The Best Director

In the room plastered with movie posters, a red sign that read “No aliens allowed” stood out conspicuously. In front of a desk crowded with numerous toy models, Wang Yang browsed through images on his laptop screen, all from the latest batch of actress recommendations sent by the talent agency.

After dismissing a girl who was too Caucasian, Wang Yang opened a document on “Elodie Yuan,”. His gaze fell on a girl with black hair, black eyes, and single eyelids—Elodie Yuan, born on February 22, 1981, of French mixed heritage, possessing a certain fierce wildness, currently appearing in some French television commercials. He pondered briefly, then shook his head and closed the document—she hadn’t passed his initial selection; her look and aura didn’t match his ideal candidate.

However, Wang Yang gave her a passing thought, deciding to recommend her for “Furious,” directed by Lin Yibin. This racing crime film was about to start shooting, and although the lead roles had been cast, he knew they were looking for a female supporting character with Elodie Yuan’s qualities.

“Kristin Kreuk,” Wang Yang clicked on another name—an attractive girl with brown hair, brown eyes, born on December 30, 1982. Her father was Dutch and her mother was an Indonesian Chinese. She was currently playing the female lead Lana Lang in the TV series “Smallville.” There were also a few photos of her auditioning with a black wig and eyes, but after looking her over, she still seemed too Caucasian!

But this girl had good presence. He remembered her from watching Tom Welling’s version of “Smallville,” and she had left an impression. Her profile even mentioned she had been practicing karate since she was young… Wang Yang raised an eyebrow and murmured, “Wonder how good she is at fighting?” Perhaps they could have a sparring session if an opportunity to collaborate arose. The thought brought a smile to his face.

“Yang, I’ve caught you!” Suddenly, a laughing voice sounded from behind. Wang Yang turned with a smile, and saw Jessica who had slipped in quietly standing behind him with a suggestive look. He laughed and said, “I smelled you coming.” Continuing, he opened the next actress’s profile. Jessica leaned in, her arms wrapped around his neck, peeking at the laptop screen, and curiously asked, “What are you looking at? All these pretty girls.”

“You know, for the card counter role.” As he spoke, he rejected another model, and Wang Yang frowned, saying, “This is really troubling!” Jessica joked, “Why not let me do the counting?” Wang Yang, still clicking his mouse, replied with a chuckle, “You want to mess up Andrea? The rights for the adaptation of the novel are almost secured, we’re about to start shooting, and hope Andrea can make a decision within a week. She has agreed.”

Maggie-Q, Li Mei Qi, a Vietnamese-American mix, developing her career in Hong Kong… Pretty enough, but seemed to be? Wang Yang was slightly perplexed and searched for her in Chinese websites. Sure enough, she was Daniel Wu’s ex-girlfriend. How awkward could that be? If he asked Daniel Wu, the answer would definitely be “I don’t mind,” but he didn’t want to complicate relationships on set—why risk influencing the lead actor’s performance?

“Let’s see if there’s a better fit.” Seeing him close this profile, Jessica asked curiously, “She looks good, why isn’t she suitable?” Wang Yang shook his head and said, “Daniel’s ex-girlfriend, hmm… Karen Mok?”

The screen showed a long-faced black-haired woman, Karen Joy Morris, born on June 2, 1970. Her grandfather was a white Welshman, her grandmother Chinese from Hong Kong, and her mother half Chinese, half Persian and German. She moved to Italy at 10, finished high school, and graduated from the University of London in the United Kingdom, fluent in English, French, Italian, plus Cantonese and Mandarin.

Wang Yang was momentarily taken aback; he knew who she was, as “God of Cookery” was one of his all-time favorite Hong Kong movies, where Karen Mok’s portrayal of Turkey had been striking. Her acting ability for the role of the card counter was beyond question, and her multilingual prowess was a delightful bonus—the script for “MIT-21-TEAM” had scenes where the team communicated in foreign languages in the casino, pretending to be foreigners to fool a female detective. Being naturally proficient was certainly better than learning on the spot.

