Volume 7: Doing Business with the World Chapter 206 The Condemned
The first act was only halfway through when the branch director began to frown.
This scene features Cinderella's family. The stepmother, two stepsisters and the aristocratic father are all professional actors. Even though they are a bit third-rate, they still have the necessary acting and singing skills.
The grandmother and the protagonist Cinderella are not so good. The actress who plays the grandmother was found from the family of the MSG factory workers, an old lady with a rather mean face, and Cinderella was picked up by Harris on the roadside... Although they are "playing themselves", their words, actions, temperament and demeanor are very consistent with the characters, which can make the audience feel strongly involved, but the artistry, especially the performance in the singing, is really disappointing.
The first act introduces Cinderella's family background. When the scorer heard Cinderella's solo at the end of the act, he couldn't help but whisper to his deputy, "Is this the rising star that Harris found? Her voice is too ordinary, at most the level of a street performer. She is not qualified to be the mainstay of a four-hour play. When did Harris's vision drop to this level?"
The man sitting next to them glanced over here.
The human deputy had a good relationship with Harris, although he also felt that the play did not have any highlights. At this time, he always had to speak for Harris: "Maybe the selling point is not the protagonist. Earl Winston's review did not mention the actors."
The branch director shook his head slightly, obviously disagreeing with his deputy's statement.
The branch director was a snow elf who was fond of relief and woodcut. He did not have a deep understanding of drama, but he at least knew that drama was composed of acting and singing; the former was like the flesh and blood of drama, while the latter was the soul of drama.
Human drama evolved from sea opera, focusing more on acting and weakening the singing part. But no matter how weakened it is, if a drama wants to shock people and leave a deep impression, the soul part is indispensable.
The first half of the second act is all about how the protagonist Cinderella, the eldest daughter of a noble family, is tortured and mistreated. The branch chief of the snow elves did not feel empathy or sympathy when seeing this part, but only found it extremely boring, and became a little impatient - the iron-headed elves do not buy into the theory of self-protection of the weak of enduring for a while and taking a step back. There is no market for the tragic and pitiful plot of not knowing how to resist and making excuses to deceive themselves into accepting the tragic fate.
Fortunately, this play did not start with the disgusting "kneeling to the truth". Cinderella, who could not live a stable life by accepting her fate, quickly cheered up and fought for peace. On the stage, a family of women started to quarrel vigorously...
In the first and second acts, Cinderella, who was just a crying little white flower, turned into a fighting goddess, instigating a fight between her grandmother and stepmother, herself and her stepmother and grandmother, and her stepsister. The high-frequency and high-tempo women's war, which even involved physical combat, left the Snow Elf branch chief dumbfounded...
Cinderella, who was pretending to be miserable in front of her noble father just a second ago, rushed into her stepsister's room and slapped her to the ground. The loud slap made the branch director shudder subconsciously...
"Well done!" The sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy sitting next to her cheered Cinderella with shining eyes and clenched fists.
Not only this young man, but the audience around him, whenever they saw the clips where Cinderella was gaining the upper hand, they all felt so happy as if they were dominating the stage themselves.
Branch Director: “…” He swallowed silently and continued to watch attentively.
The plot of the house feud lasts for a total of one and a half hours. During these ninety minutes, Cinderella's family has experienced a series of ridiculous and bloody plots, such as her grandmother breaking her leg, her stepmother having a miscarriage, her two stepsisters being slapped and spanked by Cinderella and her aristocratic father, and one of the stepsisters' boyfriend being caught cheating. The pace is so fast that it is hard to keep up.
Anyway, the branch director has no energy to care about other things and no spare energy to complain. He watched the whole show carefully, for fear of missing some details...
When the family feud was about to exhaust the audience's concentration, the brutal enemy rushed to the town where Cinderella's family lived and hacked Cinderella's father to death on the battlefield; the branch director, who had just felt his concentration was somewhat distracted, shuddered and quickly sat up straight, staring at the stage, looking forward to how the situation would develop next.
Cinderella, who dominated the family, resolutely walked out of the house and lined up to be killed, so that the children she beat up became incompetent bureaucrats, useless sheriffs, idiot nobles... and so on in the town.
Fighting monsters and leveling up along the way, more than an hour later, Cinderella, dressed in heroic military uniform, led the town's militia into the battlefield, successfully drove out the invading enemy, and returned triumphantly amid the cheers and flowers of the townspeople.
The chief, who had been nervous for more than three hours, let out a long sigh and couldn't help but reveal a relaxed smile on his face... Seeing this level, he no longer criticized the actors' substandard singing and acting skills. Although he still disagreed with General Kleist and Evelyn's reviews, he gave the play "Cinderella" a passing score in his heart.
