The scene opens in a public place in Shanghai, where the young actors are waiting for their turn to appear in front of a famous director. The young actors nervously wait for their chance to appear before the director, who is casting for a new role in the upcoming film. The director, Mr. Zhao, is famous for casting actors who have "never flopped" in the past, and the young hopefuls are nervous about their chances of getting the part. As they wait for the director's car to arrive, the actor asks to be let out of the room so that he can look at the director before he leaves.