Chapter 33: Franco

"What?" Carey Mulligan was taken aback by Murphy's question. Her surprised expression quickly shifted to excitement, as if she had won a prize. "I would definitely mess with him, torture him…"

She completely ignored everything else and just let her imagination run wild, touching her face as she said, "I'd make him completely obsessed with me, and then I'd kick his…"

Carey Mulligan suddenly covered her mouth, realizing this wasn't her school where she could act freely but an audition for a film. She lowered her hand and stuck out her tongue playfully, giving an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry…" Her voice was low, making her seem like a demure British girl.

From her behavior since entering the warehouse, Murphy had a pretty good grasp of Carey Mulligan. Beneath her delicate and adorable appearance lay a rebellious and lively heart, with a touch of innocence due to her age.

Seeing Murphy suddenly go silent, Carey Mulligan blinked and tentatively asked, "Did I do something wrong?"

She stood up unconsciously and moved to the front of Murphy's makeshift desk, pleading with a clear and clean voice, "I just joined the Actors' Guild this week and really want to be a real actress. Can you give me another chance? I think the story you mentioned is really cool!"

Murphy looked at her. The girl's bright eyes started to fill with tears, as if she was about to cry.

He pushed his notebook and pen towards her. "Leave your contact information."

The girl immediately wiped away her near-crying expression, flashed a cute smile, grabbed the pen, and quickly wrote down her name and a series of numbers, constantly reminding him, "Make sure to call this number, not any other. If anyone finds out I snuck out to audition, I'm dead."

After finishing, she looked at Murphy, her face full of pleading. "Can I see the script? I'm dying to know how the lead girl takes down the pedophile."

She was obviously very smart and had guessed some of the script's content from Murphy's questions.

"Sorry…"

As soon as Murphy said this, the girl's baby face fell, but he ignored it and continued, "Only actors who have signed a contract with me can see the script."

"A contract?" The girl hurriedly said, "I can sign a contract with you."

"But we can't sign one with you." Murphy pointed to the chair opposite. "You're not an adult yet."

He could tell that this talented and well-suited girl had sneaked out for the audition. Even if she signed a contract provided by the crew, it wouldn't be legally binding without her guardian's consent.

Carey Mulligan sat back in the chair, visibly annoyed at her age. As she had said, her emotions were completely open, perhaps due to her acting training.

This girl had no agent or guardian with her and had sneaked out for the audition, which was indeed a problem. According to most people's principles, they would send her back home to focus on her studies.

But Murphy, having interviewed so many candidates and finally finding a suitable one, wouldn't give up easily considering the time and money already invested.

Moreover, he could see that Carey Mulligan was very interested in this Lolita revenge story against the creepy older man.

How could he trick such an innocent, cute, and rebellious girl into the crew?

Since she had shown up, he wasn't going to let her go easily. Murphy thought quickly and calmly said, "Miss Mulligan…"

"Carey!" The girl corrected. "Call me Carey."

Murphy smiled at her. "Carey, you're the most talented actress I've seen and the best performer in this audition."

Hearing this, Carey Mulligan's eyes curved into a smile.

But then her face fell again when Murphy continued, "But you're not yet sixteen, so I can't promise you anything. It's impossible to sign any contract without a guardian present."

"Damn!" The girl muttered, "Those two control freaks will never let me join a film crew."

Murphy heard this clearly, realizing the situation was even more complicated than he had thought. He frowned in thought for a while, then took out a storyboard script from his desk drawer and pushed it across the table.

"I can't show you the whole script, but your performance was really impressive." He seemed genuinely moved by her talent. "This is a storyboard script. You can take a look."

The girl's eyes widened, her lashes fluttering. "Can I really?"

Despite her words, she instinctively moved closer, grabbed the script, and started reading softly, "Hayley pours Jeff a drink. While Jeff's back is turned, searching the fridge for other beverages, Hayley takes a small plastic bag from her pocket and sprinkles the white powder into the drink…"

Carey Mulligan's face lit up with excitement. "Is that a drug? Is she going to drug the bad guy and then torture him?"

