Seventeen Again: The Sweet Life with My Family

Chapter 53: Amateur Actor

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The aunties in the capital were a particularly enthusiastic group. They frequently took notice of all kinds of unusual individuals and eagerly reported them to the public security authorities. They had certainly made numerous valuable contributions to combating crime, but their excessive caution sometimes caused trouble for innocent people.

The two police officers in large hats stared suspiciously at the man and said with solemnity, “Sir, please remove your sunglasses and present your identification card.”

The man paused briefly, but he was accustomed to this routine. After all, he had gone through it several times in the past year. He took out his ID card with a hint of helplessness. “I’m a director looking for actors,” he said to the police officers.

The middle-aged woman became even more agitated upon hearing this. “Ah! I know who you are! You run that leather company, don’t you? The one that uses models and celebrities to lure beautiful girls and then takes nude photos of them and engages in illicit transactions! The police have already admitted it. Hurry up and arrest this despicable man! Investigate him thoroughly. Who knows how many young girls he has victimized!”

The man held his forehead and furrowed his brow. “Ma’am, please don’t slander me! What did I admit to? I’m truly a director, and my company is a legitimate studio!”

After saying that, the man quickly retrieved his business card and presented it to the police. “My name is Xu Chang. This is my entertainment company, and I have work to do. The lead role in the movie I’m currently shooting is a female high school student, so I came here specifically to search for a young actress.”

The middle-aged woman perceived Xu Chang as a deceitful individual regardless of how she regarded him. Adhering to her principle of treating malefactors with the coldest of shoulders, she continued to assail him with a sneering expression. “Oh, please. What criminal would willingly admit to being a criminal with impure motives to the police? Your appearance alone speaks volumes about your character. A man with hair longer than mine and nails longer than a woman’s? And just look at that sharp tongue and those cheeks. No good person looks like you!”

Xu Chang conceded that his appearance was indeed intended to reflect the deficiencies of his parents, but in a way, he was also a victim!

It’s fine if you don’t sympathize, but why are you making personal attacks on me!

Xu Chang retorted indignantly, “Auntie, how can you judge someone based on their appearance?! That’s shallow! And who said that men can’t have long hair and fingernails?! Did you make that rule? If you have evidence, show me the law. Otherwise, I’ll sue you for slander and demand compensation for the emotional distress you’ve caused me!”

The police checked their identification documents and realized that, apart from the difference in hair length, the two individuals were the same person.

However, as the public had already reported the incident to the police station, the officers couldn’t ignore it. One of them questioned Xu Chang, “Is this your usual method for recruiting actresses? And how can you prove that your company is legitimate?”

Upon hearing the officer’s questions, Xu Chang quickly took out his phone and navigated to a search website. He confidently displayed a few of his movies, saying, “These are all my works! Do these actors look familiar to you?”

The three of them leaned closer to take a look. The male and female leads of the first two movies did know each other. The one behind seemed familiar, but they had never seen him before. However, the director of the three movies was indeed Xu Chang.

Xu Chang logged into the Industry and Commerce Bureau’s website and verified that his studio, registered under his real name, was indeed the producer of the films he mentioned.

Although the movies were not well-known, it became clear to everyone that this was all just a misunderstanding.

The middle-aged woman looked a little embarrassed. She realized that she had been overly cautious and quick to judge, and so she apologized to Xu Chang, saying, “I’m sorry. I was mistaken about you. Your appearance and the way you look for actors can be easily misunderstood. I hope you can understand my concern.”

Xu Chang was not the type of person to hold a grudge. When he heard the woman’s apology, he tried to hide his discomfort and coughed a few times before responding, “Those who haven’t received formal acting training tend to have a certain level of naturalness and authenticity that I want to capture in my film. It’s a quality that trained actors can’t replicate with their skills alone. That’s why I was looking for amateur actors this time, without going through an agency.”

Xu Chang may have been able to deceive these non-industry people, but to those in the industry, it was clear that a successful director with sufficient funding could easily choose to cast amateur actors. There was likely a deeper meaning behind Xu Chang’s choice of casting method.

Sometimes, due to budget constraints or the lack of established connections, filmmakers may opt to work with amateur actors rather than established ones who require the services of a talent management company and thus, additional fees..