Everlife Films

Zhang Laifu had been hired.

They had even brought over the contract!

Zhang Laifu opened it and went straight to the pay terms. "One hundred and sixty a day, right?"

"That's your attendance pay." Old Song turned to page nineteen. "Your monthly salary also includes base pay and performance pay. Since this is your first day, you'll get your full base pay for the month and half your performance pay. After social insurance and housing fund deductions, that leaves a little over twenty thousand."

"You pay every month?" Zhang Laifu had never encountered a film crew like this. Extras were always paid by the day.

"We're a legitimate company. Of course we pay monthly!" Old Song began packing up, putting every document on the table into his bag.

"Twenty thousand? And benefits?" Zhang Laifu still hadn't quite grasped it. He was calculating how many chickens twenty thousand yuan could buy.

Twenty thousand was too big a number. One hundred and sixty felt much friendlier!

Holding the registration form, Old Song asked, "The bank account number on here is real, right?"

"It is." Zhang Laifu checked it carefully. "But, uh, you don't need to transfer the hundred and sixty. You can just..."

"Old Zheng, transfer the money to his account."

"You got it." Old Zheng called the finance department, and before long, Zhang Laifu's phone chimed.

Salary received: 21,832 yuan. The money was in his account.

They really paid me?

Zhang Laifu looked at his phone, then up at Old Song.

Something's wrong here, isn't it?

Zhang Laifu hadn't studied acting. He had never played a single speaking role.

Even if they really wanted to give him a permanent job, shouldn't they at least wait until he graduated?

Even without a probationary period, there was no way he should be making twenty thousand a month.

"Where is your company?"

"Not far from here," Old Zheng replied.

"Not far?" Zhang Laifu was deeply skeptical. "It's still in the country, right?"

"Don't worry. We brought a car. We'll be there soon." Old Zheng took down the banner and cut the power. It looked as though they were abandoning this temporary office.

Zhang Laifu coughed twice. "I'm a little overwhelmed. I'm going downstairs to buy some water."

Old Song handed him a bottle. "Take a moment to settle yourself. If there's no problem, sign the contract."

Zhang Laifu unscrewed the cap but didn't drink. He set the bottle on the table and carefully leafed through the contract in his hands.

Old Song glanced at his watch. "You can read the details on the way. Right now, you need to get into work mode. Come to the set with me."

"We're going to the set now?" Zhang Laifu asked.

Old Song nodded. "Didn't I tell you? They're short-handed."

Zhang Laifu tucked the contract inside his jacket. Then he raised his head and addressed Old Song and Old Zheng with a solemn expression. "I've read the contract. No major problems. Old Song, Old Zheng, thanks for all your hard work these past couple of days. Go back and pack your things. We're short-handed on set, so we'll start work tonight."

"Uh..." Old Zheng stared at Zhang Laifu in confusion. "What did you mean by that?"

Zhang Laifu frowned and looked Old Zheng up and down. "Which part didn't you understand? I just said we're starting work tonight. Do you have a problem with that?"

With that, Zhang Laifu stormed off.

Old Zheng stood frozen, then turned to Old Song. "Second Master, this guy talks a bit like Head Boss. Could Head Boss have sent him to..."

Old Song was still busy packing. He pointed impatiently at the door. "What do you mean, 'sent by the boss'? He's making a run for it! Go after him!"

Old Zheng wasn't especially bright, but Old Song didn't like people who were too bright either.

Zhang Laifu dashed down the stairs. Suddenly, a burst of song sounded beside his ear. "Hiss—cold! Wind through the scorching summer—"

Old Zheng sang as he walked up beside Zhang Laifu.

He's singing?

That doesn't sound quite like a song.

I think I've heard it somewhere.

He sings so beautifully.

Zhang Laifu felt he had never heard such a beautiful melody in his life. It seemed to burrow into his ear and catch hold of his cochlea.

There's no time to listen to music. I need to get out of here.

