novellhall Chapter 17 The Opportunity
Chapter 17 The Opportunity
Zhang Baizhi pushed open the office door.
She walked in, stood opposite the desk, her hands hanging down in front of her, her fingers intertwined, her knuckles slightly white.
Lin Dong leaned back in his chair and glanced at her.
"Want to act in movies?"
She nodded, giving it a firm nod, causing her ponytail to sway.
Have you studied acting?
Shake head.
Have you attended any training courses?
Shake head.
Have you ever filmed anything? GG doesn't count.
He still shook his head.
Lin Dong tapped his fingers twice on the table, looking at her. There was something in her eyes—not nervousness, which is soft. Her gaze was hard, like a person clenching a fist.
"Then what gives you the right?"
Zhang Baizhi's lips moved slightly. Then she gritted her teeth and took a step forward.
"I can give everything."
The voice wasn't loud, but it didn't tremble. Every word sounded as if it were squeezed out from between the teeth, or as if it were ripped directly from the chest.
As she said this, her chin was slightly raised, her eyes staring straight at Lin Dong, her pupils burning with an intensity.
She knew what she had: a face, a body, and a life. She placed all three on the table.
Lin Dong looked at her and smiled.
Then he raised his hand and waved towards the door.
"Alright, you can go now."
Zhang Baizhi paused for a moment. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she swallowed it back. She gave a slight bow, turned around, and walked out.
As she reached the door, her steps slowed for a moment, as if waiting for someone behind her to call her back.
No one called out.
The door closed.
Lin Dong leaned back in his chair, staring at the closed door, and tapped his fingers twice on the armrest. Then he picked up his phone from the table, found a number, and dialed it.
The phone rang three times before being answered.
"Sing-jai, this is Lin Dong."
There was a pause on the other end of the phone, followed by Stephen Chow's voice, polite but with a hint of wariness.
"Mr. Lin! What a rare guest! What brings you to call me?"
"Of course I need to talk to you about something."
"Mr. Lin, please speak."
"I applied to a company and signed a new talent. I'd like her to audition with you."
Stephen Chow's voice immediately softened, and his wariness lessened considerably. "Audition? Mr. Lin, you know my situation—"
"I know. You can invest in your own film; I won't get involved."
Stephen Chow chuckled, this time a genuine laugh. "Mr. Lin, you've misunderstood. That's not what I meant—"
"That's what you mean." Lin Dong laughed, his tone casual. "You're afraid I'll invest money and replace the female lead with one of my own. It's your film, you call the shots, I understand that rule."
Stephen Chow was silent for a moment, and when he spoke again, most of the politeness in his voice had faded, replaced by a relaxed and casual tone with a hint of Cantonese accent.
"Lin Sheng, you're an interesting fellow. So, what kind of newcomer are you?"
"Eighteen years old, his name is Zhang Baizhi. He just came back from Australia and filmed a movie called 'Lemon Tea Guy'."
"Never acted before?"
"A blank sheet of paper."
A soft gasp came from the other end of the phone. "Mr. Lin, what I want is—"
"I don't know if she's suitable for the role. If you see her, use her if she's capable, otherwise return her. I have only one sentence—give her an audition opportunity."
Stephen Chow remained silent for a few seconds.
"Okay. Mr. Lin, since you've asked, I'll give you this opportunity. Have her come to my company tomorrow afternoon."
Thank you.
"Mr. Lam," Stephen Chow's voice carried a hint of inquiry, "I've heard about your eye for talent. The whole of Hong Kong is talking about Ms. Li's US stock dealings. When you have the chance, could you give me some pointers?"
Lin Dong laughed. "Do you, Stephen Chow, need my guidance? Your films are the best stocks. Alright, let's have tea together another day."
I hung up the phone.
He put his phone on the table and dialed the internal line.
"Let Zhang Baizhi in."
Zhang Baizhi pushed the door open and came in.
Just like before, stand opposite the desk with your hands hanging down in front of you.
But her eyes changed—when she went out earlier, the fire inside had dimmed by half. Now, standing here again, she didn't know what awaited her.
"Tomorrow afternoon, Star Overseas." Lin Dong tore off a note, wrote down an address and phone number, and pushed it across the table. "Stephen Chow is preparing for a new movie and needs a young actress."
Zhang Baizhi's eyes widened suddenly.
"Zhou—Stephen Chow?"
"I've given you the audition opportunity," Lin Dong said, looking at her. "The rest is up to you."
Her breathing became erratic.
Her lips opened, closed, and opened again. She raised her hands, twisting them together in front of her, her knuckles turning white. Then she leaned forward—as if trying to pounce, but then forcefully held herself back.
This is the office. Her boss is sitting across from her.
"Lin Sheng—I—"
I can't continue.
Then she took a deep breath, suppressing the urge. Her face was still flushed, and her eyes were still wet, but her voice became steady.
"Mr. Lin, I'd like to invite you to dinner. Tonight. Is that alright?"
Lin Dong looked at her.
Her eyes held gratitude, excitement, and a rekindled fire.
He nodded.
"OK."
Zhang Baizhi's lips curved slightly. It wasn't a prepared smile; it was an uncontrollable one.
She bowed, turned and walked out. Reaching the door, she looked back one last time.
Lin Dong was already flipping through the documents on the table.
The door closed gently.
Lin Dong finished reading the documents in his hand, signed them, and put them aside. He stood up, straightened his cuffs, and pushed open the office door.
On the other side of the corridor was Chen Xinjian's office. A nameplate on the frosted glass door read: Chen Xinjian, General Manager.
He knocked once and pushed the door open to go inside.
Chen Xinjian was sitting behind his desk, with several documents and an open notebook spread out on it. He immediately stood up when he saw Lin Dong enter.
"Lin Sheng".
"sit."
Lin Dong sat down in the chair opposite him. Chen Xinjian then sat down, picked up a stack of folders from the table, and pushed them towards him.
"Mr. Lin, I've shortlisted four candidates for your secretary."
He flipped to the top document. "This one has eight years of experience; he previously worked as an administrative assistant at New World Group. This one worked as an artist coordinator at TVB for two years. This one just returned from studying in Canada with a degree in business administration; he has no work experience, but his English is excellent, and he's very smart—"
He paused for a moment, then pointed to the last resume.
"Xiang Hailan. Twenty-four years old, graduated from Columbia University, and just returned to Hong Kong last month."
Lin Dong flipped through the resumes but didn't look at them closely. He closed the book and pushed it back onto the table.
"Tell them to come for an interview tomorrow morning. I want to see them in person."
Chen Xinjian nodded, picked up a pen, and wrote a line in his notebook: "How should the time be arranged?"
"Starting at nine o'clock, fifteen minutes per person."
"clear."
Lin Dong stood up, and Chen Xinjian followed suit. When they reached the door, Lin Dong paused and turned back.
"Mr. Chen".
"Mr. Lin, please speak."
"Pay more attention to talent in film and television production. For some future projects, we should invest in and produce them ourselves."
Chen Xinjian's eyes lit up, and he nodded solemnly, understanding Lin Dong's meaning.
"Don't worry, Mr. Lin."
Lin Dong nodded.
Push the door open and go out.