Tsai Chin didn't immediately deliver her lines. She just looked at him quietly through the nonexistent screen.
Her gaze was complex.
There was care, a subtle undercurrent of worry, and a profound depth that seemed to pierce through the surface straight to his soul.
She didn't use any flashy techniques. Just by looking at him, an invisible pressure filled the air.
Cassius's heart skipped a beat.
A true veteran. He could practically feel the weight of her stare.
Just then!
He noticed a soft green orb floating quietly near her feet: [Gaze Attribute: Piercing +2].
Rare attribute!
Cassius's pulse quickened. He immediately focused his mind to absorb it.
A cooling sensation flowed into his eyes.
Instantly, he had a deeper understanding of how to use his gaze to convey complex, oppressive information.
He didn't dare get distracted. He continued his performance.
The moment the video call ended.
The smile on his face went out like a neon sign with the power cut. Snap.
His entire energy drained away instantly. His shoulders collapsed slightly.
He didn't explode right away. There were a few seconds of dead silence.
He lowered his head, staring blankly at the floor. His breathing became light and slow, as if even drawing breath was a burden.
Then, slowly—excruciatingly slowly—he slid from the chair onto the cold floor.
He buried his face in his knees, fingers digging into his hair, knuckles turning white from the pressure.
No lines. Only his shoulders began to tremble uncontrollably.
At first, it was slight. Then the tremors grew, shaking his entire upper body.
A deeply suppressed whimper squeezed out from the depths of his throat.
Unlike the audition, this performance had more layers.
It made the breakdown feel incredibly real. Heart-wrenching.
Silence fell over the set.
The only sound was the low hum of an AC unit in the corner.
Rob, who had been leaning against the monitor with a coffee cup, was now standing straight up. His mouth was slightly open, coffee forgotten.
The shock in his eyes was even greater than at the audition. He looked almost bewildered.
Is this the same fcking Boy I know?
Director Sarah leaned forward, tapping her chin unconsciously, her eyes bright like she had discovered buried treasure.
And Tsai Chin, the veteran who had put so much pressure on him, gave a slight nod. A flicker of approval passed through her eyes.
"Cut!"
The execution director's voice broke the silence.
His voice was filled with undisguised excitement.
"Holy—Cass! That was excellent! The emotional layers, the body control—perfect! That is the Li we want!"
Cassius lifted his head from the floor, blinking rapidly to push the residual emotions back down.
He stood up, dusted off his pants, feeling his heart still pounding in his chest.
He saw the change in everyone's eyes.
Recognition. Approval.
Rob strode over and clamped a hand on his shoulder, his voice rough with excitement.
"Fck me, kid! You just gave me goosebumps! Did you go to some magic acting academy this past month? You're improving faster than a rocket!"
Cassius forced a smile.
He said humbly, "Teacher Tsai led me well. Her look just pulled me right into the scene."
Hearing this, Tsai Chin smiled at him.
"You caught it yourself, young man. You have talent, and you work hard."
She paused, then added, "It's not easy for Asian actors in Hollywood. Hold onto that sensitivity and truth."
The rehearsal continued, and Cassius was on fire.
In a later scene where Li fails to fit in at the party, he simply leaned in the corner with a vacant stare, perfectly capturing the atmosphere of "lonely in a crowd."
When the actor playing his American classmate, Eric, showed excellent [Rhythm] during an improvisation, a grey orb dropped: [Rhythm Attribute: Improv Reaction +1].
Absorb!
Every little bit counts.
The day's rehearsal ended.
Cassius felt more tired than if he'd squatted on a Santa Monica corner for three days straight, but his mind was buzzing.
As he was packing up, Rob sauntered over again. This time, he had a mysterious look on his face.
"Cass, your performance today shocked more than just us."
He lowered his voice.
"A casting director friend of mine dropped by to visit Sarah today. He saw your rehearsal. He's got a project looking for a young male actor—Asian face preferred, can fight, needs some acting chops. The role is significant. I think you should give it a shot."
Rob handed him a sticky note with a name and contact info.
"This is an independent audition for his project, not a public open call. I told him you're my guy. Get ready. I'll send you the time and location later."
Cassius took the flimsy piece of paper. It felt heavy in his hand.
Another opportunity!
He looked at Rob.
This Assistant Director, who used to treat him as just a qualified background prop, now looked at him with expectation.
He saw Cassius's potential and wanted to invest early.
While this was standard transactional behavior in Hollywood, Cassius was genuinely grateful.
Walking out of the studio, the LA sunset was blazing.
Cassius looked back at the busy lot. The road beneath his feet felt a little wider.
He checked his phone. Lee So-yeon had texted asking what he wanted for dinner.
She was going to attempt to recreate his Stir-fried Pork with Peppers—albeit an "oven version."
Ever since trying it once, the Korean girl had fallen in love with cuisine.
---
Can fight. Asian face. Significant role.
These keywords combined meant Cassius was taking this seriously.
Action was a territory he had never touched.
The paltry [Physicality] attributes he'd scraped from playing thugs and corpses would—at best—let him play a goon who gets knocked out by the hero in one punch.
He was about ten Jackie Chans away from "can fight."
Luckily, the audition was a week away. It gave him a precious buffer.
"Need to find a place to train!"
Cassius pondered.
Sign up for a proper martial arts class?
Forget it.
With his bank account?
After paying tuition, he and Lee So-yeon would be drinking the northwest wind for dinner next month.
The most economical way was to find a production crew filming action scenes and leech some XP.
Even if he just went to carry equipment as a grip, as long as he could observe up close and absorb attributes, it was pure profit.
crews "foraging" on American soil were in a somewhat delicate position these days.
Relying on bits of info he picked up from the bottom rungs of the industry, plus some USC alumni connections, Cassius tracked down a warehouse district in East LA.
The rent here was cheap.
Small and medium budget film projects often set up shop here.
Today, a TV crew from China was stationed there, filming a Republican-era spy drama. Rumor had it there were plenty of fistfights and gunplay.
Relying on his silver tongue and the promise of free labor, Cassius actually managed to talk a beleaguered on-site producer into letting him in. His title was "Temporary Set PA," which basically meant "Brick to be moved wherever needed."