After so many years of honing his craft, Li Shan thought he would never again experience the same predicament he’d faced against Actor Gu—being so utterly suppressed by another’s acting that he momentarily lost the ability to distinguish between the performance and reality.
After all, he was practically a seasoned veteran by now. Forgetting one’s identity as an actor because of the surrounding environment or a co-star’s performance was a privilege of young actors; it was something he should have outgrown long ago.
He had been in an awkward state the first time he encountered Actor Gu, but after dozens of scenes with such a master of the craft, he had grown accustomed to it. He was no longer supposed to be led along so easily.
And yet, it had happened again.
Recalling the encounter just now, Li Shan felt he had fallen into the trap of his own contempt. He had assumed the girl’s acting skills were mediocre, and naturally, he hadn’t put in the two hundred percent effort required to hold his ground. Usually, when he acted opposite those “method acting” fanatics, he was always fully alert. This time, he had let his guard down for a single moment, and hadn’t he just fallen right into her trap?
At this thought, a wave of shame surged through Li Shan.
He had actually thought the girl’s acting was poor, yet he had been so shaken by her performance that he couldn’t even snap back to his senses. He had truly lost face. Fortunately, he had never mentioned those thoughts to anyone else…
He had expected to spend the afternoon helping this girl polish the scene, but he never imagined that he would be the one to cause an NG. Because he wasn’t prepared, he had caused trouble for everyone for no reason. How shameful! He had wasted decades as an actor!
However, as he looked around, no one seemed to be casting any strange looks his way. Director Wang was speaking privately with Qin You, while most of the other staff members looked strangely absent-minded.
Li Shan didn’t know that his momentary lapse had allowed the tension Qin You created to dissipate only after Director Wang shouted “Cut.” The crew members were still immersed in a daze, so they naturally had no desire to scrutinize him. In fact, some were even grateful for his mistake; the aura Qin You had radiated just now was so terrifying that even those simply watching felt a sense of dread.
Director Wang said something to Qin You, who nodded in response. The director then retreated behind the monitor. The script supervisor stepped forward, and with a crisp snap of the clapperboard, the scene began again.
This time, Li Shan was fully prepared. He summoned two hundred percent of his focus, immersing himself completely in the role. At the same time, he maintained a vigilant sliver of detachment, determined not to slide into the abyss again.
He stared at the blank A4 paper in his hand, his heart racing slightly. Fortunately, his years of basic skills prevailed. On the surface, Li Shan remained the calm and composed Executive Partner who had weathered years of storms in the business world.
He flicked the A4 paper, looked up, and offered a smile to the person across the desk.
“Welcome to Tomorrow Capital.”
Though it didn’t show on his face, Li Shan couldn’t help but feel a secret sense of relief. This time, he had finally produced acting skills worthy of matching the young girl before him. He hadn’t completely disgraced himself.
His lines continued.
“An extremely impressive resume. The position of Senior Assistant is far below your talents. Although you only have two years of work experience, I’m considering breaking protocol to offer you a VP contract. What do you say, Ms. Ling?”
Qin You’s eyes curved slightly, and her husky, sandpaper-textured voice rang out.
“I applied for the Senior Assistant position only because it was the only one open. I didn’t come here for that role.”
Li Shan let out two hearty laughs, his expression one of genuine appreciation. He admired young people with sharp edges.
“However…”
Qin You’s husky voice continued.
“…I’m not here for a VP position, either.”
The smile on Li Shan’s face faded slightly. By the time Qin You finished the second half of her sentence—”Mr. Geng, I wonder if Tomorrow Capital is still looking for a Partner?”—his smile had vanished completely, his lips pulling into a thin, cold line.
He did like young people with edges. Confidence and even a bit of arrogance were fine; a person needs ambition to do great things. But being so self-assured that it crossed into sheer madness was another matter.
A sense of coldness and dissatisfaction began to radiate from Li Shan. The kind, smiling big boss existed for only a few more seconds before revealing the oppressive presence expected of someone who had long held a high position.
Across from him, the young girl seemed completely oblivious to the tension in the air. Or rather, she felt it and simply didn’t care.
She crossed her legs and rested her hands comfortably on the armrests of her chair, leaning back. The more relaxed her posture became, the more powerful her aura grew.
At this point, the two sides of the frame finally formed a perfectly balanced confrontation. Looking through the monitor, the equilibrium of the shot made one feel both tense and utterly satisfied.
“Don’t be so quick to refuse, Mr. Geng. If I’m not mistaken, Tomorrow Capital’s biggest concern right now is that you might not remain the lead investor for Mohe’s Series A, correct?”
Li Shan crossed his hands and also leaned back, offering a mirthless smile. “Mohe is currently in high demand. Every venture capital firm is scrambling to invest in it. While Tomorrow Capital has certain advantages, I’m not arrogant enough to say that Mohe absolutely must choose us. Even if they choose another firm, we are willing to accept the outcome. There’s nothing more to say; it’s just a matter of everyone relying on their own abilities.”
Qin You asked, “What if I can not only secure the Series A lead investment for you, but also get them to promise to accept investment only from Tomorrow Capital?”
Li Shan wanted to laugh, but the laughter wouldn’t come. The person before him was too arrogant—so arrogant that it made him wonder if she truly did have some kind of leverage.
“Cut!”
Director Wang’s voice rang out loudly. He stared at the monitor for a few moments before standing up and saying to them, “Passed.”
Li Shan couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. He hadn’t felt this tense in a long time.
However, in television production, a single “passed” take didn’t mean everything was finished. They still had to film from different angles. For a scene like this, they needed to shoot several close-ups of both actors.
Even though the camera would only be focused on one person at a time, the other actor still had to stay and act opposite them to maintain the performance, so there was no time for a break.
They started with Ling Yu’s close-ups. Li Shan remained seated at his end of the desk, watching as the camera was positioned between them. Through the lens, Qin You possessed even more texture and presence than she did to the naked eye. He marveled at it for a moment before continuing to rehearse the lines with her.