I really didn't intend to make a living based on my looks.

After passing Tiananmen Square, Zhang Yisan turned into Nanchang Street, where the street suddenly became quiet, and the streetlights were half-hidden by the leaves of the locust trees.

The courtyards on both sides have gray walls and gray tiles. The stone lions on the door piers are not very clear at night. Only the lanterns on the lintel are still lit.

If you ride on and pass Xishiku Street, you can see the church spire peeking out in the night.

Several middle school students in school uniforms rode past on bicycles, their schoolbags swaying behind them, their laughter torn into pieces by the wind.

How much further?

"We're almost there, it's just ahead."

The electric scooter turned into an alley and stopped at the entrance of a residential complex.

Jiang Chen looked up and saw Huangtingzi Residential Area in HD District, just across the street from the south gate of Beijing Film Academy.

This residential complex was built in the late 90s. It consists of six-story slab buildings with gray-white exterior walls and no elevators, but its location is excellent.

It takes no more than five minutes to walk from the entrance of the residential area to the south gate of Beijing University of Electronic Science and Technology.

Most of the residents here are faculty and staff of Beijing Film Academy and long-time residents from the neighborhood. There are also many students who rent apartments outside, making this one of the most sought-after areas.

It's quiet, safe, close to the school, and convenient for buying groceries and eating out. The only downsides are that the building is a bit old and the rent isn't cheap.

Zhang Yisan locked his car and pointed upstairs: "303, two-bedroom apartment. The landlady is an old lady, a very nice person. The monthly rent is 3,500, one month's deposit and three months' rent in advance. If you think it's okay, then sign."

"Shall we go up and take a look?"

"Walk."

The two entered the building, but the motion-activated lights in the hallway were not very responsive; they had to stomp their feet twice for them to turn on.

The house is small, with two bedrooms facing south, a living room connected to a balcony, and the kitchen and bathroom at the other end.

The furniture is all there, a bit old, but it's kept very clean.

The floor is a light-colored composite wood floor, which creaks a little when you step on it.

From the balcony, you can see the Beijing Film Academy's sports field. The lights on the field are still on at night, and a few boys are playing basketball.

Jiang Chen walked around the house, then opened the balcony door and stood there for a while.

He didn't actually have much money on him.

The crew received over 20,000 yuan last time, but after buying things and dealing with the hassle, only 8,000 yuan was left.

My father gave me 6,000 yuan for three months' living expenses, and my mother secretly slipped me another 5,000 yuan, making a total of 19,000 yuan.

The rent for this house is 14,000 yuan, which is one month's deposit and three months' rent in advance. After paying the rent, I will only have 5,000 yuan left.

However, he still decided to rent the house!

Having been reborn, he didn't intend to suffer; a better life was a must.

Besides, if a girl comes to visit him, there has to be a place to entertain her, right?

More importantly, this small two-bedroom apartment was his first foothold.

He hasn't thought about directing or starring in it yet.

He knew, of course, how much information about the future he held in his hands: which TV series would be a hit, which song would become popular, and which director would rise to fame.

But knowing something is one thing, turning it into cash is another.

Rebirth isn't about having a cheat code that allows you to instantly ascend to the top.

Making a film or television series requires a whole professional team, including a director, cinematographer, lighting technician, and post-production technician, and often involves investments of millions or tens of millions of yuan. Right now, he has neither connections nor capital. He may know which shows will be popular in the future, but no one will believe a student who has just entered university, and no one will dare to throw money at him.

Let me tell you about another film crew, with dozens or even hundreds of people. Without enough of your own people, is it really that easy to manage?

In recent years, many coal mine owners from other places rushed into the film and television industry with money in their pockets, thinking that they could make a TV series as long as they had money. However, they were exploited by the crew, who inflated the budget. In the end, they spent all their money, the film was a flop, and they lost everything. There are many cases where the industry is much more complicated than they thought.

Moreover, TV dramas need to have connections to be broadcast on satellite TV. Without channels and resources, no matter how well they are made, they can only be held in our hands.

Movies are even harder to make. Theater scheduling depends entirely on capital and connections. Without a background, you can't even get your hands on a movie theater door.

This is a complex circle that values ​​social circles and foundations; you can't just rush in blindly by predicting the future.

But music is different.

This is the easiest path he can reach.

His mind was filled with the OSTs of the most popular TV dramas and movies of the next decade or so; any one of those theme songs or insert songs could easily become a chart-topping hit.

It doesn't matter that he didn't have a formal music background. There are plenty of students from the music and recording departments at the Beijing Film Academy, as well as young people who want to practice and make a name for themselves.

He only needs to spend a few thousand dollars to add a guitar and buy a basic recording device in this rented room to write a demo.

Then find a few like-minded classmates to team up with, improve the arrangement, and record the final product.

These demos don't need to be sophisticated. As long as the melody is right and the lyrics are accurate, you can take them to film and television companies or sell them to production crews that are about to start filming and are in need of background music.

Low cost, quick results, and you can quickly earn your first pot of gold with these songs.

Once you have money and fame, it's only natural to gradually move into the film and television industry.

"How is it?" Zhang Yisan leaned against the door frame.

"Okay, this is it."

"Great!" Zhang Yisan laughed. "I'll help you arrange a meeting with the landlord to sign the contract tomorrow."

The next morning, Jiang Chen accompanied Zhang Yisan to meet the landlady.

The old man was a retired teacher from the Beijing Film Academy. He spoke kindly and, seeing that Jiang Chen was a freshman from the same school and was clean and efficient, he didn't make things difficult for him and signed the contract on the spot.

After transferring 14,000 yuan, Jiang Chen's bank account instantly shrank considerably.

Zhang Yisan leaned against the doorframe and whistled, "Alright, Boss Jiang, it's a housewarming party, shouldn't we treat everyone?"

"I'll treat you to a meal, but first you have to clean up for me."

"Cleaning?" Zhang Yisan's smile froze. "Me, a top star, a graduate of the Performance Department at the Beijing Film Academy, you want me to mop your floor?"

"Then go and call Bai Xue over, she'll clean it."

Zhang Yishan was taken aback, then immediately took out his phone and started making a call.

Yang Zi came voluntarily.

She stood in the middle of the living room, looked around, put down the bottled water, and rolled up her sleeves: "So, which part should I wipe first?"

A girl from Beijing, not pretentious.

They got right to work, wringing out rags, wiping windowsills, and sweeping the floor with the efficiency of someone who had done housework before.

The four of them spent an afternoon getting it done.

Although the old house was old, it became much brighter after being cleaned up.

As evening approached, Jiang Chen saw that everyone was exhausted, so he went to the nearby market to buy groceries and busied himself in the small kitchen.

Before long, two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a soup were served, filling the entire house with their aroma.

Zhang Yisan's chopsticks practically flew through the air: "Not bad, Chen'er, you've been hiding your talent!"

Yang Zi took a bite, her eyes lighting up: "Great, Xiao Chenzi! Much better than the cafeteria!"

Over the next few days, Jiang Chen gradually added more items to his collection.

Second-hand guitars, cheap microphones, simple sound cards, small mixing consoles... these are all cost-effective basic equipment that don't cost much but are sufficient.

He also tricked two other classmates in the department.

A male student majoring in recording, and a female student who can play the keyboard.

Jiang Chen laid it all out: "I'll write the songs, you guys will help with the arrangement and recording, and you'll definitely benefit from it in the future."

Upon hearing this, everyone was delighted.