Chapter 9

Walking up to the eerie apartment building, Han Fei lightly knocked on the door, and soon a staff member came out.

"Director Jiang asked me to come for an audition, but I've recently encountered some trouble, so maybe—"

Before Han Fei could finish, the other person enthusiastically pulled him into the apartment.

"You're finally here. Director Jiang is furious. Newcomers these days are just not up to par; they can't act the way he wants. Director Jiang has already rejected several people."

"I've never acted in a horror film before, and I have something important to do tonight..."

"Director Jiang! The new actor is here!" The staff member directly handed the script to Han Fei: "A regular audition would have a specific place, but since we're making a low-budget thriller, we don't have to be so formal. Go ahead quickly; Director Jiang and the others are already waiting."

Holding the script, Han Fei was pushed into a room where six actors of different ages were standing against the wall, none of them daring to speak.

"Are you acting? Do you even respect this profession? This is a joke!" In the center of the room, a middle-aged man pointed at the actors, speaking very sternly.

His voice was loud, and it scared one of the young girls to tears.

"Crying? Why is the fake blood only on your clothes? Not on your face or hands? When the killer slashes you, does he deliberately avoid getting your face dirty?"

"I'm telling you, if you're afraid of dirt and hard work, don't become an actor! I don't care if you were arranged by investors; since you're in my production, you must follow my requirements." Director Jiang had a bad temper and used to be a teacher at the New Shanghai Film Academy, where he once taught Han Fei's class.

After scolding them for a while, Director Jiang turned to Han Fei: "I've heard about your situation. I have a role you can try."

Han Fei looked at the atmosphere and didn't want to refuse outright, so he said tactfully, "Director Jiang, I've never acted in a horror film."

"Viewers can define an actor, but actors shouldn't define themselves. You are an actor, understand?" Director Jiang walked over to Han Fei with the script: "Our film is based on a real case from a few years ago—the Human Jigsaw. The killer hasn't been caught yet. To better get into character, I suggest you read the news reports from that time and try to understand the character's inner thoughts."

"Who will I be playing?"

"In the Human Jigsaw case, the police announced seven victims, but the killer actually used the bodies to create an eighth victim. You will play the second victim—Wei Youfu." Director Jiang spoke quickly, flipping through the script: "Let me give you a brief overview. Wei Youfu is an ordinary white-collar worker who works late into the night before returning home. He finds his wife is not in the house. He sends her a few messages, and she replies that she has gone back to her parents' house. Exhausted, he doesn't think much of it and goes straight to the bedroom. The key point is that his wife hasn't gone to her parents' house; she is already dead, and the killer is hiding in the bathroom, processing her body. The messages you received were from the killer."

"Can I ask what Wei Youfu's personality is like?"

"Let me finish. The hardest part of this scene is the second half. Wei Youfu, half-asleep, hears the bathroom door open. His wife's head is placed at the door. As his fear ignites, an even greater fear comes! The killer emerges from the bathroom, targeting him as the second victim." Director Jiang highlighted a few key points in the script: "We can't show the actual processing of the body on screen, so we need to convey the cruelty through your facial expressions. You need to make the audience feel your fear! Can you do it?"

"I'll give it a try. I've never acted in a horror film before." Han Fei's dream was to become a comedy actor, and he didn't know how he ended up auditioning for a horror film.

"Alright! Let's go to the set and find the right feel." Director Jiang waved to a few cameramen and led them to the second floor: "This is our chosen shooting location. We originally wanted to film at the actual crime scene, but we couldn't contact the owner of the house."

The room had been pre-treated to block out light, and it was dark and gloomy with the curtains drawn.

"Everyone, get ready! Cooperate! The male antagonist hasn't arrived yet, so the production assistant, put on the mask and act as the killer in the bathroom. You need to open the door and place the head, then push the bathroom door open and charge out."

Five minutes later, everyone was in position, and the room fell silent.

Seeing Director Jiang's signal, Han Fei gradually got into character.

Lying in the dark bedroom, his body slowly submerged in darkness, Han Fei closed his eyes.

He didn't need to act; the terrifying memories from last night flooded his mind.

The eerie, cold, bone-chilling fear, the inescapable despair.

"Bang!"

A soft sound suddenly echoed in the quiet room, and Han Fei drowsily opened his eyes. His gaze swept the living room and finally fixed on the bathroom door lock.

It seemed as if everything had been rehearsed many times. The wandering gaze gradually focused, and as Han Fei was not yet fully awake, the bathroom door handle began to turn on its own.

The light was distorted, and the bathroom door opened a crack.

A cold wind blew across his face, and the darkness behind the door seemed to hide a world of the dead.

His pupils constricted, and his heart pounded. When five fingers emerged from the crack, Han Fei's buried fear was triggered!

His blood raced, his heart rate spiked, and his adrenaline surged. Han Fei's face turned pale, and his body's self-protection mechanism kicked in, causing a psychological fear to trigger a physiological reaction.

His wife's head rolled out of the crack, the familiar face rolling on the living room floor. She seemed to be smiling, chasing him, or questioning why he didn't stay with her.

The fear buried deep in Han Fei's consciousness was activated. At that moment, the bathroom door was fully opened, and a blood-dripping knife came into view, with the killer charging out of the darkness!

The familiar darkness, the familiar fear, but this time he had nowhere to run!

The pale face hidden under the lamp in his mind overlapped with the killer in front of him, and Han Fei's deep-seated fear exploded, making him display the most terrified expression!

The look in his eyes was indescribable, and even the killer running toward Han Fei stopped, turning his head to look behind him.

"CUT!"

Director Jiang, holding the script, rushed over and angrily shouted at the production assistant playing the killer: "Why did you turn your head? You're the killer! Why are you looking behind you?"

"No, Brother Jiang." The production assistant removed his mask, his face drenched in cold sweat: "When I saw Han Fei's expression, I really thought something was behind me, so I turned my head without thinking."

"You're the killer, what are you afraid of! Such a perfect shot wasted, it's driving me crazy!" Director Jiang ran into the bedroom and personally helped Han Fei up: "Han Fei, your acting has improved so much! You have a talent for horror films! I feel like you were born to act in them!"

"Is my acting really that good?" Han Fei's mood had just calmed down, and his expression returned to normal.

"Of course! You acted as if you had experienced it yourself, it was amazing!"