When he returned to the hotel and shared this news with Shu Qi, her expression turned utterly bewildered.
"So, the brilliant director who's known as the Witch, was the one who drove us back yesterday?" she asked in astonishment.
"That's right!"
"The one whose every movie earns at least 300 million dollars?"
"That's her!"
"She wants me to audition for her new action movie?"
"Yes!"
Upon hearing Wen Jun's responses, Shu Qi felt flustered. Three hundred million dollars could translate to over 2 billion Hong Kong dollars! Such box office earnings for any movie were inconceivable, especially in Hong Kong. And she, a director who wasn't even twenty years old, had already completed three films, with hints of a fourth and a fifth to come!
And now, this talented director wanted her to audition?
"Listen!" Wen Jun put his hands on her shoulders and pressed down gently. "This is a great opportunity. Tomorrow afternoon, go to her studio for the audition. Put your best foot forward. I believe if you perform normally, you'll land that role! Understand?"
"But, but..." Shu Qi sat uneasily, running her fingers through her hair. "I can't do it! She's looking for an action actor, but I don't know anything!"
"What does that matter? Hollywood's technology is more advanced than ours, especially their special effects, which are at least twenty years ahead of us! Just do what you can, and leave the rest to stunt doubles and special effects!"
Seeing her eyes darting around, Wen Jun's tone grew more serious. "Do you want to give up this hard-won opportunity? Do you realize that if this news gets out, how many people will be vying for it?"
Shu Qi hesitated. Every actor dreams of Hollywood, but only a small fraction ever achieves that dream. Like many, she had yearned to someday appear in a Hollywood film, to make herself known to a broader audience. But now that this opportunity had unexpectedly arrived, her nervousness was affecting her confidence.
"When I met Director Moran, she mentioned that she had a very good impression of you. She also said it's fate. And it's true! Why did your bag get lost precisely at that time? Why were you rescued by her? This is destiny, it's fate! Embrace this new destiny to change your old one, understand?"
Wen Jun's words detonated like a bomb in Shu Qi's mind.
Yes, she wanted to change her fate! She no longer wanted to see those disdainful and strange looks whenever her past was brought up!
"I'll go! Thank you, thank you for giving me this chance! I'll do my best to get it!"
Wen Jun smiled warmly. "Exactly! Give it your all! Also, from my conversation with her, I learned that the role is likely a formidable antagonist boss. Besides martial arts skills, you need to exude the aura of a villainous leader. Today, focus on preparing for that aspect. It should help with tomorrow's audition."
Shu Qi nodded earnestly. "I understand!"
While Shu Qi contemplated her role for the audition, another person's fate was also transforming because of Laila – Roy's younger brother, Abel Seasonstar.
Growing up in foster care, Abel had not fallen into the usual pitfalls of foster children – either becoming self-destructive or reckless. With his brother's help, he miraculously obtained a tight but stable environment conducive to studying and getting proper nourishment. Plus, having a brother who readily threw punches to defend him ensured he wasn't bullied by others in foster care.
After Laila brought Roy to Hollywood, she used her influence to arrange for Abel to live in a more favorable environment. With her substantial donation, Abel's quality of life during these two years surpassed that of many middle-class families.
Of course, she hadn't told Roy about this. If she had, he might lose his motivation. She still wanted Roy to strive hard in academics and training to help his brother escape a difficult life.
So, when Roy arrived at Laila's office with Abel, he was surprised by the appearance of the boy before him.
What an adorable little shota!
Abel, nearly 14 years old, was seven years younger than Roy. He had the same dark gold hair with a slight curl that Roy had, as well as a stunningly handsome face that would surely captivate countless girls in the future.
She remembered seeing him as a skinny boy the last time they met. How did he turn into such an irresistibly cute doll this time? It seemed like he had been living well during these two years.
"I know Abel is handsome, but is it appropriate for you to drool over a kid like that?" Roy said protectively, pulling his brother behind him, feeling like something was unsettling in her eyes. It was as if she was analyzing Abel, calculating how much he could be worth.
Laila withdrew her gaze from Abel, looking at him indifferently. "Is that what you should be saying to me?"
Roy stumbled for words, "Well, I have to thank you. I've heard from Abel that he's been doing well for the past two years. Thank you."
Resting her cheek on her hand, Laila smiled playfully. "It's quite an achievement to hear you thank me. I forgot to take a picture just now, but maybe I can use it to cheer myself up whenever I'm in a bad mood."
"Hey, you, really not cute at all!" Roy rolled his eyes. The excitement that had surged inside him a moment ago vanished at her words.
"Thanks for the compliment." Laila stood up and fetched a bunch of keys from the drawer, tossing them to him. "These are the keys to the car and the house. You can use the car for now. Remember to take good care of it. I don't want it to turn into scrap by the time you return it."
"Don't worry, I'll love it more than I love you!" Roy picked up the keys and kissed them. It was a luxury car; no man could resist the allure of such a car, right?
"Let's go, I'll show you your new home-to-be," Laila said, picking up her coat and heading out first.
Roy patted Abel's shoulder. "Let's go, Abel. Let's see our new home!"
"Sure." Abel agreed and followed their steps. Watching his brother run ahead and continue bantering with Laila, he blinked his beautiful gray eyes, as if he had suddenly grasped something.