Chapter 63

This behavior is called "admission by special consideration" in exams.

During the interview, Hu Zhenzhen couldn't find the right words to describe it, so she simply said that she got in through connections.

But in reality, she didn't intend to admit Zhu Qingqing directly.

Whether it's a mule or a horse, it always has to be put to the test.

We'll only know Zhu Qingqing's true strength after we see it.

Hu Zhenzhen was prepared to give Zhu Qingqing a chance, a chance to be interviewed by her personally.

If she is truly as outstanding as she claims on the phone, Hu Zhenzhen will undoubtedly admit her. If she is merely a figurehead, no matter how much praise she receives, Hu Zhenzhen will not consider her.

To avoid appearing too special, Hu Zhenzhen took a special look at today's interview list.

"Have you tallied how many experienced ones there are?"

The receptionist checked the list and gave Hu Zhenzhen a note.

"Mr. Hu, we've only found these few so far."

"Okay, that's enough. Could you please call these people out for me? I'll personally interview them in the performance classroom on the fifth floor."

"Yes, Mr. Hu!"

After Hu Zhenzhen left, the receptionist breathed a sigh of relief.

The colleague next to Hu Zhenzhen, who had been transferred from another company, laughed when she saw her like this.

"Don't be so nervous, Mr. Hu isn't scary."

Over the past few days, she has become familiar with the three girls at the front desk, and after receiving a few words of comfort from her colleagues, she felt a little more at ease.

"That's not what I'm worried about. It's just that the treatment Ms. Hu gives me is too good. That's why I'm nervous in front of her."

The receptionist stood up with her name tag.

"The company before me even tried to cut off my insurance money. I felt like cursing them when I saw them. I'm not nervous at all. I'll go get someone now."

This building has thirty floors, and each floor has a very clear division of labor.

This was the first time the receptionist had been to the third-floor entertainment room. As soon as she entered, her eyes couldn't help but wander to all the facilities. She was so overwhelmed by the sight that she almost forgot what she had come for.

Once the people resting inside looked over, the receptionist smiled and said, "Number 105 Yu Qian, Number 251 Zhu Qingqing, Number 188 Liu Zhen, Number 239 Li Yitian, please come with me to the fifth floor for your interviews."

Out of hundreds of people, she read only four names.

Not only were the people she called on nervous, but those who weren't called on were even more nervous.

"Hello, beautiful lady, may I ask why the interview location was suddenly changed?"

The interviewee sitting near the entrance couldn't help but ask the receptionist a question.

"There are just too many people, so Mr. Hu has decided to personally audition a group of actors."

This is no secret; they might need to call more people later, so the receptionist decided to be upfront about it.

It was Hu Zhenzhen herself who conducted the interview!

Upon hearing this news, everyone's attention immediately focused on the four people who had stood up.

You wouldn't know unless you looked closely; the people who were called up were all familiar faces from TV dramas. Although people couldn't recall their names, most recognized their faces.

No wonder he was personally interviewed by President Hu.

Some people were jealous and grimaced.

Zhu Qingqing felt nervous under everyone's gaze, but the little girl sitting next to her was very excited and comforted her.

"Sister Qingqing, just do your best, you'll definitely be fine!"

Zhu Qingqing was unaware that she was personally interviewed by Hu Zhenzhen because she was a young girl, and smiled at her.

"I will do my best."

After she left, the little girl excitedly started sending messages on her phone.

[I didn't expect there to be someone in the group who knows Sister Hu! Sister Qingqing was just taken away; they said Sister Hu is going to interview her personally!]

These words immediately triggered a chorus of wails.

[Damn it! I want to be interviewed by Sister Hu too!]

[Tiger God, please introduce me to someone too! I'd love to meet Sister Zhenzhen!]

[How can someone actually contact Sister Hu?! Brothers, let's get him!]

Today Zhang Hu finally got to show off; when he came to find Xiang Yu, he walked with a swagger.

"Brother Yu, when is my sister free? I really want to thank her properly and treat her to a meal."

"Come on," Xiang Yu rolled his eyes and tossed the controller aside. "That's my sister, not yours. Stop trying to get close to her."

Xiang Yu is all talk and no action, and Zhang Hu has gotten used to it over the years, so he didn't take Xiang Yu's words to heart at all.

He chuckled, "I just wanted to get closer to my sister, maybe she could introduce me to Sister Zhenzhen!"

