This star is from the earth

Jack didn't believe that [China Dream] was a scam of the Chinese people.

When people are alone, they always prefer inanimate things, like trees, seas, and clouds. They feel that they understand themselves, and even become themselves. But when Jack was a child, whenever he was free, he would go to the cinema, watch movies, and watch Chinese movies.

China at that time was a very distant place to little Jack. But through a movie, he established his longing and fantasies about China in his heart.

When Jack was still in high school in the United States, the new term "10,000-hour rule" was very popular.

[The genius in people's eyes is extraordinary, not because of superior talent, but because of continuous hard work. Ten thousand hours of tempering is a necessary condition for anyone to become a world-class master from an ordinary person. 】

Jack was ready to move when he heard this. People who have played basketball for 10,000 hours enter the basketball world, and people who have read books for 10,000 hours take a pen to write, it seems to be a very natural thing.

He felt that he had watched more than 10,000 hours of movies anyway, and it was really unreasonable not to do something related to movies.

[Let's make a movie! 】he thinks.

And the whole world knows that the best place to make movies is Huaxia.

[Go to Huaxia to make a movie! 】

I can't hold on to this thought anymore. They tortured him for days and nights.

So Jack found his parents and said very seriously that he wanted to go to Huaxia to study in college and make movies.

Huaxia's Art Academy has a very high threshold, and the required fees are not small. This is a very difficult thing for an ordinary middle-class American family. More importantly, Jack is only an American, but he wants to make a name for himself in China.

Jack's parents didn't deny it outright. After discussing all night, they woke Jack up early the next morning, sat by Jack's bed, and told Jack in a very serious tone that they agreed to his request, provided that Jack could be admitted.

Jack is also very upbeat, collecting relevant conditions and preparing carefully.

It is not difficult to pass the Huaxia language test because of my interest and foundation since I was a child.

In terms of professionalism, Jack imitated a favorite actor's movie monologue through acting training, and added a Chinese self-introduction audition tape to vote for [Modu Film Art Academy], and was finally admitted smoothly.

"Don't forget you're going to make a movie." That's what Jack's father said when he sent Jack to the plane.

This sentence Jack has always engraved in his heart.

Jack embarked on the road of pursuing the "China Dream".

However, Jack's life in Huaxia was not easy.

[Modu Academy of Film Art] As one of the best film academies in China, there are alumni nominated for the [Golden Bull Award] almost every year. It is honored as the [Holy Land] and relies on providing the most professional and advanced education. Talent with the most potential.

Jack has a bit of a talent for acting, but he's clearly not the most talented of the bunch.

Working part-time, studying hard, and frugal, Jack rarely attends gatherings organized by his classmates, so even though he is handsome, he has almost no sense of presence in the class.

Jack's homework at school is excellent, and the teacher occasionally offers interview opportunities, and Jack is also desperately looking for performances outside of school, but as everyone knows well and sees it through, Americans are not accepted here. see you.

Jack often felt that he was blocked by an invisible but tangible membrane. To move forward, you usually have to overcome double, triple, or even five times the resistance. And the ceiling, almost overhead.

There are also some successful American film and television professionals who are in important positions. They can’t be counted with two or four hands. But the number of them, plus those of European descent, combined with the entire Chinese film and television industry, the ratio is quite tragic.

But Jack believes that through his own efforts, sooner or later he will be able to use his strength to overcome prejudice, make a name for himself, and make good movies and works.

Almost every once in a while, Jack would hear that a classmate from the United States or Europe couldn't make it through. Some want to go back to their hometown to get married and have children, some get married locally and get the Huaxia Red Card, some give up this road, find other jobs, and live the lives of ordinary people from then on.

The companions fell behind one by one, but Jack hadn't given up yet.

Time flies, and Jack graduated in the blink of an eye.

Jack did not return to China after graduation. After several rounds, he is now working as a drama actor in a small troupe led by an American director. He lives in an apartment shared by four Chinese from the South China Sea and North Africa, and spends no more than 90 Huaxia coins a day. He has long blond hair and a Zara beard, and his blue eyes have become deeper. Still perform seriously, still believe in [China Dream].

He believed it seriously until he was about to turn thirty.

In a winter when he could exhale thirty centimeters, Jack went to the small restaurant he frequented and found that this time there was one less steamed dumpling than usual.

Jack called the waiter and said strangely: "There are usually eight steamed dumplings, why are there seven this time?"

The waiter's attitude was very bad, with a look of indifference, he curled his lips and said, "We have always had seven here."

"How could it be seven? I have eaten here a hundred times, two hundred times. How could I count wrong? How could I count wrong?" Jack said loudly, and he began to cry and howl. cry.