Karen Mok’s appearance and presence also seemed quite fitting, although she was perhaps a bit too old. Wang Yang looked seriously at her recent headshot, especially the stills from “Evening Angel,” where she didn’t look a day over 32 but lacked the naivety of an 18-year-old, seeming more like a woman around 25. Audiences couldn’t tell an actor’s age on the screen, as long as they appeared young enough to be college students.

Whether she was right for the role, they had to test her to know.

Wang Yang picked up the phone nearby, dialed a number, and said, “Have CAA let Karen Joy Morris know about the audition.” Putting down the phone, he glanced at Jessica and laughed, “Jessie, didn’t you say you wanted to look ugly? I’ll show you what looking ugly is.” Jessica, intrigued, asked, “How so?”

“Look at this woman, pretty, right?” Wang Yang opened a Chinese website, typed in the search terms “God of Cookery, Karen Mok,” and pressed ENTER. Immediately, he found several pictures of the bucktoothed, scarred-faced, frizzy-haired Turkey and laughed, “Look at this! This is called looking ugly.” Jessica, embracing him, was a bit surprised and amused, “What a revelation. This one looks like an auntie, but just now a cover girl.”

“Yes, her acting is amazing.” Wang Yang smiled, preparing to continue browsing, when a voice shouted from downstairs, “Yang——, Jessie!” Wang Yang called back loudly, “Mom, what’s up?” Jessica exclaimed, “Oh right! I came to call you down for dumplings.” Wang Yang nodded, got up, and walked out of the room with her, shouting, “Time for New Year’s Eve dumplings!”

After New Year’s Eve, the Lunar New Year arrived, and Chinatown was filled with the sounds of gongs, drums, and firecrackers going off in unison. Festivities such as dancing lions and flower-covered floats were in no short supply. Having spent the Spring Festival days in San Francisco and just celebrated his 23rd birthday, Wang Yang and his companion returned to Los Angeles, clearly with all the Chinese and Chinese mixed-blood actors who had finished celebrating the Spring Festival. Wang Yang planned to resolve the casting issue within a day, as filming was officially to start in Boston the day after tomorrow.

The film crew would shoot the Boston scenes first, and then complete the Las Vegas part. During the few days of the Spring Festival, the “MIT-21-TEAM” film crew had already brought their equipment, costumes, and props to Bean Town, and the production team had scouted and secured some characteristic locations, ready for his final approval. But first, he needed to decide on the Chinese girl card counter for the cast.

The temperament required for this role was actually quite broad; as long as the camera presence was suitable and she had a “cool” demeanor, it would be fine. Ultimately, personal preference had a significant impact.

“I want that kind of cold, calm expression, no smile, just like a cool killer,” he said.

In the bright audition room, Wang Yang looked through the camera lens at Karen Mok, dressed all in black. Upon hearing his direction, she wore a face of indifference, “A smirk, like you’re mocking someone.” Her mouth curled into a smirk, completely devoid of the silly look of a turkey. Wang Yang hummed lightly in approval; after prior evaluation, her acting was indeed without any issues, whether playing dumb, acting cool, exaggerated or realistic, it was all spot-on.

And with the magic touch of the makeup and wardrobe stylists, she, who originally had a bit of a youthful baby fat look, became even more youthful.

Wang Yang turned off the camera and took some materials from Joshua’s hands next to him. While looking over them, he asked with his awkward Cantonese, smiling, “Karen, I hear you speak many languages, right?” Karen Mok nodded with a smile: “Yes.” Wang Yang looked at her earnestly and muttered something unintelligible, “%#@%*!#%#*?” Karen Mok cocked her head in confusion and asked, “I’m sorry?”

“Forget it, it’s just a Gollum joke,” Wang Yang said, laughing as he handed the documents back to her. Extending his hand, he said, “I’m very pleased to welcome you to the team. It’s a pleasure to work with you!” He chuckled and added, “Also, I forgot to say, I really liked your performance as the turkey in ‘God of Cookery’.”

