Chapter Summaries

On the Lotus Lantern set, extra Shen Qi used a mysterious Magic Book that could absorb recorded performances, but failed to capture You Benchang’s acting. He left the chapter encouraged by Shu Chang’s kindness and confident that his fortunes would improve.

• During a break from filming, Shen Qi tried to record You Benchang’s performance in the Magic Book but failed again.
• Shen Qi recalled discovering that the book could record performances on five reusable pages and transfer their essence into his mind when he touched a page.
• Shu Chang praised Shen Qi’s appearance and offered to lend him money and look for suitable acting roles.
• Shen Qi declined the loan, and Shu Chang hurried away after her agent called her over.

On his last day on the Lotus Lantern set, Shen Qi helped Yan Danchen hand out drinks and earned a lead on an audition through Fei Yang. After recording Jiao Enjun’s performance in his Magic Book, he returned to his internet café lodging and ate plain rice with soy sauce.

• Yan Danchen asked Shen Qi to help carry and distribute drinks to the Lotus Lantern crew.
• Fei Yang gave Shen Qi a business card and told him to contact someone about a role the next morning, but said Yan Danchen would not suit the show.
• Shen Qi recorded Jiao Enjun until he filled the final page of the Magic Book, then stayed late to help clean the set.
• Shen Qi struggled to find his way back to the internet café and suspected the Magic Book had damaged his sense of direction.
• Shen Qi bought an overnight internet café session, ate rice with soy sauce, and watched a scene from Infernal Affairs III.

Shen Qi struggled to survive in Hengdian as an underpaid extra while refusing his roommate Wei Jianguo’s offer to become a gigolo. After falling asleep in an internet cafe, he caught a thief stealing from a customer and helped expose him.

• Shen Qi rejected Wei Jianguo’s repeated attempts to recruit him for the escort agency.
• Shen Qi reflected on his family’s hardship, his failed jobs, and his hope that the Magic Book would help him get acting roles.
• Shen Qi fell asleep in the internet cafe and woke from a nightmare to see a blond thief robbing a balding customer.
• Shen Qi kicked the thief and shouted that he was stealing, drawing the attention of the cafe’s customers.
• The balding customer and other victims discovered their belongings were missing, and several people joined in beating the thief.

After helping catch a phone thief, Shen Qi received money and industry contacts from the grateful victims, then bought a cheap phone and hurried to an audition for a production starring Liu Tao. He reached the filming location hoping to land even a small role.

• Shen Qi accepted cash and business cards from the three men whose phones and valuables he had helped save, including one from cinematographer Wu Shuixing.
• Shen Qi declined the men’s invitation for drinks and went to the mall to buy a phone with the money he had received.
• Shen Qi bought a discounted Motorola E360 and called the production manager for Lotus Lantern, who directed him to the filming location.
• Shen Qi hurried to the production starring Liu Tao, hoping to secure a small role.

Shen Qi auditioned for the Demon Dao Sage Lord in Legend of the White Snake and won the role by using the Magic Book to draw on Cao Jun’s acting. After signing a 1,000-yuan contract, he studied the script and recorded Liu Tao’s performance, planning to test how the Magic Book handled a female actor’s acting.

• Shen Qi arrived on set, where Liu Tao suggested he audition for the Demon Dao Sage Lord, and Director Wu Jiatai agreed.
• Shen Qi used the Magic Book to absorb Cao Jun’s recorded performance, then acted out the scene and won the role.
• Shen Qi thanked Liu Tao and Director Wu Jiatai, then signed a five-day contract for 1,000 yuan with line producer Wang Xuping.
• Shen Qi studied the script and developed a backstory for the Demon Dao Sage Lord after the borrowed performance faded.
• Shen Qi recorded Liu Tao’s performance in the Magic Book and decided to test what would happen if he used a female actor’s acting.

Shen Qi continued learning from recorded performances while working on the Lotus Lantern and Legend of the White Snake productions. After three thugs confronted him over the thief he had kicked, Shen Qi and Zhang Yi fought them off and bonded over their shared search for acting work.