I can't. My legs won't move!

It wasn't just his cochlea that had been caught. His legs had too. When Old Zheng sped up, Zhang Laifu sped up with him. When Old Zheng stopped, Zhang Laifu stopped too.

What kind of technique is this? Psychological suggestion?

Zhang Laifu struggled desperately to control his legs. Old Song came up beside him and smiled. "Sounds lovely, doesn't it? Want to keep listening? Never heard anything like it before?"

People were at their most honest when frightened. Old Song very much wanted to see Zhang Laifu's fear.

Zhang Laifu was calm, at least on the surface. "I've heard a few clips online. I think it's called Pingtan."

Old Song was surprised by his composure. "You know your stuff. Can you understand it?"

Zhang Laifu shook his head. "I can't make out the lyrics."

"That doesn't matter," Old Song told him. "But as an excellent actor, even if you don't understand, you have to act like you do. Get into character!"

"Yes. I'll get into character soon."

Zhang Laifu had to face reality: Old Zheng had him under his control.

Even while talking to Old Song, Zhang Laifu's legs had kept following Old Zheng.

This man had some special ability. Escaping in front of him would not be easy.

Where did their abilities come from? Some kind of advanced gadget?

Why are they controlling me? Why use something so sophisticated on me?

They certainly weren't after his money. No one looking for money would target a poor student.

Are they trying to kill me? But I've never done them any wrong.

Could they be selling organs?

The three left the prefab building and approached a van.

Old Yu, the driver, opened the door. Zhang Laifu stepped forward as though to get in, then suddenly turned around. "I left my ID on the table."

He hoped to use the excuse of retrieving it to escape. But when he looked back, Everlife Films' prefab building was gone.

How could a huge two-story prefab building just disappear?

He wanted to go back and look where the building had stood, but Old Zheng started singing again.

"Yilin's beauty—green and gleaming!"

Zhang Laifu truly couldn't understand Pingtan. He couldn't make out a single word.

But Old Zheng sang so beautifully. Every note and phrase seemed to flow from pipa strings. Zhang Laifu couldn't bring himself to take another step, and his wariness slowly began to fade.

Where's the pipa coming from?

Old Zheng wasn't playing one, yet a pipa accompaniment could faintly be heard beneath his voice!

I can't let my guard down. I can't let Old Zheng distract me. Where did that building go?

"Right here!" Old Song took Zhang Laifu's ID out of his bag and handed it over. It was a cloth bag, grayish-white, a little like the prefab building's outer walls.

"I saw you leave your ID on the table. You have to fix this habit of losing things. Our set is huge. If you leave your ID there, you'll have a hard time finding it."

Splash—

Old Song lowered his head and inspected the van. "Where's the water leaking from?"

Old Yu looked at him. "Your bag! Your bag is leaking!"

Old Song lifted it. Water streamed from the grayish-white cloth bag.

He pulled out a bottle of water and found that it had no cap.

"Laifu, this is the water I gave you, isn't it? Your habit of losing track of things is going to cause serious trouble someday. Look what you've done to my bag."

Zhang Laifu knew serious trouble had already arrived.

Old Song really had given him that bottle. Zhang Laifu hadn't drunk from it. He had unscrewed the cap and left it on the table.

He remembered clearly that Old Song hadn't put the bottle in his bag. No normal person would put an uncapped bottle of water in a bag, either.

So where did this bottle come from?

Old Song took out an apple. As he ate, he lectured Zhang Laifu. "You aren't an extra anymore. You're a full-time employee of Everlife Films. You need to maintain the basic qualities of an excellent actor at all times.

"Do you know what those basic qualities are?"

Zhang Laifu thought for a moment. The extras' guild had talked about professional standards. "Get to the set on time and never be late!"

Old Song shook his head repeatedly. "That's workplace discipline. It doesn't rise to the level of professional standards. If you want to be an excellent actor, the most basic requirement is to get into character. From now on, you must always keep the scene in mind."