"Stop thinking about these unnecessary things," Xiang Yu glared at him. "You wouldn't be thinking of using my sister to get to know Hu Zhenzhen and then pursue her, would you?"

Xiang Yu clicked his tongue. "Brother, give up. You definitely have no chance."

Zhang Hu hadn't originally intended to, but he was provoked by Xiang Yu's disdainful look and couldn't help but retort.

"What's wrong with me? I'm twenty-one, in the prime of my life! A young man like me could have plenty of girls chasing after me!"

Xiang Yu couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"You call yourself a flower? Don't be ridiculous, bro. What kind of flower are you? Are you getting scammed out of your money?"

His words struck a nerve with Zhang Hu.

"That's all in the past. I don't follow idols anymore, so don't bring it up!"

Zhang Hu knew how outrageous he had been back then, and he was too ashamed to refute that past event.

"I've started liking Sister Zhenzhen now, so this can't be a disaster, right?"

"Do you really like it or are you just pretending?"

Xiang Yu was genuinely curious.

If this good brother really has any improper thoughts about Hu Zhenzhen, I must quickly inform my older sister.

To prevent my older sister from falling for his trick and actually introducing this boy to Hu Zhenzhen.

"Of course it's true!"

Zhang Hu patted his chest and said, "Sister Zhenzhen is now the person I admire most. I'm going to invest in a store in the second half of the year. If I can be half as successful as her, I'll be satisfied."

Pshaw, that's boring. So this is what liking someone is like.

After Xiang Yu understood, he immediately lost interest.

"You're lucky you don't lose money."

"Hey! That's not right of you, Brother Yu. Why are you pouring cold water on your brother? You should be encouraging me and taking care of me!"

Zhang Hu's words made Xiang Yu laugh even louder.

"Come on, if I keep spoiling you, you'll become too arrogant."

Zhang Hu eagerly approached, "Seriously, Brother Yu, when is my sister free? Could you really introduce us?"

Xiang Yu gets annoyed whenever he brings this up.

"Don't even mention it. My sister hasn't been back to the old house in ages. It's so hard for me to even see her."

Zhang Hu exclaimed, "Wow, really? That kid has that much charm? I remember Sister Wei's previous boyfriends usually didn't last more than six months."

This is what bothers Xiang Yu.

Xiang Wei has recently been dating a minor celebrity in the entertainment industry.

He didn't think highly of the celebrity profession to begin with, and on top of that, the man was an actor who had a lot of kissing and love scenes in his acting.

I don't know what got into his sister. It's been three months, and she's still throwing money and resources at that minor celebrity.

If this continues, will this person really become his brother-in-law?

Xiang Yu got goosebumps just thinking about this possibility.

"Tiger, how do you get someone in love to give in?"

"Down?"

As soon as Zhang Hu heard this, he knew that the man was up to no good.

"Let's not, what if Sister Wei gets angry?"

"Do you still want to get to know Hu Zhenzhen?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Hu quickly changed his tune.

"Isn't it simple? Just find some dirt on that minor celebrity."

He made it sound so easy, just by touching his upper and lower lips together.

Xiang Yu patted him on the shoulder, "Alright, then I'll leave this to you!"

"Huh? You'll leave it to me?"

Xiang Yu glanced at him sideways. "What? You don't want to?"

“It’s not that I’m unwilling,” Zhang Hu muttered, “but after it’s done, don’t forget your promise.”

"Don't worry, I'll definitely get your sister Zhenzhen's contact information for you."

With his assurance, Zhang Hu left happily.

However, as soon as Zhang Hu left the Xiang family's old house, he discovered that his phone had crashed.

Those jerks in the group were incredibly jealous after hearing that he had managed to contact Hu Zhenzhen. They bombarded him with private messages, practically crashing Zhang Hu's phone app.

"Holy crap, these guys!"

Because of this, Zhang Hu missed the firsthand news that Zhu Qingqing was personally interviewed by Hu Zhenzhen.

Inside the office building of Jianghu Film and Television.

Zhu Qingqing followed the receptionist up to the fifth floor and headed straight for the room labeled "Performance Classroom".

This floor is used for various artists to further their studies. In addition to performance classrooms, there are also dance classrooms and music classrooms.

Zhu Qingqing was so nervous that she didn't dare to look around. She only glanced around briefly before entering the performance classroom.

The others weren't much better off than her; you could all tell they were nervous.

The actors were used to being interviewed by directors, but they never expected to be chosen by Hu Zhenzhen and interviewed directly by the boss. They were so nervous that they dared not breathe loudly.