Karen Mok’s mouth fell open in surprise, and she burst into delighted laughter. Although it was only a supporting role, everyone knew how rare this opportunity was! Not to mention a chance for Hollywood development, but working with a Golden Globe Best Director could be a significant highlight in her acting career! Karen Mok shook his hand with joy, laughing, “Thank you! I’m so happy! Really, just a few days ago I got the news, and now… Grazie-comunque! Trop-heureux!”

“I’m sorry?” Wang Yang furrowed his brow in confusion, and Joshua behind him confidently translated, “That means ‘I love you.'” Karen Mok paused for a moment, then quickly shook her head with a laugh: “No, it’s just a joke, both in Italian and French, it means ‘I’m so happy!'”

With the selection of Karen Mok finalized, all of the key roles for “MIT-21-TEAM” in the Shanghai posters were set. The MIT team had a total of six people, divided into two groups of three, which would also be their formation when shooting scenes where they split up to sweep different casinos. The team’s two big players were Daniel Wu and Natalie Portman, and the two card counters were Karen Mok and Nick Cannon.

Nick Cannon was born on October 8, 1980, a young black star of the new generation. Apart from acting, he is also a rap singer. Just last Christmas season, he starred as the male lead in the comedy battle movie “Drumline”. Nick’s agent was extremely excited to have snagged this role. How much better is a significant supporting role in a Jeff Ma movie compared to the lead in a box-office poison film?

When Wang Yang originally settled on Nick Cannon, he was quite pleased. Nick could play traditional black comedy roles and pretend to be rough playing a thug; dressed in a suit with his hair done, he also possessed a scholarly air, making him an excellent choice.

Additionally, the team included two “controllers,” another type of card counter who judge the betting situation at the table based on the points available and signal big players on how to operate. The process is for card counters to sit at a table; once it heats up, they call in the controllers to take over, leaving for the next table to observe; once the controller can truly join the game, they signal for a big player to come and start winning money, leaving when the table cools and awaiting a new signal from the card counter.

The division of labor for these three roles was clear, and the six people, based on their “logic, memory, mental calculation speed, emotional influence,” and other aspects of their characteristics and strengths, learned and mastered different expert skills like counting cards, cutting the deck, shuffling changes, tracking Ace cards, and so on. In Jeff Ma’s words, that was “Counting cards is like a finely tuned machine; otherwise, you can’t win at Blackjack.”

The two controllers, one male and one female, were played by Jay Baruchel and Alexis Braidel.

Jay Baruchel was born on April 9, 1982, in Ottawa, Canada. He is of Jewish and Scottish descent. He made his film debut in “Almost Famous” as the character “Vic” in the year 2000. He is still a minor Hollywood actor, but his acting is quite remarkable. Naturally, this comes from a child actor background, having started appearing on local television at the age of 12.

Wang Yang was drawn to his honest and naive boy-next-door demeanor because not all six members of the MIT team took the “obvious cool” approach. If they did, there would be no contrast or distinction, and in the end, none of them would actually be cool. In fact, in order not to attract attention from the casinos, card counters almost always presented themselves as gullible country bumpkins, which was a part true to Jay Baruchel’s nature.

But such an “I-brought-my-piggy-bank-to-the-casino” naïve and foolishly honest guy was naturally overlooked by the casinos and female detectives. As they turned away, he revealed a devilishly mocking sneer that said, “You fools,” and that was the essence of cool—something Jay Baruchel accomplished with that smile.

Alexis Bledel, who also achieved this, was born into a Catholic family in Houston on September 16, 1981. Her father was an Argentine of Danish descent, and her mother was a Mexican with French and German ancestry. Her mixed heritage endowed her with delicately sweet facial features and the temperament of an elf, resembling a sheltered, quiet, and shy girl next door.

The reason she entered the acting world was that she was too shy and introverted to make friends in elementary school. Thus, her mother encouraged her to participate in community theater to overcome her shyness. From then on, she acted with theater groups, modeled for fashion, and in 2000, she landed her first audition in Hollywood and got the role of Rory Gilmore in the TV series “Gilmore Girls.”

