Chapter 22: Stealing Roles?

Looking into Lu Jinzhao's sincere gaze, Shen Ci nodded gently.

Just then, the sales agent finished the paperwork and approached, handing the brand-new property deed to Shen Ci: "Miss Shen, the transfer is complete. Congratulations on becoming the owner of 'Wan Jia Deng Huo'."

"Thank you."

Lu Jinzhao spoke up from the side as well: "Miss Shen might not know, but although I acquired this house through a secondary sale, I actually didn't even have time to move in for a single day. In the end, it's still a brand-new house."

Shen Ci raised an eyebrow in understanding: "Then I must thank you, Mr. Lu. If it weren't for your quick turnaround, a house in such a prime location would likely have been snatched up by someone else. I've truly found a bargain."

Lu Jinzhao chuckled upon hearing this: "It's simply that you and this house are destined to meet. By the way, Miss Shen, since this invitation was somewhat last-minute and the company's official invitations have already been sent out, please send me a message when you arrive on Friday, and I will come out to meet you."

"Alright, no problem."

***

Meanwhile, at Longcheng Film Academy.

In the stage play rehearsal hall, large groups of students were pouring out.

"Shen Li, you were amazing just now! No wonder the casting director picked you instantly."

"You've only been in school for a few days, and you've already landed a role in a major IP. That's incredible."

"It's all my fault for not reading the novel 'Destiny of the Phoenix.' Otherwise, I definitely could have performed better just now."

Several girls surrounded Shen Li as they walked out; they had just participated in the auditions for the production of "Destiny of the Phoenix."

Film and television companies maintain deep, long-term collaborations with acting academies. Whenever a production needs talent, they come directly to the schools to scout. Large numbers of new faces undergo unified auditions, and many people seize this opportunity to land minor roles, allowing them to build recognition among the audience in the early stages of their acting careers.

The lucky ones can land significant supporting roles and get signed by talent agencies immediately, securing professional team support for their future.

Shen Li felt a bit embarrassed by the praise, and since these classmates had not secured roles, she felt an inexplicable sense of guilt.

She possessed an internalizing personality; she would subconsciously take responsibility for things that had nothing to do with her.

"I just got lucky. Besides, it's only a maid character. I'm sure you all will land better roles in the future," Shen Li said with a forced smile, her fingers nervously rubbing the hem of her clothes.

Her roommate, Wang Chuhan, couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. She turned to the other classmates and said, "Look at Shen Li. She's usually so soft and weak, but the moment she stepped on stage, she turned into a completely different person."

Recalling the scene Shen Li had just auditioned—the "strangling someone" part—which was filled with intense emotion and powerful impact, the classmates nodded in agreement. "Exactly! That look in her eyes when she turned her head startled me. I even whispered to Wang Huiru, 'Is that really Shen Li?'"

"She must have fully immersed herself in the character to be that selfless. Shen Li was born for this profession."

"Anyway, I'm not surprised at all that Shen Li got the role of 'A-Yu.' The others were just... okay. I didn't find them particularly outstanding."

Hearing this, Shen Li hurriedly waved her hands in panic: "Don't say that. It was my first time auditioning; I was just improvising."

Not far behind, a pretty-looking girl watched Shen Li's timid demeanor and curled her lip in disdain: "What is she even pretending for, day after day?"

Once most of the students had exited, a physical training instructor from the academy walked out last, accompanying the casting team.

The man leading them wore sunglasses; he was Feng Shan, the casting director for "Destiny of the Phoenix."

"Director Feng, thank you for your hard work. Our current batch of students is very excellent. Please give them plenty of opportunities in the future!" the instructor said with a conciliatory smile, trying to secure more chances for the students.

Feng Shan nodded, picking up the roster and glancing at the students who had been selected: "There are indeed a few good ones."

"Since this is a major period-drama IP, we need quite a few maids and guards. Although they aren't major roles, as you know, if the drama becomes a hit, the effort won't have been in vain. Besides, the ones we picked today are characters that appear throughout the entire series with plenty of dialogue."

"Yes, yes. Rest assured, Director Feng. I will make sure to urge them to practice their 'voice, stage presence, form, and expression' so they won't hold the production back."

"Alright, we'll head out then. We'll communicate if any issues arise later."

As soon as the instructor and the casting team separated, the girl from earlier rushed forward.

"Director Feng, please wait!"

Hearing the voice, Feng Shan stopped and turned around. He saw a girl running up to him. She quickly smoothed her hair before flashing a smile and saying, "Hello, Director Feng. My name is Xu Zishan."

Feng Shan looked at her and nodded: "I know. You auditioned just now. Is there something else?"

The rest of the team frowned slightly. Having spent a long time in the industry, they had seen all kinds of people. There were countless individuals who used every means possible to climb the ladder; they were not unfamiliar with Xu Zishan's behavior.

Approaching the casting director to fight for a better role?

Sure enough, Xu Zishan was a formidable character. Without beating around the bush, she spoke directly: "I want the role of 'A-Yu'."

Feng Shan was taken aback and instinctively glanced back at the names on the roster: "You weren't rejected. Didn't we settle on you for 'A-Ru'?"

As he spoke, Feng Shan looked up at her with a smile: "Or are you saying you want to snatch someone else's role?"

"Yes." Xu Zishan did not deny it in the slightest: "'A-Ru' is the maid of the Fourth Young Lady. The Fourth Young Lady doesn't have much screen time in the original novel, so her maid has even less."

"'A-Yu' is different. She is the maid of the Second Young Lady. Although she is a villain, she has a lot of screen time and significant room for performance. I want to fight for myself. Director Feng, I will definitely play it well."

She finished with a serious expression, only to be met with laughter from the casting team.

Feng Shan glanced at the name "Shen Li," who had originally been cast as "A-Yu." This was the name that left the deepest impression on him, as she had been the best performer among today's students.

"Little girl, having ambition is a good thing, but you are still young. You shouldn't expose your ambitions so early. Once you have established yourself in this industry, then you will have the right to choose your roles. Do you understand?"

With that, Feng Shan turned to lead his team away, but unexpectedly, Xu Zishan's next sentence caused him to freeze in his tracks.

"Director Feng, what if my father can invest money?"

Feng Shan turned to look at her, and the smiles on the faces of the others vanished simultaneously.

A lack of funding was the most critical issue for any project. If this trip could bring back an investor, the boss would certainly be pleased.

Feng Shan stared at her for a long moment, then suddenly curled his lips into a smile: "Xu Zishan, right? I'll remember you."