The two entered the audition room just as the previous performer had finished and left, creating a brief gap in the schedule.
“Fu Ke, the young Miss Chi and CEO Shen are here,” Zhao Feiyun reminded, prompting Wang Fuke to finally look up from his documents and turn his gaze toward the two approaching figures.
“Director Wang, it’s been a while,” Chi Qingwei said with a light laugh.
“It really has been a long time, two years, and you never bothered to keep in touch with me more often,” Wang Fuke, a male omega in his forties, replied. Though in his forties, he looked no older than thirty, dressed neatly and cleanly, with a dramatic mane of long hair that clearly marked him as someone in the arts.
“I didn’t dare to contact you casually without a good project,” Chi Qingwei responded, their interaction resembling that of good friends. She smiled and reintroduced Shen Zuofeng to Wang Fuke before asking, “What’s the mystery here? You’re not even willing to share the materials?”
“Come, have a seat first,” Wang Fuke pulled out chairs for the two, his eyes lighting up with pleasant surprise as he looked at Shen Zuofeng, completely ignoring her question.
“Director Wang, is there something you’d like to say?” Shen Zuofeng asked, noting his expression, which resembled someone who had just struck gold.
“CEO Shen, with your looks, have you ever considered entering the entertainment industry?” Wang Fuke asked excitedly, his enthusiasm reminiscent of the first time he met Chi Qingwei. The appearances of these two alone were enough to create a stunning visual, and with some training in acting, they could undoubtedly amass a large, loyal fanbase.
“The entertainment industry?” Shen Zuofeng was momentarily taken aback before chuckling lightly. “I haven’t really thought about it. From what I can see, being a celebrity doesn’t pay as much as what I’m doing now.”
Wang Fuke: “…”
He had no rebuttal for that. After all, her games were wildly popular, and she was also an investor in this project his financial backer!
Chi Qingwei couldn’t help but laugh out loud. She hadn’t expected this side of Shen Zuofeng, but it was undeniably charming.
The others in the room also laughed at Shen Zuofeng’s remark, teasing Wang Fuke for his habit of trying to recruit wealthy individuals into acting.
The last one had been Chi Qingwei. After she declined, Wang Fuke had stubbornly pursued her with the script, hoping to persuade her to take on a role. Though she didn’t end up acting, she provided a substantial investment. That drama became a hit, and the actors involved won numerous awards, while Chi Qingwei’s investment yielded significant returns.
“You shouldn’t think of it that way. You could treat it as a hobby to develop. Everyone needs some interests, right?” Wang Fuke persisted, using the same tenacity he had shown with Chi Qingwei. “The reason I’m urging you is that your image fits the role of Chang Xuan perfectly. Think about it, you’re investing in this drama, and if you also act in it, wouldn’t that save a lot on the budget?”
Shen Zuofeng: “…”
Was she really going to sacrifice herself just to cut a little from the budget?
Hearing Wang Fuke’s words, Chi Qingwei felt a twinge of discomfort. If Shen Zuofeng were to play Chang Xuan, she would inevitably have intimate scenes with another actor. After all, this drama included at least two bed scenes.
“Then who do you think would be suitable to play Gong Chiyi?” Chi Qingwei asked calmly.
Hearing Chi Qingwei’s words, Shen Zuofeng looked at her with some surprise. Why did she feel that Chi Qingwei seemed a bit unhappy? Weren’t things fine just a moment ago?
However, Wang Fuke appeared completely oblivious to the subtle change in Chi Qingwei’s tone. Instead, he smiled even more brightly and said, “You!”
Chi Qingwei: “…”
The slight discomfort from earlier instantly vanished.
“With that hint of mischief hidden inside you, isn’t that exactly the kind of personality that fits Gong Chiyi’s character? I think if the two of you were to act, you wouldn’t even need to act, they are you.”
“Don’t believe me? Ask the others.” Not content with just saying it himself, he pulled others in to back him up.
Although the others didn’t dare to speak as casually with them as Wang Fuke did, when it came to the quality of the play, after carefully observing the two, they all nodded in agreement and said, “Just based on their appearance, they really do fit the roles perfectly. As for their acting skills, that’s another matter.”
Up until now, after so many auditions, no one’s image had matched the characters as well as these two did.
Chi Qingwei sighed and rubbed her forehead. It seemed Wang Fuke still hadn’t given up on the idea of getting her to act.
Shen Zuofeng found it amusing and said, “Even if our appearances match, neither of us has any experience in this area. I’m afraid we wouldn’t be able to portray the characters well. Besides, the audience isn’t foolish they care about acting skills too.”
“You can learn if you don’t know how!” Wang Fuke refused to give up. “I’m still going to hold auditions at schools. Aren’t the people there all newcomers? They haven’t acted properly in front of a camera either. You’re all in the same boat. Think about it would you rather entrust the role to yourselves or to them?”
It wasn’t just their appearances that matched; what Wang Fuke valued most was the spark of talent they possessed. Acting skills could be honed, but that innate spark once lost, it’s gone. No matter how skilled an actor is, without that spark, the performance always lacks a certain vividness.
