Chapter 11: Audition

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

When Tony was done with the makeup, Sandy was also almost done with Jiang Se’s hairstyle. A young girl with a composed gaze appeared in the mirror. Her lips were slightly pale as if she was slightly under the weather, but she was staunch and unyielding.

“This feels right!” Sandy puffed Jiang Se’s hair slightly and said to her reflection in the mirror, “Your eyes convey the right feeling as well.”

Jiang Se was just thinking about “Feng Nan”. With these thoughts in her mind, it was only natural for her eyes to display her emotions. Coupled with the makeup, it was just as Sandy had said: the feeling was right.

She finally emerged from the makeup tent. The script supervisor had already checked his watch multiple times. When he saw her walk out from the tent, he was first shocked by the change in her bearing brought about by the change of clothes and makeup. However, he quickly drove his awe out of his mind and urged Jiang Se on.

“Hurry up. Director Zhang has been waiting for some time.”

It had been more than 10 minutes since Jiang Se entered the changing room.

Because the famous director’s time was precious, the script supervisor was worried that he would get impatient from the wait.

When he led Jiang Se to the director’s tent, Zhang Jingan was no longer talking to Liu Ye about the Jianghua Group. Instead, they were discussing the script. As they spoke about some lines in the scene, they seemed to be having a jovial time.

When the script supervisor led Jiang Se over, Zhang Jingan merely glanced at her and said, “Let her try something.”

Before this, Zhang Jingan merely found her beautiful. When he set his eyes upon her once again after her wardrobe change and makeup, he realized that her presence was suitable as well.

The makeup artist had capitalized on her features and given her an unyielding look. It was the perfect look for the scene she would be trying out with Gao Rong.

However, Jiang Se was not trained in acting. Although Gao Rong was not famous, he had starred in many films before. Sadly, his acting skills were too stiff. That was why the “Rescue Mission” production team cast him as an antagonist.

Zhang Jingan was slightly worried that she would be overshadowed by Gao Rong’s aura just like the background actor before her whose acting was not at all satisfactory.

He beckoned Jiang Se over and gestured for the script supervisor to show her the script for this scene. Her lines were very simple. It was the same as the woman before her: a simple “pah”.

However, Zhang Jingan’s requirements were naturally not simple. Otherwise, the other woman would not have done several shots yet failed to satisfy him.

Jiang Se closed her eyes and thought about “Feng Nan”. Then, she thought about her current situation. When she reopened her eyes, she no longer concealed the flames of rage burning in the depths of her eyes.

She was not an arts major and had never acted in anything before this. However, this did not affect her current performance in any way.

When Zhang Jingan saw her expression of barely suppressed anger, showing no signs of stage fright in the presence of himself, Liu Ye, and the others, and presenting a commendable performance after going through the script, he could not help but feel that his appraisal of her had been too low. It seemed that she had some potential after all.

He remembered Liu Ye’s suggestion. He was initially worried that Jiang Se’s acting would be too soft and would ruin this film in which he had poured much of his energy. Therefore, he had disapproved of Liu Ye’s words earlier.

However, when he saw her current performance, Zhang Jingan felt slightly hesitant instead. He was about to say something, but he bit his tongue. He decided to wait until he had seen her performance with Gao Rong. There was no need to rush.

The others went to their places again. Many of the extras were giving Jiang Se envious looks.

Lu Baobao and the others had remained bound on the wooden pikes for half a day now, so they were feeling slightly dehydrated from being under the sun. When they heard the clapperboard and knew that the shooting was about to resume, they sighed in relief.

The Japanese soldier, Gao Rong, lived up to his name as a veteran who had been in the industry for more than a decade. Nothing in his expression showed that the other supporting actor had been switched. Instead, he waved his hand with a fierce expression and a savage flash in his eyes.

“If,” he paused, giving the listener a certain pressure, “Zhou Chongming doesn’t surrender the item up, all of you will die here!”

When she watched the woman acting with Gao Rong before this, she did not feel anything special. However, when Jiang Se was doing the acting herself, she felt as if she was facing a bona fide invader who wanted to take her life.

She fixed her eyes on Gao Rong while the edges of her eyes reddened.

As the camera moved closer to her along the tracks, her expression was completely captured on the screen.

She bit her cheek hard. Every corner of her eyes was brimming with an unyielding rage. She had not spoken yet, but her reluctance to bow down to the scorn of a Japanese soldier could already be felt by anyone watching.

“Pah!”

When Jiang Se had been Feng Nan, given her good upbringing, she had never spoken such words or used such a tone.

As she said her line, she leaned forward slightly. Her body language conveyed her rocking emotions and exuded a certain pressure.

She got her inspiration from her meal with the Jianghua Group heir. The young master seemed dominant enough. When he spoke with her, he would habitually lean forward, making her feel pressured.

Her actions clearly won Zhang Jingan’s favor.

He took note of Jiang Se’s performance from his perch behind the cameras. He smiled and nodded, clearly satisfied.

Gao Rong wiped his face with gruff movements and pressed down on his bayonet as he took two steps backward. He lowered his chin and ordered in a cold voice, “Kill them.”

When he said those lines, Zhang Jingan gave an “okay” sign from behind the cameras. It was clear that this single take was all that was needed.

The makeup artists went over to patch up the bound Jiang Se’s makeup while the firearms expert inspected the rifles. When the squibs were in place, a gunshot rang out, and Jiang Se slumped to the ground.

Her performance this time was not as satisfactory as her angry outburst just now, so the director wanted a retake.

The script supervisor went up to her and explained, “When the blood bag is detonated, besides displaying a pained expression, you’ll have to pay attention to your posture when you fall.”

He took the script of this scene which had been rolled up and continued, “In this film, your character has been helped by the Zhou family before, hence you’d rather die than betray Zhou Mingchong.”

Since there was not much time, he merely explained the character hastily and pointed at Jiang Se with an index finger. “Do it well. We’ll try this again.”

Jiang Se closed her eyes and nodded.

She got into this supporting character of the script who might not even have a name. She thought about the favors she had received from Zhou Mingchong. The invaders were now hunting Zhou Mingchong down and threatened to kill the Zhou family servants if they did not tell them where he was. Given the character’s internal struggle and her determination as a young girl, when her means of retreat had been cut off, she refused to lose to a man.

Jiang Se fumbled about for the feeling before nodding at the script supervisor.

When the cameras rolled, her body jolted once when she was “shot”. Then, she looked down with difficulty at her chest. Blood was splattered across her chin and face, but she still looked exceptionally striking and poignant.