"Lu, the interview is about to start, let's go inside and have a look first, we'll come back for the material later."
Meng Changkun, along with Wu Tianzheng's assistant, got two nameplates, bearing his and Lu Liang's names, the position was producer.
Meng Changkun, with a sly smile on his face, slung an arm around Lu Liang's shoulder, imparting wisdom, "This is our identity information, later every girl who comes in for the interview will greet us."
"If you see someone you fancy, just ask Old Wu for her contact information afterwards, and you'll know what to do then, I presume."
"Understood." Lu Liang bowed with hands clasped, his face showing admiration; he certainly learned a lot of new knowledge today.
This made him think of those actresses who claimed to have no background but also no acting skills, before they embarked on their glittering paths to stardom, they probably all went through this process as well.
Meng Changkun wore a smile, quite pleased with himself, "This is nothing, I'll take you to Korea some time to experience it."
"Here at least the women have to agree, if they don't, there's nothing we can do, but over there, the chaebols are like ordering dishes at a restaurant, whoever they call must come, even if it's a top actress in her prime.
"In our country, stars are still put too high on a pedestal."
Old Meng daydreamed wistfully.
Lu Liang: "..."
The two, wearing their nameplates, entered a meeting room.
A director, an assistant director, and a real producer all stood up when they saw them come in.
They were from the same crew, and if there were two new producers added, they had no reason not to know, so their real identity was clear: they were financiers with the title of producer.
"Carry on with your business, we're just here to have a look."
Meng Changkun, relaxed and natural, pulled over two chairs and sat next to the director, indicating, "You can start the interview now."
"Alright, starting immediately." The director and producer nodded quickly, calling for the production staff to begin today's interviews.
Lu Liang also received a copy of the screenplay outline.
It was roughly about a group of college students, who planned an adventure to an abandoned school one weekend. While there were some unusual events during the day, overall, it was all safe.
At night, someone suggested playing the disc fairy game, introducing the theme of "Disc Immortal Battle Pen Immortal," followed by a series of bizarre events where the supporting characters either died or went insane.
In the end, the story took a turn for the sublime. Speak not of strange forces and chaos, as the so-called disc fairy, Pen Spirit, didn't exist at all.
It was just that years before, a group of people had bullied a girl, leading to her accidental fall from a building, yet in the end the blame fell on the Pen Spirit.
And so, the sister came for revenge...
"How does it feel?" asked Meng Changkun, seeing Lu Liang reading so intently, with a smile.
"Click, click... Rich content, clear theme, dramatic plot twists, it's quite ingenious."
Lu Liang was no longer able to make sarcastic remarks; originally, the perpetrators all had younger brothers or sisters, and all were from the same school, which was more far-fetched than the odds of a layperson winning the lottery.
"There's no such thing as a coincidence." Meng Changkun chuckled, actually thinking the story was quite good; with a group of handsome men and beautiful women, as long as they skirted on the edge of being banned, they might just make a small profit.
Lu Liang was startled, slowly being convinced. He was looking at the story structure, its logic, but Meng Changkun was looking at the market.
Thrillers under the guise of ghosts inherently had low logic, plus with such a name, it wasn't meant for those obsessed with logic; the main draw was the atmosphere of the viewing experience.
Young men and women huddled on the couch, watching a not-too-horrifying horror movie, engaging in ambiguous activities.
"Mr. Meng, Mr. Lu, Director Liang..."
"Hello, my name is Zhou Xiaoqi, a graduate of Modu Film Art Academy..."
"I'm here today to audition for the role of Ye Qianwen, please guide me..."
A girl in her early twenties, entered upon knocking, her long hair flowing, with a graceful figure.
She wore a loose white blouse, paired with a denim mini-skirt, and on her feet were a pair of Martin boots.
She was over one meter seventy tall, very statuesque, and had a great personality, warmly greeting everyone as she walked in.