Zhang Laifu looked first at kindly Old Song, then at benevolent-looking Old Zheng, and then at the stern-faced driver, Old Yu. He glanced around at the deserted countryside.

He took out his phone.

"I never imagined that an extra like me would get the chance to become a full-time employee of Everlife Films. I'm so excited. Could we take a photo together?"

Old Song shook his head. "Why take a photo now? Wait until filming wraps."

"Then can I take a selfie?"

"What's there to photograph out here? Let's get going."

Old Song didn't want him taking pictures, but Zhang Laifu insisted.

He lit up his phone screen and took a look.

No signal.

I had full bars when my salary came through. Why is there no signal now?

They had something that blocked the signal.

Zhang Laifu opened the camera and took several photos.

He needed the license plate number and those people in the shots. They would be vital clues for anyone trying to rescue him.

Old Song and Old Zheng had both gotten into the van. Only the driver, Old Yu, was still waiting beside it, but he deliberately stayed out of Zhang Laifu's frame. Not one photo captured Old Yu's face.

After taking the photos, Zhang Laifu suddenly shouted, "Something's wrong with your exhaust pipe! Did somebody stuff something in it?"

"Who did that?" Old Yu immediately switched off the engine and went to check the exhaust pipe.

Zhang Laifu could tell Old Yu was highly vigilant. The driver was worried about being ambushed.

There was nothing wrong with the exhaust pipe. When Old Yu looked up again, Zhang Laifu had already run into the distance.

"That little bastard!" Old Yu got up to chase him, only to find Old Song had already caught up.

Old Yu turned to Old Zheng. "Is this guy actually a fool?"

"I think so," Old Zheng said, uncertain. "But sometimes I think he isn't."

Old Yu couldn't understand why they needed this particular man. "It's a big Outer Province. There are fools everywhere. Why did Second Master have to come here to find one?"

"An ordinary fool won't do," Old Zheng said, shaking his head. "He has to be a fool who doesn't look like one. Second Master said there are plenty of those at the film studio."

"Wasn't that just something he said to fool Head Boss?"

Old Zheng waved his hands. "No, it wasn't. It's true. Only a fool who doesn't look like one can open the Bowl for Head Boss."

Old Yu frowned. "This guy knows enough to run. He's definitely not a fool!"

Old Zheng disagreed. "A pig knows to run when you're slaughtering it. Does that mean pigs aren't stupid? What matters is how stupid he is."

Old Yu flexed his fingers and rolled his wrists. "Have you ever slaughtered a pig? You tie it up before you start. Why don't we just tie this kid up and carry him back?"

"Don't rush. Wait until we're on the train."

Before long, Old Song brought Zhang Laifu back, praising him all the while. "Laifu, that performance was wonderfully smooth and natural. It showed the qualities of a professional actor."

Zhang Laifu gave a guileless smile. "I was pretty nervous. I felt a lot of pressure in front of you seniors. That performance was mainly meant to convey the urgency and danger of an unexpected situation!"

He really was under pressure. He had never expected a middle-aged man like Old Song to run so much faster than him.

Old Song hadn't just outrun him. The man had only touched Zhang Laifu once, and Zhang Laifu had felt as though he were stepping on cotton. He hadn't been able to run after that.

Escaping with Old Song around would be difficult too.

"You seniors really stayed in character." Zhang Laifu smiled at Old Yu and Old Zheng.

Old Yu said nothing.

Old Zheng opened the van door. "Yes, we're all in character. Now hurry up and get in."

Once inside, Old Zheng sat up front with the driver, while Zhang Laifu and Old Song sat in the back.

After the van pulled away, Zhang Laifu took out his phone. There was still no signal.

Old Song tapped the phone. "Laifu, you're on the clock. Don't play with your phone. Mind your workplace discipline.

"We're heading straight to the set, and work starts as soon as we arrive. Change into your costume first."

Old Song handed Zhang Laifu a blue-green long robe with a diagonal front closure and a white felt hat.

