Global Film Emperor

Chapter 32 A Small Dinner Party
"Well, my interview is over. Goodbye."

After meeting Zhang Fenghe, Lu Ze politely nodded and said a few words to him, and then simply said goodbye.

As he walked, he felt his feet were a little weak. He lifted his feet to move his ankles, and his palms were sweaty. He was still nervous, quite nervous.

I took the elevator downstairs, lit a cigarette next to the trash can, and my hand was still trembling a little when I lit the lighter. I took a deep drag and then exhaled, which finally made me feel much more relaxed.

With a cigarette dangling from his lips, he waved his hand in the air, feeling a cool sensation in his palm from the evaporation of sweat.

It was a little past 2 p.m., and since they said they would go back and wait for news, Lu Ze didn't linger any longer and bought a train ticket back to Hengdian.

"Dong dong dong."

"Please come in."

Lu Ze came to the union with the purpose of finding Zeng Long and treating him to a meal. Zeng Long remembered such a great thing. Regardless of whether he was selected or not, Lu Ze remembered his kindness. He had been busy with auditions the past few days and couldn't find the time, but today he had to have a good drink to thank him.

"Brother Zeng, are you busy?"

"Hey, you're back? How's it going? Any luck?"

Lu Ze was fairly certain about this. He felt he had performed very well and consistently, and the three interviewers seemed quite satisfied. He figured the job was practically his.

But you can only say it's done once it's succeeded. Let alone if it fails in the end, and you embarrass yourself, Lu Ze wouldn't dare to say it so confidently. He just smiled, sat down, and offered her a cigarette.

"Who knows? I think I did alright. Let fate decide. What's meant to be will be, and what's not, there's no use worrying about it."

"I admire you for this, kid. You're too carefree. If it were me, I probably wouldn't be able to sleep well tonight. So, what do you want?"

Lu Ze noticed a box of matches on Zeng Long's desk. The matchbox looked quite old-fashioned, probably taken from the film crew. He picked it up, shook it, and lit a match. He then handed it to Zeng Long to light his cigarette before lighting his own.

He shook the match to extinguish it and threw it into the ashtray. With a cigarette in his mouth, Lu Ze continued to play with the remaining match, breaking it into pieces and arranging them into a square on the table. He then said with his head down.

"When are you getting off work? Come on, let me treat you to a drink. I was busy memorizing lines the past few days, but today I feel like I've just finished the college entrance exam. I feel so much more relaxed. Want to go out and relieve some stress?"

"Sure, I have fifteen minutes left before I get off work. Wait for me a bit, by the way..."

Zeng Long's flirtatious side kicked in again. He leaned close to Lu Ze's ear and said slyly, "How's it going with the thing I asked you to ask? You haven't replied to me these past two days."

Well, Lu Ze did go and ask about it. Of course, he couldn't be silly and just ask if he could get a discount. Instead, he said that a friend wanted to talk to him about life ideals and establish a long-term friendly cooperative relationship, and he also asked for a small business card from the friend. And believe it or not, he actually has it in his bag today.

"I'm really impressed with you. I'll look for it in a bit."

Lu Ze rummaged through his bag, glanced at the other staff members still in the office, quietly slipped the card into his sleeve, and handed it to Zeng Long.

"Hey, I'm not a pimp here. If you get caught by the police, don't blame me for the girl I introduced you. I'm a hardworking and ambitious young man, I don't want to be tainted by that. Her name is Miaomiao. Just say she's Lu'er's friend. You two can negotiate the price yourselves. She's good-looking, don't worry about that."

Zeng Long got excited when he saw the naked young girl on the card. He was a bachelor, too shy to even approach female prostitutes, but now he had finally found his tribe. Whether he was engorged or not, he didn't know, but his face was definitely flushed.

"Okay, I'll treat you to dinner today! No need for you to treat me, I'll thank you!"