Of the four, only Qian is in a better condition.

He is already fifty years old, and he is very devoted to acting.

His richer life experience has enabled him to face every unexpected event with equanimity, making him appear the most relaxed one.

Hu Zhenzhen, sitting in the acting teacher's seat, looked over as the door opened.

Good morning, everyone.

She took the initiative to break the deadlock and reassure these people.

"I've heard that you've all been in the industry for many years and I'd like to see your performance in person. Please relax and just perform as usual!"

Hu Zhenzhen didn't ask them to perform in order, but asked a question.

"So, who should start?"

Yu Qian looked around at the people and, seeing that no one was raising their hands, took a step forward.

"Then let me go first."

He often played minor roles and was not famous, but Hu Zhenzhen had seen his dramas and recognized his face.

"Alright, please begin."

Hu Zhenzhen unfolded the performance title slip handed to her by Qian.

[scoundrel]

This question may seem easy, but it requires a lot of life experience.

Younger actors might not be able to capture the mannerisms and movements of those thugs.

However, this question is clearly not difficult when it comes to money.

Hu Zhenzhen had only glanced at the question when she looked up again, and Yu Qian's expression and body language were completely different from before.

His back was slightly hunched, his tongue licking his gums, and he stood with his head tilted to the side, looking every bit like a social idler.

"If I say 150, then it's 150. There's no point in haggling with me."

His lips moved very little, and his voice was almost entirely contained in his throat, making it both clear and subtly muffled.

With just a few words, Hu Zhenzhen made her decision.

This is a good actor; he should be kept on the team.

Yu Qian didn't try to show off, and the performance time was well controlled, lasting just about two minutes.

Hu Zhenzhen hadn't had enough yet, and when he stopped performing, she was still a little reluctant to leave.

“Great, Teacher Yu, you can stay here for a bit. We can sign the contract today.”

The other three people's eyes widened immediately when they heard Hu Zhenzhen say this.

Even if you pass the interview, they will usually ask you to leave and wait for news.

This was the first time they had encountered a situation where someone was directly admitted.

Li Yitian reacted the most strongly, pushing aside Zhu Qingqing who was about to start her performance.

"Mr. Hu, I'm next!"

Zhu Qingqing was bumped by him and almost fell, but Liu Ling next to her helped her stand up.

Hu Zhenzhen saw all of this, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Let's begin."

The question Li Yitian drew was very simple.

A simple farmer

Such questions can be answered by simply reading from the textbook; as long as they are not too outrageous, they are considered acceptable.

But perhaps Hu Zhenzhen had a preconceived notion.

When watching Li Yitian's performance, all I felt was hypocrisy and greasiness; I didn't sense any of the farmer's simplicity at all.

After Li Yitian finished his performance, he turned expectantly to Hu Zhenzhen.

Seeing the expression on her face, my heart skipped a beat.

Before Hu Zhenzhen could speak, he interjected, "Could I perform another one, Ms. Hu? Just the one based on the topic Mr. Yu Qian just mentioned."

Hu Zhenzhen didn't refuse him, so Li Yitian took it as a yes and continued acting on his own.

The exaggerated physical performance caused the other actors to turn their heads away.

Even after it was over, Hu Zhenzhen's expression remained dissatisfied.

Knowing he had no chance, Li Yitian's entire demeanor changed instantly.

He didn't dare to vent his anger on Hu Zhenzhen, keeping everything bottled up inside.

Before Hu Zhenzhen spoke, he still harbored illusions and took the initiative to bow.

"I'm done performing."

Hu Zhenzhen didn't directly say he was eliminated, but only said, "Okay, take the number and go to Director Lu's place for another interview later."

Upon hearing this, Li Yitian was utterly disappointed.

He was eliminated by Director Hu, so he'll probably be eliminated by Director Lu as well.

"Okay, thank you, Mr. Hu."

He silently retreated to a corner and did not leave.

Zhu Qingqing was already preparing for his performance, and Hu Zhenzhen glanced at him but didn't chase him away.

"Mr. Hu, may I request to rehearse a scene with Teacher Yu?"

Zhu Qingqing mustered up her courage and said something.

This is a common occurrence in regular interviews, but Hu Zhenzhen is not a director, and Zhu Qingqing doesn't know if she will agree.

Hu Zhenzhen glanced at her question and nodded.

"That's permission!" Zhu Qingqing said excitedly, pleading with Yu Qian, "Teacher Yu, thank you so much."

