After Divorce, I Can Hear the Future

Chapter 20: Interviewing Actresses

"Lu laodi, the interviews are about to start. Let’s head inside and have a look. We can go over the materials later."

Meng Changkun and Wu Tianzheng’s assistant were handed two nameplates, each with their names and titles as producers.

Meng Changkun placed his arm around Lu Liang's shoulder and flashed a mischievous smile, offering some "advice": "This is our identity information. Every girl who comes in for an interview will greet us. If any of them catch your eye, just ask Old Wu for their contact information. I don’t need to teach you anything more from here on."

"Got it," Lu Liang said, cupping his hands in respect, his admiration clear. Today had definitely been a day full of new lessons.

This made him think of the actresses who claimed to have no background or acting skills. Before they embarked on their glittering career paths, they probably had to go through this exact process.

Meng Changkun smiled contentedly. "This is nothing. If you get a chance, I’ll take you to Korea to experience their system."

"Here, we still need the women’s consent. If they don’t agree, there’s nothing we can do. But over there, the chaebols are like ordering from a menu at a restaurant. Whoever they want, must come—no exceptions, even if it’s a top-tier actress."

"The entertainment industry in China still elevates stars too highly," Meng Changkun sighed dreamily.

The two of them, with their nameplates, entered a meeting room.

There was a director, an assistant director, and an actual producer—all stood up as soon as they entered.

Since they were all from the same production team, and now with two additional producers, their true identities were clear: they were just "money men" holding producer titles.

"You all carry on with your work. We’re just here to observe," Meng Changkun said casually as he dragged two chairs over and sat next to the director. "You can start the interviews now."

"Alright, we’re starting," the director and the producer quickly nodded and called for the crew to begin the auditions.

Lu Liang was handed a script outline.

The basic premise was about a group of college students who decide to explore an abandoned school on a weekend. During the day, there were some strange occurrences, but nothing too dangerous. However, at night, one of them suggested playing the "Ouija Board" game, leading to the theme of The Battle Between Tarot Ghosts and Pen Ghosts, followed by a series of bizarre and twisted events. Some of the side characters die, others go mad.

In the end, the story took a philosophical turn. The "Tarot Ghost" and "Pen Ghost" didn’t exist. They were simply the result of a bullying incident that occurred a few years ago, where a girl was pushed to her death by a group of people, and the blame was later placed on the supposed manifestation of the "Pen Ghost." In the end, the younger sister came to take revenge...

"How does it feel?" Meng Changkun noticed how seriously Lu Liang was reading the script and asked with a smile.

"Tsk tsk... the content is rich, the theme is clear, and the plot has its ups and downs... but it’s quite a coincidence," Lu Liang responded, almost unable to suppress his skepticism. It was a bit too ridiculous that all the main perpetrators of the bullying had younger siblings who attended the same school. It was almost as improbable as winning the lottery.

"Well, it wouldn’t be a story without some coincidence," Meng Changkun laughed, clearly enjoying it. He thought the story had potential. A group of handsome men and beautiful women, as long as the boundaries stayed just within the limits, it might even make a small profit.

Lu Liang was taken aback, gradually being convinced. He was looking at the story structure and logic, but Meng Changkun was thinking about the market.

A supernatural-themed thriller had low logical demands. The title itself wasn’t aiming at people who cared about logic, but was geared towards creating an atmospheric experience.

Young men and women curled up on couches, watching a not-so-scary thriller while engaging in some flirtatious activities...

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

A girl in her early twenties knocked and entered the room, her long hair flowing and graceful posture catching everyone's eye.

She wore a loose white blouse with a denim skirt, and a pair of knee-high combat boots. Her height was well over 1.7 meters, tall and elegant, with a pleasant personality. She greeted them enthusiastically as soon as she stepped inside.

Lu Liang looked down at the script. The character of Ye Qianwen should be the second female lead—the last supporting role to die.

