By the time Ailin brought in the freshly brewed coffee, Leng Zimo had already reached the end of the video.
The video was just playing Xu Xia's part when, after listening for half a minute and hearing her cracked high notes, he once again fast-forwarded.
"Because I want to make money, I want to become famous, I need an opportunity!"
Luo Xiaoqian's voice abruptly filled the room.
Leng Zimo raised his eyebrows and looked at the image projected on the wall.
The girl was dressed in the simplest shirt and jeans, her hair casually tied into a ponytail at the back of her head. Without a trace of makeup, she was still beautiful.
Then, she sang.
"Hypocrisy,
Your passionate promises scatter with the west wind, disappearing into the distance.
...
Out of the blue,
Your ruthless letting go,
At the time I needed you the most..."
Leng Zimo moved his finger off the mouse, holding the cup in his hands, yet he didn't drink.
It wasn't until the song was over that he brought the cup of black coffee to his lips, sipped it lightly, and then set the cup down.
The coffee had lost its heat, and he never drank lukewarm coffee.
"Any news from Qin Lan?!"
"Mr. Qin said he wants to enjoy the sun in Hawaii with Miss An, and he might not make it back within a week!" Ailin pursed her lips, having followed her boss for two years. Although he always kept a cold face and his emotions were unreadable, she could tell he was not pleased at the moment. She tactfully came over, picked up the cup, and asked cautiously, "Shall I get you a fresh one?"
"I'm taking over Tai Lan's position!" Leng Zimo stood up, his gaze fixed on Luo Xiaoqian's face on the wall, "What's her name?"
Ailin swiftly leafed through the information in her hands, found Luo Xiaoqian's registration form, and handed it to him, "Luo Xiaoqian."
Leng Zimo skimmed through the registration form, gazing at the familiar face in the one-inch photo, a chill overflowing in his eyes.
"Give her one minute!"
A look of surprise emerged from behind Ailin's glasses.
She obviously knew he was referring to the first audition highlight reel editing.
The entire edit, including the promo clips, was just ten minutes. Fifty-six contestants, and Luo Xiaoqian alone occupied one minute. Did her boss favor this girl so much?
"Okay!"
Despite her surprise, Ailin did not dare to delay, and, agreeing to his request, she packed up her computer, deftly poured him a fresh cup of hot coffee, and then turned to leave.
This time around, the boss had invested tens of millions into preparing this talent show and was personally overseeing it; obviously, it was highly important, so she dared not slacken in the slightest.
Hearing Ailin exit through the door, Leng Zimo casually tossed Luo Xiaoqian's registration form on the desk, opened the safe beneath, and took out a plain black wallet.
Inside the wallet, besides a few notes and a bank card, there was just a photo, with an identity card peeking out from behind the bank card.
Leng Zimo reached in and pulled out Luo Xiaoqian's ID card, looking at the youthful face of the girl on it as he slightly raised his eyebrows.
"People who provoke me, always have to pay a price!"
His gaze landed on the camera beside him; he removed the memory card and inserted it into the computer on his desk.
Apart from a few test landscape photos, it was filled with photos of him and her, and finally, a video.
He clicked the mouse and immediately, his bedroom appeared in the video, followed by a close-up of the young girl's face, which then adjusted to focus on the bed's location.
"Let's just record a video, later on I can capture the pictures from it..."
She muttered to herself while making adjustments.