Accidental Mark
chapter-57-30041322

Chapter 57

Cheng Xia knew that it was much harder to win the role of the trainee police officer than it was to win ‘Qin Nian.’ Folding Paper might’ve been a drama invested in by Tianxuan but it was a school online drama. Stars with a bit of talent in the entertainment circle didn’t want to play this type of youth online drama.

Meanwhile, Disappearing Traces wasn’t the same at all. The main creator of this drama was a very prestigious suspense drama production team in the industry. The suspense dramas that Director Zhu filmed previously were well-known. In the hearts of the audience members who liked suspense dramas, Director Zhu was a guarantee of quality.

Since Disappearing Traces wouldn’t pass the review of TV stations due to some bloody, gory, and violent plots, it took the route of an Internet drama. First-tier celebrities wouldn’t aim to be the protagonists of such a niche suspense drama but for second and third-tier celebrities, this type of drama was the best springboard for the transition from an idol to a strength actor. It was conceivable that the audience scene would be a sea of people and there would be fierce competition.

Zhou Yan was extremely worried. She gritted her teeth and asked nervously, “President Pei, Cheng Xia is competing with alpha actors this time, not omega actors… he doesn’t have much of an advantage, right?”

Pei Shaoze said in his heart, ‘I am his advantage.’

Of course, this couldn’t be mentioned directly. Pei Shaoze calmly told her, “Zhu Zheng is a decent director with an assertive style. He doesn’t care about the fame and status of the actors. He just looks at actors who match the role. In the previous ‘Criminal Investigation Archives’ trilogy, he used newcomers and the effect wasn’t bad. Therefore, Cheng Xia isn’t without a chance. Besides, participating in more auditions is good for Cheng Xia. It will just be an unexpected bonus if he is selected. If he isn’t selected then think of it as experience.”

Zhou Yan immediately nodded. “If President Pei says so. Then we’ll go back and prepare well.”

Pei Shaoze handed her the schedule. “The audition is on June 1st. The actors participating in the audition should sign up by email in advance. Go back and make Cheng Xia’s personal profile. Then send it to the crew’s inbox.”

Zhou Yan quickly took the schedule and left the office with Cheng Xia.

She was very puzzled. Cheng Xia’s first drama hadn’t been broadcasted yet and he was still a ‘small and invisible’ artist. Wasn’t it too urgent for President Pei to ask Cheng Xia to audition for a second drama? Perhaps it was to enrich Cheng Xia’s experience? In any case, President Pei’s arrangements had to be listened to. Zhou Yan turned around and started to prepare the materials and inquire about information. She instructed Cheng Xia to read the script carefully.

Cheng Xia started to read the script when he got home.

This was the final script that had been revised. The crew originally wanted Shu Yue to be the first male lead so the script was sent to Shu Yue’s agent and the contract was about to be signed. As a result, Shu Yue retreated from the circle. During the time when the agent Xu Sitong was busy apologizing to the crew, she reported this incident to Pei Shaoze. Due to this, Pei Shaoze discovered a treasure crew and wanted Cheng Xia to try the second male lead. He had already read the script and it had the potential for huge popularity. If shot well, it could even become the benchmark for suspense dramas.

The main plot of the drama Disappearing Traces revolved around an unsolved case.

Xu Ziyang was a young criminal investigations police officer who just graduated from the police academy. He went back to his uncle’s house for dinner on the weekend to celebrate his birthday. His uncle asked him to stay there that night but he went out in the middle of the night because his good buddies from the police academy asked him to have a party. As a result, all four of his uncle’s family were killed that night without any traces being left at the scene.

When Xu Ziyang was very young, his parents were in a car accident. It was his uncle who brought him up. He was extremely remorseful and blamed himself. He wanted to catch the murderer but he was just a trainee police officer. Out of the principle of ‘avoid arousing suspicion as a relative’, the police naturally wouldn’t let him participate in the investigation. Xu Ziyang had to investigate the clues secretly. Due to this, he had an intersection with Lin Qi, the professor of forensic medicine who lived opposite his uncle’s house.

Xu Ziyang was a sunny, upright, impulsive, and enthusiastic police trainee while Lin Qi was a 30-year-old calm and wise professor of forensic medicine. The interaction between the two protagonists was very interesting and the main plot of the case was also brain-burning. The final clue was actually connected by a cat raised by Lin Qi. The high IQ murderer who killed Xu Ziyang’s entire family was living in the same community and had been watching the two of them secretly…

Cheng Xia got the chills. This screenwriter was too awesome. The final murderer would shock the audience. The setting of the ‘murderer is by your side’ would make the atmosphere of the entire drama extremely scary. The high IQ murderer had erased all traces at the scene. How could the two people who had no evidence find the real murderer?

