It's just that they have money.

The three of them walked to the corner of an antique-style street when a commotion suddenly broke out ahead.

A young girl ran out from the alley next door and almost bumped into Fang Chen.

"I'm so sorry!" She quickly took two steps back, holding a stack of costumes in her hands, her whole body covered except for her eyes.

Those eyes were bright, but with a hint of panic.

Fang Chen stepped aside, saying, "It's nothing."

The girl, clutching her costume, ran past him, took a few steps, stopped, glanced back at Fang Chen, and then continued running.

Zhao Xiaole noticed it too, tilted his head to look in the direction the girl ran off to, then turned to Fang Chen: "That girl is pretty."

Fang Chen ignored him and continued walking forward.

After walking a few steps, the girl ran back.

This time, she wasn't carrying her costume; she stood empty-handed and panting in front of Fang Chen.

"Are you from the film crew?"

Fang Chen shook his head: "No, we're here to visit."

The girl's expression visibly relaxed a bit, and she asked again, "Do you know Director Liu?"

Zhao Xiaole interjected, "We know each other, so what?"

The girl hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "I came here for the audition at the last minute. Director Liu told me to come see him at 2 p.m. But I don't know him, and he didn't answer my phone."

Zhao Xiaole looked her up and down, then smiled and asked, "What's your name?"

"Wang Shiyi".

How big?

"twenty."

Which school?

A series of questions made Wang Shiyi wary, and he hesitated to answer.

Zhao Xiaole waved his hand: "Alright, alright, I won't ask anymore. Did you go to Director Liu's office just now? It's the one in that row of bungalows, the one with the prop boxes piled up at the door."

Wang Shiyi glanced in that direction, pursed his lips, and looked troubled.

There was a row of rooms, and she wasn't sure which one was Director Liu's office.

Fang Chen suggested from the side, "Come with us, we'll take you there."

"Really?" Wang Shiyi's eyes lit up.

Zhang Zhenghao nudged Fang Chen with his elbow and whispered, "You really never forget to be a good guy, no matter where you go."

Fang Chen didn't reply.

Back in front of the row of bungalows, Director Liu was just coming out of the house, holding a stack of forms, and was explaining something to a site attendant.

Zhao Xiaole stepped forward to greet them and stepped aside to let Wang Shiyi, who was following behind, pass.

"Director Liu, this young lady said you asked her to come over this afternoon."

Director Liu looked up at Wang Shiyi, his gaze lingering on her face for a couple of seconds, then nodded: "Oh, right, you're the one who auditioned?"

"Yes, yes." Wang Shiyi nodded quickly, her voice tinged with nervousness.

Director Liu glanced at his watch: "You're here early. Okay, go inside and wait. I'll be right there after I finish this."

After he finished speaking, he pointed to the room behind him, then turned back to continue talking to the stage manager.

Wang Shiyi stood there holding the costume, looked at Director Liu, then at Fang Chen, and moved his lips as if he wanted to say thank you, but then felt that the occasion was not quite right.

Fang Chen nodded slightly to her, then followed Zhao Xiaole outside.

After walking a dozen steps, Fang Chen looked back and said in a low voice, "This girl is quite interesting. She's got guts; she dared to run to the film set all by herself."

Zhang Zhenghao chimed in, "He's good-looking too. If his acting skills are up to par, he should be able to make it big."

"Make it through?" Zhao Xiaole chuckled. "This industry isn't something you can just get into by being good-looking. This actor probably stood us up, and they brought in a last-minute replacement. Whether this show will even be a hit is uncertain, let alone such a small role."

The three of them took another stroll around the film studio and watched the filming of several scenes.

Fang Chen's understanding of the production team's operations has deepened considerably compared to before. From the scheduling of stagehands to the actors' movements, from the placement of props to the arrangement of lighting, each link has a dedicated person in charge, and each person in charge has their own small circle.

"This industry is all about personal connections." Zhao Xiaole leaned against the wall, watching the actors touching up their makeup not far away. "Whoever you're on good terms with will give you work. Whether you do the work well or not is secondary."

Fang Chen nodded: "But then again, a twenty-year-old girl traveling alone to another city to work on film sets is certainly bold. What if she hadn't encountered us today, but someone with ulterior motives?"

"You think she's stupid? She dared to come with us because she knows we know Director Liu. In a film crew like this, anyone who can talk to Director Liu is at least not a bad person. How can she survive without that kind of shrewdness?"

Fang Chen thought about it and felt that Zhao Xiaole made sense.

The three continued walking in, passing a warehouse of equipment.

Several rows of tracks, cranes, and scaffolds were piled up at the entrance. Two stagehands were carrying things out. One of them, a younger man, was panting heavily, while the other, an older man, was directing them with a cigarette in his mouth.

"How much is the rental fee for this equipment per day?" Fang Chen asked casually.

Zhao Xiaole glanced at it: "This setup? Tracks and a jib arm, plus those lights, it'll cost at least three or four thousand a day. If you rent the camera as well, it'll be even more expensive; good equipment can cost tens of thousands a day."

"Is all the equipment rented?"

"Most of them are," Zhao Xiaole said. "Film crews rarely buy their own equipment, unless it's a large company with its own equipment warehouse. Most film crews rent equipment and return it after filming, which is more convenient."

"Have you ever done equipment rental?" Fang Chen asked.

Zhao Xiaole shook his head: "I didn't touch that. The investment is huge, the return is slow, and the equipment maintenance is troublesome. With the little money I put in, I wouldn't even see a ripple. Being a lunchbox extra is much more practical—light assets, quick turnover."

Fang Chen nodded, gaining a deeper understanding of his judgment.

This person may seem unreliable, but he's very shrewd when it comes to business.

After walking around for a while, the three of them arrived at a makeshift rest area. There were a few folding tables, a dozen or so chairs, and several actors were sitting there rehearsing their lines. Next to them were a few open boxed lunches that hadn't been touched.

Zhao Xiaole found a seat and sat down, and Fang Chen and Zhang Zhenghao also sat down.

"So, did you understand?" Zhao Xiaole unscrewed a bottle of water and took a sip.

Fang Chen thought for a moment and said, "I understand part of it. This industry chain is very long, from boxed lunches to extras, from equipment to props, there are people doing everything. But the ones that really make money are not those visible parts."

Zhao Xiaole raised an eyebrow: "Oh? So which part do you think is profitable?"

"Information gap," Fang Chen said. "The resources you have are actually available to everyone, but you know who needs what, and you know who has what. Once you connect the two sides, the money comes in."

Zhao Xiaole paused for a moment, then laughed.

"You're quick-witted." He patted Fang Chen on the shoulder. "When I first joined the film crew, it took me a whole week to figure this out. You understood it in half a day."