374: Chapter 374 The Great Qin Cultural Troupe Recruits Actors

On the second page of the Great Qin Empire Weekly, a notice [Hiring Actors at High Salaries] caught the vendor's attention.

His face was filled with confusion and curiosity.

Actor?

The vendor scratched his head.

In his past experience, he only knew of craftsmen who did manual labor, soldiers who marched off to war, and vendors like himself who roamed the streets, but he had never heard the word "actor" before.

He couldn't help but ask a vendor next to him who was also reading the newspaper, "Brother Le, what is an actor? The salary is quite high."

Chen Le smiled slightly, pointed at the newspaper, and said, "Isn't it written right here on the paper? An actor is someone who plays various characters."

"If you're playing a General, you have to put on a General's armor and imitate a General's words and deeds."

"If you're playing a scholar, you have to be refined and compose poetry. In short, it's about turning yourself into another person and presenting that to everyone."

"Then what's the use of acting these out? Why hire people at such high salaries?"

The vendor became increasingly curious.

Chen Le rolled his eyes and said, "You're asking me, but who am I supposed to ask?"

Looking at the high salary for being an actor, a hint of interest flashed in the vendor Zhou Lunfa's eyes.

Chen Le saw through Zhou Lunfa's thoughts at a glance and began to egg him on.

"Lunfa, look at our street vending business; we work from dawn to dusk and barely make a few coins by the end of the day."

"The salary for being an actor is so high, why don't we go and become actors?"

Hearing this, Zhou Lunfa's brow furrowed tightly, his face filled with worry. He spoke up, "Brother Le, we don't even know if this is reliable or not. We can't just make a decision so easily!"

"Besides, we don't even know what they want these actors for, or if it's dangerous!"

"Don't end up with money to earn but no life to spend it!"

"There should be some guarantee."

Chen Le said, "I read in the paper that the Great Qin Art Troupe is recruiting actors, which means the imperial court is recruiting actors."

"If we can get selected for the Great Qin Art Troupe, we might even manage to snag an official position of some sort!"

Becoming an official!

Zhou Lunfa had never even dreamed of becoming an official.

But if he could become an official, it would be a sign of great ancestral favor, enough to warrant a separate page in the family genealogy!

This attraction was incredibly strong!

"Can we do it?"

Zhou Lunfa said, still somewhat hesitant.

Chen Le said, "How will you know if you don't try? This is a rare opportunity; if we miss it, it's gone!"

A look of internal struggle appeared in Zhou Lunfa's eyes.

The salary for being an actor really was high, much better than setting up a stall here.

Chen Le saw that Zhou Lunfa was still struggling.

He added, "Anyway, if it doesn't work out, we can just come back and continue with our stalls. We won't lose much."

"But if we really get into the Great Qin Art Troupe and get the salary mentioned in the paper, we'll have made it!"

"When that time comes, I'll have to respectfully call you Brother Fa!"

"Brother Le, alright!"

Zhou Lunfa said, "Then I'll give it a try with you. If we really get into the Great Qin Art Troupe, it'll be a stroke of luck for both of us!"

No sooner said than done, the two quickly packed up their stalls. Following the recruitment location listed in the newspaper and asking for directions along the way, they finally arrived at the recruitment site for the Great Qin Art Troupe.

However, the sight before them made them gasp in shock.

"So many people!"

Zhou Lunfa couldn't help but exclaim, his eyes filled with disbelief. In front of the recruitment site, a long line snaked and twisted, with no end in sight.

Chen Le wasn't surprised by this.

He said, "The salary offered is just too high; who wouldn't be tempted?"

"Besides, if you can really become an official, it's an iron rice bowl for life!"

"Brother Le..."

Zhou Lunfa's palms began to sweat. He turned to Chen Le, a hint of nervousness in his eyes as he said, "With so many people competing, can we..."

"Can we really do it?"

He had thought not many people would come to be actors, but it turned out there were so many.

The Great Qin Art Troupe couldn't possibly take everyone; they would surely select the best, which made him feel uncertain.

Chen Le pursed his lips and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

He said, "Since we're already here, how will we know if we don't try?"