He glanced at Meng Changkun to see if this was the aspiring actress or the little lover he had mentioned.

Meng Changkun smiled broadly, clearing his throat, and said, "Here’s a scene where you need to show an expression of fear. Can you act it out for us?"

The girl, Zhou Xiaoqi, took a moment to prepare, widening her eyes, flaring her nostrils, and parting her lips slightly: "Don’t come any closer~"

Director Liang nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. Now, show us a scene of relief after surviving a danger..."

Zhou Xiaoqi performed again, patting her chest with exaggerated relief: "Phew, that was close!"

The three professionals, including Meng Changkun, were all very satisfied.

Lu Liang understood now—this girl was the designated second female lead, which meant she was Meng Changkun’s little lover.

Not bad. With those long legs, carrying her on his shoulder would certainly be a beautiful scene, but he dared not think too much about it.

Next, a few more actresses came in for their auditions. Lu Liang was finally beginning to see just how hard these girls worked.

Some would bow and you could see their cleavage, others would strip off their coats as soon as they walked in, wearing clothes that barely covered anything. Some would even go as far as shaking hands with everyone when leaving, leaving Lu Liang's palm scratched from their manicures.

Meng Changkun, Director Liang, and the other professionals were all unmoved. Clearly, they had seen it all before.

The entire day, Lu Liang’s worldview was constantly being challenged. They always said the entertainment industry was chaotic, but now he truly understood just how much.

Some girls were willing to be exploited, while others, like the "pure" flowers, were unwilling to compromise. They were proper, dressed modestly, with no skin exposed. Among the many actresses, she was one of the few who wore long pants to the interview. She was beautiful, had a great figure, and her acting was impressive. Her name was Bai Xiaoqin, 21 years old, here to audition for the second female role, though it had already been decided.

Lu Liang, who had remained silent until now, suddenly called out as Bai Xiaoqin was about to leave: "Would you be interested in trying for the role of Jiang Qianqian?"

Jiang Qianqian was another character in the film. Based on screen time, she was supposed to be the fourth female lead. Although she only appeared for half an hour before dying, she still had a role to play.

In the entertainment industry, there were four levels of actors: extras (background filler), supporting actors (helping to fill in when needed), special guest actors (with lines and a few scenes), and character actors (who take on full roles and drive the plot forward).

Bai Xiaoqin looked startled, then her face lit up with excitement: "Teacher Lu, could I really do it?"

"We’ll discuss it. If you pass, we’ll send you a notice," Lu Liang replied without fully committing. After all, he was just a guest—the final decision wasn’t his to make.

"Alright, Teacher Lu, thank you!" Bai Xiaoqin restrained her excitement, gave another bow, and then left the audition room.

"Little brother, interested?" Meng Changkun smiled and took a sip of tea, standing up and stretching.

"Yeah, a bit," Lu Liang admitted openly and asked how much it would cost to have her take on the role of Jiang Qianqian.

"Director Liang, how’s her acting?" Meng Changkun didn’t answer directly but turned to the other professionals in the room.

"She’s very good. Honestly, of everyone who auditioned this morning, she’s the best," Director Liang said truthfully.

Although he had fallen from his dream of becoming a top director, he still had decent judgment.

"Then the role of Jiang Qianqian should go to her."

Meng Changkun patted Lu Liang on the shoulder and smiled. They were brothers, and now they didn’t lack money.

He paused and added, "But let me say this—this girl, she won’t be easy to handle."

He’d attended many casting calls and knew which girls were easy to handle and which ones weren’t.

Bai Xiaoqin was the toughest type: good acting, but not willing to play the game. She could end up costing more than she was worth.

Meng Changkun had a fixed set of values. No matter how beautiful a woman was, even if it was someone like Fan Xiaobing, she was only worth one million. If he couldn’t get her for that price, he would move on. There were plenty of beautiful women in the world.

A young, pretty university student could be kept for a few thousand a month, so in his mind, that’s all women were worth.

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