Xu Ziyang’s personality was very clear. He had the impulse and passion of a young police officer and a pure heart of the ‘truth is never gone.’ The tragic death of his uncle’s family dealt a heavy blow to him but he cheered up quickly. He actively cooperated with the forensic doctor protagonist to investigate the case.

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Cheng Xia repeatedly read the script several times while carefully pondering on the character’s psychology. Just then, Pei Shaoze sent him a message. [How is the script?]

Cheng Xia picked up the phone and replied seriously, [I have finished reading it. I like the role of Xu Ziyang very much but… I don’t have much confidence to play him well. I feel like I can’t show that type of police academy temperament?]

Pei Shaoze told him, [Don’t rush to question yourself. I will take you somewhere tomorrow.]

Cheng Xia wondered, [Where are we going?]

Pei Shaoze, [The police academy.]

Cheng Xia, “……”

It was important to first understand the environment when playing a role. If he was playing a police academy student who just graduated then wasn’t the best thing to go to the police academy to observe it? President Pei was really wise!

Cheng Xia excitedly typed, [Great! I don’t know how a police academy student should act since there are no such friends around me. If I go to the police academy then I should be able to find a lot of inspiration!]

Pei Shaoze sent a voice message. “Yes. It’s almost midnight. Go to bed first. Wait for me downstairs at 9 o’clock tomorrow morning. I will pick you up.”

Cheng Xia listened to the low male voice coming from the phone and got into bed happily. He closed his eyes and listened to it several times. Letting the voice of his favorite alpha accompany him to sleep was a really pleasant thing.

***

Early the next morning, Pei Shaoze asked Uncle Zhong to park the car in the underground garage of the artist apartments and sent a message to Cheng Xia. [Go to B1.]

It was May and the weather in Rong City was hot. Cheng Xia wore jeans, a short-sleeved white shirt, a mask, and a hat as he took the elevator down. He saw President Pei’s black car instantly. Pei Shaoze opened the door. “Get in.”

Cheng Xia walked over and sat in the back row. Pei Shaoze lowered the soundproof screen of the front driver’s seat and closed the curtains in the back.

The back row was very spacious but he and President Pei were the only two people sitting there. Once the curtains were pulled, the car was extraordinarily quiet. Combined with the warm light that turned on and the atmosphere was quite ambiguous. President Pei now politely sprayed the pheromones masking agent but Cheng Xia was still nervous when sitting with an alpha in a confined space.

Cheng Xia’s heart jumped suddenly when he met the alpha’s dark eyes and he couldn’t help whispering, “It’s just the two of us going?”

Pei Shaoze raised an eyebrow. “We aren’t going shopping. Do you still want to call a few more people?”

Cheng Xia blushed. “No no, I will listen to President Pei’s arrangement.”

Pei Shaoze slightly smiled and his voice softened. “The police academy isn’t a place where just anyone can go in. I asked for a bit of help before being allowed to take you in to observe privately. Today, we will look at the daily training of the students at the police academy to help you find inspiration for acting.”

Cheng Xia nodded seriously. “Yes. Thank you, President Pei.”

Uncle Zhong started the car. The black car slowly drove out of the artist’s apartments and merged into the traffic on the street. Since the curtains were pulled, Cheng Xia couldn’t see the scene outside the window and his eyes involuntarily drifted to Pei Shaoze’s body. There was a small table attached to the seat where a laptop could be placed. At this time, Pei Shaoze’s laptop was on. The man was leaning against the chair while tapping on the laptop like he was dealing with a file.

An alpha who was serious about his work was very handsome. Cheng Xia didn’t dare disturb this person and just watched him secretly. Pei Shaoze noticed the gaze cast by the young man from time to time and took the initiative to speak. “Do you know why I’m having you try an alpha policeman role?”

Cheng Xia thought about it before wondering, “Do you want me to broaden my acting path?”

He nodded and explained seriously, “If omega actors want to climb to the top then like Shu Yue, most of them will perform a style to the extreme. If the audience thinks of them, they will know this person is a gentle omega. However, I don’t want you to take this singular route. A truly outstanding actor should be competent in all types of roles and hone their acting skills to make the audience forget they are an omega, only deeply remembering the classic roles created. In this way, your future development prospects will be broader.”

