Life countdown begins, ice queen bursts into security room

Ten minutes passed quickly.

Shen Feng changed into an ill-fitting suit and stood in the center of the stage.

The suit was a size too big, so he rolled up the sleeves and stretched his neck a couple of times.

The image of that down-on-his-luck regimental commander vanished completely, replaced by a comical figure who was both cowardly and shameless, yet stubbornly trying to save face.

There were no lights, no set.

Shen Feng carried a disposable paper cup as a wine glass and strode forward with an air of indifference.

"Qiuya is a famous school beauty, but I'm even more famous. I'm the school's most famous joke."

As soon as he uttered the line, Ning Yuan raised his eyebrows.

That tone, a blend of decadence and self-deprecation, was perfectly captured. Any more would have been over-the-top, any less would have been ineffective.

Shen Feng stood steadily on the steel wire.

There was nothing in the paper cup, but he picked it up and drank it all in one gulp, even smacking his lips as if he had actually downed two ounces of liquor.

Then came the toasting ceremony.

Charlotte pretended to be a tycoon at the wedding and toasted her teacher.

The tall, thin man came up from the side, hunched over, and pushed up glasses that weren't actually on his nose.

"You are, that, who was it again?"

Shen Feng leaned closer, his face beaming, "Teacher, it's me, Xia Luo. You even told me to get out of here back then."

The tall, thin man slapped his thigh: "Oh, that idiot."

The two worked together seamlessly.

The tall, thin man timed his response perfectly; the expression on Shen Feng's face when he was called an idiot—

He wanted to laugh but couldn't, he wanted to turn hostile but didn't dare; it was all written on his face.

Ning Yuan, who had been leaning back in his chair, now sat up straight.

Jiang Fan glanced at him out of the corner of his eye but didn't say anything.

The good show is yet to come.

Ma Yue grabbed a plastic kitchen knife and rushed onto the stage, pointing it at Shen Feng's nose and starting to curse.

"Charlotte! You heartless bastard! To support your music career, I go out for cupping therapy during the day and drive a tricycle at night, and what do you do? Come here and give money at a wedding!"

The moment the Northeastern accent came out, the whole place came alive.

The fierceness, grievances, and frustration of women from the lower classes are all expressed in their voices.

Ma Yue is not tall, but she has a strong presence on stage.

Shen Feng shrank back in fright, muttering under his breath—

"Dongmei, stop messing around, give me some face..."

"Face? You still have face?"

Several people performed on stage without any props, relying entirely on their performance without any physical objects.

Ning Yuan's lips twitched slightly. But he held back and didn't laugh.

Jiang Fan saw his fingers tap twice on the armrest.

Fueled by alcohol, Shen Feng grabbed a chair and used it as a toilet, then leaned over it and vomited violently.

After vomiting, he didn't forget to look up, his eyes still half-closed, and mumble:

"Ma Dongmei...where did you take my Ferrari...?"

Ning Yuan couldn't hold back this time.

He burst out laughing.

He is an extremely picky director; the number of performances that can make him laugh can be counted on one hand.

The performance has ended.

Shen Feng stood on the stage, panting heavily, a large wet patch on the back of his suit.

He looked nervously at the two people below the stage.

Ma Yue tossed the plastic kitchen knife aside, her chest heaving violently, her attention focused on this.

There was a three-second silence.

Jiang Fan stood up and clapped his hands twice.

"Li Cheng".

Li Cheng quickly stepped forward. "Brother Fan."

"Contact the legal department to draft an acquisition contract. Take them all, including the people and the premises. Transfer the advance payment to their account this afternoon to settle the outstanding rent and wages first."

Shen Feng's legs went weak, and he sat down directly on the stage.

Lunzi yelled and rushed over from backstage, hugging Shen Feng while crying and laughing, "Brother Feng! We're alive!"

Ma Yue turned her back and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

The action was swift; by the time she turned back, her face had returned to normal.

Ning Yuan looked at the group of people on the stage huddled together, then turned to look at Jiang Fan.

"You've been keeping an eye on them for a while now?"

"It's all fate," Jiang Fan casually remarked.

"Is this the male lead?" Ning Yuan pointed at Shen Feng.

What do you think?

Ning Yuan touched the stubble on his chin.

"He's shameless enough, and ugly enough too. Okay, he's the one."

His hand then pointed at Ma Yue.

"The actress who plays Ma Dongmei has great explosive power and a natural comedic rhythm. She's the one for the female lead."

When Shen Feng heard this on stage, his expression was priceless.

I'm happy—

The male lead, the male lead in a 40 million dollar production, it's like a pie fell from the sky and hit him on the head.

But what does it mean to be ugly?

He was, after all, a former heartthrob from the PLA Academy of Arts.

Lunzi chimed in from the side, "Brother Feng, don't be so unconvinced, your face really is funny."

Shen Feng slapped him on the back of the head: "Shut up, you're even uglier than me."

Ning Yuan stood up, pushed the chair back, and walked to the edge of the stage.

The people on stage immediately stopped joking and all looked at him.

"You guys were acting in a play before," Ning Yuan said. "But plays and movies are two different things. On stage, you have to amplify your expressions so that the audience in the last row can see them. But the camera magnifies everything tenfold. If you put in even an extra bit of effort, it will look like you're overdoing it."

Shen Feng nodded and listened attentively.

"There will be a two-week preparation period before filming starts, during which you will train with the crew. I will then go over each scene with you."

Ning Yuan looked at Ma Yue again.

"Your Northeastern accent is fine, but be careful not to express all your emotions by yelling. Ma Dongmei isn't just shrewish; she needs to hide the tenderness she feels for Xia Luo, and the audience will see it."

Ma Yue nodded vigorously.

Ning Yuan then glanced at the others: "And you guys, don't think that just because the male and female leads have been cast, it has nothing to do with you. This drama is an ensemble piece, and every supporting character has to be believable."

Lunzi and Azheng replied in unison, "Understood."

Shen Feng took three steps at a time and walked up to Jiang Fan.

He opened his mouth, then hesitated for a long time before speaking—

"President Jiang, um..."

Just call me Jiang Fan.

"Jiang Fan," Shen Feng rubbed his hands together, "My drama troupe owes three months' rent and six people's salaries. That adds up to almost 120,000 yuan. Are you really going to settle it?"

Didn't you hear what I just said?

"I heard you, I heard you." Shen Feng nodded quickly, "It just feels... a little unreal."

Li Cheng chimed in from the side, "Don't worry, Lao Shen, Brother Fan always keeps his word. The contract arrives this afternoon; send me the account details and outstanding payment details."

Shen Feng nodded emphatically.

He glanced back at his group members.

Ma Yue, Lunzi, Azheng, and those extras backstage.

These people have followed him for three years, but they haven't received a proper salary for many days. They've been surviving on sheer willpower.

Today's anger wasn't in vain.

Jiang Fan patted him on the shoulder: "Prepare well. If this play is successful, your drama troupe won't have to worry about going hungry anymore."

Shen Feng grinned, revealing a set of perfectly aligned teeth.

"Fine. My life, Shen Feng's life, is yours from now on."

-

After leaving the theater, Ning Yuan lit a cigarette, walked next to Jiang Fan, and exhaled a puff of smoke.

"You have a sharp eye. Where do these guys hang out? I've never heard of them in the industry before."

Jiang Fan laughed: "There are hidden talents among the common people. Capital only cares about traffic, not strength. Our Xinghuo Media specializes in picking up the scraps."