Huayu: This top star doesn't play by the rules.

"Chen Chao, are you really sure about this?" Guo Fan asked seriously, his brows furrowed slightly. "The 1.5 million yuan salary is real. If you choose profit sharing, you might not get a single penny if the movie doesn't do well at the box office."

"I've thought it through." Chen Chao nodded heavily, his gaze unwavering. "I believe in the capabilities of the production team, and I believe 'The Wandering Earth' will be a success. I'm willing to share the risks with the crew, and I hope to grow alongside this film."

Guo Fan was deeply moved after hearing Chen Chao's answer. He had been preparing for this movie for so long and had encountered countless doubts and ridicule. This was the first time someone had believed in him and the movie so firmly.

"Good! Good lad!" Guo Fan patted Chen Chao's shoulder hard, his eyes slightly red. "Just for your trust, I promise you, I will definitely make 'The Wandering Earth' a great film, and I absolutely won't let you down!"

"Zhang Ning, revise the contract. The salary is one million, and the net box office revenue is 1%. Make sure all the terms are clearly written. We can't let Chen Chao suffer a loss."

"Okay." Zhang Ning nodded without refuting Guo Fan's words and left again to revise the contract.

Soon, Zhang Ning brought back the revised contract. After Chen Chao carefully checked it and confirmed that it was correct, he signed his name.

After signing the contract, it was already evening. In high spirits, Guo Fan immediately grabbed Chen Chao's hand and said, "Come on, Chen Chao, it's my treat. Let's find a place to have a good meal to celebrate our successful cooperation!"

Chen Chao naturally wouldn't refuse and readily agreed.

Instead of choosing a high-end hotel, Guo Fan went straight to a casual restaurant near the film studio, ordered a few signature dishes, and a few bottles of beer.

"Come on, Chen Chao, let me toast you." Guo Fan smiled and raised his glass. "Welcome to the 'Wandering Earth' family. I hope our collaboration goes smoothly and we can make a sci-fi movie that makes the Chinese people proud!"

"Thank you, Director Guo. I will definitely not let you down." Chen Chao raised his glass, clinked it with Guo Fan and Zhang Ning, and drank it all in one gulp.

The cold beer slid down his throat, and Chen Chao looked at the spirited Guo Fan in front of him, feeling a mix of emotions.

In his previous life, Guo Fan led his crew to create "The Wandering Earth" despite a lack of funds and a lack of support, ushering in the first year of Chinese science fiction films. In this life, with his participation, this film is sure to be even more exciting.

While eating, Guo Fan chatted with Chen Chao about the filming plans. "We plan to officially start filming next June, mainly at the Oriental Movie Metropolis in Qingdao. When will your current TV series wrap up filming?"

"As for 'Princess Agents,' my scenes will be finished filming around mid-September this year, and there are no follow-up plans at the moment." Knowing what she wanted to ask, Chen Chao said with a smile.

"That's great!" Guo Fan's smile widened even more.

The three chatted over their meal, discussing everything from the script and actors to special effects and the future of science fiction films. Chen Chao would occasionally offer insightful suggestions based on his memories from his past life.

For example, attention should be paid to details in prop making, and some lifelike elements should be added to make the future underground city more realistic. In terms of actor training, actors should be taught aerospace knowledge and the key points of movement in weightlessness in advance.

These suggestions resonated with Guo Fan. The more they talked, the more he felt that Chen Chao was not just a simple actor, but a creator with a deep understanding of film. He looked at Chen Chao with increasing appreciation.

They ate until after 9 p.m. before heading home, satisfied. After seeing Guo Fan and Zhang Ning off, Chen Chao stood at the restaurant entrance, looking at the contract in his hand, a slow smile creeping onto his lips.

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The next morning, Chen Chao arrived at the filming location of "Princess Agents" on time, just as usual.

After greeting the staff one by one, Chen Chao prepared to head to the dressing room, but before he had taken two steps, he heard Zhao Liying's voice: "Chen Chao, come here!"

Subconsciously looking in the direction of the sound, Chen Chao saw Zhao Liying standing next to her white RV, dressed as Chu Qiao, with a gentle smile on her face.

"Good morning, Sister Liying." Although he didn't know why Zhao Liying had called him, Chen Chao still walked over with a smile.

"What do you mean 'early'? It's almost eight o'clock, and filming is about to start." Standing on tiptoe, Zhao Liying reached out and patted Chen Chao's arm, adopting an older sister's tone. "Look at you, all sweaty. Hurry up and get in the car to cool off with the air conditioning on."

"And you haven't had breakfast yet, have you? I just had my assistant buy some. Let's eat together." With that, Zhao Liying opened the door of the RV and went inside first.

Seeing this, Chen Chao didn't stand on ceremony and followed her into the RV. As soon as they entered, a cool breeze hit them, instantly dispelling the heat outside.

The interior of the RV is cozy and tidy. Upon entering, the first thing you see is a sofa and coffee table, followed by a bathroom and bed, which is a very standard RV layout.

A young man wearing a black T-shirt and black-rimmed glasses was setting out the breakfast he had bought at the coffee table: steaming shrimp dumplings, siu mai, steamed buns, and warm soy milk.

The man looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. He was tall and straight, with a clean face, calm eyes, and quick and efficient movements. He seemed like a reliable person.

"This is my assistant, Ji Ran." Seeing Chen Chao curiously looking at the young man, Zhao Liying immediately smiled and introduced the two to each other, "Ji Ran, this is Chen Chao, the young man with particularly good acting skills, whom I told you about."

"Hello, Ms. Chen Chao, I'm Ji Ran, Li Ying's assistant." Ji Ran extended her hand to Chen Chao first, a gentle smile on her face that resembled someone else's.

"Hello, you can just call me Chen Chao." Chen Chao extended his hand and shook hands with him gently. Ji Ran's handshake was just the right amount of pressure, neither frivolous nor too forceful, showing professionalism in every detail.

"Stop the small talk, sit down quickly, or your breakfast will get cold." Seeing the two still sizing each other up, Zhao Liying couldn't help but chuckle, shook her head helplessly, and gestured for Chen Chao to sit down.

"These were specially bought by Ji Ran from that Cantonese dim sum restaurant near the entrance of the film studio, which is said to have very authentic flavors. Try them."

"Okay, thank you, Sister Liying, and thank you, Brother Jiran." Hearing Zhao Liying's words, Chen Chao also picked up his chopsticks, took a shrimp dumpling, and put it in his mouth. The skin was thin, the filling was large, and it was fresh, tender, and juicy. The taste was indeed very good.

"You're welcome." With a smile, Ji Ran seemed to remember something and poured a glass of warm water for Chen Chao and Zhao Liying respectively, placing it beside them.

Throughout the process, Ji Ran didn't say much, but every action was just right. She took care of Chen Chao's needs without being overly enthusiastic, and she had a very good sense of proportion.

Seeing this, Chen Chao nodded inwardly. He suddenly realized that having such a meticulous and reliable assistant like Zhao Liying would indeed save him a lot of trouble.