The set fell dead silent for five seconds.
Qin Shuang held the prop gun, its muzzle still pointed at Jiang Yue.
“Cut! Print it!”
Li Cheng suddenly leaped up from his director's chair, clapping his hands furiously as his voice shattered the silence of the set.
His face was flushed red as he strode forward. “Excellent! Now that is what a high-IQ criminal looks like! What the hell was Zhang Yu playing earlier? Pure garbage!”
The surrounding crew members kept their heads down, none of them daring to chime in.
No matter how bad Zhang Yu was, he was still a trained actor. However, Li Cheng had always despised nepotism hires in his productions, and today he had finally gotten to vent his pent-up frustration.
Li Cheng walked over to the monitor, his eyes glued to Jiang Yue.
As soon as the cut was called, Jiang Yue took off the gold-rimmed glasses. With a thought, he unequipped the 【Refined Scoundrel】 trait.
The spine-chilling aura of a psychotic hacker instantly drained from his body. He stood up straight, transforming back into an ordinary college student from the computer science department.
Jiang Yue set the glasses down next to the computer and looked at Li Cheng. “Director Li, we got it in one take. Can we settle the payment now? Including the computer repair fee, that's one thousand yuan in total.”
Li Cheng gasped as he watched Jiang Yue switch gears in an instant.
This level of emotional control was something even many trained young actors struggled to achieve, let alone an extra.
For a brief second just now, he had genuinely suspected this kid had a criminal record in real life.
The crew members on the periphery finally snapped out of it.
“I didn't even dare to breathe just now.”
“This guy's presence is way too intense.”
“A computer repair guy playing a dark villain so perfectly... that's seriously creepy.”
Jiang Yue glanced over as a pale blue light screen flickered before his eyes.
【Strong emotions from others detected...】
【Li Cheng's admiration, Reputation Points +5】
【Qin Shuang's shock, Reputation Points +8】
【Production Assistant Old Wang's shock, Reputation Points +1】
【Gaffer Zhao Lei's goosebumps, Reputation Points +1】
【...】
【Current Reputation Points: 165】
Jiang Yue's heart stirred.
So that was how reputation points were earned.
The stronger the other person's emotional fluctuations, the more points they provided. Professional actors and directors clearly yielded much higher values.
“Pay him! Settle it right now!”
Li Cheng waved his hand grandly, directly instructing the accountant to scan Jiang Yue's QR code and transfer the money.
Soon, a notification chimed on his phone.
“WeChat Pay received: one thousand yuan.”
In the quiet set, the sound was exceptionally clear.
Jiang Yue slipped his phone into his pocket with satisfaction, a genuine smile returning to his face.
With that, he turned, ready to leave.
“Wait.”
Qin Shuang suddenly spoke up, stopping him.
She walked over quickly, her gaze a bit complex.
“What's your name?”
“Jiang Yue.”
Qin Shuang's tone was certain. “Your acting has structure. Which drama academy are you from?”
Jiang Yue slung his bag over his shoulder and shook his head. “I'm not from a drama academy.”
“Donghai University, majoring in Computer Science and Technology.”
Qin Shuang froze.
Computer Science?
So having him play a hacker was literally a professional match?
Just as Li Cheng was about to speak and ask him to stay, a commotion broke out at the entrance of the set.
Zhang Yu, who had stormed off earlier, had returned. Walking beside him was a middle-aged man in a sharp suit.
The man wore a smile, but his eyes swept across the crowd with sharp scrutiny.
Wang Jin, the Talent Director of Xinghui Entertainment.
He was the star agent backing Zhang Yu, and many people in the industry had to show him some respect.
Wang Jin walked straight up to Li Cheng and said with a chuckle, “Director Li, young people can be hot-headed and throw tantrums. Why let it get to you? I'll have him apologize to you, and we can keep shooting.”
He was here to protect his client's role.
