Chapter 121: A Long-Awaited Class

Chapter 121: Chapter 121: A Long-Awaited Class

Irene was surrounded by people, though not everyone was on her side.

In a corner quite far from her, a small group led by Hanni Charles was watching Irene and her friends with hostile eyes.

Just as Irene finished signing autographs for the last student, she heard a sneer from the back corner, loud enough for those nearby to hear clearly.

"Heh, she’s really getting better at acting."

Irene instinctively turned to look, and saw Hanni Charles leaning back in her chair in the corner of the classroom, her arms crossed, with a mocking smile on her face.

Surrounded by three girls who were part of her usual clique, they followed her gaze toward Irene, their eyes filled with a shared hostility.

Hanni and Vivian had been good friends when Irene first started school, and they had helped each other out. But later, Irene realized that Hanni was quite ambitious.

Since she started filming Legally Blonde, Hanni had tried more than once to get into her crew, and after being rejected, she had even tried to pressure Irene through their professors.

If she had any real talent, it might have been different, but since enrolling, her focus had been entirely on currying favor with upperclassmen and professors, sometimes even failing to earn enough credits. Irene didn’t like this kind of opportunism and gradually distanced herself, causing their relationship to freeze over.

Hanni’s voice wasn’t loud, but it had a piercing quality that reached the ears of nearby students.

"What’s with the act of being generous, signing autographs and reviewing homework? Now that she’s a big director, filming a major production like The Italian Job, surrounded by big shots like Matt Damon and Johnny Depp, why doesn’t she think about inviting classmates to intern on set?"

The girls around her immediately chimed in. "Exactly! We’re all classmates. We see each other every day. Now that she’s famous, has she forgotten her old friends?"

"Talking about ’exchanging ideas and progressing together,’ I think it’s all fake." Hanni rolled her eyes, her tone becoming even more acerbic.

"If she were really generous, why doesn’t she get a few odd-job spots on set for our class? Even just visiting the filming location would be better than listening to her preach here."

Their voices weren’t loud, but in the quiet gap before the professor began the lecture, quite a few people heard them.

The students who had been gathered around Irene instinctively fell silent, looking toward the corner in embarrassment, then back at Irene, unsure of how to react.

Vivian frowned first and was about to turn around to retort, but Irene gently pressed her arm.

Irene shook her head at her, her eyes filled with a hint of helplessness but no anger. She knew what was on Hanni’s mind. She was just jealous of her current success and wanted to embarrass her this way.

Irene said to Vivian in a low, calm voice, "Forget it, don’t lower yourself to her level. She wants a shortcut. I can’t give it to her, and I don’t want to."

But Hanni seemed not to notice Irene’s restraint and instead intensified her efforts, deliberately raising her voice.

"Some people just have good luck. Their first film is a hit, and they get resources for major productions. If it were anyone else, they might have brought the whole class up with them. Unlike now, just sitting here signing autographs and spouting useless platitudes."

This remark made the atmosphere in the classroom even more awkward. A few students who weren’t particularly close to Hanni also felt she was going too far and quietly frowned.

A boy next to Irene couldn’t help but speak up for her. "Hanni, you can’t say that, can you? Irene must be very busy right now, and the internship spots on set aren’t up to her. It depends on the production company’s arrangements."

Hanni sneered and looked at the boy. "Oh, already starting to defend her? What, did you become her fan just because you got an autograph? I just think that since we’re all in the same class, and she has the ability now, what’s wrong with helping out old classmates a little? Why act so high and mighty, as if we’re all begging her for something?"

Irene finally looked up, meeting Hanni’s gaze directly, her tone gentle yet firm.

"Hanni, I know what you’re thinking. But an internship on a film set is not a game. Every position requires professional capability. I cannot recommend people just because we are classmates. This is about being responsible to the production team and to everyone else."

She paused, then continued. "If any classmates truly want to enter the film industry and want to intern on a set, you can privately send your resumes to me or submit them to Vivian. If any production crews I know need interns in the future, I can help recommend you."

She then looked around. "Finally, I want to say that I came to class today just to catch up on the coursework I missed and to learn and exchange ideas with everyone, not to show off. I hope everyone can treat me like anyone else."

The classroom fell silent instantly, with everyone’s eyes focused on the two of them.

Hanni didn’t expect Irene to respond directly, let alone so clearly and openly. She was momentarily speechless, the mockery on her face freezing.

No one in her little clique dared to chime in again. They all lowered their heads, avoiding Irene’s gaze.

At this moment, the professor cleared his throat and walked to the podium. "All right, class time has begun. Everyone, return to your seats. We can talk about other matters after class."

Hanni glared fiercely at Irene and sat up straight, unwilling but saying nothing more.

Irene withdrew her gaze and looked back at the blackboard, a faint smile still on her lips.

Vivian quietly sent her a message: "Hanni is too much! It’s clearly her own opportunism, yet she blames others for not helping her."

Irene read the message, shook her head slightly, and replied, "It’s okay. We walk different paths. We just need to do our best."

After class, as soon as the professor walked out of the classroom, students immediately gathered around. It was the first semester of their junior year. Those with talent and connections naturally didn’t lack optional internship work, but there were many more who couldn’t find internship positions.

They crowded around Vivian and Irene one by one.

"I know everyone is very concerned about internships. How about this: leave your email addresses with Vivian, and later we will organize a resume template and send it to everyone. If you have any questions, you can come to me or Vivian."

Everyone clapped in approval upon hearing this, except for Hanni and her group, whose faces looked terrible. She hadn’t expected that her attack would not only fail to embarrass Irene but would actually boost her prestige and even secure benefits for unrelated people.

And as for herself, besides earning the cold stares of her classmates, she had actually done all the work for someone else’s benefit.

When leaving the classroom, watching Irene in the crowd, she clenched her fists secretly, thinking to herself: One day, I will be more successful than her and show her who the truly capable one is.