Chapter 405 - 404: Gao Mi’s Crew Audition

At 7:00 AM on Sunday morning, Yun Zijin was woken up by the alarm she’d set. She fumbled for her phone, checked the time, and groggily climbed out of bed to wash up.

Yun Zijin hadn’t forgotten that today she was going to watch the audition organized by Gao Mi.

When Yun Zijin walked out of her room, Lu Yunque was already in the living room, reading the financial news.

He had changed back into the clothes he’d worn yesterday, which the maids had washed and dried overnight.

"You’re awake? Breakfast is ready. Should I have Aunt Wang tell them to bring it up now?"

He had only stayed for one night, yet Lu Yunque was already acting like the man of the house. ’He gets into character so quickly,’ Yun Zijin could only think.

"Mhm, the audition starts at 10:00. The location is a bit far from here, so it’s better if we leave a little early."

At this hour, morning rush hour was severe. Yun Zijin was afraid that she would end up stuck in traffic and be late.

There was nothing to be done about it. Dijing was only so big, but its population was huge. Yun Zijin would have found it strange if the roads *weren’t* congested.

"Do you want me to give you a ride?"

A president has no weekends, and no one would dare question what time he came into work.

"No need! It’s in the opposite direction of the Lu Family company. Zero One and the others will get me there safely."

When Yun Zijin went out, there were many things she might need to worry about, but her personal safety was never one of them.

Lu Yunque wanted to press the issue, but Yun Zijin insisted, so he ultimately had to compromise.

"Then I’ll finish my work as soon as I can and go watch the audition with you."

Yun Zijin nodded. "If you’re coming over, give me a call beforehand. I’ll let Gao Mi know. It shouldn’t be a problem."

’As long as Gao Mi knows who Lu Yunque is, he definitely won’t refuse.’

’After all... President Lu is a potential investor, too.’

After breakfast, Yun Zijin and Lu Yunque left together, but when they reached the fork in the road, the three cars—one black and two white—split off in two different directions.

By the time Yun Zijin arrived at the audition location Gao Mi had sent her, it was already 9:30.

However, by this time, there were already quite a few people waiting outside.

Gao Mi might not be a huge name, but he was notoriously meticulous within the industry.

The dramas he directed might not become huge hits, but they were never trash, and they usually had a very good long-tail effect.

Therefore, as soon as news spread that he was about to start shooting a new project, many actors reached out to him.

Unfortunately, Gao Mi rejected all the investors who wanted to shoehorn their own people into the cast.

With Yun Zijin around, Gao Mi felt he could rest easy.

After accepting Yun Zijin’s investment, Gao Mi had gotten curious and looked her up. He discovered that a single one of Yun Zijin’s cars probably cost more than thirty million, which made him hold her in even higher regard.

Someone who could spend tens of millions on a car was definitely not short on cash. Gao Mi was already wondering when he could get Yun Zijin to put in some additional investment.

The studio for the auditions was custom-built at Gao Mi’s request, specifically to save money and avoid paying high rental fees for an audition venue.

Seeing Yun Zijin arrive, Gao Mi quickly had his assistant lead her inside.

As she passed by the people waiting to audition, many of them gave her different looks, though... they were definitely not friendly.

’I haven’t even done anything!’

"Miss Yun, please, have a seat!"

Seeing Yun Zijin, Gao Mi’s entire face lit up.

An investor who didn’t try to shoehorn people into the cast and made no demands was practically extinct these days. Gao Mi felt his luck was just too good.

Gao Mi had Yun Zijin sit right next to him. The others, who didn’t know her identity as the investor, all looked at Gao Mi with shock and suspicion.

’Didn’t Director Gao claim he would never let anyone in through the back door? So what’s with this...’

The way many of them looked at Yun Zijin changed.

"Let me make an introduction. This is the sole investor for our drama, Miss Yun Zijin."

Gao Mi had been knocking around the entertainment industry for many years; how could he not know what their looks meant?

So, before any rumors could start, Gao Mi announced Yun Zijin’s identity outright. That way, no one would dare to gossip.

Of course, the relationship between him and Yun Zijin was completely aboveboard, with nothing improper about it.

"So you’re the investor! I never would have guessed. You’re so young and beautiful, if Director Gao hadn’t introduced you, I would’ve thought you were an actress here for the audition! Hello, I’m the assistant director, Liao Guo."

The assistant director reacted the fastest, squeezing his way in front of Yun Zijin and extending his hand.

Yun Zijin touched it briefly before pulling her hand back. "Hello, Yun Zijin."

"Hello, I’m the casting director."

...

After learning Yun Zijin’s identity as the investor, everyone present began to show her their friendly side.

"It’s about time. Tell the people outside to get ready. Number one can come in now."

Gao Mi switched to work mode in an instant.

Soon, someone walked in from outside.

The person who entered saw Yun Zijin on the judging panel and looked surprised. They clearly hadn’t expected that the woman they’d seen outside, whom they assumed was there to audition, was actually there to *watch* the auditions.

’In that case, does that mean the female lead has already been cast internally?’

A million possibilities ran through the auditioner’s mind, but it never occurred to them that Yun Zijin might be the investor.

"You’re auditioning for the female lead?"

When Gao Mi was in work mode, his way of speaking always carried a sense of pressure.

"Yes!"

The young woman nodded. At this point, even if the female lead role had been cast internally, she still wanted to fight for a chance.

"Alright. Then perform the scene of the female lead on her first day out of the deep mountains."

This was a turning point, and performing it without props would be even more difficult.

Yun Zijin put down the documents in her hands and watched the young woman performing below.

It had to be said, this girl had some real skill. She managed to perform such a difficult scene without any props, and she did so with a vivid, natural energy.

Yun Zijin nodded to herself, then lightly drew a checkmark with a pencil on the girl’s resume.

After a long moment, the young woman finished her performance. Only then did Yun Zijin nod toward Gao Mi.

The girl’s acting was certainly decent.

"That’s enough. Thank you for your wonderful performance today. We’ll notify you of the results by phone or text message."

The young woman nodded, then bowed to Gao Mi and Yun Zijin to thank them and say goodbye.

After she left, the stage manager called in the next person to audition.

The second person had a different style from the previous actress, but unexpectedly, she was also here to audition for the female lead. Yun Zijin raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Are you ready? Alright, please perform the scene where the female lead arrives in the city from the mountains."

Gao Mi’s voice rang out, and the sense of pressure immediately returned.

At first, Yun Zijin watched with great interest due to the novelty of it all. But as time went on, she began to suffer from aesthetic fatigue.