"You are right. The highlight of this play is not the actors. I can't help but praise Knight Robbins's playwriting ability. Such a novel play is indeed unprecedented." The branch director tilted his head and whispered to his deputy, "The weak human women bravely fought for their homes in times of crisis. This is a good entry point. The expression of drama does not need to be confined to empty emotions and desires. The courage that inspires people is also worth exploring..."
The deputy poked his boss with his finger to indicate that the show was not over yet.
The branch director unexpectedly turned his head to look at the stage, and saw two wretched middle-aged men walking out from behind the small town street background, expressing their jealousy and hatred towards Cinderella in unison...
The three villains in "Cinderella", the priest and Cinderella's uncles, most of the highlights in the second half are on these three people. The more "natural" and hateful their performances are, the more the audience's emotions can be mobilized.
The night before, the two workers who played the uncles were blocked by their co-workers at the door of the theater and yelled at them. They were filled with grievances and resentment, and they acted very vividly. They appeared on the stage for less than ten minutes, and before they finished their lines about conspiring to slander and frame Cinderella, the two pointed ears of the branch manager were dyed red by the blood rushing up to his head...
The next forty minutes or so of the plot revolves around whether Cinderella is the savior of the town or the possessed demon that brings disaster:
The townspeople went from being grateful for and supporting Cinderella to being half-believing and half-doubting, and then being infected by the group atmosphere and shouting "Let her die".
Cinderella's grandmother and stepmother went from being wary and hating to repenting and running around to plead for Cinderella. Her grandmother was even murdered by her uncles and aunts who were afraid that she would get in the way.
Cinderella, who had originally firmly believed that the townspeople would believe her, had been denying her guilt, but in the absence of a powerful external enemy, those who had believed in her left one after another and stood against her...
The betrayal of her two stepsisters became the last straw that broke the camel's back. In the end, the armor that was once stained with the blood of foreign enemies was taken off her. Her wisdom and courage were slandered as a trap of the devil, and she was tied to the stake by the townspeople she protected.
The branch director knew very well that this was just acting, this was just a play on stage, but he could not control his anger. He could not help but use force on the handrail, and the wood made a "crackling" sound when he pinched it...
The townspeople spat at Cinderella in hatred and set fire to the wood. In the firelight, Cinderella and her stepmother sang a song about their attachment to their hometown and relatives, and their regret and sadness for this beautiful world, which made the audience in the theater burst into tears...
Amid the sobbing coming from all directions, the branch chief clenched his fists, stared at Cinderella in the firelight, and listened to her singing the farewell song angrily and unyieldingly - at this moment, he no longer criticized the lack of singing skills of this unqualified human actor, he even felt that this part of the song should be expressed with such a simple, awkward, and even somewhat distorted and hoarse roar.
This kind of singing is truly powerful and touching!
When Cinderella's farewell song sang "Why on your knees?", the audience's chorus rang out in the theater. At first, there were only a few people, but soon it turned into waves and layers of sound, and finally into a chorus of hundreds of people.
The branch director felt a shudder and goose bumps appeared on the back of his neck and back. The inexplicable excitement rose from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making him feel a kind of... power!
The power generated by the emotional resonance of the audience in the theater regardless of their identity, status, race, age, and gender!
Feeling the impact of this strange force, the branch director completely understood why Crest, Evelyn and Earl Winston used such flattering words to praise the play "Cinderella" - when anyone hears nearly a thousand people shouting at the top of their lungs "A proud lion will never succumb to cowardice", he will never be stingy in picking words of praise!
He just worries that his vocabulary is not sufficient!
The branch director had a similar worry at the moment... He also wanted to write a review for this unique performance that had greatly shocked him, but after racking his brains for a long time, he could not find any words of praise more emotional than Earl Winston.
Cinderella tragically left the stage, the stepmother actor finished her part, and when the priest played by Dr. Bruno shamelessly sang Cinderella's tragedy as the "mercy" of God, a rain of stinky shoes flew onto the stage again... Fortunately, the knight brothers, Ali and others who were well prepared were standing in the first row, so Dr. Bruno didn't have to worry about being beaten up by someone carrying a chair.
After the four-hour performance, the branch director and his deputy followed the crowd out of the theater without staying in the Knights' Territory and hurried back to the city.
Many ordinary audiences still squatted at the entrance of the theater, hoping to catch a villain and give him a beating.
The strange man who looked like father and son, master and apprentice, and the teenager were the last group to walk out of the gate. The lively teenager couldn't contain his excitement and mingled with the audience, discussing the plot with others for a long time, until the man greeted him, he walked back with a feeling of unsatisfied desire.