• Shen Qi shared lunch with Liu Tao and Chen Zihan, then continued recording and using performances on set.
• Shen Qi updated and printed his résumé, but the blond thief and two companions confronted him outside the print shop.
• Shen Qi provoked a young man in camouflage into helping him, and the two defeated the three thugs.
• Shen Qi learned that his helper was Zhang Yi, an aspiring actor and extra from a military district theater troupe.
• Shen Qi suggested Zhang Yi audition for Legend of the White Snake, and the two joked together about its snake and other famous roles.

Shen Qi exchanged casting leads with Zhang Yi, submitted a résumé for My Own Swordsman, and secured a bed at the Legend of the White Snake crew’s hotel. The next day, director Wu Jiatai redesigned Shen Qi’s look and coached him through his first difficult scene, while Shen Qi secretly relied on the magic book to get the takes approved.

• Shen Qi and Zhang Yi traded casting information, exchanged contact details, and agreed to help each other find work.
• Shen Qi sent his résumé and photos to the My Own Swordsman contact Zhang Yi provided, then went to the Legend of the White Snake crew’s hotel to sleep.
• Shen Qi arrived early for makeup, but Wu Jiatai rejected the first design and ordered a new look for the Demon Dao Sage Lord.
• Shen Qi began filming opposite Liu Tao, but Wu Jiatai stopped the scene and coached him on how to act with confidence in his own territory.
• Shen Qi improved through repeated takes and secretly activated the magic book, earning Wu Jiatai’s satisfaction.

Shen Qi advanced to Sequence 9 and discovered that a new page in his Magic Book could record skills beyond acting. After wrapping his first named role in Legend of the White Snake, he moved into a hostel and faced the need to keep earning for his family.

• Shen Qi joked and worked comfortably with Liu Tao and Chen Zihan while staying focused on acting and earning money.
• A successful recording gave Shen Qi a sixth Magic Book page, advanced his occupation to bit-part actor, and raised his rank to Sequence 9.
• Shen Qi used the new all-purpose page to record stunt performers rehearsing a fight sequence and learned more about the choreography and working on wires.
• Shen Qi finished his role in Legend of the White Snake, earned a thousand yuan, and celebrated his first named character with lines.
• After the production took back his room, Shen Qi moved into a cheap hostel and resolved to keep earning money for his family.

Shen Qi worked as an extra on Judge of the Song Dynasty while trying to record Guo Da’s performance in his Magic Book. After succeeding with Guo Da’s help, he received an audition invitation for My Own Swordsman and prepared to leave Hengdian.

• Shen Qi paid the extras coordinator with cigarettes to join the crew of Judge of the Song Dynasty as a background extra.
• Shen Qi repeatedly failed to record Guo Da’s performance, then offered him a cold drink and asked him to explain his acting approach.
• Guo Da discussed his performance with Shen Qi, and Shen Qi eventually recorded it in the Magic Book after dozens of attempts.
• Shen Qi received an invitation to audition for Ji Wuming in My Own Swordsman and decided to travel for the opportunity.

Shen Qi traveled to the Capital City for an audition, determined to become a star despite his poverty. He won the role of Ji Wuming in My Own Swordsman, and the production began filming his scenes that same day.

• Shen Qi rode a crowded train to the Capital City, dreaming of becoming a wealthy star while scraping by on little money.
• Shen Qi stayed with his old university friend Huang Qidao, who joked about Wei Jianguo’s attempts to recruit Shen Qi as a gigolo.
• Huang Qidao drove Shen Qi to the My Own Swordsman audition and waited for him outside.
• Shen Qi used a performance record from the Howling Celestial Dog to satisfy director Shang Jing and agreed to work for little pay as long as food and lodging were covered.
• Screenwriter Ning Caishen questioned whether Shen Qi suited Ji Wuming, but Shang Jing hired him because he acted well and was cheap.
• Assistant director Yang Qing showed Shen Qi the set and told him that filming his scenes would begin that day.

Shen Qi joined the low-budget production of My Own Swordsman as Ji Wuming and met the cast before filming his first scenes. After an awkward first take with Yan Ni, he found himself scheduled to keep shooting with Sha Yi right away.