She was a rising star in television, but she didn’t have much success on the big screen. Last year, the romantic film “Endless Love,” starring her and produced on a budget of 15 million dollars, only garnered a box office of 19.34 million, followed by “MIT-21-TEAM.”

Wang Yang really liked her tranquil nature. Alexis was the perfect image of a goody-two-shoes and honest person. When she sat nervously at the gambling table, she looked like a “good girl gone bad,” but in truth, she was a smart cookie and a cunning member of the MIT team.

Coupled with Rachel McAdams, playing the role of the female detective, they formed a cast ambitiously dubbed by the media. Not to mention the Chinese male lead, there was another yet-to-be-decided Chinese supporting actress and three young actors who hadn’t really proven themselves on the big screen. AOL Online posed the question, “Will these cards in Magic Yang’s hands turn out to be Blackjack, or bust with 22 points?”

Fans of the stars were all looking forward to it, especially for Alexis, whose fans were already hoping to see “Rory” ascend to the ranks of top young Hollywood actresses, aside from Rachel and Natalie. And all the fans believed that entrusting their beloved actors to Magic Yang would ensure that they could fully showcase their talents!

On the peaceful banks of Boston’s beautiful Charles River, renowned institutions such as MIT, Harvard University, and Boston University were situated, painting a picturesque landscape. The azure river, lush greenery, and refreshing spring breeze were invigorating.

“By the way, you may all need to change your hair color and style. I’m suddenly not very satisfied with the current look,” Wang Yang said while walking by the riverside, stopping his stride. He picked up the director’s viewfinder hanging around his neck and, closing his left eye, peered through the lens to survey the scenery across the river. With filming starting tomorrow, he wanted to scrutinize these real-life settings to find the best shots.

Like a bodyguard, the meddlesome production assistant Joshua followed closely, along with Natalie and Alexis, both dressed casually – the former leading the way and the latter strolling along to admire the view. Natalie, her hair tied back in a ponytail, attempted to look up to see the top of her head and queried, “Why do you always have it out for my hair? What are you going to do with it this time?”

Wang Yang aimed the viewfinder at her face, fiddled with the distance, and replied with a smile, “I have several ideas right now. I need to try them all out to know what works best. I’m considering whether the Mathilda hairstyle would suit you, you know I’m inclined towards short hair, that kind that falls around the forehead and ears. NatMan, it’s not just about you. Rachel’s hair has to change too, I’m thinking…” He paused and continued eyeing the wide river scene, recalling Rachel’s look in “Sherlock Holmes,” and added, “Curly and brunet could be good. We won’t know until we try. For Daniel? I can’t think of anything, why are there so few hairstyles for men?” He lowered the viewfinder and, looking at the brunette Alexis steps away, laughed, “Ali, you look good as you are, keep it, but you need some bangs.”

“Oh! I just feel more confident with my forehead exposed,” Alexis blinked her blue eyes, covering her forehead with her hand, and smiled, “But no problem.” Gazing at her, Joshua shivered slightly. Natalie, on the other hand, looked puzzled and asked, “Why don’t you become a stylist?”

“Wait, I’ve found a great spot here!” Wang Yang didn’t answer her but suddenly exclaimed, full of excitement, “I’m going to lie down here with the Charles River as a backdrop, perfect! Who will take a few pictures for me?” As the master of street photography, he couldn’t just finish the first season and call it a day; he intended to “lie down” in as many places as possible to post more seasons, enjoying the fun of this activity.

Natalie, with her arms crossed and turned away, was determined to be a bystander. As Joshua was daydreaming, Alexis, seeing no one else responding, raised her hand and offered with a laugh, “May I take the pictures for you?” Handing over his digital camera and viewfinder to her, Wang Yang lay down on the riverside plank, his upper body hanging over the water, and said with a smile, “Ali, take the shots from a level angle for me, thanks.”