The waiter rolled his eyes and called the boss. With a cold face, the boss grumbled and made up the steamed dumpling for Jack.

Under the strange eyes around him, Jack ate all the food while crying.

In fact, what made Jack cry was not [Eight Steamed Dumplings] or [Seven Steamed Dumplings]. What really made him cry and collapse was that he finally couldn't take it anymore. Can't stand the life in front of him, it's not what he wants.

Jack knew he couldn't hold on any longer.

Within a few days, he resigned from the director.

The director saw that Jack's handsome face was full of exhaustion left by reality, and he didn't persuade him much. He had seen such things a lot.

"Okay," said the director, "but at least finish this one."

The play is over in two more acts, Jack thought, and it will be over next week, which is just a week to put things in order.

Jack nodded in agreement.

Most of the colleagues are also foreigners. When they heard that Jack was leaving the industry after the show, they all sent their best wishes.

The last scene came as expected.

After the performance, the crew will also disperse. The producer organized a dinner, which was a celebration feast and a farewell feast for some people.

At the dinner party, Jack drank in a hurry. He has always been self-disciplined and restrained. Thanks to this compatriot director who has been supporting him so that he will not have nothing to act in when he is looking for opportunities but fails.

"I'm actually quite optimistic about you. You will become famous one day." The director said to Jack after clinking glasses with Jack.

Jack laughed: "Hahaha, you told me the same thing three years ago. Director, you should not say this to others in the future, anyone... because we will take it seriously."

"Believe it or not, those who got what I said finally survived." The director shrugged.

Jack smiled, took a sip of champagne, and made no mistake.

The two were silent for a while in the bustling restaurant, and the director suddenly turned his head and said, "I have an old friend who told me last week that her crew is going to make an independent film soon, and if I have a good actor, I can recommend it." Give it to her. Most importantly, this is an English movie. So...Although you told me that you are leaving, I think you can give it a try. This is my suggestion, sincerely."

"English? Are you crazy? Don't they know that English movies can't sell?" Jack laughed, and then asked, "Who is the producer? Who is the director? Who is the screenwriter?"

"They're all newcomers," said the director. "It's not accurate to say that. They're outsiders. My friend is the only one who is the main creator, the photographer."

"Ha." Jack let out an inexplicable haha, and then looked at the director with a look of "You want to hurt me again".

"Damn, what kind of eyes are you..." The director was dissatisfied, but his tone was also quite unconvincing, "I know this is ridiculous, but my friend told me that they are not as simple as they seem. And I That friend has always been very assertive, never just talking about it..."

"So what, I'm leaving soon." Jack said in a waned mood.

"Don't you want to make a movie?" The director looked straight at Jack.

Jack lowered his head to avoid the director's gaze, and raised his head to drink.

[Don't forget that you are going to make a movie. 】The old man's words suddenly sounded in Jack's mind.

The two fell silent again.

"Forget it, I'm just a suggestion, forget about it." The director waved his hand, stood up and was about to leave.

Jack suddenly reached out and grabbed the director's wrist, and asked with clear eyes: "When?... When is the audition?"

The director looked down at Jack, grinned and showed his teeth: "Tomorrow."

The next day, Jack cleaned himself up, combed his hair, shaved, and packed his last personal belongings. Looking back at the place that has accompanied him for many years - the empty bed and table, and the neatly packed suitcases, he went out for the last audition.

Make leaving as ritualistic as taking a last gamble.

【Go home if you can't choose, choose...】 Jack hasn't made up his mind yet, because he thinks it's impossible.

The location of the audition is in a hotel. It sounds ambiguous to audition in a hotel, but it is written on the first floor of the lobby that the audition is on the seventh floor.

The entire seven floors.

Jack was amazed at the generosity.

[Interview for independent films after a while...] Jack only felt that this film did not have the down-and-out temperament of independent films.

Reaching the seventh floor, Jack saw that there were not many people who came to audition, but there were also many.

Even a small opportunity is precious to non-Asian actors.

Looking at those full-bodied young faces, Jack felt very moved. Like them, he used to believe that hard work can change the rules, that the China Dream is fair to the world, and many others.

But he was tired and couldn't bear it anymore. His parents had been paying him high tuition fees for the past few years, and he hasn't had a good rest until now.

Dream chasers are great, but when pursuing dreams, one should not implicate family members.

Jack has matured, he can no longer be self-willed, it is time to provoke the burden of the family.

After filling out the information at the front desk of the floor, Jack received a number, found a seat, sat down and rested, preparing for the audition. With his eyes closed, he carefully reviewed the director and the few words he revealed about the leading actor in the movie, and did not whisper to other actors who were waiting for auditions.

Actors go in one by one and come out one by one.