“Director Wang, you should know it’s impossible for us to act,” Chi Qingwei said helplessly.
If they entered the entertainment industry, wouldn’t they be putting themselves under the public’s scrutiny? Every move would be examined under a magnifying glass by netizens, which would greatly affect their lives.
“Why is it impossible?” Wang Fuke said, sounding almost pained. “I know what you’re worried about, but you can’t give up on trying something just because of how others might look at you or judge you. Besides, haven’t you considered how much impact it could have on your respective companies if you became popular?”
Wang Fuke glanced at Shen Zuofeng and said to Chi Qingwei, “You might not care much about this, but to be blunt, Shen’s company is still in its early stages and needs to build public recognition. If you really don’t want to pursue this career long-term, you could just act in this one drama and stop. If this drama becomes a hit, both of your profiles would rise significantly, and your companies would naturally gain more visibility as a result.”
Chi Qingwei was taken aback, then exchanged a glance with Shen Zuofeng, her brow furrowing slightly.
Wang Fuke had a point, he’d hit the nail on the head. Given the current level of recognition of the Chiliang Group, the attention she would gain from acting was negligible. But for Shen Zuofeng, it was a different story.
Although her company was developing well, its public visibility was currently limited to the gaming sector, leaving significant room for growth. She also needed to make more people aware of her company’s operations.
Shen Zuofeng fell into deep thought. Wang Fuke had indeed pointed out one of her shortcomings.
The reputation of Future Technology hadn’t yet spread widely. If the drama she starred in became popular and brought her into the spotlight, it could save the company a considerable amount in promotional expenses.
However, Shen Zuofeng couldn’t help but laugh wryly as she rubbed her temples. Earlier, she had been wondering whether it was necessary to save on the lead actor’s fees, and now she was considering whether to debut herself to gain visibility and save on promotional costs for the company.
Wang Fuke observed Shen Zuofeng’s expression and realized that she wasn’t particularly resistant to acting. It was just that she had never considered it before and had no desire to become an actor or celebrity.
“How about you try a short scene first? See how you perform, and then you can think it over carefully,” Wang Fuke suggested, taking a step back.
After a moment of consideration, Shen Zuofeng nodded in agreement.
Seeing her consent, Wang Fuke’s eyes lit up with delight. He then glanced at Chi Qingwei, who had remained silent, and asked knowingly, “Director Shen has agreed to try a scene. What about you, Director Chi? Would you like to give it a try as well?”
Chi Qingwei: “…”
His tone was truly infuriating.
Noticing Chi Qingwei’s speechless expression, Wang Fuke broke into a full smile. He knew she had tacitly agreed.
The reason he assumed Chi Qingwei would follow Shen Zuofeng’s lead was that he had sensed something unusual about their relationship.
What kind of business partners constantly stare at each other? The moment one of them mentioned acting as Chang Xuan, possessiveness surfaced. Was that normal for business partners?
At least, he would never feel such strange possessiveness toward a business partner.
Wang Fuke gave each of them a short scene to perform, letting them interpret it as they saw fit to see how well they could act.
Suddenly, the two who had come to observe the auditions found themselves huddled in a corner, contemplating how to perform their scenes, while Wang Fuke and the others continued auditioning suitable actors.
“Your loved one has died. Please express your grief,” Shen Zuofeng read her prompt aloud, momentarily at a loss for words.
“Are actors’ prompts always this concise?” she couldn’t help but ask.
Chi Qingwei was equally speechless. Her prompt read: “Please act out the joy of winning three million.”
Chi Qingwei: “…”
Thanks, but she couldn’t care less about three million.
Joy? Even thirty million wouldn’t stir much emotion in her. This was seriously overestimating the value of three million.
Seeing her prompt, Shen Zuofeng chuckled. “I suspect Director Wang did this on purpose.”
After all, how could he not know Chi Qingwei’s financial status? Giving her a prompt about three million and asking her to act joyful, what else could it be but intentional?
Chi Qingwei slapped the prompt onto the table, her expression darkening.
She never should have agreed to Wang Fuke’s suggestion!
Shen Zuofeng reached out and gently rubbed her shoulder, softening her voice. “Alright, don’t be angry. We’ll settle the score with him later.”
She knew perfectly well that Chi Qingwei had agreed to try acting because of her. And it was precisely this realization that made her heart soften even more.
This person was thinking of her.
“Hmph,” Chi Qingwei let out a light snort, then glanced at Shen Zuofeng’s assigned topic.
Chi Qingwei: “…”
Is Wang Fuke trying to get himself killed?!
What kind of topic is this?!
What does it mean, “the death of a beloved person”?!
Completely speechless, Chi Qingwei looked up at Shen Zuofeng, pointed at the topic, and asked, “How are you going to act this out?”
Her slender, pale finger rested on the words. Suddenly, Shen Zuofeng’s mind wandered somewhere inappropriate, and her face instantly flushed red.
Chi Qingwei: “???”
She had only asked how to act it out, why was Shen Zuofeng blushing???