Hey! The Criminal Assistance System Can Even Be Used Like This? 4

The days on set are monotonous. People come and go, and the actors constantly familiarize themselves with the script, rehearsing their lines. The atmosphere is tense.

Bai Sheng is a perfectionist, someone who is extremely demanding about details, so if the performance isn’t good, he can only expect harsh and unfeeling critiques, along with endless reshoots. The last villain he was somewhat satisfied with ended up running away because they couldn’t handle the pressure.

The remaining individuals who stay here harbor some sense of belief in their hearts. Xu Zhizhi, focused solely on making money, has calculated that the villain will appear in a total of six episodes, and the filming period will be about three months. Rounded off and after subtracting costs, she should be able to net around a hundred thousand yuan, since the company takes a cut, taxes are deducted, Lin Yu gets paid, and they also provide for her living expenses.

With a post-tax monthly income exceeding thirty thousand, Xu Zhizhi finally has a tangible sense of how quickly money can be made in the entertainment industry, and she is determined to keep this job! Recalling just three days ago when she was a struggling worker with a monthly salary of two thousand five, waking up at seven in the morning and sleeping at eleven at night, it feels unreal.

She was an intern lawyer, akin to a hospital’s trainee, an existence marked by low pay and tough conditions. Sitting beside the director, she earnestly observed for a while, holding a palm-sized notebook that she had pulled from somewhere, jotting down key points rapidly.

Lin Yu stood to the side, trying hard to recognize the crew members and the actors. While Xu Zhizhi diligently studied, someone was also closely watching her every move.

As the most outstanding and consistently successful detective team leader in Jiang City, Qin Su undoubtedly had a profound understanding of criminals. He knew every criminal’s modus operandi, was aware of their twisted psychology, and saw right through their disguised facades.

A casual glance at a video sent from Bai Sheng made him realize that the other party was not simply mimicking. The expressions and demeanor were identical to those of murderers he had encountered.

Almost every psychologically twisted murderer, when caught or during a trial, has a smile on their lips, sometimes even unaware of their own smiles, because it stems from the belief that they haven’t done anything wrong. Xu Zhizhi’s smile reflected that of those killers, making him suspect that she might have truly committed murder, even if she was unrelated to this case.

He wouldn’t allow any criminal to slip through the cracks, so he rushed to Bai Sheng’s filming location like a streak of lightning. Bai Sheng helplessly looked at the lunatic beside him; he couldn’t refuse and led him to sit next to Xu Zhizhi, forming a tight trio with her in the middle, separated by barely half a meter.

“How does it feel? We’ll be shooting the final costume test photos tomorrow, and I need you to adjust to the state from your previous audition.” Bai Sheng’s eyes were glued to the screen, but his words were directed at Xu Zhizhi.

This fit the needs of the plot; the test photos were necessary for promotions, and must be perfect. Additionally, it would lower her guard against Qin Su.

Xu Zhizhi nodded emphatically, “I’ll give it my all! We’re going to capture the best photos!”

One should always listen to what the boss says because they provide so much! Her expression was ingratiating, and her eyes sparkled at the thought of payment, like a pauper who had never seen money.

Compared to the psychologically twisted person in the video, she appeared as innocent as a little girl, entirely unrelated to a delusional devil.

Qin Su sat beside her, but from his angle and height, he could catch subtle expressions and movements.

To be honest, Xu Zhizhi’s performance was that of an utterly normal person. He felt a moment of disorientation; if not for his professional knowledge keeping him grounded, he’d almost believe the person in front of him had a dual personality that could switch at will.

But he knew this was impossible. If she harbored a psychopathic personality, it couldn’t coexist so peacefully with another one; the psychopathic personality would strive to take over completely, leaving no room for other personalities.

Could it really just be her acting skills?

At this moment, Xu Zhizhi noticed Qin Su beside her. She turned to Bai Sheng and asked, “Who is this?”

“…He is a professional consultant I hired, providing the crew with some expertise,” Bai Sheng said, momentarily taken aback, his eyes quickly darting around, assigning a position to Qin Su.

In his heart, he agreed; Qin Su did indeed offer a lot of guidance on the professionalism required for this production, as he was one of the few who thoroughly understood its prototype—the infamous dismemberment murder case.

Qin Su instinctively nodded, feeling it was necessary to learn more about her to make a better judgment, thus he responded, “Yes, if you have any doubts, feel free to ask me. I’ve gathered quite a bit of information regarding your character.”

“Thank you! I’m Xu Zhizhi, so you can call me Xiao Xu from now on! I don’t quite know how to address you!” Xu Zhizhi turned and extended her hand, her gaze warm and kindly.

Qin Su shook her hand. “Qin Su, just call me by my name; no need for formality.”

“Alright, Qin Ge!” Xu Zhizhi retracted her hand, being slightly obsequious.

She had researched the entertainment industry beforehand, understanding it was a society with strict hierarchies, where there were levels of hierarchy among crew members, and directors and producers held the highest positions.

One must be polite when meeting people, avoid pushing boundaries, and be eager to call others brother or sister.

Qin Su frowned slightly; this person was completely different from how she acted during the audition.

Oblivious to it all, Xu Zhizhi resumed her focus on learning and acting. Meanwhile, Qin Su curiously asked her a few questions about her insights on acting and her understanding of the character.

Xu Zhizhi was almost entirely uninformed; due to time constraints, she had only gone over a few key scenes and the script.

As a result, Qin Su’s inquiries yielded no useful information; all her responses were regurgitations from the script. Bai Sheng could also answer his questions, leading Qin Su to nearly give up.

Taking advantage of the break during actor transitions and crew adjustments, Xu Zhizhi checked the simulation section of the Criminal Assistance System.

The skills module wasn’t yet applicable, and the dissection skill couldn’t be used in her acting career; what she needed to do was simulate the murder scenes necessary for her character, immersively experiencing it all to portray the role authentically.

Moreover, the most practical skills cost over eight hundred in Malice Value, while the simulation function didn’t require that.

The simulation function, depending on the difficulty of the scenario, could cost anywhere from ten to a thousand Malice Points per use.

Xu Zhizhi had calculated that for this character, she only needed to set up the simplest simulation scene, inputting the scene description and some character understanding along with various related data.

She had ten chances in total; she needed to meet the experience level effects granted today to satisfy the director’s requirements.

After studying until the afternoon and completing her work for the day, Xu Zhizhi returned to the hotel with Lin Yu.

During this time, she also chatted with the actors playing the male and female leads—both had been navigating the entertainment industry for four to five years and, for various reasons, hadn’t yet gained prominence. They had no objections to Xu Zhizhi striking up a conversation; after all, even if she had some negative rumors, she was still someone who had acted in several TV dramas, ranking above them. They had just witnessed her performance, which was purely skill-based, completely contrary to what outsiders said.

With talent and humility, they decided to be friends.

Exhausted from a day on set, everyone exchanged V-Chat contacts before heading back to their respective apartments.

Lin Yu and Xu Zhizhi dragged their suitcases, tidying up to settle in.

The apartment was a suite, complete with a kitchen and bathroom, convenient for the assistants to stay comfortably, as well as for daily living and hygiene.

Lin Yu patiently organized th

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