Chapter 372: Beaten to a Pulp
Translator: 549690339
“Now that Miss Rong has declared that I can bring it up, I want to replace the female lead. Do you have any objections?”
It was as if Rong Weiwei had been publicly slapped across the face, her cheeks alternating rapidly between shades of green, white, and red, a colorful and spectacular sight.
Replace the female lead?
She had brought with her an investment of three hundred million. Had Director Stephen gone mad to consider replacing her?!
“Director, I…” Even though she was accustomed to grand scenes, her mind went blank in this situation, and she was dumbfounded.
Director Stephen had made up his mind last night after receiving a call from Fu Yi and deliberating over it for the entire night. Rong Weiwei was never his choice for the female lead; she was just someone the investors had paid to put into the role, and he had no reason to go against that influential figure for the sake of such an actress.
So facing Rong Weiwei, whose face lost all its luster, he spoke very directly, “Miss Rong, I am here today to discuss terminating your contract with HuanYu. I didn’t expect you to be here, but I’ll just say it. After careful consideration, you are not suitable for our movie, and I want to replace you with another actress.”
Rong Weiwei felt as though she had been harshly slapped across the face. Her already colorful complexion turned even more vivid. She clenched her fists tightly, barely managing to calm herself down a smidgen, and said with difficulty, “Director Stephen, didn’t I audition before? At that time, you thought I was very suitable. Why all of a sudden… do you want to replace me?”
“At that time, I gave Miss Rong a chance because of the investment from HuanYu, and Mr. Shi’s strong recommendation. But after giving it serious thought, you really don’t fit the character in the movie. I have been preparing this movie for three years, and I still want to achieve the best effect. That’s why I came here after deep contemplation.”
Rong Weiwei was on the verge of going insane with anger.
The role in this movie was her purchase; where did all this suitability come from?
Wasn’t three hundred million enough for her to buy a role?
Moreover, her acting wasn’t bad. Even if her appearance didn’t fit the character, she could still use makeup.
She couldn’t fathom Director Stephen’s reason for insisting on replacing her. Holding back her frustration, she bit her teeth and couldn’t help asking, “Then who do you think is more suitable?”
“I haven’t found a suitable candidate yet,” Director Stephen replied, without the slightest care for how Rong Weiwei looked in her anger. He had made his choice and was bound to offend one side. He wasn’t brainless; he knew which side he would rather offend, “But Miss Rong is definitely not the right choice, very sorry.”
This apology was even worse than no apology at all.
Rong Weiwei stood in the conference room, feeling the gazes around her filled with pity and ridicule. She wished she could drive everyone out.
But what had happened had happened, and she didn’t have the power to drive out the executives of HuanYu from the conference room.
“But I’ve already signed the contract with the production, and the funds from both HuanYu and Rong Group are in place. Isn’t it a bit problematic for the director to want to replace someone now?”
Rong Weiwei dug her fingers deep into her flesh, her whole body shaking. She barely managed to make herself look less embarrassed, but her rigid expression revealed her discomfort to everyone.
Fu Yi had already brought up this issue with him over the phone yesterday. Therefore, Director Stephen said without hesitation, “I am very sorry about the contract situation and am willing to pay Miss Rong a portion of the penalty fee. As for HuanYu and Rong Group, if the two companies are not optimistic about my film, they can choose not to invest.”
This answer was firm, leaving no room for maneuver!