Chapter 38: Not as Good as a Phone Call

"Um... Teacher Zhou..."

"You don't need to call me Teacher Zhou anymore. I believe I'm only a few years older than you."

"All right, Brother Zhou."

"That sounds a bit distant."

"How about Brother Le?"

"That works."

"Brother Le, just now on the subway..."

Zhou Le sighed. "Sigh, there was no better way. There’s no evidence for that kind of thing, and if you make a scene, it’s easy for the perpetrator to turn the tables on you."

"That’s true."

"So you..."

"I was just acting out of a sense of justice."

"Oh, I see."

Yet, Zhou Le hadn't expected that this seemingly fragile and gentle girl had actually considered speaking up on the subway.

"You were planning to say something just now, weren't you?"

"Mm..." Su Yingxia nodded sheepishly.

"Did you think about what would happen if he denied it?"

"No, I just didn't want that girl to be bullied. When I was in high school, a girl in our class was also bullied and ostracized."

"Did you help her?"

"Yes."

"And then?"

"And then I was ostracized too."

Zhou Le gave a dry laugh. "Do you regret it?"

"No regrets. Those bastards were just too detestable. If I hadn't done anything, that’s what I would have regretted."

Zhou Le was somewhat stunned. He hadn't expected a word like "bastards" to come out of the mouth of such a soft-looking girl.

Su Yingxia realized she might have misspoken. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Brother Le. I don't usually use foul language; it's just that I get angry whenever I think of those people."

"Haha, it's fine. Well said."

Zhou Le suddenly felt that this girl wasn't quite as boring as he had thought.

Su Yingxia glanced at where Zhou Le was staying, then headed to a nearby agency to look for an apartment to rent, while Zhou Le prepared to pack his things and head to the hotel for his audition. Today, he had to audition for Han Han’s project. The time had been set previously, and in two days, he would have to audition for *Dying to Survive*. However, with Xu Zheng involved and company backing, that would be relatively easier.

"Hello, Teacher Zhou? I'm downstairs."

***

Soon, the shuttle arranged by Han Han arrived. Zhou Le changed his clothes and went downstairs.

...

Han Han was at the hotel. After meeting Zhou Le a while back, he had been considering who would be the best choice. In truth, he still had reservations about Zhou Le. After all, his fame wasn't high enough, and one had to know that adding a well-known actor to a film could multiply its exposure. He had been boredly scrolling through Weibo these past few days and had seen Eddie Peng. In his heart, he felt Eddie Peng’s fame was better suited for the role. But he had already given his word to Da Peng, so he decided to have Zhou Le come for an audition first. If he decided Zhou Le wasn't a good fit, he could always treat the other party and Da Peng to a meal later.

Around 11:00 AM, Zhou Le arrived.

"Director Han, should I start with a self-introduction?"

Han Han smiled and looked at Zhou Le. "No need for introductions, we’re all friends. Let’s just go through a section of the script together."

"Alright."

Zhou Le then ran through the script with him. Han Han sighed inwardly; if only Zhou Le were a bit more famous. While he didn't share the same style as Eddie Peng, the current Zhou Le possessed a certain "common man" grit that Eddie Peng lacked. Eddie Peng could certainly act that feeling, but there was a world of difference between acting it and possessing it naturally. In other words, Zhou Le was more authentic.

Meanwhile, Zhou Le watched Han Han, secretly admiring him. After all, having a wife and a girlfriend living in the same complex and getting along harmoniously was something not many people could pull off. For details, one could look at the case of Wen Zhang and Ma Yili. A single phrase about "cherishing the journey" had crushed the news of Wang Feng’s new song release, taking the number one spot on the trending list. This once made Zhou Le think that perhaps Wang Feng had been reborn to rule the music industry, with the system's only mission being to hit the top of the trending list to earn massive rewards.

However, even with a thousand questions in his mind, Zhou Le couldn't bring himself to ask. What if he made "Young Master Han" blush with embarrassment? Writers were, after all, quite sensitive.

"Teacher Zhou, you performed very well. How about this—I still need to discuss it with the screenwriter and producers. How does a reply within three days sound?"

"That's fine."

The moment Zhou Le stepped out, Han Han called the producer to discuss the casting. Just as Zhou Le exited the hotel, he received a call from Su Yingxia.

"Hey Brother Le, I found a place. It's in a different unit than yours, but the rent is very cheap. Let me treat you to lunch."

***

Su Yingxia’s intention was to build a good relationship with Zhou Le. Earlier, when Zhou Le was looking for an apartment, she had been chatting with a woman from HR who told her that if necessary, she should treat him to a meal—nothing too expensive, just something that suited the boss's taste.

"Lunch? I'm not home right now, I'm out taking care of some errands."

"What kind of errands? Is there anything I can help with?"

"No help needed, I'm just out for an audition."

"An audition?" Su Yingxia’s heart skipped a beat. "Does the company know?"

"They know, though they probably don't know the specific time."

"Then maybe I should let the company know," Su Yingxia said hurriedly.

"Whatever, it's fine. I arranged this one myself anyway, and I mentioned it before—I don't have to split the earnings from this project with the company. It's in my contract."

Still, Su Yingxia asked where Zhou Le was, then immediately took a taxi there, taking the opportunity to inform the company as well.

...

Meanwhile, Han Han had just finished his call. Both he and the producers felt that traffic and popularity were crucial. Although Zhou Le was excellent and arguably more suitable for the role, his lack of fame was the biggest issue. If he had fame or backing, he would be a viable choice. More importantly, Zhou Le’s cost-effectiveness was extremely high.

Not long after, he received a call from Daylight Entertainment.

"Hello, is this Director Han?"

"It’s like this: our company’s signed actor, Zhou Le, just auditioned for you. While we don't know how you feel about him, Zhou Le is currently a young actor we intend to promote heavily. We even gave him the project originally slated for Wang Kai... so we hope you can consider him further. Regardless of the outcome, we respect your casting decision."

Han Han was taken aback. Zhou Le had signed with a company? He had been so focused on the film lately that he hadn't thought about anything else. But the backing of Daylight Entertainment carried significant weight. If that were the case—one entity was declining while the other was on the rise—Zhou Le’s value had instantly increased.

He immediately called the producer, Li Wenwen, to discuss it. After a brief consultation:

"Let's go with Zhou Le. Call Deng Chao later and let him know that Zhou Le will be playing his father in the film."