8: Here comes the chance! The waiter who was “robbed”!

Lin Da followed the stagehand to Director Wang.

Director Wang was fretting over an empty corner, the veins on his forehead throbbing.

"Director Wang, you were looking for me?" Lin Da asked.

As soon as Director Wang saw Lin Da, he grabbed him like a drowning man clutching at a straw, pulling him aside and whispering, "Lin Da, something's happened! The actor who was supposed to play the Shop Assistant at 'Yuelai Inn' suddenly said he had a stomach ache and couldn't make it!"

"Shop Assistant?" Lin Da's heart stirred.

He remembered this role; although it was a minor supporting role in the script, it had more lines than the Bandit A he had played before, probably seven or eight lines, and a few scenes interacting with the protagonist.

"Yes!" Director Wang said with a worried expression, "It's almost time to shoot, where am I going to find someone at the last minute? That kid is too unreliable!"

He cursed under his breath, clearly very displeased with the actor who had bailed.

Lin Da's eyes darted around, and an idea quickly formed in his mind.

An opportunity, hadn't it just arrived?

He said calmly, "Director Wang, how about... let me try?"

"You?" Director Wang was stunned for a moment, scrutinizing Lin Da from head to toe.

Lin Da, dressed in a coarse bandit costume, with a hint of the pallor of having "died" once on his face, didn't look like a quick-witted and smooth Shop Assistant at all.

"Director Wang, I know my appearance might not quite fit." Lin Da, seeing Director Wang's doubts, said unhurriedly, "But you also know, there's definitely no time to find someone else at the last minute. And, I promise, just give me ten minutes, and I will definitely show you a qualified Shop Assistant."

His tone was full of confidence, and his eyes gleamed with an undeniable light.

Director Wang hesitated.

To be honest, he had a good impression of Lin Da's acting; that Bandit A had truly amazed him. But the role of the Shop Assistant had many lines and required interaction with the protagonist; it wasn't something that could be handled by just "dying" well.

What if Lin Da messed it up? Wouldn't that waste even more time?

"Director Wang, please give me a chance." Lin Da pleaded again, "If I can't do it, you can think of other ways; I absolutely won't delay your shooting schedule."

Looking at Lin Da's eyes, full of eagerness and confidence, Director Wang gritted his teeth.

"Alright! I'll let you try!" He finally gave in, "But I'll be clear upfront, if you don't perform well, I'll replace you immediately!"

"Thank you, Director Wang!" Lin Da was overjoyed and quickly bowed in thanks.

"No thanks needed, hurry up and change! Makeup artist! Get this kid cleaned up and make him look like a Shop Assistant!" Director Wang shouted to the makeup team not far away.

Soon, Lin Da was ushered into the temporary makeup room.

Ten minutes later, when Lin Da reappeared before Director Wang, everyone's eyes lit up.

He had changed into a dark blue coarse cloth jacket, with a faded cloth apron tied around his waist, and a wiping cloth draped over his shoulder. The pallor on his face was gone, replaced by a just-right amount of shrewdness and worldliness. His hair was neatly combed and simply tied back with a cloth strip.

The most expressive part was his demeanor.

The corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, with a hint of a professional ingratiating smile, and his eyes darted around, revealing a cleverness. Standing there, he was the spitting image of a Shop Assistant who had welcomed and seen off all sorts of people in a jianghu inn!

"Oh! Honored guests, how many of you are there? Are you stopping for a meal or staying the night?"

Lin Da didn't even wait for the director to speak; he naturally slipped into character, cupping his hands in the air, his voice becoming smoother, with a hint of a unique Beijing accent.

This shout made Director Wang stunned.

"Good kid! You really have some skills!" Director Wang slapped his thigh in surprise, "Alright, alright, stop acting to thin air, hurry to your position, get ready to shoot!"

Lin Da smiled slightly and confidently walked towards the set.

In this scene, the protagonist and his group enter a small town for the first time and arrive at the 'Yuelai Inn' to gather information.

The young actor playing the protagonist was already in position, looking at Lin Da with some impatience. He didn't quite believe that this extra, who had just been playing a bandit, could keep up with his acting.

"Action!"

At Director Wang's command, the camera focused on the entrance of the inn.

The protagonist and his group, covered in dust, walked into the inn.

Lin Da, playing the Shop Assistant, immediately greeted them with a wide smile, smoothly flicking the wiping cloth over his shoulder, his movements quick and with a touch of jianghu flair.

"Gentlemen, please come in! Our humble establishment just received some excellent Daughter's Red; would you like a pot to warm yourselves?" His voice was clear and loud, with just the right amount of enthusiasm, neither overly fawning nor lacking in attentiveness.

The protagonist coldly glanced at him: "We're not staying, we're looking for someone."

"Looking for someone?" Lin Da's eyes flickered slightly, the smile on his face unchanged, but his tone gained a hint of probing, "May I ask which esteemed personage you gentlemen are looking for? This humble one has been mixing in this town for over ten years, and I know a few people from all walks of life."

In just a few short lines of dialogue, Lin Da portrayed the image of a versatile and capable Shop Assistant with remarkable depth. Every glance, every subtle expression, was full of drama.

He even deliberately lowered his voice when he said, "I know a few people from all walks of life," glancing around furtively like a thief, perfectly embodying the caution and worldliness unique to a small-time character.

The young actor playing the protagonist, under Lin Da's powerful aura, was momentarily at a loss for words, his expression slightly stiff.

Director Wang nodded repeatedly from behind the monitor, the smile on his face growing wider and wider.

This kid, he's a real treasure!

This isn't just an extra; this is a born actor!

Just then, in Lin Da's mind, the system's prompt sounded again:

"Ding! Detected that the host has successfully portrayed a new role [Shop Assistant], role completion 70%..."

"Congratulations to the host for triggering the hidden condition: 'Emergency Rescue', mission reward doubled!"

"[golden supporting role system] Side Quest: 'The Versatile Shop Assistant' has been activated. Please perfectly portray this role and conquer the audience present!"

Lin Da's heart filled with joy, and the smile on his lips grew even brighter.

He knew he had gambled correctly again!

Meanwhile, in a corner of the set, a young actor who was originally scheduled to play a minor role was looking at Lin Da with an extremely complex expression. In his eyes, there was surprise, confusion, but more than that, there was intense jealousy.