The Fleeting Years of Chinese Entertainment

Seeing Zhang Ziyi's confident demeanor, Lin Mo also had the idea of ​​making things a little more "difficult" for her.

"Brother Hua...could you please help Sister Zhang with a scene?"

Andy Lau was a little surprised by Lin Mo's request. After all, he was already prepared to be Lin Mo's co-star since Lin Mo invited him to audition. He just didn't expect it to happen so quickly, and that he would be the first one to go on stage.

"Okay, Director Lin, which scene do you want me to audition for?" Andy Lau stood up, holding a stack of draft papers, and asked.

Lin Mo also had a stack of draft papers in front of him. After carefully flipping through them, he picked out a sheet and handed it to Hua Zai.

"Let's go with this one... The scene where the female lead goes to the male lead's house for dinner and then sees him off after drinking."

Andy Lau took the script paper from Lin Mo, glanced through it, and then pulled out the same one from the stack of papers Lin Mo was holding, handing it to Zhang Ziyi.

"Sister Zhang, Brother Hua, do you two need to get ready? Maybe cultivate your relationship a bit?"

After Zhang Ziyi received her lines and glanced through them, Lin Mo smiled and asked the two of them:

Andy Lau and Zhang Ziyi exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Then we'll see if Director Lin will give us that opportunity."

Whether or not actors are given preparation time depends on the mood of the auditioners.

"Haha... alright, you two talk it out yourselves. I'll give you five minutes." Lin Mo suddenly realized he might have asked a stupid question and couldn't help but laugh.

"Thank you, Director Lin..."

"Thank you, Director Lin..."

While Zhang Ziyi and Andy Lau were reviewing their lines and communicating, Lin Mo glanced at the watch that Miss Liu had given him and checked the time.

Four minutes later...

Before Lin Mo could call a halt, Zhang Ziyi and Andy Lau both looked at Lin Mo, indicating that they were ready.

Looking at the time displayed on his watch, Lin Mo couldn't help but admire the two men's accurate grasp of time.

"Then let's get ready to begin... you two!"

"Action!"

Upon receiving Lin Mo's instructions, Andy Lau and Zhang Ziyi immediately got into the zone.

"Back then... my feelings were everything. You wanted to go abroad, you wanted your career, I'd wait for you..."

Zhang Ziyi didn't look directly at Andy Lau, but maintained a posture where she could see him out of the corner of her eye.

This scene also surprised Lin Mo a little, because the male and female leads in this scene in the original movie were standing in the same position as the two of them now. If you changed the scene, Lin Mo felt like the scene was being recreated.

"Nowadays, people only talk about conditions and not feelings. Someone like me probably wouldn't even pass."

When Zhang Ziyi delivered this line, a perfectly timed hint of melancholy appeared on her face.

"Zhang Yimou's eye for casting is truly remarkable, and his skill in training actors is also quite profound."

Watching Zhang Ziyi's performance, Lin Mo gave it a score much higher than the original version performed by Wan Qian.

Fortunately, her co-star was Andy Lau, who was able to keep up with her performance.

"People who truly like you won't rate you."

……

"Please don't change. You're great as you are—simple, kind, and so hardworking."

"But I'm not brave enough."

……

When Zhang Ziyi and Andy Lau finished their performance, they both stopped at this point, leaving Lin Mo, who was watching the show from the sidelines, feeling a little unsatisfied.

And most importantly...

Lin Mo hadn't even performed the "difficulty" he envisioned yet, so why did these two stop?

"Sister Zhang, Brother Hua, why did you stop? I remember there was still a little bit left, right?"

Seeing Lin Mo's eyes shining and his eager expression, the two couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation.

What's the point of acting? The next scene is a kissing scene. Does this audition really need to be this serious?

The only kissing scene in the entire series is here. Lin Mo is clearly just looking for a spectacle, while Andy Lau, who has read the complete script, obviously doesn't want to give Lin Mo that chance.

Moreover, at this moment, he added another trait to his evaluation of Lin Mo—cunning and ruthless.

"Hehe... Director Lin, please stop making things difficult for me and Brother Hua. It would be fine during the actual filming, but now... are you expecting all the actresses who come for auditions to take advantage of Brother Hua?" Zhang Ziyi said with a helpless smile.

"Hehe...I don't care, it depends on whether Brother Hua is willing or not." Lin Mo teased Andy Lau.

At this moment, Andy Lau's face showed a hint of embarrassment.

"No, Director Lin, I'm not worthy of this. Please, please, spare me."

Knowing he wouldn't get any fun, Lin Mo sighed silently to himself.

Zhang Ziyi's performance was quite good. If Lin Mo hadn't been hesitant about her salary, he might have offered her the role on the spot.

Zhang Ziyi, thanks to her immense popularity from films like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Rush Hour 3," "Hero," and "House of Flying Daggers," has landed the lead role in the currently filming "Memoirs of a Geisha," earning her a salary of $500 million, her highest ever.

Although some rumors say that she only received $300 million at the time, some Hong Kong media said that she only received $50.

Regardless, Zhang Ziyi's current film salary is clearly a level higher than Andy Lau's... and possibly more than a level higher.

"Alright, I'll let you off this time."

Lin Mo gestured to Hua Zai, indicating that he could sit back down.

"Sister Zhang, I must say your performance was perfect, and you're quite suitable for this role. But there's one question I need to clarify beforehand: if I cast you as the female lead in 'Endgame,' how much are you planning to charge me?"

Zhang Ziyi did not answer immediately. Although she had a plan in mind, she pretended to ponder for a while, then looked at Andy Lau before finally turning her gaze to Lin Mo.

She believed Lin Mo should understand what she meant…

"Brother Hua, may I speak?"

Lin Mo, having received the "signal" from Zhang Ziyi, looked directly at Andy Lau.

"Hehe...of course, there are no outsiders here." Andy Lau glanced at Teacher Liu next to him before smiling and saying:

It means: Director Lin, if you think the person next to me doesn't need to be cared about, then I have no problem.

Lin Mo naturally understood what Andy Lau meant, but in his heart, as long as Andy Lau didn't mind, that was fine. As for that Teacher Liu... who did he care?

There are plenty of places in a movie where you can "spend money," and how much are actors' salaries worth these days? If he dares to disrespect Lin Mo, Lin Mo will dare to flip his table.

Chen Kexin can spend tens of thousands of RMB on a tattered straw hat, and she even bought a safe specifically to store it...