25: Who will win when the two sides clash?

Sun Hao's sharp, sarcastic voice was particularly grating in the slightly quiet makeup room. Behind him, Zhang Yang, a tall, arrogant young man, stood with his arms crossed, scrutinizing Lin Da with a slightly contemptuous gaze.

An invisible scent of gunpowder filled the air.

Lin Da's smile remained unchanged, as if he hadn't heard the schadenfreude in Sun Hao's words. He merely glanced at the two of them calmly and said, "So, it's Teacher Sun and... this teacher. There was indeed a small accident with the costume, but I believe the crew's teachers will handle it properly. After all, the birth of a good show requires the collective effort of everyone, doesn't it?"

His words, seemingly about the costume, were actually a veiled jab at certain people who only engage in petty behind-the-scenes actions and are not presentable.

Sun Hao's expression stiffened slightly. He hadn't expected Lin Da to remain so calm in this situation, even turning the tables.

"Hmph, Teacher Lin is quite broad-minded." Sun Hao sneered, "I just wonder if this 'accident' will affect the filming schedule. Director Zheng's temper isn't very good."

"Thank you for your concern, Teacher Sun." Lin Da still maintained his unyielding demeanor. "I believe Director Zheng will make his own decisions. An actor's duty is to perform his role well, not to worry about matters outside the show."

"You!" Sun Hao was choked by Lin Da's words and was about to burst out.

Zhang Yang, who had been silent, suddenly spoke. His voice carried a unique arrogance and condescension: "Lin Da, isn't it? I've heard of you. Trying to gain a foothold in the capital with a few 'outstanding' extra roles, isn't that a bit too naive?"

He scrutinized Lin Da from head to toe, his eyes full of disdain: "The role of Wei Zhongxian isn't something just anyone can play. Some people, don't think that just because you got lucky, you can reach the top in one go. The waters in the capital run deep!"

These words were almost blatant provocation and threat.

Lin Da's gaze finally turned cold. He looked at Zhang Yang, a meaningful curve forming at the corner of his mouth: "Teacher Zhang is right. The waters in the capital are indeed deep, but only deep water can nurture big fish, isn't that right? As for whether I can play Wei Zhongxian well, I think it's better to wait until the show is filmed and let the audience judge. After all, an actor's value is ultimately reflected in their work, not in their words."

"What a sharp tongue!" Zhang Yang's face darkened, and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes. He hadn't expected this seemingly unknown newcomer to dare to contradict him to his face.

Just as the atmosphere in the makeup room became tense and on the verge of erupting, a stern voice suddenly came from the doorway:

"What are you all standing around for? Aren't you going to get your makeup done and prepare?"

Director Zheng Guofeng walked in with a grim face, followed by Qin Ya and several assistant directors.

Seeing Director Zheng appear, Sun Hao and Zhang Yang's arrogance immediately subsided a lot.

"Director Zheng." The two greeted him reluctantly.

Director Zheng Guofeng's gaze swept over the three of them, and he frowned slightly, clearly sensing the unusual atmosphere from just now.

"Lin Da, what's going on with your main costume?" Director Zheng Guofeng looked directly at Lin Da and asked in a serious tone.

Before Lin Da could answer, the head of the costume department ran over, sweating profusely, holding the eunuch costume stained with ink, and said with a mournful face: "Director Zheng, I'm so sorry! This costume... we tried our best, but the ink stains are still too obvious, I'm afraid... I'm afraid it will affect the filming effect."

Director Zheng Guofeng took the costume and examined it carefully, his face immediately sinking.

This eunuch costume was specially custom-made for the role of Wei Zhongxian, with exquisite materials and fine workmanship, making it one of the most important costumes in the play. Now that it was in such a state, it was indeed very troublesome.

"What about the backup set?" Director Zheng Guofeng asked coldly.

"The back... the backup set was taken back to the factory for modification a few days ago because of a slight size issue, and they said... they said it wouldn't be delivered until this afternoon." The head of the costume department replied timidly.

"Nonsense!" Director Zheng Guofeng's temper flared up immediately. "How can such an important costume have such a flaw? The filming schedule was set long ago, and now a temporary adjustment will affect the progress of the entire crew!"

He glared fiercely at the head of the costume department, then looked at Lin Da, a hint of imperceptible scrutiny in his eyes.

Sun Hao and Zhang Yang watched from the side, both showing expressions of schadenfreude. They wished Lin Da would be reprimanded by Director Zheng because of this incident, or even have his role directly affected.

Just then, Lin Da spoke calmly: "Director Zheng, please don't be angry. The costume issue is indeed an accident. However, not all of my scenes this morning require this main costume. I remember there are a few scenes in the script where Wei Zhongxian is in casual clothes in the palace; we can adjust the filming order and shoot those scenes first. Or, I also have a set of my own prepared, a substitute costume with a similar color and style. Although the material and workmanship are not as good as the crew's, it should not affect the camera effect too much for an emergency."

His words were well-organized, neither shirking responsibility nor actively offering solutions, fully demonstrating a professional actor's professionalism and adaptability.

After listening, Director Zheng Guofeng's anger subsided slightly, and he re-examined Lin Da.

He hadn't expected this young man to be so calm and composed when encountering such a sudden situation, and to be able to quickly come up with countermeasures.

"You prepared a substitute costume yourself?" Director Zheng Guofeng was a little surprised.

"Yes, Director Zheng." Lin Da nodded, "I'm used to preparing some costumes and props that might be needed based on the character's characteristics before joining the crew, just in case."

These words made everyone present look at Lin Da with new respect.

It was truly commendable for a new actor to have such meticulous and professional preparation.

Even Sun Hao and Zhang Yang, who had always held a grudge against Lin Da, had to admit at this moment that this Lin Da indeed had some tricks up his sleeve and was by no means an ordinary person.

Director Zheng Guofeng pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Good! Then let's do as you said for now! Costume department, you also hurry up and make sure to get the backup costume back to me before this afternoon! If anything else goes wrong, you'll have to deal with it yourselves!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Director Zheng, rest assured!" The head of the costume department, as if granted a great pardon, quickly nodded and bowed before retreating.

A small incident was thus cleverly resolved by Lin Da.

Not only did he not panic because of it, but he also won further recognition from the director and crew members with his professionalism and calm response.

Sun Hao and Zhang Yang looked at Lin Da's calm profile, their eyes filled with complex emotions. They knew that this seemingly inconspicuous newcomer would probably become their strongest opponent in this play.

And Lin Da, in his heart, sneered secretly.

The small ink incident was just an appetizer.

The real competition was yet to come.

He was ready to face this invisible war and crush all conspiracies with his strength!

The winds and clouds of the capital rose because of him, and he would also dominate their ebb and flow!