Zhang Laifu took off his jacket and put on the robe. After more than a year as an extra, he was adept at changing costumes. Whatever the occasion or location, if he was told to change, he changed.

He had little choice. Old Song and Old Zheng were watching him the whole time.

With the robe and felt hat on, plus a pair of round sunglasses, Zhang Laifu looked like a merchant from a hundred years ago.

"Clothes make the man, just as a saddle makes the horse," Old Song exclaimed. "A change of costume, and you've turned dross into gold!"

Zhang Laifu looked at him. "Isn't 'turned dross into gold' a bit inappropriate?"

"How is it inappropriate?" Old Yu thought it fit perfectly. "Our Second Master is an educated man!"

Zhang Laifu looked around. "Who's Second Master?"

Old Song explained, "Once filming starts, we use our characters' names instead of our own. I play Second Master in this production, and he's written as an educated man."

"What master am I in the production?" Zhang Laifu asked.

Old Yu figured there was no need to hide it now. "You're Fool."

Zhang Laifu still didn't understand. "What's Fool?"

Old Song decided they had to keep up the act. "Fool is your character's nickname. Old Yu's nickname is Yu Qiasuan, and Old Zheng's is Zheng the Pipa. You'll meet Old Liang shortly. His nickname is Liang Yixin. If you hear people calling one another by their nicknames, don't make a fuss. It's all in the script."

Old Yu ran a hand over the steering wheel. "Yu Qiasuan really is my nickname. I'm good at divination and calculation."

"They call me Zheng the Pipa because I like singing Pingtan," Old Zheng said with a smile. "Pingtan needs pipa accompaniment."

Zhang Laifu smiled too. "And they call me Fool because I know how to transplant rice seedlings?"

Old Song nodded repeatedly. "Exactly. You're here to plant the seedlings. While we're filming, we'll call you Fool. When the cameras stop, we'll call you Laifu."

Old Song and Old Zheng changed clothes too. Even Old Yu, who was driving, changed at a red light. All three put on long robes and felt hats. Their outfits differed slightly in style, and Old Song's robe had finer fabric and workmanship.

Once they were dressed, Old Song looked dissatisfied with Zhang Laifu's hair. "We'll need to do something about your hair. It has to suit the period in the script."

Zhang Laifu made a point of asking, "You won't have to shave it, will you? Shaving the sideburns costs an extra ten yuan, and shaving my head costs forty. There are rules about this."

Old Song took a bite of his apple. "You need to shake off those extra's habits. You're a full-time employee now, and whatever you do, you must follow the rules and procedures.

"You need to take the initiative in overcoming difficulties at work. If a production's requirements affect your image, the company will compensate you appropriately through performance pay."

"What rules?" Zhang Laifu asked.

"I can't explain the rules in broad strokes. Once we get to the company, you'll receive systematic training."

Zhang Laifu glanced at the apple in Old Song's hand. Apples were nothing rare, but this one smelled extraordinarily tempting.

"Where did you buy that apple?"

Before Old Song could answer, Old Yu chimed in. "This was given to us by our Grainmaster. Every fruit carries the Grainmaster's flesh-and-blood affection!"

Zhang Laifu had never heard the term. "What's a Grainmaster?"

"A Grainmaster handles the money and grain—"

Old Song took over. "Grainmaster is our nickname for him. He's a middle manager at our company, the director of logistics."

Old Song finished one apple and picked up another.

Understanding dawned on Zhang Laifu. "The logistics director must be a woman, right? She gave you so many apples. You two must be pretty close."

Old Zheng, the assistant, turned to look at Old Song.

Old Yu, the driver, looked at him through the rearview mirror too.

Old Song stared at his apple and pursed his lips.

"Really, it's just affection between colleagues. We're all doing this for the acting..." Old Song handed the apple to Zhang Laifu. "Laifu, you have talent. There's quite a performance going on inside that head of yours."

