Chapter 42: Finalizing the Contract

After the audition ended, Zhang Yuan bowed in thanks and exited the large conference room.

It wasn't until this moment that Yang Tao reacted.

"Zhang Yuan is actually a trained martial artist!"

He didn't understand martial arts, but he knew Ma Yuchen was a man who knew what he was talking about.

After seeing the other man's performance, Yang Tao understood that the seemingly simple and unadorned moves Zhang Yuan had just performed must have significant depth.

Director Yang's thoughts shifted, and he looked toward Lai Shuiqing with a smile.

"Director Lai, we've seen the acting, we've seen the styling, and now we've even seen the kung fu. Do you have any other requirements for this role?"

"If you do, I'll call Zhang Yuan back in."

*Humph...* Lai Shuiqing snorted through his nose, knowing this old fox was trying to force his hand.

But just as he had said, Zhang Yuan had excelled in all three areas. He was the most well-rounded among the young actors interviewed these past few days; even Lai couldn't find any fault with him.

"Nothing else?" Lai Shuiqing shook his head reluctantly.

"Since Zhang Yuan's acting is fine, his image fits, and he has a foundation in kung fu, I believe the selection for this role can be finalized on the spot."

With that, Yang Tao raised his hand.

Ma Yuchen instinctively raised his arm, then immediately lowered it, glancing at Lai Shuiqing.

Seeing his big boss also raise his hand helplessly, he then raised his arm high.

"Unanimous decision. Notify the contract department."

...

Zhang Yuan returned to the dressing room, removed his costume and makeup, and changed into his own clothes.

Just as he stood up, Yang Tao walked in with a beaming smile.

"It's a done deal. I'm taking you upstairs to sign the contract."

"That fast?" Zhang Yuan was somewhat surprised. Although he was determined to get this role, he thought he would have to wait a few days for an answer.

"Hehe, those Hong Kong guys and the martial arts director they brought thought kung fu would stump you. They didn't expect you to show them a thing or two, which actually became the decisive blow."

After saying this, Yang Tao looked at Zhang Yuan with curiosity.

*You could say this kid is silver-tongued—not only did he talk Lai Shuiqing into submission, but he can actually pull off a few martial arts moves. He really keeps surprising me.*

*I used to think Li Dawei was exaggerating every time he talked about Zhang Yuan, but now it seems he might have been being conservative.*

The two left the dressing room together. Just as they stepped out, they bumped into the martial arts director, Ma Yuchen, who had also been on the judging panel.

"Director Yang," Ma Yuchen greeted politely, then cupped his hands toward Zhang Yuan.

"Zhang Yuan, I have a few words I'd like to say to you."

The two stepped aside. Ma Yuchen handed over a Marlboro cigarette and then spoke: "Zhang Yuan, I saw that your internal circle hand stance is very authentic. You must have put in a lot of work."

Ma Yuchen looked at the details.

Just now, Zhang Yuan's footwork was light, his hands and feet moved in synchronized, smooth motions—this was certainly not something that could be achieved through last-minute practice.

"You flatter me. They are just small tricks; I was just fighting wildly."

"You weren't fighting wildly!" Ma Yuchen immediately countered with a chuckle. "Footwork, hand techniques, body movement—you are well-trained."

"I see you came prepared!"

Unlike well-known styles like Hung Gar, Praying Mantis, Tongbeiquan, or Xingyiquan, the Ziranmen (Natural Gate) was relatively "niche" and had a shorter history.

However, Ziranmen was mainly spread around the coastal areas of Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi. Since Ma Yuchen was from Hong Kong, seeing the moves of a Southern school naturally gave him a sense of familiarity.

"If I may ask, who was your master?"

In traditional trades—including martial arts, opera, and variety arts—lineage was of utmost importance. When insiders met, the first thing they would ask to "probe the background" was one's lineage.

But Zhang Yuan couldn't say.

Should he say it was a gift from Pinduoduo's ten-billion subsidy, or a bonus from a mobile phone top-up?

He could only reply vaguely: "I'm sorry, it's not convenient to say."

"Oh..." Ma Yuchen looked thoughtful.

Zhang Yuan's vague response actually triggered Ma Yuchen's imagination.

As the saying goes, "the chivalrous break the law through martial arts." In an era before comprehensive surveillance and national networking were established, there were many unstable elements in society, a large portion of whom came from martial artists.

