Chapter 451 The Director Is Furious
“What else do you think I called you here for? Stephen persuaded the director to push back the scene for you.” Larry kept walking forward as he turned his head and pointed a finger at Veronica. “You are in luck. It just so happens that Stephen likes ‘kung fu’ very much, and he is obsessed with you. He wouldn’t have humbled himself and begged the director if it was someone else.”
Even though certain fight scenes could be pushed back during filming, some plots couldn’t wait because of the setting. Furthermore, the crew had taken a lot of effort to make a fairly expensive set just for Stephen’s fight scene.
Veronica’s absence alone had delayed the progress of the entire crew. “How is this a good thing? I can’t act at all. Also, couldn’t you just reject Stephen for me if I didn’t answer your call?”
Veronica might be interested in trying out acting, but she wasn’t a fan of owing others favors. The point was, she was self-aware. She was aware that she was incompetent and was not worthy of making everyone wait for her.
Even though Stephen was well-intentioned, his actions inadvertently had made Veronica feel stressed. “I told Stephen that, but he is so stubborn. He insisted on making the director wait for you for the day.”
“I…” She was speechless after hearing that. As soon as they walked outside the studio, Stephen, who saw Veronica, hurried over to her while he greeted her enthusiastically. “Hello, Master.”
“I would rather you call me Veronica, Stephen,” she replied bashfully. She had never agreed to be his master.
“Veronica? That is a very nice name. Come. I will take you to meet the director. I’ve made him very angry because I wanted to give you this opportunity.”
It was probably because Stephen was a martial artist that he was straightforward and had proceeded to ruthlessly shove Larry away. He then threw his arm around Veronica’s shoulders and struck up a conversation, as though they were the best of friends.
“How did you do that backflip and side kick when we were fighting yesterday? It was awesome! And the foundation of your basic skills are really solid. You are definitely as good as you look.”
“I am sure we are evenly matched. I am not as good as you say.” Veronica gave a modest reply.
On the other hand, Larry, who was left aside, looked at the two people who were happily chatting in front of him with a gloomy expression on his face. “D*mn you, Demoness! How dare you forget that I am here?”
After entering the studio, Stephen brough Veronica straight to the rest area to meet the director.
“Johansson, this is Veronica Murphy, the American woman I told you who knows martial arts. Her kung fu is quite remarkable,” Stephen praised her without hesitation.
He then introduced the director to her. “This is the famous director Johansson Willaume. He has won various awards in Castron, such as the Best Director Award, the Best Screenplay Award, and the Best Creative Award. Anyway, he is a talented person.”
Veronica was not acquainted with Johansson, but she had seen him on TV.
She couldn’t help feeling intimidated as she looked at the director with an artist’s temperament. He appeared to be in his fifties, with fluffy mid-length hair and a full beard. Even his sharp eyes were oppressive.
She nodded slightly and maintaining the basic etiquette, reached out to shake his hand. “Mr. Johansson, I am truly sorry for keeping you waiting.”
The man only continued to sit in his chair as he watched the replay on the camera. He completely ignored the hand she reached out.
Left hanging, Veronica raised her eyebrows in embarrassment before she clenched her outstretched hand, thereafter slowly retracting it.
Stephen felt upset when he saw Johansson sitting on his high horse, so he sent a kick his way. “This is my future master. Can you be a little more polite?”
“Hmph!”
Hearing that, Johansson snorted coldly and got up to stand in front of Veronica. After looking her up and down with a displeased gaze, he turned around and took a script to push it to her. “You are going to play a very powerful and mysterious master. There are only three lines you have to recite throughout the scene, whereas the rest are fight scenes. Can you do it?”
She only felt a headache hit her when her eyes fell on the script swarmed with French words, but still she smiled and took it from his hand. “I will do my best,” she squeezed out.
“Look at the script first. I will have the martial arts instructor judge the effect of your fight during the fight scene later. If it doesn’t work, I won’t let you be a part of the team, I’m afraid.”
Johansson was a strict man when it came to his work, and he didn’t allow room for flaws.
Especially considering how Veronica had no acting experience at all, her joining the crew would only lower the quality of the production.
“Alright. I will take a look.” She nodded at the director with a polite smile on her face before she looked at Stephen and Larry with her face flushed shyly. “What should I do? I really don’t know how I can pull this off.” She sighed.
At that point, Veronica felt like crying.
He indeed lives up to his reputation as an internationally renowned director. His temper is in line with his identity!
Larry couldn’t help but burst out laughing, as he seldom saw her looking embarrassed. “Demoness, I rarely see you like this. But—”
He started cackling again before he finished his words.
“Are you done laughing or not?” She glared at him with her lips pursed. “Teach me something if you are.”
“Let me teach you,” Stephen suddenly said. He then added gallantly, “I have some experience in fighting from filming before. We can design and plan out the part you will audition later.”
“Exactly. You are such a dumbo. It is impossible you can’t learn anything with Stephen and I as your masters,” Larry teased.
“P*ss off! I am not your apprentice!”
“Ha! Who knows? Wouldn’t it make you my apprentice if you were to enter the film and television industry one day? Try calling me Master, and I might get so happy I get everything you need ready for you. That can easily be done with just a word or two from me.”
Based on Larry’s ability, it was indeed something easily achievable.
He had been in the entertainment industry for so many years that he had built a solid place with a wide network of contacts for himself. It wouldn’t be difficult at all for him to recommend Veronica.
Furthermore, the entertainment industry was short on female celebrities who could fight as well as Veronica. With a combination of strength and beauty, she had a sure road to success if she were to enter the film and television industry.
“Geez! Enough with that. Don’t keep on boasting just because it doesn’t cost you money to do so.” She waved her hand while pretending to be disgusted. “You and Stephen have a lot of experience. Let’s look into my character for now.”
After the men nodded in response, the three of them moved to the lounge together to read the script.
As it was a sci-fi blockbuster, the character Veronica would play from the script was a villain with a small supporting role, and she had almost no lines she needed to read. All she needed to do was put on a good show with her fighting skills.
“Even though it doesn’t test your acting skills much, the role still has a certain emphasis on fight scenes. Then again, those are things you have to mind only after you pass the audition.”
Stephen waved the script around as he raised his eyebrows proudly at her. He then reached out to rub his chin. “You are very skilled at fighting. You can just improvise during the audition. You don’t have to prepare at all,” he confidently bragged.
“No, I can’t do that. Don’t auditions include tests on other things as well? I will still bomb it if I don’t fit the role.”
“Johansson only wants to see what you are capable of. Otherwise, do you really think he would wait for you for the entire day?”
