23: The storm is surging, who is the yellow bird?

That sarcastic remark was like a small stone thrown into a calm lake; although it didn't stir up huge waves, it instantly made the previously warm and harmonious atmosphere subtly tense.

Everyone's gaze collectively turned towards the direction of the voice.

The speaker was a young male actor named Sun Hao, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a handsome appearance and a hint of arrogance in his brows. He came from a professional acting background and had starred in a few popular idol dramas, making him somewhat accomplished among the younger generation of actors.

As Lin Da later learned, Sun Hao was originally one of the strong contenders for the role of Wei Zhongxian. His management company had considerable influence and had put in a lot of effort to help him secure this role. Unexpectedly, Lin Da, an unknown newcomer, "snatched" it from him, so he naturally felt resentful.

At this moment, seeing Lin Da shine in the rehearsal, with even Chen Daoming and Zheng Guofeng praising him profusely, his jealousy and unwillingness reached their peak, and he couldn't help but mock him.

Upon hearing this, Lin Da's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes narrowed slightly as he calmly looked at Sun Hao without immediately refuting him.

His calm demeanor, on the contrary, made Sun Hao feel like he was punching cotton, finding it somewhat boring and irritating.

"What? Teacher Lin, did I say something wrong?" Sun Hao said with a fake smile, "In our line of work, luck is certainly important, but whether one can continue to be 'lucky' is hard to say. After all, some roles aren't just obtained by acting skills."

His words were quite blunt, almost explicitly implying that Lin Da had obtained the role through some improper means.

The atmosphere in the meeting room suddenly became awkward.

Director Zheng Guofeng's brows furrowed in displeasure. He disliked nothing more than the backstabbing and factionalism within the crew.

"Sun Hao!" Director Zheng Guofeng's voice carried a hint of sternness, "This is a rehearsal site, not a marketplace! If you have something to say, say it privately! If you're dissatisfied with the crew's arrangements, you can come directly to me or Producer Qin! What kind of ability is it to gossip behind people's backs?"

Sun Hao's face flushed and then paled as he was reprimanded by Director Zheng Guofeng, his arrogance immediately deflating by half. He hadn't expected Director Zheng to so directly defend Lin Da.

"Director Zheng, I... I didn't mean anything else, I just... I was just happy for Teacher Lin and hoped he would continue to be so successful," Sun Hao argued forcefully, but his tone was undeniably sour.

"Hmph!" Director Zheng Guofeng snorted, no longer paying him any attention, and turned to Lin Da, saying, "Lin Da, you don't need to pay attention to these rumors. An actor, in the end, still has to rely on their work. I believe in your ability, and I believe you can portray the character of Wei Zhongxian well."

"Thank you, Director Zheng," Lin Da nodded gratefully.

Teacher Chen Daoming also spoke up at the right time, his tone calm but with an undeniable authority: "It's normal for young people to have some arrogance, but they should be more open-minded. Meeting a good opponent is an actor's good fortune. Instead of being jealous behind their backs, it's better to focus on honing your acting skills; that is the right path."

Although his words didn't name names, everyone present understood that he was admonishing Sun Hao.

Sun Hao's face became even uglier as he was successively "educated" by the two big figures, and he lowered his head, not daring to say another word.

A small ripple seemed to have subsided.

But Lin Da knew this was just the tip of the iceberg. Sun Hao's provocation might just be a probing stone thrown out by those who were "eyeing" the role of Wei Zhongxian.

The real contest, he feared, was yet to come.

After the rehearsal ended, Qin Ya specifically sought out Lin Da, with a hint of apology on her face: "Teacher Lin Da, I'm really sorry about what happened today. I'll talk to Sun Hao. Please don't take it to heart."

"Producer Qin, you're being too serious," Lin Da smiled, "Such things are inevitable. I won't let it affect my work."

"That's good," Qin Ya breathed a sigh of relief, then said with some concern, "However, you should also be careful about what Teacher Ge Ming told you earlier. Many people are indeed eyeing the role of Wei Zhongxian. Besides Sun Hao, there's also one..."

Qin Ya paused, then lowered her voice and said, "There's also a newcomer strongly promoted by Xinghui Entertainment named Zhang Yang. Although his acting skills are average, his backing capital is very strong. He previously used various connections to pressure Director Zheng and the company's senior management, wanting to secure this role. Now that you've been chosen by Director Zheng, they probably won't give up easily."

Xinghui Entertainment? Zhang Yang?

Lin Da had some impression of that name. In his previous life, this Zhang Yang was also a Traffic star (traffic idol), heavily promoted by capital, and starred as the male lead in many big productions. Unfortunately, his acting skills were always criticized, and he had no notable representative works.

He hadn't expected that in this life, he would also set his sights on the role of Wei Zhongxian.

"I understand," Lin Da nodded, "Thank you, Producer Qin, for the reminder. I'll be careful."

"Mm-hmm," Qin Ya looked at Lin Da's calm eyes, secretly admiring him. This young man not only had outstanding acting skills but also such a steady temperament, which was truly rare.

"Don't worry, since Director Zheng and the company have chosen you, they will definitely protect you. Your most important task now is to prepare for the role with peace of mind and respond to all doubts with your strength," Qin Ya encouraged him.

After seeing Producer Qin off, Lin Da returned to his room, but his mood was not as calm as it appeared on the surface.

He opened the system interface and looked at the "Challenge level" mission difficulty, a wry smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

It seemed that the waters of the capital were even murkier than he had imagined.

"System, what's the use of that 'Interpersonal Insight Card (Beginner)'?" Lin Da asked.

"[Interpersonal Insight Card (Beginner)]: After use, the host can, within 24 hours, conduct interpersonal relationship insight on designated targets (no more than three people), to gain a preliminary understanding of their personality traits, behavioral style, and potential attitude towards the host (friendly/neutral/hostile)."

"That's interesting," Lin Da stroked his chin. This item might come in handy in the current environment.

However, exchanging this card required a lot of prestige points. His current prestige was accumulated through "Bandit A," so he had to use it sparingly.

"It seems I still have to rely on myself," Lin Da sighed.

He knew that the road ahead would not be smooth sailing.

An open attack is easy to dodge, but a hidden arrow is hard to guard against.

Those hidden opponents, to get the role of Wei Zhongxian, would undoubtedly resort to unknown methods.

But Lin Da did not flinch because of this.

On the contrary, a more determined light flickered in his eyes.

Since he had already embarked on this path, there was only one way: to forge ahead bravely!

He would use his acting skills to conquer all doubts and crush all conspiracies!

He would let everyone know that the role of Wei Zhongxian belonged to no one but him!

The storm in the capital had just begun. And he, Lin Da, was ready to meet this invisible war!