Chapter 160: Storms of Opportunity
by xennovel“Did you see it wrong?”
Apart from Li Ying, the faces of several agents representing third- and fourth-tier actors also darkened.
No other reason.
They had nearly the same experience as Li Ying and Feng Xuan; not long ago, they had also turned down Xu Xin’s offer for a celebrity endorsement.
The only difference was that they hadn’t previously been talents of Longhai Brokerage.
“Before Longhai Brokerage collapsed, Xu Xin was a heavyweight in the entertainment world. How could I have mistaken? I just didn’t expect her to suddenly start working for Haofang Culture. I thought she wouldn’t return to the country for a while!”
Not everyone was aware of Xu Xin’s search for endorsements as another person continued,
“But how does a person specializing in managing celebrity talents suddenly start interviewing actors? She isn’t a director! What on earth is Haofang Culture thinking?”
Nearby, a handsome young man couldn’t help but complain.
“Well, you can’t really blame Xu Xin. Given her deep knowledge of the industry, she’s well aware of many artists’ acting skills and even their private lives. Haofang Culture probably brought her in to prevent an unexpected disaster that could ruin the entire production!”
Someone added again,
“But weren’t the previous two productions the same?”
The young man was left speechless.
“The previous two projects featured complete newcomers, so there wasn’t much to worry about. This time, however, it’s different!”
“Sister Li, what are we going to do now?”
As others discussed Xu Xin, Feng Xuan had already pulled Li Ying aside, clearly panicked!
All the composure painstakingly built over the night crumbled in an instant.
If they had politely declined Xu Xin’s offer, it wouldn’t have been a big issue. But Li Ying had made plenty of snide remarks and derisive comments toward Xu Xin. Who would have thought that fate would soon be in Xu Xin’s hands?
“Don’t panic for now!”
Li Ying rubbed her temples in distress.
Even now, she couldn’t understand how two completely unconnected parties ended up linked. If only she had known Xu Xin was the chief interviewer for this casting session—any endorsement offer, whether three million or even half a million, would have been welcome.
“Sister Li, I’m worried she might make trouble for me,”
Feng Xuan said, biting his lip.
“Just act normal when you go in for the interview, as if nothing happened.”
After a long moment of thought,
Li Ying brushed back her hair.
“Sister Li,”
The more Li Ying said it, the more nervous Feng Xuan became.
How could he just pretend nothing happened? “Room 8, Feng Xuan!”
Just as Li Ying was about to add something, the heavy door of the interview room swung open. A man named Hu Xiao stepped out, followed by a staff member.
“Sister Li.”
“It’s okay! Like I said, just act as if nothing happened or pretend you don’t know her!”
Li Ying patted Feng Xuan on the shoulder and said immediately.
Time ticked by minute after minute.
Five minutes later,
Feng Xuan emerged from the interview room.
“That was fast. Did Xu Xin put you on the spot?”
Hearing this, Li Ying’s heart skipped a beat and she hurried to intercept him.
Generally speaking, if an interview lasts only four or five minutes it’s usually not promising – just a formality.
“Well, they just asked my take on the male lead. I answered based on what I’d prepared in advance.”
Feng Xuan shook his head.
Upon sitting down, he noticed that Xu Xin opposite him had not shown the slightest expression or movement, acting entirely professional – a demeanor he wasn’t used to.
“Is that all?”
“That’s it! They said they’d announce the results by noon.”
“Noon?”
Li Ying glanced at her watch and said,
“It’s still early. Let’s come back at 11:30. If even someone with your credentials doesn’t make it to the next round, then Xu Xin must be deliberately targeting you!”
“Targeting me?”
Feng Xuan paused.
In truth, it didn’t feel like a personal vendetta; other casting sessions were run much the same way.
“Xiao Xuan, you’re still young. Someone like Xu Xin, who’s been in the entertainment game for ages, is incredibly shrewd. How could you possibly tell when you’re being singled out?”
Li Ying cast a glance at the interview room.
“Then!”
“Let’s go back to the guesthouse first.”
By noon, the sun reappeared above Mingsha County, raising temperatures and drawing even more visitors onto Qing Brick Avenue.
At the same time, the front of the Haofang Culture office building was completely swarmed with fans eager for celebrity autographs.
Many tourists were thrilled to bump into so many stars on a casual stroll. Although these celebrities weren’t top-tier, having a photo together for a social media post was still exciting.
As for why the stars were here, no one really knew or cared – as long as it was selfie material, it was all good.
However,
while the tourists buzzed with excitement, Feng Xuan and Li Ying in their guesthouse room couldn’t share in the cheer.
Just moments ago, Feng Xuan had received an SMS from a Haofang Culture staff member containing the list of actors moving on to the second round of auditions, along with a notice.
The notice stated that actors who failed could still audition for supporting roles on the fourth floor of the office.
Unexpected, yet not entirely surprising!
Feng Xuan’s name was absent from the second-round list, whereas Li Ying, Feng Xuan, and even the much-doubted Hu Xiao had advanced.
