Drinking Game

Li Xiao and Ye Qing arrived half an hour early, yet someone had still gotten there before them.

Li Xiao couldn't help marveling at how attractive this production was.

Ye Qing quietly discussed it with her. "Of course. Not only is the script good, but Gu Entertainment is investing in it. How could it not attract people?"

After all, Gu Entertainment only cared about acting ability when hiring people. It didn't care at all about their status, and that was because they had the capital to do so.

Things might not be the same at another company. Otherwise, Li Xiao wouldn't have let Ye Qing come here.

Although he could not truly be called a tier-eighteen celebrity, compared to those wildly popular stars, Ye Qing was practically a nobody.

Ye Qing looked at the people bustling past and asked in a low voice, "Sister Li, are they all auditioning for the same role?"

"No. There are many roles being auditioned for today. They're not all for the same role, so don't worry."

"Your acting is so good. I believe you can do it."

"Look over the script again. Don't worry."

Ye Qing relaxed slightly. He had confidence in his acting, but after seeing so many people with decent acting skills today, he was still somewhat nervous.

"Next, number 53, Ye Qing."

"I'm going, Sister Li."

"Good luck!"

As soon as he entered, Ye Qing was confronted by a camera pointed straight at his face. Beside it was a line of text containing the scene he had to audition for.

After reading the prompt, Ye Qing quickly began his performance. Even so, he couldn't help marveling inwardly at how novel this audition method was. Anyone who hadn't thoroughly read the script would have no chance of performing well—but wasn't that exactly what acting ability was demonstrated by?

When Ye Qing had just entered, there had been no one inside. But after his performance ended, several people entered through another door. They didn't ask Ye Qing anything about his acting and instead asked several rather unrelated questions.

This producer...

In another room, Gu Ze wondered what else was about to happen.

Gu Ze had come here today purely to take a look at the auditionees' acting skills. He hadn't expected Ye Qing to audition as well, and Ye Qing's performance had surprised him, too.

As soon as he came out, Li Xiao walked over to him. "How was it? How was it? Do you think you have a chance?"

"I gave a normal performance."

Li Xiao relaxed. As long as Ye Qing had performed normally, she still had great confidence in him.

"Since you've already done it, that's good enough. Let's go eat."

"Sure."

When he came out, Ye Qing saw Gu Ze at the entrance and jogged over to greet him. "Brother Gu, what are you doing here?"

After the two had become familiar with each other, Gu Ze was no longer an award-winning actor in Ye Qing's eyes, but simply a good friend he got along with, so they interacted naturally.

Li Xiao knew that the two of them knew each other. After all, Gu Ze had even gone to her home with Ye Qing back then.

Seeing that the two of them had started talking endlessly, Li Xiao said goodbye to Ye Qing and left on her own.

She didn't know why, but she felt as though she couldn't fit into the atmosphere between them.

"So, did you see my audition just now?"

"Yes. I thought you performed very well."

Ye Qing was a little happy, and a smile appeared on his face involuntarily. "Did I really perform that well?"

Although I think I performed pretty well too, being praised by an award-winning actor still makes me so happy!

Gu Ze's face and the tips of his ears reddened slightly. Ye Qing was simply too genuine. It had been a long time since anyone had been so lively in front of him.

The young man was probably genuinely happy. His eyes sparkled as he looked at Gu Ze, and his entire gaze was filled with joy.

For some reason, Gu Ze suddenly wanted to ruffle the young man's hair. In the end, however, he didn't follow that impulse and merely affirmed the young man's acting once again.

"With acting skills as good as yours, how could you..."

Ye Qing naturally knew what Gu Ze was asking. He simply wanted to know why Ye Qing still hadn't become popular.

"You know how the entertainment industry is. Sometimes, acting ability isn't everything."

"I don't want to rely on my family's influence, either. Besides, I think things are pretty good as they are now. I have enough money and enough time to rest."

Gu Ze thought for a while. "I suppose I was being rather shallow."

"It's just that everyone's perspective is different."

Standing at the entrance and chatting had attracted too much attention, so the two decided to find a restaurant for lunch.

While waiting for news about the audition, Ye Qing stayed at home for the next few days. Looking at the new message on his phone, an inscrutable expression flashed across his face.

It was his first time encountering something like this. For some reason, he felt inexplicably excited.

When he arrived at the private room they had agreed on, Ye Qing glanced around casually. The only person in the room was the producer.

Ye Qing understood immediately, but his expression remained unchanged. Looking at the producer seated to the side, he pretended to be puzzled and said, "I don't know what Producer Wang meant just now."

The producer seated there laughed heartily. "Little Ye, you've been in the industry for so long. You should understand how things work here by now."

"If you want that role, you have to get through me first."

"You mean you want to exploit me sexually?"

"That's a rather unpleasant way to put it. Isn't this simply a matter of one person being willing to fight and the other being willing to take it? If you want that role, you have to please me."

"But as far as I know, Gu Corporation isn't like that."

"That's where you're being naive."

In fact, the producer was lying. He truly couldn't influence Gu Corporation's decision, since he had only recently risen to his current position. But if he didn't say so, who would know?

Even if Gu Corporation had already decided that Ye Qing was the one for the role, Ye Qing didn't know that. By saying this, he could make Ye Qing believe that he had secured the role for him. Why not do it?

Besides, he had investigated Ye Qing's background long ago. He was just a simple minor actor, and the producer believed Ye Qing wouldn't tell anyone.

Today, even if Ye Qing wasn't willing, he had already prepared other options.

But what he hadn't expected was that Ye Qing would be so cooperative.

"If that's the case, shouldn't we have some drinks first to liven things up?"

"Hahaha, Little Ye, you really know how to handle things."

By using the drinks to loosen his tongue, Ye Qing coaxed quite a bit of information out of him.

After drinking too much, the producer had long since lost his wits. "If you weren't willing, I had already prepared some knockout drugs."

That's enough.

"Little Ye, we've had just about enough to drink. Shouldn't we get to the main event?"

Ye Qing's expression changed. "The main event? What main event?"

"Take a look at yourself, with that fat head and big ears and that greasy face. Who gave you the nerve to think you could get into bed with me?"

"You've got some nerve. I've been putting up with you for a long time."

"You—you dare say that to me?"

"Why wouldn't I dare? Who do you think you are, the old emperor?"

Producer Wang picked up his phone and tried to call someone, but Ye Qing snatched it away in one swift motion.

"Still want to call someone? Wake up."

But what Ye Qing hadn't expected was that Producer Wang suddenly reached out, picked up the wine bottle on the table, and smashed it downward.

With a bang, the wine bottle shattered into pieces. The next second, the private-room door opened, and four or five tall bodyguards stood in the doorway.

Ye Qing hadn't expected this turn of events. Damn, what era is this? They're still pulling that old wine-bottle-smashing trick?