Murphy said nothing, just spread his hands.

"...Jeff wakes up to find himself tied to a chair…"

The single page of the script ended there. The girl looked up at Murphy. "Is there more? Is there more?"

This innocent, rebellious girl was no match for a cunning fox like Murphy. An experienced person would have simply scoffed at the script, but Murphy had successfully piqued her curiosity and interest.

"Sorry," Murphy shook his head, "that's all I can show you. If you want to see more, you'll have to wait until the film is finished."

"How do I torture that bad guy? How do I do it later?" Carey Mulligan subconsciously saw herself as Hayley. She patted her head, "How exactly do I do it?"

She looked up at Murphy, her delicate baby face serious as never before. "How can I get this role?"

There was a hint of desperation in her voice.

Murphy replied calmly, "Your guardian must agree."

Carey Mulligan extended her pale hand. "Your contact information."

Murphy took out a business card and handed it to her. Carey Mulligan looked at it, then carefully put it away. "You have to wait for me for a while. I'll get back to you."

She grabbed the storyboard script. "Can I take this with me?"

Seeing Murphy nod, she walked back to the chair, grabbed her backpack, and hurried out of the warehouse.

Murphy's lips curved into a smile. Girls her age are always full of naive fantasies about the future and often rebellious, ignoring any opposition.

Mr. Lynch, watching all this, sighed inwardly at Murphy's cunning and deviousness.

He couldn't help but be glad he hadn't let his own daughter audition. Otherwise, she'd be counting money while being sold.

"I'm heading back to the cafe." Mr. Lynch left the warehouse first.

"Will her parents agree to let her play such a role?"

Jessica Chastain, watching the closed warehouse door, couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't right. "Isn't what you're doing…"

"What?" Murphy turned to her, and Jessica Chastain swallowed the rest of her words, seeing her boss's stern expression. She could only reluctantly say, "I'm worried her parents or guardians won't agree."

"Where there's a will, there's a way." Murphy said, looking at his watch. "That's it for the morning. What's the schedule for the afternoon?"

Jessica Chastain checked the work record. "There's another male actor audition in the afternoon."

Murphy nodded and stood up, ready to head to the cafe, which was quickly becoming the office for the "Hard Candy" project thanks to his persuasive words.

"He's a very experienced actor," Jessica Chastain reminded Murphy. "He's already played main roles in some films and TV series."

Before Murphy could ask, she added, "His name is James Franco, though he's a bit young."

"James Franco?" Murphy muttered to himself.

After lunch, this mystery was solved. The young version of the now-famous Franco appeared in the warehouse-slash-audition-room.

Sitting in the chair opposite Murphy's desk, James Franco sported fluffy natural curls and a faint smile. He looked handsome, with a slight bad-boy vibe. Though lacking the charm time would eventually give him, he was undeniably a good-looking guy.

He wasn't new to the film industry, and his acting was suitable for the role. The slight age issue could be adjusted with makeup. Most importantly, Murphy knew Franco was a quirky talent who would take on seemingly outrageous roles.

After putting down the storyboard script, James Franco looked at Murphy. "Interesting character. Is it based on you?"

Murphy nearly spat out his coffee, quickly setting down the cup. "Of course not."

Franco, as eccentric as rumored, shrugged and pulled out a business card, placing it on the table. "I'm interested in the role. Have your people contact my agent."

Murphy hadn't expected it to be this easy. Given the choice, he would prefer someone reliable.

Past famous stars inevitably hinted at their potential.

Murphy took the card and handed it to Jessica Chastain, instructing, "Get in touch with him as soon as possible."

James Franco propped one hand on the table, tapping it lightly with the other, his eyes fixed on Murphy's pen. "Did the little girl with the short golden hair from this morning get the part?"