章 180: Chapter 180: Standard Poses

Ian raised his hand as a signal. "The performance can stop here."

With just a few words, it was as if a spell had been lifted, breaking the magic that had filled the room. Although there was no noise, the disordered breathing was noticeable, betraying the turbulent thoughts that had inadvertently escaped from everyone's minds. Each person had their own story to tell.

Without turning to look at anyone else, Ian kept his gaze fixed on Anson and continued, "Could you adjust a bit and give us two poses?"

"Poses?" Anson was puzzled.

For Anson, the recent performance hadn't been difficult. More important than the detailed expressions was the atmosphere he created as a whole. The thirty-second performance was over in an instant, and he quickly reset.

He wasn't tired; in fact, he was eager for more.

He hadn't had enough of performing yet.

But hearing Ian's request, Anson found himself unable to keep up.

Ian then recalled, "You haven't seen the comics, but that's okay. You're like a blank slate, which means you can create based on your own ideas. Maybe you'll bring us some surprises."

"Imagine that you now have the abilities of a spider. You can shoot webs from your body and use them to move freely through the high rises of this concrete jungle. What kind of pose would you strike?"

Anson: ...

What was inevitable had finally come.

Whether it was Marvel or DC, actors playing superheroes often shared familiar experiences in interviews.

For instance, they would talk about how uncomfortable their costumes were and how difficult it was to manage basic needs.

Or, they would mention how embarrassing their signature poses could be. The most iconic example was from the movie *Black Widow*, where the character's poses, especially her split squat landing, were even humorously mocked within the film.

This is all part of "movie requirements."

Back when *The Terminator* was released, Arnold Schwarzenegger's iconic single-knee landing became legendary and is still celebrated as a classic cinematic moment to this day.

Movies need these kinds of rituals.

So, what about Spider-Man's signature pose?

—Overcoming embarrassment.

Anson remembered his first lesson in acting school, where they learned to overcome their own embarrassment by imitating animals, building the fourth wall, and truly immersing themselves in their characters. Now, he needed to mimic a spider—it didn't seem so difficult.

Anson thought for a moment.

Perhaps he should show the process of testing and practicing, presenting Spider-Man at different stages.

Taking a deep breath, Anson didn't give any warning and just began.

"Whoosh."

Anson voiced his own sound effects. Although making the noises himself felt a bit awkward, the absence of any sound at all would have been even more embarrassing.

Accompanied by the sound effects, he positioned his right palm facing up, opened his hand, and flipped it downward as if "shooting" webs from his wrist. Clearly, this Spider-Man was still learning and adapting, as he didn't quite control the web properly.

"Whoosh!"

He tried again, using the same motion, but this time he adjusted slightly, spreading his fingers while curling the middle and ring fingers inward.

—The "devil horns" hand gesture from rock concerts.

But there was a difference: the rock gesture is typically upright, whereas Anson's was inverted, flipping downward. Additionally, he modified it slightly by not holding the middle and ring fingers down with the thumb, instead spreading the thumb out like the other fingers. This made the gesture closer to the "I love you" sign.

He shot the webs with this gesture.

Every web shot was like an "I love you" confession. Could this be Spider-Man's romantic side? Perhaps deep down, Spider-Man is an incurable romantic.

During the first two simple attempts, Anson remained mostly still, testing his control. Once he got a feel for it, he finally let loose.

Then.

Anson moved as if he were a character from *The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils*, performing the Six Meridians Divine Sword technique.

Jumping.

Flipping.

Soaring.

Landing.

From left to right, he performed a series of moves, each more fluid than the last. Finally, he struck a single-leg squatting pose, shooting webs with both hands in the "I love you" gesture.

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh, whoosh!"

A series of light, agile movements flowed like a dance.

It felt like returning to childhood. Every kid has their own dreams, whether they fantasize about being a martial arts hero or a superhero, and they play just like this.

The problem was...

Anson was no longer seven years old. More accurately, considering his dual lifetimes, his mental age might be much older. Immersed in the character just moments ago, he hadn't felt it. But now, as he completed his final pose, reality hit him hard, unexpectedly.

Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?

A wave of embarrassment.

Anson slightly lowered his head, frozen in place, trying to maintain composure, but it wasn't easy.

Sure enough, his experience level wasn't enough to handle this.

Ah!

Ultimately, Anson couldn't hold it in. He gestured with a hand, "Sorry," then stood up, turned around, and faced away from the director and producers, looking up at the sky.

He needed a moment of quiet.

Ian was baffled—

One second ago, they were completely taken in by Anson's smooth and confident performance, moving with grace and ease, dazzling everyone with his skill. It was like watching a circus act, where you can't look away, completely captivated.

The next second, Anson just… what happened?

"An... Anson?" Ian looked around, everyone was just as confused, still reeling from the impact of the scene. As they exchanged glances, Ian carefully called out.

Anson didn't turn around, just raised his hand in acknowledgment.

Taking another deep breath, he adjusted himself, then turned back with a smile.

"Sorry, that wasn't very professional. I couldn't help it, I suddenly felt really ridiculous. Haha." Anson's smile finally broke through, lighting up his face with a clear, genuine expression. "Oh, Jesus Christ, I hope this didn't ruin my audition."

One second, two seconds—

The room erupted in laughter.

Unprofessional?

Well, from a performance standpoint, sure; but it's like how actors break character while shooting comedies. They make mistakes, and sometimes they lose the scene.

The key is in how you handle it.

Anson handled it with honesty and openness, unable to stop himself from smiling no matter how hard he tried. Finally, they saw Anson's "inexperienced" side.

Honestly, Ian felt more at ease. Anson's earlier performance was so polished and professional that it was almost intimidating, but now he seemed more natural—more like an eighteen-year-old, a true newcomer.

The atmosphere lightened instantly.

Not only Ian, but everyone else was laughing.

Including Sam.

Sam hadn't expected this, but seeing Anson like this, he couldn't help but smile. Even Anson's unprofessional moment now seemed endearing. For once, Sam's face was full of warmth, and he offered a rare bit of comfort.

"No, you did great. Everything is fine."

"Losing focus isn't a big deal. Once you're in costume, with the cameras rolling, it'll feel different. Today was just because there's no makeup or costume."

Unconsciously, Sam thought back to the moment when Anson turned his back on everyone and looked up at the sky. He couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.

Haha!

Hahaha!

Everyone around, including Ian, was stunned as they looked at Sam:

During the months they'd spent preparing for *Spider-Man*, they'd never seen Sam like this. None of them had imagined he could be this way.

So, did this mean that Sam saw something special in Anson too?

End of the first update.