Chapter 44: “Chef Huang, Terrified Beyond Measure”

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June 5th, Star City

After five or six days, Zhou Ran found himself once again in the long-unseen Star City. In just these few days, he had flown so frequently that he was almost a flight expert. Zhou Ran’s return this time was solely to attend Chef Huang’s film audition. Because this film was invested in by Star City’s Broadcasting Center, the shooting location had been chosen here—a mutually beneficial arrangement.

The logic was simple: you invest in me during the early stages, and once the film succeeds, I’ll return the favor with fame and profits. This is how all major cities operate nowadays, hoping to attract tourists to boost their local GDP through tourism and consumption. Compared to that, the initial investment is a mere drop in the bucket.

For Chef Huang’s audition, Zhou Ran was the only candidate—a many-to-one assessment. He came alone; Li Mi did not accompany him, as Zhou Ran had specifically requested. With Li Mi at his side, Zhou Ran found it difficult to adapt during auditions. Besides, their studio had just been founded and there was a mountain of affairs awaiting Li Mi’s attention. Zhou Ran didn’t want her to worry about such minor matters.

Zhou Ran had signed a unique studio contract with Huayu Media. The company’s only responsibility was to provide him with all available resources, while the studio’s operations were left entirely in the hands of Zhou Ran and Li Mi. This contract was unprecedented in the entertainment industry, granting him an extraordinary degree of freedom and reducing Huayu to little more than an intermediary.

However, this freedom came at a price. If Zhou Ran failed to make a name for himself abroad within three years, he and his team would have to voluntarily terminate the contract and pay Huayu a substantial penalty. Essentially, this was a gambling contract—very common in the entertainment world, where many celebrities bet with their agencies: if they failed to earn a certain sum within a specified period, they had to compensate the company accordingly.

That’s why, during certain periods, some stars go on a frenzy of public appearances and film shoots—to meet the requirements of such contracts.

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Because their gambling contracts were nearing expiration, failing to meet the targets meant losing everything, down to their underwear. The amounts at stake were enormous—at least by celebrity standards. In the real estate industry, there are companies involved in such contracts where the stakes are truly staggering.

Zhou Ran soon arrived at the audition location Chef Huang had arranged—a hotel room chosen with care. Firstly, the hotel offered great privacy, with strict security at the entrance, making it difficult for paparazzi to get any shots. Secondly, it was convenient: after the audition, pass or fail, they could head downstairs for a casual meal and chat, bonding over food—truly killing two birds with one stone.

Despite the hotel’s tight security, Zhou Ran still wore a mask and sunglasses when going out—an extra layer of precaution.

He took the elevator to the designated room, feeling a touch of nervousness before knocking on the door. After all, this was his very first audition, in both his previous and current life—a certain anxiety was unavoidable.

But Zhou Ran’s composure was admirable; he quickly adjusted his state of mind. After all, if he could handle singing at Dragon’s Nest, what was a simple audition to him?

Knock, knock, knock—Zhou Ran rapped on Chef Huang’s hotel room door.

“Coming, coming!” Chef Huang soon appeared, peeking his head out cautiously.

Seeing Chef Huang like this, Zhou Ran couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Hahaha, Teacher Huang, it’s just me—no one else.” Chef Huang’s peeking completely dispelled Zhou Ran’s nervousness.

“You’re here, Zhou Ran! Come in, come in!” Recognizing Zhou Ran, Chef Huang hurriedly welcomed him inside.

Once the two had entered, Chef Huang let out a heavy sigh of relief—he’d been tormented by the paparazzi lately.

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Somehow, the paparazzi had gotten wind of Chef Huang’s plans to direct his debut film and became relentless, tailing him everywhere he went. Even though Chef Huang took great pains to keep things confidential, the paparazzi still managed to catch him meeting with Zhang Xiaofeng. The next day, rumors exploded online that Zhang Xiaofeng was the female lead in Chef Huang’s film.

Hearing the news the following day, Chef Huang was devastated. How were there always paparazzi everywhere? Their persistence was uncanny. He was left with no choice but to officially announce Zhang Xiaofeng as his female lead.

For this meeting with Zhou Ran, Chef Huang had racked his brains to avoid being discovered by the paparazzi. In fact, he bought an oversized suitcase, climbed in himself, and had a friend smuggle him into the hotel. Fortunately, Chef Huang also knew the hotel manager, who helped him hide as much as possible.

For the sake of this audition, Chef Huang hadn’t left his hotel room for two or three days—hence his extreme caution when opening the door.

If Zhou Ran passed the audition, it would be the perfect promotional highlight for Chef Huang’s debut film, so secrecy was paramount. With Zhang Xiaofeng’s participation already leaked, if news of Zhou Ran’s involvement were to get out too, Chef Huang would be driven to despair.

Fortunately, up until Zhou Ran’s arrival, there had been no leaks about the audition. As for whether Zhou Ran being seen at the hotel would cause suspicion, Chef Huang wasn’t worried. As long as the two of them weren’t photographed together, there was no problem. If Zhou Ran was spotted, he could simply claim he was there for a meal—an easy explanation.