“It’s nothing but personal vendettas. This is a typical case of settling scores! Even someone like Hu Xiao made it to round two – and you didn’t?”
Smack! Li Ying angrily tossed her phone onto the bed, her frustration evident.
No one knew how much this opportunity meant to her. After all the preparation, a single decision by Xu Xin had ruined everything. “Sister Li, maybe we should try for a supporting role?”
Feng Xuan tried to speak, unsure where to begin.
“Supporting role? Why aim for a supporting role when you’re gunning for the lead? If you settle for second or even third lead, other crews will be lining up to sign with you.
I always thought Haofang Culture cared about quality, but now it seems no better than any other company! With someone like Xu Xin on board, it’s destined to fail!”
The more Li Ying thought about it, the angrier she grew.
Normally, she would have confronted Xu Xin directly, but with so many tourists downstairs, any confrontation would only expose Feng Xuan’s failure to secure the lead role – a huge blow to his pride.
“Sister Li,”
“No way. If it’s a matter of talent, I’d accept it; but being deliberately targeted like this is unacceptable! Let’s use this as a chance to show everyone what kind of company Haofang Culture really is.”
In her anger, Li Ying immediately picked up her phone and posted on Weibo with the caption “Settling scores and shoddy actors – this production is doomed!” She even set the post’s location to the Haofang Culture office.
Rumbling in the distance! Although a heavy snowfall had just ended yesterday, work on the new Vermilion Bird Building and the adjoining Qing Brick Avenue was still underway. In fact, the construction on both sides had sped up thanks to reduced snow, shifting sands, and dust.
“General Zhu, have there been any wedding orders these days?”
Turning his gaze to the now-levelled foundations on both sides of Qing Brick Avenue, Zhu Qiang asked.
“There are orders, but they’re all scheduled for later dates!”
After a moment’s thought, Luo Peng remarked,
“What’s the nearest booking?”
“The nearest one is on New Year’s Day!”
“New Year’s Day? Today’s December 3rd. They should have finished building the main structures or the facades on both sides by then! It’s a good thing it’s New Year’s Day, or it would have badly affected the wedding’s impression.”
Zhu Qiang couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.
The side road along Qing Brick Avenue had now been named Vermilion Bird Street. The buildings lining the street were mainly styled after antiquated hotels, with shops on the ground floor.
The entrance to Vermilion Bird Street was seven to eight hundred meters from the Vermilion Bird Building. Clearly, the host family of the wedding would insist on holding the banquet there. The sight of construction scaffolding along both sides of Vermilion Bird Street would have been most unseemly.
To avoid that, the hotel used antifreeze cement and pre-fabricated modules to speed up construction this time around. “General Zhu, don’t worry about this end. We won’t delay things! But we need to push things along at Oasis 3. Fans have high expectations for it, and if it goes wrong, word of mouth could collapse quickly.
Besides, I heard that next year the Long Kingdom Film Festival might be held in the west. If Oasis 3 is completed on time and a new show is released, we might even have a chance!”
Luo Peng nodded.
“The Long Kingdom Film Festival? The one where all the international stars show up?”
“Yes!”
“Alright then. Brother Hao’s tied up with affairs at the Protectorate of West Liang; I’ll see what I can do on my end.”
In Wudi City, Ancient Building Courtyard…
Xu Hao had just gotten up. Unaware of the actor interviews arranged by Haofang Culture, he was enjoying a rare moment of leisure, since the beams and columns at the Protectorate of West Liang hadn’t yet been dealt with, leaving him a couple of days off. With other matters already handed over to Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng, it was a welcome break.
“Phew!”
He stretched lazily and, just as he reached the bedside, his phone rang.
Glancing at the caller ID, he saw it was Fang Hou.
“What’s up, Monkey?”
After answering, Xu Hao said casually.
“Haozi, I just finished meeting with a major cinema chain executive!”
Fang Hou’s voice came through quickly.
“What did they say?”
Xu Hao’s expression changed subtly.
Only he and Fang Hou knew about the film’s preparations; no one else was aware.
“Monkey, they mentioned that while suspense and sci-fi genres are popular right now, the market is oversaturated. Audiences are tired of similar movies, but historical martial arts films haven’t been seen for a long time!”
Fang Hou immediately replied,
“Historical martial arts films?”
“Yes. If executed well, they could attract a huge audience.”
“Alright, once you get back to Mingsha, let’s make a historical martial arts film.”
Xu Hao responded instantly.
“Back to work? Monkey, aren’t you busy with matters at the Protectorate? And Oasis 3 still isn’t finished—aren’t we rushing things a bit?”
Fang Hou was momentarily taken aback.
Even though he was often out on business, he knew a thing or two about what was happening in Mingsha.
“It’s fine. If we’re shooting a desert historical martial arts film, the scene requirements aren’t high. Plus, winter’s wind and sand are actually ideal for filming!”
Xu Hao added,
Before this, he had already made up his mind; after all, there were only a handful of blockbuster desert historical martial arts films on Earth.