Chapter 550: 259 Flame (First Update)

The staff placed her information in front of Yu Dawei.

Ye Zhen, 17 years old, from Jiangzhou, with no education or acting experience.

Yu Dawei frowned immediately, and at that moment, a crisp and decisive voice fell into his ears, like morning dew, clean and transparent, exuding a refreshing coolness.

Yu Dawei looked up, and a beautiful young girl stood in the middle of the open space, her eyes clear and bright, clean and mature beyond her age. Her skin was a bit rough, but her features were more real and vivid.

The girl confidently said, “Hello, teachers, my name is Ye Zhen, and I’m 17 years old this year.”

Yu Dawei stared at her carefully. She was the youngest girl among the auditionees, but she didn’t show any fear or apprehension in the face of his gaze, and instead appeared calm and composed.

It was this aura alone that made her stand out, even if she wasn’t exceptionally beautiful.

Without saying a word, Yu Dawei searched underneath his hand, picked up a piece of paper and handed it to the staff, gesturing for them to pass it to her.

For auditions, the most important thing was to see if the person’s appearance and temperament matched the character, and secondly, to test their acting skills. It didn’t matter if a newcomer had no acting skills, Yu Dawei could teach them step by step, but the key was that they had to have spiritual energy.

This spiritual energy was an elusive concept, and couldn’t be clearly defined in words, but it was Yu Dawei’s standard for selecting actors. In the history of Lady Yu’s achievements, Yu Dawei’s keen eye had never been wrong.

Ye Zhen had passed the appearance test, otherwise Yu Dawei wouldn’t have given her the opportunity to act.

Ye Zhen received the paper from the staff, a thin sheet with only one scene written on it.

Not far away, five people sat behind a table, with Yu Dawei in the center, Zhou Zhengru and Wu Chao on either side, Qu Feitai next to Zhou Zhengru, and a young man in white sitting beside Wu Chao.

Ye Zhen surreptitiously observed them from the corner of her eye, and when her gaze fell on the script, she closed her senses and immersed herself completely in it.

The staff’s cold reminder sounded in her ears, “You have five minutes to prepare.”

At a glance, the scene was only a few hundred words long and seemed uneventful and flat like plain water, making it very easy for inexperienced newcomers to act like a dull recital.

Ye Zhen raised her eyebrows, looked up confidently, and said decisively, “I’m ready.”

Just in time.

Yu Dawei looked at her deeply, and Zhou Zhengru smiled. “Her appearance is not bad. Her eyes are clear and full of vitality, like a flame that has been rekindled from ashes. It’s very consistent with Dong Wa’s inner journey. I suspect she’s already peeked at the script.”

Of course, the last sentence was a joke.

Dong Wa was the name of the female lead in the movie “Flame”, a “primitive” who lived on a snowy mountain. She had skin as white as snow, the clearest eyes, and a burning passion in her heart. The male lead, Xiao Hang, was a pilot who was saved by Dong Wa after his plane crashed during an extreme weather mission. During their time together, Xiao Hang was gradually attracted to Dong Wa’s pure and straightforward personality. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her on the snowy mountain, but his sense of duty was so deeply ingrained that he couldn’t abandon his comrades and loved ones. After a fierce inner struggle, he resolutely decided to leave the mountain and enter the battlefield.

The story was set in a post-apocalyptic world, invaded by zombies and facing a massive test of human civilization and technology. Xiao Hang’s team was sent to the frontlines to save villagers, and he was bitten by a zombie while saving a child during a fierce battle. To prevent harming his companions, he pointed the gun at his own head, his eyes filled with tears as he looked towards the city he was protecting.

As global warming and various human actions raised Earth’s temperature, the balance of the seasons was broken, and the surface temperature exceeded the average, turning the planet into a fiery ball. Humans living on Earth had to endure not only the invasion of zombies but also the suffering brought on by the scorching heat.

Xiao Hang took one last look at the fireball in the sky, knowing that the flame in his heart would never be extinguished. It was his belief, his determination to protect the people, his country, and the Earth. That flame would never die out.