"Besides, like I said, if it doesn't work out, we'll just go back and keep running our stalls!"

"Mhm!"

Zhou Lunfa nodded in response.

That was how Chen Le comforted Zhou Lunfa verbally.

But as he looked at the crowd around them, the pressure in his heart kept mounting.

He could clearly hear his own heartbeat, as if it were about to burst through his chest.

Chen Le kept taking deep breaths, trying to ease his nervousness, but his hands still unconsciously clenched into fists.

Zhou Lunfa also felt his throat becoming terribly dry, and he couldn't help but swallow hard.

The two of them waited silently in the queue, gripped by tension.

The people ahead of them were like grains of sand in an hourglass, decreasing one by one. The line moved forward slowly, and they gradually shifted from the back to the front, finally stepping into the courtyard where the Great Qin Art Troupe was recruiting.

Upon entering the courtyard, the sounds of auditions could be heard from the rooms. Not only did Chen Le and Zhou Lunfa strain their ears, but everyone else did too, listening intently to what was happening inside.

"As the Captain of the Guards, I couldn't even protect my own subordinates. How can I still face the world? I hate it! I hate my own incompetence!"

The Interviewer frowned as he listened to the man's stiff voice.

"Leave the script. Next."

He waved his hand, indicating the man could leave.

"Read these lines."

The Interviewer handed the script to the newly arrived middle-aged man.

"I can't read!"

The middle-aged man said.

"Then repeat after me..."

The Interviewer said, "As the Captain of the Guards, I couldn't even protect my own subordinates. How can I still face the world? I hate it! I hate my own incompetence!"

"Oh, oh."

The middle-aged man responded.

The Interviewer said, "Imagine all your subordinates have been killed by the Water Bandits. You are looking at their corpses and weeping bitterly."

"Do you understand?"

"Oh..."

The middle-aged man nodded, seemingly half-understanding.

"Good."

The Interviewer said, "Then please begin your performance."

"I forgot the lines."

The middle-aged man scratched his head in embarrassment. The Interviewer wasn't surprised; he had someone teach the man the lines over and over until he had memorized them.

The lines weren't long anyway; after reading them a few times, one could commit them to memory.

It didn't need to be word-for-word; as long as the meaning was conveyed, it was fine.

"Begin your performance."

The Interviewer said.

"Mhm."

The middle-aged man said, "As the Captain of the Guards, I couldn't even protect my own subordinates. How can I still face the world? I hate it! I hate my own incompetence!"

"Why aren't you crying?"

The Interviewer asked.

"I can't cry."

The middle-aged man shook his head and said.

The Interviewer asked again, "Then do you have this?"

He rubbed two fingers together.

"No."

The middle-aged man continued to shake his head.

"Next."

The Interviewer said without a hint of mercy.

If you have no acting skills, that's one thing, but if you don't even have money, then what the hell are you even auditioning for!

The person for this interview was a woman.

Since the recruitment notice stated that there were no restrictions on gender or age as long as one was healthy, many women were also in the queue alongside the men.

Thus, besides the men, there were quite a few women in the line.

The Interviewer looked at the plump woman before him and asked softly, "Can you read?"

"Replying to your Excellency,"

The woman replied in a gentle voice, "This humble one can read."

"Good."

The Interviewer said, "Take a look at this script."

"You are to play a widow whose husband was brutally murdered by the Yunmengze Water Bandits."

The woman took the script. Looking at it, she sobbed, "Oh, my husband! How could those Yunmengze Water Bandits be so cruel? You've left us just like that; how are we, a widow and her orphans, supposed to survive?"

Her tears flowed instantly. Her weeping was filled with longing for her husband, hatred for the Water Bandits, and confusion and helplessness regarding her future.

"Good, you passed."

The Interviewer said, very satisfied.

Perhaps because women are natural actors, the woman passed the interview immediately.

"Thank you, Excellency! Thank you!"

The woman thanked the Interviewer joyfully.

"You're too kind, Madam."

The Interviewer said, "We'll be colleagues from now on."

"Tomorrow, come straight here to start work."

"You there, take her to get her work permit processed."

"Understood."

After the woman was led away, the Interviewer said, "Next..."