It was natural for Dong Rui, at his age, to be a little arrogant given his exceptional acting skills.
Anyone else with his talent would likely be even more so.
However, Dong Haisheng and his wife, unable to have children due to health reasons, raised Dong Rui as their own son. Naturally, they hoped for his success and were disappointed by his shortcomings.
Dong Haisheng understood the principle that overconfidence leads to defeat. Dong Rui's performance was flawless in all aspects except for his eye acting, which always lacked a certain something.
This subtle difference was unnoticeable when he acted with other actors.
However, when facing truly skilled actors, his flaws would be glaringly exposed.
In a duel between masters, victory often hinged on a single move or detail.
Similarly, in the competition among Best Actors, even a slight difference could lead to missed opportunities.
The more prestigious the award, the fiercer the competition and the smaller the margins.
If he didn't address this weakness soon, it would become the biggest obstacle in his acting career.
Sensing this, Dong Haisheng had been eager for years to find an actor with exceptional eye acting to challenge Dong Rui, making him aware of his own deficiencies.
Unfortunately, despite his search, he had never found a suitable candidate.
It wasn't until Jiang Ling appeared that he saw hope.
Dong Haisheng's intention in provoking Dong Rui with his words was to use Jiang Ling as a whetstone to sharpen his rough edges and temper his arrogance.
Only by having their sharp edges smoothed and being enveloped can grit become a gleaming pearl.
Stung by Dong Haisheng's words, Dong Rui rushed to the set shortly after but couldn't find Jiang Ling.
He looked around and asked with a frown, "Uncle, where is the actress you mentioned?"
"She's gone!"
"Huh?"
Dong Haisheng shot him a glare. "Her scenes were finished. Why else would she stay? To shamelessly freeload meals from the crew?"
"No, she's gone, so what am I supposed to do? Who will I act with? Am I supposed to act with the air?"
"That won't be necessary. Her scenes are already completed. The footage is right here. Memories are like recordings stored deep in the human mind. Just watch the footage and act. This actress is far superior to you; she doesn't need to be present to outshine you with just a recording," Dong Haisheng continued to fan the flames.
"Uncle, who are you talking about? I don't believe there's anyone that skilled in the industry," Dong Rui retorted, craning his neck.
"She's Jiang Ling. Do you know her?"
Dong Rui was slightly surprised. "What? It's her?"
In fact, on his way here, he had a vague suspicion that it might be Jiang Ling.
After all, the eye acting in her portrayal of Jiang Yuyan's descent into darkness had not only trended on social media but had also been incorporated into teaching materials at the Capital Film Academy.
Dong Rui had watched that video himself and admitted he was inferior, greatly admiring Jiang Ling's talent.
However, while Jiang Ling's acting was strong, it was only a cut above his, not an insurmountable gap.
In a competition of acting skills, she could defeat him, but it was impossible for her to absolutely crush him.
Indeed, if it were the Jiang Ling of the past, she certainly couldn't achieve a one-hit kill.
But Dong Rui was unaware that after portraying Jiang Yuyan, Jiang Ling had received a system reward, her acting skills soaring to a level unimaginable to ordinary people, reaching a near-divine status.
Now, overwhelming Dong Rui was no longer a difficult task.
"That's right, it's her."
"She is indeed the best choice to play Hailong, but I don't believe her eye acting can crush me. Play the recording!"