Chapter 106: Signing

In the conference room of Feimin Entertainment's headquarters, Xiang Fei slapped a stack of exquisitely bound scripts onto the table with a sharp "pa."

"The cast list for 'Shoplifters'." His fingers tapped lightly on the script cover, "We'll use only our own people."

Artist Director Lin Man opened the file.

"Let them read the script first." Xiang Fei lifted his coffee cup and took a sip.

The conference room fell silent, save for the hum of the air conditioning vent. Several general managers exchanged glances; no one dared to raise further objections.

Xiang Fei stood up, adjusting his suit cuffs, "Within three days, I want to see letters of intent signed by all the actors. Meeting adjourned."

In the private reception room on the top floor, just as Chen Daoming pushed open the door, Xiang Fei was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking Beijingcheng.

"Director, I hear you want me to play a thief?" Chen Daoming walked straight to the sofa and sat down.

Xiang Fei turned, took a script from his briefcase, and handed it over, "Read scene thirty-seven first."

Chen Daoming took the script and casually flipped to the specified page. At first, his expression remained nonchalant, but as he read deeper, his brow gradually furrowed and his page-turning slowed. Ten minutes later, he suddenly lifted his head, an unusual light flashing in his eyes, "This script..."

"Explosive enough?" Xiang Fei curled the corner of his mouth and sat down opposite him, "This character, on the surface a thief, is actually..."

"A mirror reflecting contemporary society." Chen Daoming finished the sentence, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of the script, "This 'father' picked from a garbage heap resembles a real father more than most biological fathers do..."

Xiang Fei noticed the veteran actor's fingers trembling slightly.

"I'll do it." Chen Daoming suddenly snapped the script shut.

In the artist's lounge, Zhou Xun was curled up in a corner of the leather sofa, the script spread across her knees. When Xiang Fei pushed the door open, the script in her hands slipped and fell to the floor with a "pa."

"Oh my god..." Zhou Xun murmured, nearly sliding off the sofa as she bent to pick up the script, "This character..."

"Don't like it?" Xiang Fei raised an eyebrow and sat in the single-seat sofa opposite her.

"It has so many layers!" Zhou Xun suddenly sprang up from the sofa, pacing back and forth barefoot on the carpet, "From the sex worker to that final transformation..." Her voice suddenly choked, her eyes turning slightly red.

Xiang Fei watched quietly as this future Best Actress trembled with excitement like a little girl holding her favorite toy for the first time.

"I must play this role!" Zhou Xun spun around abruptly, placing both hands on the coffee table before Xiang Fei. Meanwhile, in the company gym, Li Li Youbin was bench-pressing weights.

"The police officer role belongs to no one but you." Xiang Fei handed him a towel.

Li Li Youbin took the towel to wipe his sweat, then casually opened the script, "How long has it been since I played a cop..."

"That's why the audience will be surprised." Xiang Fei pulled a bottle of mineral water from behind his back and tossed it to him.

While drinking, Li Li Youbin quickly scanned the script, then suddenly choked, "This police officer..."

"Too realistic?"

"Too flesh and blood." Li Li Youbin shook his head, excitement shining in his eyes, "The first time I've seen such a three-dimensional portrayal." He set down the water bottle, grabbed his jacket, and headed for the door, "When does filming start? Where is the costume department? I need a fitting!"

In the company café, Wang Wang Zhiwen was slowly savoring a cup of pour-over coffee. Xiang Fei sat directly opposite him and slid a script across the table.

"A cameo role, three days of shooting."

Wang Wang Zhiwen didn't even look up, "What role?"

"A convenience store owner."

Only then did Wang Wang Zhiwen lift his head, flipping through the script to glance at a few pages, "Three lines of dialogue?"

"But every word strikes the heart." Xiang Fei smiled.

Wang Wang Zhiwen lowered his head to read carefully again, then suddenly slapped the table in admiration.

"A stroke of genius?" Xiang Fei prompted.

"I want to add scenes!" Wang Wang Zhiwen blurted out, then immediately laughed self-deprecatingly, "Never mind, those three lines are already classic enough."

"The mother character..." Her voice choked slightly.

"Too heavy?" Xiang Fei asked.

"No, too warm." Mei Mei Yanfang took a deep breath, "Especially that final line she says to the little girl..." Her fingers gently traced those words on the script.

"'What we steal isn't things, it's love.'" Xiang Fei recited the line softly.

Mei Mei Yanfang fell silent for a moment, then suddenly looked up, staring straight ahead, "I'll do it. The fee doesn't matter."