**Chapter 181: A Counterstrike**

The atmosphere was full of joy.

Sam could feel the intense gazes coming from all directions, filled with curiosity and surprise. These looks, carrying emotions of astonishment and inquiry, seemed to land heavily on his skin, making his hairs stand on end.

But he didn't mind. His smile was fully blossomed, enjoying a rare moment of unrestrained pleasure.

Sam reassured, "Even the most experienced top actors go through this."

Anson spread his hands, "I'm absolutely certain this won't be the last time," after all, on the path of being an actor, there were still many things he needed to learn, "but next time, I'll probably be more at ease."

Haha, the room erupted in laughter.

Ian, in high spirits, looked at Anson, becoming more and more satisfied the longer he watched. "Seeing your moves just now, have you studied martial arts?"

"Just some basics," Anson replied honestly. "But I'm interested in learning more. Actually, I don't have any muscle definition. I'm wearing so many layers to cover up the harsh truth that I have no muscles."

One second, two seconds—

Everyone burst into laughter.

What Anson said was true. When Sam mentioned earlier that Anson seemed to be hiding his muscle definition, Anson had wanted to respond that he really didn't have any.

Although recently he'd spent some time skateboarding and slowly started regaining some physicality, building muscle definition isn't something that happens overnight. The original Anson had little more than an empty shell of a body, with no real muscle to speak of.

Having no muscles could be both an advantage and a disadvantage for the role of Peter Parker.

As Sam had mentioned, Peter Parker was originally just a bookish nerd, with a thin and unmuscular frame, which would be expected. But considering that the movie was about Spider-Man, Peter Parker spends most of his time with a muscular build. So, Anson figured that his current physical condition was more of a disadvantage than an advantage, which is why he had opted for an onion-like layering of clothes.

If Anson landed the role, he could gradually train, like Hayden did, to build his own muscle definition, while also broadening his future acting opportunities.

But earlier, the timing wasn't right. During Sam's questioning, any response would have sounded like an excuse and might have disrupted the rhythm of the audition, so Anson chose not to speak.

Now the opportunity arose, and Anson delivered the truth at the perfect moment.

Sam, however, picked up on something else Anson said, "You don't need athletic ability to skateboard? I always thought skateboarding was something only athletes could do."

Earlier, Sam had pointed out Anson's preparation mistake, but now it seemed like it was his own bias at play. If Anson could skateboard, then could Peter Parker also skateboard from the very beginning?

"No, Anson didn't make a mistake."

Anson nodded, "Skateboarding is all about balance."

"If you want to do tricks and all sorts of advanced techniques, then yes, athletic ability is required. But for the basics, it's just about having a sense of balance. Many skateboarders are quite slim, often looking frail, and they don't necessarily have any muscles."

Sam suddenly understood.

However, he didn't continue the conversation and instead got lost in his own thoughts.

Ian, already accustomed to this, naturally took over the conversation, looking around, "I think we've covered everything. Does anyone else have any questions?"

He asked, but his gaze was mainly directed at the slightly plump woman.

"Laura?" Ian called out.

The slightly plump woman didn't speak immediately. Instead, she sized up Anson, the pause drawing out slightly, as if she was scrutinizing him. Just when the atmosphere was about to change, she broke the silence.

"No, everything's fine."

Anson was a bit surprised. He thought this woman might have additional questions, but he didn't expect things to pass by so easily.

Ian was also a bit surprised but didn't say much more. He turned back to Anson, giving a smile and delivering the standard polite closing remarks, "Thank you very much for coming in to audition. Today's session is now over. We'll be in touch regarding the next steps. Hopefully, we'll see each other again."

Blah, blah, blah.

For a newcomer, this kind of scripted response was all too familiar, often ending up as an empty promise. The rejection call might never come, leaving one's hopes hanging in the air.

For Anson, this was a first.

During "Friends," Anson knew the audition was just a formality, and the call to become a guest star had been a pleasant surprise.

For "The Princess Diaries," the decision had been made on the spot.

Now, Anson finally understood what Chris and Hayden had meant when they talked about the standard lines delivered at the end of an audition. It truly left one hanging.

Whether there would actually be follow-up was still unknown.

Anson's lips curled slightly into a smile only he understood, and he responded with his own polite words, "Thank you for giving me the opportunity."

Then, he picked up his bag and was about to leave.

"Wait."

Unexpectedly, a voice called out, stopping Anson in his tracks.

Turning around, Anson saw Sam again, with his disheveled hair and half-awake eyes. Despite his usual sleepy demeanor, he seemed especially focused now.

"Who's your favorite superhero?"

A counterstrike.

No one had asked this question the entire time because they all assumed they knew the answer, so they didn't bother asking, not giving the actor a chance to freely express themselves. But in the end, Sam was curious—how would Anson answer?

Anson was taken aback for a moment. "...My parents."

The words slipped out before he could think.

The room fell into a brief silence, then one by one, people couldn't hold back their laughter.

Sam was no exception. This kid was smart, even cunning, but on reflection, he was being honest. After all, he had said he hadn't read any comics.

But Sam wasn't going to let him off that easily. "I meant comic book superheroes. Even if you haven't read comics, you must have heard of some, right?"

Anson wasn't taking the bait.

Anson shook his head with a smile. "Then the answer should already be obvious. If someone who doesn't read comics knows, then that superhero must be very, very famous."

"Very."

In the year 2000, the superheroes who had broken out of the comic world were few—the DC Trinity.

Anson spread his hands, "I don't think you'd expect to hear those names in an audition like this."

Was this... a joke?

Pfft.

Ian couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Anson looked at the slightly frustrated yet surprised Sam, his smile broadening. "Well then, I'll be going now, leaving those unsaid words to ferment on their own. I swear, I didn't say anything."

With that, he turned and walked out, not pausing—

Haha.

Hahaha!

The room erupted in laughter, the thunderous sound of people slapping tables could be heard, and then, with the door closing behind him, it was all shut away.

Anson let out a long breath. He wasn't sure how long the audition had lasted. It felt like both three minutes and a week; it was hard to judge. He pulled out his phone to check and confirmed it had been about twenty minutes.

Not too long, but not too short either.

This also meant that the audition times for the previous four competitors were irrelevant as a reference, since everyone's situation might have been slightly different. The only consistent part was likely the monologue; the rest depended on how things played out in the moment.

So, using the length of time to gauge performance wasn't accurate.

End of chapter 2.