• Yang Qing explained Shen Qi's role, the production's tight budget, and his pay of a hundred yuan per day.
• Shen Qi met Yan Ni, Sha Yi, Wang Shasha, and the other cast members, and tried to reassure Sha Yi after Wang Shasha praised his looks.
• Shang Jing began filming a scene in which Ji Wuming and Old Bai arrived at the inn while constables harassed Tong Xiangyu.
• Shen Qi delivered Ji Wuming's line, but Yan Ni burst into laughter when he stiffened instead of embracing her, forcing another take.
• After Shen Qi finished two shots, Shang Jing immediately scheduled another scene between him and Sha Yi.

Shen Qi filmed his scenes as Ji Wuming in My Own Swordsman, learning to act with more confidence as director Shang Jing coached him. After the day's shoot ended, Sha Yi and several actors invited him to take a bath with them.

• Shang Jing told Shen Qi to play Ji Wuming as Bai Zhantang's confident childhood equal, and Shen Qi adjusted his performance.
• Sha Yi and Shang Jing noticed that a line made Ji Wuming seem hypocritical, then discussed the script's stretched episodes and other plot problems.
• Sha Yi introduced Shen Qi to Yu Entai and Yao Chen, and Shen Qi filmed scenes involving their characters at the inn.
• Shang Jing coached Shen Qi through his scenes with Yao Chen, and Shen Qi filmed with her and Yu Entai until the shoot ended after ten at night.
• Sha Yi, Jiang Chao, Xiao Jian, and Fan Ming came to Shen Qi's room and invited him to take a bath with them.

While swimming with the cast of My Own Swordsman, Shen Qi shared his disappointment over missing out on a government job and grew closer to several fellow actors. The next morning, director Shang Jing coached him through a pivotal scene, giving him an intensive lesson in acting.

• Shen Qi joined Sha Yi, Fan Ming, Jiang Chao, and Xiao Jian for a nighttime swim, where jokes about his size and Shandong stereotypes led him to tell them about his failed attempt to secure a government job.
• Fan Ming advised Shen Qi to consider theatre companies, and Shen Qi dropped the formalities and addressed the others by name.
• Xiao Jian told Shen Qi that Zhang Yi had asked him to look out for him, though the broke production left him with little help to offer.
• At dawn, Shang Jing woke Shen Qi early because his repeated retakes had slowed filming and took him to rehearse the scene where Lü Xiucai talked him to death.
• Shang Jing explained the scene’s movements, dialogue, character motives, pacing, and emotional logic, helping Shen Qi understand the value of a skilled teacher.

Shen Qi filmed Ji Wuming’s defeat by Lü Xiucai in a scene that impressed the director. Shu Chang then called to offer him an audition for Yin Zhiping in Zhang Jizhong’s The Return of the Condor Heroes, a prominent role that actors were reluctant to take.

• Shen Qi played Ji Wuming as Lü Xiucai overwhelmed him with philosophical questions and drove him to kill himself.
• Shang Jing praised Shen Qi’s performance, and the crew finished the take with makeup blood on his face.
• Shu Chang called Shen Qi and said she had secured him an audition for a role in The Return of the Condor Heroes.
• Shu Chang revealed that the role was Yin Zhiping, a pivotal character that nobody wanted to play.

Shen Qi accepted an audition for Yin Zhiping in The Return of the Condor Heroes despite the role’s notorious reputation, then returned to filming and took on a second character. As his work on the set earned Shang Jing’s respect, Shen Qi reached his final scene, where a Thunderclap Bomb left his face covered in soot.

• Shu Chang told Shen Qi that Yin Zhiping was available, and Shen Qi agreed to audition despite worrying about the role’s reputation.
• Shu Chang revealed that An Xiaoqian and Huang Xiaoming had been cast as Little Dragon Maiden and Yang Guo, while Shen Qi joked that he could not play Yang Guo.
• Shen Qi worried about his family’s debts and his stalled career, then used a page of Sha Yi’s performance record to recover after two botched takes.
• Ni Hongjie joined the cast, and Shen Qi began playing a second character, preparing with Shang Jing’s guidance and the Magic Book.
• Shang Jing and the producer grew more impressed with Shen Qi’s progress, and he filmed his final scene with a Thunderclap Bomb that covered his face in soot.

Shen Qi finished filming Ji Wuming in My Own Swordsman and left the set after a small wrap-up meal. He then went to Beijing Sport University to meet Wen Jingrou for help preparing for an audition as Yin Zhiping.

