Chapter Ninety-Four: On the Film Set

On the way to the filming location, Chen Qi deliberately looked up information about the director. He seemed quite impressive; as the media put it, he was a late bloomer. After struggling in obscurity within the entertainment industry for years, he finally broke through last year, turning a movie with a twenty-million budget into a box office of over a hundred million. From then on, he no longer had to worry about finding projects.

Currently, he was working on his second film, reportedly with an investment exceeding fifty million. In any case, it all seemed rather formidable. Chen Qi glanced through the details and put his phone away.

An hour later, he arrived at the outskirts where the shoot was taking place. From a distance, the production team looked sizable, with all kinds of professionals and equipment everywhere—a far cry from the crew he worked with on “Unexpected.” The difference was like night and day.

Just as Chen Qi was about to go over for a look, someone stopped him. Filming was underway ahead, and outsiders weren’t allowed to pass. Now, this was a professional crew! Unlike when he shot “Unexpected,” where anyone could stroll over for a look, comment, or even express their disdain.

Chen Qi didn’t argue. He simply pulled up the number Xu Bunan had sent him and made the call. The person on the other end was Cheng An, one of the investors in the film. When the call connected, Chen Qi introduced himself and told Cheng An he was waiting outside the set.

“All right, I know. Wait a moment,” replied Cheng An, and hung up.

Two minutes later, the security guard’s walkie-talkie signaled to let him through. Chen Qi nodded to the guard and walked in at a leisurely pace, curiously observing the bustling staff around him and guessing at their roles. In both his previous life and this one, it was his first time visiting such a formal production set. He hadn’t even seen how people actually made movies.

A few minutes later, Chen Qi saw the filming area. From afar, he could hear actors reciting lines, and it all seemed lively. He paused, glancing around, unsure which one was Cheng An.

He considered calling again, but after thinking it over, decided against it. He might as well take in the surroundings; he wasn’t in any rush.

As he drew closer to the set, hesitating whether to just go ahead and observe, a voice filled with delight suddenly called out beside him.

“Director?”

Chen Qi turned and saw Zhao Wu, dressed in costume, running over with disbelief.

“What are you doing here?” Chen Qi laughed, surprised to see him.

“I’m filming here!” Zhao Wu was excited, as though he’d encountered a familiar face in a foreign land.

“Filming?” Chen Qi was taken aback. Xu Bunan had only just entered the film industry himself; though he had some connections, it didn’t seem likely he’d already arranged for Zhao Wu and the others to join a movie crew.

Noticing Chen Qi’s confusion, Zhao Wu quickly explained, “When we were filming ‘Unexpected’ a few days ago, several other production teams sent their people to make cameo appearances. Now they have roles available, so Mr. Xu arranged for us to show up here.”

“Oh…” Chen Qi drew out the sound, suddenly understanding. This must be what they call resource exchange. It seemed Xu Bunan was integrating into the industry rather quickly.

“Are you here alone?” he asked.

“Yeah, Bai Xiaoke went to another crew.”

“So, what role did you get? Do you have many lines?” Chen Qi asked curiously.

“Not many, just a background character with two lines. Haven’t started shooting yet.” Zhao Wu looked at him with curiosity. “Director, what are you here for?”

“Oh, I had nothing to do, so I came specifically to see how others make movies,” Chen Qi replied, then asked, “By the way, do you know which one is Cheng An?”

“I do!” Zhao Wu stood on tiptoe and scanned the area, pointing to a middle-aged man not far off, who was speaking to a group of staff. “That’s him. I heard from Mr. Xu that he’s also the owner of a film company.”

Chen Qi nodded; Xu Bunan had told him these things as well.

“Alright, I’ll go over and say hello.” He turned and headed toward Cheng An. After all, it wouldn’t be proper to observe without at least introducing himself.

He wondered if Cheng An had seen “Unexpected,” because he recognized Chen Qi at a glance. He was quite polite.

After a brief greeting, Cheng An said, “Feel free to look around. Once I finish up here, I’ll introduce you to the director.”

“Thank you, Mr. Cheng.”

“No problem,” Cheng An replied with a smile and a wave.

Chen Qi didn’t disturb him further and wandered over to the filming area, where he saw the director seated before the monitors. The director’s name was Jiang Yang, and he appeared to be in his forties.

Since they weren’t acquainted, Chen Qi didn’t approach him, but watched with keen interest from nearby. From what he’d read online, the film was a comedy. Without the script, Chen Qi had no idea what the story was about.

Worse still, perhaps because he was a bit too far away, he couldn’t quite hear the director’s exchanges with the staff. Unable to hear his instructions, Chen Qi couldn’t grasp the meaning behind the professional-looking gestures and actions.

Clearly, learning from these directors was not as simple as watching from the sidelines.

Chen Qi wanted to get closer, but a staff member briskly shooed him away. This was a working area; outsiders were not allowed near.

Chen Qi nonchalantly brushed the dust from his hair and strode away, pretending nothing had happened.

It was over half an hour later before Cheng An, finally finished with his tasks, arrived. Conveniently, the director had just wrapped up a shot.

“Come, let me introduce you. This is Chen Qi, the creator of the recently popular ‘Unexpected’ online. This is Jiang Yang…” Cheng An brought Chen Qi to the monitors and enthusiastically introduced them.

Nearby, quite a few staff members were startled when they heard Cheng An’s introduction, casting curious glances at Chen Qi.

They didn’t know him personally, but as industry insiders, they were certainly aware of “Unexpected,” which had recently made waves. Some had even watched it, impressed by its wild plot twists and unconventional advertising methods.

Now, seeing the creator in person, their interest was piqued. After all, someone capable of dreaming up such stories must be an interesting character. But why was he here?