The car left the film studio complex and drove to a distant suburb. When it reached an office building, Zhang Laifu got out with Old Song.

The building stood twenty or thirty stories high. Judging by its imposing appearance, this ought to be a legitimate company. Zheng the Pipa's Pingtan still lingered in Zhang Laifu's ears, and he could feel his guard dropping.

"What a beautiful building! I need a photo!" Zhang Laifu took out his phone again. Old Song did not stop him.

He had to photograph the building. Like the license plate number, it was vital information for a rescue.

After he had taken more than a dozen pictures, Old Yu urged him on. "That's enough. Everyone's waiting for you!"

Zhang Laifu put away his phone and asked Old Yu, "How many floors does this building have?"

Old Yu looked up. "Thirty-one."

He counted that fast?

Wasn't he just guessing?

Old Yu clearly did not know this building well.

Zhang Laifu had counted earlier. The building had thirty-two floors.

Old Zheng carefully counted from behind them. "It really is thirty-one."

Zhang Laifu said nothing. Apparently none of them knew the building well.

So why had they come here?

At the entrance, Old Song reminded him, "Laifu, it's your first day, and you don't have an employee pass yet. Stay close to me when we go through the turnstile."

"Okay!" Zhang Laifu looked up at the office building again. It seemed to have grown a little shorter.

Old Yu, the driver, called from behind, "What are you looking at? We're a legitimate company. Hurry up and follow Second Master."

At the entrance, Old Song took out a card and went through the first turnstile.

Before the gate could close, Old Yu gave Zhang Laifu a push from behind, sending him through the turnstile after Old Song.

A spacious lobby lay ahead, wider than any office-building lobby Zhang Laifu had ever seen.

The decor did not look like an office building's, either.

Square stone slabs covered the floor, and thick stone pillars stood all around. The ceiling was high, with a dome like that of a Western church. Glass windows set high in the walls let in a few shafts of dim yellow light.

What kind of place is this?

It looked familiar, yet not quite.

People came and went through the first-floor lobby. Some wore suits, some Zhongshan suits, some long robes, and some short jackets with knotted buttons.

A person in uniform hurried past. Zhang Laifu wanted to go over and ask a few questions, but a dozen or so people blocked his way. Together, they bowed to Old Song.

Old Song looked at Zhang Laifu. "They're all actors, and they're your seniors at the company. You should learn from them. Once we're on set, we address one another by our character names.

"This is Old Yan, this is Old Zhao, Old Gu, Old Qiao, and Old Liang. These two are..."

There were two unfamiliar faces in the group. Liang Yixin hurried forward to introduce them. "This is Young Han, and this is Young Meng. These are the two actors we just recruited."

Old Yu looked at Old Liang. "Why are you recruiting actors? Didn't we agree this was our business? You don't need to worry about it!"

Old Liang smiled. "I was afraid you wouldn't get there in time, so I recruited these two from another film set. Don't worry, it's not the same film studio complex. Nothing will go wrong..."

Old Song waved a hand. "It's fine. You were thinking of the company. These two newcomers look pretty good to me."

Young Han was a man of twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a crisp suit and a distinguished appearance. He had the bearing of a professional actor.

He treated Old Song with great respect, bowing repeatedly even as they shook hands. "Mr. Song, my name is Han Yucheng. It's an honor to meet you today."

Beside them, Zhang Laifu said, "No need to be so polite. You can just call him Old Song."

Old Zheng glared at Zhang Laifu. "Watch yourself in a workplace setting."

Zhang Laifu hastily corrected himself. "At work, you have to call him Second Master. I'm Fool."

Song Yongchang gave two dry laughs. "He means our characters..."

When they heard Zhang Laifu call himself Fool, the group burst into praise.

"Second Master's incredible. This young fellow looks perfectly respectable, but he really is a fool."

"Second Master has an eye for them. Second Master went to school!"

Zhang Laifu said to Han Yucheng, "I said my name was Fool. Did you hear me?"