“Will do!” Alexis knelt down next to him, started snapping pictures, and the clicking of the shutter filled the air. Joshua took a deep breath. Natalie scraped her foot on the pavement and suddenly dashed forward, pretending to unleash a flying kick and shouting, “I really feel like kicking him into the river!” Alexis laughed heartily, revealing her white teeth, as Joshua covered his chin and mouth.

Wang Yang, lying on the ground, mumbled gloomily, “Please, don’t ever do that! I can’t swim.” Natalie let out a fake laugh and said, “Is that so? Why did I see a set of pictures online named ‘Magical Yang Swimming at the Beach, Showcasing Eight-Pack Abs’ or something?” Wang Yang asked in confusion, “Wasn’t it sixteen?” Natalie burst out laughing, splaying her hands and said, “How about thirty-two? What kind of animal is that?!”

“Harvard animal. Ali, are we good?” Wang Yang turned his head and asked after several shots had been taken around him. Alexis responded with a hum and a nod, smiling, “Should be good, I took a lot.” Hearing this, Wang Yang propped himself up on the wooden board and stood up, dusting himself off.

“I’ve thought of an absolutely hilarious shot!” Natalie’s eyes sparkled as she made exaggerated directorial hand gestures, saying, “When Jeff Ma and the others walk by this river, there’s a group of students partying here, your earlier position can be a cameo for you.”

Wang Yang took back the digital camera and, while checking the recently captured footage, said with a smile, “Worth considering! But even more worth considering is my plan to design a scene where the female lead, Amanda, is partying—how about that?” Natalie raised an eyebrow and shrugged, “Just lying on top of the gambling table then?”

Amid laughter, the group continued their walk, enjoying the gentle breeze. After a while, Joshua, who had been quiet all along, suddenly started making eye signals at Wang Yang and hissing, “Shh, shh, shh!” Pretending not to understand, Wang Yang frowned and asked, “Why are you winking?” Caught between two girls, Joshua chuckled awkwardly and scratched his head, “It’s something.”

Natalie and Alexis tactfully quickened their pace, allowing the two men to fall behind.

“What’s up?” Wang Yang asked with a smile. Taking several deep breaths and looking ahead at Ali, Joshua expressed his agitation, “Yang, I’ve fallen for her! She’s so cute! This is really, oh… it’s definitely a completely different feeling—what was all that past romancing? Was it all crap?!”

“I don’t know!” Joshua bit his lip and then, in a flurry like he was dancing, started pacing and clutching his head, “What should I do?! What should I do? Ever since the audition day, I haven’t stopped thinking about her; these last few days, whenever I see her, I really—my heart, oh my god… how do I put it?” Wang Yang said, “Heart racing.” Joshua’s eyes widened in agreement, exclaiming, “Yes! Yes! That’s it, I’m lost, I am lost!”

“Jesus! I won’t be able to sleep—I have to become her boyfriend, it’s my life!”

Joshua clenched his fists and roared with his head thrown back. Wang Yang gave him an encouraging fist pump and whispered, “Then GO for it! Be sincere, persistent… but you’re not talking about Natalie, right? She’s a master of love, hard to chase.” Joshua shrank back in fear and exclaimed, “I’m talking about Ali! I’m talking about the audition day!”

“Haha!” Wang Yang clapped him on the shoulder heartily, laughing as they walked, “Josh, even a blind man can see it! You’re just short of drooling, buddy. Calm down, she’s right there!” Joshua looked at him with a woeful expression and pleaded, “Yang, my best bro! You’ve got to teach me this time! Seriously, I’ve never pursued a Catholic girl before, you can’t just stand by and watch me sink.”

“You want a Chinese guy to teach you how to chase girls, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Please!”

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PS: A new week has come, wow, I’m begging for recommendation votes and monthly votes!! Thank you, everyone!! Especially for recommendation votes, let’s stay in the category recommendation list, it’s been three weeks in a row, let’s keep the votes coming, okay? Even without a recommendation list, let’s shine bright! Together we are stronger, thank you so much! ^0^