In the '83 Beijing Gymnasium competition, seven people were carried out in a single morning.

Old man Yu Chenghui, the "Dual-Sword Saint" of that era, also participated; he pierced his opponent's femoral artery in just three moves.

Real martial arts competitions were very bloody!

These masters, who could take a life in a few moves, wouldn't act unless necessary, but once they did, they were aiming for life imprisonment.

Therefore, many martial artists who had committed offenses would leave their hometowns and travel far away to change their identities.

Ma Yuchen assumed that Zhang Yuan's "not convenient to say" was for this reason.

Thinking of this, he looked at Zhang Yuan again, and a trace of awe instantly rose in his heart.

*A person taught by a master who has committed offenses... if they truly strike, they will be incredibly ruthless. I even intentionally "made things difficult" for him just now...*

Ma Yuchen felt a wave of trepidation. *What if this kid hits me from behind?*

"I'm sorry, I was being reckless. I shouldn't have asked." The martial arts director's attitude was extremely humble. After chatting with Zhang Yuan for a few more sentences, he departed cautiously, looking back three times with a wary smile.

Following Yang Tao to the contract department, he asked on the way

"What did you say to the martial arts director? I saw his expression change."

"I'm not sure either." Zhang Yuan didn't think much of it. The only thing he was interested in right now was one thing.

The salary!

In this production, the highest-paid actors were the male and female leads, the two artists from Taiwan, Su Youpeng and Jia Jingwen.

One had become famous across the country through *My Fair Princess*, while the other had appeared in *Flying Dragon in the Sky*, *The Flying Dagger*, and *The Emperor of Han*. Among them, *Flying Dragon in the Sky* had become the viewership champion in Taiwan that year.

Their salary reached nearly 70,000 per episode.

Zhang Yuan naturally couldn't compare to them.

"Zhang Yuan, I'll give you a package deal: 120,000."

Salaries could be calculated per episode or as a package. Since Zhang Yuan wouldn't be in every episode, a package deal was more cost-effective.

Zhang Yuan did a quick mental calculation. The series had 40 episodes in total, and he would appear in roughly 20. This averaged out to nearly 6,000 per episode.

Even though only a few months had passed, his per-episode salary was already higher than the total salary for the entire series of *Conquest*.

Clearly, Director Yang had helped him negotiate a much higher price.

Happily signing the contract, Zhang Yuan bid farewell to Director Yang with satisfaction.

"If there are no major issues, the crew will likely start filming in about two weeks. The location has been chosen near Changping."

Leaving the office building, Zhang Yuan pondered what to do with his two weeks of free time.

As he wandered aimlessly toward home, before he even reached his doorstep, the little girl Liu Xixi called him.

"Zhang Yuan, Zhang Yuan, I've wrapped filming!"

"Congratulations."

"I'm exhausted. After being so busy for so long, I can finally rest." Liu Xixi clearly hadn't expected acting to be so tiring.

"Do you have time recently? I haven't eaten... gone to see a doctor in a long time." Halfway through, Xixi glanced beside her, saw her mother nearby, and quickly corrected herself.

"I happen to be free."

Just as the two were about to set a time, several familiar voices came through the receiver.

"Are you on the phone with Zhang Yuan?"

"We were just saying the crew has wrapped, should we get together..."

After Liu Xixi discussed it with the others for a while, her extremely excited voice came through the phone.

"Brother Kun, Sister Dong Jie, Sister Xu Lu, and Changchang... they said the crew is celebrating the wrap, and they plan to go to Qingdao together to travel and eat seafood. Are you coming?"

Even through the phone, Zhang Yuan could hear Xixi's "slurping" sounds; she was clearly craving it.

Thinking that he happened to have two weeks off and plenty of balance in his bank account, he agreed.

"That's awesome! I'm going to have a great time before school starts."

By this September, Liu Xixi would be entering the Beijing Film Academy as an American student.

Once the time was set, the group planned to fly to Qingdao.

In those days, high-speed rail had not yet been fully rolled out. Taking a train would take six or seven hours, whereas a flight took less than two. For people who weren't short on money, the flight was clearly more convenient.

He sent a message to Brother Qian, saying he would be away for a few days.

A day later, early in the morning, Zhang Yuan took a bus to the Capital International Airport and smoothly entered the departure lounge.

But what he didn't expect was that before this journey had even truly begun, it almost cost him his life...

(End of Chapter)