• Mo Xiaobei struck Shen Qi on the head, and he played Ji Wuming as a simple-minded man who called Yan Ni his mother.
• Constable Xing found Ji Wuming’s Jade Pendant and ran off to arrest him, completing Shen Qi’s scenes and wrapping his shoot.
• Shen Qi thanked Shang Jing and the crew at a modest farewell meal, then left the mountain set.
• Shen Qi read the original The Return of the Condor Heroes to prepare for auditioning as Yin Zhiping.
• Shen Qi visited Beijing Sport University and told Wen Jingrou he needed her help because she was good at fighting.

Shen Qi learned Basic Swordsmanship from Wen Jingrou to prepare for his audition as Yin Zhiping, using his strange recording ability to quickly copy her movements. That evening, he reunited with Wei Jianguo and told him he planned to become a star, prompting Wei to laugh.

• Shen Qi invited Wen Jingrou to lunch and asked her to teach him swordsmanship for his audition.
• Wen Jingrou taught Shen Qi Basic Swordsmanship, and he used his recording ability to reproduce the moves after she explained them.
• Shen Qi learned most of Basic Swordsmanship in half a day, and Wen Jingrou wondered whether he could have become an athlete if he had started earlier.
• Shen Qi met Wei Jianguo and repaid him eight hundred yuan for helping him when he was struggling.
• Shen Qi told Wei Jianguo he was going to become a star, and Wei laughed while Huang Qidao kicked him.

Shen Qi invited Wei Jianguo to become his manager, but Wei refused to leave escort work, while Huang Qidao offered to help during summer break. Shen Qi revealed he planned to audition for Yin Zhiping, then found another extra job on Ten Months of Pregnancy, where a problem arose with his female scene partner.

• Shen Qi offered Wei Jianguo a chance to manage his career, but Wei said he was content working as an escort and urged Shen to join him instead.
• Huang Qidao offered to help Shen Qi, and Shen told his friends he had appeared with Liu Tao in Legend of the White Snake and planned to audition for Yin Zhiping.
• Wei Jianguo drank heavily and talked about his ex-girlfriend and his envy of Shen Qi's perseverance, while Shen avoided getting drunk.
• Shen Qi practiced swordplay with Wen Jingrou, then took an extra job on Cao Baoping's Ten Months of Pregnancy and earned twenty yuan playing a wedding guest.
• The female extra paired with Shen Qi became a problem for the production.

Shen Qi lost his on-camera role after a female extra disrupted the wedding scene, then secretly used his Magic Book to record Xu Yajun’s performance. When Cao Baoping accused him of pretending to learn acting, Shen Qi offered to perform the scene himself.

• Cao Baoping scolded Shen Qi and the female extra for chatting and stealing attention during the wedding shoot.
• Cao Baoping removed Shen Qi from the guest role, leaving him as a faceless extra for the rest of the day.
• Shen Qi recorded Xu Yajun’s performance with the Magic Book after more than a dozen attempts.
• Cao Baoping noticed Shen Qi smiling and challenged his claim that he had learned from Xu Yajun.
• Shen Qi offered to perform Xu Yajun’s scene to prove he had learned something.

Shen Qi astonished Cao Baoping by perfectly copying Xu Yajun's performance, earning an offer for a minor role in Cao Baoping's upcoming film. The next day, Shen Qi auditioned for Yin Zhiping in The Return of the Condor Heroes and worried that the role might already be Zhao Hongfei's.

• Shen Qi replaced Xu Yajun in a scene and reproduced Xu Yajun's expressions and movements so precisely that Cao Baoping and the cast were stunned.
• Cao Baoping apologized for misjudging Shen Qi and offered him the minor villain role of Bear Fourth in The Wrath of the Honorable, asking him to learn the Yunnan dialect.
• Shen Qi accepted Cao Baoping's offer, then went to Zhang Jizhong Studio to audition for Yin Zhiping in The Return of the Condor Heroes.
• Shen Qi saw Zhao Hongfei among the auditionees and watched him enter the audition room before the others.
• Zhao Hongfei left after about half an hour, and another auditionee returned within ten minutes looking dejected, making Shen Qi fear the role had already been decided.