering.

Gao Qunshu’s stern, chubby face softened considerably, though he still insisted that Yan Li audition.

"No problem."

Yan Li agreed readily. In truth, those with his professional background were very familiar with this style of auditioning. During their studies or exams, teachers would often assign a character or a prompt, sometimes randomly increasing the difficulty to test an actor's reflexes, creativity, and expressive power. In fact, Yan Li had actually felt less comfortable with the approach used by Hu Mingkai on "Legend of the Sui and Tang Dynasties," where the role was cast simply by looking at a costume test.

The script was ready, and Gao Qunshu had Yan Li audition for several roles in one go: a young police officer, a thug named Liu Huawen, a hitman named Da Peng, a businessman named Wu Tian, and even two scenes as the suspected lead, Liu Huaqiang.

Gao Qunshu watched Yan Li’s performance, his brow furrowing and then smoothing out from time to time. Frankly, Yan Li’s performance wasn't bad, but it wasn't enough to make him shout in amazement. That was understandable, though—Yan Li had just graduated. If his acting were already breathtaking, he would have been recommended by his BFA teachers to shoot films long ago, rather than coming to audition for his small production.

After letting Yan Li take a short break, Gao Qunshu quickly calculated which role in the drama would suit him best.

Liu Huaqiang? No, the acting was a bit green, and the image and age didn't quite fit.

The young cop and Liu Huawen? The roles were too small; it would be a waste to use Yan Li for them.

Da Peng? He already had someone in mind for that—Zhang Li, whom he had worked with on "Thirteen Murder Cases." His image was much closer to the fierce hitman he envisioned.

That left Wu Tian!

Gao Qunshu looked at Yan Li and felt he was quite suited for the role. In the show, Wu Tian was cold-hearted and shrewd, a rival to Liu Huaqiang and a successful young businessman. Most importantly, the character was set up as someone who had relied on a powerful older woman to get ahead in his early days, and Yan Li’s look and build were very convincing for that.

However, after chatting with him and letting him read the script, Gao Qunshu realized that Yan Li was actually more interested in the gun-toting hitman, Da Peng...