At this point, he was surrounded by zombies with no way out. Just when he was desperate, a dark shadow came from the sky, shooting ice arrows from a longbow. The undead zombies were hit by the ice arrows, and like snowflakes under the sunlight, they slowly evaporated…

Xiao Hang could hardly believe the person who had arrived, a beautiful and innocent face, yet with eyes as cold as ice, harboring a hidden killing intent.

She was the only descendant of the mysterious Snow Tribe, the natural nemesis of zombies, and the legendary Snow Tribe had appeared in the world.

The story was simple. The male and female leads faced adversity together, protected the people, and fought bravely against the zombies. Zombies appeared because of the Snow Tribe, and they eventually disappeared because of them too, but the cost of this victory was sacrificing Dong Wa.

It was too late when Xiao Hang knew about it, as Dong Wa had already set off on that path.

The audition scene was set on the eve of the decisive battle, when Dong Wa had already made her choice. She made a bowl of noodles for Xiao Hang, and they chatted while eating, a warm and intimate scene that seemed like a return to their initial encounter on the snowy mountain. Xiao Hang was immersed in happiness, fantasizing about proposing to Dong Wa after defeating the zombies.However, Dong Wa simply spoke casually about the shortcomings in his life, and although Xiao Hang found her nagging, he was still happy to listen. Yet, for Dong Wa, this scene was incredibly complicated. She had to convey a sense of restraint and reluctance under a deep sense of love, which required a great level of depth. For a newcomer, this is extremely difficult.

She must restrain her acting, but not overly so. Her exterior is cold, but her heart is as hot as fire, and this night, the fire reached its peak.

There were not many lines, and everything relied on expressing through their eyes.

Ye Zhen’s rapid change of expression was astonishing.

Yu Dawei stared intently at the young girl in the scene, his eyes not missing a single detail on her face.

Zhou Zhengru raised an eyebrow in surprise. Just one look, and the girl had drawn him in. At such a young age, she already possessed an emphatic presence.

Qu Feitai lightly tapped his finger on the table while watching the young girl perform.

Bai Ziyan, initially nonchalant, gradually straightened up and stared at her without blinking.

As a producer, Wu Chao had discerning taste and glanced at Yu Dawei and Zhou Zhengru. The previous female actresses couldn’t compare with this girl, who demonstrated effortless transformation in her acting skills. At her age, she truly had exceptional talent.

The reactions of Yu Dawei and Zhou Zhengru spoke for themselves.

She seemed to be the older sister of the girl in white?

Lan Huixin’s palms were sweating in anxiety. Ming Jing, who had been sitting quietly, softly said, “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself; just do your best.”

Ming Jing’s gentle voice seemed to have a magical calming effect. Gradually, she steadied herself and took a deep breath.

If she didn’t succeed, she would become benevolent.

Others came in and out quickly, but Ye Zhen had been inside for twenty minutes.

The longer it took, the more hopeful it seemed.

Just as she thought this, the door opened and Ye Zhen walked out.

She walked at a leisurely pace, appearing calm and collected. Others stared at her warily, seeing her as their primary rival.

She didn’t look extraordinary, so what did Yu Dawei see in her?

Or did she have some connections behind her?

Thinking about this, everyone’s gaze fell on Ming Jing. At first, no one recognized her, but now, everybody knew her as the famous Ming Jing.

No one in the entertainment circle was unaware of this name.

Shen Zhou’s younger sister, Qu Feitai’s… unclear relationship: rumored girlfriend? Secret crush? Unrequited love or a love token?

Zhoufan Film Industry and Hutou Film, which were under the Shenzhou Group, were the largest investors and producers of this movie respectively. Qu Feitai was also suspected to have a deep relationship with the film. In terms of capital, everyone else was insignificant.

If she were to promote her sister, what would anyone here have to say?

So this was why Ye Zhen could be so calm since she had already been chosen.

Immediately after, a staff member read out Lan Huixin’s name, and she took a deep breath.

Ye Zhen patted her on the shoulder and said gently, “Don’t be nervous, it’s not as scary as you think. Just show your truest self.”

Lan Huixin looked at her gratefully.