24: The night before the first shoot, an invisible battle

Only one day remained until the official commencement of filming Lin Da’s scenes for “the chronicles of the great ming dynasty.”

The entire crew had entered a state of high-speed, intense operation. Departments such as props, lighting, and cinematography were conducting their final adjustments and confirmations, while the actors seized every moment to familiarize themselves with the script and delve into their roles.

Inside Lin Da’s room, the lights were blazing.

Unlike other young actors who might feel anxious or excited about the impending shoot, he sat exceptionally calmly at his desk, holding the script, whose edges were already frayed from his constant perusal, his gaze focused and profound.

Spread across the desktop were several sheets of Xuan paper, on which various facial expressions and action details of characters were outlined with a brush—these were his interpretations and designs for Wei Zhongxian’s character at different stages and emotional states.

“System, activate ‘Character Deep Simulation’ function. Target character: Wei Zhongxian. Simulation scenario: Facing the Emperor in the Golden Imperial Hall. Emotional tone: apprehension mixed with probing,” Lin Da silently recited in his mind.

“The [Character Deep Simulation] function has been activated. Simulation duration: 30 minutes. Points consumed: 50.”

As the system prompt sounded, Lin Da slowly closed his eyes.

Instantly, he felt as if his consciousness was drawn from his body, entering a world that was both real and illusory.

He transformed into the hunched old eunuch Wei Zhongxian, clad in a crimson python robe and a black gauze hat. He was trailing closely behind a young eunuch, passing through the deep, silent palace corridors, heading towards the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which symbolized supreme imperial power.

The majesty and oppressive aura of the Golden Imperial Hall washed over him.

He could feel the apprehension and unease within him, and he could also discern that subtle, almost imperceptible shrewdness and calculation deep within his eyes.

This immersive simulation experience deepened Lin Da’s understanding of the character. He could more clearly grasp Wei Zhongxian’s subtle expressions, body language, and even breathing rhythm in different situations.

Thirty minutes later, the simulation ended.

Lin Da opened his eyes, a hint of fatigue flashing through them, but more so, satisfaction and confidence.

He knew he was fully prepared for tomorrow’s first scene.

However, the tree desires calm, but the wind will not cease.

Just as he was about to rest, a knock suddenly sounded on his door.

Opening the door, he saw Xiao Min, Qin Ya’s assistant, standing at the entrance with an anxious expression.

“Teacher Lin Da, this is bad!” Xiao Min’s voice was somewhat flustered. “Your… your main eunuch costume for tomorrow, just now… just now, someone accidentally stained a large area of it with ink! The costume department is dealing with it urgently, but… but I don’t know if they can get it ready by tomorrow morning!”

Ink stained the costume?

Lin Da’s brows furrowed slightly.

Isn’t this too much of a coincidence?

Tomorrow was his first day of official filming, and it was a crucial scene. A problem with the costume would undoubtedly affect the entire filming schedule and might even leave a bad impression on the director.

“Xiao Min, don’t rush, speak slowly,” Lin Da’s tone remained calm. “What exactly is the situation? What did the costume department say?”

“I… I’m not quite sure,” Xiao Min stammered a bit. “It’s just that when the teacher from the costume department was ironing your costume just now, a new intern next to him accidentally knocked over an ink bottle, and it splattered right onto the clothes. That set of clothes is specially made, the fabric is precious, and it’s very troublesome to clean. And… and the backup set was taken back for alterations a few days ago because of a slight size issue, and it hasn’t been sent back yet.”

A new intern? Knocked over an ink bottle? And the backup costume just happened to be unavailable?

This series of “coincidences” made Lin Da sneer inwardly.

It seems some people couldn’t hold back and started resorting to such petty, underhanded tactics.

“I understand,” Lin Da nodded, showing no trace of panic on his face. “Please tell the teachers in the costume department to do their best to handle it. If it’s really impossible, I can wear a similar costume I prepared myself tomorrow, or… temporarily adjust the filming schedule to shoot other scenes that don’t require this costume. That’s also fine.”

His calm and composed words, spoken with reason and evidence, actually helped the initially flustered Xiao Min to calm down.

“Good… good, Teacher Lin Da, I’ll go tell them right away,” Xiao Min nodded and hurried away.

After closing the door, Lin Da’s gaze instantly sharpened.

He walked to the window, looked at the dazzling night view of the capital city outside, and a cold curve appeared at the corner of his lips.

It seems some people really think he’s a soft persimmon they can easily manipulate.

“System, exchange for [Interpersonal Insight Card (Primary)].”

“[Interpersonal Insight Card (Primary)] successfully exchanged, consuming 300 points of prestige. Host can gain interpersonal insight into specified targets (no more than three) within 24 hours.”

Lin Da’s eyes flickered slightly. The people he most wanted to gain insight into now were naturally the intern who “accidentally” knocked over the ink bottle, and… the person who instigated him from behind.

However, now was not the time.

He needed a more suitable moment to uncover the hidden mastermind.

The next morning, Lin Da arrived at the makeup room half an hour early, as usual.

The makeup artist, seeing him, showed a hint of apology and helplessness: “Teacher Lin Da, I’m really sorry, your main costume… we tried our best, but the ink stains still couldn’t be completely removed; if you look closely, you can still see them. And the backup set hasn’t been sent over yet.”

“It’s okay, you’ve worked hard,” Lin Da said with a smile, as if completely unaffected. “I’ll film other scenes today, or… if the director agrees, I can use a substitute costume for now to try not to delay the filming progress.”

His composure and understanding earned him the silent admiration of the makeup artist and the surrounding staff.

Just then, a slightly sharp voice rang out: “Oh, isn’t this our ‘Immortal Extra’ Teacher Lin? Why the long face so early in the morning? Could it be… a problem with the costume?”

Lin Da turned around and saw Sun Hao approaching with his arms crossed, a fake smile on his face, his eyes full of schadenfreude.

Behind Sun Hao was a tall, handsome young man with a hint of rebelliousness in his brows.

Lin Da’s gaze lingered on the young man for a few seconds.

If he wasn’t mistaken, this was Zhang Yang, the new talent strongly promoted by Xinghui Entertainment, whom Qin Ya had mentioned.

It seems the real show has just begun.