“I’m here for the casting.” Zane ran his fingers through his hair and spoke to the stunned staff.
He had waited for them to greet and tell him the rules, like they had done with the other participants before him.
It wasn’t just the staff members who were staring at him.
Many of the other participants shared the same stupid look on their faces.
It had already been two hours since the open casting call began.
He had only arrived now because of his promise to complete half of his shift.
The protagonist has probably already been signed.
The hotel lobby was packed with aspiring models, all of whom came in groups.
There would be occasional loners like himself, but Zane didn’t bother making new acquaintances with those people.
“D-Do you have your number?” The number she mentioned was the one sent through email confirmation.
Although one could walk in and apply, for a quicker and more efficient process, it was recommended to pre-apply online.
“Yes.” He showed his email confirmation number and was quickly given a badge with his name written on it.
“Do I follow those people over there?” Zane pointed toward the long line of people, some of whom sat along the walls due to the wait time.
“For you…please head to that room for body measurements.” Her face blushed as she handed him a folder.
She stared at his face for a bit longer before pointing him in the opposite direction.
The soft gasps caught Zane’s attention.
Many started murmuring once she said that, making him feel self-conscious amid the noise and stares.
[It appears that Master’s looks can match up to the protagonist.]
What are you saying?
I’m obviously better.
[…] The system spoke again after a moment of silence.
[Only people who passed the physical appearance department can bypass other stages and enter the final.]
The door to the room opened, and in came a young man.
His looks were one of the few noteworthy amongst the hundreds of participants.
His casual fit and seemingly uninterested look immediately caught the attention of one of the scouts.
This was the infamous fitting room of the open casting calls.
Many inside were agents who waited around for those who passed the first two rounds as they came to get their exact measurements done by professional staff.
Their eyes scanned the youth, noticing that aside from the folder given by the front desk, he carried no portfolio of any kind.
It didn’t seem like he came here with the intentions of being signed, and instead was here because he was forced to.
“What are you doing here!?” Immediately upon entering, Zane was pulled aside by Oliver.
His frowning face lasted only seconds once he noticed that many were looking his and Zane’s way.
“Are you messing with me!?”
“What’s your problem?” Zane wiped away the spit that landed on his hand with a frown.
He didn’t care if the scouts were watching the way he interacted with people.
[The protagonist is feeling annoyed and wary of your presence.]
Great.
Like I couldn’t tell.
“MY problem?” Oliver’s teeth ground against each other, loud enough that Zane could hear it from this distance.
“You don’t even do fine arts!
You don’t need to be a model!”
“Give me five million, and I’ll leave.” Not only would the money cover his younger brother’s hospital expenses for the next few years, but it would also allow him to complete his degree and earn more income as an archaeologist.
“What?
If money can get you to leave, why are you even here in the first place!?”
System…are all protagonists idiots?
[This is an easy world.]
“I’m here to make money.” The look he gave Oliver, as if calling him stupid, nearly sent Oliver into rage.
“If it’s five million, would you consider signing me as your agent?” A middle-aged female had long approached them.
She had been listening in on the hushed conversation and felt that this was a good time to intervene.
“Miss Carter!?” Oliver instantly wore a sweet smile and expressed his deep admiration for the other.
“How lucky to have the chance of meeting you here.”
His flattering made her frown.
She had already felt that this young man was a little self-conceited from the conversation she had overheard earlier.
A person doesn’t have to study fine arts to want to join the entertainment industry.
So hearing that Oliver was accusing the other gentlemen of his lack of background made her dislike him.
From the cheap clothes to the calm and honest attitude about being here for the money, she deduced that the young man had a difficult upbringing.
Not everyone could afford to be educated by top mentors of the entertainment circle.
If Zane could hear her inner thoughts, he would have laughed at how absurd she viewed him.
“Miss Carter, my name is Oliver Hughes.” Oliver could barely hide his excitement.
Jane Carter had multiple famous models and actors under her belt, all of whom were brought to stardom due to her connections and work ethic.
“What is your name, young man?” She didn’t spare him a glance, eyes glued to Zane from the moment he came through that door.
