HuaYu: Starting with Photography to Navigate the Entertainment Industry

"Um?"

Xu Lang looked in the direction of the sound and saw Re Yizha walking quickly towards him from the dormitory entrance.

"What does she want from me again?"

Xu Lang was somewhat curious.

In his experience, once a transaction is completed and the customer has been served, they quickly come back to him, which usually means something bad.

But being blocked, Xu Lang had no choice but to slow down and think of a solution.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he got up, he bowed deeply to Xu Lang again.

Her actions not only bewildered Xu Lang, but also drew curious glances from passersby.

"What's going on? Why are they worshipping again?"

Reyizha is indeed a unique person; she doesn't care about anything and is indifferent to what others are saying.

"Xu Lang, I apologize for being rude last time and leaving you alone in the studio."

Is this girl addicted to apologizing?

Reyizha has a straightforward personality and will turn on you on the spot if she has an opinion, but fortunately she is also reasonable. If she is really in the wrong, she will back down immediately.

Re Yizha handed a magazine to Xu Lang; the cover featured a promotional photo that Xu Lang had taken of her.

"The editor-in-chief was very satisfied with the photos from last time. He not only promoted me from the teen magazine to the more authoritative main magazine, but also added an interview with me and selected six photos to include."

As she spoke, she handed over a red envelope with both hands, saying, "Thank you so much. This red envelope is a small token of my gratitude."

Before Xu Lang could react, she ran away, her face flushed.

I touched the red envelope; there was at least 1000 yuan inside.

Not bad!

Xu Lang accepted the 1000 yuan red envelope without any pressure.

After all, Rayli magazine moved Reyizha from the teen magazine to the main magazine and gave her an exclusive interview. This level of exposure and attention is something that even dozens of red envelopes couldn't buy.

For performers like Reyizha, exposure equals opportunity.

With this upgrade in presentation, she might actually get an audition opportunity later on.

Xu Lang walked towards his dormitory, holding a red envelope in one hand and a copy of "Rayli" magazine in the other.

As soon as Xu Lang entered the dormitory, he was once again "besieged" by Jiang Wei and his two companions. Xu Lang's solution was simple: he took out a few recent photos, and the three of them immediately went off to enjoy themselves.

The days passed by leisurely in this rhythm.

The weekend has arrived in the blink of an eye, and the two-week military training has finally come to an end.

In the past few days, besides filming for the "Women Are Just as Great as Men" column, Xu Lang has also taken care of many other things on his own:

Xu Lang spent 20,000 yuan on a computer specifically for image processing.

While its performance couldn't compare to later models, it was absolutely top-of-the-line at the time.

I got a Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L portrait lens for my camera, which cost another 18,000 yuan.

That's why they say that getting into photography will bankrupt three generations—it's absolutely true.

This single shot is a bottomless pit of money.

Aside from his camera, Xu Lang also doesn't compromise his personal life:

Xu Lang also changed his phone from the Nokia 3310 to the 7610, whose diamond-shaped streamlined design he really liked.

In addition, Xu Lang also bought a new iPod to listen to music.

After all, the only thing that truly honors their generation is music.

Finally, Xu Lang, having made money, did not forget his parents back in his hometown.

He first publicly wired 1 yuan home, and then privately transferred 3000 yuan to his mother.

"Mom, you're still young. Buy yourself some cosmetics and new clothes often. Remember to dress up beautifully every day. Don't worry, Dad doesn't know about this money. It's a gift from me to show my filial piety."

After sending the money to his mother, Xu Lang then sent another 3000 yuan to his father separately.

"Old Xu, this is your secret stash of money. Don't worry, my mom doesn't know. Also, you're getting on in years, you should start taking health supplements. If you need any of those little blue pills, just let me know, and I'll secretly mail them back to you."

Undoubtedly, both his mother, Wu Guilan, and his father, Xu Jianguo, gained a great deal of emotional value from Xu Lang.

