WIIAD? ### Chapter 35: Strengths and Weaknesses

Dou Yandong had a fair understanding of the role of Liu Jianming. When he knew he was going to play this role, he stayed up late studying a lot of material and even specifically imitated some of Liu Tianwang's small movements and details to better grasp the character.

But when Qi Lin played Liu Jianming, Dou Yandong realized his previous efforts were mere imitations. Qi Lin stood with his hands behind his back, as if handcuffed, but his expression showed no panic, only a hint of a smile.

"Ah, you undercover cops are amusing, always meeting on rooftops."

The same lines, yet delivered with a completely different impact.

"I'm not like you; I stand in the light."

Dou Yandong, now playing Chen Yongren, walked slowly from behind Qi Lin and stood in front of him.

"Where's my stuff?"

"Do you have what I want?"

Qi Lin looked at Dou Yandong, and despite his hands being 'handcuffed' behind him, he still exuded a dominating presence.

"Hah, what do you mean? You came up here to sunbathe?"

Chen Yongren smiled, but the moment he delivered his lines, everyone around noticed the issue. He was overwhelmed by Qi Lin's aura, or rather, by Qi Lin's perfect imitation of Liu Tianwang!

The subtle balance between the two characters was completely disrupted.

"Give me a chance."

Qi Lin's voice was casual, but Dou Yandong seemed flustered, speeding up and rushing his lines.

"How can I give you a chance?"

This made his mistake even more obvious. He realized it himself and was about to request to start over, but Qi Lin seemed unaffected and naturally continued his lines.

"In the past, I had no choice. Now, I want to be a good person."

Seeing this, Dou Yandong continued without calling a break.

"Sure, tell that to the judge, see if he'll let you be a good person!"

"Then you want me dead!"

Qi Lin stared intently into Dou Yandong's eyes, unwavering.

"Cut! Alright, let's hear everyone's thoughts on their characters," Coach Liu said, signaling the end of the scene. Shi Fang, standing to the side, looked puzzled.

"Weren't we supposed to switch roles? My character, Big B, didn't even come out, and now you're calling it?"

Coach Liu had the three sit down and then turned to Dou Yandong.

"Tell us, what do you think of Qi Lin's portrayal of Liu Jianming compared to yours? What are his strengths and what are yours?"

Dou Yandong felt a bit embarrassed. He had formally studied acting and could tell good from bad. Qi Lin's performance was clearly superior. To discuss his strengths in comparison felt awkward.

Seeing Dou Yandong's discomfort, Coach Liu didn't rush him but clearly had no intention of skipping this part.

After several seconds of contemplation, Dou Yandong began, "Qi Lin's acting is excellent; he practically brought Liu Jianming to life. That's his strength. As for my strength, my strength is…"

He couldn't continue, realizing he saw no strengths in his performance compared to Qi Lin's.

"I think Brother Dou's strength is that he captures many subtle actions of the character," Qi Lin interjected, identifying Dou Yandong's strength. Coach Liu nodded in approval.

"Exactly, Dou Yandong's strength is his attention to detail. However, you, Dou Yandong, have become too focused on these details and neglected other important aspects. 

"Take Qi Lin's performance just now. Do you think it was better than yours?"

Dou Yandong, feeling somewhat ashamed, nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Qi Lin's performance was indeed better than mine."

"That's because Qi Lin captured Liu Jianming's essence. How could a spy who infiltrated the police force for over a decade be soft-hearted? If he were so docile, Han Chen wouldn't have died! But your portrayal of Liu Jianming lacked that ruthlessness and seemed cowardly. You focused on the small actions but missed the character's psychology."

Feeling chastised, Dou Yandong lowered his head in embarrassment. Coach Liu, seeing this, turned to Qi Lin instead.

"Qi Lin, your performance was impressive, but it felt too imitative. It seemed like you were copying Liu Tianwang's performance rather than making it your own. I'm not saying this is bad—it’s quite difficult, actually—but if you want a long career in acting, you need to develop your own style. Be a creator, not a mimic."

Qi Lin was taken aback. He had acted in several films but had never heard anyone say he was imitating rather than acting. Coach Liu's words were accurate and hit on Wang Xiaohua's concerns as well.

"Be a creator, not a mimic."

This phrase stuck with Qi Lin. Since entering the entertainment industry, he had genuinely enjoyed acting, partly due to the lucrative paychecks. If he wanted to make acting his career, he needed to develop his own skills. Acting was like a soldier's gun on the battlefield; without a gun, how could one fight?

Coach Liu, pleased with his advice, noticed Shi Fang's forlorn look and realized he hadn't let him perform as Big B.

"Ahem, let's continue, we need to run through this again. It’s okay if you don't feel it at first; it will come with practice."

"Switch roles again. This time, Dou Yandong, you play Big B, Qi Lin, you play Chen Yongren, and Shi Fang, you play Liu Jianming."

The three agreed, adjusted their states, and began rehearsing again.

...

The trio rehearsed this scene for two days straight, scrutinizing every detail. Despite this, on the third day, when the official recording began, Dou Yandong and Shi Fang were still incredibly nervous, pacing backstage and murmuring their lines.

After two days of rehearsals, they had grown closer. Being young and without conflicting interests made it easy to form friendships.

Seeing their anxiety, Qi Lin asked, "Brother Dou, Brother Shi, you both know your lines by heart. Why are you still rehearsing?"

Dou Yandong sighed and sat beside Qi Lin.

"I'm nervous! Liu Tianwang is watching from the stage! It's like performing a sword dance in front of Guan Yu or a fake ghost meeting the real Li Kui. How can I not be nervous?"


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