Retired for A Hundred Years: Re-Employment for the Apocalypse Bigshot!-Chapter 121: Audition

"What do you mean by ’they’?"

"Don’t worry, I won’t interfere with your casting decisions."

Feng Lei saw that Lin Anqing was playing dumb in front of him and directly unveiled his intentions. He looked at Ye Tong and said, "Leave professional matters to professionals, I respect your choice."

Lin Anqing paused for a moment, looked at Feng Lei for a while, and seeing that he wasn’t joking, tentatively asked, "And what about Chairman Qin?"

Feng Lei smiled, "What do you think? Neither of those two girls have signed with a company, right?"

Lin Anqing immediately understood his meaning, and couldn’t be bothered with him anymore, realizing that capitalists certainly are not philanthropists.

"Ji Ning, Ye Tong, come over here."

Not far away, Feng Zhong called out loudly.

Seeing this, Lin Anqing also stood up and said coldly to Feng Lei, "I’m going to the audition now, President Feng, you should come and watch."

Ye Tong, who had been somewhat excited, immediately lost her smile upon seeing Feng Lei’s face and frowned.

What is this schemer doing here?

He isn’t here to cause trouble again, is he?

With this thought, Ye Tong’s eyes showed a hint of caution.

Seeing her reaction, Feng Lei proactively started the conversation, "Hey, we meet again."

Feng Zhong, surprised by this, glanced between them and asked, "You two know each other?"

"No, we don’t."

"We’ve met a few times."

The two spoke simultaneously, and Feng Lei’s smile grew wider, "Miss Ye, it seems you easily forget people. You forgot I drove you home that..."

"Ah—so it was you! Thank you for driving Ning and me home that night. I had wanted to treat you to dinner as a thank you, but I later realized I forgot to get your contact details. Director Lin, you remember, right? It was the day I came for the audition, and the car that was supposed to pick us up suddenly broke down. Just then, this gentleman came out to help by giving us a ride home...." Ye Tong immediately interrupted Feng Lei’s somewhat suggestive comment and explained earnestly to Feng Zhong and Lin Anqing.

The more she spoke, the more frustrated she felt.

The schemer indeed came to ruin things.

Lin Anqing, upon hearing this, regretted not having met Ji Ning sooner, knowing she was also there that day.

Feng Zhong nodded slightly and smiled, "Quite a coincidence. This is President Feng from Xingyu Group, also the producer of Director Lin’s film. You both probably know why you’re called here, right? I won’t say much more. This is a good opportunity; make sure to seize it."

Ye Tong quickly bowed in gratitude to Feng Zhong and Lin Anqing, "Thank you, Director Feng, and thank you, Director Lin, for giving me another audition opportunity."

Lin Anqing, naturally a kind-looking person, smiled and gently supported her, jokingly saying, "I have high standards for the role. If you don’t meet them, I’ll still say no."

"Okay... thank you, Director Lin..."

Lin Anqing wanted Ye Tong to audition for a scene of escape; it starts with the female lead leading a team into the Pollution Zone to save people, getting attacked by mutant zombies, and having to put down her own teammates who got bitten and turned.

There weren’t many lines; the focus was on facial expression and body language.

Ye Tong had 15 minutes of preparation time.

"You really don’t want to try?" Lin Anqing asked Ji Ning regretfully.

Ji Ning shrugged, "No, I’m not interested in acting."

On the side, Feng Zhong secretly felt delighted and patted Lin Anqing on the shoulder, "Director Lin, our classmate Ji is usually very busy, it’s even hard for me to arrange to see her."

Lin Anqing gave him a dirty look and continued to try to poach Ji Ning: "Ji Ning, if you don’t want to play the lead, you can play other roles. Whatever you do in Lao Feng’s crew, you can do with us too."

"Hey, Lao Lin, are you trying to steal my people now?"

"Hmph..."

Ji Ning, drinking the beverage brought by Feng Zhong’s assistant, thought for a moment and replied, "If the salary is the same, maybe."

Before Lin Anqing could reply, Feng Lei interjected, "Xingyu can give you three times the salary."

"Not going."

"Why not?"

Ji Ning, still sipping the drink and with a smirk, looked at him, "Not enough time."

"I could arrange for Xingyu to sign Ye Tong."

"She doesn’t need it." Ji Ning glanced at the girl immersed in her role not far away, and her voice was very calm.

This was the first time Feng Lei had met someone like her, her eyes seemingly capable of seeing through to one’s soul.

He had investigated her before, or rather, he had investigated both friends around Bai Xiaotang.

Ye Tong had a straightforward identity, clear upon checking, but as for the girl before him, no matter how much he dug, he found nothing about her.

Mysteriously, as if someone had erased all traces of her identity from the world.

Feng Lei chuckled and said no more.

Fifteen minutes later—

Ye Tong put down her phone and came over silently.

Her gaze was heavy, immediately embodying the character.

Lin Anqing didn’t disturb her, simply gesturing her to proceed.

Ye Tong glanced at Gu Lin offstage and said, "Gu Lin, can you assist me?"

Gu Lin did not hesitate and walked over.

"You’re going to attack me in a moment."

Gu Lin nodded slightly.

With Feng Zhong’s cue of "Begin," Gu Lin charged at Ye Tong with a ferocious expression, "Ah—"

Ye Tong expressionlessly stabbed the "dagger" in her hand toward Gu Lin’s chest, her gaze icy as if the person before her was completely irrelevant.

But in the turnaround moment, the coldness in her eyes shifted to sorrow, her eyes reddening with hidden wateriness, yet still she maintained a blank expression, standing straight, holding her wounded arm, taking step after step toward the outside.

Halfway, she suddenly stopped, looking up to the skies, pushing back tears threatening to fall.

After a long pause, she coolly said, "Bring his body along, let’s go."

Ye Tong clenched her fists, gaze returning to calmness, but like a tranquil deep pool.

The scene was supposed to end here, yet no one on set interrupted her.

Until Lin Anqing finally said, "Cut—"

Her gaze changed, though she still seemed gloomy, evidently not fully immersed out of the role.

"Clap clap clap..."

Applause came from beside her.

Ye Tong looked up to see the schemer guy smiling and clapping.

Following his lead, the surrounding applause soon became unanimous.

Ye Tong bit her lip, eyes reddening, and bowed to those around, "Thank you..."

Lin Anqing clapping, glanced at Ji Ning, "She’s indeed perfect for the role you mentioned."

Ji Ning, observing Ye Tong’s joyful tears, slightly raised her lips, "She’s very empathetic."

Amid the applause, Ye Tong walked over, shyly looking at Ji Ning and Lin Anqing, seemingly awaiting Lin Anqing’s feedback.

Lin Anqing didn’t hold back his praise, "Your acting is very immersive, leave me your contact details."

"Ah, thank you, Director Lin."

Excitedly bowing to Lin Anqing, Ye Tong quickly went to find her phone to exchange contact information with him.

Just after adding it, a Smart Brain screen popped up.

She looked up and saw Feng Lei smiling at her, "Do you want to be an artist at Xingyu?"

Ye Tong’s expression froze as if she hadn’t processed it yet.

Feng Lei added, "I checked, you haven’t signed with any agency yet, so, how about signing with a company under Xingyu Group?"