Chapter 18: Flower of Evil (Thanks to the adorable Lulu's Silver League!)

In order to survive in "Perfect Life", Han Fei repeatedly studied the Icebox Corpse Case and Human-body Puzzle Case, trying to analyze from the perspective of the killers, often staring at the photos on the wall late into the night.

As each vibrant life disappeared before his eyes, Han Fei would feel a wrenching pain in his heart every time he thought about it.

Why would anyone commit such cruel and terrifying acts?

Delving deep into thought, Han Fei assembled the killers' images in his mind using photos related to the cases.

Their souls twisted, emotions distorted, driven by hatred, they achieve their goals through extreme behavior.

Unlike the general population's hysterical perception of criminals, these killers possessed meticulous logic, their crimes were premeditated, not spurts of insanity.

They must have had maniacal expressions, rational behavior, and were likely missing a lot in their brains, displaying neither love nor compassion. That selfish indifference and hatred was etched deep into their bones.

The puzzle made of corpses gradually became clearer, and a vague figure began to emerge stealthily.

He was introverted, selfish, cold, with delicate emotions yet unable to communicate with the world; intelligent, yet his personality concealed an abnormality. He lived behind a mask until his prey entered the deserted corridor.

At that moment, he shed all his disguises and then revealed a smile.

That smile was like a rose blooming over a graveyard, its roots deeply entrenched in the bones of the dead; as gorgeous and splendid as it bloomed, so cruel and dirty was the heart within.

Seeing the smile Han Fei lifted up, Zhan Lele hugged Director Jiang's arm, and both of them simultaneously stepped back.

No one called cut, no one spoke; as Han Fei moved forward, Zhan Lele and Director Jiang retreated again, until they bumped against the staircase railing.

Zhan Lele, whose legs felt weak, wanted to hide behind Director Jiang. Only then did Director Jiang snap out of it. He took a sharp breath and nodded sincerely, "Good, good! Han Fei, why don't you play the villain in this drama? You're absolutely perfect for it, a natural, from the look in your eyes to your expression. You don't seem insane in the slightest, but I bet anyone who sees you would be scared."

Zhan Lele turned pale, stepping out from behind Director Jiang. If it was just about acting, he was no match for Han Fei.

Compared to Han Fei's performance, Zhan Lele's earlier acting was like spirit possession, embarrassingly amateurish to the point of toe-curling.

Though Zhan Lele wished he could find a hole to crawl into, for the sake of his role, he had to step forward. The company had arranged everything; if he lost the role because of himself, he would have a hard time explaining when he got back.

Zhan Lele opened his mouth, but the normally eloquent man suddenly found he had nothing to say. The difference in acting was so stark that anyone with eyes could see it.

"Director, you're joking, my personality really isn't suited to play a villain." The villain's role was demanding, and with the plot requiring night shooting in the community, Han Fei's focus was still on the healing-type game; staying alive was the top priority.

After saying this to Director Jiang, he turned and looked at Zhan Lele with a very gentle expression, "You're probably better at variety shows, so it's hard to switch that style in an instant. I'm quite familiar with the Human-body Puzzle Case from ten years ago, and later I can give you some information about it. It should help you portray the villain better."

Han Fei's words were very tactful; although everyone could see that Zhan Lele's acting was poor, Han Fei didn't ridicule him. He subtly indicated that he had no intention of snatching the role while also expressing his willingness to help his colleague perform well.

At that moment, Zhan Lele sobered up completely. Looking at Han Fei, he felt as if he was basking in a holy light, "Have I encountered an angel? A breath of fresh air in the entertainment industry!"

He was not greedy for roles nor self-centered, superbly skilled in acting yet still humble enough to help others—how could anyone dislike such a colleague?

Seeing Han Fei at this moment, the staff on set were all very puzzled. Why would his previous company be so blind as to let him go, such a good man?

Han Fei didn't waste any time; he clearly pointed out several areas where Zhan Lele needed to make changes, based on his own experience.

There's no need to be so neurotic when playing a villain, trying too hard can easily backfire, Director Jiang agreed wholeheartedly with what Han Fei was saying.

After discussing for a while, Zhan Lele's performance was still far behind Han Fei's, but at least it was no longer awkward.

Standing quietly to the side, Han Fei was now just a minor character, and he knew that if he were to play the villain the effect would be better, but it wasn't yet time to step into the center of the stage.

Looking through the window across the hallway, Han Fei gazed at the old street opposite. "Urban Secret Love," the drama produced by his former company, was being shot, and he heard from the crew that the second male lead was the person who had snatched his role in the company.

If it were the old Han Fei, even knowing all this, he wouldn't have been able to change anything, it's hard for an individual to confront a company in these times.

However, after getting the "Healing-type Game," Han Fei changed his original perspective. Wandering between life and death made his heart grow stronger.

"Nothing in this world is impossible."

Turning his head to watch Zhan Lele giving her all in her performance, Han Fei's expression remained calm. He could see her limitations in acting; compared to him, Zhan Lele was far behind.

Some people's acting is a talent, some hone theirs through extensive practice, while Han Fei's acting was a gift bestowed upon him by life and death.

A single take without NG, if the performance isn't good, you die on the spot.

It took until the afternoon for Zhan Lele's first scene to be approved. For the second scene, it was Han Fei's acting that underpinned the shot, coupled with Director Jiang purposely focusing the camera on Han Fei, Zhan Lele didn't have many shots. Thus, it only took two takes to pass.

As dusk approached, having finished all of Wei Youfu's scenes in one go, Han Fei prepared to leave.

At that moment, a fairly decent sedan pulled up at the curb, and an exhausted Zhan Lele, along with her agent, stepped out.

"Director Jiang is known in the industry for his temper. Thank you for helping Lele out today." The agent, holding a gift box, tried to offer it to Han Fei, "I still don't know how to address you, sir?"

"My name is Han Fei."

"Teacher Han, we hope you can continue to help Lele in the future. Our company values Lele greatly, and after your guidance today, he has improved by leaps and bounds," the agent genuinely saw the improvement in Zhan Lele's acting skills, which is why he came over.

"I didn't provide any guidance, we just helped each other out," Han Fei said, declining the gift box. He just gestured with his hand; at this moment, his mind was still at work deducing the murderer in the refrigerator body case.

"Teacher Han, I truly owe you thanks for today. I got sloppy drunk last night; it will definitely not happen again," said Zhan Lele, who was slightly younger than Han Fei. With a buoyant personality, he was indeed more suited for variety shows than acting. Perhaps becoming a comedian wouldn't be too bad, of course, these were thoughts Han Fei would never express.