Soon it was Jack's turn.

After Jack went in, he closed the door behind him.

Take a quick look around. The room was empty, and two cameras were set up to record the audition process. Behind a long table, sat four people, two men and two women.

Jack greeted the four of them skillfully in Chinese.

"Introduce yourself." One of the men said.

This man was wearing a peaked cap and sunglasses, which was a bit strange, but Jack didn't think much about it, he had seen many weird people.

Jack restrained himself and introduced himself as required.

"I'll give you five minutes to prepare and perform this part." The man said nothing nonsense, and asked the assistant standing beside him to hand over a page of the script.

The script is indeed in English as the director said. When he got the script in English, Jack was still a little uncomfortable for a while, because all the scripts he got before were Chinese scripts.

The general content of this page of the script is that, because of another more important reason, the hero has to say goodbye to his favorite father for the last time.

Jack nodded, and sat aside to brew his emotions.

Performing emotions is the most basic basic skill of an actor, but how to cry when crying, how to laugh when laughing, and how contagious they are are the criteria to distinguish the different skills of each actor.

And in this script, it was written that the hero and the person he loved the most would meet for the last time, which made Jack think that today's scene might be his last performance.

He spent ten years working hard from a distant motherland to a foreign country.

Alone.

It's been ten years.

[Ten years] can be explained in one second in the movie, and two words in the book, but in reality, there are 365 days in a year, and 24 hours are spent in each day without compromise.

How many decades does a person have?

Jack couldn't afford it.

Because of the reality of powerlessness, he is leaving his favorite movie, his favorite performance.

Thinking of this, Jack couldn't help feeling sad.

"I'm ready." After Jack finished speaking in a low voice, he stood back to his original position.

As soon as the assistant slaps the board in front of the camera, the audition begins.

The next moment, Jack swung the ping-pong paddle in a low and feeble manner as required in the script, with an intricate smile on his face.

"Yeah, I won." The assistant spoke English bluntly, acting for Jack, trying to express the joy of a father who won the table tennis match.

But Jack was not affected at all, just staring blankly at the front, as if there was someone he was reluctant to part with.

A nostalgic look in the eyes and a demeanor hesitating to speak clearly show the scene of a person who cannot bear to say goodbye to the one he loves.

The four examiners took it very seriously.

"Yes, you won..." Jack forced a smile.

...

In just two minutes, Jack's performance was over.

The four examiners whispered to each other and communicated quickly.

Jack looked at the scene in front of him, and there was no disturbance in his heart.

Jack was ready to hear that sentence—[Thank you for your performance, we will inform you of the specific situation... blah blah blah. 】

However.

"Okay, it's just you." The man who had been talking all the time decided on the actor's affiliation on the spot.

Jack froze on the spot, with half of his foot fixed on the ground.

He was surprised because auditions are rarely decided on the spot.

And such a lucky person, Jack never thought it would be himself.

"What?" Jack blinked quickly, trying to ask if he heard it wrong.

"Dude, it's just you, our hero." The man took off his sunglasses.

Jack wanted to say something, but when he saw the face of the man in front of him, he suddenly felt that the man looked very familiar.

A name flashed in his mind.

"Han..." Although Jack is struggling in the Chinese film and television industry, barely getting enough food and clothing, he also knows the hot people recently, and even knows that a Chinese singer is stirring up trouble in the music scene of his home country, "Han Jue?!"

"Yes," Han Jue stood up, reaching out his hand to shake Jack's hand, "Will you despise me? I am the screenwriter and director of this movie, you still have time to turn around now."

"No, no, no! How come!" Jack reacted quickly, and shook hands with Han Jue with a surprised expression.

[So it is Han Jue who will make the movie. ] Jack reacted.

"So, am I the leading actor?" Jack belatedly confirmed again.

"Yes, it's you. Welcome, Jack." Han Jue greeted Jack in English.

"Ha, ha... You know, today is actually my last audition, I packed my luggage at home, and I plan to go back to China tomorrow after the audition is over, my parents don't know I'm going back News, they have been waiting to see my work, but I haven’t had a work for ten years... I don’t even know how to face them this time when I go back this time..." Jack said excitedly from the beginning, and his tone became more and more serious later on. Faint.

Han Jue and the others listened carefully without interrupting.

"I mean..." Jack's eyes suddenly turned red, and he almost cried out, "Thank you, thank you..."

"You can tell your parents, and they will be able to see your work immediately." Han Jue said with a smile.

Jack strode up, hugged Han Jue tightly, buried his face on Han Jue's shoulder, weeping uncontrollably.

He kept repeating softly in his mouth:

"Thank you, thank you... thank you, thank you..."

4800 words, actually two chapters