32: Stunning skills, turbulent undercurrents

Director Zheng Guofeng's heartfelt "Perfect!" was like a final note, bringing a perfect close to Lin Da's astonishing performance.

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, there was a moment of silence, followed by even more enthusiastic applause and exclamations than before.

"Too... too amazing! Teacher Lin's scene was absolutely incredible!"

"Yeah, I was holding my breath the whole time! That aura, those eyes, it was like Wei Zhongxian himself possessed him!"

"Acting opposite those veteran actors, he wasn't suppressed at all; in fact, he subtly took the lead! This newcomer is terrifying!"

The crew members whispered among themselves, their gazes towards Lin Da having completely shifted from initial scrutiny and curiosity to admiration and awe.

Meanwhile, the veteran actors playing the Donglin Party officials also came over, their faces showing undisguised appreciation and praise.

"Teacher Lin Da, I'm impressed! Truly impressed!" The white-haired old official who had been rendered speechless by Lin Da earlier now extended his hand, gripping Lin Da's tightly. "I've been acting my whole life and have seen many young talents, but someone like Teacher Lin, who at such a young age can have such a profound understanding and control of a character, is truly rare! That scene just now was exhilarating! It was truly satisfying!"

"That's right, Teacher Lin," another veteran actor playing an official also laughed, "Acting with you, us old guys have to be on high alert, afraid that we'll be 'eaten' by you if we're not careful! Haha, the younger generation is formidable, truly formidable!"

These were all seniors who had been in the entertainment industry for decades; their praise carried significant weight and was by no means mere politeness.

"You flatter me, teachers, I'm not worthy," Lin Da quickly responded humbly, keeping a very low profile. "It's because of your excellent acting, teachers, that you drew me into the scene, allowing me to have this shallow performance."

His unpretentious attitude made the veteran actors even more fond of him.

Director Zheng Guofeng stepped forward and patted Lin Da's shoulder, his eyes filled with satisfaction: "Lin Da, you don't need to be modest. Good is good, bad is bad. Your performance today is enough to silence everyone who doubted you!"

He said this, meaningfully glancing at Sun Hao and Zhang Yang, whose faces were ashen.

The two of them stood frozen in place, as if under a spell, feeling a burning sensation on their faces, as if they had been slapped hard several times. The rumors they had spread earlier about Lin Da "getting ahead through connections" and "having mediocre acting skills" seemed so pale and vulnerable, crumbling before Lin Da's overwhelming strength.

Just then, a system prompt sounded in Lin Da's mind again:

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for an explosive performance in a crucial group scene, successfully earning high public praise from the director, core lead actor (Teacher Chen Daoming's previous evaluation), and multiple veteran actors (the old actors playing Donglin Party officials)!"

"[Road to Golden Supporting Actor] Second-stage mission: 'Rise to Fame in the Capital', 'Receive public praise from at least three core crew members' goal has been over-fulfilled (achieved)!"

"Ding! Host's prestige value has significantly increased. Current prestige value: 1800 points."

"Ding! Due to the host's excellent completion of the stage goal and demonstration of character shaping ability far exceeding expectations, special reward: [Golden Supporting Actor Exclusive Skill - Aura Control (Beginner)] has been activated!"

"[Aura Control (Beginner)]: When performing, the host can consciously mobilize and release their own aura according to character needs, creating a certain degree of psychological influence and atmosphere rendering on the surrounding environment and opposing actors. As proficiency increases, the effect will be significantly enhanced."

Exclusive skill! Aura Control!

Lin Da's heart skipped a beat, and a hint of uncontrollable joy flashed in his eyes.

This skill was tailor-made for him! In acting, an actor's aura often plays a crucial role, especially when acting opposite other actors; a powerful aura can even directly affect the opponent's state.

With this skill, he undoubtedly had another trump card to defeat his enemies!

Director Zheng Guofeng gestured for everyone to be quiet, then announced a decision that surprised everyone: "Given Lin Da's outstanding performance today and his precise grasp of the character Wei Zhongxian, I have decided to move up several of Wei Zhongxian's major solo scenes, originally scheduled for next week, to tomorrow! Lin Da, do you have any issues?"

Filming major scenes early?

This was undoubtedly a further affirmation of Lin Da's ability, but it also meant greater pressure and challenges.

Upon hearing this, Sun Hao and Zhang Yang's eyes simultaneously flashed with a hint of undetectable malice. They knew that if Lin Da successfully filmed these major scenes, the role of Wei Zhongxian would truly be beyond their reach.

Lin Da met Director Zheng Guofeng's trusting gaze, took a deep breath, and his eyes were firm: "No problem, Director Zheng! I can get into character anytime!"

"Good!" Director Zheng Guofeng nodded with satisfaction. "Then that's all for today. Everyone go back and rest early, recharge your energy, and we'll continue tomorrow!"

After the wrap, Lin Da politely declined Qin Ya's repeated invitation to celebrate and returned to the hotel alone.

He knew that today's applause and praise did not mean everything was calm. Teacher Ge Ming's "advice" still echoed in his ears, and Sun Hao and Zhang Yang's venomous gazes kept him constantly vigilant.

The waters of the capital were far deeper than he had imagined.

He opened the system interface and carefully studied the newly activated [Aura Control (Beginner)] skill. The skill description was simple, but Lin Da knew that the potential hidden behind it was infinite.

Just as he was immersed in understanding the new skill, his phone screen suddenly lit up with a text message from an unknown number:

"Teacher Lin, congratulations on your stunning performance today. But a word of advice, a tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. Some people are not to be trifled with. For the role of Wei Zhongxian, you'd best... voluntarily withdraw."

At the end of the message, there was no signature, but it carried an undisguised sense of threat.

Lin Da looked at the text message, his eyes instantly turning cold.

It seemed some people were truly desperate, ready to reveal their true intentions.

Voluntarily withdraw?

A mocking cold smile curled on Lin Da's lips.

In Lin Da's dictionary, there were never the words "retreat"!

Since the gauntlet had been thrown, he would see it through to the end!

He wanted to see who, in this turbulent capital, was the true mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it!