"Teacher, I heard that many actors in Robbins' troupe were selected from workers." The young man was eager to join the troupe. "Why don't we stay in this knight's troupe for a while? Maybe we can get in when they recruit actors next time? Knight Robbins' plays are so good!"
The man raised his hand and scraped the boy's scalp, saying with a smile: "Last month your wish was to become a hero, so now you don't want to be a hero anymore and only want to be an actor?"
"Hehe...it's okay to be an actor for a while." The young man said flatteringly.
"Don't even think about it. After watching two shows, can't you see that the Robbins Theater only lets newcomers play villains. The actors trained by the nobles are too good-looking." The man walked towards the delicatessen at the edge of the square and said to his disciple unhappily, "Look at those people squatting at the door of the theater. It's not a good thing to be 'welcomed' by them."
"Oh." The young man followed the man dejectedly, "Then teacher, where are we going next? Are we going to St. Bridget's again?"
The man thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "There's no need to go to St. Bridges. Whether Carlisle Harvey Ferdinand is as wise and brave as the rumors say, just look at his 'junior' and you'll know he's not just a name."
"Oh~ Teacher, so you want to meet the sage Ayun?" The young man reacted very quickly.
"Why not?" The man smiled. "He was able to invite the general of the forest elves to support his disciples. This sage Ayun is obviously not a puppet supported by the forest elves. Just based on this point, it is worth our trip."
The young man nodded, then thought of something and asked in confusion, "We have to take a boat to the Cursed Land. Teacher, do we still have money? We have used up the last dozen silver coins, right?"
"Why do you want money? Why don't you just go and work as their worker and take a ride on the boat?"
"Hey - I heard their workers work very hard!"
Snow elves are a very active race. When the branch director returned to Valentine, he did not even have time to eat dinner. He sat down at his desk and picked up a pen to write a thousand-word review in one breath. He appreciated it for a long time, made some minor modifications, and then packaged his review together with the three copies he received in the morning and transmitted them to the headquarters in Elliot Palace.
After finishing this, the branch director can finally sit down and eat with peace of mind...
While eating, the branch chief's pointed ears suddenly stood up.
"Hey... wait, the man sitting next to me during the performance seemed to be..." The branch director looked confused and stood up suddenly, threw down his knife and fork, and ran out to find his deputy.
"Henry! Do you remember the father and son who sat next to us during the show?!"
The human deputy, who was sitting on the bed and hugging the quilt, looked at his boss who broke in in surprise.
"Think quickly, about the man sitting on your right!" the branch manager urged.
"Uh... that should be a worker from the Knight's Command?" Deputy Henry thought hard for a long time, but he could only remember that the father and son were dressed very ordinary, or even a little shabby. "Sorry, that person is too unremarkable. I only vaguely remember that he seemed to be a bit old."
The branch director looked grim. "Henry, you are a treasure hunter, and I am a snow elf archer. You and I can't even remember what the person who sat next to us for four hours and talked to us face to face looks like. Don't you think it's weird?"
Deputy Henry was stunned, and his expression gradually became serious. But within a dozen seconds, cold sweat dripped from his forehead.
"Damn it—I actually forgot what I said to him?!"
The perception of the walker system is not inferior to that of the spellcaster. The treasure hunter Henry is not as famous as the ranger Harris, but he is not a second-rate guy either. After being reminded by his superior, the deputy of the branch director felt creepy.
"Since you feel the same way, it's not my illusion." The branch director exhaled lightly, confused: "There is no magical fluctuation, it's not an aura barrier or a subspace barrier. This man makes everyone who has seen him or even had direct contact with him ignore and forget his existence... It's really strange, could it be that the condemned has left the Western Continent?"
"How is it possible—" Deputy Henry said incredulously, "Did the Dwarf King not kill the Condemned?"
The branch director stared at his deputy Henry for a few seconds, then remembered that he had brought up a stupid topic, and said, "That's right, how could the Dwarf King let them go? I guess I'm overthinking it. Good night, Henry."
He stepped out and closed the door, then turned around and the branch director's face darkened again.
"Of course the Dwarf King will not exterminate the entire lineage of the Condemned. Only the human race will wait for them to die out... Strange, why would the Condemned leave the Western Continent?"
The branch director's face changed as he suddenly thought of something.
"Yes... the prince of the Ferdinand family. Saint Bridge fought against the Federation last year, so the Condemned should have gotten the news no matter how secluded they were." The branch chief frowned, slowly sorting out the sudden intelligence in his mind, "Compared to King Kroning back then, Prince Carlisle is much better now. King Kroning was able to lure out the Condemned once, so naturally, Carlisle can also tempt them this time."
