My Wandering Swordsman

I took Niu, the production assistant, and Ruan Tang back to the film crew's residence.

It was just before filming officially started, and the extras had mostly changed into their costumes. They gathered in twos and threes, some discussing their scenes for the day, others simply playing cards on the ground.

From the perspective of film crews, extras are indeed a disorganized mess.

I nodded to the production assistant, Niu: "Let's begin."

Without hesitation, Niu, the production assistant, stood atop the artificial hill, picked up the megaphone hanging around his neck, cleared his throat, and spoke in a loud, clear voice:

"Come here, everyone! Come here! We have something important to announce."

A sparse crowd slowly gathered.

Their faces all wore indifferent expressions; they were already numb to the director's, assistant's, and production crew's reprimands.

The production assistant wasn't embarrassed. He looked around and said seriously:

"Here's the thing, our production team has a new finance manager who's reformed our financial system, mainly regarding extras' fees. Now, let's welcome Ms. Ruan Tang to speak. (Applause!)"

Sparse applause broke out.

Ruan Tang stepped forward, took the megaphone, and stood in front of the crowd.

Many people's eyes lit up when they saw Ruan Tang's pretty appearance, but they quickly dimmed again.

The beautiful women in the film crew are either connected to the industry or are ruthless characters; they're all people you can't afford to mess with, and they all understand that.

Ruan Tang glanced at everyone's expressions, and her beautiful eyebrows suddenly furrowed:

"My name is Ruan Tang, I'm eighteen years old. This is my first time in Hengdian, my first time in the film and television industry, and my first time on a film set. Originally, I had some expectations for this industry, but seeing you all today, I want to say..."

"What are all these things?"

"Look at the pathetic state you all are in!"

Upon hearing this, the extras were all stunned.

Not only them, but I was also stunned.

What are you trying to do?

Ruan Tang kept talking: "What? Are you all dumbfounded? Didn't I tell you? You all look like wilted eggplants. Do you think you're just destined to be extras? Do you think extras are just supposed to squat on the ground playing cards?"

"Do you think that all the big stars on the red carpet are lucky, and that you'll never have that kind of blessing in your life?"

"Ha, a bunch of useless trash!"

The crowd erupted.

"No? Who are you? You're just a little girl, do you even know anything about acting? What gives you the right to talk to us like that?"

"We work in the sun and wind every day, and we only get eighteen yuan a day. Why don't you give it a try?"

"It's easy for you to talk when you're not in the situation. We've been in film crews for so many years, aren't we all seasoned veterans? You're just a young girl, and you think you're so great just because you're quick-witted?"

After hearing these words, Ruan Tang didn't get angry but laughed, and took a step forward:

"Why should I? Because I control your salaries! Because I feel your labor is undervalued!"

"Eighteen yuan a day, just joking around and getting by..."

"...Do you live up to the costumes you wear? Do you live up to the faces you put on makeup at four in the morning every day? Do you live up to the hopes of your parents, wives, and children back home, waiting for you to earn a pittance?"

The crowd fell silent.

Someone muttered under their breath, "What can I do? Even if I act my best, I'll still only get eighteen. Besides, the director can't see it."

Ruan Tang then chimed in:

"You're wrong! Just because the director can't see it doesn't mean the audience can't. This is a job that requires integrity. As long as your acting is outstanding, someone will notice. Moreover, for excellent extras, I will give the director suggestions to give them more opportunities to perform."

"As for money..."

She reached into her pocket, pulled out a thick wad of banknotes, and shouted sharply:

"Now I will announce three rules, the first being..."

"To sum it up in one sentence, all the previous rules on deducting money are now invalid, extras' fees have been increased across the board, and from now on everyone will earn their living based on their acting skills."

After speaking, she put down the megaphone and quietly took a step back, giving the crowd time to process what she had said.

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

Then, the crowd began to whisper among themselves.

"Holy crap? Did I hear that right? This can't be a scam, can it? Twenty-five a day?"

"Finally, they're not deducting money anymore, boohoo!"

"Heavens above, is my day finally coming?"

"My mother was just diagnosed with an illness last month, and this money..."

"I'm exhausted from acting in action movies, and I'm getting paid the same as those who just stand there and get paid. I've been feeling resentful for a long time."

Two or three minutes later, someone in the crowd shouted at Ruan Tang:

"good!"

Then, a deafening roar and a tsunami erupted.

"Girl, you'll be our lucky charm from now on!"

"Hey beautiful, I fucking want to kowtow to you."

"Who is the young lady going to kill?"

"..."

The extras chattered amongst themselves; some slapped their thighs excitedly, some had tears in their eyes, and some were already calculating how much money they could earn this week.

Ruan Tang smiled slightly, raised her hand to quell the crowd, and they immediately fell silent.

Her voice suddenly softened again:

"I just yelled at you because I couldn't stand your pathetic state. So what if you're extras? Extras are actors too. I, Ruan Tang, may not be a great philanthropist, but I know the saying, 'You reap what you sow.' If you act well, I guarantee you'll get every penny of your hard-earned money."

"Don't let me down!"

The atmosphere among the crowd became lively once again.

"Alright! Boss Ruan is in charge."

"If anyone slacks off again, I'll be the first to report them."

I stood silently in the shadows, watching everything unfold before me, a smile playing on my lips.

Ruan Tang's performance really surprised me.

A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions. Whether her actions were performances or genuine, Ruan Tang made the exact same choice as me.

Return the money to the working people.

Most importantly, Ruan Tang's actions greatly enhanced the cohesion of the extras team. It is foreseeable that if something happens to her, these people will be the first to object.

It really does prove what the production manager Niu said; it's like they're raising assassins.

I looked at the glow on the faces of the veteran extras, and at how they straightened their backs a bit more, and let out a long sigh.

This feels so good, better than earning any amount of money.

Someone asked me why I don't do it myself?

It's simple.

Firstly, Ruan Tang's efforts were indispensable in both the initial stages of getting information from Assistant Director Wang and the later stages of recording the extras' performances. She deserved it, and I couldn't take credit for it.

Secondly, I have a troublesome matter on my mind. If I get too close to the extras, they will probably all suffer as a result. There is no need to involve innocent bystanders.

Thinking of this, I sighed silently and looked up at the sky.

The sky was overcast, looking like it was about to rain.

Speaking of which, isn't the eldest prince about to be discharged from the hospital soon?

I muttered to myself:

"By the way, where the hell is he hospitalized again?"