I'm just trying to ride the wave of popularity!

Chapter 4 Me? The Male Lead?

January.

Graduation season.

At the entrance of the college, the bustling noise gradually subsided into the night.

A gentle breeze blew by, and Chen Jianfeng, a student from the 03 acting class, silently dragged his tired body through the gate.

The 03 graduating class of Yenching Film Academy was a highly anticipated class in the film industry.

Among the graduating students, some were already receiving so many film and television offers during their freshman and sophomore years, with popular works being released almost every year, making them rising stars in the entertainment industry...

There are also talented young people who, during their sophomore year, made their own films and, through these films, gradually rose to the position of Best New Director, becoming a rising star in the sixth generation of directors amidst countless applause.

Others have gone behind the scenes, supporting one film after another, joining major film crews and taking on various important positions before graduation...

Some joined film crews as errand runners, while others shuttled between various film crews, taking on even the most mundane and obscene extra roles...

……

Of course, there are also people like Chen Jianfeng, who came from small towns with dreams of becoming stars and then moved to big cities.

As a result, I spent four years surrounded by beautiful and handsome classmates, becoming nothing more than a backdrop for those privileged individuals. In June, just before graduation, I faced the prospect of unemployment.

Those who stand in the spotlight and are the center of attention are always a minority.

It seems that some people are just ordinary people who are born to be there to highlight those dazzling stars.

The evening breeze blows.

Chen Jianfeng arrived at the gate of Yanjing.

While I was pondering which film crew to audition for tomorrow...

Suddenly I saw an A4-sized job posting on the security guard's desk!
After taking one look, I was instantly stunned!

I grass!

[The world's first Sino-American co-production blockbuster!]
But then, my brain went blank again!

and many more!

This is not right!
[The world's first Sino-American co-production blockbuster] Why is the recruitment poster for such an amazing movie handwritten, and written in such a low-quality way?

This is just like those midnight ads plastered on public restrooms, isn't it?

Just as I was shaking my head and preparing to leave, I suddenly stood still, as if possessed, hesitated for a moment, and silently stared at the words on the poster.

We're hiring actors, photographers, lighting technicians, production assistants...

Aside from the director and screenwriter, this movie recruits everything.

Is the recruitment scope for this movie really that broad?

"Hey kid, interested in giving it a try?"

"what?"

Just as Chen Jianfeng was staring blankly at the job posting, he saw a well-mannered young man in a suit and glasses smiling at him from inside the security room.

"Hey kid, interested in taking on a role?"

"You're... a moviemaker?"

"Yes, I work for a film and television company. This is my business card..."

Chen Jianfeng blankly accepted the business card and glanced down at it.

The gold-embossed business card read "[Xuan Shi Entertainment] Zhou Yang," with the job title listed as agent on the back.

Chen Jianfeng looked up at the recruitment poster, then glanced at the earnest Zhou Yang.

[Xuan Shi Entertainment]...

He had never even heard of that name.

His first impression was that it was a scam company, but looking at Zhou Yang's appearance, it didn't seem quite like one. Finally, he scratched his head and asked, "Mr. Zhou, what kind of film crew are you?"

"Oh, a big-budget action movie co-produced by Huamei..." Zhou Yang looked him up and down and said with a smile, "Hey classmate, you're a 03 graduate, right?"

"Yes..." For some reason, Chen Jianfeng felt a burning sensation when he met Zhou Yang's gaze.

The guy's eyes seemed to see right through him.

"Just auditioned for a martial arts film? Hmm, and also for a modern film... It didn't go too well, did it..." Zhou Yang glanced at his shoes, then his smile widened.

"Huh? You, how did you know?" Chen Jianfeng exclaimed in surprise.

“You have a unique vibe about you, like something out of a modern film crew. From that vibe, I can even guess that the movie you auditioned for is most likely a story about a rich girl falling in love with a poor boy. As for a martial arts film, judging from the wear and tear on your shoes, you can tell you did a lot of work today, but it was probably all for nothing…” Zhou Yang pushed up his glasses again and looked away.

"Ah!" Chen Jianfeng opened his mouth, and was immediately stunned.

Zhang Shun, the security guard who was listening to Hong Kong and Taiwan music on the radio next to him, suddenly trembled, turned off the radio, and stared at Zhou Yang as if he had seen a ghost.

He was also taken aback by Zhou Yang's actions.

“Classmate, blindly searching will only waste your youth. You need to calm down and plan your life properly…” Zhou Yang looked at the dazed Chen Jianfeng and pointed to the empty chair next to him: “Interested in sitting down and having a chat?”

"Uh, this..." Chen Jianfeng stood at the door of the security room, staring warily at Zhou Yang, hesitating to come in.

"Excuse me, you must be from a small county in the Sichuan region, right?"

"how do you know?"

"Don't worry, even if they're scammers, they wouldn't cheat a poor guy who doesn't even have a hundred yuan in his pocket..." Zhou Yang glanced at Chen Jianfeng's pocket again.

"..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jianfeng instinctively clutched his pocket, his face turning bright red, seemingly extremely embarrassed: "I, no, I didn't..."

Zhou Yang looked at Chen Jianfeng but didn't speak. Instead, he smiled and pointed to the empty seat next to him: "Success is sometimes very simple: follow the right person, take the right path, do the right things... If you want to change your current bleak situation, you can sit down and talk to me. It will only take five minutes at most, and won't take up too much of your time..."

Chen Jianfeng hesitated for a long time.

Thinking that he was so poor that he could barely afford to take the bus, there was no reason for him to be fooled. Besides, this was the security room of Yanying Academy, where there were surveillance cameras in conspicuous places, so no one would do anything to him.

