“Damn, Chen Cheng, you went to bed so late yesterday, yet you’re still full of energy this early in the morning. If I didn’t have work today, I’d sleep in.”
“Why don’t you sleep for another half hour? I’ll help finish that job for you.”
“Although I really want to sleep some more, brother, that’s incredibly generous of you.”
After bragging all night yesterday, the Stagehands were all still somewhat groggy.
But that was simply how work was.
Even though they still wanted to sleep, they had to start work early and move a whole series of pieces of equipment to the film set.
Although Chen Cheng had also gone to bed late, with the System’s help, he had slept extremely well.
Even after sleeping for only four hours, Chen Cheng was still full of energy.
So Chen Cheng did his best to help everyone with more of the work. Once everyone worked together, the morning’s tasks were finished, and only then did they begin eating breakfast.
However, just as he had eaten halfway through his meal, a voice suddenly sounded beside Chen Cheng: “Chen Cheng, what are you doing here?”
Chen Cheng was very familiar with that voice.
He turned his head and discovered that it was his classmate, Yang Mi.
Yes.
In his previous life, the Major Star Yang Mi had been Chen Cheng’s classmate, and they had even been in the same class.
But life could change drastically.
Although Chen Cheng and Yang Mi had been classmates, their respective development was worlds apart.
“Major Star Yang, what are you doing here too?”
“Didn’t I say in the group chat that I’d taken the role in 《Wang Zhaojun》? You’re something else. You took this role and didn’t even mention it in the group chat.”
Looking at Chen Cheng, Yang Mi complained.
Chen Cheng, however, felt somewhat awkward. “What role could I possibly have taken? I’m just working here as a Stagehand.”
“A Stagehand?”
Yang Mi was stunned. “How did you end up here as a Stagehand?”
“I had no choice. I couldn’t find a role, so I could only come to the film crew as a Stagehand. It also counts as completing my summer assignment.”
He spread his hands.
On the one hand, working as a Stagehand was a task assigned by the System.
On the other hand...
Chen Cheng truly had not found any particularly good roles.
After all...
Not everyone was like Yang Mi.
Although Chen Cheng and Yang Mi were classmates,
Yang Mi had grown up as a child star. In 1992, she had already appeared in Stephen Chow’s Martial Scholar.
As for what role Yang Mi played in Martial Scholar...
She was the girl riding on Stephen Chow’s shoulders while begging for alms under imperial orders.
So although Yang Mi was only a second-year student now, she was already a moderately well-known star.
“Why don’t I...”
Yang Mi glanced at Chen Cheng’s clothes and hesitated before saying, “Why don’t I ask the Director whether there’s a special-role actor position or something available?”
“Thanks, but I think being a Stagehand is fine.”
Although running into Yang Mi had surprised him somewhat,
after living two lives, this little awkwardness was nothing.
..
“Chen Cheng, was that person just now your classmate?”
“Yeah.”
“She has quite a presence. By the way, are you still studying?”
“It’s summer vacation, so I came out to work part-time and earn some pocket money.”
“What school?”
“Beijing Film Academy.”
“Why don’t you just say you’re from the Central Academy of Drama?”
“I did want to apply to the Central Academy of Drama during the college entrance examination, but I felt Beijing Film Academy suited me better.”
“Yeah, right.”
His coworker did not believe him.
Chen Cheng curled his lip. If they didn’t believe him, so be it.
“Let’s go. Time to keep hauling bricks.”
Yang Mi’s appearance was merely an interlude and did not affect Chen Cheng in any way.
He continued working as a Stagehand.
Although he occasionally ran into Yang Mi at the film set while working as a Stagehand,
Chen Cheng did not think much of it. Whenever they met, they simply nodded to each other.
Although Yang Mi was surprised that Chen Cheng had come to work as a Stagehand, they were classmates, after all. Once the morning’s work was finished, Yang Mi privately approached the Director. “Director Li, I have a classmate with pretty good acting skill. There seems to be a special-role actor position available this afternoon. Why don’t I have him come over and try out?”
“Your classmate—is he from Beijing Film Academy too?”
“Yes.”
“Someone from Beijing Film Academy? Excellent. Where is he now, in Beijing or somewhere else? Can he get to the film set this afternoon?”
“Yes, yes, yes. I’ll call him over in a moment.”
Acting was, in fact, a profession that relied heavily on connections and resources.
Although Yang Mi did not yet have the fame she would have in later generations, she was still known, and she had entered the industry from a young age.
Moreover, she was recommending a fellow student from Beijing Film Academy, and it was only a small special-role actor position.
As the Director, he would naturally show her some consideration.
..
“Chen Cheng, where are you? Do you have time to come to the film set?”
“What’s going on?”
“Just come over when I tell you to. Your big sister isn’t going to bully you.”
“All right, then.”
After receiving Yang Mi’s call, Chen Cheng did not know what she wanted, but he still went to the film set.
“Director Li, this is my classmate, Chen Cheng. Don’t let the fact that he hasn’t graduated yet fool you—his acting skill is excellent. He’ll have no problem playing a special-role actor.”
When Chen Cheng arrived, Yang Mi introduced him to Director Li.
But when Director Li saw Chen Cheng, he laughed. “Hahaha, Yang Mi, this is the person you recommended?”
“Yes, him. Chen Cheng, aren’t you going to greet Director Li...? Huh...? Director Li, you don’t already know Chen Cheng, do you? Oh, right. Chen Cheng works with the film crew, so it’s normal that you know him.”
Yang Mi, however, had misunderstood.
She thought they merely knew each other because they worked on the same film crew and had occasionally crossed paths.
But Director Li did not merely recognize Chen Cheng.
“Of course I know him. Not only do I know him, I’m also quite impressed by your classmate.”
Looking at Chen Cheng, Director Li said, “Little fellow, so you’re from Beijing Film Academy. Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“Well, this...”
Chen Cheng felt somewhat embarrassed. “Director Li, when I applied, no one asked which school I attended.”
“Hahaha, you came to apply as a Stagehand. Who would ask which school you attended? Even if you’d only graduated from elementary school, we would still take you. You little fellow, you’re a top student from Beijing Film Academy, yet you came to work as a Stagehand. I’ve been in this industry for over ten years, and you’re the only one I’ve ever seen do that.”
Seeing Chen Cheng and Director Li chatting from time to time, Yang Mi widened her eyes. “Director Li, you two really do know each other?”
“Chen Cheng, your classmate recommended you to me. There’s a special-role actor position this afternoon. Do you want to try it?”
“Well, Director Li, I still need to tell Producer Liu. He has to agree first.”
“All right. If he refuses to let you go, tell him I specifically requested you.”
“Uh... all right.”
After saying this, Director Li left.
But Yang Mi was rather curious about Chen Cheng. “Chen Cheng, Director Li knew you just now.”
“Of course he knows me. We’re on the same film crew.”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Then what is it?”
“I think Director Li has quite a strong impression of you.”
“Oh, that’s mainly because we Stagehands have to run around the film set moving equipment whenever we have nothing else to do. He probably thought I never slacked off and kept working hard, so he remembered me.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“All right, then. Remember to come to the film set this afternoon.”
“That isn’t certain. If the Producer refuses to let me go, I won’t be able to come. But...”
Looking at Yang Mi, Chen Cheng said, “Thanks.”
Although he and Yang Mi had been worlds apart in his previous life,
and although the path Chen Cheng wanted to pursue in the future was not the acting path,
their friendship as classmates still warmed Chen Cheng’s heart.