Chapter 133: Casting Confirmed and Han Shanping's Support Secured

Inside the audition room of Feimin Entertainment, the air conditioner hummed softly. Xiang Fei sat before the monitor, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the script of "Tang Renjie Tan'an". Wu Mengda and Zeng Zhiwei sat on either side, while Zhou Huimin quietly flipped through the actor profiles. A faint scent of coffee and an undercurrent of tension filled the air.

"Next." Xiang Fei's voice sounded especially clear in the empty room.

The door was pushed open gently, and Duan Long, Tao Hong, and Gao Hu entered one after another. Sunlight slanted in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting mottled shadows across them.

Duan Long stood before the camera and took a deep breath. The moment his gaze touched the script, it changed—from a humble actor to that meticulous yet stuttering genius teenager.

"Th-this case..." His fingers trembled slightly, yet his eyes were unusually sharp, "has... has a problem..."

Wu Mengda involuntarily straightened his posture. He saw the corner of Xiang Fei's mouth lift slightly, an expression only seen when discovering treasure.

"Interesting," Zeng Zhiwei murmured softly. "This kid has turned the stutter into a rhythm."

When Tao Hong auditioned, the entire room's atmosphere shifted. She leaned casually against the chair, her fingers lightly twirling a strand of hair; with that simple motion, the character Ah Xiang came alive.

"Tang Ren," her voice carried a lazy sweetness, "what trouble have you gotten into this time?"

Zhou Huimin's pen tip paused on the paper. She saw the admiration flash in Xiang Fei's eyes, a look of professional exchange only fellow actors could understand.

Gao Hu's audition, however, fell into a stalemate. He tried the scene for Kun Tai's lackey three times, and each time he got stuck at the same spot. Sweat slid down his temples, gleaming under the lights.

"One more time." Xiang Fei's voice was terrifyingly calm.

Just as everyone thought they would give up, Xiang Fei suddenly said, "Try Song Pa."

Gao Hu froze. He looked down at the script, then raised his head, and his entire demeanor had changed. The ferocity suddenly erupting in those eyes made everyone present draw in a sharp breath.

After the audition ended, the afterglow of the sunset dyed the entire room red. Xiang Fei stood by the window, watching the actors leave one by one downstairs.

"Duan Long as Qin Feng, Tao Hong as Ah Xiang, Gao Hu as Song Pa." He announced softly, his voice carrying an unshakable firmness.

Wu Mengda laughed and patted Zeng Zhiwei's shoulder: "Brother Wei, we must be careful this time; these young people are no simple folk."

Zeng Zhiwei squinted and smiled: "What's there to fear? The more formidable, the more interesting."

Zhou Huimin gently closed the folder, a faint smile playing on her lips. She knew another great drama was about to be born.

In the afternoon, when Han Shanping took the script and flipped through it carefully, he looked up and asked with a puzzled expression, "This is a commercial film, right?" Xiang Fei answered without hesitation, "Exactly. This is not only a commercial film but also a highly potential major IP."

Han Shanping nodded slightly, seeming to approve of Xiang Fei's response. He fell silent for a moment, then tapped the table lightly with his finger, as if pondering an important decision. After a while, he suddenly made up his mind, slapped the table, and said decisively, "Very well, Beijing Film is willing to invest 6 million to support this project. We will handle theatrical release, promotion, and review, taking 60 percent; that's not excessive, is it?"

Xiang Fei continued, "Not excessive. Feimin Entertainment will also invest 4 million. Adding my director's fee and script fee, we take the remaining 40 percent." His words revealed his full confidence in the project and his reasonable planning for the funds.