He eventually went into the security room, sat down in a chair, and looked at Zhou Yang nervously: "Mr. Zhou, what is the budget for this movie?"

"The investment isn't high, less than 100 million." "100 million!" Chen Jianfeng was shocked.

Zhang Shun, a security guard who was drinking tea nearby, was instantly choked and stared in shock at Zhou Yang, who was dressed in a suit and tie.

This thing is fucking awful!
So cruel?
“Yes…” Zhou Yang nodded: “We’ve hired the famous director Shen Long, and it’s currently in pre-production…”

"Then...the male lead..."

"Because of the special nature of this movie, the first round of recruitment will only be conducted on a small scale. Um, I will personally conduct the interviews. By the way, Brother Zhang, could you please help me take down the recruitment ad for now? I told you we can't put up ads like this. These kinds of ads are too low-class and will make people think my company is a scam..."

"???"

Zhang Shun's eyes widened.

Damn it!

You put it on yourself, and now you're saying I put it on?

What a joke!

Just as Zhang Shun was feeling uncertain, Zhou Yang smiled and handed him a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes.

Upon seeing the cigarette, Zhang Shun coughed, then nodded and silently tore down the recruitment poster.

Oh shit!

What's Yang up to this week?
Even if you're going to commit fraud, don't target poor students who don't have much money in their pockets.

If it's not a scam, are you really going to invest 100 million to make a movie?
What a joke!
"Um, the male lead in this movie is..."

"Do you want to be the male lead?"

"Me? I can?"

"Okay, no problem!"

"I..." Chen Jianfeng stood up in shock, pointed to his nose, felt his head buzzing, and stared at Zhou Yang as if he had seen a ghost.

"I think it's okay!"

"Are you kidding me, Mr. Zhou?"

"Yes, I like to joke, but do you think I need to joke with a poor student who can't even pull out a hundred yuan from his pocket?" Zhou Yang shook his head: "Am I just bored?"

"Then, then, I, I...I..." Chen Jianfeng felt his brain crash again.

I?
The male lead?
Wait, am I the one who's crazy, or is this guy the one who's crazy?
"Alright, five minutes are up. It's getting late. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to acquire a movie theater and enter the film industry. If you have time, call this number and come find me."

Seeing Chen Jianfeng's shocked expression, Zhou Yang smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

Acquiring cinemas to enter the film industry?

I……

The male lead?
A co-production blockbuster?

Chen Jianfeng's mind went blank.

He instinctively stood up, clutching the gold-embossed business card.
Then, I walked out of the security room and into the dormitory of Yanying Academy, looking rather silly.

………………

Watching Chen Jianfeng leave, security guard Zhang Shun lowered his head and stared at the incredibly low-quality poster.

"Mr. Zhou, tell me... you're really planning to make a movie?"

"real."

"You didn't commit fraud?"

"I told you, why would I go to all this trouble to scam a poor student who doesn't even have a hundred yuan in his pocket?"

"But your poster..."

"Oh, people who seriously look at these posters are either desperate and trying their luck, or... well, it's easy to arrange..."

"Wait, how do you know he doesn't have a hundred dollars in his pocket?"

"In this sweltering heat, he wouldn't even take a taxi, huffing and puffing as he walked over, wearing cheap clothes and carrying a water bottle... Most importantly, despite being a tall and handsome young man, he always kept his head down and avoided eye contact, hesitant and insecure. He was probably one of the lowest-ranking students in the college... A girl's insecurity might stem from her appearance, but a boy's biggest insecurity, besides his looks, probably comes from his family's financial situation..."

Security guard Zhang Shun was stunned.

"Then how did you know that the production teams he auditioned for were for urban and martial arts films..."

“I’ve been lurking around here lately, listening to a lot of entertainment news and reading a lot of newspapers. There are only two film crews in Yanjing, so it was easy to find out with a little probing… When I was probing him just now, his eyes were darting around, and he couldn’t hide his disappointment. It seems like things didn’t go well. And did you notice the cracked bloodstains on his hands? He’s probably been doing some rough work…”

Zhang Shun stared blankly at Zhou Yang, who was squinting.

Suddenly, I felt a slight chill in the air.

After a moment's hesitation, she finally asked, "Since his circumstances are so average, why did you choose him?"

“Every stone in this world has its unique value… but most people are blind to it…” Zhou Yang took off his glasses, wiped the dust off them, and said calmly.

Zhang Shun looked at Zhou Yang's glasses, wondering if it was just his imagination...

It should be a non-prescription lens, right?
Are these glasses just for decoration?

"Mr. Zhou, are you really going to make a movie and invest in cinema chains?"

Do I look like a liar?

"That……"

"By the way, Brother Zhang, I've seen those unlucky guys who can't find jobs lately. Show them that job posting. Those who look too shrewd and immediately call me a scammer, forget about them. But if they're interested—you know, the kind who's really ambitious, extremely ambitious, willing to try anything for their dreams, and seem reliable—have them call me… Don't worry, I'm not involved in scams… Okay, it's getting late, I have to go. I have to meet with movie theater owners tomorrow to discuss investment…"

Why do I feel like you're increasingly acting like a scammer?

"Have you ever seen a scammer jump into a river? By the way, Brother Zhang, your little electric scooter is nice, eco-friendly, and just fully charged. How about I borrow it for a day, and I'll return it to you tomorrow afternoon..."

"???"

Zhang Shun stared blankly as Zhou Yang walked to the electric scooter he had just bought, unplugged the charger, climbed on, and gave him a smile.

Zhang Shun nodded subconsciously...

When they saw Zhou Yang stride away, they were suddenly shocked!
Why should I nod? Am I supposed to walk home after get off work?
Am I crazy?!
(End of this chapter)