Huayu 2011: Starting with Hilarious Men

On June 11th, Shanghai will experience moderate rain, with heavy rain in some areas. The minimum temperature will be 21℃ and the maximum temperature will be 24℃. There will be a northeasterly wind of level 3-4.

Qiao Shan called Zheng Nan as soon as he got off the train, saying he had arrived at Shanghai Railway Station.

"I've sent you the address on QQ. We're setting up the filming location here. You can just take a taxi directly over. Remember to get an invoice; I'll reimburse you."

A month ago, I had to ask Sohu to reimburse my travel expenses when I went to Beijing; now I can reimburse other people's travel expenses.

Qiao Shan arrived at Huanhuaxi Foot Massage based on the address on QQ.

"This decor is so similar to the foot massage parlors in Yanjiao." Qiao Shan felt it looked familiar for some reason. Could it be that all foot massage parlors in the country have this kind of decor?

As soon as I walked in, a receptionist greeted me: "Are you here for fun, bro? You must be a regular. Do you have your favorite masseuses? If not, we'll bring you a batch. Take a look and see if you like them. The ladies here are all pretty good."

This little commotion is just perfect.

"Change it to another batch... oops, I'm here to find someone," Qiao Shan quickly explained.

"You're definitely a regular customer. Are you worried your wife will find out? The guy in front said the same thing. Don't worry, we're a legitimate foot massage parlor, we don't serve meat."

"I'm here to film a movie." Qiao Shan now suspects that Zheng Nan gave him the wrong address, or that she's playing a prank on him.

Do reputable foot massage parlors explicitly state that they don't serve meat?

"Is this the filming of 'Hilarious Men'?" the receptionist asked immediately upon hearing that it was a film.

"Yes, how did you know?" Qiao Shan asked curiously. Zheng Nan probably wouldn't publicize something like filming in a foot massage parlor all over the world, would she?

"I watched the first season of 'Hilarious Men'. I recognized Zheng Nan as soon as he came, and I even took a picture with him."

Qiao Shan glanced at the receptionist's age; she was only in her early twenties. He guessed that she had chosen this job because her father was a gambler, her mother was ill, and her younger brother was in school.

"Are you an actor?" The receptionist leaned closer to Qiao Shan, scrutinizing him intently.

"Yes, I'm an actor." Qiao Shan coughed twice and casually twisted his tie a couple of times.

When I was performing in Beijing, I didn't dare to say that I was an actor, for fear of being recognized by acquaintances and feeling embarrassed.

Once you're in Shanghai, you don't have to worry about that anymore; you can pretend however you want!

"Your acting is so good. I still think you're a regular customer at our foot massage parlor, especially your demeanor," the receptionist praised.

"Um, stop praising me now, take me to the filming location."

Led by the receptionist, Qiao Shan finally saw Zheng Nan.

"Brother Shan, welcome, welcome! We'll film today, and I'll treat you to dinner tonight." Zheng Nan's eyes lit up when she saw Qiao Shan; the main character had finally arrived!

"We're filming this scene right here?" Qiao Shan hugged Zheng Nan and then asked.

"Not this one." Zheng Nan shook her head.

"Are all the scenes for today here?" Qiao Shan was a little puzzled. He remembered that "Hilarious Men" was all short films.

"All your scenes are set in the foot massage parlor, including tomorrow. If you don't finish filming tomorrow, there's always the day after tomorrow." Zheng Nan handed over the script.

"Is this filming the second season of 'Hilarious Men'? Not some other show, right?" Qiao Shan was confused. Would the audience like to watch a show that just repeats the same scene?

"Relax, buddy, I'll make you look like the Emperor of Foot Massage. From now on, every foot massage parlor will have to display your portrait." Zheng Nan patted Qiao Shan's shoulder hard. "Go to the changing room and change into your foot massage clothes first."

In the original version of "Men's Diary", Qiao Shan had many other scenes besides the foot massage parlor.

However, in "Hilarious Men", Zheng Nan wanted to emphasize the identity of Qiao Shan Yu Huang Dadi, so the scenes in other scenes were given to others.

The Chinese are a people who love to watch exciting events.

The foot massage at Huanhuaxi is usually quite boring. The masseuses at regular massage parlors don't change for six months at a time, so regular customers who have prepaid cards don't find it exciting at all.

Today is different; the film crew has arrived.

Who usually gets to see what filming looks like? So a lot of foot massage technicians and customers crossed the pre-set cordon to watch.

When Qiao Shan came out of the changing room in a guest bathrobe, the onlookers were shocked.

"Look at his acting skills, he's just like a real customer of a brothel!"

"Is this all an act? How could someone have this kind of feeling without having slept with dozens of women?!"

"Great actors, absolutely great actors! Did they make Category III films?"

"What kind of Category III film is this! It's a legitimate comedy. Have you even seen 'Hilarious Men'?"

"Haven't you seen it? A comedy Category III film?"

"Boss, I'm not doing business with him today! There's a generation gap!"

"Ahem, I'll add another clock."

"Come on, let's go inside."

"Please disperse, everyone, please disperse so as not to disrupt the filming." Ding Xiu went to the boss, who paid for the filming location so he could sneak in a couple of photos. They had agreed that no one was allowed to watch.

The owner of Huanhuaxi Foot Massage stepped in, offered discounts to customers, and reprimanded the two foot massage girls who refused to leave, before the onlookers reluctantly dispersed.

Even so, some people still take advantage of passing by to secretly take photos with their mobile phones.

If you're going to take photos secretly, at least turn off the flash!

When Zheng Nan went outside for some fresh air, she was startled by a sudden flash of light.

In other words, guns are banned in China. If this happened in the United States, Zheng Nan would have to kneel down and surrender on the spot.

…………

Qiao Shan appeared before everyone wearing a disposable guest bath suit for foot massage.

"Is it okay, Director?" In private, Qiao Shan would respectfully call Zheng Nan "Director" when he arrived on set.

"Great! Everyone, take a look at this costume!" Zheng Nan's eyes lit up; the Bathing Emperor had appeared.

This beige foot massage uniform paired with baggy shorts is definitely a classic Johnson look!

Lin Wenruo and the others who came to help were also stunned and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Especially Yuan Bingyan and Ren Yi, who are studying acting.

The two often imitated various characters, but Qiao Shan couldn't tell that the character of the foot massage parlor customer was acting at all; it was just like a real person.

"Thank you everyone for your support. Please stop praising me, or I'll get arrogant in a minute."

Qiao Shan had never received such treatment when he was just an extra in the theater, and he waved his hands repeatedly.

"Brother Shan, take a look at the script, let's try shooting one take first," Zheng Nan suggested.

The scripts for "Hilarious Men" are not long, and Qiao Shan quickly memorized them after reading them for a while.

"Director, how should I act? Are there any requirements?" Qiao Shan asked.

"There are no requirements, just act freely! Don't hold back!"

The actors were ready according to the script. This time, there was a professional photographer, so Lin Wenruo didn't need to shoot. Lin Wenruo was in charge of setting the clapperboard: "The second season of 'Hilarious Men,' scene one, shot one, ACTION."

Zheng Nan disguised herself as a technician and gave Qiao Shan a foot massage.

As he was pinching her feet, Qiao Shan suddenly sat up and moved closer to Zheng Nan, using his hand to stop her from pinching his feet.

"What are you doing, bro?" Zheng Nan asked, puzzled.

Qiao Shan asked in a deep voice, "Brother, our family...?"

Qiao Shan paused deliberately at this point, raised an eyebrow, and pretended to be a little embarrassed: "Have you ever had a... massage?"