This Star Only Wants More Money - Chapter 41

The outskirts of Luohe City, Luohe No. 3 Middle School.

The students had already gone on vacation, leaving the school’s snack shop and cafeteria storerooms empty. The production team, creatively cutting costs, decided to rent these spaces as one of the shooting locations for their drama. This arrangement not only saved money but also allowed them to easily hire cheap, available “extras” from the advanced academy across the street.

When it comes to crowd scenes that don’t require much acting, students are the cheapest and most efficient choice. Directors, casting agents, and the production team all find this method very satisfactory. For the students, working as an extra means earning a few dozen yuan a day, getting a free lunch, and walking away with an internship certificate — some are even willing to pay to be there!

These students are enthusiastic and hardworking; there’s no need to push them too hard to see impressive results.

A few trucks and cars were parked outside the warehouse — with a large enough space, a little decoration, and arrangement could create various interior scenes efficiently and at a low cost.

It was already noon, and the actors and staff, having finished their morning’s work, began to file out of the warehouse, collecting boxed lunches from the trucks and sitting down nearby to eat.

A man who appeared to be in his forties, with a square, serious-looking face, finished the last bite of his meal from a plastic container and began giving instructions to those around him.

“Director Song, is the person coming over the one who’s recently become quite popular… what’s his name again?”

“Xu Feng!”

“Ah, right, Xu Feng!” a male actor slapped his thigh. “I hadn’t heard of him before; he seems to have shot to fame overnight.”

In the entertainment industry, people are often suspicious of those who suddenly become famous. How many promising films and dramas have been marred by so-called stars with zero acting skills, who landed roles due to their popularity rather than talent?

The same situation often happens in the music industry, where some so-called prodigies are lauded as the next big thing but never release a memorable hit.

Generally, people who were previously unknown and suddenly gained fame tend to lack credibility.

A female actor chimed in, “I watched his performance at the campus gala last night. His guitar playing was pretty good, and his singing was on point. He seems like the real deal, not just someone riding on connections.”

“I also watched the replay of his live PK. Honestly, while his performance was pleasant to listen to, I didn’t find it particularly stunning. Maybe it’s just that I don’t really understand music.”

“That’s quite normal. The bass isn’t typically a solo instrument, and it’s relatively niche… The fact that his performance could gain so much attention in a live setting shows his ability. Usually, this kind of niche instrument wouldn’t draw such a large audience.”

“The hype that was meant to make him look bad just ended up boosting his popularity. You’ve got to admit, that’s pretty impressive. I think he does have some talent,” said the male actor who had spoken earlier. “But the style of the three songs he’s known for doesn’t quite match our film, and that’s what concerns me the most.”

“Right, our drama is a modern martial arts film set in an urban environment, and none of those songs seem to fit.”

From his first song, “Ugly Monster,” directed at a fake friend, to the still-unreleased full version of “The Wind Rises,” and his recent performance of “Once You” at the campus gala, none of these seem suitable for their project.

Director Song interrupted the discussion among the actors, “Lin Shenghuan was the one who recommended him to our production team, so I think he should be reliable.”

After the entire music production team was put out of commission, Lin Shenghuan was naturally their first choice for a replacement.

Traditional-style songs pair well with martial arts movies, but unfortunately, Lin Shenghuan was currently too busy chasing her goal of becoming a top-tier singer to spare the time to write a song for them — even if she were available, there was no guarantee she could complete an original song in such a short period, and it wouldn’t be usable until after the show wrapped, which was too late.

The drama was nearing completion and soon to be released, and everyone in the production team was counting on its success. They were already feeling uncertain about the final result and needed something extra to help steady their nerves.

A good song can bring tremendous popularity to a film or show — many mediocre productions have managed to leave a lasting impression solely because of a great song. The team didn’t expect a miracle, but at the very least, they couldn’t afford to make mistakes.

The first male actor who spoke chuckled bitterly, “If worse comes to worst, we could just pick one of Xu Feng’s three songs at random. It might feel a bit off, but at least it won’t be a mistake.”

“Too bad we couldn’t get Lin Shenghuan.”

“Forget it. I heard she’s so focused on her concert that she even turned down an invitation from the ‘Singer’ show. There’s no way she’d find time to write for our small production.”

“…”

Director Song looked into the distance at a slowly approaching electric car, and as he flicked his cigarette butt to the ground and stomped it out, he cut off the murmuring among the actors, “I’m not some big-shot director, and you all aren’t A-list actors. This drama isn’t some grand production… We’re lucky to have a competent composer willing to step in; just be glad for that. None of us are big deals, so let’s not be picky about each other.”

“When he arrives, show some respect.”

The other actors laughed. The atmosphere in this production team was quite relaxed. Director Song was strict about their acting skills, but he didn’t put on airs, unlike some directors who had neither box office hits nor artistic acclaim but still behaved as if they were above everyone else.

Working in such a team made everything more enjoyable.

They wondered how they’d get along with Xu Feng over the next few days. Judging from his past behavior, he seemed like a pretty aloof guy.

The actors couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like working with their new colleague.

Soon, the electric car came to a stop on the side of the road, and a young, casually dressed man with an easygoing stride stepped out.

As he pushed the door open, hot air rushed into the shooting area.

“Come on, let me introduce everyone,” Director Song wasted no time and clapped his hands to lighten the mood. “This is Xu Feng. And this here is our lead actor, Liu Haoyuan… Our leading actress, Yan Wei… and these are… Let’s all get to know each other!”

Yan Wei, who was still finishing her lunch, quickly stood up and swallowed the last bite of her food with some effort before saying, “Hello, Mr. Xu Feng!”

The others followed with polite greetings. “We’ve heard a lot about you; having teacher here is a great help.”

Xu Feng waved his hand dismissively, turning slightly to close the door. “No need to be so formal; we’re all here to work together. You don’t need to call me ‘teacher.’”

“Don’t be so modest; your previous work was quite impressive!”

Seeing how friendly and easygoing everyone was, Xu Feng figured it wouldn’t hurt to be a bit more sociable as a newcomer. Since they called him “teacher,” he might as well come up with a nickname for them.

After thinking for a moment, he said, “Alright, you all can call me ‘teacher,’ and I’ll call you ‘bosses.’ How about that?”

“Pfft!!”