Chapter 19: I, Sumu, am about to play the ultimate villain!

There are some things that only those with sufficient understanding can truly grasp. Or, to be precise, only those who have actually read the script, are familiar with the details of "Raging Winds," and know the relationships between every character, can comprehend the significance behind the brief exchange between Zhang Huaimo and Su Mu at this moment.

But after all, the casting and auditions for this drama have only just begun.

So, the actors present—including Ning Yuyan and Zhang Jianlin, who had already been decided as leads—even if they had read the script, perhaps once or twice, couldn’t possibly remember every detail within. At best, they might be familiar only with the roles they were likely to play: a rough idea of the character, background, general arc, the length of the storyline, and how many scenes before their part wrapped up. Nothing more.

Thus, Su Mu’s angry and sullen expression right now, in their eyes, was a display of disrespect toward Director Zhang.

Meanwhile, no one understood his cryptic statement, “Tell Old Mo, I want to eat fish.” No one had any idea what he meant. They simply felt that today’s events were bound to make headlines: a young A-list celebrity showing disrespect to the renowned director Zhang Huaimo, openly turning his back on him. Still too young, they thought.

In this industry, even if you’re at the top, if you’re labeled as disrespectful towards your seniors, your future prospects immediately take a hit. Especially when you’re dealing with someone like Zhang Huaimo—his status is almost untouchable; his influence, immense. Daring to embarrass him in public? You might as well give up on your career. Within half a year, you’d be blacklisted, my friend.

Yet, just as everyone was bracing themselves for drama, in the very next second, Zhang Huaimo actually laughed and gave Su Mu a thumbs-up, praising him.

Can you believe it?

Everyone was stunned, even doubting their own senses. Could Su Mu actually be related to Zhang Huaimo? Otherwise, there was simply no explanation.

…

At that moment, Su Mu had already composed himself, turning to Zhang Huaimo and began to flatter him. In times like these, humility was unnecessary—showing off was for others, but flattery was for one’s own benefit. And the advantage was real and tangible.

“Thank you for the praise, Director Zhang, but you’re truly remarkable. You saw through my intentions at a glance! I’ve been preparing for days for this, you know. You really are one of our country’s foremost artists! My little tricks can’t escape your discerning eye. If only I had a formal background, I’d love to learn from you.”

Su Mu laid it on thick.

Those around nearly tripped over themselves at his words. Wasn’t this the same guy who, moments ago, was angry and talking about eating fish with Old Mo? Now he was pouring on the compliments?

Zhang Huaimo, with a slight smile, accepted the flattery without hesitation.

“Su Mu, I recognized you at the awards ceremony the other day. Your new song is good, and your performance just now was impressive. You’ve read the script, haven’t you?”

Su Mu replied sheepishly, “Yes, I wanted a role in your production so I read it in advance.”

Zhang Huaimo continued, “Tell Old Mo, I want to eat fish… I don’t recall that line being in the script. But in the character’s storyline, Old Mo is Gao Qiqiang’s hitman, and every time Gao Qiqiang commits a crime, he pretends to buy fish from him, passing along assassination orders. So, was ‘Old Mo, I want to eat fish’ something you improvised, or did you plan it in advance?”

Previously, when Su Mu read the script, he had noticed some differences from the version he knew from his previous life. Many details weren’t quite polished. But since it was only a first draft, changes were inevitable.

Nevertheless, even though the line wasn’t in the script, Zhang Huaimo could tell from Su Mu’s brief performance what he was trying to convey. Old Mo and the desire for fish—once the character threads were interwoven, it was full of meaning!

Zhang Huaimo even thought that if this line were added, it might become one of the highlights of the entire drama.

Looking at Su Mu now, though it couldn’t be called admiration, there was definitely a trace of surprise and curiosity in his eyes. Perhaps this junior wasn’t quite as the rumors online suggested after all. He had a sharp mind, was meticulous, bold, and, crucially, had some real talent. The song he wrote, “Listen,” would make a fitting BGM for the show.

Looking at it this way, this kid had indeed put in a lot of effort.

What director, seeing such a dedicated and capable actor wanting to join the cast, wouldn’t give him a chance? Even if there wasn’t a suitable role, they’d write one just for him.