"Disciples of the Lich King, the Scourge, hundreds of years of hibernation are not meant to wait for destruction and demise... but to wait for the opportunity of 'change'!"
"What would you think of this, King?"
The branch chief thought about this question, and his brows gradually relaxed. The king of the snow elves is the pride and confidence of all the snow elves, and the same is true for individuals like the branch chief who have left the tribe.
"Perhaps... the king will be happy. Now there is one more interesting thing."
The next day, the branch director rushed to the theater led by Knight Robbins early in the morning. The appearance of the Condemner would not affect the Snow Elves, but it would affect him who was running the Valentine branch. Wherever the Condemner appeared, there would be unrest, and from his point of view, he would not be happy to see such a thing.
Unfortunately, the Snow Elf branch chief did not wait for the suspected father and son or master and apprentice to appear so that their presence could be ignored... Those two poor guys could no longer afford the ticket money and went to the construction site to carry bricks.
On the third day of the performance, the fame of Cinderella gradually spread. After the city lord, Viscount Pope, praised the play in Valentine's newspaper, many curious citizens and pretentious merchants from the upper and middle city came to buy tickets to enter.
These new guests were much more mature and rational than the old ones. At least they wouldn't be so ungentlemanly as to take off their shoes and throw them onto the stage. The villain actors' performances felt a little better.
After several rounds of guests came, the fame of the play "Cinderella" and its author Isaac Robbins gradually spread far and wide...
While his disciples were working diligently to earn a reputation and prepare for their career as espionage agents, Xiao Yun was also busy on the grassland.
"How many times do I have to tell you before you understand, Banana!!"
The angry wolf cub took a run, jumped, and kicked the huge head of the Balkron dragon with his big feet...
Due to the huge size difference between the two sides, Balk only felt a mosquito bite on his cheek, while Xiao Yun was in so much pain that he held his feet and hopped on one foot...
"What are you doing, Ayun? Aren't we just doing what you said? We are making rubber blocks from the stems, leaves and peels cut from the battle tree. Isn't that what we are making?"
Balk was very puzzled and used his big dragon claws to slap the natural rubber that had condensed into blocks.
"Your purification of natural rubber is useless. It takes three months for a combat tree to grow into a mature one. After cutting off the stems and leaves, taking out the fruits and leaving the roots, it will take another three months for it to grow again. You might as well wait to starve to death if you rely solely on this little bit of natural rubber production!" Xiao Yun said angrily, "We need synthetic rubber. Do you understand? We need glass fibers, fibers, metals, anything that can increase the rubber production without affecting the performance. We need quantity! Quantity!"
"Rubbers with different needs require different properties. Rubbers used to make tires need to be strong, hard, and durable, while rubbers used to make shoe soles need to be moderately soft and hard, and need to maintain a certain degree of elasticity!"
Xiao Yun kept talking, and Balk was silent for a while. He changed from dragon form to human form, bent down to pick up his clothes, turned around and walked away angrily: "I quit, I'm going to be a fan!"
“Hey hey wait—!”
After coaxing Balk back for a long time, Balk finally agreed to continue working...
Originally, the task of making synthetic rubber was assigned to Evelyn, but she didn't expect that the smell emitted by the battle tree during the rubber production process was not only poisonous, but also highly toxic. Evelyn couldn't stand it at all; Sean was even more helpless, and Xiao Yun was forced to fool Balk, who was immune to all poisons...
——If I had known earlier, I should have not loaned out all the cat magicians and kept a few to look after the house!
worry!
If you want to build a technology tree and pursue industrial prosperity, materials science is a threshold that cannot be avoided; but Xiao Yun has no knowledge in this area at all, so he can only rely on himself to do everything step by step and try little by little.
Fortunately, this world has unscientific magic and even more unscientific material mimicry magic. We can use mimicry magic to find a way out of any place that our imagination can reach...
The two men squatted in an abandoned factory building in the former industrial zone and tried various additives and production methods, creating a highly toxic area that everyone within a mile had to avoid with their noses pinched. After half a month of hard work, they did not produce qualified synthetic rubber (the qualification condition was that it could be mass-produced), but they did inadvertently produce celluloid.
The earliest celluloid on earth was made of cellulose nitrate, with camphor used to increase its plasticity. After its launch, it was once used as an imitation of billiard balls, ivory and tortoise shells. It was the earliest synthetic plastic.
The wizarding world's version of synthetic plastic is also made from cellulose nitrate (cotton fibers esterified with nitric acid), with the latex of the battle tree used to add shape.
After making this thing, Xiao Yun was stunned at first, then he jumped up and stomped his feet hard.
Balke's face changed slightly, and he retreated quietly, and then retreated again - could it be that Ayunbie was suffocated crazy by the poison gas?
