A banner stood at the entrance, displaying the name of the drama.
“Welcome everyone to the filming site of the Short Drama [Rebirth: I Have a Movie Queen System].”
Gu Chen looked at the introduction and almost burst out laughing.
The name reeked of a flop; she could already guess how brain-dead the plot would be just by thinking about it.
Every trope was there — the standard routine.
‘These days, if there wasn’t a rebirth or a system, it seemed like they didn’t know how to film anything…’
“Let’s go inside.”
Chu Xiaomeng hurriedly got out of the car and pointed inside toward the audition location.
It had to be said that this scene attracted a lot of attention.
Appearing with two such beautiful women, she could feel the envious and jealous gazes of many men.
After walking through the hallway, the three of them arrived at the last room.
Just then, an applicant had finished their audition, and they passed each other at the door.
Only one interviewer sat at the table, busy recording something in his notes.
When he looked up, they saw he was a man in his 30s or 40s.
He wore glasses and actually had a bit of an artistic air about him.
“Hello, Associate Director. I am Number thirty-six, Chu Xiaomeng. I’m here for the audition.”
“Oh?”
When the Associate Director saw her, his eyes lit up slightly.
With her level of beauty, such a reaction was normal.
“Spin around so I can see.”
“Okay.”
Chu Xiaomeng followed the procedure, showcasing her figure and temperament to make it easier for him to evaluate her.
“Not bad. Go out and wait for news,” the Associate Director said with a nod.
“Associate Director, I have a classmate who also wants to give it a try. Can she sign up?”
After her audition ended, Chu Xiaomeng introduced Wang Meng.
“He— hello…”
Wang Meng greeted him timidly, feeling a bit nervous.
“Mm, her image is very good. Of course she can.”
Setting aside acting skills, Wang Meng’s appearance and figure were absolutely outstanding.
Even if she was just an extra, the production would definitely come out ahead.
He had her fill out her information immediately and assigned her a number.
Finally, he looked at Gu Chen and asked, “Are you here to audition too?”
“Can I audition for the lead role?”
Gu Chen asked with a smile, intentionally teasing him.
“Sorry, the lead and supporting roles have already been decided. Currently, we only have three types of roles: Character Actors, Featured Extras, and extras,” the Associate Director replied.
“Then forget it. Goodbye.”
She didn’t have any intention of acting in the first place; she was just playing around.
How could they let a student with no experience or connections play the lead, unless she brought her own investment to the production?
After leaving, Gu Chen took Wang Meng and Chu Xiaomeng to find a place to sit outside and wait for news.
To put it bluntly, these auditions were just to see what people looked like in person.
Resumes were too unreliable these days; yesterday’s disastrous interview with Dad was a perfect example.
“Don’t be nervous. From what I saw just now, most of the others are misfits. You’ll definitely be chosen.”
Seeing that Wang Meng remained silent, Gu Chen took the initiative to liven up the atmosphere.
“Yeah, I hope so.”
“If we can get a role, it’ll be a huge win. That’s 1,000 yuan a day, which can last a long time.”
Chu Xiaomeng clasped her hands together, hoping to be assigned a good role.
Regardless of whether the drama was a flop, the money in hand was the most important thing.
“Yeah, let’s wait for news.”
Everything was still uncertain.
A two-thirds elimination rate was quite high, but as long as they were selected, it would be good news.
While they waited, Gu Chen took the opportunity to check the production’s benefits.
The number of filming days was determined by the screen time of each role.
During that time, room and board were provided on-site, and the school had dedicated rest areas.
With everything free and even an extra making over 100 yuan, it was no wonder so many people were applying in a place that wasn’t even considered a film base.
After about 2 hours, the Associate Director finally walked out of the door to announce the list of selected candidates.
“Number four, seven, nineteen, twenty-eight, thirty-six…”
When Chu Xiaomeng’s number was called, she immediately cheered.
It hadn’t been a wasted trip.
Wang Meng kept taking deep breaths, terrified she would be rejected.
It wasn’t until her number was called at the very end that she became indescribably excited.
“See, I told you both that you’d be selected.”
Gu Chen clapped, happy for them.
This way, the two of them could look after each other on set.
They could take advantage of the few days of vacation to finish their scenes and collect their pay; everyone would be happy.
The two girls nodded, and the tense atmosphere eased considerably.
“Chu Xiaomeng, this classmate of yours has no experience, so help her out. Call me anytime if something happens. Also, if you encounter any unspoken rules, just give them a slap.”
Gu Chen gave them these specific instructions.
Now that her task was complete, she felt relieved.
The rest had nothing to do with her, so she prepared to leave.
She would come back to take them to school once they were finished.
“You’re leaving?”
Wang Meng and Chu Xiaomeng asked almost simultaneously, their eyes filled with a hint of reluctance.
“Wait!”
Just then, a hurried figure ran over.
It was actually the Associate Director.
He gave a polite smile and said, “Congratulations to you two for being shortlisted. But don’t get too happy yet; you still have to do a screen test later. If the performance is too poor, you’ll still be eliminated.”
“Associate Director, what are our roles?”
Chu Xiaomeng asked.
“Currently, you’re arranged to be the female lead’s two best friends. It will be 2 days of filming. You’ll be Featured Extras with a few lines.”
“Oh, I see.”
At this level, they would earn 500 yuan a day, which was better than being an extra.
It was acceptable and the difficulty wasn’t high.
“This handsome guy, are you interested in joining us? we have a Character Actor role here that’s quite suitable for you. Why don’t you give it a try?”
The Associate Director asked, looking at Gu Chen with great enthusiasm.
“A Character Actor?”
Gu Chen was stunned.
She pointed at herself, unable to believe it.
Chu Xiaomeng and Wang Meng had only landed roles as Featured Extras, yet her role was going to be more important than theirs?
‘You’ve got to be kidding!’
She felt like something was wrong.
Did this guy have some kind of special hobby?
Otherwise, why would he specifically invite her to play such an important role out of so many people?
“Well… I…”
Gu Chen hesitated.
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t tempted, but she had absolutely no acting experience and was afraid she wouldn’t do a good job.
Besides, her dad might need help at any time, so she decided to refuse.
“I think you have a lot of talent, and I don’t want to miss out on nurturing it. How about this? I’ll make the call and double your salary. What do you say!”
The Associate Director continued to urge her, even offering more money to get her to stay.
“Holy crap!”
Now even Wang Meng and Chu Xiaomeng were dumbfounded.
The difference in treatment was too huge.
With a salary of 2,000 yuan a day, even they couldn’t help but feel envious.
“Alright, deal!”
Since he had put it that way, it would be impolite to refuse again.
Gu Chen even began to doubt herself.
‘Do I really have the potential to be a Movie King?’
Little did she know, a backlit figure was watching from the edge of the second floor.
As she watched Gu Chen follow the Associate Director inside, a smirk of a successful plot appeared on her face.
“Gu Chen, this time, you’ve finally fallen into my hands. Let’s see how I play you to death, hmph!”
She muttered to herself.