Cheng Xia listened to this gentle voice and felt a warm current surging through his heart. In this world, there was no one who cared so much for his dreams and career. Pei Shaoze was simply a divine alpha!

The young man looked at Pei Shaoze with clear eyes and those eyes even had their own projections like the surface of a lake.

Pei Shaoze’s heart softened and his eyes became gentler. “As a newcomer, you’re indeed inexperienced but your talent and hard work can’t be matched by many people. Believe in yourself, okay?”

Cheng Xia nodded energetically. “Yes!”

After reading the script last night, he had some doubts in his heart. After all, he was a newcomer and the drama he just acted in hadn’t been broadcasted yet. He didn’t know the response to it. How could he compete with so many second or third-tier actors for the role of an alpha trainee policeman? People would laugh loudly when they heard it!

Now Pei Shaoze’s words made him full of strength. It didn’t matter if he was selected or not. His alpha would accompany him on his journey and he wasn’t alone!

***

The car soon arrived at the police academy and Pei Shaoze led Cheng Xia inside.

Standing in front of the solemn gate made Cheng Xia feel a bit nervous. Pei Shaoze saw his anxiety and gently held his shoulder, whispering, “Don’t worry, I have already contacted the instructor of the police academy. Let’s go to the training ground to meet him.”

They arrived at the training ground and one of the instructors walked over quickly with a smile. “You’re President Pei? Qin Yu told me about you. I didn’t expect you would make a drama so seriously that you have to come to the field to investigate!’

Pei Shaoze politely shook this person’s hand. “Hello, Instructor Lin.”

He followed up by bringing Cheng Xia forward. “This is the person I mentioned. Cheng Xia is a very outstanding newcomer actor. He wants to play the role of a recent graduate from a police academy and I took him here to take a look.”

Instructor Lin said, “No problem. Come with me.”

The young beta instructor with tanned skin and a bright smile acted as a tour guide. He took them around the police academy and introduced them to daily life at the academy. Cheng Xia looked around with curiosity and excitement.

Unlike ordinary schools full of noisy students and couples walking hand in hand, the atmosphere of the police academy was very strict. Some students wore uniforms and their walking posture was very upright. The temperament of justice that had been developed through years of training seemed to emanate from their bones. They were the same age but looking at them, Cheng Xia couldn’t help feeling ashamed. As he walked, he instinctively straightened his back.

The instructor took them around the school before they came to a shooting training room. Cheng Xia looked at the row of black firearms with bright arms. Pei Shaoze leaned toward the instructor and whispered a few words. Instructor Lin immediately laughed and walked over. “Cheng Xia, do you want to try it?”

Cheng Xia was taken aback and flattered. “I can’t! I’ve never touched a gun before…”

The instructor laughed. “Don’t be afraid. There is no live ammunition in the gun. The guns are loaded with training ammunition for students to practice. Come and try it.”

He walked behind Cheng Xia and gave a simple shooting demonstration. After all, this was Cheng Xia’s first time holding a gun. His fingers weren’t steady and the bullet directly deviated from the bullseye. It was fired somewhere and he didn’t know where it went.”

Cheng Xia looked at the ‘0 ring’ displayed on the screen in a daze. Then he asked in a low voice, “Didn’t I clearly hit it?”

The instructor couldn’t help laughing. “This child is so cute. Where did you aim? You hit the target beside it!”

Cheng Xia, “……”

Did he hit the next target? Pei Shaoze slightly smiled. He took the gun from Cheng Xia’s hand and narrowed his eyes. There was a bang and the bullet hit the bullseye. It actually hit the 9.8 ring.

Cheng Xia looked disbelieving while the instructor was stunned. “President Pei, do you know how to shoot guns?”

Pei Shaoze answered lightly, “It’s my hobby. If I’m under pressure then I will often go to the shooting range to practice.”

This was one of his hobbies in the real world. He didn’t want anyone around him and he didn’t want to have too many entanglements with the stars in the circle who wanted to rely on him. Pei Shaoze had been single for many years. It wasn’t known when but he fell in love with ‘shooting.’ If he was upset at work then he liked to go to the shooting range for a few hours to relax and decompress.

Over the years, his posture of holding the gun and the accuracy of his shooting had almost reached the professional level.

Cheng Xia stared at Pei Shaoze with admiration. Pei Shaoze liked seeing this young man watch him with such adoring eyes. It made him feel soft. Pei Shaoze put down his gun and leaned toward Cheng Xia’s ear to whisper, “The police academy is strictly managed and we can’t stay here much longer. If you’re interested, I can take you to a shooting range when I have time. I’ll teach you personally.”