Chapter 20: Auditioning the Actress

"Brother Lu, the auditions are about to start. Let's go inside and take a look, we can review the documents later."

Meng Changkun and Lu Liang each received a name tag from Assistant Wu. The tags labeled them as producers. Meng draped an arm around Lu Liang’s shoulder, a mischievous grin on his face as he shared some "insider" wisdom. "These are our credentials. Every girl who walks in for an audition will greet us."

"If you spot anyone you like, just ask Old Wu for her contact information. I don't think I need to explain what happens next, do I?"

"I’ve learned a lot," Lu Liang replied, cupping his hands in a mock salute with an expression of admiration. He was certainly gaining some new knowledge today. It reminded him of those actresses who claimed to have no connections but also lacked acting skills; before stepping onto the path to stardom, they had likely all gone through this very process.

Meng Changkun looked pleased, clearly enjoying the role. "This is just the beginning. I'll take you to experience how they do it in Korea when we get the chance. Here, we still need the woman's consent—if she says no, there's nothing you can do. But over there, the chaebols treat it like ordering off a menu at a restaurant. Whoever they call must show up, even the top-tier A-list stars. In our country, we still put celebrities on too high a pedestal."

Old Meng sighed with longing.

Lu Liang said nothing.

The two men, wearing their name tags, entered a conference room. A director, an assistant director, and the actual producer all stood up in unison the moment they walked in. They were all part of the same crew; if there were two new producers, they would have known. Thus, their true identity was obvious: they were simply financial backers playing the part.

"Don't mind us, we're just here to observe," Meng Changkun said, his tone relaxed and natural. He pulled over two chairs, sat down next to the director, and gestured, "You may begin."

"Understood, starting right away." The director and the producer nodded eagerly and called for the stage manager to begin the day’s auditions.

Lu Liang was handed a script outline. The general plot followed a group of college students who met up over the weekend to explore an abandoned school. Although there were some minor, strange occurrences during the day, they were generally safe. At night, someone suggested playing a spirit-writing game, triggering the theme of "Ouija Board vs. Pen Spirit," followed by a series of bizarre and eerie events where the supporting cast either died or went mad.

In the end, the story was elevated by a twist: the supernatural was merely a facade. There were no such things as spirits. It turned out that years ago, a group of people had bullied a girl, leading to her accidental fall from a building, but they had blamed it on the "Pen Spirit" to cover their tracks. Now, the girl's sister had come for revenge.

"What do you think?" Meng Changkun asked with a smile, noticing how intently Lu Liang was reading.

"Tsk, tsk... the content is substantial, the theme is clear, the plot has its twists—it’s just a bit too coincidental."

Lu Liang was at a loss for words. The original perpetrators all had younger siblings, and they all happened to be at the same school? The odds were more absurd than an average person winning the lottery.

"Coincidence is the soul of storytelling," Meng Changkun chuckled. He actually thought the story was decent. A group of attractive young people, provided the scenes stayed right on the edge of the censorship guidelines, could potentially turn a small profit.

Lu Liang was stunned, slowly being persuaded. He was looking at the structure and logic, but Meng Changkun was looking at the market. A horror film under the guise of the supernatural didn't need much logic; it wasn't made for the logic-obsessed. It was meant to create an atmosphere—young men and women huddled on a sofa, playing a not-so-scary horror movie while engaging in suggestive behavior.

"Teacher Meng, Teacher Lu, Director Liang..."

"Hello, my name is Zhou Xiaoqi. I graduated from the Shanghai Film Art Academy..."

"I'm here to audition for the role of Ye Qianwen. I look forward to your guidance..."

A girl in her early twenties knocked and entered. She had flowing long hair and a graceful figure. She wore a loose white shirt, a denim miniskirt, and high-cut Martin boots. Standing over 1.7 meters tall, she was quite striking and had a warm personality, greeting everyone enthusiastically.

Lu Liang glanced down at the script. The character of Ye Qianwen was the second female lead, the last supporting character to die. He cast a glance at Meng Changkun. Was this an amateur auditioning, or was she the "little lover"?

Meng Changkun smiled, coughed a few times, and said, "There’s a scene here requiring an expression of sheer terror. Give it a try."

Zhou Xiaoqi prepared briefly, then widened her eyes, flared her nostrils, and parted her lips slightly. "Don't come any closer~"

Director Liang nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Now, perform a scene showing relief after surviving a crisis