41 Ulmer Scale

"Who is this actress? Give me the file on her," Director Sun ordered, his eyes shining.

Because of the years he had spent working in the industry, he was confident that he knew the faces of the promising actresses in all of the different agencies. But this girl was not familiar to him at all!

Just where did this talented actress come from?

"Yes, Director!"

When her file was handed over to him, Director Sun was greatly surprised. No wonder he was not familiar with her face; it was because the girl who had greatly impressed him with her acting was actually a D-list actress!

Everyone who entered the show business knew about the Ulmer scale—developed by the American journalist James Ulmer, it was a popular tool used to calculate the 'bankability' of a given star. In short, it ranked them according to how popular they were, and to what degree their names alone could trigger full financing for a movie.

The Ulmer scale categorizes the lists into A+, A, B+, B, C, and D listings. For an actress to be under the infamous D-list, it would mean that her career had basically flopped!

Director Sun's expression changed. He generally hated D-listers based from his experience, because they were mostly talentless individuals who just couldn't let go of the possibility that their big break would be right around the corner. They were all toads lusting after a swan's flesh—they didn't know an iota about acting, but they persisted on calling themselves as 'actors' anyway.

Had Director Sun managed to read Hui Yin's file before the audition, he would have personally kicked her out without hesitation.

His assistant crinkled her forehead.

"Director?"

Director Sun sighed.

He liked her acting, but he could not take this audition lightly. For a D-list actress to star in Liu Jun's new hit single <Captive>—if this PV flopped, not only would it leave a permanent stain in his career, that wacky male singer would also probably blame his judgement and drag his name into the mud.

Hiring her would just bring him too much unnecessary trouble.

Of course, Hui Yin detected the slight frown of dissatisfaction on the director's face after he saw her file. Despite her hunger, she understood instantly that they were about to reject her without giving her a chance. It had happened too often during her auditions in the past that she was already long used to it.

Hui Yin bowed her head.

Her shoulders shook, and her body fell into a limp heap on the floor.

Startled, both Director Sun and his assistant stood up.

"Miss Hui!"

Slowly, Hui Yin looked up.

Her eyelashes trembled with unshed tears, and the lips she had softly bitten was a glistening, pale red. A thin layer of sweat had plastered some tendrils of jet-black hair on her small face, and it seemed that she had no strength at all.

Her eyes were beautiful, her dark irises like twin magnetic pools that drew them in. She was clearly frightened to death, but this kind of scene...she had completely bewitched all of them!

Director Sun couldn't tear his eyes off her, but it was not a malicious gaze.

His eyes reflected a sharp glint that looked as if he had suddenly understood something.

Before the audition, he remembered a conversation he had with Liu Jun about <Captive>. Director Sun had wondered why he had written a love song with such dark undertones, hinting of the man's need to possess and lock up the woman he loved.

Liu Jun had merely laughed at his question, and asked cryptically, "Do you really think the song title talks about the girl being held captive?"

Director Sun was confused, and asked him what he meant by that. However, Liu Jun only laughed again before walking away.

Now, looking at Hui Yin, Director Sun felt that he finally understood what the young singer had meant.

Although the man had physically imprisoned the girl and made her his captive, the true prisoner in the song was the man.

Because the girl...had captivated him.