"Hey, is it really necessary? How much salary do you have to throw around like this? You might as well find a female extra to live with, at least you'd have a hot meal at night instead of going home to eat cornbread. Besides, how many good women do this kind of work? It's best to stay away from them, I'm telling you the truth." "I don't believe that. I heard the woman you partnered with before ran away too. Women in Hengdian, who trusts anyone? Rather than developing feelings over time, only to be heartbroken when she leaves, you might as well spend some money to solve your physical needs."

Zeng Long, that bastard, is quite open-minded. He'd rather spend money than date. Lu Ze couldn't say anything; he's someone who's been hurt before, after all.

With a match in his mouth, Zeng Long also packed up his things and left work. The two found a restaurant to eat at, which was considered quite good for ordinary people.

Zeng Long said he would just find a small restaurant to eat at, but in reality he was quite satisfied. It wasn't about showing off or anything; he just wanted a certain attitude.

If I introduce you to such a great job, and you still go to some small restaurant to do a shoddy job, then I can see what kind of person you are.

He's either stupid and lacks emotional intelligence, or he's too stingy. Zeng Long doesn't want to associate with people like that.

Fortunately, Lu Ze did not disappoint him. He treated Lu Ze to good food and drink and expressed his gratitude. Lu Ze was a man who understood human relationships and social customs.

The two drank quite a bit, finishing more than a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor) and two cases of beer. Both of them are heavy drinkers.

Lu Ze's drinking ability is evident from his appearance; being tall and strong, he can certainly hold a lot. Zeng Long, this guy from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, is also quite amazing. He's just over 1.7 meters tall and weighs over 100 kilograms, and it's hard to imagine how he can hold so much alcohol. He's also a heavy drinker, always finishing his drinks in one go, and he drinks very thoroughly.

"Lu'er, judging from what you're saying, your role should be pretty much a sure thing, right?"

"How could I say that? Maybe the director has someone he likes. Who knows, who knows?"

"Keep pretending. Come on, bottoms up. You might not be spending much time in Hengdian from now on. Your alcohol tolerance is pretty good. I'm not bragging, but most people can't beat you. Hey, you're probably the first actor I've seen go. With your acting skills, you're bound to become a star. Let's drink more together so I can brag about it later."

After downing a glass of wine, I heard a lot of laughter coming from the next private room. The people in the room all sounded quite young, and I wondered where they came from.

A young man, drunk and about to vomit, pushed open the door to go to the restroom, accompanied by several young men and women. Lu Ze glanced at him and felt he was a bit unfamiliar; his bright and stylish clothes suggested he wasn't an extra.

"Hey Zeng, where did all these young men and women come from? I've never seen them before."

Those guys had accents from all over the world; they were obviously not locals. And what else could outsiders come to Hengdian for? You'd have to ask Zeng Long about that. He knows everyone who works here; he's not called the union's all-knowing man for nothing.

"Who are they? Oh, them? College students, I guess."

"College students? What are they doing here? Experiencing life?"

Zeng Long was taken aback, then looked at Lu Ze with a smile while holding his wine glass: "You guessed right, you're just here to experience life, aren't you? A bunch of people from the Magic Theater, the teacher stays here, and they're here to be extras."

Lu Ze picked up a piece of cucumber shreds with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth, then pursed his lips: "You're so bored. Usually, no college students come here. Why did you suddenly change your mind this year and bring educated youth to the countryside?"

"Hey! You're making Hengdian sound like some backwater? Who told you nobody comes? We come every year. It's just that you haven't been coming for the past two years. A student had an accident in Hengdian before. Someone filmed him and he almost died, so it stopped for a few years. But it's started again this year."

"I feel like they're just bored. Any one of them who graduated from the academy would never end up as an extra. Why bother leading a bunch of students to suffer like this?"

"What's it to you? Did I make a single penny off you? Just eat your food, come on, let's have a drink."

Thank you to Wuji Xundaoren, Book Friend 2018116191435687, Jinque Zhizun Miaoyou Zhizhen Yuhuang Dadi, Yueying Hanbei, Pu Junchen, Book Friend 20170514115004290, and L and M Li for their generous donations. Thank you all.

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(End of this chapter)