Yu Qian is someone who enjoys acting, and he didn't think much of this small favor.

After carefully reading the question, I indicated that I was willing to cooperate.

This is a tragic drama, and Zhu Qingqing is to play a soldier who dies before dawn.

Yu Qian then played the role of a comrade-in-arms.

Without proper costumes, props, and sets, it's very difficult to immerse people in a wartime drama.

Under these circumstances, Hu Zhenzhen's expectations were not high.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Qingqing, despite her young age, gave her a pleasant surprise.

With just a twitching motion as she got up, Hu Zhenzhen was already pulled inside.

Yu Qian cooperated very well. Seeing that she moved, he was very excited and scrambled to Zhu Qingqing's side.

"Comrade, hang in there, the medics will be here soon!"

Zhu Qingqing's movements were very subtle; her eyelids trembled a few times, and her lips moved with great effort.

"What did you say?"

Yu Qian lowered his head and pressed his face close to hers to listen.

Hu Zhenzhen couldn't help but move closer as well.

He heard Zhu Qingqing's breathy voice, "We...we won..."

“Yes!” Yu Qian pressed her abdomen, tears streaming down his face. “We won! Don’t sleep yet. The battalion commander said that everyone will be rewarded with meat later. If you fall asleep, you won’t get it.”

Zhu Qingqing could no longer answer him.

Her eyes were wide open, completely vacant.

Looking at him, Hu Zhenzhen felt as if this person was truly dead.

I couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

The actor's body control is incredible; he can do it to this extent.

"very good!"

After the performance, Hu Zhenzhen couldn't help but applaud.

"Zhu Qingqing, right? Someone recommended you to me, and now it seems you really have the ability."

Hu Zhenzhen extended an olive branch, "Have you ever dabbled in martial arts films?"

Zhu Qingqing had just gotten up from the ground when she heard Hu Zhenzhen's words and was at a loss for words.

It was only when Yu Qian subtly nudged her that she realized what was happening.

"I've tried it, and I'm willing to learn!"

This is exactly the attitude Hu Zhenzhen wants.

"Okay, you can stay here today too. I'll take you all to lunch in the cafeteria, and we can discuss the roles with Director Lu while we're at it."

This means they're going to give her a role.

Zhu Qingqing felt like she was dreaming and agreed in a daze.

Sitting by the wall, Li Yitian grew increasingly jealous.

How come they were both called in front of Hu Zhenzhen for an interview, but they were just so lucky?

After Liu Zhen also passed the interview, his resentment reached its peak.

Four people came up, but he was the only one who didn't pass.

What will people think of him after he goes out through this door?

People are prone to getting stuck on a single point; once their thinking goes astray, they are easily led astray.

Li Yitian had long since gone astray and was on a path of no return.

Seeing that Hu Zhenzhen paid no attention to him, his resentment intensified. He silently took out his phone and tapped on 'Sister' in his contacts.

This "older sister" is not the same as that "older sister" and has absolutely no blood relation to her.

She was Li Yitian's mentor in the entertainment industry and also his former girlfriend.

In Li Yitian's view, this kind of transaction was extremely shameful.

So after gaining some fame, he took the initiative to suggest breaking up.

The "older sister" over there wasn't one to pester him, and since the novelty had worn off, she agreed.

Li Yitian had only recently broken up with her, and while there was still some affection between them, he took advantage of the relationship to extract resources from her.

It wasn't until he saw Hu Zhenzhen's job posting that he realized this was a golden opportunity.

I never expected that when I got here today, I would find that the pie in Hu Zhenzhen's picture wasn't as delicious as it looked.

Li Yitian harbored resentment in his heart.

He can't handle Hu Zhenzhen, nor is he qualified to go up against her. Can't he at least deal with a minor actress?

He held a grudge against all three people present, and sent their names to 'Sister'.

Did these three people offend you?

Upon seeing this, Li Yitian immediately put on a pitiful expression, took a selfie, and sent it to her.

These three people all passed, they're putting me down, I didn't pass the interview.

He's used to distorting the truth, and he doesn't feel guilty at all saying this.

The person on the other end knew what kind of person he was, so they didn't ask any further questions and simply replied, "Okay."

When Li Yitian saw this word, his expression immediately changed, revealing a hint of smugness.

Everyone else had left, but Hu Zhenzhen noticed he was still there and urged him on.

"Sir, the interview is over."