Did this Han fellow have any idea what he was?

Han Yucheng ignored Zhang Laifu and continued talking to Old Song. "Mr. Song, I've just returned from abroad. During my studies, I focused mainly on acting, though I also tried my hand at directing and screenwriting. I came back because I wanted to be put through my paces at a leading company in the domestic industry. If anything I do falls short in the course of my work..."

Han Yucheng talked too much. He held on to Old Song and went on without end.

Young Meng was a beautiful young woman, about Zhang Laifu's age.

"Hello, Mr. Song. My name is Meng Xuanxuan. This is my first time acting."

As she spoke, Meng Xuanxuan blushed from her cheeks to her ears. She gently held Old Song's hand for quite a while, reluctant to let go.

She had taken Old Song for a financial backer. Old Song understood what was on her mind. He smiled but said nothing.

Zhang Laifu could not bear to watch any longer. He glared at Meng Xuanxuan. "Don't do that. Our Second Master already has someone in his heart."

Meng Xuanxuan pretended not to understand. "Who?"

"Our Grainmaster! Do you know what a Grainmaster is? He handles the grain and money. Our Grainmaster has apples..."

Old Song took an apple and stuffed it into Zhang Laifu's mouth, then told Old Yu and Old Zheng, "Go get the new employees their passes."

The two went together, but Old Yu had not understood Old Song's instruction. "What passes?"

Old Zheng smiled. "He means buy tickets."

"Then why not say 'buy tickets'? Why all the twists and turns?"

"So they won't catch on. We can't make them suspicious."

"Old Liang sure loves showing off. Was this any of his business? He just had to bring in two more fools!"

"Two more fools give us an extra bit of insurance. What if something goes wrong on the way?"

"If you don't want anything going wrong, we should do it my way. Tie them all up, gag them, pull a sack over each one, and take them straight to the mountain."

Old Zheng laughed. "If you board a train carrying three sacks, do you think they'll let you on?"

"Then sing them a tune and have them follow you."

"You want me to sing the whole way? Are you trying to wear me to death?"

"Then have our Second Master work some trick..."

Old Zheng shook his head with a smile. "There you go getting impatient again. The ticket inspectors at the station aren't easy to fool. They'll spot it if you tamper with anything. Wait until we're on the train."

The two returned with the tickets. The dozen or so people crossed the lobby together and entered a corridor lined with more than a dozen elevators on each side.

Zhang Laifu stared. "Why are there so many elevators?"

Neither Young Han nor Young Meng wanted to deal with Zhang Laifu. He spoke in circles, had no filter, and made a fuss at the sight of an elevator. They had no idea how a fool like him had gotten into the production.

Old Song patiently explained, "Our company is a leader in the industry. We have dozens of productions filming at the same time. Naturally, we need more elevators to keep them all running smoothly."

The elevator doors opened. Old Song gave Zhang Laifu a ticket. "Hold on to this. It's for the elevator operator."

What era is this? They still have elevator operators?

"What's the ticket for?"

"Haven't you heard of a work ticket? You need one to enter a production. We're a legitimate company." Old Song handed his ticket to the elevator operator, who used a pair of pliers to punch a notch in it.

Zhang Laifu looked down at his own ticket. The stiff blue paper was densely covered with writing.

He could make out only the four largest digits: 1168.

Before he could read further, Old Yu urged him on from behind. "Hurry up and give him your ticket. What are you dawdling for?"

Zhang Laifu gave his ticket to the elevator operator. The operator punched a notch in it and was about to hand it back when Old Song took it.

Young Han's and Young Meng's tickets were taken too.

The elevator operator called out, "Everyone for 1168?"

Some answered and some said nothing, but no one said no.

The operator pressed the four digits, 1168, on the touchscreen. The elevator gave a shudder and began to rise.

The office building had only thirty-odd floors. Zhang Laifu did not understand what 1168 meant. "Are we going to the thousandth floor or something?"

