"That's right." Emily Thompson patted Brian Foster's shoulder. "The one who really helped you was Adam Bennett. Your line delivery was good, but that's not the main point. Mark King said that Director Brooks saw your shining moment when you and Adam Bennett improvised a scene together. She doesn't know exactly what it was either."

During the scene. Brian Foster thought back and just remembered how nervous he was at the time.

"Let's not talk about this for now, let's sign the contract first."

Just like that, without really understanding how, he actually got the role. It felt a bit unreal.

It was as if there was a glowing progress bar in his heart, moving forward just a little bit.

Brian Foster felt a bit happy.

When something worth celebrating happens, you should share it with others.

But, who should he share this news with first?

0901: "Mr. Foster, I think at this moment you should be thinking of Adam Bennett first."

Brian Foster frowned slightly, thought for a moment, then opened WeChat and sent the news to their group chat.

Brian Foster: I've signed the contract, I can join the crew now.

0901: "...Pretend I didn't say anything."

As soon as the message was sent, the group chat exploded.

Luke Harris: Aaaaah that's awesome! Can I come visit the set when the time comes!!

Eric Grant: I knew our Ethan could do it! Go for it!

Scott Turner: You get to act in Alan Brooks's film, that's amazing.

Chad Sullivan: Congratulations, Little Ethan.

Although these people weren't really his teammates, the feeling of a group of people getting excited about something together still brought Brian Foster a lot of joy, and made him feel a bit of belonging in this world.

After signing the contract, Brian Foster took every spare moment to read the script. While reading, he felt a secret thrill, as if he was cheating—after all, even the role reading the script was one he had created, not to mention the script itself.

Even so, he was still quite curious: why would a big director like Alan Brooks choose him?

Before he could figure it out, the opening ceremony arrived. The crew of "Nan Ke" had delayed for too long because of casting issues, so once everything was set, they had to hurry to catch up.

When he saw Alan Brooks again at the opening, his mood was different from the audition, and Director Brooks's attitude seemed much friendlier too. "Nan Ke" has two timelines: the youthful story takes place in Nice, France, and the reunion seven years later is in Shanghai. The director decided to shoot the flashback scenes first, so the crew started filming in Nice.

It was mid-June, and the weather in Nice was extremely hot and humid. Even Brian Foster, who was born in one of China's hottest cities, found it hard to bear the unique muggy dampness of this seaside city.

He thought that filming abroad would be low-key, but on the first day, all kinds of media showed up, and several drones were even shot down.

Standing next to Brian Foster was the crew's stage manager, so he casually asked, "Sis, is it always like this for every one of Director Brooks's films?"

The stage manager glanced at Brian Foster's sincere expression and found it both funny and cute. "You really don't know? All these people are here to film you!"

Seeing Brian Foster's confused look, the stage manager added, "Because up until now, the crew has kept the casting of Grace Hill a secret from the public. That's a huge tease for everyone."

Brian Foster immediately made a few sounds of understanding, then seriously asked, "So should I hide for now?"

The stage manager was amused, laughing out loud. "Why are you so cute! Now I get why you're the most popular in your group. No need to hide, people will find out sooner or later anyway."

Brian Foster nodded. He wanted to ask a few more questions, but Director Brooks's assistant called out to him: "Grace Hill, Director Brooks wants you to meet him at the hotel café on the first floor."

Ever since entering this world, Brian Foster had gotten used to being called by names that weren't his own. To help everyone get into character quickly, the crew required actors to use their character names after joining the team.

Director Brooks's assistant led Brian Foster to the designated spot. Director Brooks was already waiting inside. Brian Foster felt a bit nervous, but Director Brooks had already seen him and waved.

Brian Foster sat down across from Alan Brooks, who skipped all small talk and got straight to the point.

"Let me talk to you about the role first."

Brian Foster nodded. Alan Brooks stared at him, then asked, "So, have you gotten familiar with the script? What do you think of the character Grace Hill?"

Brian Foster: "Grace Hill as a character..."

Brian Foster had his own thoughts, but he wasn't sure if they matched Alan Brooks's ideas. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to speak according to his original intention when writing, "Actually, although the movie is called Nan Ke, and Nan Ke is undoubtedly the main character, Grace Hill is more like the thread running through the whole film. He's the character who changes the most in the story—from the sensitive and innocent youth at the beginning, to the melancholic and neurotic person seven years later. His emotions determine the film's tone and color shifts."

Alan Brooks continued to stare at him, his gaze sharp as if trying to see through his soul.

"Go on."