“Zane Lee.” Zane shook her outstretched hand.
As he was about to pull back, the woman gripped it tighter, rubbing it between both of her soft hands with a surprised look.
“Oh my…you must have worked hard.” She gently caressed the callous on his palm.
It told her of how much this hand had worked throughout the years, even though he didn’t look to be in his mid-twenties.
“How about it, Zane?
I can give you a signing bonus of five million.”
“You are crazy.” Zane finally managed to pull his hand away with a frown.
He didn’t quite understand how someone could easily throw money away at a random person they had just met.
“Indeed.” She nodded.
The highest she normally pooled into a newcomer was half a million.
So to offer ten times the usual amount was already insane.
It had already been over six years since she last signed someone.
All of her clients were at the cusp of retiring.
Not that they were old, but they had fulfilled all their dreams and no longer craved fame as they once did.
The trend of hyper-feminine males and androgynous females had oversaturated the market, causing many to feel fatigue.
Oliver was an obvious beauty, one who could go toe to toe with many of the top A-listers of recent years with no issue.
But to have someone who tethered between the hard and soft masculinity was a rare find.
“Signing with me comes with expectations.
You will attend classes to help with developing your skills for the first three months.
After that, you will be given your first project.” She patiently explained to the skeptical young man.
Both of them ignored Oliver’s presence in the process.
“I think someone like me would be a better sign!” Even though he tried to control his emotions, it still sounded like he was whining and complaining to Zane and Jane.
“I have the experience and won’t need to attend classes and waste time.
You can directly put me in the market!”
“You are not what I’m looking for,” Jane stated bluntly.
She pointed in the direction of a colleague.
“I think you are more suited for that gentleman over there.”
[Update: Mission progression is currently at 5%]
5%?
“It’s a pleasure to be on your team!” Zane immediately grabbed hold of her hands with a grin.
No longer was the mission progress stuck at zero, and that made him grin like crazy.
Why did it jump to 5%?
[Answering: The person the protagonist originally signed with was Jane Carter.
Which is why he was able to become an A-lister in less than a year.]
“Forget the measurements, you can come with me to my office, and we’ll go over the contract.” The two promptly left the hotel where the event was held.
With his hopes of being signed to Jane Carter shattered, Oliver could do nothing but grind his teeth and look for a different agent.
In spite of being tossed aside by Jane, he didn’t approach the colleague she recommended, but instead signed with another guy who had a few other famous people under his belt.
[Update: Mission progression is currently at 20%]
What?
So sudden?
The notification nearly made him spit out the tea he was sipping on.
They had already discussed and signed the contract.
Zane got the system to scan it for any weird clauses before agreeing to the terms.
After confirming that the contract was to his advantage, he put his name on the dotted line without a second thought.
[The protagonist has chosen to sign with the infamous “Celebrity Hunter.” There is a high chance that he will end up having relations with the agent.]
Is it consensual at least?
[Answering: The protagonist is known for being promiscuous and has already slept with multiple people, including TARGET Michael.
He has already decided to sleep his way to the top.]
It didn’t say he slept with Michael in the novel.
[The protagonist has deviated from the plot and is now independent of the author.
Which is why we were sent here by the author to get rid of the protagonist’s halo.]
Why do I have to deal with the male leads if that’s the case?
[The TARGETS are the son of heaven, beloved by their prospective worlds, and are the center of all the happenings.
They are the halo of the protagonist.]
Zane felt his head pound from the complicated knowledge that was dumped on him by the system.
How did my simple job become this?
He had never dealt with a failed world before.
The first failed world his department had was what sent him down this path of redemption.
[Stealing the Male Leads is also a simple job.]
Like hell it is!
Don’t you see the shining negative status of their thoughts of me!?
The system wanted to say that it was because of the host’s own stupidity, but remained silent.
With the progression status being one-fifth of the way, he decided to close an eye to his host’s nonsensical way of completing the task.
As long as it continued to rise, even if the male leads’ favorability drops to minus a thousand, the system had no complaints.