They all gave it the highest praise in their hearts:

This son was worth raising!

In addition to acquiring these items, Xu Lang also registered a website online under a trusteeship arrangement. The name was quite straightforward:

goddess.

He had already decided that he would be very strict with the website; he would not upload any photos that were not of beautiful women that caught his eye or that he had personally taken.

For this purpose, he also created a separate section on the website called:

Preliminary selection pool.

The preliminary selection pool and the Goddess Ranking form a relationship of selection and advancement.

Even photos taken by Xu Lang must go through a certain screening process before they can be included in the official beauty list.

As for the selection mechanism, Xu Lang hasn't figured it out yet.

There's no rush, after all, he doesn't have much material yet.

"We need to hurry up and take more pictures of beautiful women!"

As Xu Lang was calculating, a message came through his QQ account:

Wei Yang: Xu Lang, come to my office.

Xu Lang: If Sister Fei calls, something good must be happening. I'll be there soon.

Wei Yang: You're just being cheeky.

Since they added each other on QQ, they would chat on it from time to time.

Now, even important matters are discussed on QQ.

Xu Lang left the dormitory and headed towards Qin Feifei's office.

He knocked and entered, glancing around. It was still the same office, and Qin Feifei was still alone.

"Sister Fei, I'm here. Just tell me what good things are happening, don't be shy."

Qin Feifei glanced at him, her eyes revealing undisguised joy despite her attempts to restrain herself.

"That's really good news."

She took out a document and placed it in front of Xu Lang.

"Your previous documentary, 'Women Are Just as Great as Men,' was very well done and was praised by the school leaders."

Based on this, the school leaders planned to expand the theme and the scope of the photography, which led to the creation of the "Beijing Film Academy Splendor" photography competition.

"A photography competition?"

Xu Lang wasn't very interested. "I've already been reborn, why would I need to prove myself in a competition?"

But soon, something appeared that could restrain him.

A system notification appeared in my mind:

[Task posted: Winner of the first prize in the "Beijing Film Academy Splendor" Photography Contest.]

[Task Reward: 5 Free Attribute Points.]

"Wow, this reward is really high!"

Xu Lang immediately became interested. "Sister Fei, I will definitely support the school's activities wholeheartedly. Just tell me what you need me to do."

The transformation was so fast and so smooth!

"Um."

Qin Feifei was very satisfied with Xu Lang's attitude.

"This time, the photographers participating come from all colleges and all grades. Everyone is very enthusiastic, and the competition will be fierce."

Also, let me tell you some inside information.

"Insider information?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Lang became even more interested and quickly took two more steps closer to Qin Feifei.

"Zhang Jizhong is casting for the film 'The Return of the Condor Heroes.' He took a great interest in the photography competition at our school after learning about it, saying that he would select people from the works with distinctive features to audition."

"Oh?"

This news was somewhat unexpected for Xu Lang.

The main reason he was unwilling to participate in this competition was that the rewards were not attractive enough.

What does it mean if the rewards are insufficient?

This means that most photographers cannot find models to photograph.

Who would want you to film these time-wasting things if you're good-looking, have unique features, or are famous?

But with the endorsement of the audition opportunity for "The Return of the Condor Heroes", the effect was immediately different.

After all, in film school, whether it's actors or people in makeup, photography, or other departments, who wouldn't want to join the cast of "The Return of the Condor Heroes"?

With the names of Zhang Jizhong and Jin Yong at the helm, this drama was destined to be a hit.

Moreover, as a reborn person, Xu Lang knew that this drama was indeed a huge hit across the country.

In the drama, Liu Yifei's portrayal of Xiaolongnu further solidified her "fairy sister" persona.

Thinking about all this, Xu Lang suddenly had some guesses about Qin Feifei's purpose in calling him here.

"Sister Fei, what are your thoughts on the characters in 'The Return of the Condor Heroes'?"