Han Yucheng did not even want to look at Zhang Laifu.

The man was a fool through and through. How could a building have more than a thousand floors?

Old Song laughed too. "What building has over a thousand floors? 1168 is our production code. Our production is on its assigned floor."

Clatter!

The elevator doors opened.

The operator called out, "1168, here you are!"

Beyond the elevator lay a long, narrow corridor, with doors packed close together on both sides.

"Is this our production?" Zhang Laifu asked.

Old Song nodded. "Let's go to the set first. Filming starts soon, so you need to get into character quickly."

Everyone checked the numbers on their tickets and looked for the corresponding rooms.

Old Yan and Old Qiao took Han Yucheng into Room 16. Old Song, Old Yu, and Old Zheng took Zhang Laifu into Room 17. Old Zhao and Old Liang took Meng Xuanxuan into Room 18.

Room 17's layout looked very familiar. It had two beds about four feet wide, a table, a wardrobe, a coat rack, cups, a teapot, and other odds and ends. It looked much like a hotel twin room, except that it had no windows. At the far end stood a green-painted wooden door.

Old Zheng and Old Yu claimed both beds. Old Song opened the green-painted door and led Zhang Laifu into the inner room.

So it was a suite.

The inner room also had two beds and was more spacious than the outer room. The beds were about five feet wide, with bedside cabinets beside them. Paintings hung on the walls, a bookcase stood in the corner, and there were two floor-to-ceiling windows.

Zhang Laifu stood by a window and opened it.

The view outside was beautiful. Green mountains appeared and vanished amid the clouds and mist, while a light drizzle lent everything the hazy charm of rain and smoke.

He looked down. For now, the mist hid the ground.

Using that to estimate the height, Zhang Laifu began to consider whether he could jump out the window.

"Laifu, be careful. Don't fall from up high." Old Song was unpacking and offered the warning offhandedly.

Whoosh! A shadow flashed past.

Zhang Laifu jerked his head up. It felt as though something had flown by.

Old Song sat on the bed by the window and pointed to the one by the door. "Laifu, stop looking. We're about to start filming. That bed's yours."

Zhang Laifu turned back. "Aren't we here to act? Why are we sleeping in a hotel?"

Old Song spoke with earnest gravity. "Laifu, if you want to accomplish anything as an actor, you must cast off your extra's habits. Know your place and take the right attitude.

"Isn't sleeping a form of acting? Can't you get into character while you sleep? Look at the state these seniors have reached in their performances. Can you see any trace of acting in them?

"You're playing an ordinary hotel guest now. Like these seniors, you need to slip into the role without leaving a trace!"

As he spoke, Old Song opened the green-painted door. Old Zheng and Old Yu were already asleep in the outer room.

Zhang Laifu got into bed too, pulled the blanket over himself, and struck a sleeping pose.

Under the covers, he took out his phone and checked it again. Still no signal.

Whoosh!

"What was that sound?"

Zhang Laifu turned and saw the scenery outside the window moving.

Old Song lay on his bed and waved a hand impatiently. "It's nothing. It's coming from another set. Hurry up and get into character."

Zhang Laifu got out of bed and took a step forward.

At first, his legs felt so heavy that he could barely move them.

After he finally managed two steps, his body felt so light that he could not put any strength into it.

He took three steps forward, then slid two steps back. It felt as though the room had tilted.

It took him tremendous effort to reach the window. He leaned out and looked.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The mist around him was thicker than before.

The distant scenery slowly receded.

He turned to look at the floors above and below, and his jaw dropped.

"This whole floor... flew away..."

Dear readers, just like before, I'll be here at seven every morning, Shala eagerly awaiting your arrival.

Please keep following the book! Shala looks forward to every comment from you. They're what keep me writing.

The number of readers following along affects the new-book rankings and the resources Myriad Lives, Enchanted by the Devil can receive. Shala bows deeply and thanks you again for your heartfelt support.