Lu Liang looked down at the script, Ye Qianwen's character should be the second female lead, the last supporting character to die.
He glanced at Meng Changkun, wondering if this was a newbie here for the audition or that little lover.
Meng Changkun smiled amiably, clearing his throat a few times, "There's a part here where you need to express terror, perform it for us to see."
Zhou Xiaoqi took a moment to prepare, then widened her eyes, flared her nostrils, and slightly opened her mouth, "Don't you come over here~"
Director Liang nodded with satisfaction, "Not bad, now perform a part that shows relief after a narrow escape..."
Zhou Xiaoqi acted out another scene, patting her puffed-up chest, "That was close, that was close."
The three professionals, including Meng Changkun, were all very satisfied.
Lu Liang understood, this was the predetermined second female lead, also known as Old Meng's little lover.
He had a good eye, such a long gun rack, to carry on your shoulder, that sight is too beautiful, he dared not dwell on the thought.
Auditions with several more candidates continued, and only then did Lu Liang realize just how hard these girls were trying.
Some bowed so low their buttons popped, others took off their coats as soon as they entered the room, making it almost no different than being undressed.
There were also those who made sure to shake hands with everyone when leaving the audition, Lu Liang's palm scratched by their manicured nails.
Meng Changkun, Director Liang, and the other two remained indifferent, clearly having become used to such occurrences.
Throughout the day, Lu Liang's values were repeatedly challenged, confirming the chaos of the showbiz world he had heard of.
For every willing participant, there was also a reluctant "white lotus," modest and properly dressed, showing no skin. She was one of the few who came to audition in long pants, beautiful with a nice figure, and her acting wasn't half bad.
Her name was Bai Xiaoqin, 21 years old, and she had come to audition for the second female lead, not knowing that the role had already been taken.
Lu Liang, who had been silent up until that point, suddenly stopped Bai Xiaoqin as she was leaving, "Would you like to try for Jiang Xixi's role?"
Jiang Xixi was one of the characters in the movie and would be considered the fourth female lead by screen time, even though she died half an hour into the film; at least she was a character actor.
Actors at the bottom of the industry stack up in four levels: extras who just fill space, group actors who help out when needed, featured actors who deliver a few lines and appear in a few scenes, and character actors who carry a role and move the plot along.
Stunned and excited, Bai Xiaoqin asked, "Mr. Lu, do you think I can do it?"
"We'll discuss it, and if you're selected, we'll send you a notice."
Lu Liang didn't finish his sentence, since after all, he was just a guest, and the final decision wasn't in his hands.
"Alright, Mr. Lu, thank you," Bai Xiaoqin suppressed her excitement, bowed again in gratitude, and then left the audition room.
"Interested, brother?" Meng Changkun grinned, taking a sip of water and standing up to stretch.
"A little," Lu Liang admitted frankly, asking how much would need to be invested to give her the fourth female role.
"Director Liang, how's the girl's acting?" Meng Changkun didn't reply, but instead turned to consult with the other professionals.
"Very good, she was the best of the morning," Director Liang stated honestly.
Though he had fallen from grace, he once dreamed of being a renowned director and still possessed a solid level of discernment.
"Then let's give her the fourth female role."
Meng Changkun patted Lu Liang on the shoulder, light-heartedly mentioning that they were like brothers, and funding was not an issue currently.
He paused, then added, "Just to add, brother Rong mentioned, this girl might not be easy to handle."
He had attended many casting sessions and knew which girls were easy to get and which weren't.
Bai Xiaoqin was among the toughest, a good actress with no bend to the unwritten rules, which could end up being a loss.
Meng Changkun had a fixed valuation for women, no matter how beautiful, even for Fan Xiaobing, they were worth no more than a million.
If he couldn't get his way even after spending a million, he would decisively give up, as it's not as though beautiful women were extinct.
Keeping a young, beautiful, and possibly virgin college student cost only a few tens of thousands a month.
In his mind, that's all a woman was worth.