Su Mu replied, “I’ve read the script many times—very familiar with it. So I prepared that line ahead of time.”

Zhang Huaimo’s gaze was full of satisfaction; he nodded. “Good, very good. Come in, and we’ll have you try out for the camera in a bit.”

“Thank you, Director!”

“???”

“???”

Everyone heard the conversation between Su Mu and Zhang Huaimo. The direction things were taking was completely the opposite of what they had anticipated.

Was this a dream? This was the same guy who acted so arrogant at the awards ceremony, who was even late today, and yet Director Zhang wasn’t angry? In the end, the two even discussed the script together… What was going on?

Could this be Director Zhang playing hard to get? Luring him in, only to put him in his place during the audition? Quite possible, some thought.

…

The role assignment phase was quite straightforward. Director Zhang mainly helped the actors select roles and get into costume for the audition.

In fact, most of the actors and their roles had already been tentatively decided by Zhang Huaimo. For veteran actors like Ma Baoguo, their roles were set, and one take was all it took to pass the audition. These seasoned actors captured their characters perfectly, much to Zhang’s satisfaction.

Finally, it came down to a few key roles: the three male leads and three female leads.

Ning Yuyan was cast as Meng Yu, the protagonist An Xin’s girlfriend. The other beautiful actress, Sun Danfei, was to play Sister Chen Shuting, Gao Qiqiang’s wife.

As for the male lead, An Xin, competition was fierce. Zhang Huaimo wanted both Zhang Jianlin and Zhou Yi to audition.

Su Mu could clearly feel the tense atmosphere between the two, each determined to win the leading role. Ironically, the main antagonist, Gao Qiqiang, was not a role anyone was fighting over. Even though the character had many scenes, it wasn’t seen as an attractive option.

Su Mu didn’t get involved. He had no interest in this fake male lead, preferring to watch from the sidelines.

After all, he had witnessed the entire process of this drama’s production in his previous life. He knew that Gao Qiqiang, the antagonist, would become the breakout character after the show aired, even more memorable to audiences than the protagonist.

But right now, no one else in this world knew that—except perhaps he and Director Zhang Huaimo. No one else could see that the real soul of the drama was Gao Qiqiang, not An Xin.

It’s worth remembering that, in his previous life, the actor who played An Xin was the film emperor Zhang Yi. His performance was outstanding, yet even so, the character was overshadowed by the antagonist Gao Qiqiang. Clearly, Gao Qiqiang was the true “protagonist” of the entire series.

By the end, audiences who had watched the show even found themselves rooting for a character who had turned to crime, hoping he would get a good ending.

Without a doubt, whoever could capture the essence of Gao Qiqiang would become an overnight sensation.

So, from the moment Su Mu saw the script, he had only one thought: he had to find a way to get the role of Gao Qiqiang.

Conveniently, in this kind of crime drama, many actors shy away from playing villains. They all know that, especially for popular actors who often play leading men, taking on a villain could hurt their positive image with audiences, affecting future casting opportunities. Plenty of actors who started with heroic roles found themselves typecast as villains after playing one too many, and it became hard to turn back. Eventually, they struggled to land leading roles, and their box office appeal waned.

Therefore, both Zhang Jianlin and Zhou Yi had their sights set solely on playing An Xin. They had no intention of playing the antagonist Gao Qiqiang. Their agents had even said that if they couldn’t land the role of An Xin, they’d rather forgo working with Director Zhang this time. After all, two stars of equal status didn’t want to play second fiddle to each other.

…

The auditions for these few were quickly wrapped up. Director Zhang seemed satisfied with all of them, but who would ultimately play An Xin was still undecided.

“Su Mu, your turn.”

All eyes turned to Su Mu, curious to see which role he would audition for.

Su Mu looked at Zhang Huaimo, then smiled and said, “Director Zhang, I would like to play Gao Qiqiang.”

“!!!”

“What?”

“He wants to play the villain?”

“He really does have an unusual mind.”

“But to be fair, it’s a smart move. With his acting, what other roles could he even get?”

Some people around him sneered at Su Mu’s choice. But Su Mu didn’t care at all—he even found it amusing.

He wondered if, once his portrayal of Gao Qiqiang became a sensation across the internet, those people would regret their words to the core.