Li Yitian then slunk away.

He had just stepped outside when he saw the three people.

They were waiting for the elevator and talking not far from Li Yitian.

"I wonder what kind of role Mr. Hu will assign to you. Judging from the tone, it should be a role with action scenes."

Liu Zhen took Zhu Qingqing's arm and discussed it with her in a low voice.

"I wonder if I'll be able to get a role in this movie too."

"It will definitely work. Mr. Hu said before that if there are suitable roles in the play, he will give priority to people from the company."

When Li Yitian walked up to them and heard these words, he felt that they were saying it on purpose, implying that he couldn't get roles.

Once he had this thought, he could no longer hide his jealousy.

"What's there to brag about? She just passed the interview. She doesn't even know if she'll get the lead role yet, and she's already showing off. Pshaw."

His mouth is always sarcastic and unpleasant.

Zhu Qingqing was the type to keep the peace and instinctively wanted to hold back, but Liu Zhen was not. Upon hearing this, she immediately exploded.

"Some people are really something. They can't get selected because they're not capable enough, so they just talk sour here. They're like lemons that have become spirits."

"Who are you calling weak?"

Li Yitian hates it most when people talk about him like that.

"You're talented, but talent doesn't stop people from wanting to work with you," he sneered. "I've got the ability to make those production crews reject you. Once you're out of work, let's see how arrogant you can be!"

"Who are you trying to scare! I've already signed a contract with President Hu. You should cherish your meager acting opportunities. The audience isn't blind. Let's see how many more years you can keep this up!"

Liu Zhen was not swayed by threats and retorted.

"Then you just wait and see who wins and who loses."

He spoke with such certainty that Liu Zhen began to have some doubts.

Could it be that Li Yitian really has the ability to ruin her acting career?

Otherwise, where would he get the confidence to say so confidently that they would have no role to play?

Zhu Qingqing listened from the side, her brows furrowed.

She just seized an opportunity, is she going to lose it again because of some villain?

The elevator made a "ding" sound, but the door in front of it did not open.

The interrupted conversation didn't continue, and everyone's eyes instinctively turned towards the source of the sound.

The elevator that opened the door was the boss's private elevator.

When Hu Zhenzhen saw them looking over, she took the initiative to press the door open button.

Want to come together?

The atmosphere was incredibly awkward. No one knew how long Hu Zhenzhen had been listening, and for a moment, no one spoke.

Hu Zhenzhen didn't rush in either.

She listened to the whole thing, her eyes fixed on Li Yitian.

"You're so confident, it's not because of Wu Tianai, is it?"

Wu Tian'ai was the same woman who had helped Li Yitian enter the entertainment industry. When he heard her name from Hu Zhenzhen, he panicked.

Li Yitian's cultivation was indeed inadequate, and he made no attempt to hide his panic.

Even without saying a word, Hu Zhenzhen was certain.

She held up her phone and waved it, "If it's Wu Tian'ai, then it won't end my person's acting career."

"She did try to do something, but someone stopped her right away."

She smiled, a smile that Li Yitian found particularly mocking.

“I just received her apology. If I told her I would only forgive her if she cuts off all your opportunities, what do you think she would do?”

Just from those one sentence, Li Yitian broke out in a cold sweat.

"Mr. Hu, I was really wrong. I was just being petty. I didn't really mean anything by it. Please forgive me this time."

Li Yitian's words were all spoken subconsciously.

He himself didn't even know what he said to beg for mercy; he was only focused on watching Hu Zhenzhen's reaction.

As he pleaded for mercy, he subconsciously struck a pose that showed weakness while also accentuating his curves.

Wu Tian'ai used to be most susceptible to his tricks, and Li Yitian was hoping that this tactic would work.

Unfortunately, Hu Zhenzhen had seen too many handsome men and had no interest in ***, so she wasn't swayed by his charms at all.

Seeing people looking up at her, she even helped them up.

"I was just joking. I didn't tell Ms. Wu to kick you out of the entertainment industry."

Li Yitian breathed a sigh of relief.

Then Hu Zhenzhen said, "I only said I would punish her. As for how she treats you, that's none of my business."

The transition from heaven to hell is instantaneous, and Li Yitian's heart turned completely cold.

Unfortunately, the elevator doors had already closed, leaving him standing alone on the fifth floor.

Even if he wanted to beg Hu Zhenzhen for mercy, he had already lost the chance.

A few minutes later, Li Yitian was politely asked to leave by the security guards.