Li Cheng's face fell, and he flatly refused. “No need. I've already finished shooting that scene.”
“Finished?”
The smile on Wang Jin's face stiffened. He turned his gaze toward Jiang Yue.
The young man was dressed simply, though his appearance was indeed striking.
But this face was completely unfamiliar to him.
He had met almost everyone in the industry; this had to be a fresh face.
Wang Jin sized Jiang Yue up and sneered. “Director Li, you're replacing Zhang Yu with an amateur who has zero background? That's against the rules, isn't it? We have a contract with the production, signed in black and white.”
Li Cheng was already hot-tempered, and hearing this instantly set him off.
“I'm the director!”
“If I say he can do it, he can do it!”
“Zhang Yu couldn't pull off that psychotic vibe. Don't tell me you didn't see that?”
Jiang Yue had originally planned to just watch the drama unfold.
But hearing this, he almost lost his composure.
What do you mean 'psychotic vibe'?
I'm a perfectly upright, upstanding citizen, okay?
Zhang Yu stood behind Wang Jin, his face livid, not daring to speak up with his agent present.
Wang Jin glanced at Jiang Yue and spoke in a slow, deliberate tone, though every word was laced with thorns. “It was just a fluke. Any extra with the right look can get lucky and pass a scene if you let them shout a few lines. A blind cat catching a dead mouse.”
“But what about the upcoming scenes? The character has internal struggles, psychological depth. Does he even know what acting with nuance means? Director Li, can you afford the breach of contract fees and the delays if you ruin the entire project just to throw a tantrum?”
The set fell quiet.
Wang Jin wasn't some fool who only knew how to make a scene; his words struck right at the crew's pain points. The contract and the shooting schedule were indeed the production's Achilles' heel.
Everyone turned their eyes toward Jiang Yue.
Jiang Yue frowned. He had only wanted to earn a quick thousand yuan, yet somehow he had gotten dragged into a power struggle between the investors and the director.
Li Cheng stared at Wang Jin for a moment, then suddenly turned to Jiang Yue. “The next scene in the script is when the hacker is captured. In the interrogation room, he has to watch his life's work—his code—be destroyed. There are no lines, but you have to convey the despair of having your beliefs completely shattered.”
Li Cheng held up five fingers. “Five thousand yuan for this scene. If you pull it off, this role is yours. I'll deal with the investors!”
Five thousand?
Jiang Yue quickly did the math.
If he wanted to stay in Donghai City after graduation, he was still short on the security deposit and first three months' rent. This starting capital was practically falling into his lap.
He looked at Li Cheng's fingers and nodded decisively. “Deal.”
Wang Jin laughed out loud, crossing his arms as he looked around. “Fine, I'll stand right here and watch. If he can actually deliver a nuanced performance, I'll take Zhang Yu and leave immediately, and we'll terminate the contract according to the rules. But if he messes up...”
Wang Jin didn't finish his sentence, but the threat was clear enough.
Standing behind him, Zhang Yu smirked mockingly.
A computer repair guy thinks he's a real actor just because he got lucky on one take.
Jiang Yue ignored them and walked over to the interrogation room set.
A wordless scene of deep despair.
He had never studied acting, so he could only rely on his cheat.
He summoned the system panel.
【Current Reputation Points: 165】
It was just enough for one Intermediate Draw.
Jiang Yue gave the command in his mind: “System, start the Intermediate Draw.”
【Consuming 100 Reputation Points for an Intermediate Draw...】
【Scanning current dilemma: Need to display highly nuanced, wordless despair.】
【Situational Adaptation activated...】
【Congratulations Host, you have obtained the Purple Trait: Micro-Expression Master.】
【Trait Description: Absolute control over all 43 facial muscles. Even without a single line of dialogue, a slight contraction of the pupils or a twitch of the lips can precisely convey intense emotion. Silence itself can command the room.】
A deep purple light burst forth across Jiang Yue's vision.
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